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and three others reached the top of Finnegan in about three hours
from the sawmill. Their route was roundabout but not difficult.
An area of about 500 acres of ridgy terrain and deep ravines on top,
covered with what he describes as "turkey bush", with rain-foresteam trees in the ravines. The turkey bush further described as very mossy,
about 5-6 ft. high, and so densely packed that one can walk on top of
it. Impossible to force ones way through this stiff scrub, and the
wood of the shrubby trees is so hard that cutting a track through it
would be very hard work. Wood as hard as that of the renowned "ghit toe"
of the Atherton Tablelands. There are ferny openings in the scrub.
No water seen. The party carried water and therefore did not look
for it during their short stay on the mountain-top. The mountain is
usually enveloped in cloud in the SE season.
Hanson recommends that we camp at Francis Bros. old tin workings,
in open forest on the south bank of Parrot Cr. about one mile east of
Shipton's Flat sawmill (if the road is still trafficable). The ap-
proach to Finnegan follows easy slopes up the south side of Parrot
Creek; follow creek up to divide, crossing a few spurs, but keep away
from the steep northern slopes of the mountain. Follow the crest of
the divide approximately south to the summit of Finnegan. Near the top of the climb are some big rocks from which a good view of the moun-
tain can be had.
Hanson told of two large rats, of very dark blackish brown, and
body length of about 12 inches, seen in the stiff scrub on top of
Finnegan. The rats were on mossy ground, and very tame. As Hansen
and party rested, the rats wached them from their mossy cover, "waving
their whiskers."
Harry Sykes, a good old abo who worked for Hansen, recommended as
a guide for the Shipton's Flat area.
From Mr. W. Harvey, manager of Bunning Bros. (trading as James
Johnston), we have permission to camp at the Shipton's Flat sawmill.
The mill will probably be moved to Cooktown after the wet season, but
it unlikely that the ranch buildings will be removed. The mill was closed three years ago because of difficulty in getting men to work
in such a remote place. At one time, said Harvey, the company could
get all the labor it wanted. The men worked well, got drunk once a
fortnight, and were happy. Now they want to live in the towns, and
what is more, they can get plenty of work there.
Conversation with men who know the rainforests, and know our
interests, usually gets around to the half-mythical marsupial tiger.
Sitting among the palms on Hansen's porch last night, we were told of
a party of about a dozen men who some years ago went out from Cooktown
ama to investigate a report on a tiger having appeared at the Phoenician
Tin Mines, near Mt. Amos, about eight miles north of Mt. Finnegan.
After hunting for several days a striped beast, with body about two
feet long, is said to have been shot. Hansen does not vouch for the
story. He doubts the existence of the marsupial tiger.
Friday, March 5
Most important business of the day was a call at the Commonwealth
Health Laboratories, two miles out of town, to go further into the