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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 68

Thursday

page 10

Thursday.

Continued the descent until Roaring Creek was reached, when its bed was kept, the travel being a continuation of the Clinton boulder climbing and wading, considerably exaggerated. No track signs visible except a few amateur blazings here and there, which were not heeded, and a bee line was made for Mount Pillans, under whose shadow (and on the banks of Arthur river), the Beech Hut is situated. This hut was expected to come in sight in an hour or so, when suddenly a tree, which the hand of man had fallen, was sighted, and in a few paces more the hut itself was in sight, forming an agreeable surprise, for fatigue was apparent as was likewise shortness of "tucker."

The Beech Hut is built of slabs with a tree-fern roof, and contains eight sleeping berths, which berths are filled with dry fern leaves by way of mattress. There is a fireplace nearly the width of the end of the hut, at anyrate, wide enough to take logs 5 to 6 feet in length, but the hut has no door and no signs of ever having had one: possibly, this is to show that it is built pro bono publico, and to prevent anyone from fastening it up, or, to use an Americanism, to prevent any housebreaking. Records of visitors were found (more or less egotistical) in the shape of names pencilled and carved all over the place, and on every available piece of timber and on all the surrounding trees.

This name-carving on tress becomes an atrocious piece of vandalism and desecration, and the writer would respectfully suggest that visitors might more suitably, if less distinctly, leave their marks behind them in the form of seed sowing, and planting useful shrubs, &c.

The writer has put his opinion into practice by sowing grass seeds and hardy annuals, and by planting strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry plants, everywhere he has made any stay. A small stock of oatmeal, sugar, biscuits, and a much larger supply of tea in all sorts of packages as left by various visitors, was found and was gladly hailed, for the lengthened period of travel had very ominously reduced the provision part of the two swags. The hut was a great page 11 relief after so much of tent living, and it was decided to stop for a day or two and regain some lost strength for negotiating that awful track homewards.