Australian Tales - Setis

sand; the poor old fellow has trotted along very nicely, so now he may
rest. We will walk down to the beach.”
“Come, sister dear,” said lively little Minnie, after they had alighted.
“Let us have a run to yonder rock that looks so like a nice couch, with a
green velvet cover to it. We can leave our mantles with mamma and Miss
Prosody while we gather sea-weed, and shells, to make a wreath for dear
grandmamma in England.”
Away ran the light-hearted girls, and soon they were skipping about the
beach, while the sea breeze blew their clustering curls about their rosy
faces, and their bright eyes beamed with enjoyment.
It cannot, with strict correctness, be said that there is not a variety of
conchological specimens on Coogee beach. Indeed, that can scarcely be
said of any sea beach; still the sea shores of Australia — the eastern
coasts at least — are not so remarkable for rare or beautiful specimens of
shells as other parts of this hemisphere; and especially some of the coral
islands of Western Polynesia, which I have visited.
The girls amused themselves for more than an hour, and gathered what
appeared to them a choice assortment of univalves, and bivalves,
together with seaweed, pebbles and sea-eggs. At length, feeling rather
tired, they proceeded to where mamma and governess were seated, on the
green rock before alluded to, there they spread out their little baskets of
treasures, and amused themselves in sorting and arranging them, for
another hour or more.
“Now, my dears,” said Mrs. Maybud, rising from her seat, “I think it is
time to return home. The sun is beginning to make long shadows, and the
air from the sea is getting rather chilly, so put on your mantles, and we
will walk to the carriage.”
“Oh mamma, mamma,” shrieked one of the girls, at that instant in an
agony of terror, “a snake, a snake, close to your feet.”
Mrs. Maybud cast her eyes downwards, and, with indescribable
loathing, beheld a brown snake within a few inches of her feet; with its
fearfully fascinating eyes gleaming upon her. With more haste than
elegance, the whole party sprang from the rock; fortunately without the
least injury; but as may be imagined, with feelings of intense alarm.
During the whole of the time they had sat on the rock, there is no doubt
that the deadly reptile had lain coiled up in a crevice, at their feet, and
had probably been asleep until awakened by the slight noise they made in
rising; or possibly by some part of their dress touching it. They hurried to
the carriage with hearts full of gratitude to God, for their providential
escape.
About a fortnight afterwards, Mr. Maybud, with Anna, and Minnie,
drove to Coogee beach, during a south east gale, when a scene of awful
grandeur was before them, worth going thrice the distance to behold.
While the gigantic waves were breaking in rapid succession upon the