ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20065, 23 March 1935, Page 11

ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS

REPORT OF FIRST ADELAIDE TROOP S OUTING The following is a report of an outing held recently by the scouts of the first Adelaide troop (South Australia). Having toured Port Adelaide, Semaphore, Birkenhead, and Glenville, visiting many places of interest en route, the scouts called at “Kurbingai,” the “D” District Camping Ground, which the association has leased from the military authorities. There is an old fort there in which there is much to see in the way of old guns, relics, etc. The square is surrounded by a mass of flowers, and the “Pathway of Honour” is within its grounds. The Pathway is a concrete path in which are imprinted the footprints of the Chief Scout and those of many other well-known people in the scout movement. It is covered with plate-glass to protect the moulds. As the fort is near the sea, the scouts next paid a visit to the waterfront where they saw a boat in the slip for repairs. They stayed here and watched some Japanese seamen at quarterstaff practice, and were amazed at their skill. After inspecting a fire-float and numerous big boats, the scouts returned home after a most enjoyable outing. A few weeks later the troop held a week-end camp in a log shack at Mt. Lofty, in the Adelaide Hills. As a good turn a poor boy was taken'along with the scouts.

HIKING IN JAMAICA A party of scouts of the 20th Kingston (Holy Rosary) Troop, Jamaica, recently undertook a week-end hike to the Montague Lakes, a beauty spot some miles out from Kingston. Starting out in the afternoon, they made good progress, and at 7 p.m. arrived at Spanish Town, where they were entertained by a company of guides camping in that locality. After an hour’s stay the scouts started out again, and walked far into the night, this being the coolest and best time for walking. They slept on the piazza of a shop at Ewarton that night, and early next morning were astir and tackled the assault on Mt. Diablo. Water coconuts were in great demand as refreshers before the scouts had travelled far. Reaching the lake, they took a number of snaps, then embarked on a boat and travelled to where one of their neighbouring troops was camping. There they spent the afternoon. The journey back, during which they spent another night out, was successfully accomplished, and a fine report and map of the hike made out. SCOUTING IN NORTH BORNEO The scoutmaster and one scout of “C” Troop, West Coast Scouts, British North Borneo, undertook a three weeks’ hike last year, and the report makes very interesting reading. Each carried a load of 351b5., which consisted of one blanket, various articles of clothing, a shot gun and cartridges, two torches, five sets batteries and bulbs, one katty of salt fish, half a gantang of rice, two katties of salt, one packet candles, one parang (bush knife), two knives, a camera, and other camp necessities. They bought rice and fowls at the kampongs (villages) from day to day. In the course of the three weeks, about one hundred and fifty miles were covered, and the scouts climbed ro a height of 13.455 feet. In many places throughout the journey the going was extremely difficult, steep slopes, heat, narrow paths through jungle and forest, slippery tracks, leeches, rain, thirst, and heavy packs making the hike anything but a picnic, but the scouts “smiled and whistled” and voted it a fine trip. They considered that the experience of new people, new places, new customs, and scenery of great grandeur and beauty more than rewarded their efforts.