Memories of eighty years / by John Beddoe M.D., LL.D., F.R.S.

  • Beddoe, John, 1826-1911.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Memories of eighty years / by John Beddoe M.D., LL.D., F.R.S. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Emus were seen more than once. How these huge birds live through a severe drought I do not understand, nor how they escape white and black hunters. They ought to have some kind of protection from the law. Occasionally we had the great enjoyment of seeing a flock of Golaas on the wing. These birds are, I suppose, the Cacatua Eos of Gould, who says of them, “ They frequently pass in flocks over the plains with a long sweeping flight, at one minute displaying their beautiful silvery grey backs ” [I should call this colour white], at the next, by a simultaneous change of position, bringing their rich rosy breasts into view, the effect of which is so beautiful, that I regret that my readers cannot participate in the pleasure I have derived from the sight.” Life was not so dull as might have been supposed. Visitors occasionally turned up, tied up their horses, ■sent in their cards, and were hospitably received. A very pleasant one was a Mr. Lamotte, a New-South- Walian, from the Gwydir, who was camping on our ground with a comrade, in charge of eighty horses, the residue of a large herd which had belonged to a (deceased) bishop in the south, and had been be- queathed by him, with the rest of his property, to church purposes. The horse-masters were pushing gradually to the north, selling as they went. The two used to appear on alternate days; and we wondered why they always came singly, until a return visit enlightened us. There had been an accidental fire in their tent, which had destroyed all their clothing, except one suit, so that when the one visited us the other had to lie in bed. But of all our visitors the most interesting was a