the following day I was authorised by the
engineer to arrange with carriers for the transport of the plant to
Winton.

It was very pleasant to witness the chagrin of the local people when
they learnt how their engineering was defeated.

I learnt now that some Brisbane ladies did not possess politeness, as
one of them sat on my hat when it was on my head, and did not apologise.
It happened in this way. In those days the Brisbane trams were drawn by
horses. I wished to go to Ascot. When near the Custom House I saw a
two-decker car just leaving. A lady was mounting the steps to gain a
seat on the top. I ran and caught the car, following the lady up the
steps. At the turn of the road the driver gave the horses the whip, they
jumped forward, the sudden jerk caused the lady to lose her balance and
her grip of the hand-rail. She sat on the hat on my head. The article, a
hard felt, was pressed down with her weight. The sides opened up, and
the rim fell down and became fast over my nose. I saw stars, but not the
lady's face. The conductor assisted to dislodge the hat from my nose,
and I left the car to purchase a new hat. Probably, I saved the lady's
life, but she continued her way to the top, apparently treating the
accident as an every-day occurrence. I was unable to make a claim for
damages to my hat or self respect.

Mr. Tozer (the then Home Secretary), was a lover of deep-sea fishing,
and I frequently accompanied him in his excursions. One Friday, when the
House was not sitting, I accepted an invitation to join him in a trip to
a new fishing ground. I joined the "Otter" at the Queen's Wharf at 2
p.m. Our party comprised Captains Pennefather and Grier, John Watson,
M.L.A., and Messrs. W. H. Ryder, A. A. McDiarmid, Primrose and myself,
besides the officers and crew. We cruised along Moreton Island and
caught sufficient fish for our tea, after which we retired to our bunks,
and the steamer made for the Tweed Heads. About 3 a.m., we were awakened
by the cry of "Fish Oh!" On reaching the deck we found the officers and
crew hauling in schnapper as fast as they could bait their hooks. We
were all soon engaged in the same sport. Each line had four hooks on,
and the fish were so plentiful that often when a line was pulled up
with, as one thought, one big fish on it, there would be three or four,
some hooked through the eye, others by the tail. We fished until 8 a.m.,
and found on counting we had 1,100 fish aboard. Tozer had caugh