Life in Victoria; or, Victoria in 1853, and ... in 1858

Chapter I. Page

Start for M'lvor with an Old-country Friend— Camp out — Our Evening in the Bush — Amusing Anecdote — Prevalence of Bushrangers on the Road — Gold Escort Robbery — Our Evening's Fare — The Scotch Terrier — Our Tea at the Pick and Shovel — Take up my Abode in a Refreshment Tent — Inspect the Plan of the Township — A Yankee's Soliloquy — The Fate of M'lvor — Sylvan Beauties of the Neighbourhood — My Digging Investigations and Earnings — Quartz Reefs at M'lvor — Daring Robberies in the Neighbourhood — The Sticking-up Tale and its Consequences— Organisation of the Robbers — Their accurate Intelligence — Bad Feeling with Respect to Officials — Mode of Incarceration at M'lvor — Suspensions and Dismissals — Mr. Latrobe's easy Character — Amusements at the Tent — Style of Living — Horror of Made Dishes — The Reason why — The Game of Rounce — Interference of the Doctor, and the Result — Purchase a Horse — Preparations for a Start — The Pick and Shovel again — Joined unexpectedly by three Companions — Professional Politeness and Disappointment — Reach Kilmore — Most curious Encounter in the Hotel there — Start for Melbourne — Leave my Horse to recruit . 1

Chapter II

House prospecting at St. Kilda — Purchase a Villa there — Remove the Penates — Start a Parcels Delivery Company — My various preliminary Arrangements — Anxiety of Friends to get Shares in the Project — Vexatious Occurrences— The Evening before Starting — The Morning of the Start — The Failure and Abandonment — Cause of Failure — Governor Latrobe's Ball — The Contract — Dignified and hospitable Bearing of his Excellency — A short Retrospect of his Character — His Departure and the Implacability of the Argus — An odorous Comparison — Decline in the Gold-field Yields — Alarm of the Public — Resuscitation in 1855 — Prospecting and Quartz Mining come in Aid— Corporation Improvements — Their Metal Bridges — A Ratepayer's Conundrum — Water Supply — The great Yarra-Yarra Reservoir described — Sandridge Water Supply — The Exhibition Building — Associated and Individual Enterprise — Railings — Gas Companies — Temple Court — A Short Parody . . . .23

Chapter III

Leslie Foster's Reign— Malappropriation of 800,000i— License Fee Agitation — Increase of Milesian Employers — Preparations for the Reception of Sir Charles Hotham — Flags, Banners, Mottoes, and Devices— Popular Excitement— Sir Charles's Frigidity — Disappointment of the Public — Torrak and its Furniture— Domestic Retrenchment—Moral Pluck— The Augean Stable of Government— Sweeping Reforms— The first Levee — Preparation of the Citizens— Their strange Appearance on the momentous Morning — How they got CONTESTS. VI PAGE through the Ceremony, and spent the Evening — How a certain Foreign Consul deported himself— Official Contumacy — Sir Charles imitates the prudent Surgeon — Inquiry into the Income and Ex penditure of the Colony — Sir Charles's Assiduity — Lays the first Stone of the University — University projected by Judge Barry — Sir Charles fails in the Masonic Character — The Character of the Visitors at Torrak— The Tradesman's Ball— Stiff or Limber— Tact of Lady Hotham — A few wise Reflections on the Bull Family, and other Matters .......... 43

Chapter IV

Tarrangoner discovered — Character of the Field — Dollies — Maryborough discovered — Avoca discovered — Beauty and Resources of the District — Sir Charles Hotham and Lady set out on a digging Tour — Their Reception — Their Surprise— Sir Charles's false Promises regarding the License-Tax — The Idolaters of Bendigo — The sour Temper of the Governor at M'lvor — Return to Melbourne — Sir Charles's early Convictions and Intentions — His subsequent Acts — His insane Order in Council — Its deplorable Effect on every Class of the Community— Some political Speculations on the Subject — Itinerant Demagogues — The Age — Its first Faith — Its subsequent Recantation — Its principal Managers — The Hobson's Bay Railway — Its Cost, Construction, and ultimate Success — The Gabrielle Loan — The Catacombs of the Western Market — Embankments called Bonden's Folly 65

Chapter V

Anxiety of Sir Charles — Popular Apprehensions and Discontent — Murders and Robberies — Early Meeting of Parliament — Proceedings at the opening of the Session — Inconsistency of the Land-opening Advocates — Magisterial Corruption a fresh Element of Discontent — 5000/. the Market value of a bare License to sell Drink — Indiscreet Revelations — The Eureka Hotel — Popular Anger at the Goings-on there — Opening of the Victorian Exhibition — A few Mems concerning it — Its present Use and future Destiny — Bently Eureka Hotel burnt by the Diggers — Proximate Cause of the Outrage — Inquest on the murdered Man — Unparalleled Decision of the presiding Magistrate — Rage and Astonishment of the Crowd — Fomented by American Filibusters— A Sketch of this Class — How Australia was freed from their Presence — Heartless Swindle — Sir Charles orders a new Investigation of the Murder — The Populace take the Law into their own Hands — The Scene at the Conflagration — Flight of Bently on Denes's Horse — Denes's Audacity 84

Chapter VI

Ice introduced into Victoria — Gives a vast potatory Stimulant — Used in the most remote Settlements— Dull Proceedings in Parliament — Exciting Public Meeting on the Diggings — Progress of Discontent to Rebellion — The Diggers burn their Licenses, and resolve never to renew them — Scotch and American evil Instigators — Choice of popular Leaders — Lalor and Vern — Their Antecedents — The Eureka Stockade— Timidity of the Populace — Tactics of Military Chief Nicol — The Military and Police march on the Stockade — Death of CONTENTS. VII PAGE Captain Wise, two Soldiers, and several Diggers — Flight of the Malcontents — Arrest of Prisoners — Abortive Trials of the Prisoners — Shameful Demonstrations of Melbourne Jurors— Special Con stables in Melbourne — Conduct of the Argus — Resignation of Mr. Foster — His probable Motives — Accession of " Honest Haines" — His Character and Capacity — Government gets an Act of In demnity from Parliament— The Gold-fields Commissioners — Results of their Labours 102

Chapter VII

Fruits of the Victorian Exhibition — Birth of Quartz Mining Enterprise — The Accessories of Bon Ton make their Appearance — The Shape they took — Cremome Gardens — Their excellent Management — Their Failure and its Cause — Theatre Royal, Bourke-street — Its Adjuncts — Adelphi Theatre — Brooke and Miss Cathcart — Shakspeare crosses the Line in Company with Genteel Comedy — Opera also sends its favourite Pupils in Miss Catherine Hayes and Madame Bishop — The Hayes Fnror in Sydney — Its modified Shape in Melbourne — Radical Change in the Aspect and Demeanour of Theatrical Habitue's — Funny Anecdote — Birth of Melbourne Punch — A Sketch of that promising Boy — Embark in a Quartz Crushing Speculation — Discovery of rich Reefs at Mount Egerton — Decide on paying it a Visit ......... 120

Chapter VIII

My first Essay at Coaching in Victoria — Bad Choice of Seat — Difficulties of holding on — Breakfast Scene at Kielor — Strange Bargain — Our Yankee Driver — The Magpie at Rockbank Inn — Our second Stage — The Hat Scene — Bacchus Marsh and its Attractions — Peace and Happiness of the Inhabitants — The Pentland Hills and their Capabilities— The Stage to Ballan — A Bush Tramp — Narrow Escape — Cross a Windfall — Its Appearance — Reach Mount Egerton — The Myriads of Fleas there — How I spent the Night — And the Morning too — Inspect the Reefs — Their various Indications — A few Paragraphs about the Peculiarity of Quartz Reefs — Irreconcilable Facts — The Theories of Geologists upset by the Contrariety of modern Discoveries ....... 133

Chapter IX

Start from Mount Egerton under a tolerable Load — Encounter a Stranger — His lamentable Condition — Our Difficulties — Relieved by a curious Adventure— Reach Ballan — Meet a Countryman in my Host — Our Foreign Relations and the Balance of Punch — My Morning's Medicine — Mass Hill Recipe — Arrive in Melbourne — Preparations for my Quartz Crushing Scheme— Extreme Activity in the Foundries, from the Number of Machines ordered— The Chilian Mill described— Its Merits and its Faults— The Patent Berdan described at Length— Fit for a Gallery of Illustration— But unfit for the rough Work of the Gold-fields— Its Ponderosity— Expense and the many preliminary Preparations an incurable Objection — An Appeal to Science and Art— An Extract from Facts and Figures . 152

Chapter X

A Trip in Cobb's Coach— Coach-racing Scenes— A Road Picture- Clarke's special Survey— Scene at the Gap— Pretty Situation of CONTENTS. PAGE Gisborne — The Black Forest most properly christened — Mount Ma cedon—Wood End — Carlsruhe — Kyneton and the Country around it — Malmesbury and its Neighbourhood — Course of the Campaspie and the Valley of that Name — Tarradale and its Rise— Elphinstone — Forest Creek and its Aspect — Gold first discovered there — Why kept secret — The early Days of Gold buying — Fine Carrots (carats) — Banks bring Gold to its Value — Their Policy — Castlemaine past and present — Good Hotel — A Brick-jumping Bed — Crowds of Chi nese about Castlemaine — Their Treatment — Puddling Machines described — Their Mode of Operation — Their Profits — Drive from Castlemaine to Sandhurst — Ravensworth Station — Incorrect Story of Mr. Howitt about the late Proprietor 167

Chapter XI

Extent of the Bendigo Gold-field — The City of Sandhurst, ancient and modern — Beneficial Labours of the Municipal Council — Set out on a Survey for the Mill Site — Mr. B— 11 — d, the Father of Quartz Enterprise — My Interview with the old Man and his Son — Outwitted by a Down-Easter — Make the Acquaintance of a Cornish Miner — How I softened his Heart — Ignorance of the early Quartz Miners — A Californian Shaking-table — Suggestions for a palpable Improvement in that Machine — Specimen Hill — Long Gully and its Puddling-machines — Cross California Gully to Eagle Hawk, the most renowned Gully in Victoria — Sailors' Gully and Messrs. N — c — s and B — ss — tt — The Calling in which they came to the Colony — The Accident of their Fortune the Negligence of the Managers of the Colonial Gold Mining Company— Have Ocular Demonstration of Richness of Quartz in Sailors' Gully Reef — The great Gold Trick performed in the Tent — Latest News of Messrs. N— c— s and B— ss — tt 186

Chapter XII

Select a Mill Site — Startling Admonition — Consequent Arrangements — Dread of Machinery in the Diggings — Agitators' Decree against accepting Employment — How it was treated — Retreat of tbe arch Mischief-maker — The Long Tom — Repugnance to Quicksilver amongst Diggers — Hustler's Quartz Reef — How discovered — A short Disquisition about Quartz Reefs — Quartz Veins — A few Anecdotes concerning them — Juvenile precocity in Victoria illustrated — Bleeders and Feeders described — The social aspect of the Bendigo Gold-field — The doctrine of Domology — Bendigo Mac — His Character — The angelic portion of the Community .... 202 CHAPER XIII. Postpone the Idea of Mining on our own Account — The estimated Income from our Mill — The joyous Anxiety of , the People as the Mill was about to start — The Christening and the Start — Result of the first Experiment — Decline an Opportunity of making a Fortune — A grand Reef — The Dane's Claim — Amalgamating Table described — The Losses attendant on the Use of spurious Quicksilver — Governmental Interference demanded — Crush Quartz from the Dane's Claim — The Process of retailing — Decline in the Price of Crushing — Take Advantage of a Stop for Repairs to invent a new Amalgamating Machine — A Figure and Description of it — How it worked — Future Intentions CONTENTS. IX

Chapter XIV

page Commence Mining Operations — Precious Road Metal — Rich Promise of the Reef — Aerial Castle-building — Blasted Expectations— Certain Future — Professor M'Coy and his Reputation — Popular Relief — Disappointed Credulity — Technical Twaddle — Critical Analysis of the Report — Dogmatism confuted by Facts — Enormous Extent of Auriferous Country in Victoria — A short Retrospect of California — The Report as it concerns Quartz Mining equally erroneous — Scientific Induction at Issue w-ith existing Circumstances — A few extraordinary Anecdotes about the Fortunes of Quartz Mining — All of them at Variance with the Gold-fields Commission Report — Professor M'Coy's Sincerity admitted — But his Infallibility questioned 234

Chapter XV

Change of Gold-fields Government — The Local Courts— The Wardens — Gold-fields Members — Lalor chosen — Victoria, prosperous and contented, is plunged into Turmoil by a silly Manifesto — The Feeling it evoked — Sir Charles loses a glorious Opportunity — Instead of representing his Sovereign he plays the Autocrat — His Minute quoted and criticised — Resolution of Dr. Greeves, and the Debate thereon — Feeling out of Doors — Sir Charles pretends to despise it — It betrays its Effects on his Health — Base and cowardly Calumnies — The Session of 1855 and its Results — Agitation for the Ballot — The old Clap-trap of its Opponents — Its glorious Triumph — Resignation of the Ministry — Mr. Nicholson sent for — The Doubts and Delays in constructing a Cabinet — Sir Charles falls ill — The News of Mr. Nicholson's Failures is soon followed by the Governor's Death — Sad feeling throughout the Colony — General M'Arthur assumes the Governorship pro tern. — Haines's Ministry remain in Office— The Premier's silly Enunciation — Successful working of the Ballot 250

Chapter XVI

Mode of killing Fleas iu the Diggings — Chinese Immigration — Ludicrous Scene at a Chinese Burial — Shameful Treatment of the Chinese — Insane Uproar at the Arrival of Charles Gavan Duffy — The Expectation and Disappointment — His Promises and Performances — Lola Montes — Her Visit to Bendigo — How she gammoned the Playgoers and charmed the Diggers — A Scene in the Sandhurst Theatre — Her Descent in the Victorian Reef — Bendigo the metropolitan Gold-field — The Officials there and their Detractor — Start for Melbourne — Go-ahead the Order of the Day in all Districts and Pursuits — Accident in the Black Forest — Timely Recognition — ■ Story of a Drayman's Hospitality ....... 273

Chapter XVII

Ballarat of 1857 compared with 1853 — Ballarat Emulation unique in its WayT — Steam-engine domesticated — Beneficial Effect of the new digging Rules — Great Depth and Labour of Rock sinking — Progress and Effects of Agriculture in the District — How Melbourne improved in fifteen Months — How the various Suburbs swelled and became beautified — Anomalous State of the Labour Market — High Wages, short Time, and a Glut — The Imposture exposed — The absurd Ideas Home Labourers and Mechanics imbibe on their Voyage out — How they are deluded by insidious Agitators X CONTENTS. PAGE — The Margin between Income and Expenditure — A real Glut of really industrious Labour impossible in Victoria — Thirty Thousand Chinese immigrate in the Teeth of a Poll-tax, and all find remunerative Employment in a strange Land ...... 289

Chapter XVIII

Political Agitation— State Aid to Religion— Anti-Chinese Outcry — Extracts from my Chinese Letters, which exhibit the Question in all its Bearings — The fierce Controversy the Letters produced — The thorough Ventilation of the Subject which ensued — The Effect produced — Number and Value of Gold Discoveries made by the Chinese in Victoria — Fiery Creek — Dunolly — Mount Ararat — Magical Growth of that Township 300

Chapter XIX

The Result of the General Election — Admirable Working of the Ballot — Charles Gavan Duffy becomes a Member — How he deported himself in the House — Opening of Parliament — The House of Assembly — The Council Chamber — The Honourables and their Susceptibility — A Morsel of lordly Declamation — Feud between Smokers and Saints — Able Men in the House — Arrival of Sir Henry Barkly — Popularity of the Acting Governor — Defeat of the Haines Ministry — Formation and Elements of the O'Shaunassy Cabinet — My- Grounds for opposing it — Its short Career — The M-Culloch Ministry — Anti- Squatting Agitation — The Land League and its President — Danger of extinguishing Squatters suddenly — Erroneous Ideas about the Difficulty of getting Land in Victoria — Suggestions for a Settlement of the Land Question — A Comparison between California and Victoria .......... 317

Chapter XX

A Start for the Ovens — How they pack Coaches on that Line — State of the Extremities — Broadford and the Country around it — The River Goulburn — Seymour and its Neighbourhood — Dingo Tricks — A dangerous Drive in the Dark — Longwood — The Misfortunes of a Yankee Digger — Euroa and the Breakfast we got there — Appearance of the Road — The Kirk Bells — Violet Town and the tippling Pony — The Reasoning of a Bush Coachman against good Roads — The Bay of Biscay — The sudden Growth of Beechworth — Taking Stock of the Candidates — Ministerial Influences — 'The little promising Boy — The great Gold Leads at the Ovens — The Bosses of the Woolshed — A Horse shod with Gold— Extent of the Ovens — Gipp Land — The Day of Nomination — Clerical Intolerance — A Widow's Rage at her deceased husband being personated by a Nigger — An old duelling Anecdote 336

Chapter XXI

Sir Henry Barkly 's Style of ruling — His Accessibility — His oratorical Powers — His Position contrasted with that of Sir Charles Hotham — Progress of Legislation and Reform in Victoria — The New Government and the Land Bill — Perilous Position of the House of Lords — Inauguration of Railways — The Rival Ocean Routes — Necessity for Water Husbandry — Prejudices of Diggers on the Wane — The Electric Telegraph in Australia — Effect of the Gold Discoveries in British Columbia on Australia— The Future of New Holland LIFE IN VICTORIA.

Chapter I

Start for M'lvor with an Old-country Friend— Camp out— Our Evening in the Bush— Amusing Anecdote — Prevalence of Bushrangers on the Road — Gold Escort Robbery — Our Evening's Fare— The Scotch Terrier — Our Tea at the Pick and Shovel — Take up my Abode in a Refreshment Tent — Inspect the Plan of the Township — A Yankee's Soliloquy — The Fate of M'lvor — Sylvan Beauties of the Neighbourhood — My Digging Investigations and Earnings— Quartz Reefs at M'lvor— Daring Robberies in the Neighbourhood — The Sticking-up Tale and its Consequences— Organisation of the Robbers — Their accurate Intelligence — Bad Feeling with Respect to Officials — Mode of Incarceration at M'lvor — Suspensions and Dismissals — Mr. Latrobe's easy Character — Amusements at the Tent — Style of Living — Horror of Made Dishes — The Reason why — The Game of Rounce — Interference of the Doctor, and the Result — Purchase a Horse — Preparations for a Start — The Pick and Shovel again — Joined unexpectedly by three Companions — Professional Politeness and Disappointment — Reach Kilmore — Most curious Encounter in the Hotel there — Start for Melbourne — Leave my Horse to recruit.

Aftek satisfying my agricultural curiosity, I set out for the M'lvor diggings, taking advantage of an opportunity afforded me by the teams of an old friend and acquaintance, which were on the way up with loading. Mr. B — t — y ranked as a merchant at home, but fell a victim to the vicis situdes of trade soon after an early marriage, when, with a rare ingenuousness, he evinced more concern for his creditors' claims than his future prospects, and, after satisfying them VOL. II. B without going through the ordeal of bankruptcy, he retained only enough to secure steerage passages to Victoria for him self and wife, taking out, as a small venture, four hogsheads of Islay whisky, which he brought to market at a good time, and realised a sum sufficient to purchase a good horse and dray. He went to work at first as a wharf drayman, as if it was an hereditary profession, elbowing, j'ostling, and gammoning with all the quickness and energy of an old hand, and as the remuneration at the time was very great, he soon saved enough to buy another horse and dray, and soon after a pair of lead horses, when he went into the country-carrying trade early in 1853, the freight to Bendigo fetching at the time as much as 120Z. per ton.

I was delighted at the chance of travelling with an old country companion, and exchanging experiences, even on the understanding that we were to camp out and sleep under the drays, for that style of life was not new to me, and at that sea son of the year was far from disagreeable, as there were no mos quitoes up country at the time, and the dews were scarcely perceptible. However, if we were free from these pests, there were others of a much more formidable character, for which the M'lvor road was specially celebrated — viz. bushrangers and horse-stealers, whose murders and depredations helped to keep up the rates of carriage on the road, from the well grounded apprehension which carriers entertained regarding their lives, their purses, and their horses. The trade, in consequence, was, to a great extent, left in the hands of chi valrous teamsters, who dared the risk in consequence of the extra freight.

It was only a few weeks before my journey that the gold escort company was waylaid and robbed on its way to Mel bourne. The driver and two other men were shot at the first discharge from an ambuscade, and such a number of dis charges followed, that the escort troop were scattered and EUSHEANGEKS. 3 put to flight, under the apprehension that the attacking party were very numerous. The treasure all fell into the posses sion of the robbers, who got off scathless at the time with their booty, but three of the leaders were afterwards arrested and hanged, and a good portion of the gold recovered, while, better still, the three wounded men got well again. This occurrence had the effect of breaking up the escort company, which was a private one, organised by some Melbourne capitalists ; and since then the transport of treasure to and from the diggings has remained solely in the hands of the Government, without ever having been subjected to molesta tion.

It may be readily imagined, when a regularly drilled and accoutred troop was attacked and discomfited, that bush ranging had taken tolerably strong root in the district. Iso lated carriers could make no pretence of resistance where a fully equipped band had been effectually routed ; but dray men, for the most part encased in the protective armour of inanity, escaped from these cavaliers, who scorned hampering themselves with merchandise, except the freight comprised "vieux cognac" or "scotch malt," when they occasionally carried off a skinful. Up-country storekeepers invariably remitted gold-dust by escort for their goods, and the carriers most generally took town orders in payment of carriage, for in those days, when the country was open and unfenced, they always camped out, carrying their tea, sugar, flour, and bacon with them.

On occasions, however, as B — t — y told me, when a new rush was spoken of, and there was a danger or probability of a diggings storekeeper " pulling up stakes," and moving God knew where, he (B — t — y) took payment on delivery, and then it was his practice to plant* the money at night in the wheel track before or behind the wheel, where the stone is usually placed to keep it from moving. * Plant means to hide where the thing concealed is easily found. B B — t — y, if he worked hard, provided himself well, and I took care to slip in betwixt the boxes some few creature com forts calculated to beguile the tedium of the night. B — t — J drove one team himself, and had a smart fellow in charge of the other. "We were also accompanied by a most useful and intelligent companion in the shape of a Scotch terrier, who rode all day, but was awake and stirring all night.

He had the credit of being B — t — y's guardian angel, for while others made up their account to lose at least one horse each trip, he never had one stolen from him ; no doubt, however, his other precautions also tended to increase his security. Although there were a pair of horses to each dray, the loads did not much exceed IS cwt. in either dray ; but even with this load we found portions of the road impracticable without an additional trace-horse, which was managed by halting one of the drays and detaching the leader ; but, in the winter season, the loads have frequently to be carried piecemeal over the difficult patches. The country we passed through was beautifully diversified by plain and forest, by hill and dale, in places offering models for the artificial construction of domain parks, the only element wanting to complete the agreeable character of the scenery being water.

We passed through Mr. M — 11 — n's station, on which there is some rare pasture-land, as well as great scopes of unctuous soil, almost pining for the plough. There were immense flocks of sheep browsing round the trunks of the primeval forest giants ; and though there was no mutton apparent to the eye, a stolid-looking shepherd gave us to understand, in a species of conversational cipher, that a quarter could be procured for a barter of tobacco or spirits. I believe this was one of the practices which helped to keep alive the squatter irritation against the diggers, and to it they added several others, on the principle of giving a " dog a bad name and hanging him," for every bush-fire AEBANGEMENTS FOE SUPPEE. 5 since the opening of the gold-fields was put down to digger account, his carelessness in lighting and leaving camp-fires in some cases, and his malicious intent in others, being the ready and assignable cause for these calamities, which have evermore been visitations indigenous, if I may say so, to Australia, often and often arising from the innocent friction of dry boughs rubbing against each other during the paroxysm of a hot wind.

The distance from Kilmore to M'lvor is about thirty-five miles, and we calculated, when we pulled up for the evening, that we had accomplished about twenty-two miles. It was a pleasant, sloping hollow where we halted, with plenty of grass for the horses, which were given an ad libitum discre tion before sun-down, the older one only having a bell at tached to prevent their roaming beyond ear-shot. The helper kindled a fire, while B — t — y and I arranged a shed, by spreading a tarpaulin between the drays, which were drawn up closely and parallel with each other. "We brought beef and bread from Kilmore, and, never much of an evening tea man, I managed to have grog substituted for that beverage on the evening in question, so that the only cooking to be done was the steak, which B — t — y undertook, while the man drove in the horses, and I endeavoured to drive off the flies, which came in clouds as the savoury vapours of the pan permeated through the Bush.

"When the horses came in they were regaled with a little corn thrown into a canvas sheet slightly strained across the shafts of one of the drays, which were balanced on their prop-sticks, and as the horses eat their evening meal vis-a-vis, they quietly submitted to the operation of hobbling, to prevent their rambling to any distance during the night. "We cut our steak on the pan, using wooden skewers for forks, and if consumption be an evidence of enjoyment, we relished our evening's repast to the fullest extent. There LIFE IN VICT0EIA. was not enough left to bait a mousetrap, and although when slicing down the meat I inveighed against the quantity as ridiculous, I believe I contributed more lustily than any of the three in proving the fallacy of my own calculations. The grog was positive nectar, for the water came from a cool hole, thoroughly shaded from the sun's rays, and as the flies dis appeared with the dusk, we quaffed it with a degree of infinite zest, lolling on the unbroken carpet of nature be neath the starlit chandelier of the Southern Cross, which affords a rarified and transparent medium of discernment not easily understood by children of the mist.

The helper went out to hunt opossums, and after looking up our revolvers, we had a chat de inultis rebus et quibusdam aliis. B — t — y told me a good story concerning a pair of barristers who arrived in the colony precisely at the outbreak of the M'lvor diggings, which, like every later discovery, were said to out strip all the previously discovered gold-fields in richness, and such was the effect the report produced on the gentlemen of the long robe, they stored their wigs and gowns, and esta blishing themselves in water-tights and jumpers, they betook themselves to the scene of fortune. Disdaining, with true professional exclusiveness, to commingle with the common herd of fortune-hunters, they travelled by themselves, and camping one night on the outskirts of Mr. M — 11 — n's station, they were suddenly visited by two mounted cava liers, who politely inquired " how far off might be the home stead ?" but the acute barristers — too acute to be caught with chaff — determined to put an end to the reconnoitring by unceremoniously presenting revolvers, and desiring their visitors to be off — advice which they followed after a deliberate fashion, and with a great degree of apparent enjoyment.