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were looking down on a face so scrubbed as to appear to have been boiledclean, on eyes of brilliant blue, on a so-white nylon shirt and a pressed darkbluesuit and shoes of immortal blackness. And they were looking into twosets of dentures with brown borderings of amply sufficient width to compensatefor fifty years of gum shrinkage, which said after pleasantries, "I amgoing around to see my niece. Would you be so kind as to tell the pnmemover that I can be picked up there when she comes." He was sure that,after the honoured, the first place was his.One by one the cars departed for the mountain. The hats and gloves wouldscarcely remember to look down, for it was more fascinating to watch thecar gobble dov^m the bitumen like an insatiable circus clown. Ellie wenttoo, at last, having undertaken to carry the lunch so that her spirit mightnot vnthdraw. After all the curves were not so acute, one could stay in secondgear and console oneself with perpetual chewing.And the top was worth it. All those balancing rocks. And hanging. Andthe distance. Oh, my dear. And chicken for lunch.There were others in slacks, but holidaymakers, saying well, Australia, wasit really developing a sense of history at last? Yes, but I sometimes think whydidn't they leave it to the blacks, even though of course its magnificent uphere, but you feel so isolated. And when I think of Devon now. Spring andthe violets and the primroses marching away over the hill, and beyond that—and when one thinks of the smell of the evening in Europe—and those uglyAustralian gums so endlessly going on and on—yes, my dear, but you mustn't,it's all in the attitude, there are people all over the world weeping for gumtrees, and olive trees, and palm trees in deserts. Yes, if you're wise you willstop that bleeding from the pruned branch, oh, Margaret is forever moaning,well anyway we don't have to be pioneers, the tragedy of the thing is thatif they had only waited for the technological age, they could have done itmuch better and quicker—and cheaper.It really is a divine day, up here the air, don't you think? Oh, heady!Until they stopped drifting aimlessly and drifted towards the chairs whichbecame rows of hats, and to the left over rocks which became legs."The Honourable the Member for Heliotrope needs no introduction, eh,John?""If the brave pioneers who we meet today to honour could look down onus now (and I, yes I for one, believe they can) they would find their fullreward in knowing that their memories would be kept forever green by thisbronze plaque which we are presently going to unveil."The daughters were visibly affected and it was with memory. Mother, Iwonder what they would say if they could hear you singing, "I will take youhome, Kathleen", with that goddam sentimental organ. Or hear her say, "Marrysomeone who can keep you comfortable, Mary". But it would spoil it to havethem know that her ghost is probably some twelve thousand miles away, havingtea perhaps in Coronation Street. ". . . ladies and gentlemen, I am' deeplytouched by this tribute, more deeply than I can say. Although I live so faraway, my memories take me back again and again to my childhood daysfew know as well as I do how brave of heart they were—perhaps only thosefew children of the pioneers who remain . . ."WESTERLY, No. 1 of 1967