PART III

PROMISCUOUS WANDERINGS

IN THE AUSTRALIAN BACK-BLOCKS 199

ON THE OPAL FIELDS OF WHITE CLIFFS 220

PROSPECTING IN BRITISH NEW GUINEA 238

IN THE GUM-LAND OF WANGERI 256

WITH THE PEARLERS OF NORTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA 271

List of Illustrations

PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR _Frontispiece_

A PARTY OF MINERS GOING IN BY THE SKAGWAY OR WHITE PASS TRAIL _Facing p._ 7

THE CHILCOOT PASS " 16

KLONDIKE-BOUND MINERS AND THEIR OUTFITS ON LAKE LINDERMAN " 22

AFTER THE RAPIDS " 22

PAN-WASHING IN SKOOKUM GULCH " 37

GOLD-BOTTOM CREEK " 47

DAWSON CITY " 54

ON THE SAFE SIDE OF THE PASS AGAIN--MAC, SELF, STEWART " 79

STEWART PREPARING OUR FIRST MEAL " 89

"DISCOVERY" SHAFT--ON GOLD " 99

STEWART FINDS THE GROUND HARD " 106

NO. 2 CLAIM--JUST STRUCK GOLD " 114

OUR SHAFT " 122

NUGGETY DICK AND SILENT TED " 127

HAPPY JACK AND DEAD-BROKE SAM " 132

READY FOR THE RUSH " 139

A BREAKDOWN IN THE RUSH " 145

OUR LAST VIEW OF THE 5-MILE WORKING " 150

TAKING OUR POSITION " 159

A NATIVE CAMP " 165

EL DORADO! " 172

AN EXTINCT VOLCANO WE CAMPED ON " 182

THE ONLY CREATURES THAT CAN EXIST IN THE N.W. INTERIOR " 195

AN EMU'S NEST " 200

"LEICHARDT'S TREE" " 213 The last trace found of the great explorer who attempted to cross the interior and was never heard of again.

A FAMOUS MINE IN THE GULF COUNTRY " 219

BORING FOR OPAL INDICATIONS " 224

THE BELLE OF THE BUSH--A SALVATION ARMY CONVERT IN WHITE CLIFFS " 230

THE DINGOE OR NATIVE DOG " 237

CROCODILE JAWS " 243

THE GUM-DIGGERS' SWIMMING-POOL " 265

READY TO GO DOWN " 275