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THE RABBIT PROOF FENCE.
-4---
MINISTERIAL TRIP.
VAGARIES OF A MOTOR-CAR.
The Hon. Minister of Agriculture
(Mr. James Mitchell, M.L.A.), who
controls the Rabbit Department, began
.on Saturday evoning last an in
spection of that portion of the
rabbit-proof fence which runs
between the Easterd Goldfields
railway line and the south coast, a dis
tance of &bout two hundred and
twenty-two miles. It was decided that
the visit of inspection should be made
in a motor-car. The chief reason for
coming to this determination was that .
a track, reputed to be an excellent one
in the circumstances, has been carved
through a good portion of the interior
of the State alongside the fence. It
was thought that travelling b) motor
along this track would be safe and con
venient, if not absolutely luxurious,
while it would also enable the Minister
to see all he wanted to see of the
nature of the work on which so much
money has been expended. As'a mat
ter of fact, the pleasant expectations
formed beforehand were not realised.
The track contained numerous stumps,
the car persisted in running into them,
and after going less than 30 miles the
party thought it wise to return. Never
theless, the tript so far as it went, was
not without its interesting and even its
excitin episodes.
SOn Saturday. evening the Minister
with Mr. Alex. Crawford the Chief
-Rabbit Inspector, proceeded. by rail to
Burracoppin, and on Sunday afternoon
the car and its chaffeur were prepared
to 'take the small party-which includ
pd a Press representative-on their
trip. The well-laden car might have
Topresented an equipment prepared for
undertaking a traus-Australian trip.
With light hearts the tourists set out
from Burracoppin, where almost the
entire population of half a dozen
people, a male and female native, and
Aundry dogs had gathered at different
points to gaze on the equipage. The
weather was overcast, but the wind
came from the right quarter, indicat
ing that the last of the rain -had fallen
for some days at least. Burracoppin
is located a mile from the fence, and
it was necessary to make for -the old
goldfields-road to reach the fence gate.
The path in one place was dotted with
half a dozei st.umps, and these ob
stacles were the.party's undoing. There
was abundant room for the ear to give
them the widest possible berth, but the
chaffeur preferred that the centre of
the motor should pass over them. The c
first looked insignificant, but the front
axle took half of it away. Fortu
nately, it was weakened by the weather
and gave ebnsiderably.
Fifty -yards further . on there loomed
another of greater proportions. It
was in the centre of a path about forty
feet wide, and when the car was within
a score of feet of the projection there
were threq simultaneous cries, in voices
of anxiety, mingled with anger, "Look
out for that stump." It was epparent
to all the passengers that it could
not- be negotiated safely, but they
could only sit firmly and await Tesults.
There was a successionof bangs, but
the car went bravely on. The first
impact was the most forcible, and with
it something went. There followed a
continuous hard grating noise, like the
harsh protest of a sleeping monster
that had bben molested. The car caml
to a stop, and visions of a hasty re
turon rose before the party. There
seeshed to be no excuse whatever for
the collision. In indignant silence an
examination of the damage was made,
and everywhere traces of the impact
could he found. First of all, the start
ing handle had been snapped off, and
then the stump had come into Sollision
with the thick steel bar holding thel
steering wheels together, bending that
considerably, and striking the first
axle. This resisted the obstacle, and,
tearing off the highest point, allowed
the body of the car to slowly grate its
way over the stump, when it came to
i standstill. "The engine is not in
jered," declared the chaffeur, but the
party speculated as to how he could
start it without a handle. It is diffi
cult enough at all times to set a motor
il motion, even with the aid of the
handle, but without one the task seem
ed hopeless. The chaffeur, however,
was left to struggle with his tools; a
screw-wrench was made to take the
pIece of the.mnissing handle, and after
half an hour's labourious turning the
bengine was started.
The party boarded the car again,
and reached the fence without further
mhishap. Everything appeare-d to be
plain sailing fihe', and, considering
their recent experiences. oven ten miles
an hour, the rate at which thn car was
nmoving on the lowest speed, was appre
iatoed. 'The fenec and the track stood
out in front in an endless straight line,
but as the grond surface was even. It
was hoped that higher speed would fol
low as a ni:tter of course. Then the
second disappointment came. The car,
so tln chanolur said, had been over-
hauled for the trip, but had
not boeen given a trial, it
n as quite impossible to bring
about an alteration of speeds.
The party had to be cot tent to con
tinue on the third, ur the lowest,
speed. Three mile. out the rain had
made a clay patch rather sticky, and
it required the combined. enerates of
the passdngers to push the car through
it. Further along. in another soft
spot, the motor refused to move, and
the engine ased to t throb. Here a
plagne of sandflies aided the party to
pass the time away. Once again the
ear was sct in motion, bult soon the sun
hogan to disappear before the horizon.
Where to etlmp for the night was the
question the party was endeavouring to
solve. All were keeping a lookout.
for a suitable spot on the inside of the
fence, when suldde'ly the locality
was decided by the chaffeur.
ITow he dig it hl was not
able to satisfactorily explain, but
without giring anyone warning the car
p' 9rve'ed to the right,- and dashed
tlhronth the stout and taut wire.- mnd
the sit of netting. 'he prompt ap
plicantion of the brake, combined with
the strcength of the fence and the fact
that the pao was barely oilght mile:;
ani hc.ul revcent d wha:t would in other
cirennstanlec harve been a disaster.
"This. I suppos.,' is: nlere i e shall
" camp for th" ,tir:ht." i;tconi'ncaly re
nmarked l one f th!" party: iirl so. on
the spot ehl. n Iby fit.', a tent was af
ter:nar ls p;itclh d an:d fires were lihercd.
The;re was no ordi'r given that anl
hand.; s?hn'ld go tO thI' wheels. but
insitinctively each :,etzed one and ex
tricatel the first half of the ear from
the e ,iitiatlemAc nt of wire and i it,
nctting. The undertaking was net as
arduouls as? snmit of the plrevio)ls ones,
and the catr Iwin,: placed in positir
the camip was nollared. .\l't. ,r a I iih
stantial nmal. the, chauffeur afforded
proof that at , lei.t ho wnas an expert
mechanic. T'he hbnt ste?.-htr joini
the -ter",ing: wheels wa- taken off.
placed in the bhl:?;'ite c-l I.. and suIh
stiquenttly straý-igtencd. Next :nornt?
ing it was found necessary to remove
something else, straighten it, and re
place it before the steering gear would
move freely. That done. and the fence
having been temporarily patched and
made rabbit-proof, the trip was' resum
ed towards 11 o'clock. The motor ran
iell, save and except the fact that it
refused to be .altered from the slow
speed. Towards 2 o'clock the 26-Mile
post was in sight, and the car threa
tened to jib at a slight incline where
the sand was',softer than usual. Shoul
ders were again put to the body of
the car, but it would not move. The
discovery was then made that one tire
had blown out.
By this time the would-be tourists
had had their energy and patience al
niost exhausted. Three men who had
unanimously decided that for fear of
losing time in' starting they would go
without their lunch then suddenly
spread a cloth and savagely attacked
the edibles that were nearest to hand.
Meantimeo the chauffeur repaired the
puncture. and he made the alarming
announcement that there was not
enough petrol on board to take the
car along to the 90-mile stage, where
the tank could be replenished from
the supplies that had b'een sent for
ward. He -explained that the con
stmption up to that distance had been
enormous, bec ruse the car had travel
led on the slow gear. There was no alter
native but to retrace the car's tracks,
and accordingly instructions were given
to the chauffeur to prepare for the re
turn to Burracoppm. He moved off
alone and proceeded some distavce
along the road, paused for some
minutes. and returned bowling along
at about 20 miles an hour to give the
news that he had adjusted the various
gears, and world be able to proceed
at twice the pace at which the first 26
wiles had been traversed. The Minis
ter was implacable, and so, with three
9uarters of an hour to spare before be
ing overtaken by darkness, the home
ward journey was commenced. The
experience was the antithesis of that
of the morning and the day before.
The car on the -.-cond .speed went
through the sand-patches like a slip
pery eel, and treated with the utmost.
contempt the sticky clay. Twelve miles
were covered in three-quarters of an
hour,. and the seconld camp was made.
Next morning the remainder of the
distance was roeeled off in slightly less
than an Lour. The car showed that it
was quite capable of undertaking the
trip, and that if the mechanism had
been in order, aid if the stumps at the
outset had been given a wide berth.
nothing would have prevented the visit
of inspection fron being a success.
What the party saw was great
stretches of magnificent agricultural
country, timbered mostly with salmon
gum, 'gimblet, and jamwood. There
were patches of sand plain, but these
were few and small. The rabbit-proof
fence wherever it was closely inspected
compelled admiration. It is sohlliy
constructed, and bore the appearance
of having been completed only recent
ly, instead of four years ago. As for
rabbits, only one was seen, an,; that
had walked into one. of the yard traps
that are constructed on the outside of
the fence at intervals of every thred
and five miles. It was liberated on
the South Australian side of the fence,
and despatched by the Minister's uner
ring aim. A close search was made
with guns for other rabbits during the
intervals of enforced idleness, but not
one could be seen. Indeed, there was
no signof wild life of any description,
end' this was to some extent disappoint
ing, as it was known that emus, kan.
garoos, wild dogs. and cats were fre
quently seen by the boundary riders.
There were abundant traces of rabbits,
and while on the western side of the
fence the grasses were growing almost
lnxuriantly en the eastern side in
places not a blade was to been seen,
while in others it was short and bore
the appearance of having been closely
mowed.
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