THE TRANS-AUSTRALIAN CVOLIST

West Coast Times, Issue 10536, 21 July 1897, Page 4

THE TRANS- AUSTRALIAN CVOLIST

[Melbourne Akgus] The s.s. Chingtu, which arrived at Melbonrne last Tuesday, brought the (transcontinental cyclist, who on Thursday evening continued his journey back to Broken Hill by rail. On calling on Mr Murif at the Victoria Coffee Palace, he ff jadily agreed to a half -hour's chat about hi-s great ride from Adelaide to Port Darwin. The /cyclist, it may be mentioned, is of medium height and build, with face and hands well tanned by the sun, and had the appearance of a man ac customed to the bush, and ono who would not shrink at difficulties or be deterred by dangers when his mind was set upon fulfilling a purpose. "What led you to undertake such a journey?" I asked. " Simply a burning desire to explore new country where II cnuld encounter experiences quite new, which would afford material for afterthought, if not for a narrative. And your desires were realised?" I queried. "To ! the fullest extent. The impression that the route leads through great sandy deserts is somewhat misleading, for although sandy " etretchea are met with, for the most part the track passes through country tim- ! bered and scrubby, in some places the track being walled in on either side by dense scrub. Towards the north one meets j with vast clumps of bamboos, and although i I found several alligators' teeth and frequently rode on the padded tracks they make when moving from one waterhole to another, I did not chance to meet one. From time to time I saw blacks, but my machine scared the life out of th^m, and even when I met them round about the telegraph stations nothing would prevail upon any of them to come near my bicycle. On one occasion I had been 24 hours without water. At last I struck Bunny Well. I had been warned to be careful of the blacks who would most likely be there, and as I rode down to the water my blood crept when I saw a large party of blacks seated round a camp fire. I was in a dilemma, when suddenly I heard a frightful yell. 1 1 grasped my revolver,Jbut saw^toimy great relief that every man, woman, and child was scampering off like wild cattle. So I had thejwell to myself. It is a aangerous practice to camp at wells by a fire, and Iliad been advised to light a fire on reaching a well to make the blacks — who are usually sneaking around under cover — believe that I purposed camping there | for the night, then move on another 10 I miles or so,iaud if the blacks wanted your scalp they would have to trace your track with firebrands. To leave water in this manner after enduring many hours of parching thirst required great determination, and there were times when I felt that not for all the blacks in the territory would I leave the precious fluid, f or,of tentimes i there was no knowing j where the next drop was to be found." "How did you cross the rivera ?" " Towards the lat* ter part of the journey I had tolswim some. I carried a very stout fishing line ; to one end I fastened a stone, which I threw across to the opposite bank ; then I tied the other end to the bicycle, and [after swimming across with my clothes on my head, I dragged the machine over the bottom of the stream, which usually had a gravelly bed. c

" At one part of the trip it seemed as though my tyres would be ruined with barrs. They picked them up in myriads till the whole surface of the rubber was covered, and the wheels looked like rotary brooms. I got off and sat down on a log to think, and with this result." Here Mr Murif picked up two small pieces of tin and said, " I devised these |'burr-ar-resters' ont of the sides of an old square tin match-box. First I detached my mud guards and threw them away. Then I fixed one piece of bent tin at the rear of the forks, and another piece just grazing the back tyre. The effect was surprising. the bnrrs were no sooner picked up than they struck the tin and were sent flying with a pinge, and all trouble on the part of burr-puncture 3 were removed. The worst country I encountered was that known as Biscay Bay country. It is made up of innumerable holes and tu3socky grass. The holes are caused by the floods in the wet season rushing over the ground. It was over these holes I received a severe fall which rendered me insensible for some time, how long I cannot say, as the force cracked my watch glass aui stopped the timepiece." Asked as to how he thought Messrs Coleman and Greenwood would succeed in f ollowingTthe route, Mr Murif said : " Well, they will have much to contend with, and tbe blacks fears of a bicycle miy havebooeme sonuivhit allayed, One thing, however, is in the adventurers' favour. Just befo-e I left Palmerston the Government contractors, who annually supply the. telegraph stations with rations, had just started with Six waggjns and camels, and this caravan will be well on the road to Central Australia before Greenwood and Coleman start, so they will have a well-defined road to help them. A similar caravan leaves the Southi Australian end at the same time, and these parties cover the wholo journey with the exception of 150 mjle^wbich separate the central telegraph

stations. These tracks will remain untill the November rains well-nigh obliterate them. I forgot to state that a party of horsemen precede thd caravan to mark out the track and remove obstructions. Ths telegraphjpoles are all of iron so that repairs are rarely needed." With regard to the mishap to Greenwood and Coleman, can you account for this ?" I think so. You see they had travelled 92 miles, and most of this had been ridden on the railway line — a most severe test to any machine, jolting over the sleepers. I rode an Electra machine, and said it at Palmerston. My notebook here is full, and I could talk on for hours, but as my train leaves in an hour, must leave off.,' We bade adieu.