I UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORN5A LOS ANGELES DU. 102. TO OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTRALIA, WHOSE KINDNESS MADE OUR VISIT A PRESENT HAPPINESS AND A BRIGHT MEMORY, 8Ee Inscribe THIS RECORD OF OUR SOJOURN IN THEIR PLEASANT LAND. 479183 LIB SETS PREFACE. THE title of our book indicates that an exhaustive account of the Colonies we visited does not come within its scope. Time fell very far short of permitting us to see everything of interest contained in each ; what, however, is missing from our description of one Province will probably be found in our account of another, and thus, we believe, we have touched upon almost, if not quite all, the general features of Colonial life. We chose the chronological as the simplest form for our narrative ; but a slight departure from it occurs occa- sionally when it seemed desirable to add information subsequently acquired to that gained upon the spot. We trust, however, that an abundant use of dates will prevent this variation from our general plan from causing any perplexity to our readers. The first requirement of a book of which the " final cause " is to give useful information, is accuracy. This I 2 PREFACE. we have endeavoured, with great pains, to secure, and we trust no grave errors will be found in our pages. We have to express our earnest thanks for help in verifying our statements, received from Australians both in their own country and in England. To the Agents- General for New South Wales, Victoria, and South Aus- tralia, our acknowledgments are especially due. THE AUTHORS. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Our " Apology " for the Journey Paris Frederic Auguste Demetz Cemetery at Cannes Florence Italian freedom The Madiai Venice Ladies at sea P. and 0. boats Ancona Brindisi Convict gaol Rough weather Alexandria Eamleh A Mohammedan interior Donkey-ride in the desert Suez The Canal Burmese Embassy Aden Divers Galle Har- bour Natives Boats Merchants Washermen Scenery Sunday muster Crew Fire Brigade Monotony of sea-life Amusements Star-gazing Wonders of the deep Snakes on board Trade winds Pitching and rolling Our first Australian experience Land sighted King George's Sound . . Page 1 CHAPTER II. Departure for Adelaide Great Australian Bight Kangaroo Island Geographical Divisions of the Continent English ignorance of Aus- tralia Foundation of South Australia Arrival Adelaide 32 CHAPTER III. Mount Lofty Range Norton's Summit Treatment of the Insane in South Australia Inebriate Asylum A visit to Mount Barker Gum Trees German Village Captain Collet Barker Locusts Kerosene Dog's-leg Fence A Country House .. .. 49 CHAPTER IV. Post-office and Trans-Continental Telegraph G2 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE V. Orphan School Adelaide Institute Boys' Reformatory Page 77 CHAPTEE VI. Visit to the Lakes Strathalbyn Langhorne's Creek Wellington The Murray Poltalloch The Aborigines Cattle Campbell House The Coorong Kangaroos Camping-out Mail Steamer An Alarm Milang Home 95 CHAPTEE VII. Private Theatricals Dramatic Eeadings A Ball Ministerial " crisis " Immigration A trip in the country Morphett Vale Noarlunga Willunga Australian inns Drinking habits High wages Aldinga Norman's victory Sellick's Hill Native trees and flowers Yankalilla Port Victor Port Elliot The Goolwa The Murray mouth Currency Creek The Meadows Clarendon Floods 121 CHAPTEE VIII. Magill School Destitute Asylum Girls' Reformatory Boarding- out 137 CHAPTEE IX. Opening of Parliament Conditions of Membership Legislative Council Election of President The Governor's Speech Town- hall Government Offices City Market Adelaide Gaol Labour Prison 156 CHAPTEE X. Projected visit to Mount Remarkable Port Lincoln Kindness of Fellow Travellers Superintendent of the Mission Station Poo- nindie Native School at Adelaide Bishop of Perth Native Reserve Additional Land Purchased Agriculture Church School Recreation Cottages Festival Bishop of Adelaide Results .... ..176 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XL Port Augusta Cemetery A Picture Goats The Gaol Flinders Range Haverhill Bartingunya Mount Eemarkable Coo- natto Sheep-shearing Native Languages Page 193 CHAPTEE XII. The Areas Laura Jamestown Wildongaleach The Burra Hill river Farm Clare 'Roman Catholic College at Sevenhills Auburn Saddleworth Kapunda Augaston Eden Vale Gumeracha Gorse Home 212 CHAPTEE XIII. Botanic Gardens Flowers and Fruits City Mission Glenelg Emigration Bushmen's Club 231 CHAPTEE XIV. Adelaide to Melbourne The Rip Hobson's Bay Sandridge Melbourne Cabs Burke and Wills Female Pastor Gardens and Parks Library and Museum Townhall The Block Voyage to Sydney The Gap Wreck of the 'Dunbar' Port Jackson Sydney "Southerly Burster" 258 CHAPTEE XV. Transportation Prison discipline Mr. Parkes Darlinghurst Gaol Industrial and Reformatory Schools The ' Vernon ' Biloela 273 CHAPTEE XVI. Public Charities Commission Sydney University Affiliated Col- leges Examinations Deaf and Dumb Asylum Benevolent Asylum St. Vincent's Hospital Botanic Gardens Animals Sydney Free Library South Head Road North Shore Fortifications Aboriginal Works of Art Beauty of the Harbour Prince of Wales's Birthday Picnic at Balmoral . . . . 288 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XVII. Sydney " City Arabs " Society for the Relief of Neglected and Desti- tute Children Asylum Rand wick Visit to Paramatta Gaol Catholic Orphanage Lunatic Asylum Tile manufactory Orangeries .. Page 305 CHAPTER XVIIL Camden Park Destruction caused by Floods Blue Mountains Mount Victoria The Warratah Go vat's Leap . . . . 315 CHAPTEE XIX. Ragged School Soup-kitchen and Night-refuge Primary Educa- tion Fort Street Model School Receiving-house for Pauper Lunatics Sydney Infirmary Paramatta Protestant Orphan- age Liverpool and Paramatta Asylums Hyde Park Asylum Jewish Sabbath-School Botany Bay Monument to La Perouse Middle Harbour Oysters House of Assembly Farewell to Sydney 323 CHAPTEE XX. Arrival at Melbourne All England Eleven Hot Wind Christmas Holidays Toorak Penal Servitude Commission Larrikins Act of 1864 Industrial Schools Boarding-out Abbotsford Reformatory and Refuge Voluntary Supervision .. .. 342 CHAPTEE XXL Prisons of Victoria Female Convicts Establishment for Male Convicts at Pentridge View from Tower Crofton System Coburg Boys' Reformatory Melbourne Gaol Industrial School 354 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXII. Melbourne Home for Servants Model Lodging-house Benevolent Asylum Boarding-out St. Kilda Boys' Industrial School at Sunbury Ladies' Benevolent Society Page 365 CHAPTEE XXIII. Public Library Museum Art Galleries Mothers' Meeting Back-slums Industrial Home Christmas Day Dust-Storm Boxing Day Cricket Match Out-relief Immigrants' Home 379 CHAPTEE XXIV. Ballarat Memorial Fountain Mechanics' Institute Industrial School for Girls Hospital Black Hill Gold Mines Orphanage Boarding-out University Primary Education Approaching Departure from Melbourne Intermediate Prison Gratuities Prisoners' Aid Society Board of Honorary Visitors Statistics Eeformatory and Industrial Schools Prisoners Summary of Crime in Victoria 390 CHAPTEE XXV. TASMANIA. Van Diemen's Land Convicts Change of Name Bass's Strait Intense Cold St. George's Heads The Tamar Launceeton Invalid Depot Out-door Relief Benevolent Society Falls of the South Esk Cheap Coaches The Mail Journey by Night Bridgewater The Derwent Hobarton Mount Wellington Government House The Queen's Domain Botanic Gardens Museum Governor Davey's Proclamation The last Abori- ginal Transportation The " Cascades " Female Prison Asylum for the Destitute Reformatory for Boys Fern-tree Bower Mount Nelson Flowers Fruits Return to Ade- laide Higher Education 407 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXVI. Great Heat at Adelaide Weather Australian Climate Luminous Atmosphere Bush-fire Christmas Gathering Torrens Gorge Waterfall Gully First P. and 0. Boat at Glenelg Celebration of the event Our departure West Australia Albany Schools Aborigines Repression of drunkenness Final de- parture from Australia Bombay Italy Home again Page 428 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTBALIA. CHAPTEE I. INTRODUCTORY. Our "Apology" for the Journey Paris Frederic Ausruste Demetz Cemetery at Cannes Florence Italian freedom The Madiai Venice Ladies at sea P. and O. boats Anemia Brindisi Con- vict gaol Hough weather Alexandria Kamleh A Mohammedan interior Donkey-ride in the desert Suez The Canal Burmese Embassy Aden Divers Galle Harbour Natives Boats Mer- chants Washermen Scenery Sunday muster Crew Fire Brigade Monotony of sea-life Amusements Star-gazing Wonders of the deep Snakes on board Trade winds Pitching and rolling Our first Australian experience Land sighted King George's Sound. AN expedition to Australia is a very different undertaking in the present day from what it was comparatively only a few years ago, before the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company had extended their traffic farther than the shores of India, and when no means existed for the regular conveyance of the mails to our antipodean colonies, letters being dispatched thither at irregular in- tervals in sailing vessels. In those days the transit to the nearest point in Australia required at least from three to four months, sometimes a much longer period, for its accomplishment. Large and expensive outfits were indispensable for the voyage, including cabin furniture and some amount of food. At the present day, should the traveller choose the mail steamer for his mode of convey- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ance, he will reach his destination in less than half the time formerly consumed, and at no greater expense. Every requisite is provided by the Company, including comforts undreamt of by the pioneers of Australian travel. Indeed, so much have the facilities for the voyage in- creased, that persons whose business requires their pre- sence either at home or in the colonies, now think no more of going backwards and forwards between England and Australia than tourists did fifty years ago of visiting Borne or Naples. Nevertheless this expedition, when undertaken by ladies travelling alone, is still considered extraordinary; espe- cially when the programme, as ours did at first, includes Japan, and a possible return through America. We learned this from the manner in which the news of our intended journey was received by many of our acquaintances, who, if they did not set us down as absolutely crazy, yet thought we must at least be eccentric. Happily, their opinion was modified when it was distinctly understood that we were going to visit relatives for many years settled in South Australia. Our French friends, whom we met at Paris on our way, were naturally even more amazed than any at home had been on learning the intention of two ladies, unmarried and unattended, to make the tour of the world, and their national courtesy was sorely tried to excuse a proceeding so opposed to their sense of propriety. Con- sternation depicted itself on the face of one, an old gentle- man, who, in evident concern that he could not express approval, took refuge in silence. We mentioned incident- ally that we intended to visit an aunt. His countenance brightened at once; obviously his mind was relieved of a great weight. With a benignant smile he said, " Mesdemoiselles, je me rejouis en apprenant le but de votre voyage. A present j"y reconnais du COUHAGE ; autrement cela aurait ete de Z'AUDACE." Our expedition, therefore, was no longer audacious or eccentric ; it had become heroic. Yet, apart from the deep interest excited by the different countries we passed on our route, the voyage itself, which has always appeared to our friends the most WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. difficult part of our enterprise, proved to be almost prosaic. We encountered no gales of any severity, have to record no alarming adventures, and returned to Eng- land, after sixteen months' absence, convinced by ex- perience that to persons of average health and strength the difficulties of such a journey exist only in the imagi- nation. It may, we feel sure, be accomplished with ease and comfort by ladies unprovided with servants or escort. We constantly met with kindness and attention ; every- body was ready to afford us assistance and information ; and we regard the inhabitants of our Australian colonies as among the most good-natured and helpful people it has been our good fortune to meet. We travelled advisedly without servants. Though strongly recommended by many of our friends to take at least a maid, the anticipation of the inconvenience and discomfort she would have to encounter in so extended an expedition, added to the urgent counsel we had received from travellers accustomed to long voyages, not to em- barrass ourselves with a female servant on ship-board, decided us to dispense with such an attendant. We never regretted our decision. The stewardesses were kind and efficient substitutes, and experience convinced us that the responsibility of having a maid to care for under the cir- cumstances of our journey would have far outweighed to us the convenience of her services. With regard to dress, we would remark that an extensive outfit is quite un- necessary. Shops are now so good in the principal capi- tals of Australia that any article wanted may be purchased at a cost not much exceeding that at home. As the fashions are sent out by the mail, those most devoted to the toilet need not be more than a couple of months be- hind Paris in adopting the newest modes. A dark, cold January morning in 1873 ; breakfast by lamplight ; and a drive through the only half-awake streets to Charing Cross, where the party of friends who have accom- panied us is augmented by another group waiting to wish us bon voyage. A stern policeman forbids their presence on B 2 4 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the platform ; we hastily bid them adieu, and hurry on to secure places ; bat meanwhile tearful eyes, and a pathetic appeal in the form of an assurance, that " the ladies are going to Australia, and may not return for many years," melts the manly vice the official heart ; they follow in a rush, hands are again shaken, forgotten commissions and farewell messages are shouted, but never heard, as the train moves on ; and our last glimpse of home is the tiny nephew waving his still tinier handkerchief, as his little footsteps are quickly outstripped by our increasing speed. A greeting awaited us at our hotel in Paris from a dear and venerable friend, the Founder of Mottray. Our two days' stay, brightened by his society, have become a precious memory. Though seventy-five years old, he ap- peared to us to have taken a fresh lease of life, so active and vigorous he seemed ; and when at parting he engaged us to write to him from Australia of the progress reforma- tory principles had made there, and to visit him on our return at his beloved Colonie, which he said should give us our first welcome home, we would not admit a doubt that, in spite of his advanced age and many cares, we should meet again. Alas ! long before we came back that wondrous brain had ceased from its labours ; that noble heart was still. Frederic Auguste Demetz had passed to his rest ! Having been admonished to avoid risk of stoppage in the early part of our journey, the re-appearance of snow at Paris raised visions of blocked-up railways, and of the P. and O. boat, with our cabin selected and reserved four months before, starting from Venice without us; so we packed and departed without a moment's delay. A rapid journey brought us into summer weather at Cannes, and there we sojourned a few happy days among friends. One of our rambles was to the cemetery, which has been much improved of late years, being now well kept, and gay with flowers. Even at the beginning of February roses China, Bengal, and Gloire de Dijon blossomed in pro- fusion. Lord Brougham lies in the centre of the portion allotted to Protestants, a sunny hill-side, commanding a WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. glorious vie\v. A lofty and massive cross, perfectly simple in design, of the stone of the neighbourhood, marks his resting-place. It is inscribed HENKICVS BEOVGHAM. NATVS MDCCLXXVIII. DECESSIT MDCCCLXVIII. Prosper Merimee is interred in this cemetery, and others known to fame. Near to Lord Brougham's grave is the white marble tomb of Alexander Munro, the sculptor. Almost all who have found their last resting- place here are foreigners, or from the far north of France ; and there are but few whom death has not overtaken early. We made another halt at Florence, and were greatly struck with its changed aspect since we knew it, in the days of the Austrian Archduke. Liberty, prosperity, and progress, indeed, are everywhere apparent in Italy. Being at Milan under the former regime, and questioning the landlord of our hotel concerning the state of his country, he answered significantly by crossing his hands, as if manacled, and then pressing one upon his mouth in the manner of a gag. Now every bond is cast off, and speech is free to all. Renewing a friendship made twenty years before with the able and courageous young advocate who defended the Madiai-^a husband and wife of humble position, who were prosecuted, persecuted one might justly say, by the Government for worshipping, with a little band of friends, in the privacy of their own home according to the forms of the Protestant faith, to which they had been converted and wishing to express her sympathy with him in the great advance his country had made, F remarked that there was now as much liberty in Italy as in England her- self. " Even more, I think," Cavaliere Maggiorani an- swered, to our amazement. " Our elections are perfectly free. Here bribery and intimidation of political voters are unknown." We learnt with some chagrin, on this and other occasions, with what surprise and contempt 6 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Italians regard the corruptions still practised in England in behalf of Parliamentary candidates. On Friday, February 14th, we went on board the good ship ' Pera, ' at Venice, and soon won the approval of our captain, and the envy of many a suffering fellow-pas- senger, by our regular attendance at breakfast, tiffin, dinner, and tea. It is often said that our sex is hardly dealt with in the present day ; our shortcomings receiving a large propor- tion of blame, while our virtues obtain but a scant amount of praise. Whether or not this be true on land, it cer- tainly does not hold good at sea. There women are praised, while men are blamed for attributes which may be called involuntary in both sexes. We observed that the gentlemen on board (unless they were seriously ill), when suffering from sea-sickness, were considered by all true " salts " as weak-minded indi- viduals fair objects for good-natured jokes, not how- ever untinctured with reproach ; whereas if they were happily free from that wretched infliction well, they were only fulfilling their commonest and most obvious duty. But when the ladies were sea-sick, they at once became objects of the deepest compassion ; and if they escaped this too common malady, they were treated as heroines, considered patterns of excellence, and commanded uni- versal respect. We travelled to Australia and back again on this pinnacle of esteem. Let us here pause a moment to express our gratitude for the courtesy we received from the officers and ser- vants of the P. and 0. Company, and the comforts we enjoyed in their well-found vessels. Complaints were sometimes heard of shortcomings; but on the whole our surprise was not that some luxuries were wanting, but that so many could be provided. Vegetables and fruit, taken on board at one port and kept fresh in the ice-room, never failed to last, in the best-managed ships, till we reached the next. Our bill of fare included daily a variety of flesh and fowl, and the delicate pastry and other sweet dishes would have done honour to a London confectioner. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Had we the opportunity of whispering in the ear of so august a personage as the chief steward, we would sug- gest that tea and coffee never can be good if dealt with wholesale, and that the raw material, however excellent, requires, like many other things, individual treatment to develop its most precious qualities. A little army of tea and coffee pots, each to be used as a factory, and not merely as a channel for conveying the liquid from huge cauldrons to the consumer's cup, would, we are sure, win lasting gratitude from passengers the most robust how much more, then, from the miserable being who, after days and nights of prostrating sickness, revives sufficiently to long for tea or coffee, and receives a black and sometimes even nauseous draught, bearing little resemblance in taste or smell to the refreshing beverage of his yearnings. How gratefully we recall, among many acts of kindness, the morning tea sent to us from his own pot by one of the higher authorities on board, with whom it was our good fortune to travel. There are, of course, discomforts far more serious and irremediable than bad tea and coffee to be put up with in ship life. Indeed one of our captains, in his consideration for " the sex," laid it down as an axiom that " no woman ought ever to go to sea," and that each and all who violated this rule should be in a position to '' justify " the action. They should, at any rate, be able and resolved to bear the annoyances it entails with patience, and, if possible, with cheerfulness. Having slept comfortably, and in blissful ignorance of a stiff breeze, during our first night at sea, we were unconscious of our arri val at Ancona until, on going on deckuext morning, we found ourselves lying in the harbour. It is a handsome town, climbing the sides of a semi-circular hill, and would have made a pretty picture in the morniug sunshine, with snow-capped mountains rising behind and the bright blue sky overhead. Here we took on board an Italian crew, for another of the Company's boats lying at Alexandria, but who were expected to work on their way thither. Evidently, from dress and bearing, several of them were WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. new to the sea. Before many hours had passed, their sufferings from the unaccustomed element put to flight all thought of duty or profit in fulfilling their engagement, and we being then many miles from the coast they demanded instantly to be set on land, declaring death would be the only alternative. The hard-hearted British officer, to whom, as he sat magisterially upon a hen-coop, we saw the gesticulating group appealing for deliverance, calmly replied that they might die if they liked, but to go on shore was impossible. We were in Brindisi harbour early on February 16th. It was Sunday morning, but being in port means harder work than usual for the crew (who have to load and unload cargo, even if there be no coaling to be done), and noise, bustle, and general discomfort for the passengers. It is much to be regretted that harbour-days and Sundays are frequently identical with P. and 0. boats, owing, we bel.eve, to Post-office requirements. lS T or is the evil limited to persons actually concerned with the ship. The arrival or departure of the mail on Sundays necessitates the attend- ance of men of business at their offices on the day of rest, a state of things which we heard much complained of by our countrymen at Alexandria. The captain decided against service on board in the midst of so much turmoil, and as the Koman remains of the city were not sufficiently attractive to induce us to seek them among filthy streets, crowded this festive day with a hardly less dirty-looking population, we preferred visiting the large convict-gaol for 800 men, about half a mile from the quay. We were unprovided with any order of admission, but on explaining our wish, the sentry at the gate at once allowed us to enter, and a warder, with equal readiness, constituted himself our guide over the building. It was erected for a fortress by Frederic Barbarossa, and apparently must have been one of vast strength. During the occupation of Southern Italy by the Spaniards, they sculptured their arms above the portal, which still remain. To eyes acquainted with the construction of our own gaols, this one has little but strength to render it suitable for its WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 9 present use, and it boasts none of the neatness and cleanli- ness which pervade such establishments at home ; but our guide spoke of some of the arrangements as provisional. Probably the Department, under whose enlightened ad- ministration, directed by Signer Beltrani-Scaglia, prison discipline in Italy is making exemplary progress, contem- plates such alterations as will bring the edifice up to the requirements of the day. In some respects the system pur- sued in it is already in advance of those prevailing in many other countries. Sentences are for long periods ; but deten- tion may be shortened by good conduct. To wear irons forms, indeed, sometimes a portion of the punishment; but these are lightened or removed, or on the other hand made heavier, according to the behaviour of the prisoner. There is a " trust- worthy class," who work beyond the walls, under the charge of a warder, and go occasionally to a distance with waggon and oxen to fetch and carry for the prison. They cultivate land in its immediate neighbourhood, and perform other kinds of labour. They made, we understand, the break- water, built the large hotel on the quay, and worked on the railroad when it was under construction. Of course they make their own clothes, and they manufacture also a variety of objects in mother-of-pearl and coral, which are sold to visitors, the maker receiving half the profits. Whether they have other means of earning money we did not learn ; but sometimes on departure probably after a long period of detention they possess '20u francs. Being Sunday, these little articles were all locked up, and for the same reason the men were not at work. Our guide led us up many long flights of stairs on to the roof, whence we beheld an uninteresting country oil one side, and the intensely blue sea on the other. Over a low wall, rising in the centre of the roof, we looked into a vast square court at a great depth beneath us, in which the prisoners were taking exercise. A large number, our guide said, were brigands. The men whose term of imprisonment was for twenty -five years, or less, wore red caps ; the rest, under sentence for life, were distinguished by green. There seemed to be 10 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. no separation of these classes in the court, nor, apparently, was talking prohibited. A faint murmur of voices reached our ears ; but when the men upon whom we were gazing became aware of our presence, and face after face turned up to gaze back upon us, we could not distinguish the features, so great was the distance between us. Capital punishment still prevails in the greater part of Italy. More than forty years ago it was done away with in Tuscany ; but though twice a Bill for its total abolition has passed the Italian House of Assembly, the Senate has each time thrown it out the strongest opposition to the measure coming, strange to say, from the Piedmontese. But the punishment is rare now compared with former times. The warder showed us two large rooms, opening on to the roof, which he said were often full " under the Bourbons " of prisoners sentenced to death, sometimes ten or twelve being executed at once. From our airy summit we could see some of the con- victs who were cutting vegetables in the prison garden, outside the walls ; and after quitting the gaol, we passed close by one who nodded to us in a most friendly style over the low hedge separating the garden from the road. He was a frank, handsome-looking lad, with brilliant eyes and smile. The cold, which had been severe before we embarked at Venice, increased on our voyage down the Adriatic, and became even bitter as we crossed the Mediterranean. We expressed ourselves as decidedly ill-used, having counted upon a heightening temperature as we proceeded south- wards. Those of our companions who had made the voyage to India, laughingly assured us we should by-and- by have it warm enough, as we certainly had. It was, however, only in the tropics that we absolutely suffered from heat. On our voyage out, the atmosphere of the dreaded Red Sea was balminess itself. On our return, though a month later in the spring, we found it, a day or two after passing Bab-el-Mandeb, absolutely chilly, and in Egypt the weather was painfully cold. But it was an unusual season. As we neared Suez we saw the snow WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 11 lying low upon the hills a phenomenon, we were assured, rare within the experience of even " the oldest inhabitant." A considerable degree of cold, however, is not very unusual there, though seldom prepared for by any who have not already undergone it ; and we heard sad accounts of the discomfort, and even serious suffering, endured by travellers ascending the Red Sea, who had packed away in unattainable places their warm clothes and wraps. We were not destined to cross the Mediterranean in halcyon weather. The day after we started from Brindisi the wind was sufficient to make our good steamer roll. We were so fortunate as to return in the ' Pera,' from Adelaide to Bombay, and are well acquainted with her good qualities ; yet no ship is perfect, and her special weak- ness is that of rolling. A short lull, as long as we were under the protection of the Candian shores, afforded some relief to the sufferers on board ; but rolling began again in earnest as we made our way across to Alexandria, bringing a wave every now and then on to the quarter- deck, and consigning many persons to their berths. Still we met with no really bad weather. Indeed, to sailors the amount of wind was a trifle as R discovered one evening when she was, by a sudden lurch, sent, right across the stern end of the saloon, and brought to her bearings among a group of plate baskets. Recovering herself she remarked to a steward that it was a rough night. " Oh dear no ma'am, no such thing, there's only a fresh breeze." "What do you call rough?" she asked. "We call it rough," replied the man, " when nothing will stay on the table." This habit of ignoring bad weather at sea is almost uni- versal, and no doubt adopted with the most amiable desire of affording comfort to timorous passengers. A friend of ours, crossing the Mediterranean in weather which obliged the ports to be closed, and when loud bangs overhead and loose articles rolling backwards and forwards proclaimed the disturbance of the sea, falteringly asked a compas- sionate steward if it were not very rough. " Rough ? No 12 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ma'am," he unblushingly exclaimed, " why there's not a breath of air stirring!" In our own case there was enough " sea on " to cause our captain some surprise, " because," as he remarked, "the barometer was high and did not account for this disturbance." The Mediterranean was clearly behaving in a very improper manner. Indeed, rumours were preva- lent that when we reached Alexandria the sea would be too high to allow us to pass the rocky bar which lies across the entrance to the harbour, and that we should be com- pelled to remain outside (no uncommon fate at certain seasons) until the weather moderated. But on reaching the bar, on the morning of the 20th February, we crossed it without difficulty, and soon lay at anchor among the shipping of that busy port. Our ship was speedily sur- rounded by boats, rowed by swarthy Arabs in white or brown robes and with bare legs. We hastened to prepare for landing, feeling a little nervous at the prospect, as it is proverbial that the Arab porters are not only exceedingly troublesome, because they rush in large numbers, and every one seizing a sepa- rate package, bears each off in a different direction, but that straps, unless fixed very securely to trunks, find such favour in their eyes that they cannot resist the temptation of stealing them. Before, however, we were ready, our cousin S , whose guests we were to be in Egypt, arrived, bringing with him an eastern official dressed not unlike a French zouave, with a scimitar of portentous dimensions, reminding us forcibly of the con- ventional Bluebeard. He was the British Consul's janis- sary, and so important a functionary that, after taking us completely under his charge and landing us on the quay, he triumphantly conducted us through the vociferating crowds of Arabs and donkey-boys. He was no less success- ful in our passage through the custom-house and passport office, and quickly placed us in a carriage bound for the Hamleh Railway station, Rarnleh being a suburb much frequented by the English residents in Alexandria. We drove through shabby streets, a foot deep in mud, occa- WHA T WE SA W IN A USTEALIA. 1 3 sionally bumping into holes which seemed large enough to upset our carriage. There are handsome streets in this city, but shabbiness and dirt seemed to us its chief characteristics, nor did the large oblong Place called Frank Square, with its covered statue of Mehemet Ali, appear much cleaner or handsomer than other parts of the town. Notwithstanding the perils of mud and holes, we safely reached the station, and on the train's departure found our- selves in a very shabby old carriage, which had formerly belonged to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Com- pany, as the initials still visible in its trimmings plainly showed. We passed one or two huge palaces belonging to the Viceroy, of which he possesses an enormous number, and soon entered upon the great desert on whose edge Eamleh is situated. Our first sight of the desert completely put to flight all our previous conventional notions on the subject. Popular belief makes it flat. On the contrary, it is undulating here an elevation, there a depression, and often in the hollows we saw barley coming up, making green patches in the sand which was also diversified with very pretty wild-flowers, some quite brilliant a little later in the spring, as we saw on our return from Australia, thirteen months afterwards. We spent several pleasant days at Eamleh in the de- licious air of the desert. They were diversified by visits to the lions of Alexandria, too well known to need descrip- tion here. We were always attended by our cousin's Arab servant Mahomet, with whom, however, we could only communicate in Italian, the lingua franca of the Levant. On one occasion we asked him if we might visit his family. Highly gratified at our request, he led us into a very narro\v dirty street, where his house, uninviting enough on the ground floor, yet contained comfortable rooms above, through which Mahomet conducted us with much pride, taking special care to point out, among other furniture, a sponge-bath in one of the bedrooms. Leaving us seated not, however, in eastern fashion on the divan, under the windows of the sitting room, he went to prepare us some 14 WE A T WE SA W IN A US TE ALIA. coffee, while his wife was making her toilet for our recep- tion. Wife we say advisedly, for we had understood that he possessed two of these appendages, and we were much disappointed when he informed us that though this had been the case, one of his wives had been afflicted with so bad a temper and had caused so much disturbance in his household that he had been compelled to send her back to her family. At the same time showing us her portrait, which strongly resembled the figures one sees depicted outside tea-boxes, he asked us if we did not think her hand- some, and looked at her likeness so tenderly we could not help suspecting that he still retained a sneaking fondness for his discarded help-mate. While we waited for the wife, Mahomet brought us a little baby, his sister's child, of three weeks old, to look at. The poor little creature was fixed to a stick and its body swathed. Indeed, one might have supposed its very eyes were tied to their places so perfectly still they were, large beautiful eyes, with very blue whites, which never moved the thousandth part of an inch, nor did the lids wink in the slightest degree. The infant wore a cap adorned with silver coins, and strings of similar coins were round its tiny wrists. Baby and clothes might have been cleaner with advantage. After a long interval, occupied, \ve suppose, in dressing, our hostess appeared. She wore a bright-patterned gown of simple fashion, confined at the waist by a handsome girdle. On her head there was a queer sort of toque com- posed of green velvet, tinsel, beads, and decidedly battered artificial flowers. A chain of gold coins hung round her neck one very large one being suspended by itself her for- tune, we understood. The tops of her nails were stained red with henna, and the edges of her eyelids were blackened with kohl. She appeared to be about eighteen years of age and looked healthy and happy a little shy perhaps, but courteous ; she shook hands with us after first kissing her own, the usual Egyptian salutation. She only spoke Arabic, and we could not have much communication with her in words, making up as well as we might by nods and smiles and repeated shaking of hands. Before we took our WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 15 departure Mahomet brought us coffee thick as treacle, without milk, but not unpalatable, in three little china cups, one for each of us, and one for his wife. A glimpse of Cairo, an ascent of the great pyramid, and a visit to Memphis are now events too common for us to venture on their description. Early one fine spring morning we left Ramleh for Suez, there to embark on our long voyage. We intended to go to Alexandria by the first train. For once Mahomet was mistaken, and when, under his direction, we reached the station, the train was gone ! No other would convey us to Alexandria in time for the only daily one running from that city to Suez, and our ship* was expected to sail the next morning. What was to be done ? Carriages there were none in Kamleh. Some one suggested donkeys. Could a sufficient number be found to convey us and our luggage? Six were speedily collected. But were two side-saddles to be had ? Yes, two were brought. We were soon mounted, ourselves and Mahomet, each on a donkey; our luggage on the remaining three, and thus we started. E had hardly proceeded twenty yards when her saddle turned round, and she was precipitated to the ground. Picking herself up and finding she was unhurt, she rejoiced that it was on the sand of the desert, and not into the filthy mud of Alexandria she had tumbled. On examining her saddle she was not suprised at the accident, for it was only fastened round the oudside with one old girth. F was too far ahead to be aware of what had happened the train must be saved there was nothing for it but to remount her steed as quickly as possible, and follow. Fortunately the saddle did not turn round again, and after a scamper, which could not be called unpleasant in the early morning, and invigorating air of the desert, we reached the outskirts of Alexandria and there secured a carriage which conveyed us to the station in good time for the train to Suez. We certainly paid highly for that ride and drive, but our success compensated for its cost. When, after ten hours' travelling, during which time we only accomplished a distance of 140 miles, we reached 16 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Suez, it was already dark. We had desired the landlord of the hotel to send a dragoman to meet us, as we did not feel equal to cope successfully with the vagaries of the Arab porters. But on arriving at the station, there was not sufficient light to distinguish if he were there; and we were looking with dismay on the shoals of Arabs who boarded the train, when we heard a friendly voice in- quiring for us by name. The voice belonged to one of the officers of the P. and 0. Company, who had been commissioned by their agent at Suez to escort us to the hotel. All was now easy, and we soon reached our des- tination after a walk through the narrow streets bordered by minute shops ; but before quitting the station we witnessed the unpleasant spectacle of an official summarily dismissing the superfluous Arabs by laying about him vigorously with a rope's end. Service was being performed in the mosques, and in passing the open door of one, we could see the worshippers inside bending their bodies backwards and forwards, keeping time as it were to the prayers they were reciting in a loud and monotonous voice. We found the temperature higher at Suez than it had been either at Cairo or Alexandria ; still a fire in the large sitting-room in the evening was not unpleasant. The next day, however, the sun was too powerful to allow of walking or standing without shelter. When we announced our intended tour, it was generally assumed we should go out through the Canal ; and since our return few inquirers concerning our journey, have not remarked, "of course you came home through the Suez Canal." We did neither. As we steamed by, how- ever, to embark on the * Malwa,' which was to take us to Point de Galle, and lay at the Company's docks a few miles below Suez (where a bust of Lieutenant Waghorn reminds the Overland traveller of his debt of gratitude to that enterpising and self-devoted pioneer), the en- trance to the Canal was pointed out to us. That we might obtain some nearer acquaintance with this marvel- lous work, we got a boat at Suez, on our return, and sailed a few miles up it, passing a huge steamer and some lesser WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 17 craft on the way. Persons like ourselves, ignorant of engineering, are, of course, unable to appreciate the peculiar difficulties overcome in constructing the Canal, and its aspect to the uninstructed eye is emphatically commonplace. Low, sloping banks, in some places faced with irregular blocks of stone, but for the most part con- sisting of sand, and when the wide entrance was fairly past a narrow strip of water, were all we saw. The mind had to dwell upon the fact that these represent an achieve- ment which the world had for ages pronounced impos- sible ; to reflect upon the expanse of desert-sand, wander- ing as the wind, soft and unstable as snow, made captive and converted into solid embankments ; and to calculate the vast distance, involving the circumnavigation of Africa which the canal enables us to escape, in order to compre- hend in any adequate degree the grandeur of this monu- ment to the genius and perseverance of France. Among our fellow passengers to Galle were the Burmese Embassy returning from their visit to Europe. The party consist eel of eighteen or twenty persons, but only one besides the ambassador himself and his secretary (except the two English gentlemen in their suite) dined" at the saloon table. Some of the young men in the party were near relatives of the ambassador, but it was not etiquette, we were told, for them to eat in his presence. Orientals, of course they were all devoted to smoking, which (we thank- fully record) is not permitted on the quarter-deck of P. and 0. boats. We were much amused one day when the ambassador having in ignorance, no doubt, transgressed the rule, quartermaster, as in duty bound, informed him of the regulation. The great Eastern, in his quaint but gorgeous costume, blandly smiled, and placidly puffed on. Quartermaster expostulated again and again. Evidently not a word he said was understood. At length, in despair of accomplishing his duty, we heard him indignantly ex- plain to a superior officer, that " that Frenchman would smoke on the quarter-deck." We reached Aden in a fine sunset on the fifth day after leaving Suez. Within half an hour all was darkness ; the O 1 8 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA. town, in complete obscurity, being only indicated by the lamps twinkling along the base of the vast basaltic rocks which rise behind it. Soon, however, the moon rose, and very picturesque the shipping in the harbour looked under her light, and the dusky masses of rock lying about its entrance, although the din and dirt of coaling painfully distracted one's attention. We thought it too late to land, and we steamed away by five o'clock next morning. On the return voyage we again arrived in a splendid sunset, lighting with a flame-coloured glow the rocky islets scat- tered for many miles along the coast; but we did not depart quite so early. We had time for a row to land in the fresh morning air, to post our letters, and to tread upon Arabian soil ; while the increasing glory in the east prepared us for the lovely sunrise, which, flooding the sea with light, made the waves sparkle as our boat in return- ing cleft her way among them. As long as light had served overnight, and before we again left the harbour, our ship was surrounded by native boats crowded with little urchins clamouring for money to be thrown into the water, that they might dive for it. In pursuit of a shilling they will go down on one side of the vessel, and, passing be- neath, rise to the surface upon the other ; but for lesser sums they will only perform lesser feats. The instant a coin was dropped every boat was emptied of its occupants. All vanished beneath the waves, but quickly reappeared, the lucky finder of the prize holding it up in triumph and then placing it, often with many others already won, in a purse of nature's making his mouth, where quite "a pot of money " seemed to cause him no discomfort. Some native porters came on board to bring and fetch luggage. Their expression of countenance was singularly gentle, but otherwise they were not well-favoured, and pre- sented quite a grotesque appearance owing to the arrange- ment of their hair. This was plaited in little tails all over the head, having been previously more or less bleached, by an application of lime. The tawny red or dull yellow locks looked utterly incongruous with the dark skin and black eyes. WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 1 9 Galle Harbour, which we reached in nine and a-half days from Aden, has, in one respect, an unenviable character. Ships rarely go in or out by night ; and by day, rocks on which well-known vessels have split, or a net- work of cord- age and masts appearing above the water, sad remains of some notorious wreck, are sedulously pointed out by lovers of the sensational to awe-struck passengers. We suppose we must have had an especially courageous captain from Galle to Australia, as he weighed anchor at 1 A.M. There was a brilliant moon, and the channel we were to pursue was marked with buoys, while on each buoy was perched a Cingalese bearing a lighted torch, so probably we ran no real risk. It was, however, with a certain feeling of relief that we saw from our port of course we did not sleep till the exodus was accomplished our pilot take his departure, and we knew we were once more fairly out at sea. Though the approach to Galle, with its doubtful glimpse of Adam's Peak (for some persons assured us it was visible and others declared it was not), and a prolonged view of the Haycock and other lesser mountains is fine, the beauty of the harbour had, we thought, been over-praised. The cocoa-trees and other luxuriant vegetation fringing its shore are, doubtless, very refreshing to eyes that weary of the sea ; and probably its reputation for beauty was made long before steamers robbed the mariner of the exquisite bliss the sight of land must have bestowed when voyages occupied many months. The coas^ is low, and the town, whether seen from the water or on land, has few claims to the picturesque. But very picturesque, intensely droll, and utterly new to the experience of the traveller arriving for the first time from England, is the sight that greets him directly the ship is in port, when boats innumerable surround it whose occupants instantly crowd the deck. They represent numerous nationalities, and display, con- sequently, a variety of costumes, including that which is almost no costume at all, except a skin of any tint between olive and the richest bronze. The Cingalese themselves are especially remarkable for their chignons, which, together with great scantiness of beard and a similarity c 2 20 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. in dress, when the men are fully attired, makes it diffi- cult to distinguish the sexes among the young people. Of the chignons, some are fastened with a comb and some without, the right to wear it belonging to the higher castes. Imagine a shrivelled old boatman, almost bald, but having his scanty grey locks elaborately arranged in a knot worn almost at the nape of the neck, and fixed there with the help of a comb in form like those lately in favour here for keeping little girls' hair out of their eyes ! Some of these new arrivals have coral and tortoise-shell ornaments to sell, and pearls and precious stones, or imitations of the same. Though, as a rule, the jewellery is mere rubbish, now and then a fortunate purchaser finds he has got a really valuable gem for a comparatively trifling price ; and, of course, every buyer hopes he shall be the lucky exception. Other vendors offer embroidered shawls, India muslins, a variety of objects in basket-work, or models of the boats used in the harbour at which the stranger gazes in amazement as they throng round his vessel. In shape like a long deep trough, so narrow that the little seats on either side at one end, for passengers, hang over the water and yet leave scant room for knees between, these boats would at once tip over but for an out- rigger consisting of two long and slightly arching poles fixed to one side at right angles, and united at the outer ends by a cross-beam. In rough weather additional weight is needed to preserve a balance, and a man stands upon the beam ; a second is required in a gale hence called " a two-man storm." The outrigger, as might be expected, often comes into collision with other vessels, when, if, as usually happens, it is snapped off, the little craft turns over, projecting its occupants into the sea. A rowing-boat conveying passengers from our steamer to another, caused such a mishap. Fortunately, there were only natives to be upset, who swim like fishes, so that no great harm was done ; but we often saw Europeans, even women, make the passage to and from the ship in these cockleshells, and a very uncomfortable sight it was, especially as the harbour is infested by sharks which would soon attack a sinking WHA T WE SA W IN A US TXALIA. 2 L body, though a swimming one, by the commotion it makes in the water, is tolerably safe. The native boats are generally paddled, but some have masts, and an ingenious arrangement for hoisting and lowering sails. Their most remarkable characteristic, perhaps, is that not a nail is used in their construction ; the numerous parts are sewn together. Besides the merchants vociferously recommending their wares, for which they will generally take an infinitesimal portion of the price they first ask, the passenger is beset by eager faces and voices demanding his linen to wash. " Very good washman," greets his ears on all sides, while innumerable hands thrust papers into his very eyes, which prove to be written testimonials by former customers to the proficiency of these clamorous candidates for patron- age. One became quite 'eloquent in his entreaties to F . " Missis, me wash half-dozen things, bring all back to-morrow; Jady want washing, me wash; bring things all right ; " da capo, ad lib. We had not been aware there would be such an opportunity, and had encumbered ourselves with a stock of clothes sufficient for the whole voyage, which we regretted when we found that our fel- low-passengers who entrusted their linen to these men, received it back next morning, fairly got up, for a moderate charge. Our Burmese companions quitted us at Galle for the Burmese royal yacht awaiting them. Their national flag the device a peacock, embroidered in gold on a white silk ground was run up to our mast-head as a parting salute. It was rumoured that the flag, though provided by themselves, might be left as a souvenir for our captain and a very magnificent pocket-handkerchief it would have made ; but, apparently, motives of economy pre- vailed, for when the flag was hauled down it was restored to one of the suite, who neatly folded it up and carried it away. During our first sojourn in Galle Harbour the heat was very great, and the air damp and heavy. Lightning, unaccompanied by thunder, flickered almost incessantly 22 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. during the evening, and while we were at dinner we ex- perienced a genuine tropical shower, the first rain we had seen since we reached Alexandria. The deck was quickly flooded, and the water poured down the companion to the entrance to the saloon. It was over in a few minutes ; but far from refreshing the air, the heat was greater than before. Nor was this mitigated by a heavy thunderstorm in the night. On our voyage out we did not land at Galle. In re- turning, our kind captain took us on shore, and we much enjoyed the regulation drive to the Cinnamon Gardens and Wag Walla. Here we saw men at work in the paddy- fields ankle-deep in water, and pine-apples growing in the open air ; and walked by the side of a river rich, we were assured, in alligators. Sylvan groves for to such are the excellent roads often converted by the interlacing foliage of the tall feathery palms ; broad-eaved timber cottages dimly seen among the trees where creepers fling themselves from stem to stem ; gorgeous flowers and other luxuriant tropical vege- tation, only known to us at home in hot-houses ; and glimpses of the bright dancing sea gleaming afar off between the branches, filled our thoughts with Eastern life and story. We half expected to see Paul and Vir- ginia emerge hand in hand from some winding path, and beheld their fit companions in the groups of graceful bright-eyed children about the cottage doors. At least we may have indulged for a few moments such poetic- fancies, but these were quickly dispelled when the pretty agile creatures followed our carriage, keeping up with the quick pace of our horse for a mile or more, clamouring for money, and significantly tapping their stomachs to in- timate " the keen demands of appetite." To these, how- ever, their beaming countenances and well-covered forms lent no support. It was plain that thoughtless visitors to the island had accustomed these children to beggary by unneeded gifts. Another sign that we were in no real Arcadia met our eyes in cocoa palms, having their own long dead leaves lightly bound at intervals round their WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 23 trunks that their rustling might betray the presence of climbing thieves by night ! At Galle we transferred ourselves from the ' Malwa ' to the ' Sumatra,' then one of the prettiest boats in the Com- pany's fleet, built, we were told, regardless of expense ; and so well managed that everything seemed to go on oiled wheels. Here we saw the picturesque Sunday muster usual on board these vessels, but which had not taken place during our voyage on the * Malwa.' The crew included Lascars, Chinamen, Malays, Nubians, and a few of our own countrymen who performed the superior service on board. These were our quarter-masters, and got up elaborate toilettes for the quarter-deck. The Malays, men of great size and power, were always em- ployed at the helm ; the Chinamen manned the captain's gig, and usually they measured our speed, and could gene- rally muster enough English to answer the ever-recurring questions about the number of knots we were running which, when high, made us all triumphant and elate ; when low, filled us with grumbling discontent or plaintive dejection, according to our several dispositions. The Nubians were our stokers, but even they could not bear the heat of the engine-room long. Often, we were told, they were brought up almost fainting on deck, to be re- vived by having bucketsful of water thrown over them. One compassionate lady was so moved by an account of their sufferings that she ordered a large quantity of lemonade to be supplied to them. The Lascars were the most numerous among the nationalities represented. They moved the sails, cleaned the ship, and made them- selves generally useful. They were under the immediate direction of their serang, a boatswain of their own race, whose airs of authority and imperious gestures were comical to behold. To see him in his light-blue dress and crimson sash and turban, sounding from time to time the silver whistle suspended from his neck, waving his hands now gently, now frantically, and every motion obeyed by a pic- turesque crowd of dark-skinned, flashing-eyed followers, always gave us the idea that we were witnessing a well- 24 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. rehearsed scene at the theatre. The Lascar, we were told, makes an excellent sailor. After a few years in the service he usually returns home, and his accumulated wages suffice to buy a comfortable farm. His ordinary attire on board- ship is a dress of shabby blue cotton, the feet being bare. At Sunday muster he appears in white calico tunic and crimson sash put on, however, over his dirty week-day clothes. The Chinamen always look neat, though not ornamental, with their broad-brimmed hats almost concealing their closely rolled-up pigtails ; their scrupulously blacked shoes, and jackets and trousers of the flowing proportions familiar to us on the willow-pattern plates. There is nothing picturesque in the attire of the Nubians and Malays ; but the handsome dark-blue and spotless white, which in that clear atmosphere glistens in the sunshine like Alpine snow, of our own countrymen officers, stewards, and quartermasters, are extremely effective, as the wearers occupy their respective positions on the deck, lined far down on either side by the ship's company. Sometimes the fire brigade is exercised before the muster, but always without previous warning. One perceives a sudden stir among the men, lines are formed, a hose appears, the pumps are at work, and within a few minutes of the signal to assemble, the same, of course, which would give the alarm in case of fire, copious streams of water are pouring from the long flexible tubes into the sea ! Service follows quickly upon the muster. It is read in the saloon or on deck, according to the weather ; the ex- temporised reading-desk being always covered with the Union Jack. The national flag also forms the pall in case of burial at sea. Few travellers on the ocean, however good sailors they may be, fail to weary of their voyage long before its termina- t ion. Life on board ship " drags its slow length along," except i'or the happy few whose heads are as clear there as on land, and whose capacity for work remains the same where privacy is unattainable, as in their own studies. Gambling is a com- mon resort from ennui among the gentlemen, whether with WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 25 games of chance, or in betting upon every conceivable uncertainty. The number of knots that will be made from noon to noon ; the hours, minutes, and seconds occupied in a run from port to port ; the foot the pilot will first put on deck, &c., &c., are all subjects on which to hazard money, and so beguile the time. Souls above gambling still find light reading, chess, or needlework severe occu- pation ; and smoking by the gentlemen and sleeping by both sexes are largely indulged in, to while away the lin- gering hours. Experience bought on our outward voyage made us resolve to try upon our return the effect of regular exercise, and we rarely fell short of two hours' walking daily. The result was satisfactory ; and we can conscientiously recommend the recipe, which should be accompanied by regularity of hours in pursuing such occupations as are available, and by a stern resolution never to leave a moment unemployed. If you idle, you are lost ! The announcement posted each day at noon, in the com- panion, of the progress made during the past twenty-four hours and the present latitude and longitude of the vessel, is an event of unfailing interest in life at sea, and affords a welcome topic for conversation. Theatricals are a frequent refuge from the monotony of sea-life ; they require, however, one or two energetic people to set them going, and in none of our voyages did any pas- sengers so distinguish themselves. But less ambitious en- tertainments, where songs and readings alternated, made many an evening pass pleasantly. Dancing found little favour, except that a children's ball given by the captain proved a great success, though when first announced a rolling sea and the thermometer at 88 made us anticipate it with dismay ; for we were all expected to take part in entertaining the little ones. Fortunately the wind mode- rated, and so did the heat by a few degrees. Yery pro- bably that of a London ball-room is often as great ; and if one has to dance when one's premiere jeunesse is, alas, long past, it is well to get some credit out of it by coaching little partners successfully through Sir Roger de Coverley. 26 WHAT WE SAW IN AUS THALIA. Star-gazing is a resource during the long hours which must be passed in darkness on deck by those who dislike the heat and glare of the lighted saloon ; but it is pursued with difficulty because of the awning, which is rarely re- moved. We had not anticipated this impediment, and it caused us much disappointment. Every one who has crossed the line knows how greatly the splendour of the Southern Cross was exaggerated by the early navigators, who, penetrating to unknown seas, were amazed to recognise in this new constellation the emblem of their faith. The two neighbouring stars, some- times called the pointers, are, however, very brilliant, and always arrest one s gaze. It is startling when, for the first time, one notices the young moon showing her crescent horizontally, the outline of her orb being quite distinct, and the whole disc slightly luminous. The white Magellanic clouds resemble flakes of the softest most ethereal cotton. The black cloud inspires one with awe ; through this gap in the Milky Way (if such it be) one seems to gaze into dark immeasurable space ! The awning, so unwelcome at night, was an absolute necessity when " the sun poured down intolerable day." Even to cross a little space beyond its shade umbrellas were necessary ; in fact, it was an indispensable protection from him who, our best friend in high latitudes, becomes elsewhere an object of dread. Thus we seldom even saw him ; and the sunsets, too, at sea proverbially splendid, we rarely beheld, for when the sun was going down, so usually were we to dinner. During the year we were south of the Equator we did not get used to his apparent motion " the wrong way," and seeing him restored to his rightful course was one of the pleasures of the homeward voyage. Another very keen one was recognising the uppermost stars of familiar constellations as they appeared above the northern horizon. This, however, liad its corresponding pain when the last star of the Southern Cross vanished from our view, and we realised the distance dividing us from our Australian friends. A ship bound on a long voyage, and carrying some WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 27 hundreds of persons, constitutes a little world in itself, and doubtless innumerable interests may be found by those who seek them. Ladies, however, cannot penetrate into every nook and corner, or converse with any and all on board. Now and then in the sultry evenings one of our captains, invited some of us to the bridge, deliciously airy by com- parison with our usual quarters ; sometimes, duly escorted by compassionate gentlemen, a party of us would escape from normal heat by mounting to the breezy forecastle (which, of course, we all pronounced "foJoe-satt") ; and on one boat our captain took us a most interesting tour round his ship, explaining the various parts, and drawing our attention to the skilful economy of space displayed in its arrangements. But such pleasant breaks in the ordinary quarter-deck life were rare. Once or twice a rat scuttering along, or a pig escaped from its pen and rushing frantically into our midst, caused a little sensation ; and on one occa- sion an event occurred which might have had serious con- sequences. On the voyage home, besides a beautiful horse ' Jacko ' by name on his way to the races at Colombo, we had on board a case of the most venemous serpents that could be found in Australia, consigned to Dr. Ewart, at Calcutta, in aid of his researches in regard to snake-poison. We passengers, as it proved, ran a risk of affording practical illustrations of its virulence. The creatures were torpid at first, but as they approached the Equator they grew lively, and at length one of them, whether in the exuberance of its spirits, or because a long course of fasting (for directions accompanied them, when sent on board, that nothing but water should be given them) had diminished its circum- ference, wriggled its way between the wires of its cage and was making off to some convenient place of ambush. For- tunately a Lascar sailor showed himself equal to the occa- sion. Perceiving the runaway he picked it up, applying his finger and thumb to the back of its neck, and thrust it back into the cage, which no doubt was then made secure. Whether such passengers ought ever to have been taken on board, was a question which their human fellow-tra- vellers certainly never answered in the affirmative. 28 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTSA LI A . Of living creatures outside our ship we saw compara- tively few. Occasionally the pretty flying fish skimmed along the surface of the water, looking like flocks of little fawn-coloured birds. On the Australian coast hundreds of sea-gulls would sometimes collect about our vessel, circling round us and approaching near enough for us to appreciate the exquisite colouring of their dove-like plumage and coral-tiuted beaks and feet. Between Melbourne and Sydney we passed through shoals of Portuguese men-of- war, not floating, however, but a little below the surface of the waves. They varied in hue, appearing through the water pale orange, mauve, or green; but whether they simply reflected these colours, cast upon them by different parts of the ship's metal-casing, bright sea-weeds, &c., or themselves possessed them, we could not tell. Although for some weeks, in the course of all our voyages, we were in the region of whales, we never saw one, nor the large albatross, nor a single shark. To become acquainted with the wonders of the deep one must, we were told, travel by a sailing-vessel ; a steamer moves too rapidly, and makes too much commotion. A few days alter leaving Galle we became aware of a very uncomfortable amount of motion. The trade-wind was hard to catch, nor did it promote our ease when caught. Our experience each way brought us to the con- clusion that when it blew with us we rolled, and when it blew against us we pitched. Often were our ports closed, causing, while we were in, the tropics, great discomfort. A heavy sea, in what was admitted by the authorities to be " half a gale " while it was blowing, and a very re- spectable whole one when well over, seriously aggravated our sufferings. Public opinion, however, was on the side of cheerfulness, and fortunately very few on board were made really ill. The Australian waters are proverbial for their roughness. " We have none of your little chopping seas," remarked an enthusiastic colonist ; " our waves run mountains high ;" and though, happily for us, pride in his adopted country had led him into some exaggeration, we had little smooth sailing after we hud fairly approached WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 29 the Southern Ocean. " We are exposed to its full force/' remarked our captain on our return voyage; "always remember thai when you come to Australia :" as if it were a trip we contemplated frequently repeating. There had been rough weather for several day?, which, by delaying our progress and postponing the termination of our voyage, had somewhat depressed our spirits. But now was " the winter of our discontent made glorious summer! " One morning we came on deck to find the wind fallen, the sun brilliant, the sky cloudless, and the air balmy. This we were assured by a fellow-passenger was "real Australian weather," and he promised us that by- and-by we should have "months of it." A delicious odour pervaded the air, such as greets one on a summer's day when thyme is in blossom, and fir-trees are not far off. Wafted to us 180 miles across the sea, it was recognised as the smell of a bush-fire. This, then,-was our first Australian experience ! But real Australian weather proved now, as often after- wards, very evanescent. The wind freshened that night, the ports were again closed, and we were rocked to sleep or kept awake as the case might be, by the tossing waves. Sailors say it is almost always rough near Cape Leuwin, which we rounded the next day. WTien land was pro- claimed to be in sight, every one, whether colonist re- turning home or stranger who had crossed the world to see it, was eager to catch the first glimpse of the Australian coast ; but as yet sailors alone could perceive it, though we strained our eyes to the uttermost. " Where is the land?" " There," replied the quartermaster, pointing to the horizon ; " don't you see it ? " as if it were a sign-board, three yards square, about ten feet distant from our eyes ! "No;" though we stared as hard as we could, honesty compelled us to admit that we did not discern it Nor until some hours afterwards was the coast visible to lands- men. A barren, inhospitable shore it looked at first ; but, as we approached we could distinguish some patches of vegetation on the lon line of sandy hills. The sea remained nigh until we had nearly reached 30 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. King George's Sound. This was doubly depressing after our short taste of " real Australian," and it cast a gloom over the spirits of the passengers. Under these circum- stances it was cheering to observe that the roughness could afford pleasure to some living creatures. Several albatrosses of the small species common in this part of the world were flying backwards and forwards, now touch- ing with the tips of their wings one wave and then wheeling off to another, circling with graceful motion in the air, evidently thoroughly enjoying both wind and weather. It was with a sense of exultation that, steaming up the narrow entrance to the inner harbour of King George's Sound, we felt we had happily accomplished so large a portion of our voyage. In consequence of the delay in our arrival, we expected to find the branch mail-boat, which was to convey us to Adelaide, with steam up, ready for starting. Indeed, the captains of these vessels were repre- sented as being so impatient to carry off their mails, that cargo and even passengers might be easily left behind. The reason for this extraordinary haste, we were told, was the natural desire of the South Australians to obtain their English news as quickly as possible, and softly be it whispered before the Victorians could get theirs. Ade- laide is about 200 miles nearer to King George's Sound than Melbourne ; but as the P. and 0. Company's large steamers surpass the local boats in speed, a good start was of importance to the latter. By the telegraph, established between the capitals, the one which tirst received the news triumphantly flashed it to the other. This cause of rivalry between the two colonies is now at an end, as under a new contract the P. and O. steamers, on their way to and from Melbourne, call off Glenelg (a little bathing town, about seven miles from Adelaide), to deliver and take in the outward and homeward mails. But this alteration had not taken place when we reached Australia. The thoughtful captain of the ' Sumatra,' in order to expedite matters as much as possible, had ordered all WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 31 our luggage to be placed at one gangway, while the sacks of letters, sixty-three in number, lay at the other, and we stood on deck prepared for instant transit to the Ade- laide steamer in the captain's gig, which he had kindly placed at our disposal. But this preparation proved need- less the South Australian steamer had not arrived. 32 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTER II. Departure for Adelaide Great Australian Biglit Kangaroo Island Geographical Divisions of the Continent English ignorance of Aus- tralia Foundation of South Australia Arrival Adelaide. BEFORE five o'clock on the morning of April 2nd, and consequently long before it was light, our bed-room- steward knocked at our cabin-door, telling us the Ade- laide boat had arrived during the night, and would start at six precisely. There was no time to be lost, and we dressed as quickly as possible. Several of our fellow- passengers having heard we were departing, appeared in various forms of deshabille to wish us farewell. On going on deck we found the captain's gig lowered and manned in readiness for us, and himself waiting to bid us good bye before he " turned in," to make up while he could for much sleep lost during our late rough weather. Under his chief officer's courteous escort, the six China- men rowed our one fellow-passenger for Adelaide and ourselves in a very few minutes to the ' Rangatira,' but on reaching her deck we saw plainly she was not on the point of starting. She had not even finished discharging her cargo for the Sound, and had yet to take in all we had brought her for Adelaide. The sun, just risen, was lighting up the bay from point to point, his radiance stealing over the water, now smooth as glass. The view was less picturesque, how- ever, than on the previous afternoon, when a sharp breeze broke the surface of the harbour into waves and drove the shadows rapidly across the hill-sides. Then, too, the smoke from a distant bush-fire in a gully protected from the wind had hung a delicate semi-transparent white veil among the purple raines. But the morning aspect WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 33 of the Sound was, nevertheless, very pleasing. The rocky islets about its mouth are exceedingly fine in form one strongly resembling Arthur's Seat and beyond the ranges of hills near the coast rises, some distance inland, a really uoble peak ; while the little township of Albany, close to the water's edge, with its English-looking church and one or two pretty country-houses on a slight eminence, has a neat and well-to-do air. Hour after hour passed and there was no sign of start- ing, and two or three had elapsed before any appeared even of breakfast. We watched with hungry eyes the preparations that at length became visible ; and whether it was our long fast, or the freshness of the provisions which made that first Australian meal so delicious we have never been able to decide. In the opinion of a Londoner, who may be said to live " from shop to mouth," the provisions might indeed have seemed any- thing but fresh, for all except the milk had been brought from Adelaide. The bread, though five days old, was excellent, and continued excellent for the five remaining days of our voyage. But this perhaps was not wonderful, as South Australian wheat claims to be the finest in the world : so that when South Australians come home they sometimes have the grain from their own colony sent to them, declaring they can eat no other bread than that manufactured from it. Our bountiful dessert, including almonds and raisins, grapes, pears, and apples, was entirely of colonial growth, and, as well as the vegetables, all were excellent. The potatoes recalled to memory the flowery roots of our childhood, unknown in England since the famine. We had supposed these provisions would be taken on board at Albany for the return voyage, but we were in- formed that the inhabitants, far from raising such articles of export, actually themselves import ordinary farm-produce from the other colonies. We can bear testimony that our departure was delayed by the unloading of a large quan- tity of bacon. By universal consent for the charge seemed by no means to be repudiated by the subjects of D 34 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. it the inhabitants of Albany are admitted not to be industrious, and the same reputation attaches in greater or less degree, though with doubtless many honourable exceptions, to the West Australians generally. Founded in 1829 on principles of colonisation, the unsoundness of which were soon demonstrated, and con- stituting rather an out-station of Government police than a self-supporting and self-governing settlement, the colony never flourished, and in 1849 abandonment even was con- templated. This idea, however, was relinquished for a scheme which should furnish the place with labour in the shape of English convicts.* The large sums which flowed into the colony from the imperial treasury for their support, until in 1867 we ceased " to take the scum of people and wicked condemned men " wherewith to augment the popu- lation of this new country, made money so abundant that the colonists could purchase all they needed. The incen- tive to industry had been withdrawn, and production was paralysed. West Australia is now awakening to a sense of the demoralizing process she has undergone, and rousing herself to honourable independence. She is beginning to boast of her vast resources, and to seek means for their development. Like each of her sisters, she says she shall by-and-bye be the leading nation of the Southern world. But these at present are the aspirations only of her nobler spirits. No such patriotic ardour seems yet to have touched Albany, as this morning's experience taught us to our cost. After weary watching, the colonial postbag at length came lazily on board, but still we had to wait for the mails from England. Some one on shore had the contract for their transhipment, and that some one had not yet appeared. All Albany boats are moved by sail because their crews are too indolent to row, say sar- castic critics and there was no breeze. One rose at last, signs of activity showed themselves at the spot where a * Colonial Policy and History,' by the Right Hoii. Sir C. B. Adderley, M.P. London : 186U. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 35 buoy marked our trysting-place with the local mail-boat, and gladly did we draw up alongside. It was at twelve o'clock, instead of six, that we at last started for Adelaide, our captain good-naturedly towing for a mile or so the tiny yacht of Mr. Lee, E.A., which had transported its owner across the world in pursuit of shells, but could not convey him, for lack of a favourable wind, to the part of the Sound he this morning wished to dredge. The miniature craft, as we looked down upon it from the deck of the * Rangatira,' appeared such a toy upon the waters that one marvelled it could have braved and surmounted for so many thousand miles the dangers of ocean travelling ; and the ' Rangatira' herself was likened disrespectfully to a cockleshell by the travellers just transferred from the Peninsular and Oriental boat. She was, however, a safe and comfortable vessel, though her lesser size made the influence of the waves more apparent in her motion. As we rounded Cape Vancouver and en- tered the Great Australian Bight a strong head-wind made our course a very rough one; and the short roll, quick pitch, and twist round to finish with, reminded us most unpleasantly of chopping seas at home. The east wind, too, was bitterly cold in spite of brilliant sunshine, and we could only escape it to endure it long was im- possible by crouching bundled up in wraps on a mattress, and keeping our heads well below the top of a sheltering bulk-head. At first only two of our fellow-passengers ap- peared on deck, pleasant young West Australians, one of whom had never quitted his colony before, and to whom gas and railways were as yet unknown. We had already heard of the suspicion with which most of the other colonies regard new arrivals of the male sex from West Australia lest they should prove to be escaped prisoners or ex-convicts. Police officers were on board the * Rangatira ' during the whole time she lay in the Sound, to prevent any such objectionable persons coming on board and getting themselves conveyed as " stow-aways " to Adelaide. The vigilance thus exercised by the authorities of West Australia arises from the severe complaints they D 2 36 WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. receive from their more powerful neighbours if any of the proscribed class reach their shores. New South Wales is an exception ; and we were told the best hope of gain- ing an honest livelihood for an " expiree" is to go there, and so escape the depraved ex-convicts who hang about the 'townships of West Australia, and give their well-disposed companions no peace from their efforts to drag them down to their own bad level. Besides the watchfulness of police-officers, a still more stringent precaution is taken by the sister colonies to pre- vent these men from landing on their territories. Every 'male, whatever his social position, embarking from a West Australian port is compelled to provide himself with a printed form filled in with the name of the bearer and the date of his departure, to which he has to obtain the signa- ture of a magistrate. Our young companions were, of course, each duly furnished with the needful document, and allowed us to peruse their contents, which ran as follows : " This is to certify that A. B. is not, and never has been a prisoner of the Crown." Members of the fair sex are exempt from this regulation, simply because the Colony has never received female convicts. From these young men, and from some West Australian ladies when after two or three days they ventured to emerge from their berths, and subsequently from other compatriots, we heard much which strengthened our intention of visiting their country on our homeward voyage ; and it was and remains a source of much regret that, when that occasion arrived, time did not permit us to do more than land for an hour at Albany. What information we meanwhile gathered concerning this portion of Australia we may perhaps most appro- priately relate when we describe that very short but interesting visit. Sunday, April 6th, was a lovely day, though during the early part the wind was still keen enough to make warm clothing, pleasant. We sighted Kangaroo Island about one o'clock P.M., and by three were running almost close under its long level line of cliff. A lighthouse, and one WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 37 or two minute farmhouses, were the only signs of man's presence that we could discern, and not a tree was to be seen. To the north now came in view the coast of Yorke's Peninsula on the mainland of South Australia, so rich in copper-ore that the yield at Moonta, the site of the chief mining operations, even exceeds that obtained at Burra Burra in its palmiest days. Towards evening the cold we had experienced during the voyage gave place to what would have been unplea- sant warmth, but for the extreme dryness and buoyancy of the air. This sudden difference of temperature, almost equal to a change from winter's cold to the extreme of summer heat, was due, as we learnt next day, to a hot wind blowing off-shore. There was a glorious sunset and delicious after-glow, and a smooth sea as we got under shelter of the Mount Lofty Range on the eastern shore of the Gulf of St. Vincent, up which we were now steaming. At 3 A.M. of the 7th, the stoppage of our engines and some bustle on board indicated that we had reached Glenelg, and that the mail-bags, or rather sacks, were going on shore. We lay there till daylight, the navi- gation of the so-called Port Creek really an arm of the sea being perilous in the dark for our vessel. When we awoke we found ourselves already far advanced up its tortuous channel, the * liaugatira ' winding her way among mangrove-swamps and reed-beds. Unless the natural approach can be improved, or a better one made, Port Adelaide can never become a place of resort for large ships. To cut a ship-canal thence to Glenelg, a distance of only a few miles, as the crow flies, is under considera- tion. A railway has already been constructed thither from the capital, but Glenelg itself offers no safe harbourage. The Continent first named New Holland, now called Australia, lies south-east of Asia, between the 113th and 153rd degrees of East Longitude, and the llth and 39th parallels of South Latitude. The distance between Shark's Bay on the West Coast and Cape Sandy on the East is 2400 miles. Cape York, on its northern, and Cape Otway, on its southern shore, are about 1700 miles apart. 38 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. The Australian continent contains about 3,000,000 square miles, an area somewhat less than that of Europe. It is divided into five provinces New South Wales, Vic- toria, South Australia, West Australia, and Queensland. Of these, South Australia is the youngest, for though its foundation dates from an earlier period than that either of Queensland or Victoria, both these colonies were formed of slices cut off the one from the north the other from the south of New South Wales, the first British settle- ment on these shores. South Australia ran, however, as the period of her birth approached, great risk of never coming into existence at all. The Bill for erecting this portion of the continent into a British province was brought into Parliament by the late Mr. Wolryche Whitmore early in 1834, but met with so much delay that it did not reach the Upper House until August, at almost the end of the Session. It then became known to those interested in the project that* the Duke of Wellington would oppose the Bill ; that if he did so the Duke of Cumberland would do the same, and that Lord Wynford was also unfavourable to it. Deputations to these noblemen were speedily arranged. Among the gentlemen who waited on the Duke of Cumberland and Lord Wynford were Mr. now Sir Eichard Hanson, the present Chief Justice of South Australia, and the late Mr. Matthew Davenport Hill, M.P. for Hull. The Duke of Wellington had already consented to abandon his oppo- sition, and, on learning this, the Duke of Cumberland promised to do the same, complaining, however, to the deputation that the Lower House should send a batch of Bills at the end of the Session to the Lords, who knew nothing about them. Lord Wynford's objection was to constituting so large a tract of land one province; and this he withdrew on receiving the assurance that a clause should be inserted in the Bill empowering the Sovereign. to form the portion in question of the Australian continent into one or more provinces, as might hereafter seem best. Opposition having been thus, removed, and the Bill duly amended, Mr. Hill moved the amendments in the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 39 House of Commons. They were carried, and the Bill, being returned to the Lords, passed both Houses only a few minutes before Black Rod appeared to summon the Commons to the Bar of the House of Lords to hear the King's Speech proroguing Parliament. Soon after the Ministry under which the South Australian Bill had been introduced was thrown out, and their successors would not have been likely to favour it ; so that but for the efforts of the gentlemen who secured its passage in 1834, it might never have become law at all. Under this Act* the Crown created the "Board of Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia " to carry into effect (uncontrolled by any department of the State) the new scheme of colonisation it embodied. They made Mr. Rowland Hill, the future postal reformer, their Secretary. A " Commissioner of Public Lands," who was to reside in the colony, was nominated also by the Crown, though he was to act solely under the orders of the Board ; and the appointment of a Governor was likewise vested in the Crown. One fundamental condition of the Act was that no convicts should ever be consigned to South Australia ; another that the land in the new province should be sold publicly for ready money, at a price to be thereafter decided upon, except that a minimum was fixed of twelve shillings an acre. The money thus raised was to form an " Emigration Fund," and be employed in conveying per- sons of the labouring class selected under strict con- ditions, and equality in regard to sex being as nearly as possible observed to the colony from the United Kingdom. The Board were required to raise 20,000?. by loan, and to invest them in Government Securities, as a guarantee that the colony should not become a charge upon the mother-country ; and it was also required before emigra- tion should begin that land should have been sold to the value of 35,000 Moreover, the Board were empowered * 4th and'Stb William IV., c. 95. 40 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. to raise on loan a sum of 200,000?., chargeable upon the rates, duties, and taxes, of the new country, to meet the expenses incident to founding the colony, and providing for its government. Experience proved both that the division of the duties of administration between authorities separated by a dis- tance of 16,000 miles, requiring at that date many months to traverse, led often to delay and misapprehension ; and that the sum the Commissioners had power to raise fell far short of the necessary expenditure of a new colony, including the extensive surveys which were a necessary preliminary to the further sale of land. Embarrassments of various kinds inevitably arose, which were made the sub- ject of a Parliamentary inquiry by a Select Committee in 1841. In their report the Committee do justice to the difficulties the original Board of Commissioners had to contend with, and attribute them chiefly to defects in the Act under which the colony was created. The Report recommended that this, and a subsequent amending Act, should be repealed, and South Australia be placed on the same footing with other British colonies. It also advised a change in the price and mode of selling land, and alterations affecting the local government of the pro- vince. The first Board of Commissioners had prepared regulations with conscientious care to promote the good treatment and general welfare of the Aborigines. Among these was included the reserve of lands for their use. This latter provision was also recommended by the Select Com- mittee, and to the present time tracts of land have thus been reserved for them, although we heard it sometimes alleged not so extensively as justice demands. In 1840 a new Board had been created, charged with the general direction of colonial land sales and emigra- tion, and to this body some of the functions of the South Australian Commissioners were transferred. In 1850 an Act was passed authorizing the creation of a single House of Legislature, to be partly nominated by the Crown, and partly elective. This feody came into existence in the fol- lowing year; and in 1856 the colony obtained its present WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 41 constitution of self-government, with a Parliament, of which the Legislative Council forms the Upper, and the Legisla- tive Assembly the Lower House, both being now entirely elective. The first settlers landed on Kangaroo Island towards the end of the year 1836, and the foundation of the colony was formally proclaimed on the 28th of December, called Com- memoration Day, an anniversary always kept as a great festival. When the settlement was made, South Australia was bounded on the east by the 132nd, and on the west by the 141st degree of east longitude, and extended northwards from the Southern Ocean to the 26th parallel bf south latitude, including in its territory Kangaroo Island, about 100 miles long by 50 broad, which lies at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Vincent. Its area, then somewhat smaller than that of France, has since been more than doubled by two large accessions of territory. The first, designated "No Man's Land," was a slip of country lying between its western boundary and West Australia. It received the second in 1863, when the limits of South Australia were extended northwards to the Indian Ocean between the 129th and 138th degrees of east longitude. The country thus acquired, called the Northern Territory, may be regarded as a sub-colony to the original province of South Australia. It is governed by the Execu- tive at Adelaide, and is not yet represented in the colonial Parliament. Gold has recently been discovered there, but no large amount has yet been found. New South Wales is much smaller, while Western Australia is of considerably greater extent than South Australia. Queensland is about its equal in size, and Victoria, though the smallest of the colonies, yet con- tains 98,000 square miles. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and Melbourne, that of Victoria, are distant from each other, by sea 500 miles, by land 400. The overland mail occupies nearly four days and nights of continuous travelling in passing from one to the other. 42 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Sydney and Brisbane on the eastern shore of the conti- nent, the capitals of New South Wales and Queensland, are distant by land from Adelaide, the first between TOO and 800, the second about 1100 miles. The voyage, how- ever, from Adelaide to Sydney is nearly 1100 miles in length. Perth, the seat of government of West Australia, is 1400 or 1500 miles from the metropolis of South Aus- tralia ; while the distance between Perth, on the western, and Sydney, on the eastern shores, is about equal to that from Edinburgh to Constantinople. We have been thus particular in describing the size of the continent and its divisions into distinct colonies, some as large as several European countries joined together, possessing great varieties of climate, and distinct govern- ments each as independent of the other as those of France and England, because people at home are extremely igno- rant of the geography and relative bearings of our anti- podean possessions. In England the name " Australia " is vaguely applied to the continent as a whole, to a single colony, or to some imaginary composite settlement com- bining the capital of one province with the rural districts of another. The phrase " Governor of Australia," a title which has no existence in reality, is often used when allusion is made to any one of the five representatives of Her Majesty. The capitals of the different colonies are frequently considered merely to be towns in one large country having no metropolitan signification whatever. They are not unseldom jumbled together with the utmost con- fusion in the ordinary British mind. Those 500 miles apart are spoken of as if they were as near to each other as Hamp- stead is to London ; as if, for instance, Sydney were a suburb of Melbourne, whereas three days and nights by land, and from sixty to seventy hours by sea, divide them. In fact the description given by an old lady we knew, of the travels of a friend of hers who, she said, had been " to Adelaide and the Sydney Isles, and skirmished round the coast," hardly surpasses in haziness the knowledge yet pre- vailing among us of these large and important colonies. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 43 When on a visit to England many years ago, our friend Mr. George Burt, one of the first, if not the very first man, to make his way through the bush from Adelaide to Sydney, told us he was unwilling to speak here of his pur- suits in the colony, because persons at home could not understand the difference between a bush-maw and a bush- ranger. It may be now even as well to explain that a bushman is a colonist whose occupation leads him to travel or to live in the bush the bush signifying, when the first settlements were made, all uncultivated land, though now it may be taken as almost synonymous with " the country " at home. Bushrangers were, in the early days of Australian colonisation, always escaped con- victs, but their numbers were subsequently sometimes recruited by members of the unconvicted community. They were in fact highwaymen or banditti. Our Australian fellow-subjects make themselves ex- tremely merry at our expense ; and take much pleasure in relating good stories, some of them we hope, if not actually invented, yet certainly embellished, illustrative of English ignorance. They will tell you how they receive letters from friends at home, addressed to them, say, at Adelaide or Melbourne, informing them that a son, nephew, or cousin is going out to New Zealand, and asking their Australian correspondents to " look alter him a bit," New Zealand being six days' voyage by steamer from the nearest Australian capital. Or ladies in England write to their female friends in Adelaide to tell them that some young couple of their acquaintance are just gone out to settle at Melbourne. The wife will feel extremely lonely at first in a strange country : " Will they call on her sometimes, and cheer her up a little ? " Some years ago, when arrangements were under dis- cussion by a religious community at home for sending a pastor to a congregation in Adelaide, it was suggested by one of the speakers that the stipend originally fixed upon should be raised, in order to enable the minister to keep a horse, as after preaching at Adelaide in the morning, if he should desire to deliver a discourse at Melbourne 44 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the same afternoon, he would find the distance " beyond a walk." We heard of letters from England addressed to a firm at " Adelaide, New South Wales." We were our- selves shown one, most happily illustrating how utterly unconscious we are of the individual existence of Aus- tralian Colonies. Being intended to find the country seat of one of the oldest families settled in New South Wales, it was directed to Camden Part, Queensland, South Australia. " Try New South Wales," written across the letter, had eventually brought it to its destination. But perhaps the story which illustrates most completely our ignorance both of the geography, and of the relation of our Australian settlements to the mother country, we heard at Melbourne, from a member of the Cabinet. A letter was received from a high-class solicitors' firm at home, enclosing a Power of Attorney, with instructions that it should be attested in the presence of a British Consul, and returned to them. The recipient, amused at the blunder, but concluding that it was a slip of the pen of some young clerk, had the document duly attested be- fore a magistrate, and sent it back to London. By the return mail came an indignant letter, complaining that all the time and money expended in the double transmis- sion had been thrown away, and that as the Power of Attorney had not been attested in the presence of a British Consul it was informal, and consequently useless ! It is difficult to conceive a person in the position of a solicitor being ignorant that the Australian colonies form an integral part of the British Empire, whereas Consuls can only exercise their functions in foreign countries. While writing, the South Australian papers bring a fresh illustration of the ignorance existing, even in our Govern- ment departments, of the political divisions of Australia. The American Government, it appears, applied to ours to WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 45 permit telegrams relating to the transit of Venus to be forwarded gratuitously by the Trans-continental Australian telegraph, which belongs entirely to South Australia. The application was referred to the Colonial Office, and that department undertaking to convey it to the Government of the Colony concerned, communicated it to Melbourne, where the authorities, of course, had no option in the matter. It is needless to add that South Australia gladly acceded to the request of the American Government, when at length it reached her. Proceeding up the Port Creek, we saw low land on either side of us, but the Mount Lofty Kange, or Adelaide Hills, as it is also called rising a few miles inland, formed a pretty back-ground to the view. Many of the heights are richly wooded, and such is the clearness of the atmo- sphere that individual trees, wherever they happen to grow singly, are distinguishable to the naked eye. The country between the sea and the city is flat, and the shore extremely sandy. The ground was as brown and bare as it is possible to imagine, but the foliage of the trees (almost all of the Eucalyptus tribe) known as " Gums," were of an olive-green. Port Adelaide evidently impressed one of the West Australians as a large and very busy place. On being asked whether it surpassed Freemantle (the Port of Perth), he answered emphatically, " rather." But to us it appeared drolly small, and scant of warehouses and other signs of trade. The buildings are scattered and chiefly of one story, which, together with the almost universal verandah, gave them a thoroughly un-English look, constrasting oddly with the distinctly British names and announcements over the doors and windows. Port Adelaide, small though it looks, is a busy, thriving place. Several vessels were loading with wheat, and a vast quantity of this grain lay on the quay ready to be shipped. The harvest had been so unprecedented ly abundant that, after providing for her own requirements, the colony had a surplus of nearly 200,000 bushels to dispose of. 46 WHAT WE SA W IN AU STEAL! A. The object which most interested us as we approached the quay was an aboriginal, generally called a "black fellow," at work among the labourers a fine specimen of his race, much bigger and stronger than we expected to see. Dressed in European clothes, and with a bushy black beard, strangers like ourselves would not without some observation have discovered his nationality. We landed about nine o'clock on the 7th April autumn in the southern hemisphere, but in temperature, during the day-time, hotter than the hottest part of our summer. The morning was lovely, the sky cloudless, and the scene brilliant ; and though we found at eleven o'clock that the thermometer stood at 90 in the shade, yet we did not feel the heat oppressive. Gladly we stepped on shore our long and somewhat tedious voyage completed to meet the warm welcome of the relatives we had come to visit. A railway conveys the traveller to the city of Adelaide, a distance of seven miles, in about half-an-hour. Our transit to the capital was made in a loftier arid more airy carriage than one meets with on English lines. The route at first lay over the flat region, sandy and barren, already described, but the land soon became cultivated. We passed between corn fields their crops gathered in ; the whole country presenting a burnt-up appearance almost inconceivable to English persons who have not visited the southern parts of Europe. Continuing on our route we crossed the Torrens River which, however, on this our first introduction, bore no resemblance to a flowing stream, but looked veiy like a rough stony road (between two high banks or cliffs) upon which a shower of rain had recently fallen, leaving little pools of water in the hollows. The comparison suggested itself the more readily when as we crossed the bridge we saw a cart being driven along the bed of the river. Our surprise may therefore be imagined when, about a fortnight after our arrival, we read in the newspaper that his Excel- lency the Governor had presented the medal of the Eoyal Humane Society to a boy, for his courage in saving the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 47 life of a companion from drowning in the Torrens. But we were assured that though almost dry in the summer, the river becomes a rushing stream in winter, and that even at its driest there are holes in its bed deep enougli to drown the incautious bather. Before reaching Adelaide we came to what appeared to be a dreary expanse, dotted here and there with trees; their foliage was of a dull olive green and very sparse trees certainly not calculated to afford coolness or shade. On this brown desert some very lean cattle were grazing or endeavouring to do so. " What wretchedly thin cattle ! " we remarked. " Yes," answered one of our companions, " the Parklands cattle are always thin at this season." The Farmlands! This then was the lovely belt of grass and foliage we had heard of from our childhood, wisely reserved at the laying out of the city for health and recreation. The land, indeed, was there, a mile in breadth, but divided into prosaic-looking paddocks by post and rail fences. Such was our first impression ; but, within a very few weeks, rain had covered the arid soil with a lovely sward, and though in many places the original tim- ber had, we were told, been allowed to be cut down for fuel by any one who chose to take it, in later years the authorities, awakening to the value of this noble park, had not only prohibited further destruction but had, with great taste and judgment, planted much of the open space with trees. The Parklands enclose an oblong area, measuring three quarters of a mile in one direction, and about a mile and a third in the other, which area forms what may be called Adelaide proper, but suburbs are springing up on many sides beyond the belt, destined, no doubt, eventually to unite with each other, and to constitute with the present town one vast city. But the broad ring of open space will ever remain in its midst, a breathing place and playground for its citizens. Already it is one of the most pleasing features of the young metropolis. On reaching the terminus at Adelaide we thought we must have stopped considerably short of the city, so 48 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. rural was the aspect of the wide road bordered with trees on which we emerged ; but we were assured that we were in North Terrace, the creme de la creme of the capital. A few steps indeed brought us to the Houses of Parliament, while the lodge-gates of Government House were within a stone's throw. King William Street lay close by, in which are the principal banks, the Town Hall, Post Office, and other public buildings. These are very handsome, and with intervening trees and gay shops impress the stranger most agreeably. In her wide streets crossing at right angles, and ample site, Adelaide possesses capabilities for a magnificent city. At present she resembles rather a scattered suburb, except in the busiest part of the town, where the shops and warehouses are continuous. The houses, usually of one story, form short rows and terraces, or even stand quite alone in their own gardens, interspersed with large un- enclosed spaces. These spaces, we may remark in pass- ing, are not an eyesore ; they are usually covered with grass, suggesting a miniature village-green, with horses, goats, and geese feeding upon them. This suburban air gave us the impression, afterwards renewed whenever we drove into Adelaide, that we were approaching an im- 1 portant city which we never reached. On the day of our arrival we made no stay in town, but crossed the city and traversed the Parklands on the oppo- site side. Pursuing to the fourth milestone a road which skirts the base of the Adelaide Hills, and entering by a lodge-gate an avenue bordered with the stately Moreton Bay Fig (a variety of the Banyan, Ficus Indica), tall Almond-trees, and shrubs whose flowers were new to us, we found ourselves at Hazel wood, our aunt's house and our home during our stay in South Australia. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 49 CHAPTEK III. Mount Lofty Range Norton's Summit Treatment of the Insane in South Australia Inebriate Asylum A visit to Mount Barker Gum Trees German Village Captain Collet Barker Locusts Kerosene DogVleg Fence A Country House. IN the next few days, after we reached Hazelwood, we had marked experience of the great variations in temperature to which the Australian climate is liable. The thermo- meter was above 90 in the shade out of doors (79 in the house) in the middle of the day of our arrival, and of the following one. On the morning of the next but one it had fallen to 49 out of doors, but rose to an agreeable warmth by noon. The heat having thus moderated, a drive among the neighbouring hills was proposed, to show us their beauti- ful scenery. Gradually ascending we wound among the lovely "gmllies," as the intersecting valleys are called, by a well-engineered road constructed expressly for the convey- ance to Adelaide of the produce of market gardens planted on the high land. This elevation affords a climate favour- able to English vegetation, and all our fruits and vegetables grow there in perfection, and in such abundance that often they can be sold at lower prices than in English markets. In the plains are grown, in similar plentifulness, the fruits of Southern Europe, so that Adelaide is supplied with all but tropical fruits from her own immediate neighbourhood. The ground everywhere, except low down in some of the valleys where creeks still run unexhausted by summer heat, wore a burnt-up autumnal aspect ; but the native trees, though dull in tint, presented in contrast to the turfless soil a rich green, while the crimson and yellow leaves of the English fruit-trees made the hill sides, E 50 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTBALIA. where they grew, a blaze of colour. The Epacris (called the Australian heath), white, pink, and magenta, was in profuse bloom in shady places on unenclosed ground. The plants were sometimes four or five feet high and the armsful we brought home resembled floral besoms. From a lofty ridge, named Norton's Summit, we had an almost panoramic view. On one side were the Adelaide plains, stretching to the North Arm (an inlet of the sea), and St. Vincent's Gulf, across which the faint blue coast line of York's Peninsula was discernible: on the other lay the winding valley of the Torrens before it enters the plains, the reaches of the river bounded by range after range of richly wooded hills, a magnificent view recalling, in some degree, that of the Rhine from the heights near Schwalbach, and worth travelling a long way to see. Two roads descend from this eminence, one circuitous and good, the other straight, precipitous, and bad ; but we were in a buggy a vehicle so strong and light that all roads are alike to it, and our charioteer was not one to avoid difficulties. So down we went, F occupying the post of honour by the driver, holding tight lest the acute- ness of the angle should send her sheer over the dash- board and the horse's head too. R seated back to back to them, had of course the advantage on the present occasion. Amid a series of violent bumps we safely reached the bottom ; but not sorry that this our first experience of a bush road was over. April 17th. Although not desirous to see the inmates themselves, F wished to make inquiries about the insane and their treatment in the two asylums of the colony, and with this view was introduced to Dr. Paterson, the director of those establishments. The more recent and larger of the two buildings stands surrounded by extensive grounds in a healthy situation, outside the Parklands, and at present quite in the country. The other is on North Terrace, close to the Botanical Gardens, and Dr. Patersou's house adjoins it. It has twelve acres of garden, vineyard, and orangeries, cultivated by the men under the direction of one gardener, and is in admirable order. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 51 The fruit, including this year ten tons of grapes, is con- sumed in the establishments. Olives are now being planted largely, and Dr. Paterson hopes to cultivate also the silk- worm mulberry. Gathering the leaves will be a good occupation for the patients. As there is no wall round the garden those bent on escape cannot be trusted there, but Dr. Paterson finds some whom he can put on honour not to attempt it. The women are not employed in the garden ; they make their own clothes and the men's shirts, and get exercise and open air by working in the laundry, and by walks outside the Institution. No personal re- straint is ever used, except gloves on one class of patients to prevent them from destroying their clothes. Dr. Pater- son said he had never seen a strait-waistcoat in the colony but once on a patient brought a long distance from the country. There is a padded room for the violent. Amuse- ment is given in the form of musical and theatrical enter- tainments and dancing ; and patients who can be trusted are taken excursions in the country and to public exhibi- tions. In fact they seem to enjoy, under Dr. Paterson's management, the benefit obtainable from the most en- lightened methods of treatment, so far as the accommoda- tion at his command permits. It appears, however, that not only are lunatics of very different social position, for instance the paying patients and paupers, compelled at times to associate from the want of more exercising yards, but criminal lunatics, who have lately rapidly increased, are for the same reason mingled with the rest. "The increase in the number of idiot children also," we learn, " renders it highly desirable that separate accommodation should be provided for them, where they would not come in contact with the adult population of the Asylum."* Should a separate institution be founded for this pitiable class, we would urge upon its promoters consideration of the admirable Asylum for Idiots, established by M. John Bost, at Laforce, in the Dordogne, France. There they * Annual Report for 1871 of the Resident Medical Officer of the Lunatic Asylums, South Australia. E 2 52 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. dwell in cottages, surrounded, as nearly as possible, by the circumstances of family life; and the success attained in the development of intellect, as well as the economy of the arrangement, make Laforce a worthy model for imitation.* The population of South Australia, on December 31st, 1871, was a little under 188,000, the males being about 6,000 in excess of the females. The insane in her asylums on that day were 324, the average number during the year having been 314, or one in 598 of the population. In 1863 the proportion had been one in 738 ; and it is feared that insanity continues to increase. In New South Wales the proportion, in 1869, was one in 387 ; in Tasmania about the same ; in Victoria, between 1859 and 1869, it rose from one in 940 to one in 416 ; in England, in 1871, it was one in 400 ; whilst in Ireland it attained the melancholy height of one in 300. Of the 314, in South Australia, there were 170 males and 144 females. The mean percentage of death, for the two sexes, was about 8'5, being 10 per cent, for the males and slightly under 7 per cent, for the females. The total percentage of cures was 47*7, but of these there was a large excess among the females, of whom 65'S per cent, recovered as compared with 38*3 of the males. The higher death-rate and smaller proportion of cures among males is attributed by Dr. Paterson to the fact that the man enters the asylum in a state of greater bodily exhaustion than the woman, showing that on the whole the vicissitudes of life in the colony affect the one sex more severely than the other. Men recover, he says, more quickly under treatment, but they also die more quickly. Female insanity is largely attributed to the severe labour of a colonial life and to the heat of the climate ; while the solitariness of the bush is be- lieved to produce much madness among men. The disease, however, in their sex is also attributed, in great mea- sure, to intemperance. * ' CEuvres de Laforce.' London : Niebet and Co., Bernera Street WHAT WE 'SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 53 A large proportion of insanity and pauperism being distinctly traceable to excess in drink, besides all the evils incidentally produced by it, it is not surprising that a proposal to establish an Inebriate Asylum, following the example of Victoria, should find favour. This project was under consideration at the time of our stay iu the colony. Soon after our departure, a public meeting was held to consider means for carrying the scheme into effect, and a committee appointed to pursue the enterprise. They drafted a Bill to legalise detention on similar conditions to those affecting the insane, which, after some alterations, was brought into Parliament, by Sir Henry Ayers, in July, 1874, and having passed both Houses, received the Governor's assent and became law on the 6th November. This Act also prohibits the supply of alcoholic liquor to persons whose names have, according to forms pre- scribed, been published as those of habitual drunkards, publicans so supplying them being made liable to a heavy penalty. The committee meanwhile made an appeal for subscrip- tions to raise the necessary buildings which has met with considerable success ; and they have appointed a Board of five gentlemen, required by the Act for its administration.* Monday, April 21st. We drove again among the lovely Mount Lofty Range to the township of Mount Barker, twenty miles away. In the interval the autumnal rains had set in, coming down sometimes in such torrents as we never see in England, unless in an exceptionally violent thunderstorm. We were caught one day in such a shower. In a few minutes the wide road had become a shal- low lake, and the creek in our aunt's grounds which, when we crossed it was a gentle stream, had risen to a brawling little river by the time of our return half an hour later. The rain had not been continuous, lovely days inter- vening, but its effect was already apparent in the grass springing everywhere, and a fortnight afterwards the South Australian Register,' January 2nd, 1875. 54 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. country had fully assumed its winter colouring of vivid green. This hue, surpassing in intensity, if possible, even that of Irish verdure, it retained for nearly six months. We followed a route that was new to us, namely the high road to Mount Barker which enters the hills by Glen Osmond, a very picturesque ravine. This admirably made road, and other public works, were constructed by G-overnor Gawler, at so great a cost that the Home Government were indignant, and recalled him chiefly on account of what they deemed his extravagance. On his side it was alleged that great depression prevailed in the colony, that the labourers he employed could get no other work, and that they must have been supported by the State gratui- tously if they had not earned wages. The road crosses the Mount Lofty Range, commanding magnificent views, some- times inland, sometimes to the sea. Not unfrequently we came on the traces of a bush-fire in the blackened stems and withered leaves of large tracts of trees. A wide road will usually stop its progress, but sometimes the flames will leap across, and if the trees happen nearly to meet over- head this almost certainly happens. The country is richly wooded, though, except in gardens and orchards, there is little variety of foliage, the gum-trees white, red, and blue, and the kind called stringy-bark being almost uni- versal. The former take their names from the colour of their timber inside the bark ; externally there is little to distinguish them. The blue gum is the most valuable for building or manufacturing purposes, and, as it is now believed, for its anti-febrile qualities ; but it is not yet abundant in South Australia, whither it has been brought from Tasmania. The red makes good fuel, but the white, which prevails in this colony, is almost useless ; it will burn, but gives little heat. The stringy-bark is so called from the peculiarly fibrous nature of its outer covering. Each variety sheds its skin annually, and when we reached Australia the turfless ground, wherever the trees grew, even in sections where they stood far apart, was thickly strewn with the lately dropped bark, and this remained WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 55 an unsightly litter for many weeks. When the grass had grown again not a vestige of it could be found. But although the native trees in this neighbourhood are almost limited to the Eucalyptus tribe, these vary so much at different periods of growth, in different seasons and positions, and under different lights, as to produce almost the effect in the landscape of the stone-pines, firs, elms, oaks, and willows, to which, in individuals or groups, a strong resemblance may be traced. While young, or if growing closely together when their slender stems run up to a height of one, two, or even three, hundred feet, almost destitute of branches they possess no beauty ; but isolated trees send out branches on all sides, and. attaining to a great size, they are often as handsome in form as our finest elms and oaks, which would look sadly dwarfed by their sides. We saw one on the estate of Dr. Everard, near Adelaide, the trunk of which measures forty feet in circumference, four feet from the ground. It has become completely hollow by age, as is usual with gum-trees ; a characteristic owing chiefly to nature, but partly to the practice the natives have of lighting a fire against them to obtain shelter from the wind, which burns away the internal part. Although the gum-tree is not long-lived, and soon reaches its prime, it seems to linger quite dis- proportionately to the rapidity of its growth when it has passed its maturity ; and nothing of the trunk but the bark remains to convey sustenance from its root to its widely-spreading branches. In this state it is often ex- tremely picturesque, though sometimes it assumes a weird and almost awful appearance. On our way to Mount Barker we passed new enclosures, whence the trees had been only partially cleared. To facilitate getting rid of the remainder they had been ringed the bark all round the trunk, a foot or so above the ground, had been removed for a depth of two or three inches. The process of course gradually destroys vitality, and we beheld the trees in different stages of their premature decay. Most gaunt and melancholy was their aspect ; and it was difficult to divest oneself of the belief that they 56 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. were sentient creatures, and of a sentiment of compassion for the sufferings one fancied they must be enduring. Some just beginning to sicken had a woe-begone, pathetic air ; others were fast losing their withered leaves, and one felt their case to be hopeless ; while others seemed to stretch their stark arms imploringly to heaven, or raise a bare, bony limb in a menacing attitude to man. Among them were many from which the branches had fallen ; and little but the bark of even the trunk remained. These would take such fantastic shapes, that the gazer in- stinctively likened them to hoary men clad in sombre robes perhaps a monk preaching, and holding his crucifix aloft in ecstasy ; or a robber concealing himself in a many- folded cloak ; or a warlock, his grey locks floating in the wind, his outstretched finger warning of dangers to come ! Olten we came upon these weird plantations ; and if there chanced to be a leaden-sky for background, throwing the skeleton-like branches into startling relief, or a thick rain making the outlines of these strange forms blurred and indistinct, it was difficult to shake off the feeling that we were among the beings of another world. The trees when dead are sometimes felled at the place where they have been ringed, and the surrounding ground is thus thrown open to the sunshine. The stumps, however, remain a serious hindrance, of course, to the plough; but "grub- bing-up " is a slow process, and very costly if hired labour must be employed, so that the farmer has to wait for years, sometimes, before he can get his land cleared of every vestige of the trees which once thickly covered it. Houses of various degrees of size and importance, down to the smallest cottages, occur at short intervals along the whole route to Mount Barker. Public-houses are undesir- ably frequent, especially as comfortable-looking inns are in sufficient abundance to supply all reasonable demands. Some of these notably one, the 'Eagle on the Hill/ looking from a great height down the beautiful Waterfall gully are places of resort in summer from the intense heat of the plains. Little school-houses and smaller churches are to be seen in most of the townships, though WE A T WE SAW IN A US THALIA. 57 sometimes these boast but a store and a post-office, digni- fied, however, in virtue of the latter, with the title of post-town. Many of the buildings are wooden, and scat- tered among the trees of the primeval forest still largely covering these hills, recall views in the backwoods of Canada. Hahndorf, through which we drove, is a settlement of Germans, and might be taken for a village in the Black Forest, so closely are the characteristics of the " Vater- land" reproduced in the build of the houses, and of the long narrow waggons, and in the aspect of the people. Soon after we crossed the pretty Ovkaparinga, on whose banks was shot, while we were in the colony, a specimen of the almost extinct Ornithorhynchus. Surely it is a pity to destroy, as the curiosity-hunters will soon do if they continue to kill every individual discovered, this interesting link between different classes of animals, to say nothing of depriving a harmless little creature of the happiness of existence ! A few miles now brought us to the town of Mount Barker, distant five more from the ridge broken by two low peaks, after which it is named. The mountain itself (2331 feet high), is so named in memory of the gallant and estimable officer, Captain Collet Barker, who was murdered by natives in 1832, two days after it had been discovered by the exploring party he was leading. This gentleman, distinguished for talent and high character, as well as for an amiability of disposition which seems to have attached to him everyone with whom he was asso- ciated, was a member of the same regiment, the 39th, with Captain Charles ISturt, the well-known Australian dis- coverer, from whose narrative we have drawn these particu- lars of his melancholy fate. Captain Barker had been for some years in Australia, where he had held the important appointment of Military Commandant at Raffles Bay, then a penal settlement on the northern coast of New South Wales. He was remarkable for his consideration for the natives, securing for them justice in their dealings with the whites, and protecting them from the ill-usage \\hich 58 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. appears at that period to have been almost the rule among the lower class of our countrymen, in their intercourse with the aborigines. What, however, seems most to have affected them, was the personal confidence in them he displayed, going amongst them unarmed and without white companions. The attachment evinced for him by those who had learned to know and trust him was very strong, and testified sometimes very touchingly. -His death at the hands of a tribe to whom he was a stranger seemed, from its circumstances, to have been a reprisal for injuries suffered from the whites; and Captain Sturt, the narrator of the tragedy, draws a parallel between the character and fate of his friend and those of Captain Cook.* A second naturally occurs now to the mind, in the self-devotion and most lamentable end of another victim to the ill-treatment of the inhabitants of these Southern Seas by our own race the good and gifted Bishop Patteson. The town of Mount Barker is quite a bustling place. Houses absolutely adjoin on both sides the main street, and this has a raised footway lighted with lamps, though of oil, not gas. It possesses, too, a handsome bank, where resided the friends we had come to visit ; and a substantial head post- and telegraph-office, presided over by a lady who has nine sub-offices in her district, extending, of course, over an area of many miles. Gay shops, too, there are at Mount Barker, but all had not, we feared, been the scene of uninterrupted prosperity, for some had evi- dently often changed owners. Three names and three different callings were set forth over the door and window of one. This did not, we learned, indicate that three capi- talists shared the premises, but that that number had held them in succession, while the present occupant made a fourth whose name had not yet appeared. In the many pleasant walks and drives we took during our five days' stay we were much struck by the English * Sturt's ' Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia.' Smith and Elder, 1833. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 59 look of the district with its luxuriant gorse and sweet- briar still in bloom, its well-made roads and winding lanes bordered with hedgerows, its comfortable cottages, trim gardens, and enclosed fields. The colouring, too, of sky and earth, with gleams of sunlight and intervals of misty rain, were homelike. If the morning were bright, it re- minded us of March ; while the afternoons were autumnal, and recalled October. There was a similar mixture of the fruits and flowers of spring and autumn if oranges be regarded with us as appertaining to the former. Within the short period we had yet been in Australia we had experienced a variety of temperature, so changeable is its climate, reminding us of every season in England except the depth of winter. Mount Barker was one of the earliest districts settled, and, possibly, the first comers cared more to reproduce the familiar features of the home they had left than does a population born here to maintain them. Unfortunately here, as elsewhere in the colony where cultivation has been continued for several years, the land is becoming greatly exhausted by a system of agriculture which takes all it can out of the soil and gives nothing back. One feature of the place during our stay was, happily, not English. This was a visitation of locusts, a light brown-coloured species, perhaps an inch long. There had been a plague of these creatures throughout the colony. In some places they had come in cloud-like masses, and, settling on large areas, had devoured every green thing upon them, so that when they rose the ground was bare. In every direction we heard lamentations over the mis- chief they had wrought, scarcely a garden escaping without damage. In some places the people adopted the ancient Eastern means of entrapping this minute but, nevertheless, terrible enemy. They dug trenches on the line of march, or rather of flight, in such situations that they became filled with water, and into these the insects fell, apparently without power of avoidance or escape. In the same way they sank on reaching the sea-shore and were drowned ; and being left by the tide on the beach, their decaying 60 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. bodies emitted so poisonous a stench, that wherever there was a population to suffer from it, they had to be removed in cart-loads to some spot where they could be cast into the sea with a certainty of the waves bearing them away. Now, however, they had vanished from the plains, and only lingered among the hills in comparatively small numbers. Still wherever we put our feet they rose from the ground and fled before us in a series of long leaps, while the air was full of their chirping. One of our drives, the purpose of which was to inquire about certain boarded-out children, of whom there were several in the neighbourhood, took us to Nairne, a thriving- looking little " town," of the dimensions of a small English village. On our way we passed the pretty church at Blakiston, of quite hoar antiquity, colonially speaking. With its sloping grassy churchyard shaded by tine trees, its parsonage close by and hardly another dwelling in sight, we might have believed it some tiny church at home, built as one sometimes finds them, in a corner of the parish, remote from the village. At Nairne was a steam flour-mill. Every available space within the building was crammed with wheat, a result of the recent abundant harvest, waiting its turn to be ground ; and piles of sacks full of the grain lay outside, sheltered temporarily by walls made of strips of canvas and roofs of flattened kerosene tins. These are constantly used to eke out building materials (so that Australian cottages and pigsties often glitter in the sun as do the roofs of Russian cities), and are converted to a variety of purposes besides. Neatly painted they make sightly flower-tubs, and sometimes even jam-pots are cut out of them. Kerosene itself is as generally useful, for being the almost universal light it is sure to be at hand, which in the bush at any rate is a high recommendation. Thus it is utilised in every emergency in which a coarse spirit is supposed to be efficacious; it is applied externally as a cure for scalds and burns, and we even heard of it being taken internally as a remedy for rheumatism. One day was occupied in a visit to a country house some WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 61 miles distant. In our drive thither through pretty wood- land scenery, which unfortunately heavy rain prevented our duly enjoying, we made acquaintance with the " dog's- leg" fence. This is formed of bare branches of the gum- tree laid obliquely, several side by side, and the ends over- lapping, so that they have somewhat the appearance that might be presented by the stretched-out legs of a crowd of dogs running at full speed. An upright stick at intervals, with a fork at the top, on which some of the cross-branches rest, adds strength to the structure. Its advantage is that it is quickly and cheaply made, no posts having to be shaped or nailed together, or holes dug to receive them. The house whither we were bound, which had existed long enough to be well covered with creepers, stood in pretty grounds laid out many years ago. It consisted of a ground-floor only, but otherwise it looked like a somewhat rambling old-fashioned manor-house at home. The large and lofty stone-floored hall, with its capacious hearth, on which logs were burning cheerily, served also for a dining- room. The casements, wainscots, and doors, throughout the house of Sydney Cedar, might have passed for oak to an undiscriminating eye, though this beautiful wood more nearly resembles mahogany. The drawing-room, with its windows to the ground, opening on a lovely garden, had its piano and knick-knacks, and new books and periodical, showing that the accomplished daughters of an Australian squire are able to indulge the same tastes that refine and beautify our country homes in England. The persistent rain compelled us to give up the pleasure of walking about the grounds, which had been one special object of our visit ; and continuing when the hour we had fixed for starting homewards arrived, we were all urgently entreated to stay the night. This we were unable to do, but the cordial invitation was a pleasant earnest, amply fulfilled, of Australian hospitality. 62 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTEE IV. Post-office and Trans-Continental Telegraph. THE vast and complex organisation which has gradually grown up around us during the marvellous development in the last five-and-thirty years of our postal system, aug- mented as it has recently been by the incorporation with it of our telegraph department, has become so much a matter of course to us at home, that we hardly regard it with more attention than the air we breathe. But in a new country there is still something startling in the omni- presence of machinery so elaborate, which one feels to be the outcome of the highest stage of civilisation. Thus throughout our stay in Australia, it continued to us a subject for astonishment and admiration when we recog-. nised in every little township its post-office often also a telegraph station, or met in some remote bush road " Her Majesty's Mails," thundering along with the familiar " V . B." blazoned on the red coach panels ; even more, perhaps, when coming upon the telegraph line pursuing its silent way through primeval forests, or climbing lofty hills, or striding across plains uninhabited and to the eye without limit, or skirting the lonely sea shore, we felt that here was an ever-ready, speaking-tube with England which, in a few hours, could bring us news of all we held dear at home. The postal and telegraph department, in the more populous colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, has, we believe, attained to larger dimensions than in South Australia, and is, so far as we could judge, equally well WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 63 administered. We have, however, selected that of the latter colony as a type of the institution in Australia, her success in achieving the Trans-Continental Telegraph, having earned for her precedence in this subject. It was on a bright afternoon towards the end of May, when the air was beginning to acquire a wintry sharpness, that we availed ourselves of the kind offer of a member of many ministries who happened just then to be " out " and comparatively at leisure, to take us over the Adelaide Post Office. This is also the centre of the telegraph depart- ment for the colony, and consequently the headquarters of telegraphic communication between the Australian continent and the rest of the world. The foundation-stone of the present building was laid in November, 1867, by the Duke of Edinburgh. By the time it was opened in May, 1872, it had cost 4S,OOOZ. a handsome sum which has produced a very handsome edifice. It was, however, erected for postal purposes only, and the allotment of the whole of the upper floor to the telegraph, inevitably cramps the older department, so that additions are already contemplated. A room might be swung, as was done some years ago in the General Post Office in London, in the central hall, which is between forty and fifty feet high, but as this is remarkable for its elegant proportions it is to be hoped some less disfiguring expedient will be adopted. In the spacious basement story half-underground of the telegraphic department are the batteries ; these are of two kinds, one of which does not require re-charging for several months. The crypt is also occupied by the mate- riel of the same department. The wire for renewing and extending the lines throughout the colony, already mea- suring nearly 3000 miles, and the iron poles for their support, came from England ; while the insulators, of coarse earthenware, are all imported from Berlin. It is necessary, therefore, to keep vast stores always at hand, lest the wreck or even delay of a vessel bringing fresh supplies should prevent necessary repair, and thus by stopping communication with the rest of the world blot 64 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. out, for the time, the whole continent of Australia, tele- graphically speaking, from existence ! To the summit of the tower, 154 feet high, we ascended by staircases and a series of step-ladders, the latter almost perpendicular, and quite a feat to climb. At length we reached the little cage at the top, which will only hold three persons at once. The distance was rather hazy to-day ; when perfectly clear the view must be of wonderful extent, as it is alone intercepted by the Mount Lofty Kange, to the north-east. The straightness of the road's and flatness of the immediately surrounding country re- called the view from the top of Ghent Cathedral. The city looks bigger from this elevated point of view than from any other, and its four or five large squares, its wide streets, many of them planted with trees, and its Park- lands, together with the absence of smoke, give it an airy, verdant, and very pleasant appearance. The hills are always beautiful albeit the conformation of their lower heights suggests, to the profane observer the idea of merino pincushions very tightly stuffed the plains now look green and fertile, and the sea, this afternoon, gleamed rosily under the fine sunset-sky. On the Post-office tower a signal is displayed directly the English mail is in sight a flag by day and a red light after dark, which the clearness of the air renders visible many miles away. It could be distinctly seen from Hazelwood, and our feelings may be imagined when it made its appearance, on Saturday, too late for the mails to arrive within post-office hours, and we knew we must wait till Monday morning for news from home. Descending from the tower to the ground-floor we found it appropriated to letters, and the sorting arrangements appeared to us similar, though of course on an extremely reduced scale, to those in London. There was a lull, the 171 daily mails to the country, which mostly leave Adelaide early in the afternoon, having been just despatched. But there was yet a collection to be sorted for delivery in Adelaide itself. The city is well supplied with pillar- boxes, from one if not more of which there are as many as WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. G5 nine or ten collections daily, Sundays excepted when no postal business is transacted throughout the colony, except that the mails are not stopped in transitu, which we were informed is done in Victoria. There are three de- liveries in the metropolis and two in the immediate suburbs. These, however, by no means satisfy the requirements of men of business, who usually have their respective boxes at the office, and send for letters frequently during the day. The number of post-offices throughout South Australia is 348, employing 336 officials besides 56 others, who are also engaged in telegraph work. Mails are despatched by every steamer to Melbourne, and three times weekly overland, the latter journey occupying ninety-six hours. Mail-omnibuses convey the country letters where the roads are good, which is the case for many miles out of town in numerous direc- tions. For more distant places coaches are used, much resembling a box hung high upon four wheels ; all the parts are very strong, and leathern curtains over the windows largely take the place of glass, the presence of which is undesirable in a break-down or roll-over. The interior is provided with straps to be clung to by the unhappy passengers as the vehicle pursues its bumping way " Thorough bush, thorough briar, Thorough flood, thorough mire," at full gallop. Accidents, thanks to the skill of drivers and docility of horses, are more rare than might be antici- pated ; but the severe bruises and fatigue attending a long journey have often serious consequences, and are some- times even fatal. The company, too, includes all classes of travellers, and as unfortunately drunkenness is not so uncommon that an intoxicated companion is a rarity, a mail-coach journey is regarded, by most people, with great aversion. We had intended to include it in our Australian " experiences," but were so strongly advised to the contrary by gentlemen whose opinion it would have been foolish to disregard, that we gave up making acquaintance with this phase of colonial life. By mail-coach, omnibus, or ship, an average of 250 mails are despatched daily from the Adelaide Post-office. 66 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA. 2,000,000 newspapers, and nearly 3,000,000 letters passed through it in 1873. There is a uniform rate for the latter, within the colony, of 2d. the half ounce, while local news- papers travel there and to the United Kingdom free of charge. South Australia is well supplied with Money- order offices of which she possesses more than 70, where orders are obtainable and payable not only for and from places within her own territory but in the other Austra- lian colonies, New Zealand, Great Britain and Ireland, and also in Germany, indicating the large German element in her population. There are about 3000 miles of telegraph in use in the colony and about 60 under construction. The number of stations is 94, and that of the staff 141, exclusive of the 56 partially employed in postal work of whom 11 are women. 33,535 messages were transmitted during 1873, of which upwards of 9000 were despatched to the Northern hemisphere. The operating-room of the telegraph department at the Adelaide office is handsome, spacious, and light. It contains twelve tables one for each main line and has room for many more. There are, besides, instruments appropriated to special purposes. One communicates solely with the " Labour Prison " or Convict Gaol, five or six miles from town ; and the two leading newspapers of Adelaide have each a wire, by which, when a message arrives for either, a messenger is summoned to fetch it. Several of the tables were at work when we entered, but as soon as that for Port Darwin was disengaged, the ope- rator was directed to open communication in our behalf. The first message was despatched to Alice Springs, a thousand miles along the line, asking about the weather, the natives, and if there were any news ? We soon learnt it had been raining in the morning, but was then fine, that no u wild " natives had been seen for a month, and that there was " no particular news stirring." which did not much surprise us. Sometimes the electric current is not strong enough for a message to be sent direct to Port Darwin from Adelaide, and it is necessary to repeat it at WE A T WE SAW IN A USTBALIA. 67 Alice Springs: but we were fortunate, as our operator, utter inquiring if the line beyond were clear, and receiving for answer " Go ahead for Fort Darwin," entered into a lively conversation with his unknown colleague on the other side the continent. He began with " Good after- noon " a courtesy apparently de rigueur in opening and closing a conversation and then asked what weather they had, and what news of interest. In less than a minute, certainly, from the moment at which he had ended his manipulations, the answer was coming back, and was delivered without an instant of pause or hesita- tion question and answer having travelled between them nearly 4000 miles. It was very hot, we learnt no mon- soon a large bush-fire burning on the other side the bay ; many ships were in sight, and people very busy with parties starting for the Diggings. Our operator then announced that the Hon. Arthur Blyth and a party of ladies were present, and that the ladies wished to know if they could advantageously ship themselves to the Diggings. It was at the time when the Northern Territory was looked upon as El Dorado, when every day brought news of fresh indications of gold dis- coveries hoped for or believed in, and added to the already long lists of new mining companies advertised in the Adelaide papers ; and when the small vessels which made the voyage from the capital were crowded with would-be diggers and representatives of almost every class who hoped they had found a loyal road to fortune. Immediately was the answer flashed back from a no doubt much-amused manipulator that " a shipment of ladies would be most acceptable, and would go off much better than miners' Claims." It was droll, certainly, but a little eerie too, to hear jokes bandied between wits some 2000 miles apart, and almost as rapidly as if they had stood face to face ! Amidst such an interchange of trifles it was difficult to realise the grandeur of the enterprise which had thus, as regards all impediment to the interchange of thought, absolutely annihilated the Australian continent. But the F 2 68 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. progress of the telegraph in South Australia had engaged our attention long before our visit to her shores had been converted from a vague idea to a definite plan ; and having been familiar with its history as it reached England chapter by chapter with the monthly mails, perhaps nothing exceeded it in interest in our rninds of all that was new and remarkable in the countries we had come to visit. So long ago as in 1854, the extension of the telegraph to Australia was suggested, but not till 1858 did the idea take a definite form, when a proposal was made by some of the projectors of the first cable across the Atlantic to lay one from Ceylon to the Western Coast of Australia. In 1859, one of these gentlemen Mr. Francis Gisborne visited the colonies with a view of inducing their Govern- ments to subsidize a cable, which it was now advised should be laid down between Java and Brisbane. This scheme however also fell to the ground. Meanwhile the explorations of Babbage, Warburton, and Stuart, in the country north-west of Lake Eyre seem to have suggested the daring idea of carrying a line right across the continent, from Port Augusta, at the head of Spencer's Gulf, to Cam- bridge Gulf on the north-western coast of the province. The author of this scheme, Mr. Charles Todd, Postmaster- General of South Australia, had, prior to the arrival of Mr. Gisborne, submitted it to Sir Kichard Macdonnell, then Governor of the Colony, who embodied it in a Report to the Home Government. Mr. Todd's belief in the expediency of the land-route, which he had estimated would cost very much less than that advocated by Mr. Gisborne, was confirmed by the further discoveries of Stuart in 1860-1-2 ; and when that intrepid explorer returned from his last successful attempt to reach the north coast, he reported that such a line was quite practicable, and would open up a vest territory available for settlement. The scheme, however, although supported in England, fell into abeyance ; and it was not until the British Australian Telegraph Company was formed, which proposed to prolong the line of communi- WE A T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA. 69 cation from England to the East, by laying a cable to the northern shore of Australia, that the plan assumed a tangible shape. A Bill was brought into the South Australian Parliament to authorize raising the necessary loan, and, supported by large majorities, it rapidly passed both Houses, and became law in June, 1870. Let us remember that the population of the colony was then considerably under 200,000. To form a fair estimate of the enterprise of this little community, let us imagine the town of Newcastle-on-Tyne resolving to undertake at its own sole cost the construction of a telegraph to the shores of the Caspian Sea.. As regards distance this would be a parallel case ; but the difficulties of construction in an unknown country inhabited by savages, must far exceed any besetting the European line we are supposing. Mr. Todd now began to realize the magnitude of the undertaking to which he had bound himself. By the terms of the Act, just obtained, he had engaged to establish in the short space of eighteen months, namely by the 1st of January, 1872, telegraphic communication with Port Darwin, necessitating the construction of 1800 miles of line across a continent of which 1300 miles was terra incognita excepting what Stuart's Diary had made known of it. Iron poles for the timberless country north of Beltana, wire from England, and insulators from Germany all had to be imported, the delay in obtaining the latter being greatly increased by the outbreak, just as the orders went home, of the Franco-Prussian war. The difficulty of the task and its cost had, indeed, been under-estimated ; but when this became apparent and fresh impediments and unforeseen expense arose, and failure seemed imminent, Mr. Todd never flinched from its fulfilment, risking health and life itself to secure its completion. Although the tract explored by Stuart was that adopted by Mr. Todd, closer investigation of the country was indis- pensable before despatching the constructing parties. This important work was entrusted to Mr. John Ross, who ably performed it. The work of construction was divided into several por- 70 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTBALIA. tions, a part being undertaken by private contractors, but the greater length by Government parties. Each of the latter consisted of about twenty-five men, amply equipped and supplied with six or seven teams of horses or bullocks, with auxiliary teams for the conveyance of rations and material They left Adelaide in August, 1870. As the portion of the line, for more than 500 miles north of Port Augusta, was let to a private contractor, the Government party, whose scene of action was nearest the metropolis, had some 700 miles to travel before reaching it; while the detachment to whom the Port Darwin end was entrusted had to make their way for 1300 miles across the interior before they could begin their work. Those only who under- stand what travelling in a new country is, where forests have to be penetrated, mountains crossed, rivers forded however steep their banks or shifting their beds, and vast plains deep in sand or thickly grown with scrub to be plodded through, can fully appreciate the difficulties which had to be overcome in these journeys where every part of the telegraph, besides a sufficiency of food and all other necessaries to last for many months, had to be dragged in drays by bullocks, The usual pace these animals attain may be three miles an hour, but there are frequent stop- pages to clear away obstacles that cannot be surmounted, to get out of holes and sloughs where the vehicles stick fast, and, of course, for necessary rest. Thus it was doubt- less good travelling, which brought the latter party to their destination, far within the tropics, in nine months' time, namely in May, 1871. So early, however, as the middle of the previous September the first telegraph post had been planted at Port Darwin (a few of the constructors having proceeded thither by sea), and a fortnight later the first at Port Augusta had been erected. In July, 1871, however, reverses began. A contractor's party, in the Northern Territory, collapsed. With the least possible delay, instructions were conveyed to the party next towards the south, under Mr. Harvey's com- mand, to push on, erecting only half the specified number of poles to the mile ; and thus eighty-two miles of line WE A T WE SAW IN A US TEA LI A. 1 1 were accomplished beyond his original northern boundary. Meanwhile a fresh expedition in h've vessels carrying 500 bullocks, and material and stores in proportion, was organised at Adelaide, and despatched by sea to Port Darwin ; but a portion of these were wrecked after being transhipped for the Roper River. This stream flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria after a nearly due easterly course, and the conductor of the enterprise availed himself of the line of water communication it affords with the telegraph route. Then heavy rains set in, rendering travelling by land almost impossible, and stopping construction for some months. During this period of enforced idleness the cable fleet arrived at Port Darwin, the shore end of the cable was laid, and the vessels steaming away to Java, com- munication between London and Port Darwin was estab- lished on November 21st, 1871. The inevitable delay in the work on land had made it apparent that Mr. Todd could not keep his engagement to have the telegraph completed by the 1st of January, 1872, although communication between London and the Mac- donnell Ranges (about 19 south latitude) was opened on the 3rd of that month. He was, however, exerting him- self to the utmost to fulfil it at the earliest possible date. The management of the enterprise was now wholly in his hands. On the 3rd January he started himself by steamer from Adelaide. Reaching the Roper River early the next month, he hurried from point to point of the line of works, travelling now by water now by land, obliged on one occasion, when ascending the Roper, to set the horses on shore to lighten the ship, on another to sign a guarantee that the owners of the vessel should be compensated were she lost, without which the captain, in their interests, objected to encounter the perils that lay before him ; and filling the native dwellers along the riverside with amaze- ment by the hitherto unknown spectacle of a steam-boat. Heavy rains, in February and March, again stopped the works, but as soon as fine weather returned relief parties were despatched southwards. Their energetic chief mean- while was inspecting finished work, and making final 72 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. arrangements at Port Darwin for the working of the line. Not until towards the end of May was he free to start homewards, travelling by sea to the Boper, and thence across the continent Port Darwin, or Palmerston, as the town rising there is called, is described as very pretty. It seems to possess many natural advantages, and appears destined to become a place of much importance. In May, 1872, however, it boasted few besides the Government and Telegraph build- ings. Among the former was not yet included an available gaol although one was in progress, and the one prisoner always in custody for something or other walked about at his ease during the day, on the understanding that he must deliver himself to the authorities at night -which he never failed to do, for in no other way could he get his rations. In this respect, as in many others, Port Darwin had made great progress before our visit to Australia ter- minated. It had then become a question whether the Northern Territory must not be subsidized to pay its own expenses including that of a criminal judge and his court, who were needed for the due disposal of a class attracted by the reputed gold-fields, and the increasing population. Thanks to the Government Resident, Captain Douglas, there was already in 1872 a public garden. The climate is very favourable to tropical vegetation. " Sweet potatoes and bananas are growing vigorously, real fowls Jay real eggs, pork and fresh buffalo are great facts, and people drink milk in their tea every day," writes a tourist com- paring the comforts of even this young settlement with the hardships of the overland route.* This gentleman accompanied Mr. Todd's party on its return from the north, and the notes of his journey help us to realize the character of the country, in carrying the telegraph across which the constructors were at the same time explorers and discoverers. * 'South Australian Kegister,' November 4th, 1872. We are indebted for much of the information contained in our text to notes of ' The Over- land Route ' by Central Australian, and to a Report of a Lecture on the Trans-Continental Telegraph,' by Charles Todd, Esq., C.M. G., which appeared in that paper. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 73 Turning southwards from the Roper, the need for an admixture of iron telegraph poles, even in well-wooded districts, is, he remarks, demonstrated by the presence of large settlements of the white ant, who are destructive to most kinds of timber. Their nests have been seen eighteen feet high, at a pretty spot called Tumbling Waters, near Palmerston, a favourite place for picnics strange to say where such companions are found. But this altitude is probably uncommon. "In riding along you come suddenly upon a vast plain, covered with what look like upright slabs of stone about six feet high. . . . These are ant-hills all standing at nearly equal distances apart, and all presenting their faces to the same point of the compass. They give the country exactly the appearance of a large cemetery when seen in the broad daylight ; whilst in the evening, when the sun is sinking behind them, you cannot help fancying that they are black-fellows, and the more you look, the more they seem to assume that form." The " black-fellow " or native is far fiercer in the north than his southern brother. He not only had to be guarded against while the telegraph *was in progress, but he still constitutes an element of danger to the finished line, and to its staff. No small measure of respect is due to the courage and self-reliance of our countrymen, separated by a hundred miles, perhaps, from the next station on the line, and possibly by a greater distance from any township or even farm-house. The natives rarely begin hostilities with the whites, being almost invariably friendly if kindly treated ; but they will watch long for an opportunity of making re- prisals after being injured, or believing themselves to nave been injured; and thus colonists who are themselves innocent of offence may suffer for wrong-doing committed long ago by their countrymen. Hence it is to be feared that there will always be, or at any rate for a long time to come, liability to attack in these remote places. Strict justice, a kindly bearing, and at the same time an intrepid front, in dealing with the blacks, are the best safeguards against their violence. 74 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Mr. Todd's party, travelling some on horseback, some in four-horsed buggies, and well provided with firearms, only heard of ferocious blacks ; they did not encounter one. Every night they camped out in peace, and followed by day a track as well-defined as if a small army had passed along as, in fact, it had, but an army whose munition was destined to promote prosperity and good- will, not ruin and slaughter. Deserted drays, skeletons of bullocks and of horses, and empty preserved-meat cans, lay scattered at intervals, marking camping spots all along the route, while the blazed trees in the wooded districts showed where Stuart's gallant band had preceded the constructors. Of animal life there was little to be seen, even near the water-holes, but much good country was traversed before the party reached Daly Waters (about 16 30' south latitude) on June 23rd. At this place named after a former Governor, whose excellence is attested by the respect and affection with which he is still spoken of were assembled quite a crowd from various quarters, though all were connected with the telegraph, except an adventurous hawker, who had made his way, with one companion only, full 1500 miles from Adelaide. The line from Port Darwin was completed thus far, so that telegraphic communication could be held with London. Moreover, information from Adelaide awaited Mr. Todd that the Government had supplied horses enough to permit of his establishing weekly esta- fettes between Tennant's Creek, to which station the line had now been carried from Port Augusta, and Daly Waters ; thus completing communication with the capital. Soon afterwards on the 22nd of August, 1872, within two years of its commencement this hiatus had been filled up, and the telegraph was complete from Adelaide to Port Darwin. Mr. Todd, however, had yet the greater part of his homeward journey to perform. Advancing southwards across a district where Stuart suffered from drought, he found lakes and pools, although there appeared to have been no rain for many months. Such variety in the experience of Australian explorers is not rare, and shows WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 75 _ . that no definite opinion on the climate and character of the country can be arrived at until there has been much more opportunity for observation. The weather on the present journey was dry and warm enough, even in the early spring, to make out-of-door-life delightful. Much pretty though somewhat monotonous scenery was passed through before arriving at Central Newcastle Waters (17 30' south latitude), a beautiful spot in a fine country. Here were large lakes covered with aquatic birds, the bean-trees and acacias were in blossom, and the air was sweet with the odour of flowers. But Sturt's Plains, level as far as the eye can reach, treeless, and covered only with coarse grass, had to be crossed before the party reached Barrow Creek. Here the telegraph station, including a comfortable dwelling, is a substantial stone building. It was already completed, and the whole of the masonry was the work of one man ! Mr. Todd's arrival had been prepared for by an address of congratulation from all employed on the spot, the presentation of which was conducted with due form. Barrow Creek was found to possess, like other places, its advantages and disadvantages. Snakes were appearing in abundance with the advancing spring, and though there was no lack of water of good taste, it was not tempting to drink, being milky in colour. Of fine grass, however, there was a plentiful supply. This station has since been invested with a tragic interest by an attack by natives, of the liability to which we have already spoken. It took place in May, 1874, when seve- ral men were wounded, and one, if not more, died in con- sequence. The station-master, Mr. Stapleton, received a mortal injury from a spear; but he lingered for two or three days. During this interval he was able himself to " speak " his wife 1200 miles distant, at Adelaide, and was thus communicating with her two minutes before he expired. Terrible indeed to her must have been the pause to be broken by the news conveyed by another hand, that in that brief interval of suspense her husband had passed away ! There are cases in which, however, the telegraph may 76 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. bring instant help even to the remotest station. We heard of one of the physicians of Adelaide prescribing " by wire " for his patient, the operator at a distant point along the line, who had, of course, previously described his symptoms by the same means. The route of Mr. Todd's party now lay frequently through a hilly country watered with numerous streams, liable, however, doubtless to dry up in summer. Still, much fine country had not only been already opened up by the line of telegraph, but some was already actually occupied in consequence of it. The space, forty feet wide, to be cleared on either side the line through forests, though in itself a serious addition to the labour of the enterprise, will, if this original design be fulfilled, be invaluable to settlers, in preserving to them a road for traffic across the continent.* On the 30th October, Mr. Todd reached Adelaide, where an enthusiastic reception awaited him. The Post Office, completed during his absence, was decorated with flowers in his honour ; and a public dinner in the Town-hall, the arrangements for which had been undertaken by several of the leading gentlemen in the colony, to Mr. Todd, and the officers and men whose co-operation had enabled him to bring his undertaking to a successful issue, testified the sympathy and respect universally entertained for this brave little company, and its energetic and indomitable chief. * The recent successful exploring expedition sent out by West Aus- tralia from Champion Bay on her coast to the settled districts of South Australia, under the conduct of Mr. John Forrest, gives pleasant testimony to the cheering aspect of the telegraph. After a journey of six months' duration, during which a succession of toils, hardships, and dangers had been successfully surmounted, they suddenly struck the line of telegraph ; and although they had still many hundred miles to achieve before reach- ing Adelaide, their ultimate destination, already all their labours aud difficulties seemed over. The respective Governments of South and West Australia have decided to construct a connecting telegraph, which will bring the latter colony into communication with the rest of the world. It will leave the Trans- continental line at Port Augusta, and be carried thence to Perth. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 77 CHAPTER V. Orphan School Adelaide Institute Boys' Reformatory. JUNE 5th. A bright winter day. We drove into town early and were at the Orphan Home for Girls by half past nine. Though arriving unexpectedly we were at once admitted to see it, and early as it was, found the beds were already made, the bed-rooms well aired, and a good deal of scrubbing going on. The building, which is in a part of Adelaide, where the houses are scattered, was erected several years ago by private subscription for a hospital for Germans. Funds, however, for its support were not forth- coming, and after it had for some years stood empty, the promoters of the Home were permitted to use the building for that purpose, free of cost, by the hospital trustees. These have gradually died, and the managers of the Home have practically become the owners of the building. The rooms are spacious and airy, appearing to us to afford accommodation enough, even if the present number of inmates (23) should be somewhat increased ; but the committee have recently built hard by, though not ad- joining (such an arrangement is common in Australia), a large dining hall, laundry, and kitchen. This effort has so exhausted their funds that none remain even for the most necessary internal fittings. Cupboards, shelves, and even hooks are wanting, and tidiness is impossible without them. With this exception the Home pleased us much. The staff consists of a matron, her daughter who is school-mistress, and a woman, who comes twice a week to teach scrubbing. The children, who range in age from three to fifteen, though there are very few over twelve, do, besides the housework 78 all the washing and sewing required in the Home, but none is taken in. Nor do the girls knit their stockings or learn to cut out their clothes ; the reasons for their not being taught the latter art are those we are too familiar with at home when it is sought to excuse this lamentable omission, want of time and the fear of material being wasted. The girls read and sang to us well, and their writing was fairly good. We were told that they were seldom naughty or ill, and certainly almost all had a bright frank expression, and they seemed in good health, though not robust in appear- ance, as few Australian children are. They have plenty of space for play besides little gardens to cultivate, and they are sent out on errands and to do shopping for the institu- tion. During fourteen years fifty-two girls have passed through the Home, of whom we understood only three had been lost sight of, and but one was known to have turned out ill. To be admitted they must be the daughters of married parents, must have lost both father and mother, and must attend the Church of England. Some are sent from the Destitute Asylum and are paid for by the State, others obtain admission through subscribers. The Home was originally intended for children of a higher rank than those it now contains, but very few, if any, were found in need of its help ; the present inmates are of the working class, and are all trained for superior domestic service. They are not sent out until fifteen years of age, and are not allowed to take a place where the wages are less than 4s. a week. It is usual in Australia to hire servants by the week, and wages range at least a third higher than with us. Of the 4s. they are required to put Is. into the Savings' Bank. They are allowed to return to the Home when out of place, when if willing to be treated like the pupils they pay only Is. a week; but if they desire to be independent of school-rules they pay the same for board and lodging which would be charged them at the Servants' Home, namely 7s. a week. The cost per head of the inmates is about 147. 6. a year, but it must be remembered that there is no rent to pay. On the whole the institution impressed us very favour- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 79 ably. It is an object of much thought and personal care to the ladies and gentlemen of the committee. The matron and school-mistress evidently take a strong interest in their young charges ; there is an absence of hard and fast regulations, and the number of children is compara- tively small. All these circumstances tend to make the Home really what its name professes it to be, and to their influence, doubtless, may be attributed the gratifying mea- sure of success it has attained. Many years ago, while the material wants of a young colony left little time or thought for the higher require- ments of man's nature, a few earnest friends of education and social improvement, who felt the importance of both creat- ing and satisfying such demands, founded at Adelaide the " South Australian Literary and Mechanics Institute" where a free reading-room, a coffee-room, and occasional lectures would, it was hoped, offer superior temptations to those of the public-house. The effort succeeded, and the institution, gaining in importance as time went on, dropped that por- tion of its title which implied a more special and therefore limited sphere of usefulness, and was constituted by Act of Parliament the " South Australian Institute," and awarded an annual grant. It is managed by a board of governors, who issue yearly a report which, though concise, affords, both directly and incidentally, a variety of information of much interest as illustrating the steady progress of the colony in education and general culture. Two other bodies, the South Australian Society of Arts, with a School of Design attached, and the Adelaide Philosophical Society are incorporated with it, while a steadily increasing num- ber of country institutes, now about seventy, are connected with it by affiliation, and are more or less provided by it with lecturers and literature. Some of these provincial institutes are of very humble character, consisting only of a little room, open during two or three evenings of the week ; but in the larger towns they are handsome buildings, comparing, though on a smaller scale, with that in the capital. An economical method of supplying them with books has long been in operation. Boxes containing 80 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. suitable selections from the central library travel from institute to institute, seventy or eighty being thus in circulation at the time the plan was explained to us. A request had lately been preferred by members of institutes in some of the German settlements that their boxes should be filled with books in their own language, which had been acceded to. The minimum Government grant was originally 5001. a year, but this was subsequently increased to 15001, with an additional grant of 1000Z., also raised afterwards to 1500?., to be divided by the parent institution among its provincial off-shoots ; and though in the period of great and almost ruinous depression throughout the colony, of 1867-70, these subsidies were diminished, the Board seems to have been always able to save a little from the country grant which, eventually, it was resolved should be spent in obtaining philosophical apparatus for the common benefit of the institutes, provincial and metropolitan. It affords pleasant proof of the interest taken at home in the scien- tific progress of the colony that both Professor Airey and Professor Tyndall interested themselves in the selection of the objects to be bought. Lack of room, however, for safely storing such apparatus had, up to 1873, prevented the resolution of the governors being carried into effect. Long since a collection of objects in natural history, science, and art was commenced, which now contains far more specimens than it is possible to display. Every department was similarly cramped for space, and the Government was being constantly urged (to use a mild term) by the friends of the institution to begin a fresh building for its use. From its earliest days the -South Australian Institute has numbered among its honorary lecturers the Bishop of Adelaide, the Chief Justice, and other leading gentlemen. On one occasion the lecture was from the pen of Miss Catherine Spence, an able writer both of fiction and on politics, who is a South Australian by adoption. Courses of lectures more strictly educational are from time to time delivered. We had the good fortune to attend those of Professor C. H. WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 81 Pearson, who, quitting England some years ago in search of health, found a congenial home in the beautiful neigh- bourhood of Mount Remarkable. To the great loss of the colony he has recently accepted an appointment in Melbourne University. Classes for the study of languages and other subjects, are held in the rooms of the Institute, under the sanction of the Board, who guarantee the fitness of the teachers. These are paid by the fees of the pupils, and, in the School of Design, receive also a capitation grant. One of the serious wants in a small community which is yet metropolitan in character, and a centre of popula- tion to a vast area, is the means of harmless amusement. There is now a pretty and well-conducted theatre at Ade- laide, where we saw the opera of * Sappho ' very fairly performed in Italian, by a company who divide the year among the Australian capitals, which have thus each their opera season. But excepting that there are occasional con- certs, dramatic readings, &c., it is almost the only place of entertainment in the city ; and, moreover, not until of late years was the theatre one to which respectable people could resort, unless for some especial performance of high character. To meet in some degree this want, periodical soirees were early commenced at the Institute, at which recitations, music, and readings formed parts of the attrac- tion. They seemed for no very evident reason to have lost their popularity when we were at Adelaide, although we heard the lack of entertainment deplored. In 1871 the Institute procured Parliamentary authority for organising examinations for persons of both sexes, similar to those of Oxford and Cambridge for our middle classes. 'On application to the Royal College of Surgeons, and to the Council of Medical Education and Registration, to regard such examinations in respect to male candidates as equivalent to the preliminary examinations of those bodies, this important concession was obtained, whereby the necessary term of residence in England is lessened by two years. The first examination took place during our stay in G 82 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the colony. Certainly there was no overwhelming rush of candidates to profit by the opportunity. Three pre- sented themselves, two male and one female, and of these it must be confessed that two failed ; the lady passed. But it was felt that an important means of raising the genera] standard of education had been provided, and good hopes were entertained of larger numbers and greater success on the next occasion. The Institute, meanwhile, had made the necessary arrangements for also conducting the Melbourne University Matriculation Examination, the papers of questions being sent to Adelaide, and the answers returned under seal. From the Orphans' Home we repaired to the Institute, which stands on North Terrace, and has the appearance of an elegant mansion, very suitable to its position in the Belgravia of Adelaide. Unfortunately it was designed without due reference to future enlargement, and now some temporary additions are contemplated to tide over the time till the colony can afford to erect an edifice, worthy of its national library and museum, as well as ample for all the other purposes of the Institute, when the present building may be utilised for some other public object. It has been suggested, for instance, that the University of Adelaide long contemplated, though not yet in being, should begin its existence in this edifice when vacated by the Institute. Want of funds has been the obstacle hitherto to the commencement of a Uni- versity. Shortly before we reached the colony, a donation of 20,000?. had been made towards this object by Captain "W. W. Hughes, and a strong impetus has thus been given to the action of an association which has for some time past devoted itself to the enterprise.* The library of the Institute, which is on the ground- * The Adelaide newspapers have recently reported a similar donation from the Hon. Thomas Elder. A Bill for the establishment of the Uni- versity having been at length carried through Parliament, the scheme may now be considered fairly launched, and the Government of South Australia has already appointed a University Council from among the leading men of the colony. February 1875. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 83 floor, is tolerably commodious. It possesses about 18,000 volumes, including the "Specifications of Patents" from the reign of James I., and "Hansard " from 1861, both presented by the mother country ; and copies of Mr. Gould's magnificent works on the (i Birds and Mammals of Australia." The library is and has been from its com- mencement, free to readers within the building, and books can be taken away by subscribers to the Institute. On the same floor is a spacious reading-room (used also as a lecture-hall), liberally provided with newspapers, European as well as Australian, and the leading English magazines and reviews. This is open gratuitously to both sexes, but women rarely use it. There were none present to-day, but it was well filled with men, many apparently of the working class. The coffee-roorn, where various games could be played, has been closed for some time in con- sequence of the little use made of it; but it is under contemplation to open a smoking-room. F - asked if the elegance of the building might not deter the class it was desired to attract by refreshment or a smoking-room from dropping in; but she was assured that Australians had far too good an opinion of themselves for any such danger to exist. A longer experience of the colony, in- deed, might have saved the trouble of question and answer. As we grew better acquainted with it, we became well aware ot the very general feeling of equality, unmistake- ably though rarely offensively expressed. It is usually accompanied by hearty good-will and friendliness an "I'm as good as you, and therefore ready to help as brothers should " sort of manner, which is certainly in- finitely preferable to the bought servility of old countries. Now and then the expression of independence may go a little beyond the bounds of courtesy. We were told that working men rarely greet in passing ladies and gentlemen whom they know, apparently under the idea that to do so would compromise their dignity; and sometimes this feeling of equality on the defensive may show itself more roughly. But we never received any unpleasant evidence of it ourselves. On the contrary, the good nature and G 2 |84 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. kindliness of Australians of all ranks was so constantly apparent, that we always had the sense of help being at hand if wanted, wherever human beings were to be found. But this is a long digression from the Institute ! The museum is, as it should be, rich in Australian specimens, animal and mineral; and contains also a large miscel- laneous collection, including a set of antique coins valued at 7007. This was bequeathed to it by a young man, self-educated, we believe, who devoted himself to its for- mation, and who, as he was never in Europe, had to pro- cure his specimens through agents there. The Natural History department is under the care of Mr. Waterhouse, and we had the advantage of his explanations. Among its curiosities is a group of bower birds, arranged as if playing in their bower, which is decorated with bits of sparkling stone. There are various bones of the moa, and a photograph of one of the completed skeletons, sixteen feet high, existing in New Zealand. Within the last few weeks, paragraphs have appeared in the journals to the effect that a living specimen has been seen in those islands ; but moas, ornithorhynchi and other rare or probably extinct natives of these regions, seem to play the part in Aus- tralian newspapers that big gooseberries, eggs measuring so many inches, and apple-blossoms at Christmas, do in our own, and little faith is put in the reports. In the museum also are parts of the skeleton of a gigantic kangaroo (Diplotodon australis), believed to be extinct, whose limb-bones were as large as those of the rhinoceros. A small variety of the apterix, a wingless bird, is repre- sented by a very perfect specimen ; another paradoxical creature is a fish without gills, a native of the northern territory. It breathes through the mouth. Of course the ornithorhynchus is here, and there are specimens also of an animal (Echidna aculeata), closely resembling it, but whose mouth, or rather beak, is not made to open. There is an aperture at the end, through which it protrudes a very long tongue, and so catches the ants on which it lives. This creature has quills like the porcupine. Specimens in duplicate are of course utilised for ex- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 85 change with other museums in Australia and elsewhere, but great numbers of cases of valuable possessions remain packed for want of space in which to display them. This, and the numerous other deficiencies in accommodation, is a very sore subject with the Board, who think Govern- ment is not as liberal of aid as it should be ; while on the other hand, Government says the Institute should more nearly approach self-support than it does. Its expenditure (including disbursements for country institutes), amounted in 1872 to a little over 3500?., of which sum nearly three- quarters was covered by the Government grant, the re- mainder being defrayed by the subscriptions from about 700 members, and by fees for lectures and classes. There were, at the end of that year, 63 country institutes. Their subscribers numbered 2431, and they possessed among them nearly 38,000 books, independently of those lent in the travelling book-boxes. These statistics indicate a large proportion in a total population under 200,000 of persons desirous of culture. We often visited the house of relatives whose hilly pro- perty, called Stonyfell, is well adapted to wine-growing. The vineyards, already occupying more than thirty acres, make the round hill they cover a patch of rich red-brown in autumn ; in spring, of softest green visible many miles off. While we were in the colony, olive-planting on a some- what large scab was commenced on a portion of this estate, leased by a company for the purpose, and who began operations on 130 acres. The olive-tree is calcu- lated to pay the expenses of cultivation at ten years old, and at twenty to return cent, per cent, on all outlay ; the profits still increasing as the tree grows older. There is ample proof in the abundant crops borne by olive-trees only a few years old, in the neighbourhood of Adelaide, that the climate favours them, and very fine oil has been manufactured from the fruit, so that there is good ground to hope its production may prove a lucrative branch of industry in South Australia. 86 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Stonyfell could be reached by a carriage-way, where our pony invariably shied at the huge aloes in the hedges and at the great tufts of acanthus-like artichokes, two or three feet high, which, we believe, had rim wild from the gardens and grew along the roadside. There was a short cut for walkers and riders, and for very adventurous buggy drivers, over a certain waste piece of ground, called Clifton, a spur of the Mount Lofty Kange, commanding exquisite views of some of its finest gullies, and also over the Adelaide plains, to the blue waters of St. Vincent's Gulf beyond. We marvelled that so lovely a site for houses should remain unoccupied, and used to amuse ourselves with selecting the particular spot where we would build one were we residents in the colony instead of visitors. It is not very unusual to come upon such a waste plot, and a sad eyesore it is, in the midst of well-cultivated land or a thriving little township. It will generally be found to belong to an absentee. The owner living in England is, perhaps, unaware of the value his section has acquired from the land around having become settled ; or perchance he leaves its management in the hands of an agent, and is unfortunate enough to employ one who neglects his duty. Fences fall into disrepair, cattle stray upon the section, and trespassers, regarding it as "no man's land," cut and carry oft' the timber. Clifton, we were told, had been beautifully wooded ; now scarcely a tree remains, and the lovely gardens which might be laid out upon it would require years for the growth of the trees essential for shelter from the sun and from the " gully breeze," a fierce wind which, at some seasons, rushes down the valleys. The spot was rich in wild-flowers. Here abounded the native daisy, a bulbous plant, blossoming in spring, from, which the aborigines make a rich red dye. It bears a small white star-like flower, growing close to the ground, in the centre of brownish-red leaves, flat and radiating somewhat like those of the plantain, so destructive in our lawns. In the early days of the colony before gardens were, the native daisy was planted and cherished as a table WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 87 decoration, but now that the loveliest flowers have been obtained from all parts of the world, and bloom in pro- fusion, this little wilding gains no more attention than its namesake at home. On Clifton grew also the scarlet creeper (Kennedya prostrata\ trailing its brilliant blossoms, in form like those of the pea, along the ground. There were, too, a variety of orchids, and several small bushes of different kinds bearing abundant blossom, insignificant in size and colour, but having an aromatic scent. This odour we first noticed on Clifton, but afterwards we became familiar with it in uncultivated districts. It is given forth by many plants, and also by the gum-trees, and is considered very healthful. Whether we went by the road or across Clifton, either way led us by what looked like a farmhouse and its out- buildings, with an unexplained erection a hundred yards distant on ground so high that, being itself sprucely whitewashed, it was a conspicuous object from all the country round. On inquiry we learned that the place was called Ilfracombe, and was the Boys' Reformatory for the colony, so of course we went to see it. Reformatories in South Australia (there is one also for girls) are not, as with us, placed under the same Govern- mental department with the prisons, but are under that which administers poor-relief. A poor-law, as we under- stand it, does not exist in any of our Australian Colonies, which recognise no legal claim to relief; but in each we visited, and we believe in all, liberal grants are made by the State for the relief of the destitute. The department which administers them in South Australia is entitled the Destitute Board, the authority and responsibility of which rests chiefly with its chairman, Mr. Thomas S. Reed. He has under his jurisdiction the whole out-relief of the colony ; the Destitute Asylum corresponding almost exactly to our English workhouse ; the Industrial School at Magill, a township six or seven miles from Adelaide, for the reception of those whom we should call juvenile paupers (who, however, always being committed to the 88 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. school by a magistrate, are under legal detention); and also young offenders who find their way into Reformatory Schools. Thus these escape the criminal brand, and possibly it may be because they are not associated in the public mind with the criminal class that their treatment is less strict than with us. Our visit to the boys' school was paid on the 12th June. We found twenty-five lads there, but were told the number had been much higher two or three years ago. We rejoiced in such a diminution in their numbers, until we learnt it was not to be attributed to the diminution of juvenile crime, but to the preference of the stipendiary magistrate at Adelaide (whence the greater number would naturally come) for sentencing young criminals to a few hours' imprisonment rather than to detention in the re- formatory ; and also to the short periods for which they are sent there, if sent at all seldom for more than two years, sometimes for much shorter terms. The school occupies what was formerly a gentleman's house, containing two or three good rooms and a few smaller ones. These not sufficing, Government granted 150/. for needful additions. With this sum a large dor- mitory has been built in a higher and much more airy situation; and this is the white erection which catches the eye from many distant points, constituting in fact a very useful landmark. Of course so moderate a sum would not have sufficed if much skilled labour at colonial prices had had to be paid for. The work was chiefly done by the boys themselves, under the direction, we understood, of the master, and we thought it very credit- able to all concerned. The room is roughly put together, and not in all parts perfectly watertight, but it is pro- bably quite equal to the accommodation its occupants are likely to meet with as farmers or bushmen in after- life ; and perhaps superior in some respects, for it is very clean, airy, light, and spacious. Each boy has a separate bed and good clean bedding. They wash in an outhouse attached to the main building. At the end of the dormitory is a little room partitioned off for an officer, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 89 with a window overlooking the range of beds ; and at the other a strong wooden wall shuts off a corner, which is used as a punishment cell. It was light enough to read in, and was, we saw, provided with b.ench and blanket for a couch, though we were told a lad is never left in it all night. We were glad to hear from the superintendent that he had little faith in flogging, and much in giving a boy time and opportunity for reflection. He said that the cell was used for lads guilty of such faults as impertinence to a teacher, and that few serious offences were committed. The cell had been only occupied twice since it had been constructed, eighteen months before. A rather extensive piece of land belongs to the school, but much of it seemed barren and stony, and very little has yet been cultivated. A few cows and some pigs are kept ; they of course are tended by the boys, and are very profitable. We found eight lads employed in the shoe- makers' shop, who make not only for the inmates of the reformatory but all the boots and shoes required for Magill School and the Destitute Asylum, i.e., for at least two hundred persons ; and care is taken to teach these lads their trade thoroughly, so that some of them are even n't to be journeymen when they leave. The little boys of eight or nine years old make straw covers for wine bottles, which are sold at fourpence a dozen, and produce a profit just covering the cost of the straw for the school mattresses. The little fellows were working with a will owing, perhaps, to their getting a minute percentage on the number turned out. Neither clothes nor bread are made in the school, but the lads mend their clothes ; and two help the woman who is the cook and laundress to the establishment, taking turn in these duties with the boys who work out of doors. All attend school two hours a day. We were shown very satisfactory copy-books, and were told the highest class reai from the fourth Irish national-school book. Most boys come very ignorant, so that they must be efficiently taught to advance so far during their short sojourn. They rise at six in summer and seven in the winter. Work 90 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. stops at six in the evening, tea follows, and the interval till bed-time, at eight, is given to recreation, being spent in reading, singing, playing at games (draughts, &c,), under the superintendence of an officer. There are also two or three intervals of play during the day. The cost per head in the Reformatory, given in the Annual Report for 1872, was 11s. a week, when the average number of inmates was thirty-five. The dietary would astonish many an English school committee. Half-a-pound of bread and half-a-pint of milk, substituted sometimes by milk porridge with half the quantity of bread, are given for breakfast and sup- per : the boys have meat daily, with, sometimes, soup or pudding, and vegetables a discretion. We were amazed at this bill of fare, the first of the kind we had seen in Australia; but we found the allowances as abundant in quantity in almost all the institutions, including the prisons, we subsequently visited. Food is far cheaper than with us, and all classes use it liberally, often wastefully. We were assured over and over again, in every colony on the con- tinent we visited, that no one ever had less to eat than they wanted ; and, with possibly an exception or two among the street children of Sydney, we certainly never saw any person who did not look sufficiently fed. A fact so significant of physical comfort, and of the absence of the most painful form of want, gives a wondrous charm to the land of which it may be affirmed ! The lads looked healthy and happy, and had a frank, independent air, which, even under the most favourable circumstances, one rarely sees in inmates of similar insti- tutions at home. Not one had a vicious or degraded countenance. Evidently they were of quite different type from the offspring of the dregs of our old populations. The very light restraint and moderate amount of work to which they were subjected, and the generally easy mode of life they were leading, may possibly be sufficiently dis- ciplinary for these boys, constituting as they do but a small number, and therefore brought constantly into indi- vidual relation with their master and teachers, who seemed WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 91 to feel much interest in their welfare. The conduct of some, however, after quitting the school would bear amendment, and it seemed to us that stricter discipline while within its walls, and more supervision after leaving, were to be desired ; and on the latter point the Destitute Board appear to entertain the same opinion. The wise provision of the South Australian Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act of 1872, directing that young persons shall be apprenticed on leaving the school, whether placed out before or at the expiry of their sen- tence, and thus retained under official supervision, would seem not to be habitually carried into effect, as in their Annual Report, issued in 1873, the Board states that "it is found in almost all cases of complaints by the employers, or discontent or bad conduct on the part of the boys, the real or main cause may be traced to the constant interference of the parents or friends, who claim their children as a right at the expiration of the sentence : whereas the Act contemplates and prescribes apprentice- ship to service or trade, not only during the term of sentence, but even on the day of termination, as the most effectual means of keeping them from the dangers of their former course of life and evil associations. This same ill-judged interference has also had to be constantly guarded against in the case of the younger children placed out from Magill." Here, then, is the same mis- chievous influence at work which we have cause constantly to lament at home ; and whether we should most blame ourselves for not adopting means of protection from it, or the South Australians who, possessing them, do not use them, it is difficult to say. To the neglect of such pre- cautions we find attributed in the same Report the abscond- ing of three boys from the school, and of three more from situations during the past year. Such absconding does not, indeed, at present imply the probable failure in after life that it might do in England. Where food is cheap and work plentiful, and where no criminal class yet exists, the temptation and the opportunity for leading a dishonest or vicious life are alike small. But, as popula- 92 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. tion increase?, the unfavourable circumstances of older forms of society will be liable to arise, and it is of vital importance to these young communities to prevent, while it is yet possible, the upgrowth of a pauper or a criminal class. To this end is essential the wisest and most large- sighted administration of charitable funds whether public or private, and a system of criminal discipline both for adults and juveniles which, while it deters from offence, shall reform the offender. So long as such terrors of the law as are involved in the apprehension of the delinquent, his trial before a magis- trate, and detention in a police-cell for a few hours, are found sufficient to prevent the child-criminal from re- peating his offence, let these, by all means, be the limit of his correctional discipline ; but if they prove no deterrent to him, and he throw himself again within the grasp of the law, his own best interests, and the welfare of his country, both demand that he shall not be released until he has been trained to be an honest citizen, and has proved his (will and power to become a useful member of the State.* The means to this end have been ascertained by * That the milder treatment favoured by the magistrates is not, effi- cient, the following paragraph leads us to fear. It is extracted from the ' South Australian Kegister ' for December 5th, 1874. ' The fruits of the defective early training of young men belonging chiefly to the lower grades of society are beginning to manifest them- selves in an epidemic of 'larrikinism' a term first adopted in Melbourne to describe the reckless deeds of the young roughs that infest the streets of that city. The offenders are principally youths budding into man- hood, who appear to set at defiance all moral and social restraints, and to take delight in blackguardism for its own sake. They are accustomed to go about in gangs insulting or maltreating the quietly disposed, according as the humour seizes them, or as opportunity serves. Their operations are principally confined to Adelaide and the suburbs, although other centres of population are beginning to complain of their lawless proceed- ings. Encouragement has been given to their escapades by the unwise leniency with which magistrates have treated cases of rowdyism brought before them from time to time. A demand has sprung up in some quarters for the free application of the cane or of the lash to the backs of the young ruffians ; but there is reason to believe that the existing law, which empowers the Justices to imprison the culprits or to send them on for trial at the Supreme Court, would, if rigorously administered, answer all requirements." The WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 93 long and costly experience in those old countries which have been compelled, for safety's sake, to find the solution of the problem. Younger states have but to follow in their footsteps, and by the timely adoption of the prin- ciples which have won the success of the Eauhe Haus and Mettray, and of all similar institutions worthy of comparison with these noble exemplars, to secure for themselves the advantages which their predecessors have purchased at great cost. Details must vary with locality, and in America comparatively a new country probably may be found some modifications in the management of these schools appropriate and available in Australia. But the guiding principles should be the same in all ; and even in the daily routine of the older establishments will be found much that may be profitably copied. When we reached South Australia she was without a Governor, Sir James Fergusson having departed several weeks previously, and his successor, Mr. Musgrave, not having yet come from Natal ; his place being supplied by the Chief Justice, Sir Richard Hanson, as Acting- Governor, until he arrived early in June. By mischance, and much to our regret, we did not witness the ceremony of " Swearing in," which took place in the Town Hall in the presence of all the dignitaries of the land. The regulation Levee followed two or three days afterwards, and on the 14th June Mrs. Musgrave held a " Drawing- room." This it was de rigueur to attend, and we accom- panied our relatives on the occasion. Gentlemen were received as well as ladies ; the hour was three in the afternoon, and promenade costume was the toilette. Government House stands in pretty grounds, which boast the rare beauty of a lawn. The house must have been a very modest residence formerly, but it was con- The word " larrikin " is supposed to have originated in the pronunciation of an Irish policeman, who, on being asked what had caused the appearance before the magistrate of certain young offenders, accounted for it by saying " they had been ' larrikin ' " (larking). 94 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. siderably enlarged some years ago, and is now a well- looking mansion, though hardly, even with its additions, to be called spacious. It contains handsome reception- rooms, including an elegant ball-room. Thither on the present occasion we slowly proceeded, for the attendance was large, and we could advance through the hall and ante- room only by inches. But once within the door of the ball-room all crushing was over. Here one official gentle- man received from each our visiting card, and dropped the same into a basket at his feet. A few steps further a second official gentleman received a second card, and read in an audible voice the name thereon inscribed. The owner ad- vancing became conscious of a group a gentleman and two ladies (for Mrs. Musgrave was supported by the Governor and her sister-in-law, Miss Musgrave) graciously bowing to him or her, as to each other constituent part of the stream of visitors proceeding from the door of entrance to that of exit. All, of course, bowed in return or should have done; but it was rumoured so:ne forgot, presumably in the excitement of the moment, their debt of courtesy, and walked straight on, looking neither to the right nor to the left. Passing into another room, the company stayed a few minutes to greet friends, many of whom had come into town from distant country homes, and to chat over the events of the day ; and then we all dispersed. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 95 CHAPTER VI. Visit to the Lakes Strathalbyn Langhorne's Creek Wellington The Murray Poltalloch The Aborigines Cattle Campbell House The Coorong Kangaroos Camping-out Mail Steamer An Alarm Milang Home. As a matter of course, we had a great desire to see kan- garoos in their wild state, well knowing that however ignorant people at home may be of the geography; climate, and flora, &c., of South Australia, the one tact of all others they have accepted is that the home of the kangaroo lies on that continent ; and that one of the first questions we should be asked, on our return, would be " Did you see any wild kangaroos?" To attain this end it was neces- sary to go a considerable distance into the bush, where in certain districts these animals are still found in vast num- bers, though they have not been seen for several years within many miles of Adelaide. To express a wish in Au>tralia is to have it gratified, at least such was our experience ; and some friends hearing of our desire, most kindly formed a party for the purpose of taking us to a cattle-station, near the lakes Alexandrina and Albert, where we should see these animals in their native condition. \Ve started on the 16th of June. Our hostess Mrs. Samuel Davenport, in her own carriage, accompanied by her sister, led the way, and E and ourselves followed in a travel- ling carriage of the country, viz., a small waggonette with roof and leathern curtains, hired for the journey, which would occupy two days. The gentlemen came next day by the mail. 'Our road, for some distance, was the same we had taken in our trip to Mount Barker; and Strathalbyn, a pretty thriving town, thirty-five miles from Adelaide, 96 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. which we reached before dusk, was our resting-place for the night. In the middle of the day we had baited the horses for an hour, and though mid-winter we ate our lunch out of doors. Strathalbyn is very English in its appearance, the more so as we saw both church tower, and spire, as we approached the township. These adornments are rarely seen in Australia, churches being usually built on the model of the Bethesdas, Bethels, and Zion Chapels (but on a small scale), with which we are familiar at home. Both tower and spire we found belonged to the Presbyterian Church, built originally with only the latter, but sub- sequently having received the gift of a peal of bells the tower had necessarily been added for its accommodation. Strathalbyn boasts gas works, but the company failed, therefore did the gas and resort has had to be made to the universal kerosene. There are one or two handsome shops and several of more modest appearance, the place being a commercial centre to a very wide district. On June 17th we were on our road soon after seven o'clock. The air was chilly, like that of an autumn or spring morning at home, and there was an exceedingly heavy dew, showing the very large spiders' webs stretched between the fence rails. Some of these insects are of gigantic propor- tions and spin webs among the trees, the threads of which are so strong, they have been known to knock off the hat of a person walking against them. The Adelaide hills were completely hidden by mist, except Mount Lofty and Mount Barker, which rose, dark-blue masses, above the clouds ; and a thin mist pervaded the comparatively low land over which we were driving, gradually fading as the sun gained force. Langhorne's Creek, nine miles from Strathalbyn, a town- ship of about a dozen houses, is nevertheless a post and telegraph station. At a neat little inn here we obtained breakfast, and our horses rest rest only it appeared it was to be, for no food was produced for them. The apathy of the drivers and ostlers roused our indignation, as we did ' not then know the power colonial horses possess of making WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 97 long journeys and long fasts at the same time. Some one suggested that bran, the usual dry food for horses here who seldom get oats, might be obtained from the store, which was soon done. We afterwards learned that bailiffs were in possession of the inn, which perhaps accounted for the lack of food in the stable. While breakfast was preparing we took a walk in the township, Mrs. Davenport being desirous to buy poultry and eggs for consumption at the stations which she repre- sented as places where the commissariat for so large a party might prove scanty in our opinion, on the contrary, plenty reigned at all we visited. Presently we saw a fine brood of ducks, and enquired of a little boy, who was munching a thick hunch of bread, whose they were? " Mother's." " Will you ask if she will sell us some, and if she has any eggs?" Our questions appeared to afford him much amusement, as he entered a cottage hard by to make this inquiry. Soon he returned with the answer, "that mother had no eggs, and the ducks were too tough to sell." A second brood was close by, and we asked our friend if he could tell us to whom they belonged ? " Moseley," he re- plied. We remembered having seen this name on a house near, to which we accordingly bent our steps, and asked Moseley if he could sell us ducks, fowls, or eggs ? It seemed as though such questions had never been asked here before, as Moseley was quite as much amused as the little boy had been. Mrs. Davenport inquired what there was in Langhorne's Creek? "Not much now," said he, "but grass." R remarked that the inhabitants did not look as if that were their only diet, " Oh ! no," replied the man, " we get on very well." Resuming our journey, having first provided some food for the horses, as it was rumoured there would be none at Wellington our next stopping place, twenty miles distant, we drove over a perfectly flat country, at first between paddocks, but presently entered a more barren region, somewhat resembling " la triste Sologne," in the centre of France, the Adelaide Hills looking not unlike the moun- tains of La Foret. Here we first saw the mal!ee-crub, a H 98 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. dwarf variety of the Eucalyptus. It is invaluable where water is difficult or otherwise impossible to obtain, for it possesses large hollow roots holding considerable quantities, even in the driest soils, so that it is almost a proverb that where mallee-scrub prevails no one need die of thirst. Passing through this barren region we came again on beautiful grass land on which sheep were feeding, while far away to the right we saw the blue waters of Lake Alexandrina. For the last mile of our approach to Wellington we travelled over thick sand, the few houses of the township including a large telegraph and post- office and a little inn seeming to have sunk bodily into the yielding substance, for their roofs were but on a level with our road till we came close upon them. We sank ankle-deep in the soil as we made our way to the door of our " hotel," as the humblest public-house is called in Australia. Here we first saw the river of the continent, the Murray, on which Wellington stands perhaps half-a-quarter of a mile wide, muddy-looking, and running through a flat country at the rate of two knots an hour. Ten miles below Wellington, the Murray spreads into Lake Alexandrina. The view up the river is rather pretty, with frequent bends, flat pastures on one hand, and sand cliffs or green hills on the other these features changing from side to side with little variety, we were told, for hundreds of miles. On the upper part of the Murray, above its junction with the Murrumbidgee, there is a tine wine-grcwing country. In the neighbourhood of Albury, in New South Wales, wines of high quality are made. The river is crossed at Wellington by a ferry, the boat, a large floating stage, being quite capable of carrying over our two carriages, with their horses, at the same time. A heavy swamp borders the eastern side of the river, which was difficult, and even dangerous, to cross until the Go- vernment at considerable expense raised a solid levee road about a furlong in length, bordered on each side with very strong post and rail fences, and having a gate at the end furthest from the river. The purpose of the fence is to WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 99 keep the cattle about to cross the river on their way to Adelaide from straying into the swamp. Before the establishment of the ferry they swam across, and indi- viduals among them were not unfrequently lost through getting into this slough. A bridge is in course of erec- tion by the Government at Edward's Crossing, some distance above Wellington ; but in the opinion of the Wellingtonians it should have been built at their town, where, as they contend, the traffic is far greater. This work was considered of such importance that the Governor was invited to lay the first stone, a ceremony which took place during our stay in Australia. A number of the aborigines were present with their chief, a woman. She was told she ought to speak to the Governor. Accordingly she approached him, and, rather unexpectedly, put this question to His Excellency : " Well, Gub'nor, what you going to give us ? White fellow taken all our country ; what you give us for it ? " Since our return to England we hear that it is in contemplation to connect Adelaide by railway with the Murray. Crossing, by a circuitous but practical route, the Mount Lofty Kange, the line will terminate at this bridge. It is expected to materially increase the traffic between the capital of South Australia and the vast tract of country watered by this river and its tribu- taries. Such a line will bring innumerable lovely sites on the Adelaide Hills, for country houses, within half- an-hour of the capital, thus enabling the " parched-up " citizens, to use the phrase of one of themselves, to escape from the heat of the plains. At Wellington Mr. Davenport's manager, Mr. Sandys, met us. He was to be our guide fifteen miles across the bush to Poltalloch, the station we were to visit first. Here we quitted the excellent high road from Adelaide and had now only tracks to follow. Mr. Sandys headed the procession in his buggy, our way lying across a grassy plain, skirted by uplands, upon which grew the Shea-oak (Casuarina quddrivalvis). This tree, which at a distance bears some real or fancied resemblance to an oak, per- il 2 100 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. petuates in the first half of its designation the name of a colonist Shea, unless indeed the whole is a corruption of the native name. Seen near at hand its leaves, of the sombrest green, are somewhat like those of the pine. The sound of the wind among its branches is peculiar and very mournful, well according with its funereal aspect. We soon reached Lake Alexandrina, our road now lying along its shores and over beautiful grass, thicker and more luxuriant, we were told, than it had been for several years. On our way we crossed the " Black Swamp," a dreadful Slough of Despond, where travellers, unless guided by those well conversant with the road, may be, in colonial language, " bogged," that is, stuck in the mud with but small hope of getting out. Mr. Sandys, however, took us over so skilfully that it was difficult to recognise that we were crossing a swamp at all. We passed some wurleys, the dwellings of the aborigines. They are small huts of the meanest description, formerly constructed of boughs, but now more often of posts and the blankets given to the natives by the Government on the Queen's birthday. These huts are seldom sufficiently high for their owners to stand upright in, and are some- times closed in all round, sometimes open on one side, mere sheds indeed. They are apt to become very full of vermin, and when too lively for its human inhabitants the wurley is taken bodily up, 'and removed to a fresh site. Our conductor knew the natives dwelling here, and nodded and spoke to them as we passed. Poltalloch is a beef and not a mutton station, and that there might be some variety in our menu Mr. Sandys had begged a sheep of a neighbouring proprietor, at whose station we called on our road. Here were some more wurleys; and Mr. Sandys having asked a question of a woman living in one of them, she shouted in a stentorian voice, "all right," and then turned round and stalked majestically back to her little hut. Arriving at the station, about eight miles from Poltalloch and its nearest neighbour, we were shown into an elegantly-furnished sitting-room. The piano, we afterwards learned, had been tuned by the WE A T WE SAW IN A USTKALIA. 101 Duke of Edinburgh, who staid here during his sojourn in South Australia. Tuners are, of course, very rare in the bush, and the prince had good-naturedly employed his skill for the benefit of his hostess. The proprietors, with colonial hospitality, pressed us to visit them on our return, promising us the use of their yacht for excursions on the lake, but to our regret we were unable to avail ourselves of their kindness. Returning to our carriages, the butcher of the station, an old aboriginal, was waiting to tell us the whereabouts of the sheep. His snow-white hair contrasted oddly with his black countenance, as he grinned at the jokes of his master and Mr. Sandys, though, poor fellow, his wife at that very time lay dead. The corpse was to be smoked and then laid upon a plat- form of branches, and covered with leaves. She would afterwards be hung up on a tree until the bones were dry. Eventually, we understood, she would be buried. Various ceremonies are observed during the process, and our friends wished we could have witnessed a portion, but the tribe lived too far from Poltalloch to render this possible. Proceeding on our journey, still over the rich grass land, we saw a herd of horses galloping in all directions, and showing themselves off to perfection. Some were being " cut out," that is separated from the herd by a skilful rider and driven into enclosures, probably in order to be prepared for work. Very soon we came through a gate, by which we entered the Poltalloch estate or " run," and here we saw a native on horseback, driving a herd of most refractory calves, who had been lately weaned, into a small paddock for the night. They would have strayed too far if left in a large one. While the poor fellow caught one, and turned it towards the entrance, others would be off in several directions, to whom he was then compelled to give chase. It appeared a very tedious and troublesome busi- ness. We asked Mr. Sandys whether the aboriginal could be trusted to persevere until he had driven all his calves into their night-enclpsure. The answer was, that certainly he might. This man has been many years on the run, but M'hen shearing time comes he will go off, as he can 102 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. gain higher pay in that occupation. Natives make very good shearers. A Victorian friend of ours told us, that during the gold fever he was compelled to employ them, the whites being gone to the diggings. He paid them at the same rate, and found that on the whole (though some were mere lads who had to learn their business) they performed the operation better than the Colonists. They would take the whole fleece off more skilfully ; and once having acquired the art, they never cut the sheep with the shears gashes, sometimes even long and deep, being too com- mon upon these poor creatures when shorn by whites. This Poltalloch aboriginal can earn quite as much as a white at shearing, but is not able to take care of his money, and after a time he will return to his old place, looking very miserable, and ask for work, which he always obtains. At length, just as it was growing dark, after driving through a Scotch mist, we reached the " Station " as the house on a run is called a cottage perched on a knoll about half-a-quarter of a mile from the lake, and commanding a view of the country round for a consider- able distance. In the early days when the aborigines existed in large numbers, and were sometimes hostile, this situation had been chosen that the inhabitants of the station might have timely notice of the approach of an enemy. The next day, as soon as the heavy dew had, in some measure, disappeared from the grass, which literally sur- rounded the house and its small garden, we walked out towards the cheese-dairy, a quarter of a mile distant, but were compelled to relinquish our intention of visiting it, as the grass, ankle-deep, was still too wet to allow us to persist. The cheese-dairy was established not for profit, but as a training-school for the cattle. The cows, who are milked once in twenty-four hours, have their calves with them during the day, but these are separated from their mothers and driven into a stock-yard for the night, and thus become accustomed to confinement, and learn from their earliest youth to obey the word of com- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 103 mand. When they grow up, and are placed out in more distant paddocks in herds or " mobs," as these are called, they are more docile, and can be brought up to the stock-yard with much less of the chasing hither and thither which is injurious to them. A muster which our host had come down to hold, as the property was about to pass into other hands means the collecting of the cattle in the stock-yard for the purpose of counting them. This is, however, but rarely done, because the necessary hunting it involves does serious damage to the beasts. The cattle on this station are said to be the finest in the colony, and command high prices in the Adelaide market, prices, however, which would strike English graziers as very moderate. The prize-ox had been sold for 43Z., and four particularly fine bullocks only fetched 25Z. a-piece. The cattle are almost always sent to Adelaide for sale, and travel thither about eighty miles, in mobs of a hundred each, at the rate of twelve miles a day, walking gently and grazing as they go, and being always paddocked at night. Taken in this manner they do not lose flesh on the journey. An old native woman who lived on the run was em- ployed to wash linen at the house, which she did very well. She brought a basket of her own manufacture, ingeniously made of grass, and sold it to us for six- pence. We asked her to make us some mats of the same material and another basket, which she promised to do ; but she seemed in no haste to set about them, pre- ferring to stay and talk with us, or loiter about the house. In fact, she did not depart to her home till late in the afternoon, and we heard no more of our mats. She pos- sessed the high cheek bones and flat nose of her race, with black hair, in her case cut short, over which she wore a dirty net. Her dress consisted of an old petti- coat, bound over one shoulder and under the other, and a blanket put on as a sort of cloak. She had nothing on her feet, and her legs were bare to the knees. She spoke broken English, and in the course of conversation we dis- covered, what struck us as extremely droll, that the whites 104 WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. speak broken English to the aborigines. Her manner was extremely sociable, with a ludicrous mixture of the self-deprecatory reverence of a dog, and an off-hand familiarity surpassing that of one's most intimate friend. On returning from our walk we found our aboriginal acquaintance sitting in the open air watching a huge pot boiling on a wood-fire. Asking her what was inside, she answered, " White felfellows ; " then correcting herself, " White ladies' dinner." She was smoking, and at the same time netting with soft white cotton without needle or mesh, using her fingers as substitutes, and yet pro- ducing perfectly even stitches. We told her that " white fellows" were not sufficiently clever to do that. The tribes in this district were in the habit of employing this art for the manufacture of their fishing-nets before the whites arrived in Australia. They use for this purpose two kinds of fibre one obtained from the blue rush, which grows in the scrub, and the other from the roots of a water- iiag common in that part of the country. " Scrub," we may explain, signifies uncultivated districts covered with bushes, in contradistinction to forests or to grass-land. To prepare these rushes or roots they are steamed in the " native oven." This is a hole in the ground, in which heated stones are placed. Steam is then generated by water being poured upon them, and the cavity is carefully closed. The next process is the mastication of the fibrous material, which is performed by the women, who will sit round a fire thus occupied for hours together. When sufficiently mace- rated the fibre is passed to men, who sit by and work it up into twine by twisting it on the thigh, making it coarse or fine according to the purpose for which it is required.* We asked the old woman if she had any children ; she replied that she had had one, a fine boy, but that he was dead, for which she was very sorry. The reason for her sorrow was rather startling: it was that "he would, if he had lived, have earned a deal of money for her." One of our party asked if she knew Mr. Davenport. " Oh ! yes," 4 The Narrineyeri,' by the Rev. George Taplin, Adelaide, 1874. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 105 she replied, looking at our hostess, "I know that woman's master," without the slightest intention of saying anything rude. F was the last of us who remained talking with her, and desiring graciously to dismiss her dusky sister, benignly wished her farewell. " Good-bye, old girl," she answered, and turned on her heel. In the afternoon we had a delightful drive through the paddocks, over the luxuriant grass, every now and then sighting mobs of fine cattle, looking perfectly at their ease as they grazed or reclined on the rich sward. With the lake on one side, and low green hills dotted with shea-oak on the other, we could have fancied our- selves driving through an English park. A dead wombat was lying on the grass near the water's edge. This animal, which looked not unlike a brown pig, burrows in long tunnels, so near the surface of the ground that the roof may be easily broken through. The exits and entrances, often overgrown with plants, are not easily discovered; so that riding or driving where the wombat abounds is dangerous, except to those acquainted with the signs of its presence. On our way we met our black friend returning with a companion to her wurley. The companion we learnt was a co-wife her Lubra, as she called her husband (the word is equivalent to spouse, though generally applied to the wife) possessing two of these appendages, who lived in great harmony together. Near to Poltalloch we passed a small salt lagoon, not uncommon in this part of the country, the waters of which sink in dry weather, leaving a deposit of salt on the margin, used for salting beef at the station. The lagoon, though on private property, is reserved by the Government, who sell the salt. Brooks and springs are also often brackish. Their water is extremely unpleasant to the taste, until time accustoms the palate to the salt flavour, when it becomes so necessary that persons used to drink tea made of brackish water add salt when compelled to make it with fresh. A brilliant sunset, followed by the after-glow which glorifies the whole landscape, bathing it in a rich flood of mellow light, added to the pleasure of our drive home. 106 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Next morning our party, increased to the number of eight persons, five ladies and three gentlemen, started in three carriages for Campbell House, a station on another run belonging to the same proprietor, twenty-eight miles distant from Poltalloch. In the course of this drive we should see, we were told, the kangaroo. Very soon we beheld a pair, but scarcely were they perceived before they had vanished. With a few graceful bounds, their tails waving gently from side to side, they were out of sight in a moment. The tail is thus used to balance the body, not as has been alleged as a third hind leg. The kangaroo possesses a very effective weapon, in a long sharp nail or claw on each hind foot, like a little bayonet with which, when it comes to close quarters, it tears the flesh of its assailants. It never attacks unless in despair of escape ; in that position " old men " kangaroos are very formidable antagonists. We saw several birds, hawks, cranes, herons, wild ducks, and brush turkeys (Talegallus lathami). These are tall handsome birds, in colour pale brown mixed with gray, and are excellent to eat. Every- thing is reversed in Australia, and these birds follow the fashion, the meat of the breast being brown, while that of the wings is white. Quitting Poltalloch run, we entered on a district called " No man's land " so poor that no one cares to buy it from the Government. Neighbouring proprietors have a right of commonalty in proportion to the number of acres in their possession ; and if space still remains other persons may rent the right of grazing on it. Our route lay across this barren region. Sometimes we came upon a high road, which we should follow for a time and then plunge again into the bush. This road is now out of use, the mails being carried by a more direct route across Lakes Alexandrina and Albert. Passing a wurley, near Meningie, where a woman was weaving a mat, Mr. Sandys stopped, and after greeting her asked her to show us her work. This, with some hesitation, she did, and we promised to buy it if it were finished on our return. On being asked her name, she said she was John Wilson's lubra, but afterwards confessed to possessing WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 107 a name of her own, Maria. John Wilson himself we discerned in the darkness of the wurley watching all that went on. We passed, at some distance from the town, a school-house with an old covered waggonette stand- ing outside. This belonged to the master who lived at Meningie, and was in the habit of driving himself to school, picking up his pupils as he came along. It had not been unusual, we heard, and the habit may still prevail in some districts, for the school-master to drive about the country for this purpose. Meningie, at the south-eastern extremity of Lake Albert, is the landing place for the mail steamers. Telegraph wires pass through the township, but there is no station here, the nearest one being seventeen miles off not an extraordinary distance in the Australian bush. Leaving Meningie we skirted Lake Albert, prettily fringed with Australian tea-tree, a tall shrub covered with small white blossoms. The lake is dotted with minute islands and the coast runs out in long wooded points, reminding one some- what of the upper end of Loch Katrine. A variety of waterfowl abound in the lakes, teal, ducks, cootes, herons, pelicans, and black swans, the white or black forms of the larger birds floating majestically on the still waters. The remainder of our drive led over undulating ground rather thickly wooded ; indeed, the lower trees were often pushed aside by our carriages as we followed the best track we could find, which brought us to Campbell House, after a pleasant journey of five or six hours. In the course of our drive we saw several kangaroos, but we never came on any herds of these animals. In some parts of the colony they may still be seen in vast numbers. The extirpation of the dingo, or wild dog, their natural enemy, has allowed them to multiply enormously. Thus they have become in some districts so serious an evil to the squatter, by devouring the food needed for his sheep, that he is compelled to have them destroyed by the thousand at a time.* * The squatter, a word said to have been imported from America, is the holder of a run for sheep or cattle, and in social position corresponds, roughly speaking, to the squire at home. 1 08 WHA T WE SAW IN A US THALIA. Campbell House stands on rising ground overlooking Lake Albert, which opens widely, and though it has no lofty banks its shores are pretty and a range of hills is seen faintly in the distance. The next morning we drove some ten miles across the run, to see the Coorong, an inlet of the sea eighty miles long but extremely narrow, and separated from the ocean by a range of low sandy hills, not too barren to produce good grass. These hills are part of the Campbell House estate, and horses belonging to the station are pastured there, easily swimming across the narrow gulf. Our road lay first through grassy paddocks and then across a wooded country. The trees, which are chiefly shea-oak, are very valuable for fuel. They are, however, fast disappearing in this neighbourhood, because the cattle, by eating off the shoots of the young trees, prevent their attaining maturity. The native honey-suckle and other shrubs are plentiful one, the native box, much more like our myrtle, has fragrant leaves and bears white blossoms. The native myrtle, a larger tree, also grows here but not so abundantly. In scorched shea-oaks and dead box trees, we saw the traces of an extensive bush-fire, which had raged the year before. Bush-fires are still unhappily very common. Travel- lers throw away burning lucifers after lighting their pipes ; and in summer this is quite sufficient to kindle a fire. The one of which we saw the vestiges, had originated in some agricultural operation at Point Macleay, a mission station, fifteen miles from Campbell House. A part of the mischief it caused was the destruction of from eight to nine miles of the fencing on this run. On reaching some high ground, a lovely view lay before us. We saw through the trees the shining waters of the Coorong with, here and there, groups v Of pelicans and the graceful black swan, accompanied by large flocks of lesser aquatic birds; and beyond were the hills, prettily wooded, dividing the inlet from the ocean, the beauty of all enhanced by the brilliancy of the Australian sky. We saw several kangaroos of a small species, known as the doolatchi. Sometimes they would be sitting quite at their ease until we approached, when they bounded away and were WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 109 soon out of reach. At others, either they did not see us, or we did not alarm them, for occasionally they appeared to watch us steadily while quietly seated on their haunches. Also we carne upon a nest of the native pheasant, a large dome-shaped mound made of dead leaves and sand, with four tunnel-like entrances. When full it contains a very large number of eggs, which are hatched by the heat generated by the decaying leaves. Numerous hen phea- sants use one nest, and are said to be conducted thither by the cock when about to lay their eggs. The bird itself we never saw in its wild state. We had often expressed a wish to " camp out," and had been laughingly advised to try the experiment by day. On our return to the station we found our kind host had made preparations to gratify this desire. Two enormous camp fires of shea-oak were burning in the paddock near the house, one for us to sit by while our meal was cooked at the other. But as we were very anxious to see the actual cooking of the food, we sat down before the kitchen fire and were made perfectly comfortable, on cushions, cautiously setting our backs against the huge plants of the grass tree. Not, however, that this is a tree at all. It grows in tussocks, having pointed leaves from two to three feet long, and half an inch wide at the base, with edges so sharp that they may give a severe cut if incautiously handled. The gentlemen of the party were the cooks. First Mr. Sandys, an experienced bushman, with coat-sleeves turned up, began his manufacture of damper ; an art only acquired in perfection by considerable practice. Having scraped a small hollow in the ground, he spread a piece of sacking in it, and on this put his flour, with a little salt, mixing it into dough with water, and then working it well up, kneading, patting and turning it with praiseworthy perseverance. Meanwhile, Mr. Daven- port was busy with a " quart-pot." This is a strong tin mug, with two handles of wire fixed on the same side, through which a stick can be conveniently passed, to remove the pot from the fire when too hot for the hand to 110 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. approach. This he placed full of water by the fire, and as soon as it boiled threw in a handful of tea, letting it continue to boil a few minutes ; sugar was then added, and our " quart-pot tea " was ready. The other gentlemen meanwhile cut small steaks from a shoulder of mutton, which they toasted, some on forked sticks skilfully propped before the fire, others being broiled on the hot ashes. As, however, these processes consumed much less time than the baking of damper, Mr. Sandys proposed that he should make some " Johnny cakes," that is baby-dampers, in the shape of captain's biscuits, though somewhat larger, which were quickly baked on the embers. The large damper, two inches thick and eighteen in circumference, was after- wards baked by being placed on the ashes so far cooled as to have become black, and covered with similar ones. This, when cold, was porous, and very palatable. All was now ready. Grass-tree leaves were presented to each of the ladies, which, being held in a peculiar manner between the fingers of the left hand, in which we were duly instructed, formed by no means contemptible plates. We made a sandwich of Johnny cake and mutton steak, held fast by pressing the left thumb against it, enabling us to cut off pieces with a knife held in the right hand. But our host deviated from the true bush meal, for he gave us cups and cream, refinements unknown to real campers-out. The tea should be drunk from tin pannikins small mugs with handles, and it should also be drunk " oval,"* i.e., without milk or cream. But that we might not fail in any particular we also drank some milkless tea from the pannikin. This pannikin, a piece of sacking, and a knife, are all the cooking utensils needed by a bushman when on his travels. We scarcely remember having enjoyed any meal in our lives more than this impromptu one ; and after its con- clusion sat luxuriating in the delicious warmth of the fire, while some members of the party made sketches of the group. Drawing-paper, as may be easily imagined, is a * Tea without milk or sugar ie called square, with both, round. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Ill luxury not generally found in camping-out ; but bushmen are never at a loss, and paper collars supplied the de- ficiency. These sketches we claimed, and preserve as a memento of that happy day. One of the ladies remarked that we were like white " Lubras," as we sat on the ground by the fire ; but it was answered, that had we been real Lubras we should not have reclined at our ease, well sup- plied with everything we required, but should have been compelled first to cook the meal, and then to retire behind our lords and masters while they enjoyed it, patiently waiting for the bits they chose to throw to us over their shoulders ; we in our turn casting the bones in like manner to the dogs, who would range themselves behind us. This. however, relates rather to the past than to the present, for even among the Australian aborigines some improvement has taken place in the position of women. Mr. Sandys told us that now they would be permitted to eat with the men. The next morning we again "were taken for a drive to several fine points of view. The day was bright and genial. Our route lay over a much more open country than that we had before traversed. From time to time we came on small mobs of cattle, twenty or thirty perhaps, scattered over a rich bit of pasture ; and every now and then a wallabi, an animal of the .kangaroo kind, but consider- ably less in size, would start from the rushy-grass or scrub almost beneath the horses' feet, and scudding away, be quickly lost in the bushes. Skeletons of oxen were not infrequent. These animals had died on the " run," and as it had never been worth while to bury them their bones had whitened in the sun. Our finest point of view was a spot on Lake Albert, Loveday Bay, from which we looked across the water towards the hills to the north- east, near Cape Jervis. We were up before daylight the following day, to start on our return to Adelaide. Our hosts were going back to Poltalloch, but E and ourselves intended to embark on the mail steamer at Meningie, cross the lakes to Milang, and go thence home by the mail omnibus. An early de- 112 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. parture was necessitated by our having to drive fifteen miles to Meningie, and be ready to embark at 8 o'clock, a.m., the hour when the mail, coming overland from Mel- bourne, was due. On week-days it was generally punctual, but this was Sunday, and it might reach Meningie some hours later ; as in fact proved to be the case, for we did not embark till past one. Fortunately there was a decent little inn, where we all breakfasted a T Australienne. Tea, coffee, eggs, and meat we were prepared for, but we were somewhat surprised by what followed. A general con- fusion of meals seems to prevail in this part of the world. Tea is often served at dinner, and meat always at tea, and here was a jam tart and rich pluin cake for breakfast ! At length the mail arrived, and we embarked on board the steamer, after taking a grateful farewell of our hospit- able friends. Our boat, ' The Diving Duck,' was a queer little craft, some 40 feet long by 10 or 12 feet wide, un- painted, with the minute boiler of its minute engine uncovered on the deck, looking like a huge kitchen kettle. The deck itself rounded towards the edge, without any rail- ing, required as much circumspection in traversing, to avoid falling into the water, as a Blondin might have learnt to exercise. Below there was a cabin, rather dark, with table and benches, all in a very rough condition. It must not, however, be supposed that this is the ordinary state of the Australian mail boats. The con- tractors had been compelled to use the Diving Duck before she was finished ; paint, bulwarks, and seats on deck would be doubtless supplied as time permitted. As our object was of course to see the scenery, we could not remain in the little cabin. The only safe plan, therefore, was to sit down on the edge of the companion, our legs dangling, or resting on the step ladder beneath; and never to stir from thence until we reached our destination. Lake Albert has pretty shores, sloping gently to the water's edge, dotted with trees and carpetted with rich grass at this season of emerald green. We had proceeded about an hour and were enjoying the view, when our boat came to a sudden stop, and on enquiry we were told some- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 113 thing was amiss with the engine. Immediately a process of hammering and tinkering began, while we remained on our perches, not daring to move, and uncertain as to our ultimate fate. The boat did not possess a sail, and if the engine could not be set right what should we do? Our position appeared somewhat awkward. It was certainly not re-assuring that one of the crew who, when we started, had described the new vessel in a highly eulogistic man- ner, as soon as the engine stopped entirely changed his note, and was as depreciatory as he had before been boastful. E indeed beheld death staring us in the face, and bitterly reproached herself with having led us to destruc- tion most unjustly reproached herself, for we had cer- tainly been voluntary agents in choosing our present route. We were at a loss to understand the ground of her exces- sive alarm, because we did not realise what she was well aware of that, being out of sight of Meningie, no help from the shore could be expected. The boat attached to the stern of the ' Diving Duck ' would have carried pas- sengers, crew, and Her Majesty's mails to the nearest shore, distant about three miles. But this fact did not lessen our cousin's anxiety, for even if we should reach land there might be twenty or thirty miles of pathless bush to traverse before food -or shelter could be obtained ; thus starvation on board or death from fatigue on land were the only alternatives present to her mind. The sequel, however, proved that the former at least need not have been feared. In due time an Australian tea was served in the cabin ; and a further supply of food was displayed by a sailor, who showed us two kangaroo tails he had to dispose of. But in less than half an hour the tinkering was successful, the engine was at work again, and we proceeded cheerily on our voyage, the scenery improving as we advanced towards Lake Alexandrina and the mountains on its western shore came more distinctly into view. The channel between the two lakes, about half a mile broad and five long, was very lovely, bordered with tall reeds looking golden in the declining sun. Half hidden behind them, 114 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. as we emerged into Lake Alexandrina, was an aboriginal in his boat, ostensibly occupied in fishing, but really in watching our steamer. He called himself " the great Mr. Board," having adopted the name of the settler on whose land he worked. This is not uncommon among the abo- rigines, though sometimes the patronymic of a colonist whom they specially esteem obtains their preference. Our vessel was a screw a species of steamer new on Lake Alexandrina, and very perplexing to the natives, and the great Mr. Board was watching its progress to dis- cover, if possible, its motive power. He could understand why paddle-wheels should propel a vessel, but the screw, being invisible, made the movement of the steamer quite incomprehensible. When we had passed he emerged from among the reeds, and standing up in his boat and rapidly propelling the little craft with his double-bladed paddle, was quickly out of sight. Soon alter entering the second lake we passed on the left a fine bluff, Point Macleay, near which is the mission station established, in 1859, for the instruction and con- version of the lake tribes of the aborigines. The white cottages of the inhabitants looked extremely pretty. We much regretted we could not pay it a visit, and see for our- selves what had there been effected for their civilisation ; but a narrative by the Superintendent of Point Macleay, enables us to give the following information concerning them.* These tribes, eighteen in number, call themselves Narrinyeri, an abbreviation of "Kornarrinyeri, from Korna, men, and inyeri, belonging to." Proud of this title, they designate other aboriginal nations " Wild black fellows." One of these, the Merkani, located near them, used to be cannibals, and stole fat members of adjacent tribes to eat. In those days, if the wife of a Narrinyeri were stout he never left her unprotected, lest she should be seized, carried off, and devoured. While we look with disgust on many of the customs of * 'The 'Narrinyeri,' by the Rev. George Taplin, missionary to the Aborigiues, Adelaide, 1874. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 115 the natives, some of them loathsome to the last degree, it must not be supposed that they herd together like wild beasts. They live under the rule of their " ruspulle," or chief, and of the elders, and are a law-abiding people. These tribes are strictly prohibited from using any but the native weapons in a battle between themselves a rule Mr. Taplin never knew infringed. Another law requires that an unfair wound shall be punished, and even the chief men submit to this provision. On one occasion a man came to Mr. Taplin with his upper lip literally almost bitten off. While dressing it the Super- intendent inquired how he had received the wound, and learnt that he had, in a fight, attacked a native named Captain Jack, a man of great consequence in the tribe who, being unarmed, had seized his assailant with his teeth and inflicted on him this terrible injury. Next day, Mr. Taplin, meeting Captain Jack, remonstrated with him on his conduct, when he replied, " Taplin, don't you talk, I have just had four blows with a waddy on my head for it." " The term dialect," says Dr. Moorhouse, " is scarcely applicable to the languages of New Holland. They differ in root more than the English, French, and German lan- guages, differ from each other; and if natives of one language happen to meet those of another, they are obliged to converse in English to make themselves understood.*" The language of the Narrinyeri, though not containing a large number of words, may yet be termed, in one sense, copious ; it is rich in synonyms, and very capable of in- flections. It possesses declensions, including all the Latin cases with some of its own both in nouns and pronouns. These have the dual as well as the plural number. The relationships between members of the same family are very curious. The children of a man's brother are his children, while those of his sister are his nephews and nieces. The offspring of a woman's sister are her children, * A Vocabulary, and Outline of the Grammatical Structure of the Murray River Language; by M. Moorhouse, Protector of the Aborigines, Adelaide. 1816. i 2 116 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. while those of her brother are her nephews and nieces. Marriages never take place between individuals of the same tribe, as they are all regarded as relations. The Narrin- yeri are extremely particular that kinsfolk shall not wed ; even second cousins they consider too near akin in blood. A woman is in the gift of her father or brother, gene- rally the latter, who exchanges her for a wife provided by his sister's suitor. A man who has a woman in his gift, and does not require a wife, will sell his right to another for money, clothes, or weapons. The woman of course is not allowed a choice ; indeed, the marriage is often arranged without either party having seen the other. Still it is considered desirable that she should agree to it, perhaps, to give some colour to the pretensions of the suitor, who always maintains that he marries a damsel because she is very desirous to have him. A woman signifies her consent to her marriage by carry- ing burning wood to her husband's wurley, and lighting his fire for him. An unwilling wife will say, when she desires to express that she has been forced into mar- riage, " I never made fire in his wurley." The Narrinyeri are polygamists, but do not always avail themselves of this privilege. Where there are more than one wife, as might be expected, they quarrel among themselves. The hus- band regarding his wives as his slaves employs them as much as he can for his own advantage. Animal food he procures himself, but roots, shell-fish, and edible plants they are compelled to provide for him. The following passage illustrates the position of women among them not many years ago : " The natives told me that some twenty years before I came to Point Macleay they first saw white men on horseback, and thought the horses were their visitors' mothers, because they carried them on their backs! I have also heard that another tribe regarded the first pack-bullocks they saw as the white-fellows' wives, because they carried the luggage ! " * Notwith- * 'The Narrinyeri,' p. 53. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 117 standing these customs, Mr. Taplin tells us that when a young man and woman entertain a liking for each other they generally contrive to marry ; and that he has known as well-matched and loving couples among the aborigines as among whites. Infanticide was so prevalent among the Narrinyeri before the arrival of the English, that it is said more than half the newly-born children were killed. An intelligent native woman told Mr. Taplin that if the foreigners had postponed their arrival a few years longer, they would have found the continent without inhabitants. A child was put to death (and in a very cruel manner) when born before its predecessor could walk, as mothers were considered incapable of carrying more than one infant at a time. When twins were born one invariably was destroyed, often both were killed ; and no deformed child was permitted to live. Many of the infant half-castes were sacrificed to the jealousy of their mothers' hus- bands, and many illegitimate children were also mur- dered. If, however, it was determined that the child should live, it was treated with the greatest care. Men would most tenderly nurse their offspring for hours, when the mother was either absent or ill ; and parents were plunged in grief at the death of their children. Infanticide happily has much decreased though it is not yet extinct. Mr. Taplin found that to allow a mother a ration of flour, tea, and milk for twelve months after her baby was born, acted most powerfully in jutting an end to this deplorable practice at Point The Narrinyeri think that no persons die naturally; but that illness and death are always the result of sorcery, in which they have a profound belief. Poisoning, by the insertion of putrid matter taken from a corpse, is a not uncommon mode of revenge among these tribes. Mr. Taplin established himself at Point Macleay, in October 1859, beginning his operations by visiting the natives, making himself acquainted with their habits and feelings, and meanwhile studying their language. He at 118 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. once introduced worship on Sunday, at which the atten- dance was crowded, the congregation listening to him with lively interest. Indeed, so deep was their love for the service, that during the first part of Mr. Taplin's ministry, when on one Sunday he was unavoidably absent, his wife was compelled to conduct it, though on scriptural grounds she hesitated to do so. " One week I had to be away from the station, and I left my wife and children and the servant-girl at home. On Saturday down came the blacks, and asked Mrs. Taplin ' I say, missis, what we do long a Sunday, no have 'em chapel ? ' After some talk she told them to come down at the usual time, in- tending to have a sort of Sunday-school instead of worship. The hour arrived, and, to her dismay, a perfect crowd assembled old grey-headed warriors and young men, women, and children ; they quite filled the room. There was no help for it, Sunday-school was out of the question, so my dear partner stood up behind the table and gave out a simple hymn and pitched the tune. This concluded, she read the Scriptures and offered prayer, then gave out another hymn. Now came the crisis; what was to be done ? It was soon decided. She took a volume of ' Line upon Line,' selected a chapter, and made it the foundation of an address upon the subject contained therein, and kept their attention the usual time ; then again sang a hymn and offered prayer; and dismissed the people. The natives said afterwards, " My word missis, you very good minister."* The ignorance and superstition Mr. Taplin encountered were difficult to overcome. The young, however, received his teaching more readily than the old, and when some of the youths were willing to work, he found occupation for them in fencing the land ; but at first the older people resented this so strongly that they beat the labourers most cruelly, and compelled them to stop saying that the young men would become too much like white fellows. This opposition to the adoption of ' The Narrinyeri,' p. 58. WE AT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 119 civilised habits has greatly diminished, though it still exists in some degree. A school for the children was opened as soon as a building had been erected for that purpose, in which they were fed as well as taught. " Never," says Mr. Taplin, " was a wilder lot of pupils," noisy and ravenous, active as monkeys, and without a notion of what cleanliness meant. But they were good-tempered and eager to learn, and time and patience produced their usual effects. They were much interested in hearing the Scriptures read, and their reverence for the Bible has been permanent. One lad, who died after a few days' illness, uttered a very pathetic prayer in English just before breathing his last. The old men, however, for a time visited departure from the customs of their tribe, whether caused by a sense of duty, or merely because no longer deemed necessary, with secret assassination. The Narrinyeri are much addicted to fighting. After a death there is often a battle, as the deceased must be avenged before his spirit is appeased; and these people seem to entertain great fear of offending the dead. As death is always held to be caused by an enemy, when he belongs to a different tribe, a fight takes place between the two. If real animosity exists it will be a serious affair, but if the dead man has only to be avenged, after a little spear-throwing the combatants separate. But when quarrels arise from other causes the battles are very sanguinary at least in the exchange of dangerous and disabling wounds, few men being actually killed in this kind of warfare. Happily these hostilities are said to have fallen into disuse. In 1865 Mr. Taplin began systematically to employ the natives in cultivating the land. Some work they had already accomplished, but only to a limited extent ; and if they were to remain at the mission it was necessary to devise regular occupation for them. The Government granted a lease of 730 acres to the Institution, where farming operations have ever since been carried on with very fair success. 120 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. The Christian natives desired better dwelling-places than their wurleys, where their property was insecure, and where they could never enjoy any privacy. Two of the most civilized, James Unaipon and John Lae- linyeri, were the first to build a small thatched cottage with their savings. From this beginning, the natives being aided by a friend to the institution in Scotland, arose the pretty cottages we saw from the lake. Besides these dwellings a chapel, costing 148Z., towards which some of the natives contributed 30/., has been also erected. Continuing our voyage, we reached Milang, our port of debarkation, at dusk, and found the omnibus awaiting the arrival of the steamer. When the mails had been transferred, the lower part of the carriage was so much filled up with large packages containing the last issue of the * Australasian ' a Melbourne weekly paper, resem- bling the ' Illustrated London News ' that we could scarcely find room for our feet. These papers were coming, of course, for sale in South Australia. We were surprised to find that the demand could be so great, the South Australian press itself being very prolific. There are two daily newspapers in Adelaide, the ' Advertiser ' und the ' Register,' each publishing a second, or evening edition. One monthly and seven weekly newspapers, of which one is printed in the German language, appear also at Adelaide. In the provinces several are published either once or twice a week; one of these is also in German. The omnibus conveyed us twelve miles to Strathalbyn, our sleeping-place for the night. Next morning we started by starlight, and again in the mail, for Adelaide. As the sun rose, we could discern that the trees and grass were covered with hoar frost, the air being very cold. The frost, however, gradually disappeared as we descended the hills; and by ten o'clock, when we reached the plains, the temperature resembled that of a summer morning at home. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ' 121 CHAPTEE VII. Private Theatricals Dramatic Readings A Ball Ministerial "crisis" Immigration A trip in the country Morphett Vale Noarlunga Willunga Australian inns Drinking habits High wages Aldinga Norman's victory Sellick's Hill Native trees and flowers Yankalilla Port Victor Port Elliot The Goolwa The Murray mouth Currency Creek The Meadows Clarendon Floods. THE evening after our return we were present at admirably performed private theatricals, quite equal to any we have witnessed at home. Another entertainment, which we shared more than once, almost equalled acting in result, with much less trouble in preparation. It consisted in reading a drama, each character being taken (if the num- ber of readers sufficed) by a different person ; but instead of all remaining present throughout and seated at a table, the arrangement we had been familiar with on such occasions at home, they made their entrances and exits, as they would have done had they acted their parts. A very few " properties " also were employed. These slight ad- ditions to a simple reading of the play gave an amount of histrionic effect far beyond anything we had anticipated. The first ball we "assisted" at in the colony, took place the next night. The winter gaieties began later than usual this season, \ve were told, being delayed for the arrival of the new Governor and his family. The present festivity was at the house of the leader of former ministries, and proved to be quite a political gathering, as well as an elegant entertain ment. Soon afterwards it became known that a ministerial " crisis " was at hand upon Immigration, a subject of intense interest just then in the colony. The farmers anticipating a harvest as abundant as the last, wanted labourers to be sent for from England to gather 122 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA. it in, while some other classes disputed the need for any such accessions to the labour market. Immigration, how- ever, carried the day Sir Henry Ayers went out, and the Hon. Arthur Blyth came in. The day after the ball we started for another short excursion into the country. There had been much discus- sion which way we should bend our steps. We wished to see more of the Murray, and were told a pleasant little tour might be made by driving to Swanport on that river, and there engaging a small steamer to take us up to Mannum. We should thus, in two days, see a pretty and characteristic part of the Murray which is remarkable for its numerous reaches, and the sharpness of its bends ; the stream sometimes turning so rapidly as to flow in almost the opposite direction to that it had previously taken. But it was the heart of winter ; the roads would . pro- bably be bad, resting-places were few and far between, and at some of them the accommodotion might prove very rough. So we chose a more frequented track. The one we selected, indeed, was through what may be considered the tourist district of South Australia, and is a favourite honey-moon route. Our party consisted of four three ladies and a gentle- man. C lent us a buggy, and we hired a pair of horses which did their week's work excellently. It was about one o'clock, on the 26th June, when we started, under a sun and sky recalling by their brilliancy those of Italy or Spain, but as indeed often happens there also accompanied by a sharp wind. Thus though umbrellas were needed for shade, warm wraps were equally accept- able, since out of the sunshine the air was as cold as on a winter's day in England. The southern suburb by which we were leaving Adelaide was new to us. Pretty little houses extend fur some dis- tance out of town, standing in gardens with vines growing on trellises, and an abundance of almond-trees. These were already coming into blossom at an unusually early season. Our horses trotted cheerily along the well-metalled WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 123 level road, keeping up nine miles an hour without the least effort. Driving southwards we crossed the little river Sturt, so named by its discoverer Captain Barker, after his friend and fellow-explorer; and leaving Glenelg on our right, our route lay along the plain, some miles wide, which extends from the Mount Lofty Kange to the sea, diversified only when a low spur of the hills runs down to the coast. Surmounting one of these by a slight ascent we reached the township of Reynella, whence we overlooked Morphett Vale, one of the earliest settled districts. We stopped to rest the horses at t Noarlunga, a singularly pretty little township, nestling in a hollow on a sharp bend of the Onkaparinga near to its embouchure in the sea, here a full quiet stream, perhaps fifteen or twenty yards across. For a short ^distance it is completely overarched by gum-trees, which repeat themselves in the placid water at their feet. There is an easy ford for vehicles, and for foot-passengers a very picturesque " spring bridge," half hidden among the trees and well deserving its name, for, as we walked across it, it rose and fell with a vivacity distressing to weak heads. It was only two or three planks broad, and perhaps sixty yards long, suspended high above the river by wire ropes fixed partly to posts, partly to a gum-tree. The inn was clean but homely. All the bedrooms were built separate from the house across the yard, the door of each opening on to a verandah. The landlady explained that this was an old-fashioned arrangement, the inn having been built in " ancient times." At this we laughed saying we could not imagine ancient times in South Australia. " Oh I can," she rejoined, "for I came here thirty years ago in Governor Gawler's time." A long climb from Noarlunga brought us to an open country like the Wiltshire Downs, whence we watched the sun drop into St. Vincent's Gulf. A brilliant after-glow followed his disappeance, and then the air became bitterly cold, so that we were right glad to reach Willunga, our destination for the night. As this is a favourite stopping place we had written beforehand to order rooms, and were dismayed to perceive no signs of expectation when we 124 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. drew up at the door. " Had not a letter been received ?" " No." " Could we have rooms ?" " Well I don't know we'll see." We were, however, admitted to the public sitting-room, while this point was ascertained, and thankfully warmed ourselves at its bright fire, from which some earlier arrivals good-naturedly withdrew. Bedrooms were found, and the usual Australian evening meal, a meat tea, was quickly served. Our landlady who had received us with chilling indifference was becoming more genial. Half-an- hour afterwards she entered the room with a brisk step and an open letter in her hand. It was our missive, only just delivered ; we were now warm friends, and she was in despair because her best rooms had been taken before we arrived. Cleanliness, and wholesome though very plain fare, may be reckoned upon in the country inns of South Australia. The general sitting-room is almost always supplied with a piano, and with books including often some standard works. In the bedrooms will be found brush and comb, and large slippers, and we have found tooth as well as shaving-brush. Such provision led us to suppose that the majority of South Australian travellers are of the male sex, and not accus- tomed to carry much luggage. We were told that at bush stations a clean shirt is hospitably provided for the traveller, who leaves his own in its place thus, in course of time, the stock becomes very miscellaneous, displaying a charming variety in shape, size, and colour. We woke next morning to find the air inexpressibly balmy. The sky was as clear as the day before, but the wind had gone round to the north. The latter was a bad sign, but we were not Australian weather-wise enough to know it, and so enjoyed the warmth without foreboding of evil to come. Kemarkably fine gum-trees, and well-built houses are the prominent features of Willunga, which stands amid pretty rural scenery, and commands a view of the sea about five miles distant. We had intended to be early on our road, but Australian servants are independent, and the ostler chose to take his own slow course, further retarded by frequent " nobblers " bestowed upon him by other depart- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 125 ing travellers. There was a group of six saddle-horses " hitched " at the door, waiting for their riders who were drinking in the bar. That drinking is no rare vice in Australia, and by no means confined to the lower classes is, we fear, but too true. We were assured, however, that it does not exist there to a greater extent than at home, but is conspicuous in a scanty population where every individual is more or less generally known. We were, moreover, told, in all the colonies we visited, that as a rule the native-born are temperate. The drinkers, still more the drunkards, are found among the immigrants. The reasons are not far to seek wages much above what they have been accustomed to ; distance from those whose good opinion they value ; a climate which at first seems more exhausting than that they have left, and the effect of which they mistakenly suppose alcohol will counteract ; the heavy toil and long hours of labour and lack of many of the ordinary comforts of life, which those engaged in station work have to endure ; and, lastly, the cheapness in a wine-growing country of the coarse strong spirit dis- tilled from the refuse of the grape. But if indulgence in drink is more patent in Australia than with us, so are its disastrous consequences by contrast with what sobriety can achieve. Wages are so high and food is so cheap that a working man, if he does not drink, soon finds money accumulating in his hands, and in a few years he has capital at command. If he invest it in any business for which the daily wants of mankind create a regular de- mand, and is prudent in his dealings, he may rapidly become even wealthy. There seem to be greater risks in farming than in trade. This is partly owing to the variableness of the climate which, indeed, has not been under observation a sufficient number of years for its qualities to be thoroughly understood ; and also to the many perils to which different crops are liable vicissitudes which, no doubt, increased experience and more extended operations will gradually moderate. But setting aside the question of attaining wealth, and considering only that of securing abundant comforts for the present and laying by 1 26 WHA T WE SA W IN A USTRALIA. ample resources for old age, it is hardly possible, we were assured, and our observations and inquiries confirmed the assurance, for men and women accustomed to manual labour who are, while young, industrious and frugal, to fail in winning this meed of success. For brain-workers the reward is less certain, and for inferior brain- workers the lower rank of clerks and governesses there is small chance of prosperity. Happily the prominence attaching to the effects of drink has awakened strong efforts in the cause of abstinence. Teetotal Associations, Bands of Hope, and Good Templar- ism, are at work in all directions, and seemed to be so largely supported by the youthful portion of the popula- tion that we gladly accepted the general dictum, full of happy augury, that young Australia is sober. When all our fellow-travellers had started on their several ways, the fumbling old ostler recognised the fact that no more " nobblers " impended, and proceeded to pre- pare our horses. We need not, indeed, have awaited his pleasure, as of course all Australian gentlemen (and not few Australian ladies) can harness their steeds themselves, but, that in his muddled state the night before, he had so scattered the equipments that our cavalier could not find them. At length, between ten and eleven, we set off, at least an hour later than we had intended to start. Turning aside a little from the main route we drove almost to the shore, passing through the pretty little township of Aldinga. Here we stopped to negotiate the purchase of a basket from a singularly handsome half-caste girl combining the lustrous eyes and dazzling teeth of her aboriginal descent, with the straight nose and thinner lips of her white parent who was walking along the road with an old native woman, equally remarkable for her ugliness. We objected to the price asked as too high, to which the elder woman replied, by saying " tucker was very dear," tucker being food, in Australian slang. Before crossing the Mount Lofty Eange by a fine pass called Sellick's Hill, we stopped to dine and rest the horses at an inn near its foot, named " Norman's Victory," to com- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 127 mem orate Norman's success in getting a good piece of road made a triumph worthy of record as all Australian travellers will agree. The inn was a fair specimen of an Australian roadside hostelry. The door opened into a large room, serving as salle- a -manger, but provided with four large sofas or benches with mattresses upon them and a rail at each end, evidently contrived a double debt to pay, and serve on occasion as beds. A private sitting-room, supplied with two similar sofas and otherwise nicely fur- nished, opened from the larger apartments on one side, and on the other a neat plain little bedroom, the only one probably the house afforded for "quality." We could hear billiard-balls clicking somewhere in the back regions. A billiard-table is not uncommon in Australian inns, and sometimes even there is a ball-room. The landlady at Willnnga showed us a large one, in which she had seen, she said, 200 people. " But there were seldom any balls now," she added, " she believed the people had grown too sanctimonious to dance." At Norman's Victory our hostess lamented she had not known we were coming, that she might have provided some- thing better than the cold fowl, mutton chops, and potatoes she gave us for dinner. There is a lagoon near, where she said wild ducks could be got. The view we surveyed through the open door, while we dined, was very pleasant. We looked across cultivated land, dotted with comfortable homesteads, to the sea, about two miles distant, and most intensely blue, except where the sunlight made it glitter- ing white. To the left the range of hills terminated in a fine headland forming the southern horn of a bay where we could distinguish the tiny port of Myponga. We ascended Sellick's Hill by a well-metalled and well- engineered road, and paused at the top to enjoy the views, one down the striking pass behind us, the other looking forward over an open undulating country, very finely timbered. On the sides and summits of the gorge the shea-oak prevails, with here and there a blackwood, a species of acacia, the wood of which takes a remark- ably fine polish. We returned to the guui-trees as we 128 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. descended. Very few flowers were to be seen, but here we first met with the native lilac (Hardeiibergia ovata) growing wild. This graceful shrub, which is a great favourite in gardens, bears a much closer resemblance to the English lilac than do most of the Australian flowers to their European namesakes. The leaf is very similar, and so is the colour of the blossom in both varieties the white and the lilac but it is a much smaller shrub. It is, moreover, a climber, and its flowers, which are papil- ionaceous, grow in slender sprays instead of bunches, and are not unlike the vetch. In mentioning the flowers we specially noticed in this trip, the arums must not be omitted. These do not grow wild, but they abounded in almost every garden. Their bloom is so luxuriant that fifteen or twenty flowers and buds may be counted at once in a single clump ; it was beginning now, and con- tinued with this abundance for several mouths. At a ball at which we were present, in October, among the beautiful floral decorations arums were used in profusion. The remainder of our drive was through park-like scenery, backed by lofty wooded hills emerald green while in sunshine, purple in shadow, and of a rich crimson at sunset. We saw few houses and hardly any people after leaving Norman's Victory, yet the road was good almost the whole distance to Yankalilla, where we slept. The land on either side is enclosed, and much of it is cultivated; and we must have passed between at least thirty miles of substantial fencing. The more we see of the colony the more are we astonished at the amount of work achieved. Yankalilla lies in a broad valley, with roads forking in two or three directions from the main one. There are a few rows of detached houses scattered over a large area, surrounded by gardens and enclosures through which their lights twinkled cheerily as we drove at dusk into the town. The hotel is comfortable, and the landlord and his staff were very kind and attentive. This, too, is characteristic of Australian inns, though there are excep- tions. Usually, however, you are treated rather as a WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 129 friend than a customer. Often the host or hostess pre- sides at the table d'hote (a frequent institution), and leads the conversation. The hotel at Yankalilla, however, was evidently accustomed to guests who prefer privacy, and we were served accordingly. The following morning we learnt the evil of a north wind in winter. We had gone to bed without, to our eyes, a sign of change in the bright, glorious weather ; we got up to find a soaked and dripping world. It rained too heavily for us to go out until afternoon, when we had a short drive to Normansville, a little port with a new jetty, to replace an old one battered and broken by waves driven against it by south-west gales. A tramway runs along the jetty from some rough little warehouses, where wattle-baric the chief article of commerce at Normans- ville, was stacked ; part of it packed in bags made of matting, part not packed at all. It is exported to England to be used in tanning. The grower gets 21. a ton, but it costs 10Z. to the English purchaser by the time it is delivered. The coast is very fine, bordered by lofty hills, half a mile from the sea in some places, in others running down to the shore in bold promontories. As a heavy shower swept up from the south these points were partially veiled in mist a beautiful effect, which, with the con- formation of the cliffs, recalled the coast of County Wick low to mind. Next morning was dry, and the sun showed himself occasionally. We drove southwards to Second Valley, following the coast we had seen the previous day for a few miles, and then turning inland by a picturesque pass through the hills. We now found ourselves in a fertile district, with little groups of farm buildings showing here and there. Hills still bounded the landscape. The land was partly pasture, beautifully wooded, but was mostly under the plough, with the young wheat-crop already showing in some places. W T e saw in a large field a flock of fifty or sixty white cockatoos pursuing their favourite occupation of picking out the seed, but, like rooks, with K 130 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. sentinels mounted to signal approaching danger. As we drew nigh they rose and flew to a little distance, where they settled on a small dead gum-tree and nearly covered it, looking like such a group in a mediaeval picture, the birds out of all proportion to the tree. When they con- sidered us at a safe distance they returned to their depre- dations. During the day we saw several such flocks, glistening in the sunshine as they flew. They are a terrible nuisance to the farmer. Of the black cockatoos, which are very good to eat, during all our travels we came upon only one or two at a time, and those very rarely, though in some localities they are numerous. The houses in Second Valley, or Finnis Yale, as it is also called, are collected in a cheerful-looking hamlet, a mile and a half from the sea, where upon a little bay is a minute harbour like that of Normansville, with jetty, tramway, and wattle-bark complete. Much corn is also dispatched from it. We drove as near to the beach as we could, and, having loosened the horses from the buggy and fastened them to a convenient fence, we had a long stroll among the rocks and huge boulders on the shore. All our wraps were left in the carriage, from which we were absent about an hour, but there was no risk of their being stolen. On the beach we found sponges of different kinds and forms, and even colours, for some of a small variety were of a beautiful crimson ; and pretty little coralines and seaweeds, but scarcely any shells. The mesembryanthemum hung down over the rocks, its mauve- coloured blossoms peeping out here and there. These rocks presented in some parts a remarkable appearance, looking like masses of gum-tree trunks. They had been quarried for material for the jetty ; and some of the blocks forming that structure it was impossible to believe were not of timber, without ascertaining by the touch that they had the coldness of stone. Dinner, ordered as we passed the "hotel," was ready on our return. We were waited upon by our host's daughter in her Sunday attire a silk dress and gold ornaments, and a bunch of roses in her hair; but the dress was turned WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 131 up and well protected by a large coarse apron. Her father presided at the head of the table. Speaking of the wheat-producing capabilities of the neighbourhood, we men- tioned that at Willunga we had heard of twenty -five bushels to the acre. He told us that here some land had produced thirty-five bushels, and that the average yield last harvest was seventeen or eighteen. The average for the whole colony last year, which was unusually prolific, was between nine and ten bushels. He spoke also of a stud-farm in the neighbourhood, where horses are bred of such high quality, that two-year-old fillies sell for 500?. Australian horses are a regular article of export to India, where, for the army or from private purchasers, high prices can be obtained. We had intended prolonging our drive some miles further beyond the little mining-town of Talisker to a point near Cape Jervis, whence the view is said to be magni- ficent ; but we learnt the roads were so bad that there was risk of our being benighted, and we resolved to return at once to Yankalilla. Although we had but twenty miles to accomplish next day, the accounts given us of the roads showed the journey would be a tedious one, as it proved : for, starting at nine, and giving the horses only a moderate bait, we did not reach our stopping-place till nearly four. Much of the country we traversed was scrub, and here the soil was sandy, and most toilsome for the horses to wade through ; but when pursuing our difficult way across the Bald Hills, a district as unpicturesque as its name imports, we were nearly stuck in what looked like black clay, and all but our charioteer had to get out of the buggy to enable the horses to drag it through. Where the land had been under cultivation it seemed to have been in a great degree exhausted. At the little inn where we rested, the landlady, who, like our acquaintance at Noarlunga, dated from " Governor Gawler's time " apparently a Hegira for South Austra- lians spoke somewhat enviously of neighbours who were able to leave, and were removing to the new agricultural K 2 1 32 WE A T WE SA W IN A US TPALIA . areas recently thrown open to selection one and two hundred miles north of Adelaide. Having attained a considerable elevation, and crossed the ridge of hills near and among which we had been driving since we left Adelaide, a grand view opened before us of richly-timbered hill and valley, of rocky coast off which lay Granite Island, and beyond, of the great Southern Ocean. A long descent by a broad zig-zag road led to Victor Harbour. Before reaching the town we crossed the Inman, close to what would be its mouth if it had one. Although a small stream it is a characteristic example of an Australian river. There would have been something even ludicrous in its incapacity to find its way to the sea, but that this incapacity in ship-bearing rivers is one of the most serious obstacles to the prosperity of the continent. The Inman had turned and twisted as though it were resolved to overcome all impediments, and yet here, though but a hundred yards or so from the beach, it succumbed to opposition, and lost itself in the sand which had apparently, by silting, barred its exit. Victor Harbour, a portion of Encounter Bay, was early settled, with the expectation that it would be useful as a port. Corn and wool are embarked here, but its com- merce is not extensive,'although the position is favourable. The harbour, however, needs much improvement, and the construction of a breakwater is one of several important public works for the accomplishment of whicli a Bill has lately been brought into the South Australian Parliament. A horse-tramway for goods and passenger traffic connects Victor Harbour with Port Elliot and Middleton on the coast, with the Murray at Goolwa, and with Strathalbyn about twenty-five miles inland. The little town aspires to rival Port Elliot, a few miles distant, as a watering-place. It has connected itself by a bridge with Granite Island, where the water is deeper than elsewhere, and quays are, it is said, to be constructed ; but at present the bridge seems of little use except as an agreeable promenade, and is no doubt, therefore, an attraction to visitors seeking health or pleasure. We availed ourselves of it to reach WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. 1 33 the island, which is a huge rabbit-warren. No trees grow upon it ; but it affords pasturage for a few sheep. The action of the waves has scooped out caverns on the side exposed to the sea, some of them so far above the high- water line, as to impress one forcibly with the mighty power of breakers which thus, by merely exceptional efforts, so to speak, wear granite away. The morning of the next day was spent in a charming ramble and picnic on the beach, arranged for us by friends of our fellow-travellers who, living in the neighbourhood, and hearing of our arrival, would not allow strangers to depart without in some way promoting their pleasure. We dined and slept at Port Elliot, the future Brighton, probably, of South Australia, but possessing a far grander coast. The great waves rolling in, when a southerly wind blows, are said to be magnificent, and though com- paratively tame to-day, were well worth a scramble in the fresh morning air for good points of view over the huge rocks which line the shore. In hollows of the cliffs were several wurleys, and as we wanted some more mats and baskets of native manufacture, and had been advised to get them at Port Elliot, E visited these abodes, hoping to obtain some ; but all their occupants were absent not one was to be seen. Having a long day's journey before us we started betimes; our road skirting Middleton Beach, rich in shells, and a plain covered with scrub, among which we found fine specimens of the scarlet bottle-brush, with blossoms four inches long and perhaps ten or twelve in cir- cumference. Five or six miles brought us to Goolwa, a town of great expectations, with quays and large ware- houses and at least one ship-building yard, spreading over a large area, the blank spaces in which bid fair to be soon occupied. The ' A 1 bury,' a steamer which goes up the Murray as far as the town of its own name in New South Wales, was lying alongside one of the quays. We invited our- selves on board to go over it. Albury is distant from Goolvva some 450 miles as the crow flies, and about 1200 134 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. following the direct course of the river ; but the stream doubles so constantly, that the distance actually travelled upon it amounts, we understood, to 3000 miles. The voyage up occupies three weeks; and having seen how comfortably three or four passengers might be lodged on the steamboat, we regretted our disposable time did not permit of our penetrating the continent in this easy manner. At Goolwa we inquired again for native mats and baskets, but found we could only leave our order for them with an obliging agent, who told us that all the aborigines of the neighbourhood were busy picking native currants. This accounted for the empty wurleys at Port Elliot. The fruit, which grows upon a very small shrub, coming in the winter, is acceptable to the whites as well as to the blacks, who find a good sale for it. Some was given to us. The berries are about the size of our red-currants, but are of a darker and duller hue. Their flavour is acid and rough, and they are not, therefore, pleasant when uncooked, but they make an agreeable preserve. We had reckoned upon a dinner at Currency Creek (a name, by-the-bye, which always brought to mind the City article in the ' Times '), but on arriving at the inn we found it closed. This was a township consisting of hardly more than two or three houses; fortunately one was a farm, where our horses were good-naturedly received and fed. Another was a store of imposing appearance, but where the only provisions we could find were a tin of pre- served salmon and a loaf. These we carried to a pretty spot upon the creek, and by good appetites made up for variety in our repast. The neighbourhood is pleasant, and the inn, a large one, had been a favourite resort with tourists ; but it had fallen into bad hands, and had acquired so disreputable a character that the licence had been withdrawn. The delay caused by having to seek a substitute for the accommodation it would have afforded made us late in starting again. We had failed to obtain accurate information concerning the road we had to travel, and losing our way, lost also our time. The sky, too, WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 1 35 bright until the afternoon, then clouded, and soon the rain came down heavily. Led to hope, by the information of those we had inquired of respecting our route, in the early part of our drive, that we should reach shelter before dark, we had now to learn that many miles still lay before us. Each person interrogated made the distance somewhat longer than the previous one had done : and a little knot of men, almost invisible in the increasing gloom, added to our dismay by an ominous warning to beware of " the big hole in the road a mile or so ahead." Whether the big hole were a figment of their imagination, or whether it was by a happy chance we passed it unscathed, it was too dark for us to discover. All we knew was that we did not fall into it. But for the extreme good-nature of Australians, we might have suspected it was an invention to procure a laugh at our expense. It was very long after dark before we reached our desti- nation, The Meadows, a scattered hamlet, with a country inn which we had been told was good. The landlord seemed wholly occupied with his customers in the bar, the mistress was ill in bed, and the only person who paid us any attention was a friend who had come from a distance to nurse her. But for this good woman, our only unfavour- able experience of an Australian country inn would have been much worse than it was. Soon a fire was blazing where we could dry ourselves and our wraps ; and before long tea and the never-failing chops were before us. The roads next morning across the flat country we had to traverse were in some places under water, and heavy showers continued to fall during the day. We were due at home that evening, and the latter part of our drive led us across a portion of the Mount Lofty Range, new to us, but equally lovely with what we had seen before. Our road brought us through Clarendon, and above Coro- mandel Valley, where a large factory, using South Aus- tralian flour, produces the most delicious biscuits it has ever been our good fortune to eat. We passed also the Government Farm. This is a small estate upon the hills, 136 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. which affords a retreat from the heat of Government House in summer. The accommodation, however, is not sufficient for the family and suite, and while we were in South Australia the erection of a suitable mansion on Mount Lofty was under consideration. The drive down the long zigzag road to the Adelaide plains by Unley, passing Torrens Park, the pretty seat of Sir Robert Torrens, would have been charming in fine weather, but the blinding rain permitted us to see little of it. Next day we knew how fortunate we had been in suffering no other evil consequence than loss of scenery. Twenty-four hours later we should have found portions of our route impassable. The rain we had encountered was the precursor of destructive floods, in which trees were torn up, bridges broken down, and roads washed away. The creek at Hazelwood rose higher than it had been known for twenty years, converting a portion of the garden into a small lake. The next morning a charwoman, who was ex- pected at the house, was seen making despairing signals from the further side of the foot-bridge in the meadow, under which the stream usually flowed some feet beneath, but which was now covered with water ; and on the same evening a seamstress could not return to her home, two hundred yards from the lodge gate, the flooding of the creek having made the road impassable. The ruin to gardens in Waterfall gully, through which this stream had held its riotous way, was for many weeks a piteous sight. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 137* CHAPTEK VIII. Magill School Destitute Asylum Girls' Reformatory Boarding-out. SEVERAL years ago there was a sudden need, at Adelaide, of lodgings for soldiers. To supply it the children in the Destitute Asylum were summarily ejected from their quarters, which were converted into barracks. Naturally there was little choice of buildings to which they could be transferred in such hot haste, and the place selected was, in many respects, unfit for their reception. Disease soon broke out among them, including a violent attack of ophthalmia. This had the one happy effect of attracting attention to their sad state which, to the honour of Soutli Australians be it said, was no sooner generally known than the public voice demanded proper accommodation should be provided for them. No money was to be spared a site was obtained at Magill, a healthy and beautiful spot, and a palatial edifice was erected, bearing comparison in all respects, cost included, with the most showy of our English pauper schools ; and a similar system of treatment was established to that pursued at home. The results were not so satisfactory as had been expected, and in course of years accommodation for more children being required, the Destitute Board decided early in 1872, instead of building, to adopt Boarding out.* This plan had already * The following anecdote will illustrate the lack of training in every- day duties which children, when dealt with wholesale, may suffer from, though the instance cited is, doubtless, an extreme one, and the abuse it revealed was long since, in great degree, reformed. A lady visiting the department formerly allotted to the children in the Destitute Asylum, iound them preparing, or rather being prepared, to go out for a day's holiday. To her surprise, she saw great boys being passed under a hair brush one after another, the woman who applied it dealing with them aa 138 WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. been for some time under trial in South Australia, on a very limited scale. E , who had taken much interest in the children at Magill, and deplored the pauper charac- teristics developing themselves among them, happened to meet with an account of the boarding-out of children from the city parish of Edinburgh, under the direction of Mr. George Greig, and impressed with the soundness of the principle on which the plan is based that, namely, of restoring the child to the conditions of family life in a well-ordered cottage home she obtained permission to try it with one or two children in her own neigh- bourhood. A few more were subsequently taken out by two or three other ladies and gentlemen. The satis- factory issue of the experiment encouraged a more general adoption of the system, and the Chairman of the Destitute Board, having satisfied himself of its applicability to the circumstances of anew country, devoted himself personally to its extension throughout the colony, and with such benevolent and unwearied zeal, that he may be said to have identified himself with its success. He based the rules for the administration of the system, on the " Poor- though they and it had been parts of a machine. " Cannot the elder ones brush their own hair ? " was the natural inquiry. " No," answered the attendant, " they can do nothing for themselves ; we have to wait upon them haud and foot; none of them can put on any of their clothes." Shocked at such a state of things, the visitor inquired about the girls, and was told they were equally helpless. Hoping to find there was some exaggeration in the statement, she went to an adjoining yard where they were assembled ready to start, and offered a penny to any of them who had put on their own hat and shoes. Although some of the girls weie thirteen years of age, not one of the whole group could claim the penny. No doubt the persons responsible for the tidy appearance of the children found it less trouble to make their toilette for them than to teach them to do it properly themselves ; and no one acquainted with institutions in which children are massed together but is aware that the same cause will be found operating in various ways to prevent their ac- quiring alertness of brain and hand in the common affairs of life. An additional illustration of these remarks reaches us from an institu- tion at home. '' How often," says a late chaplain to the pauper schools at Anerley, in reference to the training of girls by the officers, " have I overheard the exclamation, ' I'd rather do it myself twice over than waste my time trying to teach you.' " Letter from the Rev. 0. J. Vignoles, printed by Messrs. Spottiswoode, January, 1875. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 139 Law Board Order for boarding-out Pauper Children," of November 1870, and minor details he adapted from Colonel Grant's "Guide to the boarding- out System," and "Children rescued from Pauperism," by Mr. William Anderson. Of its working he kindly afforded us the op- portunity of judging from our own observation and we also often came accidentally upon the children or their kind supervisors ; so that, in a variety of ways, we personally gathered information on the subject. But we wished also to acquaint ourselves with the Magill School, and paid it a visit on the 16th of July. The large number of children, nearly 200, who had been removed to cottage-homes or service within the preceding eighteen months, had reduced those remaining to fifty-four, and as the staff had been reduced in propor- tion, the inmates now seemed a mere handful in the great building. The rooms are large and airy, but diph- theria and low fever used to prevail frequently, owing to the deficiency of water and almost entire absence of drainage. After an especially severe visitation these causes were removed ; the health of the children has much im- proved and, during the past four years, there have been but four deaths from all causes among them. In com- parison with pauper children at home most of the elder ones looked fairly well and had generally bright open countenances, but the " infants," as they are called, though none are admitted under two and a half years old, were in so unsatisfactory a condition that the matron, although opposed to boarding-out generally, expressed her earnest wish that these little things could have a foster-mother's individual love and care. The bedrooms were very clean and neat, and the day- rooms gay with engravings and coloured prints which, in some parts, quite concealed the walls. Strange to say there is no garden, and in this land of fruit none, we un- derstand, ever reaches the children, except as a gift from outside ; but there is land attached to the school which the boys help to cultivate, and the dairy is a profitable branch of the establishment. The boys also share the housework 140 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. with the girls ; indeed, at the time of our visit, only two of the latter were more than eleven years old. The clothes (excepting shoes) are made at the school, but in their manufacture, apparently, officers and machines help a good deal. The school classes had been much broken by the re- moval of so many pupils, and a mistress who formerly was assisted by four monitors now employs none. The quality of the teaching suffers from the diminution of numbers, but this is inevitable, considering that the remaining children are of very various ages and degrees of education. The school is little more now thanaliouse of reception for children when they first become dependent on the State, a shelter for the strictly casual, and a refuge for those who may be called the refuse of pauperism unfortunate beings who are incapacitated by bodily or mental ailments from earning their livelihood in the world and for whom distinct asylums have not yet arisen in this new country. As a training school this institution must be regarded as completely disorganized by the changes it has recently undergone. It seemed to us that the best one could wish ior all concerned was, that the remaining children fit for boarding-out should be speedily transferred to cottage homes; and that the rest should be removed to a house of more moderate size, and more simple in its arrangements, where a master and matron could train them in such humble domestic and out-door occupations as would pre- pare them for the laborious life every honest working man and woman in the colony must lead, and exercise over them the individual influence and supervision impossible in their present location. The more home-like character thus introduced would ameliorate the lot even of those so much afflicted as to have no hope of future independence. Such a remodelling of the school, indeed, would we under- stood fulfil Mr. Reed's own wishes ; but there is the great obstacle in his way, that no other use offers for the present building, and it would have to stand empty, while the {State incurred the cost of another. It is to be regretted WFJA T WE SA W IN A USTRALTA. 141 that small houses were not originally erected, each as it was wanted, instead of this mansion-like edifice. They would probably have been easily let when no longer needed, or, if this were undesirable, they could have been built at so much less cost that to close the superfluous ones would have entailed the loss of an almost insignificant sum as compared with that sunk in the present building. Have we never made similar mistakes at home, and may we not yet take a useful warning from Magill School ? A few, days after our visit to Magill we went over the Destitute Asylum. The weather was so splendid that the most dismal of our workhouses might have brightened under its influence, but apart from that, the asylum looked to us a cheerful place. It stands on North Terrace, in a line with other Government buildings, including Government House, and though not ornate in style, it is handsome and somewhat too inviting in aspect, giving the beholder an impression that a very comfortable life may be led inside. The portion originally built for adults is two storeys high, the rooms are large and lofty opening on verandahs com- manding a pretty view, and affording a pleasant lounge for the old people who were basking in the winter sunshine. There was but one married couple at the time of our visit. The sexes are divided, but there is 'a door of com- munication between their respective sections of the build- ing, and they mingle frequently in their occupations. The quadrangle upon which the men's rooms open is beautifully laid out as a garden, while that allotted to the women is occupied as a drying ground, the surface being left rough and ill paved and so dangerous for the lame to walk upon that it was painful to watch a poor old creature on crutches make her way across it. We asked why the women might not have a garden too, and learnt it was because, to keep it in order, men would have to come into it. The children's quarters have but a ground-floor, and the rooms are inferior to the others though here as else- where all are boarded. They were converted to barracks some years ago, as we have related, but are now occupied 142 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. by adult paupers, for barracks are no longer needed, the colony possessing no army of its own and the imperial regiments having been all withdrawn. South Australia, indeed, does not contain a single soldier or even a volunteer, and must we imagine be almost unique in that respect. We should not omit to mention that it has, what we always heard spoken of as a very effective police force, both mounted and foot. The uniform of the former in- cluding a bright blue garibaldi and silver trimmings, their handsome and well-caparisoned horses, and the fine bearing of the men, many of whom we heard were of superior social position, gives them- a picturesque and striking appearance. A girl of fifteen or sixteen, who had been sent from Magill because she had fits, and eight little things under three years old, were the only children we found in the asylum ; their condition was far from so neat and clean as it should have been. It was favourably contrasted by that of the other inmates, who seemed well and kindly cared for. A few are convalescents, sent hither from the hospital, which is likewise a Government institution ; the State occasionally franks the cost of a higher class of female convalescents at the Servants' Home for a few weeks, to recruit.* The representatives of the able-bodied class were happily few, some women who were busily washing and might by such labour have earned a good living for themselves outside could they have resisted the temptation to drink and the inmates of the lying-in ward. The more hopeful cases among these are separated from the rest, and occupy rooms which, though forming a part of the building, have no communication with the rest of the asylum. There are beds for eleven women ; seven were present on the day of our visit. All was beautifully neat and clean, although we arrived by ten o'clock in the morning, and were not * Since we were in South Australia private charity has set on foot a Convalescent Home, of which Mrs. Musgrave recently laid the foundation tone. WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 1 43 expected. The excellent matron, Mrs. Hunt, who takes a deep interest in her charges, both while with her and after they have departed, seemed to seize the right moment to counsel and help them. They are allowed to remain a month ; but at its expiration are not dis- charged unless they have a respectable home to go to. The greater number enter service, chiefly as wet-nurses ; their infants being boarded-out, and the mothers paying the cost. But in the Australian climate it is especially difficult to preserve the life of an infant when removed from its mother ; and the matron greatly objects to the separation on this account. She finds it, however, difficult without it to obtain employment for the women. Some of the inmates of the asylum of all ages had doubtless found a refuge there from inevitable misfortune, but by far the larger number, it was sad to hear, had been brought, directly or indirectly, by faults of their own drinking being the most common. We were struck by the large proportion among the sick who were suffering from paralysis. This disease is frequently brought on by injuries resulting from the class of accidents common in the bush ; but it is also caused by sleeping in the sunshine, and this is often a consequence of drunkenness. The danger of such exposure is well known, but a drunken man incurs it unconsciously. There were many bushmen among the inmates, wliich the warder accounted for by telling us that when a bushman loses his wife he is " floored " by which it was given us to understand that he lost heart, and took to drinking. It did not seem to be within the warder's experience that the wife is " floored " if she be bereft of her husband. On the contrary she could generally get on pretty well alone : and thus may be partly accounted for the creditable minority of the female sex in the asylum. To 162 men there were only 69 women. A large proportion of both sexes being infirm or bed- ridden, there is not much employment attempted beyond the housework and washing, and making some of the clothes. A few men, however, were making rough can- WHA T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA . vas bags for ore, and shelling almonds for outside em- ployers ; and in this way they earned something for the institution and obtained a trifle for themselves. We hoped it was permitted to accumulate, to form a fund upon which to start in life again outside, but we learnt it was left entirely at their own disposal, and was usually spent in drink on the first holiday out holidays occurring once a fortnight. It was satisfactory to learn, that if a holiday-maker returns drunk to the asylum he forfeits his leave to go out on the next open day, and if he offends a second time he is deprived of two successive holidays. Such a regulation seems an obvious way of dealing with this unfortunately too-common offence, yet we know workhouses at home where it has never been adopted. Several among the inmates of the asylum would have been quite able to maintain themselves outside by their labour could they have kept sober. It is an abuse of charity, of course, that such persons should be supported by it, and we should have rejoiced to find that the autho- rities not hampered, as we are at home, by a legal claim to relief made still greater efforts than they appear to do to render this class of their dependents as nearly as possible self-supporting. A pauper establishment in New South Wales, which we shall hereafter describe, offers an example in this respect worthy of study not in the sister colonies only, but also at home. The dietary includes an abundance of meat daily, and sometimes soup also. In the large convenient kitchen we saw legs and shoulders of mutton being boiled and roasted, besides a long array of chops preparing for. invalids. Everyone has tea morning and evening ; and arrowroot and other sick-room niceties are served if ordered by the doctor "and most of them get it," we were told. There seemed a kindliness of tone and liber- ality of treatment throughout the institution with which, if the inmates had been simply victims of misfortune, one could not too warmly sympathise ; the presence among them, however, of a certain proportion brought there simply by idleness and profligacy, greatly complicates the 'WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 145 question of their management; but it is a question de- manding attention, if the colony would prevent the growth of a pauper class in her midst. The Girls' Reformatory for the colony is under the superintendence of Mrs. Hunt, already mentioned, and its inmates work in the laundry and kitchen in association with women from that department of the lying-in ward which she manages. This seemed an extraordinary and, at first sight, most objectionable arrangement, but under the excellent influence of the matron and her assistant it is possible no harm accrues. The school can receive twelve pupils ; there were seven present to-day. The number being so small very few rules are necessary. The little group resembles a family rather than a school, and evidently are governed through their affections rather than by strict regulations. They are individually treated, and the character of each seemed as well known to their kind guardian as if they had been her own children. Their countenances were bright and happy. The Inspector's Annual Report for 1872 speaks of re- markable improvement in the school, and of its present state as very satisfactory. The matron, however, is not yet content with the results attained, and complained of short sentences some of the girls are sent for only six months and of the late age at which they often come. Those we saw ranged, probably, from eight to thirteen. Some have entered the school much older, and very turbulent ; but the new comers of any age are apt to be refractory, and their knowledge of evil seems scarcely less distressing than that of their poor little sisters at home. The children occupy one very large room, a quarter of which, divided from the rest by a partition eight feet high, forms a sufficiently light and airy apartment for lessons and eating. The rest is the dormitory, containing a little room within it for the sub-matron. All was clean, and looked comfortable. The door opens on to a large court, an acre, probably, in extent, where the girls play and have a few flowers to cultivate. Walks beyond the walls are a reward for good conduct. They rise at a quarter- L 146 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. past six, and until six or seven at night the time is divided between housework, sewing, eating, and lessons, and a due amount of out-door exercise. Afterwards they amuse themselves until bed-time at nine o'clock. The amount of industrial work required seemed to us so moderate, that we suggested some increase, lest transition to service should be regarded as decidedly a change for the worse. The girls are apprenticed as servants before the expiry of their sentence. We saw one who had been thus placed out but who had returned. She was a particularly bright, pretty girl, with qualities, as described by the matron, which would have made her a general favourite, and a great " success " in society in our rank of life. It seemed as though her attachment to the school had been her bane. She had run away from service (far off in the country), had gone of her own accord to a magistrate, and had declared to him that she could not stay in her place, and wanted to go back to school. He returned her to it accordingly, her original sentence having yet some months to run. The law permits of her being apprenticed again before it expires ; and to save her from falling into the hands of a bad mother this will probably be done, so that she may yet turn out a good and happy woman. The cost of this little institution is not separately stated in the report, but the expenditure for the whole of the Destitute Asylum in 1872 was slightly under 7s. a week per head, or a total of 44857. for the year.* The administration of out-relief throughout the colony rests with the Destitute Board, assisted by auxiliary Boards in a few of the larger country towns, and elsewhere by the District Councils. These are local elective bodies, created in 1852 by an Act of the South Australian Legis- lature, at the instance of Sir Henry Young, then Governor of the colony, to supply country districts with an organisa- tion for self-government, similar to that which its corpo- ration affords to a town. They have authority within limits of, we believe, ten square miles, and, if we understand ' The South Australian Government Gazette,' February, 1873. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 147 aright, combine the duties of members of Petty Sessions, of Road- Sanitary- and School-boards, and others of the multifarious public bodies whose various organisations cover one and the same ground at home. The whole sum expended in out-relief in South Aus- tralia in 1872 approached 10,000?., the recipients amount- ing to 2438, in a population of rather less than 200,000, or one in eighty-two. On the 21st July Mr. Reed took E and ourselves a delightful excursion into the Mount Lofty Range, allowing us to accompany him in a tour of inspection, made with- out notice, of the children boarded out in the little town- ships scattered among the hills. It was a perfect day, and the pure invigorating air of the hills fully realised the simile of enthusiastic mountaineers, when they liken breathing the air upon their favourite heights to drinking Champagne. Our researches took us into two Govern- ment schools, attended by the children we were in quest of. The school-rooms were fairly good, and provided with maps and other apparatus. All used throughout the colony are obtained from England. In one the boys and girls sat together, in the other on separate benches. In the former the pupils looked remarkably bright, in the latter the order and silence were most complete. We inquired the number of scholars at one of the schools, and found that there were rather more than 100 children on the books, and that the attendance was above eighty. At Cox's Creek school the children sang with sweetness far surpassing what one is accustomed to in a col- lection of such young voices ; it was evident their master took great pains in training them, and much legitimate pride in the result. One could not but be touched by the spirit and feeling with which these little antipodean fel- low-subjects sang, " God bless the Prince of Wales." Another of their songs was also full of home associations. It described the charms of spring, and enumerated the wild-flowers which greet us at that season. It was of course an English production, and must, we thought, be unintelligible to the young Australians, for primroses, L 2 148 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. cowslips, and daisies are in their country as rare as the most delicate hot-house flowers with us. We found, how- ever, when later in the day Mr. Heed concluded our morning's expedition by taking us to lunch at the house of his brother-in-law, the Chief Justice, who lives on the Mount Lofty Range, that English wild-flowers are sedu- lously cultivated in the cooler temperature of the hills ; so that, though scarce, the specimens might possibly have been seen by the children. Here were also camellias in bloom ; they were, of course, in the open air, and looked well, in spite of a hoar-frost which had not at one or two o'clock in the afternoon entirely disappeared, and which, we were told, had encrusted the window-panes in the early morning. But to return to the business of the day. The little boarders seemed quite equal in intelligence to their companions ; in one school the mistress thought them superior. Such superiority, if it exist, may be due to their more regular attendance, as we find to be the case at home. They wear no uniform, and we could not dis- tinguish them from their schoolfellows, except that two boys having weak eyes recalled the pauper-class to mind. We spoke to these little fellows about their homes, and immediately their faces brightened all over. Morning school was almost at an end, and their master dismis- sing them, that they might show us where they lived, they ran before us, full of glee. They called their foster- father " Uncle," and spoke of the house, garden, &c., as if they had equal ownership in it with him. Two smaller boys, too young to attend school, were in the same ex- cellent home. The house, indeed, was roughly built, but substantial-looking, and a goodly store of bacon and hams hung from the rafters. The foster-mother was preparing a hot dinner for the children at a huge wood fire. She was "from County Wicklow," she told us, and was not only kindliness itself, but the very pink of neatness. In another home, though of higher social pretension, the children did not seem so thoroughly at ease, and appeared to be regarded ratner as lodgers than as mem- bers of the family. In the third a very humble wooden WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 149 cottage, but comfortably furnished, and with a good garden the German foster-father, with a nice English wife, spoke most affectionately of his little wards, a boy and a girl, who seemed very happy. In the fourth and last home we saw to-day were three very little children. Two of them clung to the foster-mother as if they had been her own. The third was perfectly silent and very shy, and was thin and delicate-looking. He had been re- moved from a home, where he had not been kindly treated, to his present quarters a short time before, and seemed not yet able to realise the improvement in his circumstances. A few days later Mr. Reed took us a similar expedition in another direction. As it is essential in boarding-out that the children should be widely scattered, not many of course can be visited in one day. On this occasion we saw eight or nine. One, though in many respects advantageously placed, was found not to be attending school, and Mr. Reed decided she should be removed. It may be mentioned en passant that he has plenty of homes to choose from. Five children we found at school the best, as far as we could judge during our short stay, that we have yet visited. The boys, however, were more prompt to speak than the girls, and answered simple questions in geography and natural science satisfactorily. In. one of the homes all of which were good the foster-mother was baking a huge loaf weighing twelve or fourteen pounds, in a camp-oven. She was good enough to explain to the strangers of the party its mode of use, familiar to all colonists. The oven itself is a round iron pot standing on very short legs, and provided with a lid. The bottom inside is covered with hot wood-ashes, upon them is placed the dough, and upon this more ashes are heaped. The lid being put on, the pot is then quite buried in hot ashes. When at Bombay a few months later, we found that the delicate pastry produced by native cooks is baked in this primitive method. The view of Adelaide from Mr. Reed's house, at Me- dindie, is finer than any we had previously seen. From this point the hills look so lovely forming a back-ground 150 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. to the city whose rising cathedral and many spires and towers stand out clearly against their rich green that one feels inclined to believe a boast we have heard at Adelaide that the Melbournites, full of envy and gold, would buy them if they could. Coal from New South Wales is now more commonly used than wood in the town itself, being cheaper there ; but so little firing is needed even in winter that the smoke is still too trifling in amount to enwrap the buildings in even the thinnest haze, except for an hour or two about meal times. The " breakfast smoke " and " dinner smoke " are distinctly recognisable. We were again to have accompanied the Chairman of Destitute Board in another of his official tours, but the districts to be visited were more remote from Adelaide, and our time did not permit. Already he has discovered that children have a high value in a new country and are acceptable, as the experience of many years has shown to be the case in America, in frequent instances without payment, even though the regulations for supervision are still to be observed. Thus he is refusing to place out children with payment (5s. a-week) while good homes can be obtained for them by adoption, the regulations laid down for boarding-out being also observed in the case of adopted children. His department has now under its charge more than 100 children boarded-out or adopted, and more than another 100 " placed out," i.e., indentured from Magill and the Reformatory Schools, the whole number being widely dispersed over the settled parts of South Australia. Previous to the adoption of boarding-out by the Destitute Board, E and other ladies and gentlemen had formed a society for its promotion by private effort. This asso- ciation now co-operates with Mr. Reed, supplementing the supervision which he personally exercises, at an almost incredible cost of time and fatigue, over all the children which his duties at Adelaide permit him to reach. More than seventy members of the society, whose residences are scattered over an area of 44,000 square miles, perio- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 151 dically visit the children placed in their neighbourhood, and report upon their condition, the regularity of their attendance at school, and at a place of worship. " Neigh- bourhood " has of course a wider signification in Australia than with us, and has been liberally defined by some members of this society to extend to twenty miles, a dis- tance a lady will cheerfully drive or ride over Australian roads in the performance of this benevolent duty. It may' be argued that an occasional visit, where the child is so re- mote, affords at the best insufficient supervision. But it must be remembered that where population is so scanty as in South Australia, every one is more or less acquainted with every one else by reputation if not personally. The fact of a child being placed in a family becomes known to the country round, and if that child does not appear at school or appears in an unsatisfactory condition, the circumstance is not long in reaching the visitor's ears, or being reported direct to Mr. Keed himself. We learn from the last annual report of the Boarding-out Society, that nearly 300 reports had been sent in by visitors upon the 168 children under their care. Some of them had been more than a year, others only a few months, or even weeks, in the society's charge. Of these reports 260 were good, and only ten could be regarded as unsatisfactory. Of the latter and the intermediate class, entitled "tolerable," twenty-two indicated faults in the children, not in the homes, whilst most of the " unsatisfactory " related to young persons indentured to service, not to the younger children who have been boarded-out or adopted.* The trial of a system imported from an old country like Scotland, into a new one, is full of interest and instruction. The greater welcorneness of children in the family circle in a new country, where food is plentiful, must be set against the temptation to over-tax the strength of these young people where labour is especially valuable. The * Second Annual Report of the Society for the supervision of Children placed out from the Magill Institution by the Destitute Board. Adelaide, 1874. 152 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. balance of evidence is at present in favour of the plan. Close supervision is indeed as essential to its success at the Antipodes as at home; but this, in South Australia, is assured by the active personal interest taken by the Chair- man of the Destitute Board in the young creatures, for whose safety he is responsible, and by the wise and zealous co-operation of the Boarding-out Society. To their com- bined labours, and to the far more important service ren- dered in taking these waifs and strays to their homes and hearts by the kindly honest men and women, of whom, whether in the Old World or the New, one cannot speak with too grateful respect, we trust in future years the colony will have reason to look back with thankfulness for having saved them from the curse of an hereditary pauper class. Besides the Government schools we saw in accompany- ing Mr. Reed, we visited a few under private management. The former are purely secular ; but in these religious in- struction is also given. On July 22nd the Dean of Adelaide, an earnest promoter of education, took us to three or four in the city. The first has a small endow- ment, and is managed by trustees. They appoint the master, part if not all of whose emolument is derived from the children's payments. These range from 12s. to 25s. or 30s. a quarter, and the social rank of the scholars varies considerably. Some pupils are taught Latin and other of the higher subjects of instruction, and remain till they are eighteen or nineteen ; but the majority leave at about twelve. The proportion of girls is small, and they did not appear equal to the boys in knowledge and intelli- gence; but the pupils generally seemed bright, and the teachers successful in imparting instruction to all in their respective classes. Singing is taught by a special master. The school-room is good, and the school apparatus, maps, &c., seemed fairly so. There were nearly 300 pupils present, the average attendance being 79 per cent, of the number on the books. The second school we visited is connected with the Dean's church, St. Paul's, and is chiefly supported by his congregation. We saw it at a disadvantage during an WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTEALIA. 153 interregnum between the departure of one head-mistress and the instalment of another, and on the eve also of re- moval to new premises. About forty young children only, of a very humble class, were present, but these sang for us prettily. The pupils pay a few pence a week, remitted, we understood, in case of extreme poverty. Ladies give help regularly, taking classes in turn. One was instructing a circle of little maidens in darning to-day. When we reached the third school at three o'clock in the afternoon it had, unfortunately, just closed, as some do at that early hour. We went on to the fourth, a private school for boys of the middle rank, whom we found enjoy- ing a five minutes' run in their playground. The school- and class-rooms were good, and the selection of subjects taught (of which we were shown a programme for every day in the week) seemed judicious lor lads likely to go into business. The principal had been master of a Govern- ment school, and it is not unusual for such a school, or one managed by trustees, to change its character by the master resigning his appointment and setting up for him- self, when his pupils, or at least a large proportion of them, naturally remain with him. The original managers engage another master, collect another set of pupils, and then the same thing happens over again. Schools are multiplied in this way, but their efficiency is not secured. One cause of this secession of schoolmasters is the low salaries they usually receive. We hear the amount bitterly complained of by those anxious to secure a good system of popular education. Great dissatisfaction, in- deed, prevails with the existing state of things. Much improvement is needed in Government inspection, and at present no training school for teachers exists. The building for a Normal School is, however, nearly completed,* and a Bill to provide efficiently for the edu- * The Normal School was opened a few days before we embarked for England, and, to our regret, we were unable to find time to visit it. Excellent accounts, however, reach us of the efficiency of the teaching under the direction of a Head Master of ability, and of the large number of children in attendance. 154 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. cation of the people which shall put this important subject on a footing as satisfactory as it now occupies in Yictoria, is hoped for next Session. For boys of the upper class there is St. Peter's College under Church of England management, which was largely endowed by the late Dean Farrell; and Prince Alfred College, established by the Wesleyans, also, we believe, endowed by private liberality. Each occupies a handsome building, standing at present quite in the country. There are numerous private schools for both sexes, but no institu- tions for girls corresponding to the colleges. We under- stand there is an opening for additional teachers of the highest class, especially teachers of accomplishments. Of these music is the favourite, and students of singing avail themselves of the periodical visits of the opera company to obtain superior instruction. On a subsequent occasion we visited a poor school in one of the suburbs of Adelaide. It was built by Mr. Angas, and an endowment by the same gentleman defrays a portion of its expenses, the rest being met by subscriptions and the children's fees. These range from threepence to sixpence a week, the latter sum obtaining instruction in geography and grammar. The school-room is really a noble one, and adjoining is a good class-room ; but there is no provision for heating either, and on the winter day of our visit the temperature was unpleasantly cold. Keith Johnstone's admirable maps hung on the walls, and the new series of Irish books were those in use. We saw some excellent writing by the little children, and were glad to find that the girls are taught sewing. The master lamented the grievous irregularity of attendance. It greatly decreases after the third day in the week, so that a pupil who has nominally attended five years, has really received but three years' instruction. The excuses offered are those familiar to us at home " Wanted to help mother " " to mind the baby," &c. &c. The present demand for labour also has thinned the school, where there are few pupils above eleven or twelve. The unsatisfactory state of elementary schools in South WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 155 Australia at the time of our stay in the colony did not tempt us to visit many or to make more than a passing exami- nation into their working. The subject was largely en- gaging public attention, and a Bill embodying important improvements passed the Lower House in the Session of 1873. but was thrown out by the Legislative Council. Nothing has since* been done by the Legislature in this matter ; but it must be hoped that South Australia will not much longer be content to lag behind New South Wales and Victoria in providing for the complete edu- cation of her people. * February 1875. 156 WE A T WE SAW IN A US Tit ALIA. CHAPTER IX. Opening of Parliament Conditions of Membership Legislative Coun- cil Election of President The Governor's Speech Townhall Government Offices City Market Adelaide Gaol Labour Prison. THE second session of the seventh Parliament of South Australia was opened by the Governor on the 25th July. Parliament consists of two Chambers the upper, called the Legislative Council, and the lower, or House of Assembly. The qualification and elective franchise for each differ, and so does the mode of election. The members of the upper House are elected by the colony at large, and of the lower by electoral divisions. Members of the upper House must be thirty years of age, and have resided three years in the province. The Council consists of eighteen members, including the President. Electors must be twenty- one years of age, and must possess a freehold estate of the value of 50, or leasehold of the annual value of 20?., or occupy a dwelling-house of the annual value of 25?. For membership of the House of Assembly no other qualification is required than being electors. Electors must be twenty-one years of age, and must have been registered on the Electoral Roll of the district in which they reside, for a period of six months. In fact, the franchise may be described as "Universal Male Suf- frage." Voting for both Houses is by ballot. This system, contrary to the expectations of some, has proved an un- doubted success, and is, we have been even told, one of the most Conservative measures ever introduced. Of the eighteen members in the upper House, six retire in rotation every fourth year, but are re-eligible. Until 1872, the number of members in the lower Chamber was thirty-six, but was raised to forty-six by an Act passed in WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 157 that year, when the electoral districts were altered. Mem- bers are elected for three years, though liable to lose their seats meanwhile by a dissolution. We gladly availed ourselves of the opportunity of wit- nessing the opening of Parliament. The ceremony was to take place at three o'clock ; but certain forms had to be previously gone through, and, that we might lose nothing, we were at the Houses of Parliament before two. Here we were introduced to Sir George Kingston, the Speaker of the lower House. Learning that we wished to hear some of its debates, he not only courteously said he should mention our names to the doorkeeper that we might enter at any time, but added, " Remember when I order ' strangers ' to withdraw, you are not to go out." * In thanking him we expressed our fear that the privilege thus accorded to our sex might imply that its representa- tives were in that position regarded as " nobodies," their presence being absolutely ignored ; and he certainly did not dispute the inference. We were now taken to the Strangers' gallery of the Legislative Council, in which, as the upper House, Par- liament was to be opened. In the gallery we found ourselves very far above the occupants of a handsome and extremely lofty room on the ground-floor of the building. On a dais at the end opposite to us stood the President's imposing chair, and a still more magnificent one for the Governor. A table for the Clerk and Sergeant-at-arms fronts the dais, and there are most inviting chairs and desks for the eighteen members, who luxuriate in ample space. The Keporters' gallery is behind the dais. At two o'clock the Council met, when seven new mem- bers (replacing six who had retired by rotation, and one * In this, as in all other respects, apparently, the South Australian Houses of Parliament follow the regulations of their English prototypes. In the House of Assembly, moreover, women are not secluded, Oriental fashion, from the other sex, but occupy the Strangers' gallery in common with men ; so that, in being permitted to remain when the latter have to withdraw, their presence is more obviously ignored even than in the House of Commons. 158 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. deceased) had to be sworn in, and the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Gwynne attended in their robes as Commis- sioners to administer the oath of allegiance. This oath is founded upon those formerly taken by members of the English Parliament, superseded in 1868 by the present short form, but in use at the time that the South Australian Constitution was granted. It omits, indeed, reference to the "damnable doctrines of the Pope," but retains the repudiation of any and all forms of conspiracy against the Queen's Majesty in such strong and repeated asseverations, that it raised the idea of enemies lying in wait in all direc- tions to corrupt the loyalty of the members, and traitors of the blackest dye lurking behind every tree in the Park- lands ! It was, of course, the incongruity of the associa- tions, aroused by the words spoken with the circumstances of this new and remote country, which irresistibly suggested a ludicrous side to so grave a ceremony. But we could not but be impressed, too, with the might and influence of England, revealed in every form and observance, implying allegiance as profound to the Queen, and identi- fication as complete with her realm among these, her far-off subjects, as can be found at the very heart of her empire. The House being thus complete in numbers, proceeded to fill the President's Chair, vacated by the resignation of Sir John Morphett. Mr. Milne was chosen his successor, and was conducted to the Chair by the gentlemen who moved and seconded his election. A member of the Cabinet now moved that the Council proceed to Government House to present their President elect to the Governor, at such time as His Excellency shall name for that purpose ; which was no sooner carried than the same minister stated he was in a position to announce that His Excellency the Governor was prepared to receive the Council forthwith, and moved an adjourn- ment for a quarter of an hour. All withdrew, but Govern- ment House is close by, and the members were soon in their places again. The President, who in the interval had donned his official silk gown, long cravat, and ruffles of lace, and white gloves, informed the Council that they WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 159 had presented him to His Excellency the Governor, who had been pleased to approve of their choice, and had con- ceded to them all the usual rights and privileges of legis- lative bodies. Some routine business was transacted, followed by another adjournment of the Council, until ten minutes past three. They had hardly taken their places again when sounds in the distance " cheers of the populace," we should probably say, were we writing for to-morrow morning's paper indicated the approach of the Governor. Before he appeared, Mrs. and Miss Musgrave were escorted to chairs close to the dais. All rose as he entered the Chamber and awaited his invitation to be seated. The members of the Legislative Assembly were summoned by command of His Excellency, and appeared tumultuously of course behind the bar. Retaining his seat, and look- ing in his uniform of blue and gold, with black cocked hat fringed with white ostrich feather, which he only re- moved for a few instants during the last words of his address, a most gracious and dignified representative of Her Majesty, the Governor then read the following speech. We give it at length, because, besides showing the Parlia- mentary forms retained, it indicates, by the topics touched upon, various subjects of deep interest in the colony. HONORABLE GENTLEMEN OP THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND GENTLE- MEN OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY 1. It affords me much gratification to have an early opportunity of meeting you, on my assuming the administration of the Government of this loyal and prosperous Province. 2. I wish to assure you of my deep sense of the important trust which has been confided to me, as the representative of our Most Gracious Sovereign, and of my anxious desire to co-operate with you cordially in all measures for the good of the Colony. I shall not forget those constitutional principles by which my conduct should be governed : but where such knowledge or experience as I may have acquired in official service elsewhere can be useful to the community, it will always be freely at your disposal. The functions which I cannot delegate to others I shall endeavour to discharge with faithfulness to the Colony, believing that I shall so best perform my duty to the Queen ; but I shall always listen with careful attention to the counsel of my Ministers and the suggestions which their personal knowledge of local needs 160 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. places them in a position to offer. It is in such mutual confidence that the surest guarantee is found by the community at large, for the successful operation of that system of government which we have a common pride in administering. It will be my great aim during my residence among you to preserve and promote, to the extent of my ability, the loyal attachment to our Sovereign and our national Consti- tution and traditions, which has ever distinguished the people of this Province. And I feel that I may be assured of your support in the exercise of any constitutional authority properly belonging to the office which I have the honour to hold. 3. A General Conference of the Australian Colonies upon the Mail Service contracts, and other subjects of importance, was held in Sydney, in the months of January and February, 1873, and the valuable and interesting Report of their proceedings will be laid before you, together with copies of the important Conventions which have been agreed to on the question of the Border Duties. The negotiations, however, for the New Postal Mail Service have not yet been completed, but there is. a prospect of a speedy and satisfactory settlement of the question. GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY 4. It is with much satisfaction that I am able to congratulate you upon the present prosperous condition of the Colony. The revenue for the first six months of the year has greatly exceeded the estimated amount ; and there is every reason to believe that the revenue for the whole year will also be largely in excess of what was expected. 5. During the last Session authority was given by Parliament for raising certain amounts by loan, to be applied to various useful public works. It has not been found necessary to exercise this authority to its full extent, but part of the loans authorized have been negotiated on terms most advantageous to the public, and the works are now in progress. 6. Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year 1873 will be immediately laid before you. They contain items of expenditure ren- dered necessary by the urgency of the works undertaken. 7. The Estimates for 1874 will be submitted for your consideration as early as possible, and will be found to have been framed with a view to efficiency as well as economy. There will be separate Estimates for the Northern Territory. 8. A Commission was appointed, in compliance with your Address, to inquire into the Law relating to Real Property and Intestacy, more especially as affected by the Real Property Act, the Testamentary Causes Act, and the Acts abolishing the Rights of Primogeniture. A long and able Report has been made to me by the Commissioners, and will be presented to you. HONORABLE GENTLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN 9. The pressing necessity of providing immediately for an increase to the working population of the country will be forthwith brought under WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 161 your notice, and you will be asked to sanction the expenditure required for the introduction of immigrants in order to meet the demands for labour which will exist at the coming season of harvest. 10. The experience gained from the working of the new Education Act in Victoria will assist my Government in framing a Bill on this important subject, which will be submitted to Parliament during the present Session. 11. A measure with a view to provide in a more satisfactory manner for the construction and maintenance of the main roads in this Province will be submitted for your consideration. 12. The rapid influx of population into the Northern Territory will render fresh legislation immediately necessary for that important part of the Colony, and various Bills providing for the administration of the law and the better protection of life and property there will shortly be laid before you. 13. A Bill to encourage the formation of a railway to Port Danvin, in consideration of certain concessions of land to be made to the con- structors, will be introduced during the Session. 14. The unprecedented increase of traffic on the railways and the urgent necessity for meeting the demands of the approaching harvest induced my Government to order considerable additions to the rolling stock, and to take preliminary steps for erecting new goods-sheds, plat- forms, and other accommodation at Port Adelaide and at the principal stations on the Northern Line of Railway. A Bill for power to raise the necessary funds will be laid before you. 15. The principal contracts in connexion with the construction of the Lacepede and Naracoorte Railway have been entered into, and the works are in progress. 16. Preliminary surveys have been made for communication between the Northern Areas and the seaboard, and between Kadina and Port Wakefield ; and trial surveys are also in progress for a line of railway between Port Adelaide and the River Murray. 17. I may generally allude to the many measures for improving our harbours and promoting internal communication, which will have to engage your attention during the Session ; but the desirability of a steady and proportionate increase to the population should be kept in view when you are providing for extensive public works. 18. A Bill to provide for the amendment of the Laws relating to Insolvency, and other Bills of considerable importance will be brought under your notice by my Government. I commend them to your consideration, and earnestly pray that it may please Almighty God to direct all your deliberations so as to secure the advancement and per- manent welfare of this Province. 19. I now declare this Session to be opened. The speech concluded the Governor departed, the President and members attending him to the door of the M 162 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTBALIA. House. And now a knotty question was raised by the pro- posal of a member, that the Governor's speech should be forthwith read, and a committee appointed to draft the address in reply. The President closed the discussion by informing the Chamber, " that in the British Houses of Parliament important matters were often allowed to intervene between the delivery of the Queen's Speech and its after consideration. It was a point of privilege to which they attached much importance, and which they carefully guarded. They had, however, transacted some business already, and he would now proceed to read the Governor's speech." Having done so, a select committee was elected by ballot, to prepare the address ; and, after an adjournment, came the " ministerial explanation " conse- quent on the recent " crisis " and change in the Cabinet. On August 13th we were present at a sitting of the House of Assembly, but it began at half-past two, and we arrived at three, so that we did not see the opening forms, They are, however, we understood, the same as those observed in the House of Commons. The Chamber, in size and arrange- ments, closely resembles the Upper House ; the number of members being double, they are much closer together. The Treasurer, Mr. Glyde, was explaining the financial arrangements of the late Ministry, and the House then proceeded to pass the estimates for the present Session, a short debate arising occasionally on the items. In the course of one of these, the disgraceful state of a certain piece of road near Saddleworth was severely commented upon by an indignant member, and attributed to disregard of an Act of Parliament prescribing the width of tire of waggon wheels, which the speaker hotly demanded should be rigorously enforced. Some of the speakers have the regular Parliamentary manner and voice, but this is by no means the rule ; and the remarks on fellow-members are more personal than in the House of Commons. Moreover, a speaker occasionally refers to another by his own name instead of that of the place he represents, thus depriving Sir George Kingston of the awe-inspiring power ol " naming " a member ! The WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 163 Chief Secretary (the Hon. Arthur Blyth) was frequently attacked, and repelled his adversaries in a very humorous off-hand manner. We heard the opening portion of a speech by Mr. Boucaut, but could not stay for the con- elusion. It was an attack on free immigration, to support which the present Government came in. The debate on the sum (5000Z.) asked for in the estimate for this object was continued at the following sitting, and resulted in that amount being granted. Had it been negatived the ministry would have gone out. Resignation of their seats and re-election are not required in members of a new Cabinet ; and change of Government is a matter of such common occurrence, that Mr. Blyth told us he had lost count of the times he had been in and out of office. August 7th. We went into the Town Hall to-day. The ground-floor is occupied by a spacious council room adorned with a grand civic chair upon a dais, by the Town-clerk's and other offices, and by a large apartment intended, when the building was designed, for an Exchange, but it has not found favour with the merchants, and is used for entertainments, meetings, &c. The floor above constitutes the Town Hall proper. This is not large, but impresses one agreeably by the excellence of its propor- tions, its convenient arrangement, and the good taste of the decorations. The windows are numerous, and can all be opened at the top by means of a winch placed at one end of each wall. Beneath each window, and about eight feet from the . floor, is a ventilator. We were told the room never becomes close, and our experience of it at an evening entertainment was certainly favourable. On that occasion the Bachelor's Ball the flowers with which the hall was adorned were mingled with a profusion of ferns. Some of these were very rare species brought from the Botanical Gardens, but the most effective were wild ones cut in the Mount Lofty gullys. Their graceful fronds, some- times six feet long, were grouped in the fashion of the Prince of Wales' plume,and so placed at intervals all round the hall. A gallery occupying one end has a pretty facade of arches. There are supplementary rooms on th* same floor M 2 164: WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. with the hall, and two kitchens, where preparations were going briskly forward for a ball to take place to-night. Near to the Town Hall are the Government offices, pre- senting a handsome front to King William Street. The building in the rear surrounds three sides of a quadrangle. In this is a pretty garden, upon which the private rooms of the ministers' chiefly look, and delightfully airy and quiet they appeared. They are shaded by broad verandahs, but on the sunless side these are roofed with glass. The dif- ferent Government departments are all collected in this building, including two for which we have no parallel at home those, namely, for the Protection of the Aborigines and for the inspection of sheep. The latter is con- cerned with the prevention of the spread of disease amongst these animals ; stringent regulations being in force to prevent infected flocks from coming on to land occupied by healthy ones. Victoria Square lies across King William Street, the carriage road being carried round, and foot-passengers only allowed to traverse it. A little west of the square is the City Market, to which we next repaired. Being late in the day there was little but the extensive sheds, of which the building consists, to be seen ; but its history is curious as an illustration of the well-known caprice which seems to rule the success or non-success of these establish- ments. Several years since a market was opened by private speculation on East Terrace, at the extreme end of the town. It paid so well, that the Corporation thought one more centrally placed must prove highly profitable, and opened one in a situation which appeared very favourable. Neither buyers or sellers would frequent it. Another was substituted in a different, but promising part of the city, with similar results ; that we were now visiting was the third attempt, and though in the very heart of Adelaide, had been attended with little better success. Besides three or four small prisons in the provinces used for offenders of both sexes, whose sentences do not exceed six months, and possessing accommodation for ten or WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 165 twelve ipmates each, there are two gaols in South Aus- tralia the " Labour Prison " at Yatala, six or eight miles from Adelaide, for male convicts only ; and the Adelaide Gaol, for female prisoners of all categories, and for men whose sentences do not exceed six months. On the 1st of August we visited the latter. This is a well-built stone edifice, erected in 1840, about a mile beyond the city bounds. To-day it contained sixty- six males and twenty-eight females; the sexes occupying, of course, distinct quarters. The prisoners sleep in separate cells, but work by day in association, when talk- ing is allowed, if not noisy or offensive. The cells are good, but those for men are the best, except that theirs on the ground-floor are flagged, while all occupied by women are boarded. The men sleep in hammocks, the women on a broad wooden shelf, formerly on the bare boards, but recently mattresses have been supplied. The whole building, with the exception of one of the day- rooms used for women, and a portion of their side of the prison which was undergoing alteration, was scrupulously clean and in order. The food is good and very abundant, one pound of meat a day being allowed per head. The uniform for the males, a coloured shirt and coarse white trousers ; for the females, a dark serge gown is neat and comfortable, such as tidy working people might wear ; and the general aspect of the prisoners is cheerful and self-respectful, while the manner of the officers towards them is kindly. There was only one among them who had the depraved aspect of the inmates of our gaols at home ; but these, it must be remembered, usually belong to the class who make a living by crime a class which cannot exist in a sparse population. There are districts even in England where there is so little apprehension of thieves that windows and doors are habitually left unfastened at night. But they are remote from the large towns essential to depredators, since in them only can they obtin the co-operation of crime-capitalists (as they have been called), the receivers of stolen goods, proprietors of flash houses, &c., without 166 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. whom it is impossible for them to pursue their nefarious calling. Even in old countries where the complete crimi- nal organisation here indicated has long existed, it may be paralysed by attacking these capitalists ; and one effectual means thereto is to make landlords responsible if they receive as tenants persons known to be living on the proceeds of crime.* In new communities the adoption of this course would prevent professional plunderers from ever obtaining a footing in the land. A large proportion in this prison, as in England, go in and out frequently, becoming, probably, each time rather worse than before. The very short sentences are for slight offences chiefly caused by drunkenness. Some prisoners, however, are of an entirely different class. They are sailors whose vessels are in port, and who having shown or, perhaps, only been suspected of, a disposition to break their engagements, have been locked up, on the applica- tion of their captains, till the time for sailing shall arrive. Desertion from English ships is very common in ports remote from home, where much higher wages usually can be obtained for the return voyage than masters will pay for the voyage out. But there are in South Australia, and probably in the other colonies too, persons who regard as a great abuse the power possessed by captains to avail themselves, when in port, of the prison for the safe-keeping of their men, at the expense of the colony ; to say nothing of injustice or injury done to the men themselves. They maintain that the agreement made in England should be for the voyage out only, and that the return voyage should be the subject of a fresh engagement. In the first case the wages, it is said, would be little more than nominal, and would thus compensate for the high sum demanded for working the ship back again. A terrible murder occurred a few days ago, in consequence of the present state of the law. Four sailors were lately consigned to prison by their captain from the usual motive, and on the * ' Criminal Capitalists,' by Edwin Hill ; ' Report of the International Prison Congress,' London, 1872. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 167 eve of his sailing were returned to him against their will. The ship had scarcely started, when they attacked him with a belaying pin, possibly not with the intention of killing him, but in the hope of being sent back to prison for the assault, and so escaping the fulfilment of their engagement But the captain died of their blows ; the first mate brought the vessel back to Adelaide, and the men are now in gaol awaiting their trial on the capital charge.* The men in the Adelaide gaol cook for the whole esta- blishment, make mats and coarse bags, pick oakum, break stones, cultivate about twenty acres of land, and manu- facture oil from olives grown thereon. The land is outside the prison walls and the warders are unarmed, but as escape would be visited with five years' penal servitude in case of recapture, and as recapture is almost certain, there is practically no risk of these short-sentenced prisoners running away. The men are being employed also at present in the enlargement of the gaol, for which they supply the unskilled labour. The women do all the wash- ing, make the men's clothes and their own, and pick oakum, six pounds,we believe, being a day's work. The mark system has just been introduced. Three marks daily can be earned, denoting respectively positive, comparative, and superlative degrees of industry ; but they are allotted by the warders, and can hardly be re- garded as a very accurate adjustment of reward to desert. These marks, we understood, are the only incentive to do well offered to the women. The men can in addition earn rations of tobacco. The prisoners were spoken of as usually " very quiet," and the object of the prison arrange- ment seemed to be to preserve order among the inmates while there rather than to train them to avoid returning, and re-commitments apparently are not infrequent. There is a chapel, but a very ugly one, in the prison. Religious instruction is imparted entirely by volunteers. An Episcopalian clergyman and a Dissenting minister * The men were convicted, and sentence of death was passed upon them ; but it was subsequently commuted to penal servitude for life. 168 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. conduct worship at different hours on Sundays ; all the prisoners may attend both services, and usually do so, although a large proportion are Roman Catholics, who are visited by a priest. There is no schoolmaster. Some ladies visit the women and give them instruction, but the men re- ceive none. There are, however, a few books for their use. The men rise at six, and the women a little later. About eight hours are given to actual labour, exclusive of arranging cells, serving meals, &c., and all the prisoners are locked up for the night at six o'clock. As in this latitude the cells must be dark by seven o'clock, even in the height of summer, and there are no artificial means of lighting them, the prisoners are reduced to enforced idleness for nearly half of the twenty-four hours. The reason for this undesirable arrangement is the cost of lighting the cells and of superintendence in the evening. The prison for male convicts (those under sentence for more than six months) at Yatala is in an open situa- tion on a rocky soil, and a few miles distant from the sea. It is sometimes spoken of as the Stockade, but more precisely as the Dry creek Labour Prison. We had the advantage of visiting it on the 20th August with Mr. W. K. Boothby, who was appointed in 1869 Comptroller of gaols, or, as we should say, Director of prisons. We were accompanied also by Mr. Scott, the able Superin- tendent of the gaol, and were favoured with the lullest information on every point on which we wished to inquire. The gaol contains 172 separate cells, besides four for punishment ; the number of prisoners on the day of our visit was eighty-eight. The majority are between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five, which is above the average age in the mother country. Many are believed to come from the other colonies, and the supposition that they are ex-im- perial convicts would account for their more advanced years. The men eat and sleep separately, but work in asso- ciation. One workroom (large and airy) suffices, as repairs to clothes constitutes almost the whole indoor labour, ex- clusive of cooking and cleaning. The small number of prisoners would make it costly to employ trades-teachers, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 169 and the men are chiefly occupied in quarrying and break- ing stone, which constitutes really " hard labour." A cubic yard of road metal is considered a day's work. Any excess is paid for with marks as overtime. The prisoners also cultivate twenty acres of land. All the vegetables consumed in the prison, except potatoes, are raised here, and we saw also a fine patch of wheat growing. Here, as at Adelaide gaol, we were struck with the industrious air and manly bearing of the prisoners ; and especially with the kindly and indeed courteous manner towards them of all the officials, following the example of the Comptroller himself. Mr. JBoothby's theory is " to make the prisoners work hard and to treat them like men," and to the reduction of this theory to practice may pro- bably be attributed their good health, the small proportion of prison offences, and the fact that they earn in hard cash half the cost of their maintenance, independent of the value of their labour not paid for in money. The out-door work is carried on beyond the prison walls, and as several men are under long sentences and some for life, it is neces- sary to guard against attempts to escape. One man, indeed, did get away lately, and ran four miles before he was retaken. Yet except for light leg-irons on the life- sentenced, a few warders visible two or three of whom posted on " coigns of vantage " carried muskets with fixed bayonets (the others having pistols concealed in a pouch), and a number and broad arrow marked not very con- spicuously on. the well-looking clothes of the prisoners, there was nothing to remind one that they were not free labourers. It seemed to us that they might, with their pickaxes, soon have put an end to their officers and us too, had they been so minded. No attack, whatever, has occurred, we understood, since the present Comptroller entered on his appointment and re-organised the prison arrangements ; and the perfect freedom with which our party of ladies and gentlemen walked among the prisoners without hearing a bad word or seeing the least sign of dis- courtesy was strong testimony to the healthy tone prevailing. The prison consists of the main body containing 136 170 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. cells, in three tiers, and a new wing with thirty-six cells. This was built, of the fine stone they quarry, by the prisoners with the assistance of skilled masons. It is very handsome so far as material and good workman- ship go, but neither here or in any other part of the gaol has money been wasted in decoration. The chapel, also built by the prisoners, is light and cheerful and prettily finished. It displays a modest attempt at stained glass windows, and is supplied with handsome mats woven in the prison, but contains nothing unduly costly. The ground- floor cells throughout the gaol are flagged, and in the main building they are somewhat dark ; sunshine rarely enters them, but artificial heat in winter is not considered neces- sary. On the upper floors they are boarded. In all, the men sleep on a broad wooden shelf, spread with a straw mattress. Their bedding is given to them at night by a warder, who takes away their day clothes. Each cell is furnished with the means of striking a gong to summon an officer in case of need. In the wing, the newly arrived are lodged and remain till another batch of prisoners come, when they are re- moved to the main building, so as to prevent intercourse with those fresh from the outer world. In this respect, and in separating the youths of whom there were five present on the day of our visit from the adults so far as the existing prison arrangements permit, there is a cer- tain degree of classification observed. Exquisite cleanliness and order prevailed throughout the building. In the kitchen, though about the dinner- hour, not a speck or stain of any kind was to be seen. Both storekeeper and cook are prisoners, and other offices are similarly filled, their work being so estimated that they, like the out-door labourers, can earn marks by overtime. These appointments are frequently considered desir- able by the men, but very little, if any, use is made of this circumstance as an incitement to good conduct, special fitness for the post being usually the reason for selection. After receiving sentence each prisoner is photographed at the Adelaide Gaol, in his ordinary dress. On arrival at WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 171 Yatala. he is again photographed in prison costume. The portraits are preserved on two cards joined together; on their back is recorded the man's name and age, a minute description of his personal appearance, his offence and sentence. A bit of pasteboard, the size of two visiting- cards, thus compendiously presents the principal facts known concerning him. A register of his personal ap- pearance is also kept in a book, with such information of his history as can be obtained. The period of detention is not divided into stages through which the prisoners can work their way upwards ; but a mark system of simple character is employed, marks being given for industry only. Three per day is the maximum attainable ; they are allotted by the chief wardsraen and countersigned by the governor of the gaol. The men are not given mark-books themselves, but the amount gained is explained from time to time ; they have opportunity for enquiry and expression of their opinion to the Comp- troller, and each man keeps a tally himself. Each mark tells, however infinitesimally in shortening imprisonment, except of course in life sentences ; and even then in case of commutation, which is so frequent as to be almost the rule, previous industry is taken into account. The maximum portion remissible is about one quarter of the sentence, and this privilege attaches to all sentences exceeding six months in duration. The men are provided with one suit of clothes only, and as there is a difficulty in drying them out-door labour ceases in heavy rain, but as such cessation diminishes the opportunity for earning marks, it is very unpopular ; malingering likewise is rare. A medical officer visits the gaol daily, and the infirmary is a very comfortable room. No money can be earned in prison, but a gratuity of 27. is given on discharge. There is a prejudice, we were informed, in South Australia against ex-prisoners, which makes it difficult for them to obtain employment, notwith- standing the great demand for labourers ; but a Prisoner's Aid Society, recently established by the Rev. Wilton Hack, is helping the well-disposed. That there should be any 172 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. difficulty probably indicates want of faith in the reforma- tion of the men ; and indeed we were impressed with the feeling that, in Yatala Gaol as too often elsewhere, the good conduct of the prisoner rather than that of the liberated man was the chief object in view. Yet con- siderable reformatory effect is claimed, and it would appear claimed with justice. The last report informs us that the recommittals during 1873 were fewer than in former years ; and it gives the number of prisoners in gaol, at the end of each year, from 1868 to 1873, showing an uninterrupted decrease from 140 to 91.* A schoolmaster attends on week-day evenings to instruct prisoners under eighteen years of age, and any of the elder men who are ignorant The better educated are allowed to read in the school-room (a comfortable one, having maps on the walls and a sufficiency of school apparatus) when space there can be spared ; but* often this is not the case, and as the cells are unsupplied with artificial light employment in them ceases with daylight. The Comp- troller disapproves of this regulation. It is caused by the parsimony of the Government, who will not pay the cost of lighting the cells. The men work for an hour from six A.M. in summer and seven in winter ; again from nine to one, and two to six, with two intervals of a quarter of an hour for smoking ! The cessation from work is obligatory, because of the difficulty of superintending some at labour and some resting, but smoking we believe is optional. The food supplied is very liberal and tobacco forms a regular ration. There are no appointed chaplains but, as at the Adelaide gaol, clergymen of different denominations visit voluntarily. Besides Sunday services they attend on week days to give religious instruction. As they do not always come at fixed hours, the interruption to labour creates serious inconvenience ; but on the other hand the volun- tary character of their teaching has probably a better * ' Report from the Comptroller of Labour Prisons,' Adelaide, February 1874. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 173 influence on the prisoners than if they knew it to be paid for. Attendance at service on Sundays is compulsory on the men, but we were told they seemed to join in worship heartily. Punishment consists in seclusion in cell by order of the governor of the gaol for short periods, some- times in darkness ; in extreme cases the visiting justice and another magistrate acting in concert, can order separate confinement for three months in periods of one month each. One wretched man, a murderer, whose sentence passed many years ago, was commuted to imprisonment for life, is almost always in cell for violent conduct. At home probably he would be treated as a criminal lunatic. In South Australia there is no special prison for his class. The safety of his companions requires his separation, and no means apparently have been discovered of kindling whatever spark of goodness remains in his breast. On the contrary, repeated punishment seems to brutalise him more and more. The consciousness of so hopeless and miserable an existence separated from us but by the thick- ness of a wall, saddened what otherwise, owing to the admirable discipline, the self-respectful aspect of the men, the good effect already apparent from the reforms insti- tuted by Mr. Boothby, and it must be confessed pos- sibly also the brilliancy of a climate which sheds a glow over even the dreariest circumstances of life, will be re- membered by us as among the most cheerful of our many visits within prison boundaries. A hunt club exists at Adelaide, which meets frequently during the winter season on Saturday afternoon. This is the time sacred to holiday, and must never be invaded by business of any kind, as we discovered when the time for a proposed meeting for a philanthropic object was under consideration. Only ladies were to be invited, and in our ignorance of manners and customs we suggested Saturday afternoon, but we were at once assured that not one of the invited would appear, South Australian ladies counting on spending the half-holiday with father, husband, or brother. One day when it was known that the hunt would pass 174 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Stonyfell, E rode thither to witness the sight. Shortly before the arrival of the dogs, a horseman appeared galloping along taking a very serpentine course, now crossing a paddock, now jumping a fence. He held a cord in one hand with a rag soaked in kerosine tied to the other. This he carefully trailed along the ground as he galloped, and thus created a scent for the hounds to follow. Deer and foxes are not in Australia. They would if introduced probably multiply so rapidly as to become as great a nuisance as rabbits have been in Tasmania. In Victoria a few foxes are kept on purpose for the chase, which the dogs are not allowed to kill. Dingoes are also hunted in the same way. One rich proprietor imported deer for his estate, and gives occasionally a stag to the Melbourne hunt. The kangaroo would afford no sport if chased with horses and foxhounds ; but so ingrain in the Anglo-Saxon is the love of galloping over fields and jumping fences and streams in hot pursuit, that as no convenient animals exist in our colonies, he follows the smell of kerosine, or sometimes that of a red herring ! When the huntsmen appeared in scarlet coats, preceded by the hounds, they formed a pretty sight in the brilliant sunshine as they galloped across the undulating ground, taking a fence every now and then, though not looking quite equal to a hunt in full career at home. The fences were not always taken ; because wire is often stretched between the rails to prevent sheep and cattle passing through, and it is apt, as it is not easily distinguishable either by horse or rider, to cause dangerous falls. The sight was rendered still more agreeable by the re- flection that no poor animal was contributing to this amusement by being subjected for hours to fatigue and terror, only to be killed at last ; an illusion however most painfully dispelled when E learnt it is held necessary that the killing propensities of the dogs which have been aroused and sustained by a long chase should be gratified. To tear a kerosine rag to pieces is supposed not to be a sufficient reward for their toil, and a living animal is WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 175 sacrificed to their passions. Consequently poor rabbits are rubbed over with kerosine and let loose where the scent of the rag comes to an end. After the hunt had passed R rode on with C among the beautiful hills of the neighbourhood. The wattles were just opening their long sprays of yellow blossom. Groups of these trees at a distance resemble laburnum, though the flower is in the shape of a ball. The seed possesses the characteristic of germinating even after lying for several years, as it were asleep, in the earth, if this be ploughed. The early leaves of the wattle resemble those of the acacia, to which family it belongs ; but when these fall off their successors are of an entirely different shape, very like the foliage of the gum. The once common belief that Australian flowers have no smell has not yet quite passed away ; the wattle is one of many proving its fallacy. In our ride we came upon the house where the hunt lunch had been given. As the scent can be made to end at whatever spot the hunters choose, it is easy to fix upon one convenient for refreshment. To-day it was at the residence of an extensive wine grower, and he had enter- tained his guests in his cellar ; not an underground exca- vation, but a lofty building something like a barn of large dimensions. Huge casks containing wine are permanently ranged along the walls, and the table was placed between them. The house is beautifully situated among the hills, and the green slopes planted with standard apricots and peaches just then in blossom surrounded it with beauty. We had to lower several slip panels to reach it, as we had not followed any recognised road, and once to untwist the wire stretched between the posts. But such cool proceed- ings are common enough in Australia, the proprietors of the land being generally quite satisfied if the panels be replaced and the wire twisted again. Gates are rare, slip panels supplying their place. These are rails in the fence which are loose and, fitting into holes in the posts, can be drawn out and put in with great facility. 176 WE A T WE SAW IN A US TRALIA. CHAPTEK X. Projected visit to Mount Remarkable Port Lincoln Kindness of Fellow Travellers Superintendent of the Mission Station Poo- nindie Native School at Adelaide Bishop of Perth Native Eeserve Additional Land Purchased Agriculture Church School Recreation Cottages Festival Bishop of Adelaide Results. A LETTEE of introduction from a friend in England to Professor Pearson was acknowledged by his asking us to stay at his house, in the neighbourhood of Mount Remark- able, nearly 200 miles north-west of Adelaide. We had gladly accepted an invitation offering enjoyment in many ways ; but engagements at Adelaide had for several weeks delayed our availing ourselves of it, and the impediments to travelling in the interior in the depth of winter con- sisting in roads converted to swamps, broken bridges, and rivers risen to unfordable height had also postponed our departure. Towards the end of August we were told we might safely begin our expedition. Our route was carefully laid out for us, and every precaution taken by our friends to secure our comfort during the three weeks' absence we contemplated. On the afternoon of the 25th we em- barked in the little steamer ' Lubra ' for Port Augusta, at the head of Spencer's Gulf. She would call on her way at Port Lincoln, near the mouth of the Gulf, and ten miles from Port Lincoln, is the Missionary Station for natives at Poonindie. This we much desired to visit, and, to do so, chose the sea-route ; for, practically, the station is inaccessible by other means. We started, however, in uncertainty of being able to accomplish our purpose, for the ' Lubra ' would be at Port Lincoln barely long enough to enable us to do so under the most favourable circum- stances ; and as there would be, if 'she departed without WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 177 us, no means of continuing our journey to Port Augusta until she should return a fortnight later, we could not risk being left behind. The evening was fine, except for a cutting wind, which, however, did not roughen the water of St. Vincent's Gulf; but after we had passed Kangaroo Island, there was nothing to shelter us from the Southern Ocean. This portion of the voyage we were told is always more or less rough, and on the present occasion it was certainly "more." The 'Lubra,' moreover, has a reputation for rolling, which she did not fail to sustain. Few of her passengers probably slept through the night, and in the morning, some who had never been ill in their lives before, con- fessed to having succumbed. Heavy rain was falling, and the probability of our reaching Poonindie seemed much smaller than when, in sanguine mood, we had resolved to make the attempt. We began to think we had better have travelled to Mount Kemarkable by land ! Port Lincoln is extremely beautiful, but the thick weather concealed much of its loveliness as we approached. The town consists of a church, with a few houses and stores. A bay, protected by Boston Island, and possessing ample depth of water, constitutes the finest harbour, indeed the only good one in South Australia. Port Lincoln was selected by Captain Hindmarsh, who, being a sailor fell in love with its capabilities for safe anchorage, as the site for the metropolis; but the poverty of the surrounding country discouraged the idea. Long since Adelaide was founded, rich land has been discovered not very remote from Port Lincoln, though too distant, perhaps, to have vindicated the choice of this spot for the capital. The rain ceased before we reached the long jetty where we were to disembark, and all our thoughts were bent on quickly landing, and starting for Poonindie with the least possible loss of time. We bad already learnt that there was but one conveyance for hire at the port, spoke a of by the generic name of " trap;" and on the chance of that being disengaged depended accomplishing our desire. A N 178 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. gentleman to whom A had introduced us when we came on board at Port Adelaide, kindly hastened on shore to secure it for us, were it to be had. Meanwhile another fellow-traveller, to whom we were perfect strangers, having overheard the expression of our hopes and fears respecting Poonindie, meeting Mr. Hoi den, the superintendent of that institution upon the jetty, brought him to us, that we might ourselves explain to him our wishes. Instantly he devoted himself to their fulfilment, begging us to accompany him on shore. The captain of the 'Lubra' had meanwhile obligingly promised that he would not start without us, though we felt none the less bound to be on board at the time fixed for sailing. On shore we soon met the friend who had tried to secure for us the " trap," coming to report that his effort had failed, the vehicle being absent. Mr. Holden, however, held out some hope of finding another, and saying he would at once ascertain if one could be got, invited us to wait meanwhile at the house of a friend, where he and Mrs. Holden were spending the day. The * Lubra ' had brought the fortnightly mail from Adelaide an important event in a wide neighbour- hood, of which Port Lincoln is the centre ; and they had driven in " to town " (as we heard it expressed) to fetch their letters. Soon he reappeared, unsuccessful in hiring a vehicle, but telling us that his own horses, which were only just unharnessed after their ten miles' run, should be put again into the buggy, and he would drive us out himself. We remonstrated, but it is to be feared the strength of our desire to see Poonindie made our remon- strances proportionately faint. However that may be, in a quarter of an hour we were on the road, Mrs. Holden being also of the party. Our way skirted the many indentations forming the coast- line of Boston Bay. This is very beautiful, enclosed by green hills partially clothed with shea-oak and mallee scrub. The latter and the gum-trees were in blossom. There were, indeed, wild-flowers in profusion, but we could not stop to examine or gather them. Sometimes we ascended to a considerable height above the sea, sometimes we were WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 179 close to the waves rolling in upon the shore, all seeming alike to the ponies, who trotted merrily up and down hill on the well-made road, rejoicing, no doubt, in so speedy a return home, and little dreaming they would have to be at Port Lincoln again before the ' Lubra ' should sail. On the way we met at intervals horsemen riding many a mile to post and receive letters. The weather had improved as regards the picturesque, showers alternating with gleams of sunlight. Turning somewhat inland as we approached Poonindie, but while still three miles distant, we entered the domain assigned to the station by a handsome gate, while another subsequently admitted us to the enclosure in which the village stands. Here a mob of merry little urchins, with black and shining countenances, after having rushed to open the gate when they saw us approaching, ran after the buggy, evidently expecting to be taken up. It was the presence of strangers, we feared, that deprived them of their accus- tomed treat. As we drove on, the pretty little church first caught our notice. Close by is Mr. Holden's house, and that of the agricultural superintendent. These gen- tlemen, with their families and the schoolmaster, are the only white members of the little community. The school- house is near, and round about these larger buildings, which are interspersed with trees, cluster the neat white cottages of the natives, the whole surrounding three sides of an oblong space covered with turf, which forms a diminutive village green. Early in the history of South Australia a school for the aborigines was established in Adelaide, and continued in operation for some years. The pupils displayed much aptness for acquiring elementary knowledge, but it was found that they did not on quitting school take to any settled occupation. Most of them returned to their wild life, while the few who hung about the town were shiftless and destitute, and exhibited in an intensified form the vices of civilisation. The present Bishop of Perth, West Australia, Dr. Matthew Hale, a collateral descendant of the great judge, was at that time Archdeacon of Adelaide. N 2 1 80 WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. Taking great interest in the native school, and deeply lamenting its failure to reclaim its pupils from savagery, he cast about for some more permanent method of civilis- ing them. To provide them with employment and the means of subsistence, and to remove them both from the temptations of the town, and from the reach of unreclaimed natives who would tempt or compel them to return to their former life, Archdeacon Hale resolved to form them into an agricultural community, and to establish them in a district remote from the evils he feared. The form of government was to be patriarchal, and Christianity its guiding spirit. Besides aiding it with his fortune and influence, he resolved, with generous self-devotion, to be himself the pastor of this humble flock ; and for the greater part of the period intervening between the foundation of the mission and his elevation to the See of Perth in 1856, the Archdeacon and his wife and family dwelt at Poo- nindie. The life of the white directors of such a settlement must always be one of much self-sacrifice; but it must have been especially so in the early days of Poonindie, before the ordinary comforts of civilised life had been obtained, and intercourse with the capital was even more infrequent than at present. In September 1850, Dr. Hale, bringing with him eleven aboriginals, five married couples, and a single man, who had all been educated at the school in Adelaide, landed on Boston Island. He had chosen this beautiful spot for his settlement, but want of water obliged him in a very few weeks to abandon it, and he removed to the banks of the Tod, where the present little village gradually arose. Here a run with about 5000 sheep was purchased by the Archdeacon. Government added an extensive tract of land, forming an Aboriginal Reserve ; and the Colonial Treasury and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel made important contributions to the funds. Under the direction of skilled white workmen some of the natives erected the present buildings, while others were being instructed in the various duties of the farm, which the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 181 aborigines usually learn to perform extremely well. A native school, which had existed for some years in the Port Lincoln district under a German missionary, Mr. Schurman, being amalgamated with Poonindie, increased the number of inmates; while individuals were from time to time persuaded to leave their tribes and join the mission. In spite of numerous deaths during its early existence, the population exceeded sixty when the Arch- deacon left, and had reached almost a hundred at the time of our visit, many infants having been born of late years ; while the deaths, we understand, have much diminished. The ex-scholars from Adelaide formed the nucleus of an educated class ; and one of these, Conwillan, was able, when the Archdeacon was absent on Sundays at Port Lincoln, to conduct service in the Mission Church ; and did so with such propriety that white settlers in the neighbourhood used regularly to attend. A day-school for the children was soon established ; classes were formed for the women ; and the men and older boys who are at work during the day attend a night-school. The necessity for amusements was not forgotten ; music was encouraged. Some of the young men lead the singing at church with their flutes, while the tones of the concertina and violin are not unfamiliar in the settlement. Occasionally there is dancing, and harmless indoor games are indulged in. Cricket seems for many years to have occupied as impor- tant a position as at Harrow or Eton ; and the Poonindie Eleven have been almost invariably victorious over their white antagonists of Port Lincoln. Sometimes they even go to Adelaide for a match, when their wives display as much loving anxiety in the perfection of their " get-up " for the occasion as any English mother or sister in that of her special hero at Lord's. Drinking is strictly forbidden. No drink, of course, can be obtained in the village, but we believe no Poonindie native has been known to break the rule when sent to the township on errands. On the contrary, it is remem- bered how Conwillan, having according to orders loaded 182 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. his own dray with goods from a coasting vessel, rendered the like service to a settler whose teamster was lying intoxicated upon the beach.* The departure of the Archdeacon was severely felt by the members of the settlement. Hot only was he dis- tinguished by unwearied benevolence, but his business habits and practical knowledge of the details of farming had greatly promoted the material success of the under- taking. A season of much trouble, augmented by severe sick- ness and mortality, followed his removal ; but all difficulties seem to have been surmounted, and under the direction of the trustees of the institution the Bishop of Adelaide, Mr. Samuel Davenport, and Mr. Hawkes and the zealous care of the resident superintendent, Poonindie has, we may hope, for several years fulfilled, as a thriving and happy community, the aspiration of its generous founder. Accompanied by the Bishop of Adelaide, the Bishop of Perth paid a visit, towards the end of 1872, to the scene of his philanthropic labours. His reception was very touching. Few only of the aborigines present had dwelt at Poouindie during his residence there, but those who had come since recognised in him the friend of their race ; and all joined in giving him a hearty welcome. He stayed some days, mingling with them in their various pursuits. On one occasion all assembled in the school- room which they had themselves decorated with flowers ; the purpose of the gathering being to present to the Bishop a tea-service costing several pounds, purchased with their own money. The religious services on the Sunday, in which each Bishop took part, were singularly impres- sive. On the following morning the whole population was early astir, and, after a full attendance in the church, * ' A Visit to Poonindie,' by the Lord Bishop of Adelaide. Printed by W. K. Thomas, Adelaide, 1873. We have derived most of our informa- tion concerning the early history of the settlement from this interesting narrative. WE A T WE SAW IN A U8TBAL TA. J 83 every one men, women, and children hastened, on foot or in the drays, to the shore to witness the shipping of one hundred bales of wool, the produce of their own land and their own labour. Poonindie wool bears a high reputation, and shipping day is made a red-letter festival in the annals of the station. On this occasion, moreover, the Poonindie Eleven were to embark for Adelaide, to play a match with the pupils of St. Peter's College.* Many years before our visit to the Southern hemi- sphere we had heard of Poonindie from the Bishop of Perth, and when laying out our route we. resolved to include, if possible, a visit to it in our Australian tour. It was with intense interest we now found ourselves in its midst ; and with much gratification we recognised at a glance an appearance of order, prosperity, and refinement, superior to anything we had anticipated. Mrs. Holden employs the young women as domestic servants, and told us that, with supervision, they do house- work well. On quitting the buggy at her door, her maidens quickly seconded her hospitable intentions for our refreshment, and seemed to find as much amusement and gratification of curiosity in waiting upon us, as we ex- perienced in being waited upon by them. A fiuely-grown young man, called Fred. Foorvinda, was summoned to speak to us, because he had once accompanied a missionary in a visit of some days at Hazelwood, and his face quite blazed with pleasure in hearing we had come thence. He must have been a peculiarly ingratiating fellow. On his arrival at Hazelwood the servants would not entertain the idea of his taking his meals with them, so he was rele- gated to the verandah. By the next day, however, it was observed that a place was prepared for him at table. On the following evening our aunt, happening to find that her servants were not drinking tea at their usual hour, enquired the reason, when the answer was "Oh, * ' A Visit to Poonindie.' Another match between the same antagonist* took place in April 1874, at Poonindie, when the aborigines came otf victorious. 184 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ma'am, Frederic is not come in yet, and we are waiting for him." In consequence of the limited time at our disposal the school-children were summoned to their classes an hour earlier in the afternoon than usual. They appeared much amazed, but did not seem to resent the interruption to their play, going through their lessons with docility and sweetness of temper. The muster, however, was very in- complete. Some of the youngsters may have been beyond call with their mothers, as several of the women were, we were told, out fishing a very favourite occupation. About a dozen children of all ages assembled in the school-room. Some of them sang a hymn nicely, and several read in separate groups. Two little girls of seven and eight read the parable of the Good Samaritan excellently, and as though they understood what they were reading. But a more remarkable performance was that of a lad who had been at Poonindie only six months, and knew nothing of reading when he came. He gave us a passage from Isaiah with fluency and correct emphasis. Although only fourteen, and not tall for his age, his beard and whiskers were far advanced, giving him a most strange appearance. The writing we were shown was excellent, and most of the writers had attained to a good running hand. In arithmetic they rarely go beyond the first four rules. Besides the permanent inhabitants of the station, we heard of " wurley-natives," occasional neighbours in fact, who, while retaining their ordinary mode of life, still hang about the mission; sometimes, we believe, attending school and church. Of these, however, we were not aware that any were present to-day. We went into some of the cottages, to some of which gardens are attached. They are humble little thatched dwellings, generally containing only one room, though this is occasionally divided into two or more parts by a curtain or other simple means of separa- tion. We found them extremely clean and tidy ; and the good fires the natives love to keep for they are very sensitive to cold made them bright and cheerful. The WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. '185 floors are either earthen or paved with horizontal sec- tions of the trunks of trees. The ratters are usually bare, but in some we saw ceilings of white calico. In most the walls are whitewashed, though in some of the rooms they are covered with engravings from the ' British Workman ; ' and among these we recognised the portrait of a justly-revered member of the Society of Friends at Bristol, the late George Thomas. In one bed-room there was a toilet-table and looking-glass, and some attempt at table ornaments. The mistress of each little house received us with smiles of welcome. One of these, " Amy,' was in all the first pride of house-keeping, as she had been married only the week before. Her husband was at work at a distant part of the station. Our visit to Poonindie was during recreation time alter dinner, and several of the men were standing about the green or playing at games. They were much more shy than the women, and very few would come near us. Each married couple has, of course, a cottage to themselves. The elder boys and unmarried men dwell together in one or more cottages, according to their number ; and the unmarried young women of whom there are just now only four, in a home enclosed in Mr. Holden's garden. These take it in turn to keep their dwelling in order ; while a married woman has charge of that appro- priated to the men. There are several little orpnans, who occupy another house, under the care of a native woman. Many of the inhabitants of Poonindie are half-castes. These are very intelligent, and some of them are ex- tremely handsome, though usually their aspect is mourn- ful. The schoolmaster was absent to-day, and a half-caste young man was supplying his place. He has a singularly mild expression of countenance, and is, Mr. Holden saiu, a thorough Christian. Sometime ago he wished for a change, and obtained employment at a distant station. The behaviour of his white fellow-labourers displeased him, especially their language. One day meeting his master he told him of their wrong-doing, and asked if he 186 WE AT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. could not prevent it. " No," his employer answered, " the men used bad language even in his presence, and he could not stop it. But," he added, " no one need listen to it." The Poonindie man, however, finding he could not escape the evil if he remained, preferred to give up his employment and the good wages he was earning, and return to the mission station. The full blacks, while children, are as bright-looking as half-castes or whites, and the adults at Poonindie looked quite as intelligent as the majority of our agricultural class, though with a more child-like expression. They are rarely handsome ; indeed, excepting always their glorious eyes and dazzling teeth, they are generally very ugly. The colour of the skin seems to vary even among those who have no white blood in their veins, in some being as black as a well-blacked boot, in others different shades of brown. The inside of the hand is usually much paler than the outside. Their hair though inclined to wave, is not in the least woolly. Like the beards of the men it is extremely thick, and usually glossy and jet black. The Poonindie estate contains now 12,000 acres. A considerable part is fit only for feeding sheep, of which there are 10,000 pastured upon it. The remainder is well cultivated, and produces wheat of high quality. The settlement is now self-supporting, and may be likened in many respects to a co-operative farm. The profits, how- ever, are not directly shared among the workers, as it is found better to pay them in wages varying of course with the amount and nature of the work performed. One man, we were told, earns 25s. a week, but usually they get about 15s. They have in addition their houses rent-free, and very liberal rations of meat, flour, sugar, &c. Medical comforts also are supplied when needed. Dress, we be- lieve, as well as luxuries and little articles of personal indulgence, they pay for themselves. Mr. Holden has usually many commissions to execute for them when he goes to Port Lincoln, and to-day, among a variety of objects he took from his pocket on reaching WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 187 home, was a bottle of hair-oil, an article much in request among these dusky beaux and belles. The clothes they wore were mostly very scanty and humble ; but the women were all neatly dressed, and, in some instances, had gowns of a good woollen material, such as our pea- santry might wear for best. The inhabitants, however, by no means spend all their money on themselves. We have mentioned their handsome present to their bene- factor, the Bishop of Perth. They subscribe annually 10Z. to maintain one Melanesian scholar at the school on the Isle of Mota, founded by Bishop Patteson, and have contributed to other charitable objects. The routine of the day's work is laid out for them. A bell rings at six a.m., when the men who have charge of the horses and bullocks water and feed their teams. Prayers in the church follow at seven, and all residents in the settlement are expected to attend. After breakfast the men depart to their farm-work, and the children go to school. The bell rings at twelve for dinner, and at one work begins again. It ceases in summer at six, in winter at five. For evening prayers they assemble again in the church. At nine the bell rings, when all repair to Mr. Holden's house to wish him good night, and thence depart to their 'homes. Every one is supposed to go to bed, and none are allowed out of doors after nine o'clock ; but if the married folks remain up within their houses they are not interfered with. To maintain so regular a life for a permanence, broken though it be by holidays and amusements at the station, by an occasional visit to Port Lincoln, or even to Adelaide, is not possible with these children of nature, accustomed perpetually to rove. Now and then an individual will ask for leave of absence, and this, we believe, is always granted. Occasionally he seeks employment at another station, but usually betakes himself to friends dwelling in unrestrained wildness, and sometimes many months elapse before he returns ; but we understood no instance has yet occurred of entire abandonment of civilised life by those who have passed some years in Poonindie. Their present peaceful 188 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. and industrial existence at the station has not, however, been established without much toil and disappointment and patient waiting on the part of their guardians. The tribes vary in character and habits as much perhaps as do their languages differ, and doubtless some are far more easy than others to civilise. But bad as well as good qualities are found in all, and none seem to be free from horrible customs which must render close association with them revolting in the extreme until they have been induced to abandon them.* Occasionally we heard the conviction expressed that no real improvement could be effected, but the speakers had not we had reason to be- lieve seen the natives at the mission stations, where doubt- less by far the most favourable impression of them is received. That they should have been so far converted from savage ways in the course of a few years as we saw to be the case at Poonindie, and taught self-maintenance by labour profitable not only to themselves but to the country at large, seemed to us not only to encourage but almost to demand further efforts in their behalf. The mission station at Point Macleay we have already noticed, and others exist in different parts of the colony. Many deputations recently have waited on the Commis- sioners of Crown lands to ask for aid, including an increased grant of Native Reserve lands, for the improve- ment and extension of a mission station at Point Pierce, on Yorke's Peninsula. One of the speakers urged the favourable consideration of the subject on Government not only from benevolent motives, but for the sake of em- ployers of labour, who would be thankful to obtain such well-trained and efficient farm servants as Poonindie had proved the blacks could become. The colony has accepted assisted immigration, but the sum, 5000/. a year, she has apportioned to promote it will not bring large numbers to her shores. Moreover, it may be expected that of the * A pamphlet, entitled ' The Dieyerie Tribe of the Australian Abo- rigines,' by Samuel Gason, Police Trooper, Adelaide, Government Printing Office, 1874, gives much information concerning the natives. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 189 immigrants a considerable proportion will be raised by a few years of hard work and thrift to the position of employers of labour themselves. In this capacity the aborigines are not likely to compete with their white brethren in any appreciable degree, so that there is little risk that money and care spent in their education will add to the number of rival masters, while their value as servants may possibly be rendered an element in the prosperity of the country. Shocking accounts of the ill-treatment of the natives in Queensland find their way sometimes into South Australian newspapers, and inquiries led us to fear they had too much foundation. The blacks in that part of the continent appear to be more fierce and less tractable than those in the south ; but we know that where in that colony they are kindly treated, they are esteemed as station-servants. If, as would appear to be the case, such institutions as Poonindie, by increasing our know- ledge of the nature of the blacks, developing their higher powers, and promoting good-will between their race and our own, effect more to protect them from injustice and cruelty than any police regulations can achieve ; and if we would not have our national honour again disgraced by our treatment of a subject people as it was in the West before we renounced slavery, our sympathies will be with the promoters of such establish- ments, and with those who seek to supplement them with all other influences that can be brought into operation to the same end. To what extent these exist in the other colonies we are not aware. In South Australia the general feeling towards the blacks is kindly, and substantial proof of it is not wanting. Besides the large tracts granted in various localities as Native Reserves, every aboriginal is entitled to rations of food, and receives also a supply of blankets. All over the colony residents of suitable position are ap- pointed to distribute these gifts. The sum expended by the South Australian Government for them during 1874 amounted to more than 4600/. It is, indeed, found that 190 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the blankets are a doubtful boon ; the natives thus supplied having in great degree given up making for themselves rugs of opossum skins, which are a far better protection from wet. Those who have not associated with the whites do not understand that wet blankets and clothes will give cold ; they continue wearing them when saturated with rain, allowing them to dry on their persons, and thus frequently get chest diseases, which are very fatal to them. A member of the Cabinet, the Commissioner of Crown lands, is ex-officio Protector of the Aborigines; and two Sub-Protectors attached to his department, one for the northern, the other for the southern portion of the colony, are employed to watch over their interests and secure their good treatment, travelling of course from place to place throughout the country in the performance of their duties. Drink is as terrible a snare to the Australian native as to the Ked Indian. Having once tasted it, he craves for more, and a very small quantity makes him utterly mad. It has been constituted an offence against the law to supply intoxicating liquor to an aboriginal : punishable in the first instance by fine, varying in amount from 10?. to 100Z., and afterwards by imprisonment. It is, indeed, an offence difficult to prove, as generally only the evidence of the recipient of the drink can be obtained. The testi- mony of an aboriginal is in itself not considered very trustworthy, and on these occasions it is reluctantly given, from the fear of cutting off future supplies of his beloved indulgence. Still every now and then convictions under this law appear in the newspapers . We often heard of the wonderful powers of mimicry of the natives, which they seem specially to enjoy exerting to imitate the whites; and instances of it were related to us at Poonindie. It was elsewhere, however, that we were told of a young native girl, who, in consequence of the kind interest taken in her by the wife of one of the Governors of South Australia, had lived for several years at Government House. She was supposed to be quite WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 191 civilised, but at length she insisted upon returning to her wild life, and rejoined her tribe in a distant part of the country. Some time afterwards a gentleman travelling in the interior came upon a native encampment, and beheld a group watching, amid roars of laughter, the perform- ances of a young woman. Her attitudes soon revealed she was mimicking the Europeans, and so skilful was she, that he quickly recognised in her representations ladies of his acquaintance who had been accustomed to visit at Government House. Every aboriginal who can prove that he has the imple- ments and other means necessary for cultivating a section, can obtain a licence for eighty acres of land, which, though not freehold, is virtually his own as long as it is kept in good order. A black woman who marries a white man may have the same amount for her dower. We did not understand that black men frequently established their claim to a licence ; but the following instances were related to E by Mr. Arthur Blyth. During one of his many tenures of office when Commissioner of Crown lands, he received on the same day letters from two aboriginals (named respectively, as R understood, Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar), each asking for a section of land, on the ground that they were going to be married, and wished to become farmers. The letters were so good in style and orthography that Mr. Blyth suspected they must have been written for the men, and sent for them, that he might speak to them himself. Two well-dressed blacks presented themselves, who proved, Mr. Blyth said, much more intelligent than many whites. Having satisfied himself not only that they had written the letters, but that they were justified in applying for sections, licences were granted them. Another anecdote K heard to a similar effect. When staying at Port Elliot with his family, a gentleman had occasion to lay in a stock of firewood. No labourers were to be found, and he had to set about splitting up the timber himself. He found it very hard work, and spying a native, asked him to do it for him, of course offering payment. But the black was 192 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. unable to comply, his reason being that he had taken a contract to reap a quantity of wheat, and must look alter his labourers. We were heartily sorry when the near approach of the hour fixed for -the ' Lubra's ' departure compelled a rapid return to Port Lincoln. Our most kind host had pro- mised to deposit us on the jetty in time to catch her, and we had hardly bidden him farewell, and stepped on board, when she was in motion. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTER XL Port Augusta Cemetery A Picture Goats The Gaol Flinders Range Haverhill Bartingunya Mount Remarkable Coonatto Sheep-shearing Native Languages. IT was about four p.m. when we started for Port Augusta, and we reached our destination, after a pleasant and per- fectly smooth passage, by noon on August 27th. The hills on either side of Spencer's Gulf are pretty, some indeed, as Mount Brown, rising into grandeur ; but they have not the lovely green of the Mount Lofty Range. Near to Port Augusta they display a remarkable conformation, being perfectly flat on the top, as though cut smoothly off. These hills are usually more or less isolated; some stand quite alone, and suggest the idea of the beginning of an embankment for a Cyclopean railway. There are hardly any signs of habitation along the shores of the gulf, and we saw but one township during the whole voyage from Port Lincoln. The water, as Port Augusta is approached, becomes very shallow, the channel for ships being marked by buoys. Mangroves conceal the banks. The town, which is of small extent, is built on a desert of sand, and reminded us not a little of Ramleh, though it cannot boast such villa-like houses. Here we were to engage a carriage to convey us to Mount Remarkable, and as the journey would occupy so many hours that it was desirable to start early in the morning, we had decided to stay to-night at Port Augusta. We had, consequently, been inquiring particulars of the hotels, and learnt that they were close to the place of debarkation. That we might if needful have some one to ask for advice and help in procuring a carriage, we had o 194 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. been furnished at Adelaide with a letter of introduction to a gentleman living here ; and as we drew near, he was pointed out to us upon the quay. On landing we pre- sented our letter, which he glanced at, and immediately turning towards the town asked us to accompany him. We never doubted that he was leading the way to an hotel, until he stopped at the gate of a private house, which he invited us to enter, and then we found that he had taken it as a matter of course that we should be his and his wife's guests. There was illness in the house, and we objected that so unexpected a visit would be trouble- some. But no objections availed. We were assured our visit was not unexpected, for that the spare chamber was always prepared for the arrival of the boat ; and, in fine, to the hotel we were not to be allowed to go. Our gain in every way was great, and we were especially grateful to Australian hospitality when we learned, later in the day, that the inn we should have stayed at was so full we could not have had a bedroom to ourselves. For several strangers to share one is not unusual, but we were never reduced to this discomfort, though to-night we had a narrow escape. In Adelaide we had heard the climate of Port Augusta spoken of as the ne plus ultra of wretchedness. Rain is very rare, and there is hardly any vegetation. The least wind raises the loose sand, while a strong one so fills the air with its particles, that objects a few yards distant become invisible, and houses have to be tightly closed, and every chink filled up, to keep out the dust. We were, however, fortunate in our weather. The sun shone from a cloudless sky ; the day was perfectly calm and the air exquisitely pure, and so balmy that summer seemed to have arrived. There are no good springs, and the rarity of rain prevents it supplying their place ; so that until an aque- duct was constructed to bring water from the hills, seven- teen miles distant, the want of it was severely felt. It is now very good, and sufficiently abundant to be sold by Government at 1. per hogshead ; the aborigines being permitted to have it free of charge. WE A T WE SAW IN A US TEA LI A. 195 There is little to be seen at Port Augusta. Perhaps the cemetery is the only point of possible attraction. It lies half-a-mile or so distant, behind a ridge of sand which encompasses the town. We walked to it in the afternoon. Although it has not been many years in existence, already several tombs some apparently of no mean height are buried by the drifting sand, while others are fast being covered. A considerable space has been enclosed, and, in spite of great difficulty in getting plants to grow, and their inevitable destruction at an early date by the all-enveloping enemy, an attempt has been made to decorate some of the graves with flowers. One only of these was flourishing, the Clianthus Dam- pierii, so named after Dampier, who discovered it in 1699, on the islands off the north-west coast of Australia. It is also known as the " Flower of the Desert," and as the " Sturt-pea " Captain Sturt having been the first explorer who noticed it on the mainland. The blossoms grow in clusters, the size of a man's hand, and in their form and colour always suggested to us the idea of an enraged insect, with a scarlet body and black head. The masses of flowers on the plant before us, which covered many square feet of ground, was a splendid sight The clianthus, ot which there are many varieties, is cultivated in gardens with more or less success, but we never saw it approach in luxuriance this specimen, which had evidently found its appropriate soil. It abounds in the neighbourhood we were told, covering not square feet but acres of ground. Not only the climate of Port Augusta is abused for its aridness, but the locality for its ugliness ; yet that after- noon we beheld a landscape that would have made a gorgeous picture. A dip in the sand-ridge formed a frame to the scene of the richest orange colour. Through this we saw, some twenty miles to the east, bathed in mauve, the Flinders Range, from which Mount Brown, of peculiarly majestic form, rose to a height of more than 3000 feet. Over the plain, at its base, spread the delicate bluish- green hue of the salt-bush, varied here and there by a darker shade where the gum-tree grew in masses. In the 2 WHAT WE SA W IN AUSTRALIA. foreground was the tawny sand ; and over all the glorious sunset sky. Hitherto there had been no animation in the scene ; but now across the ridge, while the after-glow declined to dusk, came trooping home with tinkling bells a flock of goats, two hundred or more, of all colours and sizes. Mounted on some of the largest, so big and shaggy that they looked like Shetland ponies, were the goatherds lads who collect them from their owners in the morning and bring them back at night. By the time we reached the township, they had dispersed to their homes, and it seemed as though each house owned several. There is no food for cows in the neighbourhood, and they can only.be kept by costly stall-keeping. Our friends have one, but they are very rare. Goat's milk is not used in that form only, but is also made into butter, which looks like lard but tastes pleasantly, having none of the strong flavour of the milk. August 28th. Our host engaged a carriage for us last night, and made every arrangement for our comfort in the drive of forty-two miles we were to accomplish to-day. With great regret we bid farewell to the friends who had converted our necessary halt at Port Augusta to a pleasant visit, and started between nine and ten a.m. The first objects of interest on our way were large waggons laden with wool coining to the port to be em- barked for England. During the wool season there are usually two or three large ships at a time loading, but none had yet arrived, though in the ' Lubra ' we had overtaken one slowly making its way up the gulf. These waggons brought so early a clip, that they must have come from a station considerably to the north, shearing not having begun so far south as this neighbourhood. They were drawn by horses, indicating that they had travelled by a good road, as where the road is bad bul- locks are employed. We had now reached the region of "natural" roads the tracks, namely, of travellers who have made a route from place to place by picking it out wherever the ground was sufficiently firm. These are. often perfectly smooth, and much pleasauter to drive- WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. 1 97 over than the best metalled roads. When, however, land is fenced in, a process now going on extensively through all the settled parts of the colony, and vehicles are thereby limited to a narrow space, the natural road is often spoiled by the increased traffic and the impossibility of turning aside to fresh ground if the beaten track gets too much worn. Then metalling becomes necessary. This, however, is often not applied, and you have to struggle through a swamp ; or stones so huge are laid down, that you cross with a series of bumps, full of peril to the springs of your carriage and to your own bones if you be not on your guard. Three miles from Port Augusta we stopped before an isolated building which looks as if it had been dropped by accident on the plain. On its gates are inscribed the words, " Her Majesty's Gaol," and it is one of the four or five pro- vincial prisons of South Australia. It contains one very large cell, or, to speak more accurately, a comfortable room for women, and five cells for men. One is marked " Abori- ginals." To-day there were no female prisoners, but five males were present. One, a white, had this morning been brought in on a charge of murder ; a young man with by no means an evil countenance, but the crime he is sus- pected of committing was so cold-blooded, and the motive apparently so sordid, that the culprit, whoever he is, must be a heartless wretch.* A second white was undergoing a short sentence, but for what offence we did not hear. There was a Hindoo under punishment for ill-treating his wife, and two blacks, father and SOD, were under sentence for six months for sheep-stealing. The cells are all large, boarded, and exquisitely clean. When the number of men in gaol exceeds five, three are put in a cell together. A new wing is being built for female prisoners, when they will be lodged separately. Flowers and vegetables flourished in a spacious court within the walls, and, partly no doubt owing to the brilliant weather, the whole building had an invitingly * The prisoner was cou victed of the murder and hanged. 198 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. cheerful appearance. The rations are as liberal as else- where ; and water is supplied to the prison by the same aqueduct which brings it to Port Augusta. No hard labour is done here, the governor employing his prisoners as best he may. Three of them were cutting up wood outside the walls when we arrived, under watch of the warder. He had no visible arms, but we understood that he carried a revolver in his pocket. Attempt to escape would be visited with a sentence of five years at the Labour prison, and this the governor considers sufficient to prevent the offence. Former prisoners we were told often get into gaol again ; indeed it did not seem to us to be considered the discipline should even aim at preventing relapse. Continuing our route across the plain which stretches from Port Augusta to the Flinders Eange, we were in the midst of the salt-bush of which the colour was so lovely last evening. The plants which are from one to two feet high, are when seen individually insignificant in hue, but the foliage is delicate in form. It affords excellent food for sheep, who grow quite fat upon it, and cattle will eat it too when no grass is to be had. We saw an abundance of small wild-flowers, among them a beautiful little ever- lasting, like a long-petalled daisy, sometimes white and sometimes mauve. The Kange is crossed at Horrocks Pass, a natural opening which has been widened here and there but is still so nar- row in some places that two carriages can scarcely pass. Occasionally the rocks rise perpendicularly on either side, but their height is not great, and though picturesque the pass is by no means equal to some of the gorges in the Mount Lofty Kange. During the day we frequently saw large hawks hovering about of a pale brown colour. On the eastern side of Horrocks Pass we found ourselves in a grassy glen where green parroquets were plentiful, and still descending reached Beautiful Valley. Here a sheep station belonging to Mr. Samuel Davenport is the only house for several miles. Our road had now turned southwards and was almost parallel to the Kange, skirting a plain twenty or thirty miles WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 199 across, and of much greater extent in length. This is encompassed by hills, rising occasionally to the dignity of mountains, and has the appearance of a lake whence the water has escaped. The trees became more abundant and the grass richer as we advanced. A strip of cultivated land three or four miles wide along the base of the mountains is very fertile, but the remainder of the plain is occupied as sheep-run. Salt-bush and a variety of scrub plants give it an air of infertility, but probably when tilled it will become, or large portions of it will become, as productive as the land which has been brought into cultivation. Cultivation and enclosing go together, and the natural road had become in some parts a bog through which our horses dragged us with slow and toilsome steps. We had regained firmer footing when a carriage approaching from the opposite direction halted for parley, and we found that Mr. Pearson had driven some miles to meet us. Trans- ferring ourselves to his waggonette and leaving our luggage in our own vehicle to follow by the shortest route, he took us by a somewhat circuitous road through lovely scenery, and brought us to Haverhill by dusk. Our belongings had meanwhile arrived, and the horses who had not baited since leaving Port Augusta, were, our driver said, to return to Melrose, as the township at the foot of Mount .Remarkable is called, before resting, making the total of forty-five miles for their day's work. They did not seem at all tired by their run or distressed by their abstinence. The massive form of Mount Remarkable, generally called " the Mount," (as is often the township of Mel- rose also), is not unlike the Wrekin from this point of view, and is a part of the Flinders Range, which here trends somewhat suddenly westward ; and seen from the east or south is from its conformation and superior height a striking object for very many miles. It is thickly wooded almost to the summit. On this side it is obvious there has been a landslip, and the debris form miniature mountains 200 or 300 feet high, now overgrown with ver- dure. The high road to Adelaide passes close to us on WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the right, its great width marked by fencing on either side, and its course for a long distance indicated by the tall telegraph poles, but in no other way certainly fulfilling our notion of a highway, for grass flourishes all across, and trees stand in its midst at their own sweet will. To drive upon it affords ample exercise, not to the horses only, but to the occupants of the carriage also, who alike in their efforts and in their failures to preserve a firm and upright attitude may go through almost every variety of gymnastic position. Sometimes we entered enclosures by the slip panel. The turf is delightful, but every now and then a winding creek has to be driven not over but through, and when there hap- pens to be a steep bank on either side, the feat certainly looks perilous. But our hostess as charioteer, her carriage and her ponies, were all equal to the occasion ; and though at each fresh crossing we privately thought when at the bottom of the first bank, " This time we shall stick fast," the ponies always pulled us gallantly up on the other side. The Iguana, which inhabits wooded districts, is common on the Mount and in its neighbourhood. This creature, a large lizard three or four feet long, goes far it is said to realise in appearance the mythical dragon, but it is very harmless, being guilty of no greater offence than devour- ing all the eggs it can find, of the domestic hen as well as of other birds. It is indeed an extremely timid creature, and if alarmed, takes refuge by running up a tree if a tree be at hand. In the absence of such shelter, it may in its blind fright we were told seek protection by running up a human being a piece of information which somewhat diminished the pleasure of our woodland walks. The Iguanas are a favourite food with the aborigines, who eat many kinds of reptiles including snakes. We greatly wished to climb the Mount, for the ascent, though extremely toilsome from the absence of any path, is in dry weather possible, and the view from the summit must be fine ; but there was much heavy rain during our stay in the neighbourhood, and we were assured it would l>e impracticable to cross the swollen creeks, and to find WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 201 a footing on the slippery slopes. An unusual coating of snow appeared one morning on its upper portion, but it had vanished before ten o'clock. Before we left Adelaide our intended visit to Mount Re- markable had become known to the relatives of a lady whose acquaintance we had already made, and on arriving at Haverhill we found an invitation awaiting us to visit them at their large sheep-station thirty miles distant The 1st of September was at hand when the shearing season begins at Coonatto, and to see something of this phase of one of the most important of Australian industries was our great desire. It was arranged, therefore, that we should go on Saturday, August 30th. We had observed two livery-stables in Melrose, and proposed to hire a car- riage from one of them, but our kind hosts would not hear of it, and sent us in their own, which was to remain and' bring us back on the following Tuesday. Our route a natural road lay across the plain east- ward from the Flinders Range, bare-looking to our eyes, but good for sheep-runs. During the last few years these have been very generally fenced-in, and where so enclosed are called paddocks ; but a paddock may contain thirty square miles or more. Thus the fences are seldom visible, and the country impresses one as wholly wild. The sheep always remain in the paddocks, except at shearing time, and shepherds are dispensed with. Boundary riders have superseded them, whose duty it is to ascertain the well- being of the flocks, and lo see that the fences are m repair. A few dingoes still remain in the hills, but strychnine smeared on pieces of meat dropped about to tempt them, of which it was not pleasant to hear, is hastening their destruction. They do little mischief now, and there are no other enemies from which the sheep need protection. No water has to be provided in winter, but in the hot, dry summer it is necessary to do so. Small reservoirs are con- structed in the paddocks, the beds of which the sheep are made to puddle themselves by being driven across over and over again. The question had arisen, we were told, 202 WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. whether having to seek food and water, instead of being led to it, does not interfere with their thriving, and some authorities maintain that they would produce more wool and meat if they had no anxiety about ways and means. What struck us much on our first sight of the large flocks was the very small space they occupy in the landscape. We might be almost close to one numbering some thousands, and it would look a mere handful. We hoped to see kan- garoos and emus in our drive, but an occasional wallaby and one or two wild turkeys were all that repaid our anxious watch. The wild turkeys are stately creatures, and move with a dignified gait, looking from side to side at every step. They are exceedingly shy, so that, if they became aware of our approach, they spread their wings and slowly fled away ; but once or twice we came so very near to them unperceived that we concluded they detect the pre- sence of an enemy by smell, and that they must then have been to windward of us. We stopped to rest the horses at Spring Creek. Al- though seventeen miles from Coonatto, the kitchen-garden of the station is here, and exceptionally rich is the station in having a kitchen-garden at all: there is rarely labour or water to spare for the cultivation of one, and fresh vege- tables are almost unknown in the bush. The gardener at Spring Creek is an aboriginal, while his wife is white. A large station may be said to constitute a village in itself. The residence of the proprietor corresponds with the squire's house. The inn is represented by Bachelors' Hall, as the building is called where all travellers who apply receive board and lodging for the night. At some stations, indeed, this hospitable practice is being discon- tinued, owing to the increasing number of travellers his Bachelors' Hall cost one squatter, we heard, 500?. a year but in such cases a real inn is permitted to be opened. The hospitality essential in the early life of the colony, when no shelter could be obtained but at the sparsely scattered stations, has inevitably led to some abuse, and there is now a class called " loafers," or, as we designate them in England, " tramps," who live upon it, WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALTA. 203 wandering from station to station at their will, and doing no work for themselves or any one else.* Individuals among them are wicked as well as idle, and will do a squatter a mischief if refused bed and board. Bush-fires are sometimes attributed to them, and it is said that if a lighted pipe or lucifer is not available, the incendiary will accomplish his purpose by so placing a bit of polished tin or broken bottle that it will concentrate the sun's rays and act as a burning glass. Such a fragment, however, it must be remembered, might without evil intention be left in this fatal position. When gentlemen avail themselves of the Hall they are usually invited to the squatter's own house, and if accompanied by ladies, this is, we under- stand, invariably the rule. The staff of a large station requires many houses for its accommodation. Some of these will, of course, gather round the main buildings, but some may be scattered over the estate often exceeding in size our largest counties (Coonatto, we believe, equals South Wales in extent), forming little hamlets many miles away. Besides the ordinary farm servants, there will be a horse-breaker (for of the horses on a station the name is legion), a carpenter, a blacksmith, and perhaps a saddler. There is sometimes a church, probably there will be a school-house and a schoolmaster to teach the children of all the employes, and usually there are two or three sub-managers. These, however, generally dwell at a distance from the head sta- tion, each presiding over a minor establishment. The * In Victoria they are known by another name. " A ' skull-banker ' is a species of the genus loafer, half-higliwayman, half-beggar. He is a haunter of stations, and lives on the squatters, amongst whom he makes bis circuit, affecting to seek work, and determining not to find it. A dozen or so of these skull-bankers were some time back congregated on a run of Mr. Clarke's, and when I, in the Supreme Court, asked a witness (a resi- dent on the station) who these meu were, he justified their presence there by saying, they were Mr. Clarke's friends.' But the peculiarity of this friendship was that, whenever Mr. Clarke made his appearance at the station, the whole of these guests used to acknowledge the arrival of their patron and benefactor by taking to night, and hiding themselves in a dry creek." Victoria, Retrospective and Prospective : A Lecture by the Hon. A. Michie. Melbourne, W. Fairfax & Co., 1866. 204 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA, wool-sheds are conspicuous objects, and the kitchen for preparing the men's food is also an important building. Thus, on approaching Coonatto we saw dwellings and outhouses in various directions. Two or three old stage- coaches appeared in the background, in which many of the shearers had that afternoon arrived. Some come in their own " traps," or on their own horses. The most important business of the year was at hand, and groups of men hung about idle, just now enjoying a short respite from very hard work. Shearing pursues a southerly course, following the milder weather of spring, and probably many of these men had already been employed on stations further north, just as after their six weeks at Coonatto they would have successive engagements " down south." We now entered a neat enclosure, and leaving the church and schoolhouse on our left, soon found ourselves at a handsome gate, the entrance to a small garden, a rare adornment at a station, and always, we understood, to be attributed to the presence of a lady. Everything wore a trim English air within and without the house, and those who think station life means a log hut, a bullock dray to travel by, and a menu of mutton, damper, and tea, would have had difficulty in realising their position, or indeed in believing themselves out of England, finding them- selves in fact surrounded by the comforts, and leading the life of an English country house. The home-mail had arrived that morning, and the interval between afternoon- tea and dinner was pleasantly spent in looking over the ' Times ' and ' Punch,' and the various new publications it had brought. Our hostess was busy with her Sunday School next morning, and played the harmonium in church, for the choir whom she herself trains; and our host read the service and a sermon. The afternoon was spent in a visit to the wool-sheds, where everything had been prepared for work to begin on Monday morning ; and in a ramble to a pretty bit of hilly scrub, overgrown with a variety of lovely flowers. Tiie picturesque Range, bounding the plain to the east, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 205 is not far from Coonatto, which itself is at a considerable elevation above the district we had traversed the pre- ceding day. Looking across this the Flinders Range lay stretched before us, while conspicuous among its lesser neighbours, Mount Remarkable fully vindicated its name. A creek finds its way from the hills in the rear, past Coonatto, to the plain. It is of great value for it rarely becomes dry, but its water is slightly brackish. This quality seems, however, favourable to the gum-trees; for very fine specimens grow along its winding banks and in its very bed. The station, however, does not depend upon the creek for water. Some tanks, we understood, there had always been, but in the terrible drought of 1867-8-9, all supplies fell far short, and our host showed us vast additional tanks which have since been constructed ; sufficient, it is to be hoped, to prevent the possibility of a recurrence of such suffering and loss as were then experienced. In the evening there was again service, attended by a larger number of station hands than had been present in the morning, and by some of the shearers (who had probably been in their beds in the early part of the day), so that the little church was nearly full. Our visit to the wool-sheds, where the shearing and all subsequent manipulation of the wool takes place, was post-- poned until Monday afternoon, that the men might have got into the full swing of work. Meanwhile we went to the schoolhouse. The number of pupils present was small, partly owing to the demand for all available help just now when the pressure may be compared to that of the Post Office on Valeutine's-day, or of carriers at Christmas time ; partly to the distance at which many of the children live being too great for them to come to this school. That all may have instruction the master receives his scholars at the head station on three days in the week, and visits those who are remote on the other two. While waiting until the shearers had finished their afternoon tea, we visited their kitchen. Here a cook and his " mate " are kept constantly employed to satisfy the eighty-four mouths, for whose sufficient supply they are 206 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. responsible. The shearers breakfast on mutton, tea, and bread ; dine, at twelve or one, on mutton, tea, and bread ; have tea with plain cake about four ; and sup on mutton, tea, and bread at seven. Such is the regulation diet, but shearers at Coonatto share the blessing of the kitchen- garden, and have, sometimes, vegetables in addition. The cook was groaning under his labours. He told us he had cooked three-and-twenty sheep since Saturday afternoon, and that three and three-quarters were at that moment roasting for the men's suppers. Huge loaves, and tea by the bucketful he had supplied in proportion. Our host tried to comfort him with the assurance that appetites are always keen on arrival but decline in the course of a few days. This may be in part the effect of the men's employ- ment, as the constant stooping and the strong effluvium from the animals renders it, we have been told, an un- healthy one. From the kitchen we went to the dormitories close by. The men sleep on shelves like ship's bunks. Each brings his own blankets, supplemented sometimes by handsome opossum rugs. The shearers include men of various classes and callings, for the wages are good and other employment is sometimes thrown up to obtain them. The steadiest are small farmers, many of whom are Ger- mans. At this season they can be absent from their agricultural operations, and as shearers earn capital for the purchase or improvement of their land. The men are paid by the piece that is by the fleece. Seventy-five are a good average day's work, but a skilful shearer will take off a hundred, for which, at the present rate of pay- ment high this year owing to the scarcity of labour he will receive a sovereign. The sheds in which the shearing takes place are provided, at short intervals, with doors on one side opening into little pens where hang pots of tar and kerosine, of ominous import to the sheep did they understand their signification. In each shed is a long row of shearers. As many sheep as are likely to be disposed of during the day are brought in over-night from the paddocks and enclosed in an adjoining large pen. Theuce they are WHA T WE SA W IN A USTRALIA. 207 transferred often they have to be dragged and pulled to make them go the right way one by one to the shearers, as these are ready for them. The poor animal is then forced on to its haunches and kept down by the operator's knee. Generally he becomes very quiet, but sometimes in his discomfort or fright, he quivers and wriggles and then the shears make many a snip or even gash in the skin. Death is occasionally the result when a sudden movement of the head causes the shears to cut the throat. The cuts are a ghastly sight, but they become less frequent as the shearer's hand gets into practice. In about ten minutes the operation is over, and the forlorn, milk-white, and trembling creature, reduced to half its size, is hurried through the little door, of which there is one opposite each shearer, into the pen to which it leads. Here boys standing ready with pot and brush, dab tar or kerosine on its bleeding wounds which thus treated heal, we were told, very rapidly, and turn each sheep into a large inclosure, whence they soon regain their paddocks, to be no more disturbed till shearing time comes round again. The weather is often still cold enough when the fleece is removed for its loss to entail much suffering, and if the sheep are detained in a fold they fre- quently die ; but if they are allowed to return to " the open," A\ here they can choose spots sheltered from the wind, they live and soon recover their good looks. The fleece comes off in one piece, looking like a woven article of very loose texture. Each as it is taken from the sheep's back is laid out smoothly upon a table formed of iron rails, and the dirty edges are picked off and thrown upon the ground to be eventually gathered together and sent to a wool-washer who cleanses them before they are packed for the English market. The fleeces are rolled up separately and carried to the sorting tables, where the wool from sheep of different ages and races is sorted previous to packing each kind being packed in separate sacks. From the sorting- tables the fleeces are carried to the packing-shed ; there, by the help of machinery, they are pressed into sacks, and the sacks are then themselves 208 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. heavily pressed and bound with iron bands, till they become hard cubes. This process is called "dumping." It is per- formed only at large stations ; small establishments do not possess the necessary machinery, and their " dumping" is done by their agent at the port previous to shipping the wool. The last process is to mark outside each sack the age and race of the. sheep whose wool it contains circum- stances which decide its value ; lambs' wool commands by far the highest price, but the quantity procured from each animal is very small. It remains now only to impress upon the sack its number and the station-brand, and it is ready to be conveyed to the port for shipping. The wool from Coonatto, as from a vast extent of surrounding country, goes to Port Augusta. Our delightful visit over, we returned to Haverhill on the 2nd of September, leaving Coonatto in sunshine, but encountering rain long before the termination of our journey. It continued to pour and to blow, with few intervals, for several days. One morning, soon after the weather had begun to improve, the Bishop of Adelaide arrived on a visit. He was making a pastoral tour, driving thirty or forty miles a day, and halting in the evening at convenient stations. Two nights previously, however, dark- ness fell before his journey was accomplished, and neither he or his coachman could discern the track. To travel on in the hope of reaching their destination without it, was too likely to lead them far astray and end in their being " bushed," to be prudent. The only alternative was to stay where they were. They were in a wooded district, but not far from open country, where there would be no timber available for fuel ; so the Bishop determined to "amp out" at once, where a good fire could be made. Not having anticipated such a necessity, however, he was wholly unprovided for it, except that he had a waterproof- sheet with him besides carriage-rugs, and .his coachman had one stray orange in his pocket and a single lucifer- match. Happily the latter sufficed to light one of the carriage-lamps, by aid of which a bonny heap of logs was WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 209 kindled ; the orange was shared between the two belated travellers, the horses were picketed, and spreading the sheet on the ground close to the fire and beneath the buggy whose seats were robbed of their cushions to sub- stitute a mattress, and covering themselves with their rugs they slept soundly ; and happily suffered no subsequent ill effects, although the Bishop numbers, we believe, more than threescore years and ten. They rose at dawn, re- found their track, and soon discovered that they had passed the night within two miles of the station where they were to have slept! To be thus utterly lost, however, when close to one's goal, is not rare. An experienced bushman told us that, failing to reach before nightfall the house where he intended to stay, though believing it must be nigh at hand he yet did not venture to seek it, and next morning found he had spent the intervening hours at its very gate. There is a large church at Melrose, but the township possesses no clergyman. Mr. Pearson, and other gentlemen living in the neighbourhood, take it in turn to read the prayers and a sermon. Each chooses his favourite author, and much variety in the views expounded from Melrose pulpit is said to be the result. But the Bishop, of course, conducted the service and preached on the Sunday he was at Haverhill. The attendance was crowded, for not only were the usual church-goers there, but the Wesleyan minister had closed his chapel and brought his congrega- tion, no mean contingent, to hear the Bishop. A visit had been for some days arranged to Bartigunya, the residence of Dr. Moorhouse a near neighbour, for he lived only five miles off and on September 8th we all started, in spite of showery weather. It was a lovely drive among the Flinders Range, up hill and down dale, and through many a creek. The house, surrounded by a gar- den bright with spring flowers, nestles in a fairy-like glen amidst lofty hills. From the summit of one of these E obtained a view, when a momentary opening in the clouds bathed the distant plain in sunshine, which she considered repaid her for the ascent and a thorough wetting besides. p 210 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Several years ago Dr. Moorhouse was Protector of the Aborigines, and during his intercourse with them learnt the language of the Murray Blacks. Of this he prepared the Vocabulary and outline of its grammatical structure, from which we have previously quoted. The language, he 1old us, contains sixteen letters, which do not include "s," a sound apparently unknown to the aboriginals. Suffixes are very frequent; the termination "ilia" to their words, so often employed, signifies " on the," or " at the." The repetition of a word (common in many of the native lan- guages) intensifies its signification, of which there is an c xample in the name of a tree, the Bunya Bunya. Another drive was to Willowie, a station near Melrose, belonging to Mr. J. H. Angas, where a pretty new resi- dence, like a little English villa, has lately been built. Here we were to see more shearing, but heavy rain the day before had wetted the sheep, and the shearers were com- pelled to lie idle till the sun should have dried the fleeces. The manager showed us the sheds, which are new and very extensive, and then proposed we should pay a visit to a native encampment. There are several wurleys at Wil- lowie ; the men do odd work on the run, and the women are employed to wash by the wives of the white servants. There were not many at home when we reached their little Dutch-oven-shaped huts ; but in two or three some women and children were crouching. In one wurley, afternoon tea was being discussed. A very handsome young woman, "Mrs. James" (the only handsome female aboriginal we have seen), had dropped in from a neighbouring wurley to share it ; but both she and her hostess were too shy to say much to us. She, being pretty, turned away her face, which the other, who was ugly, did not; and both laughed. The master of the wurley, Mr. Paul Pry, lounged up to do his share of the honours a remarkably well-grown and almost handsome man, very black, but civilized enough, we were told, to get very drunk. There had been a drunken row at the Mount among the natives the preceding Saturday, at which one whom we saw to-day had got his head broken, and WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 211 looked very miserable in consequence. A waddy lay in the wurley, which K asked to look at. She would have liked to buy it, but hesitated to offer money, lest it should get converted into drink and cause row number two. Our friend, the manager, however, finding she wished to possess it, assured us there was no need for payment, and turning to Paul Pry, asked if he would give it to the lady. " Oh ! yes," he answered, with native nonchalance, and displayed his brilliant white teeth in a broad grin when we told him we should take it to England. It is a club, about 2 feet in length, thicker at one end than the other, and has a rude pattern burnt into it by means of a heated wire. The thinner termination is finished with a nob, and is the part held in the hand. It is made of mallee, a hard, heavy wood, and would give a deadly blow ; indeed, probably it has done so already more than once. The native women are reputed, poor things, to possess an inti- mate acquaintance with the battering powers of the waddy. It is said, indeed, that one method of courtship among the blacks is for the suitor to seek the damsel he thinks of wedding, waddy in hand, wherewith to belabour her head. The longer she can bear the treatment the higher she rises in her admirer's estimation. S , who as a natu- ralist, examines the skulls of aborigines whenever he can procure any, told us that he usually finds those of women cracked in various places. In another hut we saw a little half-caste child and a black gin of thirteen or so the only children we met with ; they are very few and far between, except at the mission stations. There was a fire outside this wurley, and also outside Paul Pry's. Inside there is no room for fire, and the inmates must lie very close to keep under shelter. p 2 21 2 WE A T WE SA W IN A USTRALIA. OHAPTEK XII. The Areas Laura Jamestown Wildongaleach The Burra Hill river Farm Clare Koman Catholic College at Sevenhills Auburn Saddle-worth Kapunda Angaston Eden Vale Gumeracha Gorse Home. THE mail passes the gate of Haverhill, and had it been a comfortable mode of travelling, nothing could have been more convenient than to step into it there, and let it convey us to the station at Farrell's Flat where it would transfer passengers and letters to the Northern Railway. But, warned to the contrary, we had to arrange differently ; and as we wished to visit the celebrated copper-mines at the Burra, ninety miles distant, we telegraphed thither for a carriage to fetch us. To our surprise for we had been assured we should be supplied without difficulty a return telegram informed us none could be sent. A friend in the neighbourhood now offered to lend one if horses could be found, and negotiations were opened with the livery stables already mentioned ; but either the horses or the driver were unsatisfactory to our host, and he would not allow us to start with them. Eventually he insisted on our again using his equipage, which would take us our first day's journey to Laura. Although we should find it easy to hire one there to convey us to the Burra, we should not have been permitted to do so, but that a few days later Mr. Pearson had to drive down to Adelaide, where he was about to deliver a course of lectures, and his carriage and horses could not have returned to Haver- hill in time had they taken us further. Early in the fine afternoon of the llth September, we wish our kind hosts farewell, but hope to meet again soon WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 213' in town ; and with sorrow turn our faces from the grand old Mount, wondering if the chances of life will ever bring that lovely view full of pleasant associations before us again ! The distance to Laura is twenty-six miles, and our course is almost due south. For several miles we drive over a run of flat but prettily-wooded country, among rich grass, and winding creeks overhung by the fine gum trees which grow in their beds, while behind us is the noble background of Mount Eemarkable, visible most of the way. Approaching Charlton, a solitary house now, but where mining has been attempted and the green hill- side is disfigured with the ruins of an engine-house, store, and heaps of spoil, we look down a broad valley, well- wooded, and enclosed on one side by bold, rocky hills. A wide creek flows round their feet. Luxuriant grass, on which cattle are feeding, covers the flat bed of the valley, and over all is the mellowed afternoon sunshine. As we drive quickly past we pick out half-a-dozen sites on the high ground for country mansions, each separated from the others by woody glades and sweeping lawns. Near .Charlton are the W (Doubleyou) Waterholes, the unro- mantic name of some pretty bends in the creek, where water is found throughout the driest season. Soon we pass the little encampment of a Government surveyor : three tents, which are perfectly weather-proof we are told, fires outside, men cooking, horses picketed or hobbled near, &c. Our driver says they sometimes stay three months in one spot, and when the spot is so lovely as this, we think they must lead a very enviable life. New roads are being surveyed, and new areas too ; the latter much to the disgust of the squatters. For several miles before reaching Laura we drive between vast fields of wheat, all enclosed with post and rail, and dotted at intervals of a mile or less with farm-houses ; some mere hovels of mud and canvas, others, just built, of stone. We are on one of the areas where, three years ago at farthest, all was sheep-run and not a house to be seen, except one here and there miles apart for the station- servants. Squatters hold their sheep-runs on lease only, 214 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. and these are liable at any time to be surveyed and thrown open to sale for agricultural purposes. The land is then purchasable from Government in blocks of eighty acres. A limit has been placed to the number of blocks one person may buy, the object of which is to prevent capi- talists creating a monopoly by buying largely. That number is eight, or 640 acres, making one square mile. This regulation is sometimes evaded by the capitalist employing a " dummy," i. e., buying land in another person's name. Occasionally a dummy declines to yield the land to the real purchaser, who finds it extremely difficult to turn him out. But measures are being taken, we understand, to prevent such frauds. Under the present land law the very heart of a rim may be selected for purchase, and the Free Selector, as he is called, is extremely unpopular with the squatters. To prevent so unwelcome a neighbour coming, they sometimes themselves purchase tempting morsels of the vast tracts they hold on lease. Credit for a fixed number of years, and on certain safe conditions, is given to buyers of land for a portion of the price. Residence in person or by deputy is required from the credit-purchaser for nine months of the year, failure to comply with this condition making the purchase void. Credit-purchasers are also required to substantially improve the land for farming purposes, and to bring a certain amount under cultivation within a fixed time. All these conditions, it will be obvious, have for their object to attract to new districts a resident farming popu- lation, and, so far as we can judge, they have had that effect in the part of the colony we are now traversing. The wheat looks thick and healthy, making a happy fore- ground to the rich belt of trees and picturesque green hills rising behind them, which bound the view on the right for many miles. Low, round-topped, treeless hills, to the crown of most of which the plough has reached, enclose the plain on the left till we arrive at Laura, when they merge in a tine rolling country, stretching far away to the south-east. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 215 Laura was born only thirteen months ago, yet she already boasts various shops one, a mere shanty, com- bines the business of a butcher and baker a wheel- wright's yard, a post-office, a handsome, and, as it proved, very comfortable hotel, and two banks (if one is opened a rival quickly starts up), besides a mill, and several houses in process of being built. Many of the latter are dropped about, apparently without reference to symmetry of arrangement, though, when the straight, wide, and far- extending streets are built up, they will, probably, all fit into their proper places. We reached our hotel before dark, and enquiring at once for a carriage, our landlord promised to have one ready by an early hour next morning, and even hinted that he himself might be our charioteer. No private room was available, so we joined a table-d'hote tea, and learnt much that was interesting concerning the township and the neighbourhood from our fellow guests. Two of these were respectively managers of the banks we had observed. These institutions spring up directly farmers have settled in a neighbourhood, whether to provide them with capital or to take care of their wealth, it was satirically re- marked, was not clear. They are, however, of great con- venience. Payments are made very largely by cheque ; some depositors scarcely ever using coin at all. Another gentleman present, holding, we understood, the Government appointment of Inspector of Areas, told us there was land in the neighbourhood which had produced sixty bushels of wheat to the acre. This quantity is yielded only to a very limited extent; but the general average of the district is high. It is well supplied with water, and the air is very fine. Thus Laura promises to become a large and prosperous town. We were amused to learn the rivalry existing between her and another township of almost equal age, Georgetown by name, some miles distant, each calling the other, with withering con- tempt, a " village." Three young men related their ex- periences the evening before, when they attended at Georgetown what had been announced as " The First 216 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Concert ever given in the Areas," followed by an impromptu ball. The scene of the entertainment was a new store, and its object was to raise funds to establish a school for Roman Catholics, of whom there are many living in that neigh- bourhood. All sects, from twenty miles round, mustered on the occasion, and between 200 and 300 persons had been present. The piano and most of the performers came from Clare, thirty or forty miles distant, and it seemed to have been a great success. One of these gentlemen had a young pet opossum, which found a warm nook in his pocket, but sometimes ran about the room, and being a nocturnal animal, was a very lively companion during the evening. It closely re- sembled a half-grown grey tabby kitten in appearance, except that it had a peculiar and even sinister expression. This, however, seemed to belie its character, for it was extremely friendly and playful. Emus used to abound where Laura now stands, and flocks may even now some- times .be seen walking down her broad streets ; but we were unfortunate and met none. September 12th. We had ordered our carriage for a very early hour, but had breakfasted some time before it appeared. It proved to be a good, open vehicle, with a pair of excellent horses and a steady, sober driver ; the landlord explaining he was prevented accompanying us himself by the absence of his barman. We now turned due east, and travelled for twenty miles among lately taken-up land. Although said not to be so good as that north of Laura, we saw a fair crop of wheat spreading over probably many thousand acres, and the little farm-houses, from the shanty upwards, are very numerous. Water is not plen- tiful, and in many places were heaps of soil surrounding a hole where vain attempts had been made to find it- Some of these heaps consisted of pure white sand, and one was of pipe-clay. We drove sometimes along Government roads, as rutty as possible, for apparently nothing more had been done than marking them out ; but whenever it wus feasible, we kept on the still uncultivated land, having WI1A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 217 sometimes to turn aside out of the way of the plough, as it cut the first furrow in the virgin soil. It is too late to sow for this year's harvest, but the land will benefit by lying fallow till next season. Porcupine grass abounded on much of the unploughed ground, in appearance at a little distance resembling new-mown hay just shaken out of the swath; the narrow leaves are long and stiff. Sheep will eat it when it is young ; for cattle it is almost useless, but in the great drought it was cut up and used with chaff as food for horses. A plant like the grass-tree in miniature grew plentifully in some parts, indicating, our driver remarked, good soil for wheat. He saw some kangaroos in the distance, but we failed to distinguish them. There were, he said, plenty " back in the ranges " which surrounded us, though at a considerable distance on all sides. About ten miles from Laura is Caltowie, a township possessing an hotel or " pub," as we heard it gravely styled, a post-office, a store, and two or three little farm- houses, all making a very small figure in the midst of the great plain we were crossing. The horses were baited seven miles further on, at Jamestown, which might claim to be a township of " magnificent distances," so far apart are its buildings scattered. It boasts two " pubs " of imposing appearance. 'That at which we halted began business only last Monday, its opening having evidently been hurried to catch the custom brought by a great ploughing match yesterday traces of which might be observed m the not quite sober groups hanging about the inn doors. The landlady was a French woman, who, in the expansion of her heart on hearing herself addressed in her own language, confided to us much of her history. It was one of constant occurrence, we feel sure of a steady rise, starting with the lack of all means but health and willing hands, to the possession of house and land, and plenty of money laid by. "We had a very fair dinner in spite of the fact that the house was yet tar from organized ; and served French fashion in the spacious salle a manger we might have 218 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. imagined ourselves in the hotel of some country town in France. Our afternoon drive was over a country recalling to mind the moors round Buxton, opening however some- times into a vast plain, the distance being bounded on all sides by mountain ranges, not of great elevation, but with here and there a more striking height, as for instance, Mount Lock, rising above the ordinary waving line. The Canowie run belonging to an English absentee, part of which we traversed, occupies a beautiful tract of country. Near the handsome head station are several little windmills which pump water into a tank, whence it can be let out into long troughs for the sheep when creeks and waterholes are dry. Leaving the run, we again entered newly broken-up country, the soil in some places of so bright a red, that strips left bare among the wheat looked like vast beds of poppies. We reached our sleeping-place, the new township of Hallett, but better known as Willagoleach, a corruption of the native name of Wildongaleach, by five in the afternoon, and strolled out before tea to see the fine sun- set. On returning to the inn we found a coach loaded with shearers waiting to change horses, and it seemed, also, to enable its passengers to get from the bar some of those beloved potations which, when once at the station whither they were bound, they would have for a time to forego. They had- scarcely started when the mail arrived loaded with similar travellers, who similarly besieged the bar. There were two ladies inside, to whom we feared the long journey they were making by coach must have been more than usually unpleasant. The next day, on which we were to reach the Burra, was Saturday, and as the object of taking it in our route was to see the mining operations, we were in haste to arrive before the men would have stopped work for the half-holiday. We were in the carriage by seven, and after a blowy, showery drive reached the town a little before ten. C had promised to meet us there and drive us down to Adelaide if he could get away from business, and WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 219 it was necessary to go at once to the post-office and discover his plans before we could make our own. Having learnt that he would arrive by a train due in an hour or so, and that he had despatched his buggy by railway beforehand intending to hire horses at the Burra, and having also deposited our luggage at an inn and ascertained that beds could be had if needed, we were soon on our way to the house of the captain of the mine, to whom Sir Henry Avers, the secretary of the Burra company, had given us a letter of introduction. A creek which has its source in the mine, the water of which would stop operations were it not perpetually pumped out, flows through the town. Formerly hundreds of miners cut out little dwellings in the banks and washed the ore from the soil which the stream brought down with it ; and we saw a few persons still " jigging," as this process is called. But now the chief operations are carried on in a great hollow in the hillside which has been previously worked In the palmy days of the Burra it was not worth while or the necessary machinery was wanting to obtain nearly the whole of the metal from the ore, or the ore from the surrounding soil ; and what is now going on is the extrac- tion of that which remains in the refuse of early times. Leaving the creek, and climbing the hill by a road winding among the yawning spaces left by the removal of the earth, we reached Captain Sanders' house, and were so fortunate as to find him at home, and sufficiently at leisure to enable him to make himself our guide, which he courteously did. The original workrrs of the mine seem to have driven their shafts unscientifically, or to have constructed them and the galleries without sufficient strength. Finding that they were giving way, rubbish, as it was then con- sidered, was thrown into these passages wherever prac- ticable to support them, but the precaution failed, and the surface of the hill has sunk thirty-two yards, while the old beams and planks stick out in every direction. What is now being worked is this very rubbish. The processes for obtaining the ore and reducing it to 220 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the marketable form are very simple. Some excavations have been made whence earth is brought to the surface, but much is worked with pickaxes on the hillside. Occa- sionally blasting is necessary, but usually the matrix, limy in its nature, crumbles almost to powder after a few days' exposure to the air ; thus once broken away from the mass, it is easily reduced to small pieces in which the ore can be distinguished, and whence it may be picked out. In the larger pieces of pure ore thus obtained, malachite is sometimes found ; they are about the size and irregular shape of potatoes, and are kept apart, being in fact ready for smelting. All the loose soil containing smaller bits goes through a washing process. The water needed for this and every other purpose of the mine is pumped up from the interior of the hill, at the rate of 14,000 gallons per minute, night and day, the whole year round. It is, indeed, the only equal and perennial flow of water we heard of in Australia, but poisoned of course in being used to wash copper, it is of very little if any value alter it has per- formed this part. To do so it is sent in a strong stream over the washing apparatus, which resembles somewhat an overshot wheel, to which a jerky movement from side to side is communicated, besides a rotatory one. The material to be washed is thrown into a sort of hopper with a grated bottom. The lumps of ore are eliminated by means of the grating through which the fine loose soil escapes leaving them behind ; they then pass over succes- sive steps or stages of the wheel, becoming cleaner on each, until they are finally shed into troughs. From these they are removed to floors open to the sky, where they are spread out to dry, and thence are transferred to sacks and so despatched to the smelter. In one stage of the washing process the pieces are sorted into three classes, according to the proportion of copper they contain. The richest are of a soft blue-green colour; the next have this tint subdued by greyish -brown, and the poorest in quality are about the hue of unroasted coffee- berries. The three classes lying in small quantities side WE A T WE SAW IN A US THALIA . 22 1 by side on the drying floors, the morsels varying from the size of a pea to that of a horse-bean, looked not unlike the different coloured seeds in a cornchandler's window. A pile of the larger pieces of ore (in which the blues and greens were exquisite with a dash of vivid yellow or orange) contained fifty per cent, of metal, but sixty per cent, is obtained sometimes. The refuse of the present working is conveyed out of the mine by waggons, which carry it up steep inclines one is indeed almost perpendicular and from the top it is shot on to what looks like a lofty railway embankment ; but the available space at this spot is almost filled up, and a tram is being laid to a broad hollow between the hills which appeared to us capable of receiving the rubbish for many years to come. One deep shaft is being sunk, and doubtless others will be made wherever ore is likely to be found, but at present the operations are almost entirely in the open air. Al- though it pays simply to work among the former debris, the glory of the Burra seems to have vanished eclipsed by -the marvellous yield in Yorke's Peninsula. Copper exists, as it is believed, in abundance in many parts of a large tract of country north of the Burra. but the railway ceases here, and without such means of con- veyance the cost would be too great for mining to be profit- able. The idea of a transcontinental railway, suggested many years ago by the late Judge Boothby, and revived by the achievement of the telegraph, now finds favour with special reference to opening up this rich metalli- ferous district, and at some future day its construction may be accomplished. Captain Sanders showed us every part of the main engine, that namely which pumps the water out of the mine, and which is evidently an object of much pride and affection. It is a Cornish engine of 500 horse-power, has cylinder boilers, and four furnaces which consume five tons of coal mixed with wood a-day, and brings up the water in two columns. To our eyes it seemed gigantic, occupying three storeys of a lofty house ; but it is the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. only engine of the kind we have ever seen, and it may, for all we know, be Lilliputian instead of Brobdignagian in its dimensions. About 320 men and boys are employed in the mine. There are various night-schools which many attend, and eight places of worship within the distance of a mile and a-half. Captain Sanders spoke of his staff as for the most part orderly and well-conducted, and they had that appearance. The three townships of Kooringa, Eedruth, and Aber- deen, all near the mine, are collectively called the Burra. There is a fourth small township about a mile off, of which the name is Copper House. All the buildings of this straggling town are, with the exception of two or three churches, bald and ugly. The country around is extremely dreary. There are no trees and scarcely any gardens, and the grass has the woebegone aspect familiar in such localities at home. Yet there was a large patch of healthy-looking wheat growing close to the mine, so that perhaps only time and trouble are needed to spread the grace of luxuriant vegetation over this uninviting region. G met us as we were leaving the mine, but brought the unwelcome news that the buggy was not forth- coming. Some mistake had been made by the railway officials in its transmission, and the result of their effort to rectify their error seemed to be that the carriage was oscillating between the Burra and Saddleworth, a station several miles to the south. It was there now, and there would be no train to bring it back till Monday. So we resolved to dine and then decide what should be done; and availed ourselves of the table-d'hote, presided over by our host. Learning our wish to proceed to Clare, which is several miles from the line of railway, he agreed to drive us thither in a phaeton of his own, and early in the after- noon we started. The weather meanwhile had become fine. When we had crossed a slight eminence a pleasant landscape lay before us, and soon the unsightly neigh- bourhood of the Burra was lost to view. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 223 While pursuing a natural road down a long gentle slope, we were arrested in our progress by a wide chasm in the earth. Such openings produced by the heavy winter rains are frequent, and though possible to cross with a buggy, cannot be encountered by ordinary vehicles. Our driver had not noticed its small commencement a mere crack, and when it became impassable had driven on feeling sure from his memory of the place that some available passage would be found. But these chasms are most capricious and alter their course and extend them- selves in a manner not to be reckoned on, becoming thus an element of much difficulty, and sometimes of danger to travellers, where no roads have been made. The only evil consequence to us was the loss of half-an-hour, for having reached the bottom of the long descent the horses had to retrace their steps almost to the top. The distance to Clare, lying south-west of the Burra, is twenty-five miles, and for twenty miles our way across sheep-runs lay over low, round-backed hills and broad intervening valleys, all now destitute of trees, but not infertile in aspect, even where yet untouched by cultivation. The farmers are, however, invading the district; but one, if not more, of these proprietors hold land in very large quantities, having bought it before the Land Act of 1872 was passed. Hill river, as a creek is called named after Sir Rowland Hill when he was Secretary to the South Australian Commissioners, flows through one of the valleys we traversed, which forms part of the Hill river run. Sixty thousand acres of the run is free- hold, and of these 4000 acres are under cultivation, form- ing already the largest farm, we believe, in South Australia, and arrangements are being made to extend this amount to 10,000. Without a railway to transport it, it would have been impracticable to dispose of the produce on so large a scale, but the station at Farrell's Flat is near enough for this purpose. The staff of labourers numbers more than a hundred, who receive from 16s. to II. 5s. a week, besides board and rations. Their spare time, when ordinary farm- work has 224 WE A T WE SA W IN A USTRA LIA, to be suspended, is occupied in making dams, putting up fencing, &c. 150 horses are employed, besides those needed for the saddle. Substantial stabling is being erected at the different homesteads, to supersede previous, more humble accommodation. Each horse has his separate loose box and water-trough, and is littered and fed from the outside, and thus disturbed as little as possible. It is found that the additional expense of such accommodation is amply recompensed by the consequent health and high working power of the animals. Labour-saving apparatus is, of course, largely employed, including reaping, mowing, and sowing machines. From the 3000 acres we saw under wheat, admiring, as we drove by, the absolute straightness of the furrows, following the gentle rise and fall of the hills till out of sight, the average yield, when gathered in, was (we have since heard) eighteen bushels to the acre, while some spots produced twenty-seven. Forest trees are being abundantly planted on the farm, and at intervals along the banks of Hill river. When these have grown, they will restore to the landscape the foliage of which the voracity of the Burra engine has deprived it. The Blue, or Tasmanian gum, now in much request in Europe for its anti-malaria properties, and the stone pine, are among the trees which thrive well here.* The hills became well-wooded and more abrupt as we approached Clare, and gardens, orchards, and hedges, re- minded us of home, the abundant bloom of the wattle very well substituting that of the laburnum. This pretty town lies in a green valley, or rather basin, range after range of hills encompassing it about. Through its midst runs a creek of respectable size ; it looked meek enough as we walked along its winding banks, in the meadows outside the town, but it can become a perfect fury, inundating houses, destroying roads, and breaking * Many of the particulars given in the text are extracted from an interesting account of Hill river Farm, in the ' South Australian Register ' for January 14th, 1874. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 225 down bridges in its mad career. In the main street houses are contiguous for a considerable distance, and it has flagged footways and handsome shops. The beginning of several streets branch from it, and churches have been built at a considerable distance beyond the present limits of the town, so that we conclude it is expected to spread itself over a large space. A few elegant villas appear here and there, among more humble tenements, scattered up the hill-sides; and there is a handsome country house about a mile away, standing in grounds which, though just in the state Nature made them, are like a lovely English park. The building material employed is a stone of the neighbourhood, of a slaty character ; and in a quarry we found impressions upon the slabs of delicate ferns and moss, looking like seaweeds spread with exquisite skill on grey paper. The houses have, it must be owned, a pain- fully new and bare appearance, owing in part to the universal use of corrugated iron for roofing. It is a most unpieturesque material, but desirable in this country, where it is important to save all the rain that falls. Ten years hence, when the houses will be half-concealed by creepers and garden foliage, Clare, we think, will strike the traveller as he approaches it, as one of the most pleasing country towns in aspect that he knows. In our rambles about it we came upon an agricultural implement factory, and two newly-built shops not yet occupied the beginning of a row, perhaps which would not disgrace any English watering-place ; while the largest of the four or five hotels is, in appearance, equal to the best in our smaller bathing towns. The following day we remained at Clare, resuming our journey on Monday. It was debated whether the buggy should be telegraphed for to meet us at Farrell's Flat, or whether we should go to meet it at Saddleworth; the latter alternative was chosen, and a carriage hired to take us part of the way, another engagement preventing it from going the whole distance. A few miles from Clare, and half-a-mile from the high- road, whence, nestling in an umbrageous valley, they are Q 226 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. quite invisible, are a Jesuit convent and church. The latter is undergoing enlargement, or rather completion, by the addition of nave and transepts, and promises to be, when finished, a stately and beautiful building. The Brothers, who have named the locality Seven Hills, in remembrance of Home, have vineyards, and a celebrated cellar of wines for sale. They are active in their sacred duties among their neighbours of whom a large pro- portion are Roman Catholics, and among the scattered population of the distant northern stations, whom, we were told, no other pastors reach. Having left behind the hilly country surrounding Clare, we were now on a broad, slightly undulating plain, and soon reached the township where our carriage was to deposit us. This was Auburn, which, though by no means the loveliest of villages, yet stands in the midst of fertility, and has a wholesome cheerful aspect, so that it may be hoped the still more important attributes of its poetic namesake abound. Here occurred a pause in our journey, for, contrary to expectation, the inn could supply us with no carriage. At length an obliging in- habitant consented to C hiring his dog-cart for the occasion, duly provided with a driver to bring it home, who, poor man, possessed but one leg, supplemented by a crutch. It was a one-horse vehicle, but this did not seem of much importance, as the distance was only seven miles. But what was our dismay, when we had proceeded a quar- ter of a mile or so, to find ourselves on that very piece of road we had heard cited in the House of Assembly to illus- trate the evil consequences of not enforcing the provisions of the " Breadth of Wheels-tire Act " ! It certainly fulfilled the description then given of it. It was worse than the Melrose road indeed, it was worse by far than any road we had ever seen. To advance at a footpace was the utmost that could be accomplished, with a halt every now and then when we stuck in a rut, and a frequent descent from the cart of all but the lame driver, to deliver it from that position. A broken shaft was the result of one tremendous tug, when, but for the crutch, how we should have reached WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 227 Saddleworth remains a mystery. We might, indeed, have walked, but a walk of only six or seven miles, under a mid-day Australian sun, even in spring, is a serious undertaking ; and if we could have carried ourselves, we could not have carried our baggage. But the crutch solved the difficulty, and, bound along the broken shaft by means of our travelling straps, enabled us, taking even more precautions than before, to finish our journey. At Saddleworth C found his buggy, and hired horses for the drive to Kapunda, which we accomplished in the rain, through an uninteresting country. Kapunda is the most town-like country town we have yet seen. Its features are a main street, a third of a mile long, with shorter streets crossing it ; handsome hotels, a town-hall, and churches; well-stocked shops, flagged pavements, butchers' boys scampering about on horse- back, and one or more vehicles always visible in its highways. It seems, indeed, to be a little metropolis for the district, owing partly, no doubt, to its advan- tageous position at the terminus of a branch-line of the Northern Kailway. Some mining is still carried on here. The copper is frequently obtained pure, but when this is the case, it is of inferior quality, we were told, to that found in ore. Sept. 16th. Bright sunshine again, under which the hawksweed glowed like buttercups in May. The flower is rather paler in colour, and in form more nearly resembles the dandelion, but in its effect at a distance, and luxuriant growth making the whole landscape yellow, it is a very close representative of the buttercup. It is supposed to have reached Australia from the Cape, and, in spite of its beauty, is greatly disliked, as injurious to grass. Much of our drive this morning was across the property of Mr. Angas and his family. This district was settled early in the history of the colony, and here we saw the stump- fence remaining which was the first used by settlers. It is made by simply placing, side by side, pieces four or five feet long of the arms or trunks of trees. Angaston has a very English appearance. Indeed we Q 2 228 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. might have believed its broad, main street, to be the approach to a well-cared for English village, especially when there appeared upon the scene a phaeton and pair of ponies an elegant little equipage, quite fit for Hyde Park driven by a lady, the squire's wife as one might suppose. For several miles after leaving Angaston we drove through Mr. Angas' sheep-run, our road leading us by his handsome house and that of his son, each standing in beautiful gardens, and only differing from English country mansions in having no road of approach. The lodge gates, in fact, opened on to the run, which gave one the im- pression that these were back exits, giving access to un- frequented parts of the surrounding park. We then got into the scrub, coming every now and then suddenly upon a little hamlet, with its inn, and per- haps minute church or churches, and schoolhouse, and in one instance a handsome temperance hall, and anon finding ourselves in a moment in the wild unreclaimed country again. The main road was very bad, and tra- vellers had made fresh tracks for themselves. These misled us, but it was some time before we discovered our error ; and again, some time before we found any one to set us right. At length a solitary house appeared, and there we inquired our way ; but we had to stop again at . another, where the only occupant seemed to be a young lady in a riding-habit, before we were clear about it. To regain our route, indeed, proved a long and per- plexing affair. We seemed for a time to be " bushed," and began to think of camping out. Before, however, it was quite dark, C felt sure he was in the right road ; and in due time appeared the twinkling lights of Eden Vale, where we agreed to sleep, instead of completing our journey to Mount Pleasant. Though merely a hamlet, Eden Vale has two inns. The one we stopped at was very comfortable, and exquisitely clean ; but arriving after the hour at which such travellers are expected, some doubt was expressed whether material for a substantial meal could be found. R accom- WBA T WE SAW IN A USTEALIA. 229 panied the maid, as head of the commissariat department (for the mistress seemed absorbed in business with a stranger), to the kitchen, to hold a consultation. A safe- door was thrown open that she might inspect the contents, but these did not promise much entertainment. A beef- steak was spoken of as possibly attainable. In short, the will to make us comfortable was not wanting, and soon the way was found. Meanwhile C was performing the part of groom, as no ostler appeared. By the time his duties were completed, an abundant, though homely, high-tea was set in the pretty drawing-room, which con- tained several books and ornaments ; and where, though the almost universal piano was wanting, a concertina reigned in its stead. A bright wood fire, too, blazed on the white hearth, out of which, as we sat round enjoying its grateful warmth, crawled a centipede ! This is not a very rare event, as the creature hybernates in old timber, and is aroused from his sleep by his home becoming too hot to hold him. From Eden Vale we started in the grey chill morning, the precursor of a brilliant day. The effect of the white mists clearing from the pretty landscape as the sun gained power was very lovely, and one wrap after another was thrown off as the heat increased. Before the middle of the day the shade of our lined umbrellas was most acceptable. Mount Pleasant looked as if it deserved its name; here we came upon broad hedges of gorse all ablaze with flowers, while sweetbriar perfumed the air, and the white flag, roses, and geraniums abounded. Soon we were among the north-eastern spurs of the Mount Lofty Kange, and stopped to rest the horses at Gumeracha, the loveliest of all the lovely spots, we agreed, that we had seen in South Australia. The ground is much broken ; the Torrens here a broad pebbly brook, swift and clear, overhung with fine gum-trees and shrubs in bloom winds among hills sometimes carpeted with rich grass, sometimes becoming almost precipitous cliffs, while the gorse glorifies the view with masses of splendid colour. We had never seen this plant approach the luxuriance 230 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. with which it grows here, and were expressing our admi- ration of its loveliness to our hostess at the hotel and a gossip who had dropped in, when the latter besought us to visit the grounds of a gentleman living near, where she said the "fuzz" was most beautiful; cut into all kinds of forms dogs, birds, tables, chairs (in a crescendo of admiration, and as a climax), a buggy and two horses, a buggy that you might sit in! But we preferred the furze in its natural state. A drive of two hours from Gumeracha, by an excellent road winding its way among the range, brought us to one of the many fine points of view upon these hills. The plain before us, striped with crops in their bright spring tints, and dotted with timber, glowed in the westering sun ; Adelaide was faintly discernible in its midst, and afar off the sea shone like silver. In another hour we were at home. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 231 CHAPTER XIII. Botanic Gardens Flowers and Fruits City Mission Glenelg Emigration Bushmen's Club. TOWARDS the eastern end of North Terrace some hand- some iron gates form the entrance to the Botanic Gar- dens, of which the good citizens of Adelaide are justly proud. First laid out in 1858, under the superintendence of Mr. Francis, they have gradually increased in size and beauty to the present time. When opened, the gardens probably covered from twenty to twenty-five acres ; now they extend over sixty or seventy, and will be considerably larger when the whole space allotted to them by the Government has been reclaimed. The cost of keeping them up is defrayed by the State ; and, as a matter of course, admission is free. They are very prettily laid out. A broad gravel walk leads from the entrance gate across the Gardens ; between lawns formed of Sydney couch grass. This kind of grass is a fair substitute for English turf; beautifully verdant in winter and spring, it partially survives the dryness even of the South Aus- tralian summer. Greenhouses, full of flowering plants and small shrubs and ferns, are numerous ; these, however, are locked, their contents being so arranged that they can be easily seen from the outside ; there being a portion of the South Australian public, as is the case at home, who cannot refrain from gathering flowers which do not belong to them. The Victoria lily, under the fostering care of the curator, Dr. Schomburgk, is successfully grown in a house adapted for the purpose. 232 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTBALIA. South Australia is very fortunate in having secured the services of the present curator, a distinguished botanist, who devotes himself to improving and beautifying the gardens. He is the brother of Sir Robert Schomburgk, who re-discovered the Victoria Regina* on the river Berbice, in English Guiana.f As far back as 1801 the German traveller Haencke found the Victoria Regina on the Manore, a tributary of the Amazon. The plant was so surprisingly beautiful that Haencke, " in a transport of admiration, fell on his knees, and expressed aloud his sense of the power and magnificence of the Creator in His works." But Haencke perished, and his discoveries remained unknown in Europe. In 1827 the French naturalist D'Orbigny saw the lily on the Parana, but his discovery has never been published. Europe therefore owes to Sir Robert Schomburgk her knowledge of this marvellously beautiful flower. He discovered it some years later in the Berbice, and Dr. Schomburgk himself in the year 1842 met with it in the Rupununi, a tributary of the Essequibo.J One of the six creeks which fall into the Torrens runs through the Gardens, and part of it has been converted into ornamental pools. Huge clumps of arums grow at the edge of the water, and beautiful willows hang their long pendent branches over the pools. These are of a par- ticular kind, brought from St. Helena, the branches of which are longer while the foliage is much thicker than those of the species we are familiar with at home. Aquatic birds are plentiful, and appear extremely tame as they march about among the visitors. Groups of pines from various countries, all planted with a view to the picturesque, grow in great luxuriance. There is a reverse side to this pretty picture. Sewage * This Dr. Schomburgk considers is the real name of the plant. The title Victoria regia, as the gigantic water-lily is often called, apparently proceeded, in the first instance, from a typographical error. t The Victoria Regina. A Paper read oefore the Philosophical Society, Adelaide, 1873. Ibid. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 233 is allowed to enter the creek, rendering its neighbourhood unhealthy. Cases of typhoid fever are not infrequent, and a fatal one has recently occurred at the curator's house. The drainage of the city is sadly neglected ; indeed, none worthy of the name exists. But for the dry climate of Adelaide, zymotic disease would reign triumphant, not less in its fashionable quarters than in its poorer districts. Frequently there are offensive smells in some of the best parts of Adelaide, and at night, when the air contains a greater degree of moisture, the more closely-built streets are absolutely noisome to the passer-by. The drainage of the city is under the direction of the Corporation, who, in this respect, certainly fail in their duty ; the South Aus- tralian Parliament has endowed them with the necessary powers, but they cannot agree on a plan of action. Mean- while the nuisance increases, and low fever is not un- common. Native grasses are rapidly vanishing before cultivation and depasturing, and are being still further diminished by foreign weeds, which immigration and cultivation will al- ways introduce. The Kangaroo-grass, valuable for fodder, has especially suffered. In the early days of the colony it attained to such gigantic proportions, that in the Adelaide plains, a man on horseback might be almost hidden as he rode among it ; now it is rarely to be seen there. Among the most injurious of the weeds are the thistle and the Bathurst bur. Beport declares that the former was brought by some enthusiastic Scotchman who, with a love of his native land worthy of a better cause, believed the thistle must be everywhere as welcome as the rose. The climate of South Australia has so favoured the growth of this plant, that whole districts are overrun with it and rendered useless for either pastoral or agricultural pur- poses. Parliament has been obliged to pass an Act making the destruction both of the Bathurst bur and the Scotch thistle compulsory ; as yet, however, with only partial success. This evil, indeed, has become so serious that still further steps for its removal are necessary, and while we were in Australia Mr. George Burt was appointed 234 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. by the Government to superintend the destruction of the thistle in districts near Mount Gambler, about 240 miles south-east of Adelaide. For several years Dr. Schomburgk has pursued the cultivation of foreign grasses and fodder plants, in the experimental department of the Gardens, to supply the place of the native ones ; and he believes they may be grown with success if proper attention be paid to them. Still, as there is always a risk of their being killed by a very untoward season, he advises rather the careful culti- vation of the indigenous grasses. At present sheep are pas- tured for the whole year on the same land, while it is im- perative that there should be a period of rest to allow the seed to ripen and sow itself, so that the plant may be reproduced. Dr. Schomburgk showed us his plots of growing grasses, some of which had been given by the Governor. Many were new to us, among others the prairie- grass and the broad-leaved, dark-coloured buffalo-grass, both well adapted for cultivation in Australia. There is a large collection of forest-trees to be used in planting parks and recreation-grounds in different parts of the colony ; Dr. Schomburgk says, in his Report for 1873, that the banks of the Burra and Kapunda Railway are to be planted with trees from this stock. There is reason to fear that the colony is suffering from the whole- sale felling of timber which has gone on in some localities, and much attention is now given to repairing this error by the planting of forest-trees on a very large scale. Dr. Schomburgk is always ready to supply plants and flowers for decorations at public festivals. He gives plants and cuttings to children to assist them in preparing for the annual flower-shows held in their schools, and many ex- changes are made between these Gardens and other similar institutions. Medical plants, and others for manufacturing purposes, are carefully cultivated. Two, the teasel and the madder, are of great value to a recently-established tweed manufactory at Lobethal, a township in the neigh- bourhood of Adelaide. The colonial manufacture is pre- ferred as being more economical than that imported from WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 235 England, but whether this is owing to the duty upon the latter, or to the colonial fabric being better in quality, we do not know. In a house near the broad walk there is a very in- teresting collection of woods and seeds ; some of the former, being polished, show the exquisite beauty of the grain. A small collection of wild animals is kept in the Gardens, but the accommodation seemed to us to be too limited for the comfort of those who are obliged to be shut up in cages. We reached Adelaide at the end of the hot, dry summer, the worst season for flowers in that climate ; still we found many in bloom at Hazelwood. One of these is a standard yellow Cape jessamine, growing as a circular bush, perhaps twenty feet in circumference; this beau- tiful shrub is perennial in its blossom, making the border around yellow with its petals. A crimson pas- sion-flower and a blue ipomcea, which grow together over the entrance to a trellis walk covered with vines, put forth their lovely flowers almost, if not quite, the whole year round. Nor can we forget an oleander a mass of pink blossom ; the climate is admirably adapted to this shrub, which grows in some instances to the size of a tree, bearing either white, pink, or crimson blossoms. Plants which will only live in greenhouses and others requiring the most sheltered situations out of doors in England, flourish luxuriantly at Adelaide in the open garden. Among them is the plumbago, with its clusters of delicate blue-grey blossoms, and the len- tana, its flowers shading from orange to pale canary on one stalk, while on another they vary from purple to light mauve. Chrysanthemums came into blossom shortly alter our arrival with a perfection only known at home when cultivated under glass. A few weeks later the autumnal rains set in, hailed with delight after a dry season of many months. The arums pushed their verdant spikes above the ground, 236 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. and the bulbous plants, peculiarly favoured by the climate, began to show themselves in the garden borders. The quickening of vegetation caused by the rain falling on the heated earth is rapid beyond anything those who have never witnessed it can conceive. Grass seemed to start up in every available spot. There are in fact but three seasons in Australia. Spring follows immediately upon autumn ; real winter, such as we experience in our colder climate, has no existence here. Violets, the oxalis opening its pink or yellow flowers only when the sun shines, narcissus, jonquils, and arums, followed in quick succession, all remaining in luxuriant blossom for a much longer period than they do in England. The flowering season for native plants is chiefly winter and early spring. The Acacia armata is then covered with its yellow tufts or balls. This shrub, familiar at home as a winter green-house flower, grows wild in South Australia, and will attain to a height of fifteen or twenty feet. Trained as a hedge and well pruned, it forms an impervious fence for gardens or fields, but the rapidity with which it burns makes its use dangerous. Coming originally from Kangaroo Island, the fences thus made are called Kangaroo hedges. Aloes, though not indigenous, flourish. One variety, the stag aloe, growing in the shape of a bush, puts forth large spikes of scarlet bloom, forming a brilliant ^feature in the gardens. Meanwhile the almonds, here attaining to the size of large apple-trees, begin to show their lovely pink and white blossoms, and speedily are covered with bloom, which in time gives way to the delicate green of an abundant foliage ; the fallen petals may give Australians who have never seen it an adequate idea of snow. Then follow the more delicate bulbous flowers in almost endless variety, chiefly natives* of the Cape of Good Hope, Ixias, Sparaxis, Tritonia, &c. The large bushes of geranium and heliotrope, which have borne some blossoms during the whole winter, now display them in abundance. Pruning and watering is all the cultivation they require in this happy climate ; WE A T WE SAW IN A USTBA LI A. 237 wherever water can be obtained most flowers will grow in the greatest perfection. Irrigation has been carried to a considerable extent, Water, stored in reservoirs easily filled by the winter rains, is conveyed through pipes over the gardens. Adelaide and its suburbs are well supplied from waterworks, and the garden hose is as familiar as at home. Trees as well as plants require irrigation ; oranges at certain seasons need it in great abundance. Conservatories and green- houses are very uncommon, but a shelter from the sun and wind, built of reeds (called a bamboo-house), is not infrequent. One we saw, had been erected on purpose for growing vegetables. Some of our spring favourites are not able to bear the heat. Crocuses and snowdrops are extremely rare ; prim- roses and cowslips, planted singly in pots and watched over with tender care, we have seen in beautiful blossom, but their delicious scent, associated at home with the advent of spring, had departed. In October flowers are at their best. Then the gardens are splendid with the scarlet mesembryanthemum in masses of colour too dazzling to look upon. Roses of all kinds flourish ; the old-fashioned monthly, almost supplanted at home by varieties more recently intro- duced, makes beautiful hedges which are covered with blossom. But it is impossible to enumerate all the flowers we saw and admired in Australia. At times we felt as we gazed upon them, that had we seen nothing else, the trouble of our journey would have been well repaid. The cultivation of flowers is a favourite pursuit, and often followed by ladies, despite their scanty leisure, with great success. Here no frost renders vain the gardener's labour, but a hot wind happily, however, rare produces in appearance precisely the same effect ; it is almost equally dreaded as an enemy, and its scorching breath will for a time destroy the beauty of a garden. Several flower and fruit shows are held during the year at Adelaide. We were present at one in the Town Hall 238 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. where the decorations of fern and foliage made a beautiful background to the floral display. The specimens exhibited were chiefly those familiar to us in English hothouses, re- quiring moisture as well as heat, and therefore extremely difficult to bring to perfection in Australia ; they did not equal similar flowers at home. Whatever is rare is most tempting to the cultivator, and the expectation, in which we were disappointed, of seeing the lovely flowers indigenous to Australia in perfection, was perhaps unreasonable. The profusion with which fruit grows amazes a stranger. Grapes in vast quantities and great variety are cultivated for wine; their light green foliage, which retains its verdure through the summer, makes the vineyards refresh- ing spots for the eye to rest on when wearied with the dead brown of the landscape : and the rich red the leaves assume in autumn is even more beautiful. It is said that the English hothouse grape is superior to any produced in the open air ; in Europe this may be true, but none we had ever tasted equalled those in the Hazel wood vineyard. Excellent raisins are made from the muscatel grape. We visited a vineyard a few miles from Adelaide where they are prepared on a large scale ; but the quantity produced in South Australia does not as yet supply her own wants. The currant-vine was the prettiest of the many kinds we saw. Trained on trellises, its miniature berries, delicious to the taste, purple or white, hang in slender bunches from nine to twelve inches long. The grapes are mostly without seeds, which are produced in a few of twice the ordinary size occurring here and there in the bunch. The orange-trees, bearing flower and fruit together, surpass all others in beauty. We can hardly call to mind a more lovely sight than the Hazelwood orangery towards sunset in July or August when the fruit is ripe. Row after row of trees bending under the weight of their golden balls contrasting with the dark foliage filled the foreground, while behind them rose lofty hills of vivid green, the whole glorified by the splendour of the declining sun. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 239 The loquat, a native of Japan, forms a very ple.asant addition to the list of fruits. A variety of the chestnut, it bears spikes of white blossom, and the edible portion of the fruit is the fleshy case enclosing several dark mahogany-coloured seeds, each the size of a horse-bean. It has a pleasant tart flavour, and looks, when ripe, like a small yellow apple. This fruit comes earliest of the season, and is at its best by the end of October. Wall- fruit trees grow as standards ; * so plentiful are the crops that fallen fruit covers the ground beneath, no one think- ing it worth picking up; pigs are fed on the peaches and apricots, given in such large quantities that these animals become extremely particular in their choice. There are two distinct varieties of the peach, one the freestone, the most common in England, the other the clingstone, of which the flesh, firm as that of an apple, adheres closely to the stone ; these the gourmands will toss aside with their snouts, condescending only to eat the freestone. It was not easy to reconcile ourselves to such a prodigal waste, until we became accustomed to hearing oranges spoken of by the gross, almonds by the bushel, peaches and apricots by the hundredweight, and grapes by the ton. Fruit is low in price when sold wholesale, but dear enough to buy retail, even in Adelaide. In remote dis- tricts it is extremely expensive, and in the distant bush almost impossible to procure; the cost of carriage is so high as to be nearly prohibitory. When greater facilities for the conveyance of fruit shall be established, and it can be freely distributed throughout the colony, it will prove an inestimable blessing to the inhabitants of the stations, afibrding them a cool and wholesome addition to their extremely limited diet. A bushel basket of fine freestone peaches is sold to the dealers in Adelaide for 6d., and apricots for preserving, * We hear from a correspondent that from a tree planted three and a- half years ago, a little thing two feet and a-half high when put into the ground, more than two hundred dozen peaches were this season thinned out, still leaving a good crop to ripen. February, 1875. 240 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. for 4s. a hundredweight, grapes being 42. per ton; and 9d. per dozen for oranges was, in the season of 1873, considered a good price for the grower. The orange-tree is of too recent introduction in South Australia to produce enough for her consumption, and oranges from Sydney still compete with those of native growth. There are in both colonies many varieties ; and the fruit being freshly gathered is more delicious than any eaten in England. Having had some acquaintance with the haunts of that class which in England supplies the pupils to our Bagged and Reformatory Schools, we wished to see how they com- pared with .those of the Antipodes. The poor half-starved creatures one meets in English towns do not exist in Aus- tralia, though the vices which tend to produce this ex- tremity of destitution are not absent in any of the colonies. Still, as far as our observation went, they prevail less in South Australia than in her sister provinces, which perhaps may be attributed to the happier circumstances of her origin. She has never had to undergo the evils resulting from transportation; nor have her gold-fields been suffi- ciently rich to attract the ill-conditioned class who have flocked to Yictoria and New South Wales. The cheapness of food, and the demand for labour affording employment to all who will work, help to prevent the evils we meet with at home. Nevertheless, even in Adelaide the labours of a City Missionary are required. He, we were told, could show us the "back slums," and we "accord- ingly paid Mr. Berry a visit. We were much interested in hearing his account of his work ; but we could see no resemblance in the wide streets open to the glorious sun- shine, shabby and dirty though the houses might be, to the courts and alleys of our overcrowded cities in Eng- land. Nor did the pupils in his day-school look like those in corresponding institutions at home. Adelaide boasts two theatres; the second, in a more convenient part of the town, has superseded the older building, now appropriated to the various purposes of the Mission, The pit and stage have been adapted to the WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 241 purpose of a night-school for boys, the desks and benches affording a strange contrast to the tawdry and faded decoration of the boxes, which still remain. Mr. Berry wisely approves of recreation, and permits amusements to be carried on in the school-room when lessons are finished. The dressing and other rooms in the theatre, which make comfortable apartments, he lets as lodgings. Adelaide is fortunate in her proximity to the coast. Brighton, the Semaphore, and Glenelg are favourite places of resort. The latter, about seven miles distant, is now especially accessible, being connected by a railway with the metropolis, opened during our stay in the colony. The rails, like those of a tramway at home, abruptly com- mence in King William Street and terminate close to the beach at Glenelg. Passengers step from the road into the long carriages, entering them at either end. The grant by the South Australian Parliament in aid of immigration, which resulted from the late change of Ministry, led to some alteration in the Immigration Act, passed in 1872, and new regulations have been issued, dated September 17, 1873. Under these, " assisted pas- sages " are granted to specified classes of persons, and while the full charge for an adult, by an emigrant ship, is 15Z., a man or woman, under forty years of age, who fulfils the conditions prescribed, may obtain an " assisted passage " on the payment of 41. Between the ages of forty and fifty the contribution is 81. per head, while for children under ten it is 31 Immigrants who have paid their own passage, or who, having been assisted, repay to the Government the remainder of their fare, obtain, after two years' residence in the colony, a grant of land worth 201, and available for the purchase of other land if the section granted does not suit the recipient.* * All details of information needed by intending emigrants may be obtained from the emigration agent for South Australia, at 8, Victoria Chambers, Westminster. There also can be procured a very useful Manual, entitled Handbook for Emigrants,' prepared under the authority B 242 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. To encourage an agricultural population, the purchase of land has been made very easy. Thus, a man, with capital enough to pay down a certain portion of the purchase- money required to enable him to take possession of his land, and a small surplus for such farm-buildings and im- plements as are necessary to start with, and to defray the cost of living until he can get a maintenance from his farm, may become in a few years the owner of a productive estate. He must be prepared to work hard, and as labour is very dear to hire, he is fortunate if he have children able to work too, while his wife must take her full share of all that is going on. Undoubtedly the small Australian farmer and his family must be willing to lead a very laborious life ; but if they are blest with health, and are sober and frugal, independence is within their grasp. Our own ob- servation leads us strongly to urge the emigration of families. Children are an element of wealth in a new country, of which dwellers in an old one have no concep- tion. The risk of their being overworked is counterbalanced by the abundance of food and free open-air life. It must, too, be borne in mind that there is much light employment on a farm in which they may be occupied without injury, and thus save the payment of high wages; while com- panionship with their parents, and the fact that all are working on their own land, give an interest and dignity to industry which children are quick to feel. In some localities it is difficult, and in very remote spots even impossible, to send them to school; but a township generally springs up where a few farmers have established themselves, and with the township comes in time the school, the church, and often the literary institute. Another strong reason for the emigration of families is the desirableness of young people becoming accustomed to the liberty of a new country and to the high wages they can command, while still under parental influence. of the South Australian Government, by Mr. Harcus, and published in 1873. There is an emigration agency for South Australia established also at Hamburgh and at Bremen. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 243 If they come out from England independent of such control, the novel circumstances in which they find them- selves placed are not favourable to steadiness. The great demand for female servants tells especially on young women. The new arrivals by an emigrant ship, who have been anxiously awaited for months, are all probably en- gaged within a few hours, at wages far above what they have been accustomed to receive. These range from 207. to 307. a year for maids, who at home would receive from 101. to 20/. The more accomplished and efficient are paid more highly. In-door men-servants are very uncommon. A gardener and farm-servant of superior capacity whom we know, receives 36s. a week, and has a good house rent- free, with a large garden, which he is allowed time to cultivate. There are, doubtless, among the servants who emigrate individuals in all respects equal to the best at home, but generally they belong to the humbler class of their pro- fession, while some have never been in service at all. They are ignorant, consequently, of many things that good servants in England can do. They are, too, quite unprepared for much work that Australian servants are expected to perform, for the lack of conveniences, and for the homely accommodation they will often meet with. Thus they are easily discouraged, and finding that with or without a recommendation they are sure of another place, they are often indifferent to keeping the one they happen to be in. Again, the amount of personal liberty allowed is an unsafe privilege in a strange land to young people be- longing to no one whom they fear to grieve. Holidays, too, are far more frequent, and more completely at the option of servants than with us. There are various anniversaries, on which, by common consent, they are always free to go where they like. We called on Easter Tuesday on a lady whose domestic staff is probably one of the most numerous and complete in Adelaide. She told us she was extremely glad we had not happened to come the day before, for, being Easter Monday, she had had absolutely no servant in the house but her little page, and him she had bribed B 2 244 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. to remain by promising he should go at some other time to the circus. Not infrequently these festal days conclude with a ball, from which the young people may not return until the night is far spent. Houses possessing more than a ground-floor are still rare in South Australia ; the kitchen and servants' chambers are frequently somewhat apart from the rest of the house, and also, like the other rooms, may generally be entered from outside. More- over, windows, and doors too, are often left open through the night in hot weather. Such Arcadian habits reveal a delightful immunity from thieves, but they demand among servants, of whose absence or presence in their bed- rooms their employers often must be ignorant, an amount of discretion and self-respect which we all know is not universal. The difficulties and dangers we have indicated as at- tending young women to whom everything in Australia is new, seem not to affect those who have grown up among the circumstances we have described. Australians are much valued as servants, and, as far as we could judge, deservedly so. Unfortunately there is a strong repug- nance to domestic service among them, and the majority, we are told, prefer remaining at home absolutely idle, or obtaining employment for comparatively small wages in shops, or in the factories for ready-made clothes which are springing up in Adelaide. If, however, a young Englishwoman decides to emigrate by herself, she may go out in the Government ships, which at present sail every three or four months, under the care of a responsible matron, and on reaching Port Adelaide the matron of the Servants' Home will meet her when she disembarks, and, if she desire it, will take her to that institution, where she can remain for the moderate pay- ment of a shilling a day until she has obtained a place. The Home is managed by a Committee of Ladies, assisted by a Board of Advice consisting of gentlemen ; and as it forms a valuable, indeed an indispensable, por- tion of the arrangements for the welfare of immigrants, it is partly supported by Government. The remainder of WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 245 its income is supplied by subscriptions and by payments from inmates. Besides immigrants, the Home receives servants seeking employment, and those who, having been ill, are convalescent, and still need rest and care. These are charged five shillings a week, while those who lodge there simply because they are out of place, pay seven shillings. The institution occupied, when we visited it, a cheerful house in a good street in Adelaide, but we understand it has since been removed to a larger one. The value of such an institution, if well managed, in a country where a large proportion of the female servants have no family- home, can scarcely be over-estimated, and this seemed to us admirably conducted. The ladies of the Committee take an active interest in its welfare, and it appeared to be particularly fortunate in its matron. One omission, as we deemed it, in the arrangements for the care of the young women and girls who emigrate under Government auspices, we should be glad to know had been supplied. On the arrival of the emigrant ships there are usually many relatives or friends of the passengers waiting to receive them. There is nothing to prevent the evilly- disposed from personating such connections, and if they can succeed in deceiving the new-comers, in carrying them off for their own purposes. It is not difficult to imagine a supposititious uncle or aunt thus getting possession of a young girl, who, on discovering the fraud, might well be at a loss in a strange country, where she knew no one, by what means to repair the mistake she had made. Such a danger is provided against at Sydney, we were informed (and perhaps elsewhere), by the female emigrants who have come out alone being all required to go, in the first instance, to the depot prepared for their reception. There they are allowed only to communicate with persons of gooa repute, whether relatives or employers seeking servants. The bushmen of South Australia have been what may be termed the thews and sinews of the colony. In its early days their capital, enterprise, and labour created the 246 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. larger part of its wealth. Owing its present prosperity, in great measure, to them, it naturally feels an interest in their well-being. Their occupation compelled them formerly to dwell almost beyond the pale of civilization. Those who were married and had families possessed (except on stations where the squatters provided schools) but little power of educating their children, and were destitute of society and of the means of recreation. The life of the unmarried bushman was perfectly isolated. He lived, perhaps for months together, in a solitary hut, without seeing a single human being for many successive weeks. Bushmen are well known to be hospitable to strangers and to each other ; generous and ready to help members of their own class when in distress. But steady and hard- working in the bush, the conduct of many when in town can only be described, to use the lightest term, as the extreme of folly. This may be partly attributed to the reaction from the solitary life they lead, and partly, also, to the nature of their food. It formerly consisted exclu- sively of mutton, damper, and tea the latter in enormous quantities without milk. Of vegetables and fruit they had none a menu which still largely prevails. Such diet, in the opinion of medical men, creates an intense desire for alcoholic liquors. Spending but little money in the bush, for rations are supplied by their employers, they receive, when they draw their wages, a large sum in the lump. A not uncommon way for bushmen to spend their hardly-earned holiday is to repair to a township possessing a public-house, and there to give their wages, generally in the form of a cheque, to the landlord, desiring him to tell them when they have " knocked it down," i.e., drunk it out. This end being accomplished, they depart penniless, " wandering about like a stranger in a strange land, and often driven by sheer necessity back to the bush, even for a meal of food, for in the thickly settled districts a bush- man is shunned, and oft-times almost despised." * Then * ' History of the Bushmen's Club,' Adelaide, 1873. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 247 begins again another long period of toil, until the season comes round for a similar debauch. So notorious was this mode of spending a holiday in the metropolis, that bushmen have been described by the sti- pendiary magistrate there as the " biggest fools" he ever came in contact with contact occasioned by their frequent appearance before him in his judicial capacity. And "cleaning out" a bushman was as common in Adelaide as robbing sailors in their low haunts is at home. But it would be most unjust to represent that all bush- men follow these wretched practices. Many, and especially the younger members of their class, are prudent and thrifty. Still, the number of the foolish was so large that the evil could be borne with no longer ; and pity, that so valuable and, in some respects, estimable a class of men should waste their health and squander their means, suggested an effort in their behalf. Perhaps the best friend the South Australian bushman has ever had is an excellent man who calls himself " William," and declines to give his surname, or to afford any further information about himself. Various rumours are naturally afloat respecting him, but so well has he kept his own counsel, that nothing really is known, except that for many years he has traversed the sparsely popu- lated pastoral districts as a missionary to bushmen. One thing is certain, he could not have attained to the position he holds, enjoying universal respect, had he not proved himself, not only a capable, but also an honest and a benevolent man. The knowledge acquired of their habits and character in his long intercourse with bushmen convinced him that the evils we have described could only be remedied by the establishment of some central home, where, during their holiday, they could be com- fortably lodged and boarded at a moderate charge, secure from the temptations of the public-house. In 1866 he failed in an endeavour to raise interest in his plan ; but nothing daunted, he tried again two years later, and this time he succeeded. He enlisted the sym- pathy of Mr. J. H. Angas, a wealthy squatter, son of one 248 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRAL I A. of the oldest colonists of South Australia. It was decided by him that, as a preliminary to further action, William should obtain as many adhesions to the proposal as he could from the bushmen themselves, and, if possible, their opinion as to the best locality for the home, and any other suggestions which would assist the scheme. Some months elapsed before William had accomplished this task; and it was not till the last day of the year 1868 that a meeting on the subject was held in Adelaide, attended by many of the leading men of the colony. A committee was formed for establishing a bushmen's club or home. The first step was to obtain subscriptions from the bushmen themselves, and for this purpose subscription forms and prospectuses were circulated as widely as possible among them. William at the same time under- took to canvass the stations and wool-sheds, adding this to his already heavy missionary labours. In his wander- ings for this end he visited nearly 200 stations or sheds, read an address he had prepared for the purpose fifty-six times, and travelled on foot about 1600 miles. Many months were thus consumed in achieving this object ; nor was it until a year later that the committee, when it had been determined, for various reasons, to place the club, as it was to be called, in Adelaide, deemed it expedient to hold a public meeting to make their scheme known, and to solicit general support. Nearly 600Z. had been by this time collected, the greater part contributed by the bushmen ; so that active steps could be taken to secure a house. During the months that had passed since the first projection of the scheme, opposition had arisen, revealing itself in numerous letters and paragraphs in the news- papers ; some from bushmen themselves, others in the publican interest. These effusions possibly may have deterred some subscribers, and have caused delay in the execution of the scheme, but though very annoying and troublesome at the time, they do not appear to have produced any permanent injury. Rules for the government of the club were now drawn up. Its property was vested in Trustees, and the active WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 249 control of the institution in a Board of Managers, both elected by the subscribers. It was provided that no alcoholic liquor should be allowed on the premises, and that members must behave with pro- priety. Gambling, drinking, swearing, and use of obscene language were of course strictly prohibited. Beyond these necessary restrictions, however, the rules were as little stringent as possible, and the sum fixed for board and lodging was moderate. William now resolved to make a further sacrifice in behalf of the enterprise, and to give up for a time his missionary labour in the bush, the con- tinuance of which he had much at heart. He volunteered to be the superintendent, i.e., active manager of the club for twelve months without salary. No more efficient person could have been found to fill this important post, and his services were thankfully accepted by the committee. All being now ready, the club was formally opened on May 20th, by Sir James Fergusson, then Governor of South Australia. The house rented by the managers had formerly been the residence of Mr. Justice Cooper, the first judge appointed for South Australia, and has a more tragic interest as the spot where the first man condemned to death in the colony received his sentence. The building stands in an open, healthy situation. A small quantity of land attached to it still bore traces, when leased for the club, of having been a garden, as fruit- trees and ornamental shrubs were still dotted about the ground. The house contained fifteen rooms, which were comfortably fitted up for their various purposes dor- mitories, a labour office, bath-room, two smoking-rooms, &c., &c. It must have appeared a palace to its members, compared with the rough accommodation they are accus- tomed to in the bush. For a week after its opening, the club remained without a customer. The first who presented himself was a well- known character in Adelaide, yclept " Charlie the Loafer ; " he was soon followed by others. The first event in the club's history was a cricket match played by the inmates in July. The mirth of the players is described as " genuine 250 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. and boisterous." A foot-ball match followed in August. Soon afterwards the Labour Office at the club-house was opened, where both employers and those seeking engage- ments could meet. By the end of the year, the accom- modation provided for twelve persons at the opening had been made sufficient for twenty-four ; 285 members had enrolled themselves on its books, and a small library of books was provided, besides periodicals, magazines, and newspapers. A pleasant ceremony took place on January 17th, 1871. The inmates having subscribed five guineas for the purchase of a flag, it was resolved that its " hoisting " should be made the occasion of a festival. The flag, its colours red, white, and blue, and inscribed " United Bush- men's Club," was raised early in the afternoon, the bushmen present greeting its arrival at the top of the pole with deafening cheers, and a band of music immediately strik- ing up " Home, sweet home." The party then adjourned to the Parklands, where different games were kept up with great spirit. Supper, songs and recitations closed the festivities of the day. The chairman of the evening, Mr. C. B. Young, a gentleman who had been the steady friend and supporter of the club from its commencement, remarked, he was reminded by the temperance song, introduced, that it had been established on temperance principles. Many of its friends considered these would prejudice its success, but the result had justified William m the course he had pursued. About this time, subscriptions arrived from sympathizing bushmen in New South Wales, who unfortunately not having such an institution in their own colony, desired to benefit one belonging to their neighbours. Sympathy for the club was also expressed in Victoria, and enquiries about its management, &c., came from a gentleman in West Australia, who hoped a similar institution might be estab- lished there. At Sydney, also, Captain Scott, the Police Magistrate, well acquainted with the miserable life led by bushmen when in town, had made strenuous efforts to establish such a club, but without success. WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 251 Early in 1871, the sale of the premises, hitherto held only on lease, was unexpectedly announced, and unless the freehold could be purchased, the members would be compelled to seek a new domicile. They accordingly bestirred themselves to raise the necessary funds, amount- ing to WOOL With help from their own class, and that of their friends, supplemented by a loan from Mr. Angas senior, subsequently changed into a gift, the required sum was collected, and in July 1871, not fourteen months from the opening, the premises were purchased. The number of members had meanwhile risen to 390. William at the same time generously offered to remain as superinten- dent for two years longer. More accommodation being needed, as the number of members and boarders continued to increase, funds were again collected and a Government grant of 500L was obtained to defray the cost of a new dormitory. By the end of 1872 the members numbered 87t>, and the building required still further enlargement. The funds seem always to have been forthcoming when wanted, partly from bushmen themselves, the rest from the liberal public of the colony. Our visits to the institutions of Adelaide would have been very incomplete had we neglected to see the Bushmen's Club. Mr. C. B. Young was so good as to offer to accom- Eany us, and accordingly, one morning, we drove into Ade- lide to meet him. On arriving, however, he begged us to postpone our visit, as he had just learnt that William had been obliged to go out for a few hours to convey an unfortunate bushman to the Lunatic Asylum, and he assured us that to miss the superintendent would be to lose half the interest of our visit. Another day was there- fore fixed, when we might reckon on finding him at the club. William courteously showed us over the house, with its spacious dining-room, reading and smoking-rooms, and comfortable sleeping apartments. Though no drink- ing is allowed on the premises, still, should a boarder 252 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. indulge iu it outside, and be unfortunately beguiled into excess, and apply for admission, even after the hour for closing has arrived, he is not refused. William told us that the bushmen frequenting the club had been for years in the habit of placing their money in his hands for safe keeping ; he generally deposited these sums in the Savings' Bank. During the current year the deposits had already amounted to 10,0007. By far the greater portion had, indeed, been drawn out by the deposi- tors, but it may reasonably be supposed, for useful purposes. He said that a great change had taken place in the outward appearance of bushmen. Formerly they never thought of improving their dress while in town a pair of moleskin trowsers and a blue shirt, their work-a-day garments had sufficed for their holiday. Now a good suit of clothes was considered a proper toilette for their sojourn in the metropolis. The library is still small, containing only some 200 volumes, besides periodicals and newspapers. Bushmen are extremely fond of reading, however, and the project of instituting a lending library, to circulate among them in their distant homes, has been discussed by the Board of Management, but as yet it is not in operation. People are very busy in Australia, and leisure for undertaking this new department is not easily to be obtained. Another project included in the original programme of the club is not yet carried into execution. This is the erection of separate quarters for married bushmen. At pre- sent they are compelled to take houses or lodgings and furnish them, if they have occasion to bring their wives and children to town, which is both troublesome and- costly. A benefit club is also under consideration, but is not yet established. It is not uncommon to find among the denizens of the bush highly educated men, born in the rank of gentlemen, and most unwisely sent to Australia because they have fallen into evil courses at home, unwisely, because if when surrounded by home-influences, with a reputation to pre- serve, and hedged round with all the restrictions which WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 253 society imposes in an old country, they go astray, it is unreasonable to expect that, wnen far removed from friends, alone in the world, and assailed by still stronger temptations, they will regain the position in the colonies they have lost at home. Their usual doom is to sink into the position of shepherds, obliged to live in solitary huts, and to perform the drudgery of a station hand. To these poor outcasts William has been a real friend, and many, through his means, have been enabled to return to their native country. The fencing in of the runs is making quite a revo- lution in the position of bushmen. Their work has diminished in so considerable a degree that they will be compelled to seek other employments, either at the diggings, or in mining, or they may take up farming. For the latter the new areas will afford plenty of space. A thorough bushman, as William says, can turn his hand to anything. On quitting the Home we took a cordial farewell of its manager, glad to have made the acquaintance of this remarkable man. From the fourth report of the Club we learn that, at the annual meeting, held in December 1873, it was deter- mined to make some alterations in its government with a view to meet the wants of the country population generally, such as gold diggers and miners, agricultural labourers, drovers, &c. The report gives a favourable account of its position. We gather that it pays a large proportion of its working expenses, but that it is not yet, as its promoters desire it shall become, self-supporting. One of the speakers at the meeting, in proposing a vote of thanks to the hon. super- intendent, remarked that before the club was established, the bushmen had " had sad times of it." Many of them "earned their money like horses and spent it like asses."* * Just as we are going to press the fifth report has reached us. It shows that, though there are still bushmen who waste their money in drink, the influence of the club has reduced these to a small minority. 254 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. We trust that the example of the South Australian Club will be soon followed in the sister colonies. The circumstances surrounding bushmen, and the evils conse- quent upon them, are similar in every province into which the continent is divided. It is only among reptiles and insects that any creatures exist in Australia which are dangerous to man, and these excite so little alarm among the colonists, that our friends were much amused when we expressed any fear of either one or the other. With regard to snakes, we were as- sured it was extremely unlikely we should even see one, and if we did, it would be much more frightened at us than we need be of it. Snakes, we were told, get out of sight as quickly as they can, and only attack when either trodden on or inter- cepted on the way to their holes. Indeed, one of our cousins said, " for his part, he would gladly compound for the absence of wasps by the presence of snakes." He shared, perhaps, the opinion we once heard expressed by an old lady, who declared that she would rather encounter a mad bull than a wasp. Notwithstanding this professed indifference, we found it was considered the bounden duty of any person who came upon a snake to kill it on the spot. Among the varieties of this reptile, some are venomous, while others are harmless ; but as it is not easy to distinguish at a glance the one kind from the other, sentence of death is pronounced indiscriminately on all. Snakes are more numerous than usual this season in our neighbourhood, and several have been killed. Indeed, they are not infrequently searched for under stones or among timber, that they may be destroyed while still young. One hot day in October, as we were driving by our- selves into Adelaide, we saw an object lying in the middle of the road, some distance ahead, which looked like the dead bough of a tree. As we approached, the bough began to move, and when we came up with it we saw it WHA T WE SAW IN A USTSALIA. 255 was a serpent of a greenish-yellow colour, five or six feet in length, and as thick as a man's wrist. It was making off into the kangaroo-hedge which bordered the road, as fast as it could. "K ," exclaimed F , "we ought to kill that snake." "F ," responded R , "we can't." We were told afterwards it was well we had not made the attempt, as in all probability the snake was venomous ; our only weapon being the chaise-whip, our enemy would most likely have come off best in the contest. We frequently heard of snakes in Victoria, New South Wales, and Tas- mania, but we saw none in either colony. The Jew lizard, about a foot or fifteen inches long, and quite black, is perfectly harmless. He does, indeed, sometimes bite, but, having no teeth, he can inflict no pain. When frightened or angry, he raises round his neck a white substance resembling an Elizabethan frill, which gives him a most uncanny appearance. One day S received a rare lizard (Moloch Jiorridus), which was considered an appropriate birthday present for a naturalist. It was eight or nine inches long, of a speckled yellow, its shape suggesting a somewhat corpulent little dragon, with spike-like excrescences all over its body. Not- withstanding its name and somewhat uninviting appear- ance, it was perfectly harmless ; indeed, the sufferings the poor little creature underwent from alarm were much more intense than any it had the power of creating. Being put one day in the garden, it was found crouching in the corner of its cage, paralyzed with fright at a number of ants which, attracted by the raw meat S had placed there in the hope it might prove acceptable food, had invaded its dwelling. The bull-frog is an amusing creature. In spring-time it is his practice to inflate his body, and then suddenly expel the air with a pop, like that when a paper-bag, treated in a similar manner, is burst open with a sharp blow. These sounds, resembling a miniature discharge of artillery, are continuous in the vicinity of water ; but so rarely is the creature seen to drive forth the air, that it 256 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. is believed he will not perform the operation when he knows himself to be watched. R stole quietly one day to the bath in the garden and peeped at a bull-frog hanging to the ladder and blown out to his biggest, hoping to see him let himself off, but he found her out, and made his breath outlast her patience. Scorpions, though not, we believe, attaining to a large size, are common. We saw none ; but, then, we never searched for them in their favourite haunts, under stones or between the inner and outer bark of trees. There is a variety of the wasp which is addicted to building its nest in any crevice it can find; sometimes the space formed by the covers of books, where they project beyond the leaves, affords it a convenient place, and its well-known propensity for using keyholes for this purpose causes them to be plugged with paper to prevent its ingress. These wasps do not congregate in numbers, but dwell cosily in couples. Except the mosquitos, troublesome to newcomers as we painfully experienced, the insect the most annoying is the common house-fly, and this on account of its vast numbers. The tarantula, though accused of stinging, does not inspire any terror ; indeed, as a devourer of flies, he is rather courted than shunned. We found one on our ar- rival "domesticated" in our chamber, where he remained during nearly the whole of our stay. When his legs were spread out, he covered a space as large as the palm of a woman's hand. He was stationed on the wall, near the ceiling ; sometimes, though rarely, moving from one spot to another. But at length, as he began to show unmis- takable signs of descending to close quarters, we pre- sented the end of a pole to him, which he clasped with his long legs, and in this position we easily put him out of the window. But perhaps the insect which most excited our interest and curiosity is a variety of the spider, who makes his nest underground and closes it with a perfectly smooth round lid. The indication of the nest in the garden-paths we could rarely discover, but they were quickly dis- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 257 cerned by the sharper eyes of our little cousins. A circle marked by an extremely fine line, of the circumference of a shilling, revealed the lid of the nest, which by means of a pin gently inserted, could easily be raised. This lid is attached by a strong hinge, formed of a close fine web to the upper edge of a circular passage leading down a steep incline to the nest the nest itself we never saw and both are thickly lined with the same web. If the lid remained raised for a few moments, the spider would come bustling up his passage, evidently indignant at his front door being so unceremoniously opened, and pull it to with what, had any sound been emitted, would have been a violent bang. Soon after our arrival at Hazel wood, E went one night into the garden, to see an opossum in its conven- tional position, " up a gum-tree," on the higher branches of which this animal, being nocturnal, was taking its walks abroad, looking in the moonlight very like a good-sized cat prowling about in search of prey. Its natural food are the leaves of the Eucalyptus, but it much prefers fruit, and is becoming troublesome in orchards and gardens. Hector, the noble watch-dog, was continually aroused by the opossums in their nightly depredations, and so often were the slumbers of the family disturbed by his loud and prolonged barking, that he was obliged to be chained up at a distance from the fruit-trees. The noise the opossum makes in breathing is most peculiar. When we heard this sound for the first time in the night, we felt certain some person was snoring within a few feet of our h^ads. On mentioning this next morning, we were assured that an opossum must have come into the veranda! i, which was close to our open window. 258 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTER XIV. Adelaide to Melbourne The Eip Hqbson's Bay Sandridge Mel- bourne Cabs Burke and Wills Female Pastor Gardens and Parks Library and Mtiseum Townhall The Block Voyage to Sydney The Gap Wreck of the 'Dunbar' Port Jackson Sydney " Southerly Burster." WK bad fiora the first resolved to start homeward from Australia before the hottest aiid most trying season of the year should set in ; and in ample time also to accomplish the voyage up the Eed Sea, should we decide upon that route, while the temperature there should be comparatively cool. Thus by October two-thirds of the period allotted to our sojourn in the Southern Hemisphere had elapsed. We now realised how inadequate was the time we had devoted to a journey embracing objects of interest so various and abundant ; another year we felt might have been well employed in studying them, and Australian summer-heat might have been avoided by spending February and March in New Zealand. But it was too late to alter our plans ; and in arranging our approaching tour in the sister colonies we found it necessary to abandon all hope of reaching Queensland and New Zealand. Japan we had, to our sore disappointment, already relinquished. Our intention now was to proceed to New South Wales, taking Victoria and Tasmania on our return. But there is no direct communication by sea between Adelaide and Sydney, and it was necessary, therefore, to take ship in the first instance to Melbourne. In deference to advisers acquainted with the route, we had given up our project of reaching the capital of Victoria overland, but we still indulged the hope of driving thither across the country on our return from Sydney. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 259 Accompanied by E , we started on the 23rd October. We left the gardens in the zenith of their floral beauty ; but the vivid hue of the hills was perceptibly fading under the increasing heat. The weather still maintained its variable character, and the thermometer had occasionally reached 90 during the few days preceding our departure, but the air was dry and buoyant, and we had not found tin's temperature oppressive. During our voyage the coast was usually in sight, but in the early part of it there is little to attract attention. Towards evening of the 24th we saw at some little distance inland Mount Gambier, which rises in a curious volcanic district on the eastern borders of South Australia; and somewhat later we passed Cape Northumberland, with its brilliant red and white revolving light, at the western point of Discovery Bay. By nine o'clock next morning we were very near Cape Otway, a bold rocky promontory on the Victorian coast, with a range of hills showing behind it. From this point our presence would be telegraphed to both Melbourne and Adelaide, the passage of ships being thus communicated from various stations along the shore. Beautifully wooded hills now came in view, among which glens and gorges indicated the courses of streams making their way to the sea. Gum-trees, 300 feet high, have been i'ound in this neighbourhood, and we fancied we could descry such on even the very tops of the hills. Hobson's Bay, at the northern extremity of which Mel- bourne is placed, is ill-designated, the entrance being so narrow that this great sheet of water is almost a lake. It measures forty miles in length, and the same distance at its greatest bieadth, while the mouth is only a mile and a half wide. We passed the Port Phillip Heads as the two heights, Cape Nepean and Cape Lonsdale, on either side this passage are called early in the afternoon, and were duly on the watch for the " Rip." A shoal lies athwart the entrance to the bay, and it is only in a groove across its surface that vessels of any size h'nd water enough to carry them through. A strong current adds to the inconvenience of this s2 260 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. limited channel : but we conclude that certain conditions of wind and tide, not existing to-day, must also be present to make the passage dangerous or even difficult, as we found ourselves safe inside, without having been conscious of anything extraordinary in the motion of the ship, or in the appearance of the surrounding waves. We were soon opposite to Queenscliff, an our left, a favourite watering-place, and the first established in Vic- toria. Already there was much shipping in sight. Ad- vancing some miles, the coast, first on one side and then on the other, was lost to view, and for a time we remained entirely out of sight of land. Geelong is seated on an arm of Hobson's Bay, on its western side ; and near the head of the main inlet are several watering-places, of which St. Kilda is the nearest to the capital. Not far off shore lies the Industrial School-ship, * Nelson.' Victoria does not, like South Australia, repudiate means of defence, and a turret-ship, the ' Cerberus,' which had lately successfully achieved crossing the globe, was pointed out to us, lying in the harbour. The colony has also maintained for several years a Volunteer force, some thousands strong, besides a small number of soldiery who are paid for their services. Nor does she despise fortifica- tions. A very considerable sum has been spent in erecting forts at various points in Hobson's Bay, which are mounted with guns of the newest construction. It was growing dusk when our voyage of fifty hours from Adelaide ended. Small vessels go up the River Yarra to Melbourne, a distance of seven or eight miles ; but our steamer, the ' Wentworth,' was too large for its narrow and winding channel, and we disembarked on the shore of the bay at Sandridge, three miles from Melbourne, with which it is connected by railway. The contrast with Port Adelaide struck us at once, in the comparatively large size and great number of ware- houses and other places of business lining the quays, while the shipping in view recalled English ports to mind. Passengers can step ashore at Sandridge, even from large vessels ; but as the ' City of Adelaide ' steamer happened WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 261 to be alongside our landing-place, we had to walk across her. The process of bringing us into the right position to do so was a long one ; and in the course of it three of her boats, which had not been moved out of reach of mischief, were cracked by our davits with just the sound reminding us unpleasantly of their fra^ileness of walnut-shells under nutcrackers. It was dark before at length we got on shore, and half-past eight by the time we reached the metro- politan terminus. Hobson's Bay was discovered in 1802, and shortly after- wards was visited by Flinders, who named it Port Phillip, in honour of the then Governor of New South Wales. No settlers came, however, until 1835. In 1839 the newly- formed town of Melbourne contained only 400 inhabitants. By 1846 these had increased to 12,000, so productive was the surrounding country, and so favourable to commerce the capacious harbour.* But it was to the discovery of gold in 1851 that the subsequent still more rapid increase of population is chiefly to be attributed. With its suburbs, Melbourne numbers now more than 200,000 inhabitants, and claims to be the eighth city in the empire. Already in 1850 land in Elizabeth Street (in the heart of the commercial part of the town) sold for 40Z. per foot frontage ; land in the country was at the same time leased for sheep-runs at the rate of 2Z. 10s. per annum for every 1000 sheep it was assessed as capable of feeding.t Originally a portion of New South Wales, Victoria received her present name, and obtained her erection into a distinct province by an Act of the Imperial Government passed in 1850, which also conferred upon her Legislature, as upon those of some of her sister colonies, the power of self-amendment, or more correctly speaking, of self- development Of this it availed itself in 18o4, when it * ' The New Colony of Victoria, formerly Port Phillip, together with some account of the other Australian Colonies.' By John Fitzgerald Leslie Foster. London, Trelawney Saunders, 1851. f Ibid. 262 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. created a Legislative Council of thirty members, and a House of Assembly of seventy-five (now seventy-eight) re- presentatives, both elective. Members of each House receive 3UOZ. a year to meet their expenses in attending Parliament. A property qualification was at first required in the elected and the electors, but it was abolished in 1857 as regards the Lower House, and this is now returned by manhood suffrage given by ballot.* A candidate for a seat in the Council must possess real property to the amount of 2500Z., or of the annual value of 250Z. ; while a freehold of 1000Z., or of the annual value of 100Z., gives a vote for the, Upper House. There is also what may be called an education franchise of a high standard as the privilege of voting is possessed by graduates of any University in the British dominions, by barristers, solicitors, legally qualified medical practitioners, officiating ministers of religion, certificated schoolmasters, and officers of the army and navy. Some years ago women in Victoria suddenly found themselves included in the Parliamentary electoral lists, and voted accordingly. It was soon discovered that the insertion of their names was due to a mistake, and means were speedily taken to prevent them from profiting by it a second time. The question of female suffrage was, however, brought by Mr. Richardson before the Victorian Parliament in ] 873 ; but though obtaining the support of Mr. Higgin- bottom and other able speakers, it has not yet been adopted by the Legislature. Parliament was not sitting when we were in Melbourne, so that we had not the opportunity of attending its debates. Our first impression of the Victorian capital was not a favourable one. The station was almost destitute of lights, and entirely so of porters ; and we should have fared ill but for the kindness of two gentlemen among our fellow- 1 Our Colonial Policy^ WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 203 travellers, who secured a carriage for us, and conveyed our luggage to it. The popular name of the carriage they procured is a "jingle." It resembles a very broad covered cart, but is open at the back as well as the front ; and passengers enter either way to take their seats upon the two benches placed across it back to back, each being intended for three persons, one of whom is the driver. Having but two wheels, and the gutters in Melbourne being deep and broad, these cannot be crossed without so severely jogging the passengers that there is risk of those behind tumbling out, and the safeguard is provided of strong leathern straps for them to hold by. To enable them to descend by legitimate means from the back to the foot pavement, the vehicle is drawn up athwart the street, and they are ' decanted," as this process is called in Dublin. Covered waggonettes similar to those in Adelaide (where no other form of hackney carriage is used), and excellent hansom cabs stand for hire in the streets of Melbourne, which are also abundantly supplied with omni- buses. Many of the latter are, however, waggonettes and jingles, and how to discover when these were omnibuses and when they were cabs, remained a mystery to us to the end of our stay in the colony. The streets we passed through in our drive of half-a- mile to our hotel, were wide and had broad footways, and houses on both sides, lofty and contiguous. They were fairly but not brilliantly lighted. Melbourne is, we believe, unique, as a part of the British Empire, in the possession of a formally appointed female pastor to one of her congregations. The day following our arrival, October 26th, was Sunday, and we went to hear the lady-preacher, who is minister of the Unitarian Church. Our way thither lay along Collins Street. The western portion is occupied chiefly with banks and offices ; then came the most fashionable shops ; further eastward are elegant private houses and public buildings, including so many churches that we are at a loss to understand why Adelaide should, in virtue of her supposed superabundance, 264 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. be nicknamed by her neighbours the " Holy City." The Treasury Chambers, a handsome block, stands across the eastern end of the street, and an effective site not far from it is occupied by a monument to the exploring party which left Melbourne on the 20th of August, 1860, with the purpose of making its way across the continent. Its chief, Mr. Burke, and the second in command, Mr. Wills, reached the Gulf of Carpentaria, and were on their way home, when death from fatigue and starvation, to which others of the expedition had already succumbed, overtook them. King, the third in authority, fell into the friendly hands of natives, who had also shown great kindness to Burke and Wills, and to their care during several months he owed his life. He was at length discovered by a rescue party, headed by Mr. Alfred Howitt.* Among the illustrative groups sculptured on the monument the humanity of the blacks is commemorated. Near to the Treasury Chambers is a building which, seen from Collins Street, looked plain even to unsightliness at the first glance, and we assumed it must be the gaol, and marvelled it should have been allotted so commanding a position; but we soon dis- covered that we were looking at the unfinished Houses of Parliament, of which the beautiful facade was turned away from us. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, well placed on high ground, is a noble edifice. Just opposite, a notice at the entrance to a modest little church to the effect that service there was conducted by Martha Turner, assured us it was the place of worship we sought. Miss Turner's quiet and deeply reverent demeanour, her sweet voice, and excellent delivery, are favourable to the satisfactory discharge of her solemn office, while she seemed also to possess the in- tellectual and spiritual gifts still more essential to success. In the afternoon we drove through an extensive suburb resembling that of an important English town, and a * An interesting narrative of this and of other exploring expeditions will be found in Mr. Anthony Forster'a valuable work, entitled ' South Australia, its Progress and Prosperity.' London, Sampson Low and Co., 1866. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 265 striking contrast to the rural surroundings of Adelaide, to visit a friend living three or four miles out of Melbourne. The house, in style apparently on a level with many in its neighbourhood, was of two or three storeys, with gas and water laid on ; and all the appointments were those of a handsome middle-class residence at home, except that it possessed four baths instead of the one we still think a luxury in England. Our hostess spoke of it as an old house (built ten or twelve years ago !), and very inferior to those erected at the present day. Until recently, she said, every one looked forward to going " home " to end their days; but people are beginning now to settle here for life, and are in consequence building themselves fine mansions. In our drive we accompanied or met great numbers of conveyances of all kinds full of family parties, giving the impression of a continental holiday -making Sunday, rather than of the sober English one observed in South Australia. In the evening we returned to Melbourne by a local rail- way, almost encircling the city. October 27th. The ' City of Adelaide,' by which we were to proceed to Sydney (with, we trust, her boats re- paired or replaced) would not, we learnt, start till late at night, and we occupied the intervening time in seeing as much as possible of Melbourne. Her main streets are of great width, and all cross at right angles; but, carried over undulating ground, they present a series of gentle ascents and descents which vary the otherwise uniform straightness of their lines, and give them even a certain picturesqueness ; while their great length has a really grand effect at night, when from the higher parts of the city the rows of lamps are seen extending sometimes for miles into the distance. Ample space was originally left between the streets for large gardens ; but the value of land has long since caused them to be sacrificed, and the ground thus obtained is now occupied by parallel streets of lesser size. Thus each main thoroughfare has its corresponding secondary one ; as Collins Street, Little Collins Street, Bourke Street, Little Bourke Street, &c. 266 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. The peculiar features of Melbourne, however, are the broad gutters or surface-drains bordering her roadways, and the foot-bridges each a low iron arch at every crossing. These drains are abundantly flushed with water by arti- ficial means, but a violent storm of rain will in a few minutes, in the lower part of the city, convert the rivulet ordinarily flowing through them to a rapid river two or three yards wide, dangerous even to human life. We were told that a woman in process of being " decanted " from a jingle had had her baby jerked out of her lap into such a stream, and it was swept away to the Yarra and drowned before it could be rescued. Vehicles cannot of course pass rapidly through the gutters without scattering a good deal of water about ; and a police regulation forbids these being traversed at more than a foot-pace, a regulation, as might be expected, not infrequently disregarded. We were told, however, in all gravity by a citizen of Melbourae, that when the municipal treasury happens to be low, policemen are stationed at the crossings until a sufficient number of offenders have been caught, carried off to the police office, and fined to bring the funds up to the required level. We had a hasty glimpse to-day of the Public Library, Museum and Picture Gallery, all occupying one very large and very handsome building, and of the Towuhall, an im- posing edifice, the main apartment of which will seat 4300 persons, but in our opinion not equal in elegance to that at Adelaide. The organ, recently erected, is so large, and imported goods are so heavily taxed in Victoria, that the duty alone upon this instrument amounted to between QQOL and 7001 We had a rapid walk through the Fitzroy Gardens, laid out with much taste and of sufficient age for the beautiful trees and shrubs to have acquired considerable size. Among them are feru-trees eighteen or twenty feet high. Melbourne has no belt of reserved lands, but several public parks are scattered among her suburbs ; and besides the Fitzroy Gardens, in localities distant from each other, are the Horticultural aud Botanical Gardens. In the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 267 cultivation of the latter the promotion of scientific know- ledge has, until lately, been the predominant object ; but we understand that beauty is now to be combined with utility. To " do the Block " corresponds in Melbourne to driving in Hyde Park. It consists in promenading up and down a certain portion of the pavement on one side of Collins Street, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, when the display of costume is said to be marvellous. There are Melbourne ladies, we were told, who have their dresses from Paris, and do not think three hundred guineas too large a sum to pay on special occasions. No signs of such extravagance, however, met our eyes to-day. Liverpool, if one could imagine Liverpool with an atmosphere as clear as that of Paris,- is often recalled to mind by Melbourne. She has, indeed, almost a metro- politan air, but just falls short of it. The variety of nationalities represented in her population is much greater than at Adelaide. We never, indeed, met aborigines in her streets, but many other un-English physiognomies are there, including that of the Chinese. The Scottish element appeared, however, to predominate, its accent greeting the ear almost as generally as in Edinburgh herself. In the evening we drove down to Sandridge, along a broad road planted with elm-trees on either side, and embarked on the 'City of Adelaide/ having already learnt to our satisfaction that the boats Jiad been repaired. It was a lovely moonlight night, and we stayed late chatting on deck ; but had been in our berths some time before the vessel sailed, between one and two o'clock on the morning of the 28th. To-day our course led us through the whole length of Bass's Straits, traversing in our way the line of rocky islands which here stretch across the strait from the Victorian to the Tasmanian shores, believed to be a con- tinuation of the Australian Alps, which apparently termi- nate at Wilson's Promontory, the southernmost point of the continent. One of these islands, called Eodondo, 268 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. domelike in form, rises abruptly from the sea to a height of 1200 feet, reminding us somewhat, only on a much larger scale, of the Bass Rock. To the landward lay bare rocks on which herds of seals were basking in the sun. Alarmed, perhaps, by our proximity (for the captain was so good-natured as to have the vessel steered towards the shore, that we might the better see these animals) we could distinguish them through the glass slipping hastily into the sea. Hard by is an inlet called Sealer's Cove, in which vessels sometimes seek shelter during the storms prevalent on this coast. We were amused to hear that refuge had thus been recently taken in the cove, not for the sake of the ship or of its human freight, but to avoid distressing some valuable horses on their way to the races at Melbourne. October 29th. The coast-line becomes very beautiful, range behind range of mountains rising to view, not lofty, but fine in form, with here and there an eminence of con- siderable height. For many miles before reaching Cape Howe, the terminating point of Victoria, the coast is richly wooded, and the hill-sides are broken by lovely gulleys. A gap in the forest, seen distinctly from the sea, where the trees have been cut down for a great distance inland, marks the boundary between Victoria and New South Wales. On Thursday morning, October 30th, the hills and gulleys had vanished, and were replaced by reddish cliffs, having a castellated appearance, and very level at the top. It was their likeness to the coast of South Wales at home which suggested to Captain Cook the name he gave to the newly-discovered land. We passed the entrance to Botany Bay, so called by Cook when he discovered the inlet in 1770, from the beautiful flowers which Sir Joseph Banks, who accompanied him in his expedition, found on its shores. Botany Bay is, perhaps, the spot on the whole continent of Australia most widely known by name in England, and yet the occupation which made it thus notorious was of a very transitory nature. The first con- signment of convicts arrived there in 1788. Fresh water, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 269 however, could not be obtained, and, after a few months' sojourn, the place was abandoned, and a spot at the head of Port Jackson, where Sydney now stands, was chosen in its stead. Curiously enough, the city is at the present time supplied with water from that very locality where the lack of it was the means of bringing her into existence. About a mile before we readied the entrance to Sydney Harbour, we passed a slight inward curve in the rocky cliffs, the scene of a terrible shipwreck, which took place in August, 1857. The captain of the ' Dunbar,' a vessel containing amongst its passengers many leading colonists returning home from Europe, mistook in the dark this curve for the expected channel, and steered liis ship full upon the rocks. It struck violently, and at once became a total wreck. Only one man on board escaped with life. He was cast upon a ledge of rock high' above the sea, and remained there till the next day, when he was discovered and rescued from his perilous position. An opening between the precipitous cliffs, called the North and South Heads, gives access to Port Jackson, so named after one of Cook's sailors, who discovered the entrance. Cook himself is said never to have sailed into the harbour. The area of Port Jackson proper, now gene- rally called Sydney Harbour, measures nine square miles, and that of Middle Harbour, one of its arms, three square miles, while the coast-line of the whole is fifty-four miles in length.* At the time of the wreck of the 'Dunbar' there was but one lighthouse at the entrance, and that was upon the South Head. Under the supposition that the captain may have been misled by the single light, another has since been placed there, in the hope of pre- venting the repetition of so terrible a catastrophe. Ever since we landed in Australia we had heard the beauty of Sydney Harbour extolled. Thus our expecta- tions were highly raised ; and they were not disappointed. The sky was cloudless ; and notwithstanding a thin haze of smoke blown off shore, Sydney stood out clearly on the * ' Industrial Trogress of New South Wales,' p. 483. 270 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. heights, four miles distant, as soon as we had entered the Heads; while on the innumerable promontories and bays at her feet beautiful houses peeped out from among a luxuriance of trees, many of them being the stately Norfolk Island jine. As we steamed up the harbour, new beauties re- vealing themselves at every moment, various objects of inter< st were pointed out to us by our fellow-passengers. Vauclusp, the lovely grounds of the late Mr. Wentworth, and where his body lies buried; the spot on Manly Beach where Prince Alfred was shot; a low rock, with what looked like boulders scattered over it, called, not very elegantly, the Sow and Pigs ; Fort Denison, Fort Macquarie, Lady Macquarie's Chair a seat cut in the rock overlook- ing the harbour; the handsome residence on a wooded height of Mr. Fairfax, proprietor of the ' Sydney Morning Herald ; ' Government House ; and the Botanic Gar- dens, with their wide-spreading lawns which slope to the water's edge. The aspect of the whole is very English, for the shores of the bay are not more lofty than many on our coast ; the verdure is like that at home, and the houses and churches have an intensely British appear- ance. As we neared the city, some clouds appearing to the southward indicated a change of weather, and our fellow-passengers predicted a storm, called a " Southerly burster." Sydney has been likened to a hand with the fingers spread out, the intervals between representing the inlets of the harbour, which penetrate far into the town. The water is so deep close to the shore that, in former days, when the merchants' residences were built on the quays, it was said the bowsprits of their ships might come in at their drawing-room windows. The port was busy with shipping, and boats and small steamers were flitting al out in all directions. On land- ing we drove, through streets which looked so familiar, we could have believed ourselves in any seaport town at home, to Petty's Hotel. It stands upon a height. From our balcony we could look down through trees upon WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. 271 shipping and water sparkling in the sunshine, and catch glimpses of the beautiful bays round about the harbour. In the afternoon we drove out, taking a hansom, the universal cab of Sydney, but superior in comfort to its London prototype, being more roomy, and generally lined with a clean linen cover. The horses also are good, and rarely look over-worked ; but the price is somewhat higher than at home. The charge is by time the minimum being, during the day, one and sixpence for half-an-hour ; and somewhat more at night. There are also large closed carriages for hire in the streets, of which the fare is five shillings an hour : and there is besides an excellent omnibus service. After our sojourn of many months among roads at right-angles, it was delightful to drive along the more irregular and curved streets of Sydney. These, together with the home-like look of many of the houses, gave so genuine an English appearance to the city that, but fur the brilliant atmosphere, and the vegetation characteristic of a much hotter climate than ours, we could have believed ourselves back in the dear old country. The street cries the physiognomy of the population, and now and then, unhappily, a street beggar confirmed this impression, which remained unchanged during our six-weeks' visit. In the night we were awakened by a peal of thunder like a discharge of artillery. Three similar claps, with almost contemporaneous lightning, followed ; rain fell for a short time and the storm was over ! We experienced several such storms ; though sometimes the tempest would last for many hours, the rain pouring down in vast quantities. Next morning the sky was cloudy and the air close. About noon we started in one of the little steam ferry- boats, plying in all directions about the harbour, for Bal- maiii, a suburb distant two miles by water, but four or tive by land. When we embarked, the harbour was calm; five minutes later we were surrounded by large waves ; we turned a point and were in smooth water ; we turned another, the \viud seemed to blow a hurricane ; and 272 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ten minutes later, when we reached our destination, it was with some difficulty our boat was brought up to the landing-place. A little rain fell at intervals, accompanied by a few violent gusts of wind, as we crossed some open ground leading to the house whither we were bound ; but when, in less than an hour, we returned to the landing- place the wind had fallen, and the harbour was as smooth as a millpond. We had experienced the Southerly burster predicted by our fellow-passengers the clay before. The air remained close and muggy. The storm had not been sufficient to clear the atmosphere (sometimes the Southerly bursters are much more violent), but next morning clouds and moisture had vanished, and the weather was perfect. New South Wales received powers of partial self-govern- ment as far back as 1842, by virtue of an Act of the Imperial Parliament passed in that year; these were further extended by a second Act in 1850, and were completed by a third in 1855. The form of government, though bearing a general resemblance to that of other Australian colonies, yet pre- sents some essential differences. The Legislative Council is not an elective body, but consists of thirty-six life- members appointed by the Governor. The franchise for the Lower House is of two kinds property bestowing one, residence the other; but electors possessing both qualifications can only exercise a single vote in one place. WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 273 CHAPTER XV. Transportation Prison discipline Mr. Parkes Darlinghurst Gaol Industrial and Reformatory Schools The ' Vernon ' Biloela. TRANSPORTATION from the mother country to New South Wales ceased in 1840, and since the expiration of the sentences under which the last convicts caine out, she has had nominally her own criminals alone to deal with; but when it is remembered that so late as 1836, out of 100,000 inhabitants, more than half were convicts,* it will be evident that the criminal element transmitted from home must be long in passing away, and that even now a certain proportion of those under punishment for offences committed in the colony are in fact British expirees. How to deal with a criminal population so far exceeding any normal proportion has been a terrible problem for this young country, and its solution has been retarded by the legacy of mistaken views of prison discipline which obtained too frequently in the administration of our colonial convict system. The unsatisfactory state of the prisons of Sydney, Paramatta, and Penrith, at the beginning of 1861, caused the appointment by the Colonial Parliament of a Select Committee of Inquiry. Their Report, signed by the chairman, Mr. Henry Parkes, confirmed the evil repu- tation these gaols had acquired, while the state of things revealed at the chief penal establishment of the colony, on Cockatoo Island, in Sydney Harbour, was horrible in the extreme. " The principles of criminal treatment," continues the Report, "laid down by Lord Brougham, ' The New Colony of Victoria,' Ac. 274 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Mr. Recorder Hill, M. de Metz, and similar authorities, appear to be unknown to the persons in charge of the criminal population of this colony ;" and subsequently it declares " that great improvement in the whole prison system of the colony is urgently demanded, and that any step short of its complete revision would be ineffectual."* Many of the recommendations set forth in the report were acted upon, though, it would appear not very promptly. In 1867 the Governor of the colony issued regulations which, while providing for an improved and uniform, management of its gaols, embodied in the discipline to be observed some features of the system founded by Sir Walter Crofton upon the principles laid down by Captain Maconochie, thus brought into operation in the very quarter of the globe whence they had originated ! These regulations classified the prisoners according to the legal character of their offences and length of sentence, and it placed debtors and another most pitiable class of inmates supposed lunatics, detained until their lunacy can be ascertained under distinct categories. Offenders sentenced to penal servitude were to form three divisions A, B, and C. The women of all divisions were to fulfil the whole of their sentences at Darlinghurst Prison, in Sydney ; but the male divisions, A, B, and C, were to occupy respectively the gaols of Berrima, Paramatta,t and Dar- linghurst, though not to the exclusion of other classes of prisoners. In the first they were to be in separate confine- ment, in the next in association, in the third their position would be still further ameliorated. Advance from stage to stage, however, would not only be retarded by bad conduct, but this might even cause relegation to an earlier one. One of the recommendations of the Select Committee was that " an Inspector of Prisons should be appointed at a salary that would secure the services of a man of ability * ' Keport from the Select Committee on the Public Prisons in Sydney and Cumberland.' Sydney : Thomas Kichards. Government Printer, 1861. t Berrima is seventy milos, and Paramatta fourteen from the capital. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 275 and high character," and in Mr. Harold Maclean, the gentleman now filling that office, the Government seem to have obtained these essential qualifications. Since his appointment he has visited England, and has given the result of the study he then made of our penal institu- tions in a valuable report to the New South Wales Parliament, which has led to further improvements, now in course of introduction into the prison discipline of the country. There are between thirty and forty gaols in New South Wales, but more than half, called police gaols, are very small, and of the remainder, the three convict prisons were all we could hope to have time to visit. Mr. Parkes, who is now, as he has frequently been before, Prime Minister or Colonial Secretary, as this member of the Cabinet is called in New South Wales, has kindly afforded us every facility for inspecting the various institutions we desire to see. With a letter of intro- duction from him to the Governor of Darlinghurst Gaol, we presented ourselves at its gates on November 1st, in the exquisite freshness of a summer morning noted in F 's journal as " the loveliest day I ever knew." The prison stands on a high open spot in Darlinghurst, one of the fashionable quarters of the city, from which it takes its name. It has been built at various times, upon the panopticon plan, but the original design has not been completed. A very pretty chapel is now in course of erection within the walls. The cleanliness and order of the gaol are excellent. Here are confined prisoners of both sexes and of different categories, viz. : 1st, labour prisoners, those, namely, under penal servitude, corresponding to convicts with us ; 2nd, confines, who are under short sentences not involving hard labour ; and 3rd, a few boys, some of whom are very young. These are, as far as circumstances permit, separated from the adults, and are in prison simply because there is no male reformatory in New South Wales, and the industrial schools do not receive children convicted of criminal offences. We had reached the prison at so early an hour T 2 276 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. that the Governor was engaged, and Mr. Maclean, who was so good as to meet us there at Mr. Parkes' request, had not arrived ; thus the chief warden was our escort during the first part of our visit. On asking him if he had ever known a boy improved by imprisonment, he emphatically answered, "No!" He added, with great earnestness, "This is the worst city in the world for young females. I am an old soldier, and have been in the West Indies and many other places, but I never knew any so bad as this." Criminal lunatics are detained in this prison, and also in some instances, unhappily, lunatics who are not criminals. This, however, is owing partly to a defect in the law, which, it is to be hoped, will soon be amended ; and partly to the strange fact, as it was alleged, that some country magistrates are ignorant of the existence of an appointed Keceiving-house at Sydney for these unfor- tunate creatures, and still commit them to gaol for safe-keeping. The gaol contained to-day about 500 prisoners, much exceeding its number of separate cells, so that frequently three prisoners are placed in one. They sleep separately on wooden tressels spread with a mattress. Mr. Mac-lean expressed strongly his opinion of the evil of such crowding. He hopes to get the gaol sufficiently enlarged to prevent it, and also to afford separate cells by day to certain classes of prisoners. At present all (except that the sexes are, of course, divided) eat and work in association. The confines do the work of the gaol, the labour-prisoners being wholly occupied in remunerative employment. For the women this did not appear to be laborious. It consists in oakum-picking (two pounds being, we under- stood, a clay's task), and sewing, the more skilful being employed in fine work, the learners on " slops " and clothes for the inmates of Randwick, a large school for orphan and destitute children. Besides a portion who are engaged on alterations to the gaol, the male labour-prisoners work in large airy shops, at a variety of trades, the chief of which is mat-making. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 277 The teachers are paid 10s. a day, and are not prison officers. The men did not, we thought, work with hearti- ness, the " Government stroke," well known at home, being very perceptible here ; and they were brought into such close contact by their occupation, that private conver- sation must be perfectly easy. Sometimes, too, no one but themselves we believe is present. The dress resembles that usually worn by prisoners at home, and perhaps to this fact may be partly attributed these men having, to a certain extent, the aspect of our criminal class; still the manly bearing and good coun- tenances, which struck us in the South Australian gaol, were not wholly absent here. " May I grow, Sir ? " a question which much amused us when we heard of it in the Irish convict gaols, is, we conclude, also permitted and answered in the affirmative here, as the hair and moustache of the men are not cropped and shaved when the end of their sentence approaches. There are six cells for prisoners condemned to death, suggesting the awful frequency of capital punishment provided for when the gaol was built. Executions (which take place within its walls) are now much diminished in, number. Until the present system was inaugurated, in- cluding the removal to other prisons of the men under- going the first and second stages of penal servitude, insubordination prevailed to such an extent at Darling- hurst, that the Governor could not reckon on his life from day to day ; and it would have been unsafe, he told us, to bring the men out of their cells to receive schooling. School is now attended, but only by those who cannot read and write ; and of these only by the young, amount- ing to about a quarter of the whole number of prisoners. Instruction is given in the day-time, and consequently during working hours. Female prisoners are taught by the schoolmaster, a female officer being always present. There is no Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, but a few ladies visit the women, and help in finding places for them when liberated. Mr. Maclean himself performs this 278 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. part towards the men, but wishes for volunteer help.* He gives them a gratuity when he considers it deserved, and likely to be useful. There is some repugnance in New South Wales to ex-prisoners, but not enough to prevent their getting employment. A considerable proportion go to the diggings, whence they not infrequently return to gaol ; and, unhappily, another considerable proportion, on quitting prison, resume a life of crime. It is to be hoped, however, that the improvements now being introduced in their treatment while prisoners, will, before many years have passed, tell favourably on their career after liberation. Much, however, before this can be counted upon, remains to be done in improving the accommodation for the prisoners, and means for their effective supervision ; still more in the development of the Crofton system in their treatment. Though its lead- ing principles have been adopted, their application is very incomplete. Further legislation is needed, and larger grants of money will be required ; and any action here, dependent upon Parliament, is proverbially slow. A bill may be introduced into the Legislature, and may be satisfactorily accomplishing its stages, when, lo ! a " crisis " arrives. Out go the Ministry, and everything has to be begun over again. The prisoners here, as in South Australia, are locked in unlighted cells at six o'clock, to economise warder power. They are allowed books to read, but no writing materials. Food for the labour-prisoners is abundant; but con- fines have much less, and those under very short sen- tences have meat once a week only. Tobacco is given to the men, but withheld in case of bad conduct. The privilege of seeing i'riends monthly is likewise withheld for the same cause. Marks are now employed to some extent, but the system * Since our return 'to England, we have heard of the formation of a Prisoners' Aid Society. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 279 is not yet fully organised. Good conduct, which includes industry, operates to shorten imprisonment to the extent of two months in each year of the sentence ; and, on the other hand, the loss of good marks for one day negatives the remission of two days. Exclusive of the condemned cells, there are six punish- ment cells, which can, on occasion, be made perfectly dark ; this is never done in the case of women, but detention in the dark cell may be inflicted on a man for seven days in one case, at least, it has been endured for fourteen in succession, a prisoner committing a fresh offence immediately on release, for which he was straight- way incarcerated again. The occupant has the means of ringing a bell, and is visited daily by .the governor, the chaplain, and the warders. We were unable to obtain statistics showing the results of the present system of prison discipline. Mr. Maclean, who, besides performing the duties of sheriff, has nearly forty gaols to inspect, scattered over the large area of New South Wales, has not had time to prepare reports upon these institutions. It is to be hoped that he may be enabled, by fresh arrangements, to accomplish this very important duty.* Next day was Sunday, and we attended the afternoon service a full choral one in the cathedral, which Syd- ney alone, of the colonial capitals we visited, possesses ; one is almost completed at Hobart Town, and at Adelaide one is building, but Melbourne bestows this title on a parish church. Sydney Cathedral stands somewhat back from George Street, upon an open space, surrounded by well-kept turf and shrubs, and is built, in the later decorated style of Gothic architecture, of the fine hard stone brought from * Within the last few months his duties have bflen divided; Mr. Charles Cowper has been appointed sheriff, and Mr. Maclean is able now to devote his whole time to the arduous duties of the Inspector-General- ship of Prisons. 280 WHA T WE f SA W IN A USTRALIA. the neighbouring quarries of Pyrmont. Its rich creamy- brown hue adds much to the beauty of the public build- ings here, and to the goodly appearance also of many large warehouses constructed of the same material. The exterior of the cathedral is not finished, as the towers have yet to be added, but the inside appeared quite complete, and struck us as elegant in proportion and decorated in excellent taste. The painted windows, many of which are gifts, are well executed ; and the organ, presented by a number of ladies, is a fine one. Near the cathedral stands the town-hall, which, however, is not only unfinished, but its construction is at present at a standstill. The walls, apparently, are complete, and are elaborately sculptured ; but the windows are unglazed, and the roof is wanting. The building, in fact, gives one the impression of having been gutted by fire some ethereal fire unaccompanied by disfiguring smoke. A very fine post-office is in course of erection in the busiest part of Sydney, to replace one which had become too small ; and the business of the department is mean- while carried on in a temporary single-storied wooden building in Wyuyard Square, where it suggests the idea of a gigantic bush-shanty, put down in the midst of the city. On the morning of the 3rd, E , who had undertaken to post our letters for home, was amused with the scene of life and bustle the building presented, both inside and out, under stress of despatching the English mail. Several small tables placed in front, were covered with to-day's issue of the ' Sydney Morning Herald,' ready folded, put up in wrappers, and stamped ; while close by were pens and ink wherewith to address them. Doubtless the sale of copies was greatly increased by the facilities thus provided for their despatch. On the 4th November we went with Mr. Parkes and the Colonial Treasurer to different points in the harbour, where are placed the Industrial and Reformatory schools, established in 1867, under the provisions of an Act of the WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 28 1 Colonial Parliament, modelled on the one of the Imperial Legislature, with this important difference : the English Act contemplates that schools will be established by voluntary managers, while although that of New South Wales authorizes voluntary action, the Executive is ex- pected to initiate them. The result has been, that both the Industrial Schools existing in that colony, and the Reformatory for girls, have been founded by the Govern- ment, and are wholly under official management. Starting in the Government cutter from the Circular Quay, which lies, as it were, between the first and second lingers of the outstretched hand, we rowed about a mile to the ' Vernoo,' an old East Indiaman, which lies near the Botanic Gardens. The ' Vernon ' contains 100 boys, but can accommodate 260. We were agreeably impressed with the exquisite cleanliness of the ship, and the frank open counte- nances of the lads. We found them divided into parties of twenty-five, occupied in school, or in various trades required in the institution. They assist in making their own clothing, as well as boots for the girls' Industrial School, and perform all the " house-work." When the ship, which occasionally changes her position in the har- bour, lay near to some unused gardens belonging to the Government, the lads were employed to cultivate them, and produced all the vegetables required on board. The well-behaved wear good-conduct badges, and those who can be trusted are allowed to go on errands to Sydney. For their meals, they are divided into messes of twelve, presided over by a captain, one of their own body, who is responsible for the good conduct of his party, and is " broken " if they behave ill. One punishment for bad conduct was new to us in educational institutions. Cul- prits are put on the " black-list," which involves the performance of disagreeable and dirty work. On quitting the school, the greater proportion of the boys are apprenticed, on a system similar to that which prevails in South Australia, generally for three years, 282 WHA T WE SAW IN A US TRALIA. either to trades or to service. Though half are trained for sailors, very few follow that profession. In April 1873, a Royal Commission was appointed by the Governor of the colony to inquire into its public charities, those institutions, namely, which derive their funds either partially or entirely from the State. The Commissioners in their interesting and exhaustive report, take into consideration difficulties which stand in the way of the lads going to sea, and point out means by which they may be removed.* The boys include Protestants and Roman Catholics, and all, weather permitting, attend on Sundays their respective services on shore. They are also visited and instructed on board by clergy of their different denominations, who volunteer for this purpose. Between its foundation in 1867 till July 1873, the date of its last report, 300 boys have passed through the school. As no efficient supervision is exercised over them after quitting the * Vernon,' it is impossible accu- rately to estimate the results of their training. A large proportion have been altogether lost sight of; and less than a third of the whole number who have been ap- prenticed are absolutely known to be doing well ; more- over, the sentences they receive are much shorter than it is customary to pass in England, and certainly too short, it seemed to us, to allow time for good training. These circumstances help to account for the small measure of success the institution can be shown to have achieved. Quitting the 'Vernon,' we rowed two or three miles eastward to Cockatoo Island, where the Industrial School for girls is established, enjoying on our way a variety of lovely views, which deepened our impression of the ex- tent and beauty of both the city and the harbour. Every now and then we crossed the entrance to a bay or an inlet often running many miles inland, while the coast * Report of the Eoyal Commissioners, appointed in April, 1873, to inquire into the state of the Public Charities of New South Wales. WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 283 was exquisitely varied. Villas and gardens contrasted with bold rocks of rich yellow, or red, or deep grey, and these again with masses of dark foliage, where " primeval forest and snakes," said Mr. Parkes, '* had it all their own way." The sky was bright blue, and the water sparkled under the fresh breeze. The scene recalled the Cove of Cork, when, several years ago, under not unsimilar circumstances, we rowed from point to point, to visit the different convict prisons upon its shores. Cockatoo Island, nearly square in form, measuring perhaps a quarter of a mile in each direction, lies across the entrance to the gulf which receives the Paramatta River. The school was originally established in old military barracks, close to the town of Newcastle, at the mouth of the Hunter River, sixty miles north-east of Sydney. There, however, it had been a failure. The character of the building, and its position, where the inmates could be overlooked from the adjacent streets, ren- dered the maintenance of discipline impossible. Riots even occurred, and removal was considered the only remedy. Cockatoo Island was chosen as the new location ; but this site was really no better than the old one. The building allotted to the school had obtained a terrible notoriety as a convict gaol. The home influences essential to the wholesome training of girls, the very lack of which had brought them to the school, are impossible of attainment within the gloomy walls of a prison. Doubts, indeed, of the suitableness of the place were entertained at the time even of removal, but no better one was immediately available, and proximity to a town, at least, would be avoided. It was hoped, too, that by abandoning a name connected in the public mind with all that is evil in gaol- life, and resuming the aboriginal appellation of the island, Biloela prison associations would be forgotten, and the girls would escape the dreaded reproach of having " been at Cockatoo." Not only, however, did the evils already described attach to the locality, but the Government dock, bringing 284 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. necessarily large numbers of sailors to the spot, is upon this island. Three hundred men, we heard, had been there a few days before our visit. The school premises are on high ground overlooking the dock, from which they are divided by a low wall or fence, and the presence of a policeman is necessary to prevent sailors and school-girls from crossing the boundary. Landing at a minute stone pier, a steep rocky path led us to a heavy door, which was unlocked for our admission. Passing through it, we found ourselves among the old prison buildings, scattered over a wide space, but sin- gularly devoid of the neatness and order which usually somewhat relieve the gloom of a gaol. The girls, some of whom were enjoying an interval of play between school and dinner, looked healthy, and the younger ones were tolerably neat in their dress, but the expression of their countenances struck us as inferior to that of the boys we had seen on the * Vernon.' The appearance of the older girls was in all respects most discreditable to the school. The work of the institution, including the care of two or three cows, is performed by the inmates, but no washing or employment of any kind is taken in, and it was evident to us that the elder girls had not hard work enough to do. The diet is abundant excessive, indeed, to our English ideas, but we were told that a proposal to limit the food of these children to what would be considered enough for them at home, would upset a ministry in New South Wales ! The girls never attend public worship; there is no church, either Catholic or Protestant, on the island, and no measures have been taken to convey them on shore. Ministers of both denominations visit the school occa- sionally, and conduct services there for their respective flocks ; but the humanizing influence of joining a con- gregation in worship is entirely wanting. The New South Wales Act of 1867, wisely permits the retention, until the age of eighteen, of girls or boys committed to Industrial Schools. For want, however, of WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 285 the means of classifying, which three or four small institu- tions would afford, the effect of this provision is, as regards the girls, disastrous, by bringing those together who should never be intermingled. Thus we found that of the ninety- eight present to-day, some are little children whose sole qualification for admission consisted in their destitution, while others are almost young women whose loose con- duct has led to their committal. All are mixed together, without classification or efficient supervision. At half-past six in the evening the girls are locked up in the dormitories, " essentially gaol-like and cheerless. Stone floors, hewn from the solid rock all worn away by the tread of the countless criminals, who for years occupied the island grated iron doors, with massive locks and heavy bolts ; instead of windows, grated aper- tures high in the blank walls, allowing no outlook upon the scene beyond all must constantly impress upon the minds of the children the prison-like character of their life."* These gloomy chambers are at so great a distance from the houses inhabited by the sub-matrons, that they can hear nothing that goes on among the girls. None come near them ; but at nine o'clock it is the duty of the head matron to extinguish a lamp which till then burns in a small lobby forming the entrance to each pair of dormi- tories. The light penetrates but a very little way into the tlooiny interior, and these young creatures, we were told, uddle and press against the bars of which their prison doors are made, to get as near to it as they can. Thus left to themselves for hours together, with neither super- vision or occupation, good and bad intermingled, their outrageous conduct gave us no surprise. Last night ten among their number, first barricading their door, tore the straw out of their mattresses, and set it alight in the middle of the floor. Yesterday evening we were admiring from our balcony * Public Charities Commission Report. 286 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the brilliancy of the moon as it glittered upon the harbour, little imagining the wild insubordination among these miser- able girls it was revealing. The smoke, made visible by the moonlight, issuing through the shingle roof, gave notice of what was going on, and the superintendent (who, strange to say, is a man), in terror lest the building should be burnt, had to implore the girls to let him enter the dormitory to extinguish the fire. Outbreaks of a similar or worse description have not been infrequent. To-day we saw the culprits imprisoned in their dormitories, some half-dressed, others wrapped in blankets, awaiting judgment for their offence. It is the intention of the Government to thoroughly reorganise the school, removing it at the same time to a more fitting place, as soon as one can be found. We believe (April 1875), however, that as yet this intention has not been carried into effect. It will be a happy augury for the institution if, in its contemplated reorganisation, it be found possible to place it under the care of voluntary managers, subject, of course, to Government inspection. Then the school may enjoy the advantage of being directed by persons under- taking the duty from love of the work, and not merely because it falls within their official capacity. Thus also the institution would be removed from the disturbing influence of politics. Within the precincts of the prison, separated from the Industrial School, there is a Keformatory for girls. It occupies a small cottage, and to-day has but eight inmates. The windows unfortunately look on the space frequented by the pupils of the Industrial School, whose turbulence is consequently well-known to these children, and the accommodation is insufficient ; but the frank countenances and affectionate manner of the girls afforded a striking contrast to the bearing of those we had just left. The number is small enough to promote a real family feeling, and the superintendent appeared to exercise a motherly influence over her young charges. Here, as on the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 287 ' Vernon,' and in the Biloela Industrial School, the terms for which the children are sentenced are far too short, and until a change be effected in this important respect, besides the radical reform indispensable in the Industrial School, the beneficent aim of the law under which these institutions were established will not be attained. 288 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTEK XVI. Public Charities Commission Sydney University Affiliated Colleges Examinations Deaf and Dumb Asylum Benevolent Asylum St. Vincent's Hospital Botanic Gardens Annuals Sydney Free Library South Head Road North Shore Fortifications Aboriginal Works of Art Beauty of the Harbour Prince of Wales's Birthday Picnic at Balmoral. IN the afternoon the Chairman of the Public Charities Commission (Mr. Windeyer) called on us. Desirous to obtain information concerning institutions at home cor- responding to those now the subject of inquiry here, and also upon the operation of the boarding-out system both in England and in South Australia, he asked E and ourselves to give evidence before the Commission, to which we assented. Meanwhile he arranged to show us some of the lions of Sydney, and (on the 5th of November) we went with him to the University, a noble edifice in the per- pendicular style, built of the same fine stone which is used in the construction of the Cathedral, standing in its own domain of 150 acres, about two miles from the heart of the city. The close air to-day, and the heavy clouds which obscured the sun, indicated a hot wind. This produced a dust-storm, and we saw Sydney enveloped in a white mist, as we looked towards it from the high ground on which we stood. The University of Sydney, incorporated and endowed in 1851, was inaugurated in October of the next year. In constitution it resembles that of London, having the power of conferring degrees in arts, law, and medicine, without requiring residence from the students. An income of 5000Z. a-year has been guaranteed to it by the State. In 1858 a Royal Charter bestowed upon its graduates equality WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 289 in rank and titles with those of [any University in the United Kingdom. It is, however, a teaching as well as an examining body. To the zeal and learning of Dr. Woolley, who for several years held the office of Principal, much of its success in this department is ascribed ; and great was its loss in his untimely death by the sinking of the ' London ' in 1866, when, after visiting home, he was on his return to Australia. This University does not admit female students, though, as it has been constituted the official examining body for the State, women equally with men desiring to obtain appointments from Government, including teacherships in schools, are examined here. It " is liberally endowed with scholarships; and it is possible for the son of the poorest mechanic to proceed from the primary public schools to the Grammar School, and thence to the Uni- versity, free of expense, if he has talent to win the prizes which pay for his education." * The University is entirely secular, but " provision has been made for affiliated colleges of the different religious denominations, with an additional guarantee from the public funds of one-half the cost of building each college when the denomination has con- tributed the other half, and 500/. per annum towards the salary of each Principal, when duly elected." f Two Gothic buildings, standing within the domain, are colleges of this description one belonging to the Church of England, the other to the Roman Catholics ; and we understand that the Wesleyans and Presbyterians are each projecting one for the accommodation of students belonging to their own bodies. The annual University examinations for boys, corre- sponding to our middle-class examinations at home, were in progress to-day, and apparently they engrossed the whole staff of officers. The doorkeeper told us " every one was engaged, even the gardener," the latter functionary * ' Industrial Progress of New South Wales,' Sydney, 1871. t ' New South Wales, Ihe oldest and richest of the Aubtraliau Colonies.' By Charles Robinson. Sydney, 1873. U 290 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. being occupied in " keeping order." The building seemed deserted. We met no one, either in the corridors, on the wide stone staircases, in the laboratory, or in the library. The latter is a remarkably handsome apartment, and appa- rently very well supplied with books. Among its contents, we were informed, is a good collection of the Fathers. Passing through it we entered a little balcony, high up in one of the side walls of the great hall, whence we looked down on rows of candidates busily engaged in writing their examination papers, and certainly presenting no appear- ance of requiring that great efforts should be made to keep them in order. Unluckily for us, the business in progress prevented our going into the hall, and we were forced to content ourselves with the view from the balcony, which hardly enabled us to realise its fine proportions, though we could admire its size and the simplicity of its style. It is as large we were told as any college hall in Oxford or Cambridge, and the third in size among university halls in the British Empire. On the floor is a statue of Wentworth, the originator of the University. The painted windows at the ends represent founders of colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, while those along the sides contain portraits of men celebrated in science, literature, and art. In the vestibule is a fine statue of Captain Cook; and some of the ground-floor rooms contain a good though small collection of Egyptian and Roman antiquities, and some also from Greece ; the whole presented by Sir Charles Nicholson, formerly Speaker of the Sydney House of Assembly. Not far from the University is a newly-erected asylum for deaf and dumb and blind children, to which we now- directed our steps. It is chiefly supported by voluntary contributions, being only assisted to a small extent by the State. The house seems well adapted for its purpose, and the dormitories were comfortable and clean. As all the inmates excepting two or three were gone to a picnic at Paramatta, we had no means of judging of the efficiency of the teaching and general working of the institution. Many were the lamentations, in which we heartily sym- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 291 pathized, of the superintendent, who had remained at home, that one of the marked holidays of their year, long looked forward to, should be marred by the dust-storm. We drove next to a large house, which had already been pointed out to us as " an old, old building, built fifty years ago!' It dates from Governor Macquarie's time, and stands at the upper end of George Street, one of the main arteries of Sydney, which, starting from the circular quay, runs southward through the city. It is now used as a Benevolent Asylum, constituting three departments of an English workhouse, a lying-in ward, a temporary asylum for children, and an office for the distribution of out-door relief. It is managed by a committee of more than thirty gentlemen, elected by the subscribers, who, however, fur- nish only a tenth of the funds, the remainder, amounting to between four and five thousand pounds, being provided by the State. The Public Charities Commission consider this mode of government, which prevails in several of the institutions they examined, open to serious objections, one being that the State has no voice in the expenditure of the money it contributes. In the case of the Benevolent Asylum, the committee is too large for the transaction of business. The Keport, while recommending that its num- bers should be lessened, advises that it should be composed of both ladies and gentlemen, part appointed by Govern- ment and part by the subscribers ; the ladies to supervise the institution as a maternity hospital, the gentlemen to manage the out-door relief and financial affairs.* We were taken over the institution by the matron, who led us first through the women's wards, which, though lacking the cheerful appearance of recently-built apart- ments, were clean and comfortable. The ventilation, how- ever, was not sufficient ; and the women themselves, many of whom are of a very low class, were for the most part slatternly in their appearance. Idleness is not permitte'I, but the arrangements for their employment in the house- work and washing for their department are kindly and Report, Public Charities Commission. u 2 292 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. judiciously made, so that the labour may not fall too heavily upon them. The married women have a ward to themselves, but these unhappily form but a small pro- portion. Still the number of illegitimate births in the colony has decreased of late years. The asylum has been most successful as a lying-in hospital. For some years (at the time of our visit) there have been absolutely no deaths among the mothers, and very few children born there have died ; but the death- rate of foundlings brought in is not less than in other similar institutions. When the women are fit to depart employment is obtained for them, generally without difficulty, and at higher wages than the half-a-crown a week which the rules of the institution compel them to accept. An infant, instead of being au impediment to service, actually forms an inducement to employers to engage the mother, as her baby tends to keep her settled in her place no small recommendation in a country where the demand for female servants falls so far short of the supply. The institution is intended for the friendless and homeless, or for women in extreme poverty ; but the rules of admission are not well defined, and sometimes candidates obtain entrance whose cases do not come strictly within these limits. From the women's wards we went to those appro- priated to the children, where the very young ones had just been bathed (for which the accommodation is ample), and the little creatures clustered round us and the matron, of whom they seemed very fond, like so many bees, looking very droll in their flannel shirts of extremely scanty proportions. Although much cleaner than the children in some of our workhouses they differed little from them in other respects, and several were suffering from sore eyes. These are often caused by dust-storms we were told. Nominally the foundlings and children whose parents cannot maintain them remain here until they are four years old, and are then sent to the different institutions estab- lished for their reception, but in practice they not infie- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 293 quently remain beyond that age ; and as the asylum is also a depot for the reception of destitute children from all parts of the colony until they can be drafted elsewhere, there must always be some present of the school age. For these there is a school, or rather two schools one for Catholics, the other for Protestants each creed having its own schoolroom and mistress, though there are not a hundred scholars to divide between them. It is proof how little the affairs of the asylum engage public atten- tion, that the very existence of these two schools was un- known beyond its walls until the visit of the Charity Commission. They found them in an unsatisfactory state, and strongly urge their abolition, deprecating at the same time the retention of orphans in the asylum at all, and recommend that at four years of age they shall either be sent to the institutions established for their reception, or, which they still more strongly advise, be boarded- out. Out-door relief, always given in the form of food, is dispensed under the direction of the committee ; but im- position is not infrequent among candidates, apparently Irom want of efficient investigation of their circumstances. For instance, relief is frequently granted to families where the husband is in the hospital ; but as there is no com- munication between this institution and the asylum, it is not seldom continued after the man has recovered and returned to his work. Out of two hundred and sixty- nine cases inquired into, the Charity was found to have been more or less abused in one hundred and fifty-two ; while some glaring instances are quoted in the" Com- missioners' Report, in which persons obtained relief who had absolutely no claim to it. One was of a man who earned 27. a week ; another of a man employed on the wharves, while his wife kept two cows ; and a third, of a woman who had 1007. in the savings-bank. Truly there is employment for a Charity Organization Society in Sydney. The next day we spent a pleasant hour at the St. Vincent's Hospital, a new and well-arranged building in an open part of the town. It is supported entirely by volun- 294 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. tary contributions, and managed by eight Sisters of Charity ; but it is not limited to Catholics, receiving the sick of every creed or country. Forty patients were present who seemed excellently cared for. The wards are large and airy, and open on to broad verandahs a common feature in Australian hospitals in which the convalescent patients can enjoy the air, protected from the heat of the sun. Besides the wards for gratuitous patients, there are also private rooms for those who are able to pay a provision most useful in a colony where there are many persons possessing neither home or friends, and who are yet far above the necessity of accepting charity. The nursing is performed by the Sisters, whose benevolent countenances and genial manner must render them extremely pleasant attendants. A cook and a laundress, a wardsman and wardswoman, and two young girls to wait on the private patients, form the staff of paid assistants, the dispensing even being done by a member of the sisterhood. In the afternoon we made acquaintance with the far- famed Botanic Gardens. These we entered from the " uter Domain," or principal park of Sydney, which, covering 138 acres, and surrounding the inlet of the harbour called " Farm Cove," is beautifully planted with trees, in groups or avenues. For a long distance we walked through one of the latter consisting of the Moreton Bay fig, a favourite tree in Sydney. A variety of the banyan, it sends out bunches of roots from the branches, sometimes sufficiently low down to strike into the ground. The shrub we often see adorning English drawing-rooms the India-rubber tree (Ficus elastica) belongs to the same family, and if we imagine that grown to the size of a forestrtree, we shall obtain a correct idea of the More- ton Bay fig. In the Botanic Gardens there is a real banyan, small as yet, but sufficiently grown for one of its branches to have turned down and struck into the ground. The Ficus macrophylla, or Port Jackson fig, is, as its latter name imports, a native of Sydney Harbour. Its leaf is smaller than that of the Moretou Bay variety. We took WHAT WE SAW JN AUSTRALIA. 295 shelter from rain under one in shape like an oak, and the size of a forest-tree. At the entrance to the Gardens we fortunately met Mr. Moore, the curator, and a gentleman of our party being known to him, he was so good as to join us, and point out all that was interesting in this beautiful place. The older part, planted fifty years ago by Governor Macquarie, is laid out in straight walks, enclosing square blocks of thick shrubbery. In an open space in the centre stands a magnificent Norfolk Island pine, the glory of the Gardens, rearing its stately head more than 100 feet high, straight as the mainmast of a man-of-war. So far have its branches extended, that it has been found necessary even to " cut back " the tree to prevent it from spreading beyond the space allotted to it ; and this continued cut- ting has rendered it the thickest and most luxuriant, though it is not the tallest, of all the pines in the Garden. From this noble tree Mr. Moore led us through the walks, every moment calling our attention to some tree or plant new to us. Here were tea and coffee-trees growing in the open air, and palms of various kinds some in- digenous, others exotic : the cocoa, with its crown of feathery foliage, from the centre of which hangs its bunch of fruit ; the cabbage-tree, tall and straight in trunk, with its cluster of leaves at top; and the lawyer palm, sp called because its long waving shoots entangle the unlucky traveller if he endeavours to penetrate their meshes. The traveller's-tree we also saw, deriving its name from the property it possesses of holding water, when not a drop can be obtained from the parched soil in which it grows. It is flat and fan-shaped, with long leaves growing closely one above the other up the stem. Here, too, is the bottle tree, deriving its name from the smooth trunk, in form something like an ill-shaped bottle, with slender branches shooting from the top ; the mango, resembling the peach, but with a larger leaf; the gigantic Ethiopian banana, valueless for fruit, but with a stem sometimes growing to the thickness of four feet ; and loveliest of all when in flower, the Jacaranda, or Brazilian rosewood, a tall tree, 296 WHAT WE SAW JN AUSTRALIA. covered with large spikes of lilac blossom. These, coming out before the leaves, produce a mass of soft rich colour, which we saw to great advantage against the dark -green background of a Norfolk Island pine. The newer division of the Gardens, in part reclaimed from the harbour, is still in course of planting, under the direction of Mr. Moore, where paths wind among lawns of dark-green buffalo grass sloping to the water's edge. Here stands a group of the graceful bamboo, the tall and slender stems making a peculiar, but not tinpleasant, sound as they touched each other, waving to and fro in the wind. Plants for the study of botany are grown in the new division, and near them has been erected a large arbour for the accommodation of the students, but more used, said Mr. Moore, as a place for eating than for learning, being a favourite haunt of picnickers. There are one or two hothouses, but the flowers, both in variety and beauty, are inferior to those at Adelaide. The special charm of these Gardens lies in the loveliness of their position, turned admirably to account in laying them out, and in their wealth of rare and beautiful trees. They also contain a small collection of beasts and birds. Among them are several monkeys, who sleep in kennels, and are chained, poor unhappy creatures, round their middles to posts three or four feet high a melan- choly fate it seemed to us for animals who, in their natural state, delight in climbing and swinging from bough to bough among the topmost branches of tall forest-trees. One of these is fond of amusing itself by throwing stones at visitors, and has attained to considerable success in " hitting his man." Mr. Moore, as we stopped to look at them, was in the act of explaining this propensity, when a stone discharged by the monkey fell in the midst of our party. Fortunately for us this time the animal so far missed his aim, that no one of us was struck, but we had a very narrow escape. Some animals which we did not find in the Gardens, we saw when visiting Mr. Parkes, who possesses several that were new to us. Among them is a little marsupial of the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 297 opossum kind, as small as a dormouse, and so tame as to be carried in the hand ; and a wombat, standing, perhaps, two feet from the ground, with a head like that of a young calf, and beautifully bright eyes. It possesses an exqui- sitely soft coat, as soft as the fur of the seal, but much longer. There is, too, a mongoose. This creature will kill any snake, however deadly, being a match for even the cobra, and is kept in India for that purpose, as we keep cats to kill mice. The mongoose has a brown coat, slightly streaked with grey, and the hair is so long and stiff as somewhat to resemble a porcupine's quills. It is apparently of the ferret tribe, very snake-like in its motions, and with an expression in its red-brown eyes and sharp little face which made us feel more at ease when it had been restored to its cage, though we believe there was no real cause for alarm. Mr. Parkes had brought it into his library in his arms, and there set it to run on the floor. It seemed afraid of the company, and scampered round and round the room, apparently seeking a refuge under tables, chairs, the sofa, or our skirts ! The private grounds of Government House are con- tiguous to the Botanic Gardens. The house itself is beautifully situated on the south side of the harbour, com- manding lovely views. That from Lady Robinson's boudoir, which, being on the first floor, looks over the garden brilliant with flowers to the islands and bays and promontories beyond, is worth a journey to behold. A ^serious drawback to this otherwise delightful resi- dence is the neighbourhood of a large sewer which, by some extraordinary arrangement, empties itself into the harbour just below Government House. The drainage of Sydney is sadly defective; but we are not aware that there are any towns in Australia in which this is not the case. No steps have as yet been taken by the Government of New South Wales for the promotion of art, but a little society calling itself the School of Art has been established with this object in Sydney, by private individuals. This 298 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. evening we attended one of its soirees. A pretty collec- tion of water-colours, landscapes, and photographs, chiefly of English scenery, had been lent for the occasion. The society, which aims at rousing public interest in the cul- tivation of art, and hopes to obtain for it Government aid, deserves success ; and if fine scenery has any influence in producing artists, there should be no lack of landscape- painters at least among the inhabitants of Sydney. The Sydney Free Library cannot yet boast a habi- tation equal to that at Melbourne, but a new building is in course of erection near Hyde Park a large open space forty acres in extent, planted with trees, on one of the heights of the city. This building is eventually to con- tain the museum and library ; though, as funds are granted but slowly, only a small portion is yet finished. In 1862 a grant of 25,000/. was voted by Parliament to found a free library, and a site for it was purchased ; but being found ill adapted to its purpose it was sold, and nothing further was done. In that year the " Australian Library and Literary Institution " offered its collection of books to the Government. This was a private society, of the nature of a club, founded many years before, when the population was divided almost distinctly into the govern- ing class and convicts, and admission to the club had been a coveted privilege difficult of attainment. But in course of years, as the distinction became less and less clearly defined, the society languished ; and though efforts were made to increase the number of members but few new ones joined it. Debts accumulated, and in 1869 it was glad to sell its collection, numbering 16,000 volumes, to the State. The Government also rented, and subse- quently purchased, the society's house, in which the library is still located. Ten trustees conduct its affairs, and under their direction considerable additions are con- stantly being made to the number of books, which had reached at the end of 1871 more than 20,000. Some dupli- cates have been sent to the Melbourne Free Library, in exchange for photographs of considerable value taken from the pictures in the Museum of Art in that city ; but WHAT WE SAW IN A VSTRALIA. 29< S) CESS and a steady average has been maintained. , November), when pg one or mo contoguous s s o^ lillmg a recess and ^rmmg ^ in each> A catalogue of the W B i. be clearly drawn ^f re S 8 Ce *e mitted to take books found at once, ^"^-.fiit them back again. This trstees on the edn-tjon. use^ g ^ assistants count the numBe uu . t into and if any be found m '^f i^^the shelf stating the vacant space, and a notice i TO that such a book was s S ed on <* a day. not ^^'^Thebur' Kilter, however", *e actual loss not . Report of the gjdwy Free Public Library, 1870-71. 300 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ously observed) all persons who are so far cleanly dressed and well-behaved as not to annoy their neighbours, are admitted. Ex-prisoners from the gaol have been seen among the readers. An almost separate and very convenient room is re- served for women, though it is optional to them to sit there. None were present to-day. The library, we learnt, is much frequented on Saturdays by teachers, who come to prepare the lessons they will give in the ensuing week, availing themselves of the books of refer- ence, which are numerous. Of others who avail themselves of the library, a con- siderable number are men out of work. The room will accommodate sixty comfortably, but as many as a hun- dred have been present at the same time. It is open from 9 A.M. to 10 P.M., except on public holidays. Even on these occasions it was formerly kept open, but very few readers attended, and for so small a number it was not considered worth while to deprive the librarian and the assistants of their holiday. Excellent so far as it goes, the library is still inadequate to the requirements of a city like Sydney, and we shall be glad to hear of its trans- ference to the building now in course of erection. There are two drives which it is de rigueur that all visitors to Sydney should take ; one by the South Head B-oad to the Lighthouse, the other along the North Shore to Middle Head the eastern point of the inner shore of the harbour, and exactly opposite its entrance. We went first towards the South Head, along a well- made road M-hich, after traversing a beautiful suburb of Sydney, leads sometimes through woods, at others across the scrub. Pretty villas, with lodges and carriage-drives, are frequent along the road. Every now and then we had lovely peeps of the bays which indent the southern shore of the harbour, and which are wide and circular in shape ; while those on the western and northern side are pointed and narrow rather inlets than bays. The weather was cloudy, and mist often obscured or partially concealed the distant views ; we missed the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 301 usual brilliancy of the atmosphere, but the passing showers lent a beauty of their own. We were not able to extend our drive already, how- ever, including the chief beauties of the excursion farther than the Macquarie Lighthouse, between four and five miles from Sydney, though the road is carried on some distance beyond to Watson's Bay, the last inlet before reaching the South Head. The next day was lovely, balmy, without being hot, and we had a delightful expedition to Middle Head. Crossing the harbour to St. Leonards, we drove thence along the high groimd overlooking its northern shores. In our friend Mr. Windeyer we had the cicerone who conducted Mr. Trollope to the fortifications over which he makes merry, although he admits he could almost wish to be a gunner, so lovely is the site of the batteries an opinion in which we he'artily sympathize. On the rocks on which the highest fort is constructed are some sketches on stone by the aborigines ; their date is un- known. The number has been larger, but some fell a sacrifice in making the fortifications ; care, however, has been taken to preserve the rest. They consist of outlines, cut on the horizontal rock, of fishes and kangaroos, the latter being very fragmentary. One fish is, perhaps, twelve feet long; but those most correctly drawn do not exceed a foot or eighteen inches in length. The draw- ings sometimes overlap each other, like the designs in the pattern-sheet of a fashion-book. Mr. Windeyer told us that in caves in different parts of the colony representations of a large red hand have been found, attributed to the natives, and supposed to indicate possession of the place by a chief. Until recently, one existed in a cave in the harbour ; but it has been allowed, through want of care, to be broken away. But few aborigines are met with in Sydney or its neighbourhood. During our whole stay we saw only two in the city ; one a drunken woman in the street, the other a poor imbecile in the Keceiving-house for lunatics. The number throughout the colony who could be counted in 302 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the census of 1871 fell short of a thousand. With regard to the numbers remaining in districts not yet settled, some persons told us there were very few, while others spoke of "thousands" dwelling in the distant bush. There are missions in New South Wales for civilising the aborigines, and there is an officer entitled " Surgeon to the Aborigines ; " but in what his functions consist we are ignorant. We must have seen the harbour at its best to-day ; it reminded us of all the lovely lake or coast views (except those distinctly mountainous) we had ever beheld. The Cornice Road ; Killarney ; the Cove of Cork ; the east coast of Ireland ; that of North Devon ; Queensferry, near Edinburgh ; Loch Long, were each in turn called to our memory at different points of our drive. Beautiful wild flowers in great variety abound in spring. Now their season is nearly passed ; but still we found the lovely marguerite, a velvety white flower, with gray silky leaves and long slender stalk, not unlike the moon daisy. The friends whom we accompanied to-day constantly apologised for their demands on our powers of admiration, excusing themselves, when pointing out one view after another, by remarking that Sydney had nothing but her harbour worthy of notice (to which we certainly could not agree), and turning the laugh against themselves by relating a story current at the time, which, if not true, is at least "ben trovato. Sydney people are supposed, they told us, never to cease lauding their harbour, and de- manding praise of it from every foreigner in season and out of season. A party of naval offieers so the story runs being at Sydney, made an excursion along the shore, taking a tent with them, retiring beneath its shelter. Overcome with fatigue, for a siesta, they placed upon it, outside, this notice : " Yes, we like your harbour very much, but we are asleep ; do not disturb us." Monday, 10th November. Yesterday, the 9th, being Sunday, the Prince of Wales's birthday is kept to-day. Shops, counting-houses, banks, are all closed, and every- one gives him and herself up to enjoyment. We, though WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 303 strangers, were not forgotten in the universal festivities. Some very kind friends resident in Sydney, whose acquaint- ance we had made on our voyage from England, invited us to join a party of guests they were taking to a picnic in one of the many lovely nooks of the harbour. The weather was perfect, bright, and genial, but without ex- cessive heat. As we made our way to the quay, the streets were alive with people of every rank, and all well dressed. The ships and houses near the water were gay with bunting, and the harbour was crowded with steamers and little boats. A comfortable steam-launch conveyed us towards the Heads. Holiday-makers were so numerous, even at this distance of several miles from Sydney, that we coasted about for a time before an unoccupied spot could be found. At length we landed at Balmoral, a lovely combination of sward and bush, with a tiny beach of white sand, in a little cove in Middle -Harbour. The water was green, or blue, or purple, according to the lights and distance ; and all was bathed in an atmosphere bright and pure, yet not dazzling. Among our party were some French naval officers, whose ship, as we passed her, courteously dipped her colours. They spoke of the lie de Campbell, four or five hundred miles south of New Zealand, whither they were bound, to prepare for the arrival of the savants whom the French Government had arranged should there ob- serve the transit of Venus. K , uncertain whether it belonged to France or England, asked the French consul, who was among the guests. "All is yours, Madame," was his response. While our hostess was intent in superintending pre- parations for our comfort, we strolled into the woods. One of the French guests, with characteristic gallantry, proposed that we should gather a bouquet for her ; and though the season for wild flowers was almost past, we succeeded in collecting one. In our search for the flowers, we strayed far out of sight; and when luncheon was ready, were summoned to return, Australian-fashion, by a 304 WHAT WE SAW IN A US THALIA. " coo-ee" a harmonious call, when, as in this instance, it was given by the musical voice of a young lady. Before re-embarking there was time for a walk along the smooth white beach, where, in a few minutes, our companions helping, we gathered a large variety of lovely shells. We reached Sydney between five and six in the evening, when crowds of the holiday-makers were already returning from their trips about the harbour ; but no ill-behaviour, or even roughness, was to be seen. Next morning there were but eight cases of drunkenness before the Police Court. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 305 CHAPTER XVII. Sydney "City Arabs" Society for the Relief of Neglected and Desti- tute Children Asylum Eandwick Visit to Paramatta Gaol Catholic Orphanage Lunatic Asylum Tile manufactory Orangeries. SEVERAL years ago, the class who correspond with our street Arabs had become so numerous in Sydney that some of her citizens, desirous of rescuing these poor creatures from their wretched condition, founded, in 1852, the " Society for the Eelief of Neglected and Destitute Chil- dren," and in the same year opened an asylum in the South Head Eoad for their reception. In 1857 the Society was incorporated by an Act of the Colonial Parliament, and thereby endowed with the legal guardianship of the children ; the powers thus created being very similar to those possessed by the managers of Certified Industrial Schools at home. Soon after its foundation the Society received the mu- nificent legacy of 11,500?. from its first medical officer, Dr. Cuthill. The Government, too, has contributed libe- rally to its funds ; for, besides bestowing grants both of land and money, it has so largely subsidized the asylum that the average amount received from the State for the last six years has annually exceeded SOOOZ. A portion, though but a small one, of the income of the institution is derived from the contributions of some of the parents of the children it receives. A few years after the asylum was opened the Society erected a large and handsome building capable of receiving a thousand children, at Rand wick, a few miles out of Sydney, on high ground between the southern side of the harbour and the open sea, and thither the institution has x 308 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. been removed. It is governed by a board of directors, some elected by the subscribers, others sitting in virtue of a donation of 100Z. Though Government contributes the chief portion of the funds it is not represented on the board ; nor does it even inspect the asylum, though it sends to it a large number of its inmates. Originally formed for the rescue of the neglected and destitute, the Society has in the course of years departed from the intentions of its founders, by sometimes admitting to Eandwick children whose parents are able and fit to bring up their offspring. The members of the Koyal Commission state in their report that, in consequence of this departure they " are not surprised to find that the charity of the public has been from time to time grossly abused," and we find one of the original members of the Society stating "that his reason for withdrawing from it was that the original objects of the institution were not carried out, and that he found himself powerless to prevent the reception of children who ought not to be there." * The directors have lately inquired more carefully into the circumstances of candidates for admission, which may partly account for the present reduction in the number of children. Only the healthy are admitted from any source ; thus the sickly ones in the Benevolent Asylum are left in the city, where, as compared with Eandwick, they have but little chance of improving in health ; and this notwith- standing that the directors have built a hospital in their own grounds, at a cost of 3000?. It is called the Catherine Hayes Hospital, in gratitude to this lady, who contributed a large sum towards its erection. On November llth we visited the institution. The children, of whom there are between seven and eight hundred, are employed, much as those in our large pauper schools at home would be. They did not impress us favourably, either with regard to neatness of appear- ance or intelligence of countenance ; but perhaps this may be owing to their cropped hair and unbecoming dress. Public Charities Commission Report, p. 117. WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 307 Dullness of expression, however, is not uncommon among- children massed together as they are at Band wick, where the number is so large that, as we learn from the Com- missioners Keport, neither superintendent or matron know even the names of many of their youthful charges ! ihe staff of teachers is small in comparison with the pupils Two hundred and thirty-nine girls are entirely instructed by three mistresses, exclusive of some assistance m teaching needlework. The children are taught in very large classes. We saw one, of little boys, nearly a hundred in number, receiving a lesson m arithmetic, and as we watched them we doubted f the extremely difficult task were achieved of keeping up the interest of all. To us it seemed that the quicke? witted ones might answer the questions before those of slower comprehension had understood their import A class ot elder boys, whom the teacher examined, answered pretty readily some questions on the geography of New bouth Wales, which, it is fair to add, we could not ourselves have solved. A large dining-hall in which all the meals are taken is furnished with a carving table heated by steam This the managers say has proved a great boon to the children in providing them with a hot instead of a cold repast "* The dormitories, though very large, were still crowded with the beds placed not only in rows round their walls but also down the middle of the rooms. The kitchen is totted up with a steam cooking-apparatus. What was our astonishment on entering to behold there two male officers one of them being the cook ! No girls, it was explained,' can be employed m this department, because it is improper tor them to be under the tuition of a man. But we doubt it they would acquire much useful knowledge were thev employed in the kitchen, the steam apparatus being totally unlike the accommodation for cooking they will be likely to meet with beyond the walls of the asylum. It ReliefoTtg^ * the 308 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. has been introduced with a view to economise labour, but it is worse than valueless as regards the object of the charity, which is to fit the children for their after-career in life. We learn from the report of the Society that, up to the end of 1872, of two thousand four hundred and sixty-six children received at R/andwick, one hundred and sixty have died there. More than half who have passed through the asylum have been restored to their parents; the remainder have been apprenticed for terms of six years. Their employers undertake to lodge, feed, and clothe them, and to provide medical attendance. They also pay wages, beginning at sixpence per week in the first year of their apprenticeship, and increasing to four and sixpence in the last. Two-thirds of the money is paid into the savings' bank belonging to the institution, and given to the young people at the termination of their apprenticeship; the remainder they receive meanwhile for pocket-money. How rejoiced would Managers in England be, could they impose terms so favourable in behalf of young people brought up in our pauper or industrial schools ! The superintendent showed us several letters from former pupils, speaking in affectionate terms of the insti- tution. Efforts are made to keep up a correspondence with the girls when apprenticed but no efficient super- vision is exercised over either girls or boys after they have quitted Kandwick, an omission fatal as regards testing with any approach to success the results of the training. From our own observation we are inclined to believe the children are as well brought up as is practicable with such large numbers where no attempt is made to break them into groups. But no system can counteract the evils inseparable from an institution where, as at Rand wick, several hundreds are massed together. November 12th. We went by railway to Paramatta, fourteen miles from Sydney. The journey thither by steamer up the lovely Paramatta river is a favourite excursion, and we should have been glad to combine it with our present object, which was to visit various institu- WHA T WE SAW IN A USTEAL1A. 309 tions ; but the starting-hour of the steamer and the greater time occupied in the voyage were not compatible with our plan for the day. The Master in Equity, Mr. Holroyd, was our kind escort in this expedition. With him we first repaired to the prison, and were, we were told, the first ladies ever admitted within its walls. This ^ gaol receives male prisoners only " labour-pri- soners " undergoing the second stage of penal servitude, and a few local "confines." The number present to- day was 169, of whom the following tables were given to us : H.M. GAOL PARAMATTA. Convictions. First Conviction , t 37 Second ' " 34 Third .. .. 18 Fourth (and upwards) 30 Total .. ..169 Sentences of Prisoners confined in above Gaol on this date. Not exceeding 12 months 8 Exceeding 12 months and not exceeding 5 years '.. 17 5 years 7 .. 62 ~ , 10 .. 26 10 15 .. 23 T ., 15 17 Life 16 Total .. ..169 The men had a very unpleasant aspect, no doubt partly attributable to the ugly prison-dress. Exquisite cleanliness prevails throughout the building, and its arrangements include excellent baths, though the water supply is bad. The baths are used once a week, though this is, we believe, optional. Typhoid fever has been severe in the gaol, but now the health is generally good. We saw only one prisoner in bed, an old man of eighty-three. The bearing of the officers towards the 310 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. prisoners reminded us unpleasantly here, as it had done to some extent at Darlinghurst, of their manner in some gaols at home, suggesting painful comparison with what we had observed in South Australia. The prisoners sleep in cells, sometimes alone, sometimes three in a cell, and are locked up soon after 5 P.M., the windows being set so high in the walls that daylight must disappear much earlier than in an ordinary room. The men are liberally fed, and a curious relic of the old regime remains in the periodical nomination of a prisoner by his fellows as their " delegate " to examine the portions of food supplied, and ascertain -that they are correct both in quantity and quality ; but the Governor told us that the office is now practically a sinecure, the officers of the prison being responsible that the food is such as the prison rules direct. A tall, broad-shouldered man was pointed out to us as the present delegate ; and asking if we might ques- tion him about the duties of his office, he was called forward. On this nearer view, his countenance struck us as one of the hardest and most unsympathetic we had ever seen. Observing that he wore leg-irons (indicating that he was under sentence for life), we asked, when we had moved away, what his offence had been. After a few moments' pause to identify the number by which he was habitually known with his name, we were told that he was Armstrong, the captain of the 'Karl'! Had we been aware in time we certainly should not have spoken with him. A. variety of employments are carried on in the gaol, stone-cutting, blacksmith's work, tailoring, shoemaking, and bookbinding, all done by time, not by the piece. The prisoners did not give us the impression of working hard, but we saw them to some disadvantage in this respect, as before we entered a shop an officer preceded us and stopped the work, probably that the prisoners might rise on our entrance. After a short interval they were allowed to resume their occupations. The school-room, which is also used for Protestant and WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRAL1A. 311 Roman Catholic worship, is a large and pleasant apartment. Instruction is afforded only to the ignorant, and with these it is optional to receive it, so that but a small proportion of the prisoners attend. Among the pupils were some young men of superior appearance under punishment for cattle-stealing a common offence. It is sometimes difficult on the runs to identify the animals, and perhaps intentional carelessness may also lead to their being appropriated by the wrong owner. Then reprisals are made ; and when the property lost is valuable, or per- sonal feeling aggravates the injury, a formal charge of cattle-stealing is the result. From the gaol we drove to the Catholic Orphanage, an institution founded in 1836. It is supported entirely by the State, and is under the control of the Government, who have entrusted it to the management of Sisters of the Order of the Good Shepherd. We arrived just as the girls were coming out from morning school, and the boys who went through their evolutions very well we thought were being drilled in the playground. The school has its drum and fife band, which performed some spirited airs for our entertainment. Sister Mary Gertrude, a lively Irish lady, the super- intendent of the girls' school, evidently fulfils her duties con amore. As she led us through the house she paused in her school-room to show us the copy-books, which proved her pupils had made good progress in the art of writing, and we heartily regretted that we could not stay until the various classes had reassembled for her instruc- tion. The building is ill-adapted to its purpose, but yet appeared cheerful, and was exquisitely clean. In passing through the dormitories we found that some of the windows looted into the grounds of the adjacent lunatic asylum. These are divided for the recreation of the two sexes, not however into two gardens, but into one beautiful garden, and one ugly yard devoid of trees and even of seats. The male patients we beheld enjoying the garden, the yard being appropriated to the women ! 312 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. The inmates of the orphanage, numbering nearly three hundred boys and girls varying from two to twelve years of age, looked bright, cheerful, and free from restraint. They are apprenticed in the same manner as at the other institutions we have visited, and are reported to turn out well. There are no special arrangements for their super- vision, but the organisation of the Koman Catholic Church in some measure supplies this deficiency. A committee of gentlemen manages the apprenticing, and gives notice to the priest of the district to which any children are sent. It then becomes his business to visit the young appren- tices, and exercise over them a friendly supervision. The Mother Superior, who appeared to us to have the well-being of the children at heart, recognises an indi- vidual knowledge of them as essential to success in their training, and believes that in a school limited to 300 such knowledge may be attained. But though we cannot agree in her opinion as regards such institutions generally, we incline to think it correct in respect to her own, so favourably did the orphanage impress us. On quitting the school we accompanied Mr. Holroyd to his house. Our way lay through Paramatta, a home-like looking place, possessing an old-fashioned red brick inn, the ' Woolpack,' just such as may be seen in quiet country towns in England. Formerly it boasted a residence for the Governor, and traces remain of its past importance. After dinner we walked through our host's beautiful gardens. Flower-beds containing a wonderful variety of plants from every part of the world (except those in the extremes of cold and heat) border a lawn so extensive as to include two bowling-greens. Shrubs and trees in- digenous to the mountainous districts of India, and many from the Cape of Good Hope and South America, grow here in much luxuriance ;, while the range of fruit and vegetables in the kitchen -garden equals that of the ornamental plants. Beyond the gardens are meadows ; and on rising ground beyond the meadows, some half-mile distant, is an orangery ; WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 313 and all around, contrasting forcibly with this high culti- vation, is the bush, which here means a close growth of slender gum-trees much resembling Scotch firs in aspect, and with little underwood. On our way to the station Mr. Holroyd showed us the works he has established on his estate for the manufacture of tiles and drain-pipes, the buildings standing in the midst of the primeval forest. Discovering on his property a vast supply of suitable clay, he had been induced, he told us, to undertake this industry by the exorbitant price de- manded for drain-pipes. He finds he can make them himself for a much smaller sum than he used to pay for them, and now he also sells large quantities. Besides tiles and drain-pipes, he hopes to be able to manufacture telegraph insulators, which at present are imported from Germany at a cost of eighteenpence a-piece. The traveller who visits Paramatta without entering an orangery must reckon on being considered to fail in the ' object of his journey ; we therefore must confess to having failed, for time did not permit us to go into any of them. But though we did not see the orangeries, we often ate their fruit, and can testify to its excellence. It possesses also the great merit of being almost perennial. " The orange- trees in New South Wales commence bearing ripe fruit about the month of June ; they are at that time of an acid flavour, but are sweeter in July, and from September to January they are in perfection. The season seldom ter- minates until February, and even as late as the 13th of March oranges are occasionally exposed for sale. We find in New South Wales that if the fruit is allowed to remain upon the trees, and only plucked as required, they last all the year round, or, at all events, until the next crop begins to ripen. The late blossoms form a second crop, which, ripening later in the season, keep up a supply for the table ; but oranges left too long upon the tree in any quantity are liable to injure the fruit of the next season. Oranges of the second crop are small, with the pulp peculiarly crisp and sweet, containing (if any) very 314 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. small, abortive seeds ; sometimes the rind remains green, or of a pale greenish-yellow colour. Although it has been considered that these and other fruit-trees have no season of rest in Australia, yet, when there have been two productive seasons, the third (which I regard as the season of rest) will generally be a failure." * : The Industrial Progress of New South Wales,' pp. 683-4. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 315 CHAPTEE XVIII. Camden Park Destruction caused by Floods Blue Mountains Mount Victoria The Warratah Govat's Leap. WE were engaged to go on the 13th of November to Camden Park, one of the oldest country seats in New South Wales, the property of the descendants of Mr. John Mac- arthur, who, by the introduction of Merino sheep into the colony, conferred, in this source of great wealth, a most important boon upon his adopted country. We quitted Sydney in the afternoon by the same route we had traversed the day before, as far as Paramatta ; then turning to the south-west we reached Menangle, forty miles from town. Our road lay through an early- settled district, reminding us of parts of Berkshire where the land is gently undulating and hedges are rare. Evening was already closing in when the train stopped at Menaugle, whence Camden Park is five miles distant; and it was too dark when we reached our destination to distinguish more than that the carriage-drive to the house led between lawns and flower-beds. The view we beheld next morning of soft velvety turf, a luxuriance of flowers and thick shrubberies in the foreground, and beyond, the undulating wooded landscape with the spire of a village church seen through the foliage made it almost impossible to believe that we were out of England, except that we saw many trees and plants which will not grow in the open air with us. The beautiful jasmenoides, purple and white, climbed the pillars of the verandah. On the lawn grew the silver oa,k(GreviUia robusta), a tree with feathery light-green foliage silver on the under side, and bearing a thick spike of orange-coloured blossom. There were 316 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. also many kinds of pines, including that from Norfolk Island, and from Moreton Bay with foliage very similar, though less stiff, and the beautiful buriya-bunya (Arau- caria Bidwittii], its shining leaves of dark green growing thickly up the branches. This tree is native to a dis- trict of New South Wales, but it grows well in the other colonies. There is a fine specimen at Hazelwood, but nowhere had we seen one to compare with that on the lawn at Cam den Park. The fruit of the bunya bunya is a cone containing small kernels, ot which the aborigines are extremely fond. The tribe or tribes who dwell in the district where the tree is indigenous permit the members of others, less fortunate, to come when the fruit is ripe and gather it for them- selves, on condition that they will eat nothing else and refrain from hunting any animals during their sojourn a condition enjoined, probably, lest these should be so much reduced as to cause a famine. We heard that the strange tribes admitted to the privilege of eating the kernels of the bunya bunya, and having no other food, will nearly starve before they can tear themselves away from their beloved fruit. Among the foreign trees is the funereal cypress, of the kind the Chinese are accustomed to plant on their graves, and a rude representation of which may be seen on a willow- pattern plate. The long, pointed, needle-like leaves are almost black in hue, and grow in tufts from the slender and somewhat straggling branches. In the centre ot one of the gardens stands a beautiful magnolia growing to a great height: near it are four magnificent mulberry-trees. Not far off, among- a planta- tion of camellias, we saw vigorous specimens of the veritable tea-tree ; both shrubs being members of the same family. The climate is so well adapted to the tea- tree, that it might be grown for commerce, but that it requires so much trouble in its cultivation that, at the high price of labour in New South Wales, it could not be rendered profitable. Fine European trees grow in the paddocks oaks, stone- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 317 pines, and a vigorous young plane-tree raised from seed which, after many disappointments, Sir William Macarthur obtained from Europe. This is almost the only specimen of the plane we have met with in Australia, which is sur- prising, as one would suppose the tree must be well suited to the climate, and its thick foliage would certainly afford grateful shade. We accompanied our hostess in a visit to the pretty school-house, built for the children of the workpeople oil the estate. They are obliged to attend school, though it is optional with their parents to send them to this or to any of the three or four others available in the neighbourhood. On tlie loth a brilliant morning our friends took us to the top of a conical hill, called " Camden Sugar-loaf," a corresponding elevation on the opposite side of a broad valley bearing the name of " Campbell Town Sugar-loaf." In our way we went into a recently-planted orangery, where strawberries were growing under the orange-trees, the fruit of both being ripe. Camden Sugar-loaf is the highest spot in the neighbour- hood, and gave us a completely panoramic and most lovely view. Immediately around us, on very undulating ground, lay wood and pasture. The orangery sloped downwards rapidly on one side ; on another were the Camden Park gardens, the house just discernible among the lofty trees, of which the Grevillia robusta, with its crown of orange- coloured blossom, rose the highest. Farther away were wooded hills and green plains. The Razor-back Range, along the ridge of which is the high road leading to the Victorian boundary, and eventually to Melbourne, closed the view in one direction, while in the extreme west the Blue Mountains rose in sight. Heavy clouds were coming up from that side, while above us the sun was shining in the bright blue sky. A shower had recently swept across the country, and was now breaking among the hills to the south-east. Presently thunder was heard in the distance, and its steady approach sent us to the gardener's cottage for shelter. Here was a porch covered 318 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. with the edible passion-flower, the thick foliage making a pleasant shade from the sun, while its beautiful oval fruit, green at this season, hung in profusion round the trellis. Taking advantage of a slight lull in the storm \ve hastened homewards ; but peals of thunder again crashed around us, and we only reached the house just in time to escape the torrents of rain which continued falling for some hours. In the afternoon the weather cleared, and we drove to the scene of the great flood which took place in February past. Floods more or less serious have occurred during the past ten years, but this one exceeded in severity all that had gone before. The river Nepeau, called in this district the Cow-pasture (further north it takes the name of the Hawkesbury, and is there celebrated for the beauty of its scenery), after twenty-four hours' incessant rain, rose so high as to flood the country round, and bringing down vast masses of timber in its course spread them with large quantities of sand over several thousand acres of more or less cultivated land. The vineyard at Camden Park was entirely overwhelmed, as were the adjacent orchards and meadows. At the time of the disaster the grapes were just ripe the whole crop was destroyed ! Hundreds of tons of wood have been burnt to get rid of it, yet piles like wood-stacks remain. Half the vineyard has at great labour and expense been cleared ; but the remaining portion nearer to the river has been abandoned as too costly to reclaim with the prospect of probable future destruction from the same cause. Happily the loss of only one life resulted in this district from the flood, which extended for many miles along the course of the river, but the ruin to property was vast. It is said that these floods are more frequent than they used to be in the early days of the colony ; one explanation being that the continual treading of the land by the cattle pastured upon it renders it so hard that the water cannot be absorbed by the soil, and so spreads over the surface. Another suggestion is that formerly the rivers were kept WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 319 within bounds by the forests which clothed their banks, and that clearing the land of trees permits the water to rush over it. It had been our intention to proceed from Camden Park to Illawarra on the coast, a thickly wooded district resembling the jungle of the tropics, and we were assured well worth a visit. This route, too, might have included the convict gaol at Berrima, which we especially desired to see, and also our projected trip to Mount Victoria among the Blue Mountains. But the plan unavoidably iell through and we returned to Sydney, starting again on the 17th by the Great Western .Railway direct to Mount Victoria, where we arrived about noon. It is five hours distant from the capital, and a favourite resort of her citizens, who, especially in the latter end of summer, escaping thither from the depressing heat of her moisture -laden atmosphere, luxuriate in its cool mountain breezes. After crossing the flat country the mountains are scaled by means of a series of zigzags, this triumph of engineering making the ascent perfectly easy. Until 1813 the Range had presented an insurmountable barrier to further pro- gress westward, but in that year a pass was discovered, and in the next an excellent road was made by convict- labour over the mountains. This line of railway will connect Sydney with Mel- bourne when the New South Wales portion of it is com- pleted. The Victorian division is entirely finished ; and the rest is so far advanced that the two capitals are now brought within four days of each other. The scenery as we ascended the mountains broken by gorges, was different to anything we know in Europe. The railway curves are sharp, often affording various views of the same gorge ; and these are very deep, hemmed in by perpendicular rocks and filled with the eucalyptus, which growing together in large masses present, when seen from a distance, somewhat the aspect of pine forests. Whether they give to the mountains the soft blue colour whence these derive their name, or whether this is an atmospheric effect, 320 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. we do not know, but the result from whatever cause is lovely in the extreme. The temperature on Mount Victoria, at the hamlet which bears its name, is so much cooler than 'that of Sydney that we even found a fire agreeable. It boasts two inns, and some lodging- and private houses, besides a post and telegraph office. Seeing " Public School " on a rough wooden building we entered and found perhaps thirty boys and girls presided over by a master, his wife, we understood, giving instruction in needlework. This small township does not furnish nearly all the pupils who attend the school. They are drawn from the scanty popu- lation of a large surrounding district, and some we heard come eighteen miles by railway, travelling in the guard's break and, we suppose, free of cost ; but trains are few and far between, and irregular, too, we concluded, when we were told that these little creatures sometimes do not reach their homes till ten o'clock at night. The master, as far as we could judge, was a competent teacher, and well able to control his pupils. They looked both bright and intelligent. In the afternoon we drove towards Hartley, a coal district named after the celebrated colliery at home, but we fell short of the place itself, and so escaped seeing this grand scenery disfigured by mining operations. The moun- tains are wooded on their very summits, which are usually flat, the sides being extremely precipitous. On our way back we met some very characteristic groups. First came a large heavily-laden cart, the cautious driver walking beside it down the steep descent ; then three rough-looking men in blouses and broad- brimmed hats, probably on their way to the diggings, each with his " swag " rolled up in his rug, passing over one shoulder and under the other, and made secure by a strap. A quarter of a mile behind them we encountered a Chinese pedlar, his wares packed in two large light boxes or baskets slung at either end of a long and slender pole carried across his shoulder; and soon after passing him we met the schoolmaster we had seen in the morning, WHA T WE SA W IN A USTRALIA. 321 riding on horseback to his home five miles off after his day's work. Leaving the carriage at our inn, we hastened before the daylight faded by a path, winding under trees on the mountain -side, a spot commanding a fine view of Mount Piddington. On our way we found the warratah, the national flower of New South Wales, a bright crimson blossom, or rather congeries of blossoms, resembling in shape and size the cone of a cedar, and having long crimson anthers. This handsome flower grows upon a shrub having leaves not unlike in shape and colour those of the arbutus, only somewhat longer. The next day we devoted to a visit to Govat's Leap, a very remarkable valley one of the lions of New South Wales about five miles from Mount Victoria. We followed for a considerable distance the high road to Bathurst cut through the bush. The mass of gum- trees on either side looked beautiful in their fresh summer foliage. The young shoots are crimson, and when seen against the blue sky, the sunshine gleaming through them, the tree seems covered with gorgeous blossom. Leaving the road we turned into the scrub, and drove over a sandy soil among small gum-trees and mallee scrub. When at length we quitted the carriage and had followed our guide for a short distance, we suddenly came upon what appeared to be an enormous rift in the ground, which yawned beneath our feet. Far below was an undulating mass of foliage the tops of a forest of gum-trees, which covered the whole bed of the valley. Vast was the height from which we looked down, so that the trees had the appear- ance of perfect stillness, forming in the glorious sunshine a lovely crimson-tinted carpet, the shadows cast upon them by the clouds giving continual variety to the colour- ing. At the upper end of the valley towards the west, the cliffs on either side were somewhat depressed. Here a streamlet fell over the rocks, a sheer descent of 1200 feet, but so gentle its fall appeared, as we watched it obliquely across the valley, that the water looked like marabout-feathers softly floating downwards. Towards the 322 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. bottom it vanished from our sight among large stones, and if in that dry season the stream made further progress its course was hidden by the forest at its feet. Turning towards the south, the brown, grey, and yellow rocks, rose perpendicularly, the sunshine softening them into a delicious harmony of colour ; and so great was the width of the valley, that a waterfall on the opposite cliff looked, from where we stood, like a silver thread against its side. Beyond, the valley bore away in a southerly direction until it was closed in by ranges of overlapping hills of lovely blue indigo or cobalt, as the blaze of the sun or the shadow of the clouds fell upon them. But for the faint murmur caused either by the falling of the water or the wind among the trees the place was silent, and it was almost devoid of animal life. A bird or two overhead, and the noiseless lizards who ran over our dresses as we attempted to sketch the scene, represented the whole animal life within sight or hearing. We had meant to extend our excursion as far as Bowenfels, on the further side the pass, where the scenery is said even to surpass that of Mount Victoria, and had arranged to travel thither by luggage-train on the 19th, chairs being promised us in the guard's van ; this we were told was the regular substitute for places in passenger- trains which run only three days a week. But the sudden illness of one of our party compelled us to forego this portion of our trip, and desiring the comfort and kindness of Petty's Hotel we hastened back to Sydney. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 323 CHAPTER XIX. Ragged School Soup-kitchen and Night-refuge Primary Education- Fort Street Model School Receiving-house for Pauper Lunatics Sydney Infirmary Paramatta Protestant Orphanage Liverpool and Paramatta Asylums Hyde Park Asylum Jewish Sabbath- School Botany Bay Monument to La Perouse Middle Harbour Oysters House of Assembly Farewell to Sydney. HEARING of a ragged school in Sydney, and desirous to learn whether the class for whose benefit such institutions have been established at home exists in New South Wales, R visited it on the 24th November. It is carried on in a large and airy schoolroom built of wood in an open space in Kent Street, called a " poor street," but far too wide and airy to resemble the narrow lanes of an English town to which that appellation might be given. Boys and girls are taught together in the morning, the latter learning sewing in the afternoon. No other industrial work of any kind is pursued in the school, though picture- frames hanging round the walls, the work of former pupils, attest that one trade at least has formerly been taught. The master who has recently come into office could not explain why it had been discontinued. The habits of the pupils seem to resemble those of the corresponding class in England. The attendance of many is irregular, and they rarely remain after twelve years of a*"-e, when usually they go to work. The fees at the publicor government schools are not high, nor is there much diffi- culty in obtaining a dispensation from them ; therefore the need of such an institution as that in Kent Street, we con- clude, must arise from the children who attend it belonging, like those in the City Missionary School in Adelaide, to a class too low to mix with the pupils of public schools. Y 2 324 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. The school is supported entirely by voluntary contri- butions, and is not under Government inspection. Admis- sion is free. Every child applying to be received is asked whether its parents are able to pay school fees, and an answer in the negative secures its entrance. If, however, it be afterwards discovered that this is an error the pupil is dismissed ; but K did not understand what measures were taken to test the truth of the child's statement. A Sunday-school, managed entirely by voluntary teachers, forms part of the institution. No poor-law exists in New South Wales under the pro- visions of which destitute persons can claim relief. This want, however, is abundantly supplied by institutions of every sort. Of these the greater number are largely assisted, if not entirely supported, by the State ; but some have been founded and are wholly maintained by volun- tary effort. Among the latter is a Soup-kitchen and Night- refuge, to which, as it is in Kent Street, E bent her steps on quitting the school. The aim of this institution is, in the first instance, to give immediate assistance to destitute persons, and then to help them if possible to earn their own living. To all who bring a subscriber's ticket and these are easily obtained a dinner is sup- plied. If the applicant desire further help, he is expected to work he must pick a pound of oakum, and will then be entitled to a supper of bread and meat, fish, or cheese, as the case may be, and a bed. The latter means a blanket on the floor, but mattresses are sometimes added for persons who have held a better position. Breakfast will also be given in the morning. Some applicants remain in the Kefuge for six months, but none are allowed to be idle ; those who can labour, and will not, are dismissed the whole work of the institution is performed by the inmates in return for board and lodging. Many among them are either weakly usually having ruined their health by drink or have lost their character. Such, however, is the demand for labour that all of this class who choose to work can obtain it, and thus opportunities for re- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 325 trieving a character are constantly recurring. The appli- cants, though belonging to all grades of society, come chiefly from the labouring classes; but some have been clerks or shopkeepers, for whom there is, the manager said, no demand in Sydney; but employment such as cleaning knives and shoes, waiting in eating-houses, &c., may always be had if they can make up their minds to take it. Some of the inmates are " ne'er-do-wells," sent from England to be got rid of, as hopeless a class in Sydney as elsewhere in Australia. Persons acquainted with the rules of the institution are not admitted after 9 P.M., but strangers are received at all hours of the night if sober. Some even when drunk have managed to get in without betraying their state, and these are allowed to remain if they are quiet. The manager said that occasionally a row was caused by a drunken man, but not oftener perhaps than once in three months; and latterly he had been more particular in excluding applicants who were not sober. Drink here, as everywhere else, is the great cause of poverty and destitution. The licensing laws in Sydney, we heard, have been made entirely in the interest of the publicans, and the evils thus caused have become so enormous that an outcry has been raised against them, and there is now a prospect of improved legislation on this subject. We were informed that scarcely any discretion is exercised by magistrates in granting licences ; that no inquiry is made respecting the need for a public-house before a licence is given, and that if it be refused by the magistrates of one district the applicant can easily obtain it from those of another. K 's visit to the Soup-kitchen was made at dinner- time. The room in which they were dining was so bare that not even a bench was provided. All were standing while they ate their food, and the salt was in little heaps on the table. In the kitchen an old man, cook to the institution, and who had certainly made very good soup, said he had been in the service of William IV.; pro- bably he was an old soldier. There is a convenient lavatory and bath-room. The dormitories are of the 326 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. plainest description mere empty rooms without any furniture, but they were clean and wholesome. Women as well as men receive assistance from this charity, lodgings being found for them in the neigh- bourhood, as they cannot be received in the institution. Female applicants, however, are only in the proportion of one to five of the men. Places of service are easily ob- tained for them, although encumbered with one or even two children, who will be received in the house of the employer, and allowed to live with their mother. The manager pointed out a woman who he said was his own servant, and she had her child living with her. The institution appears admirably calculated to sift the idle from the industrious, and to afford opportunity to all who desire it to retrieve their characters and to rise into an independent position in life. Primary education in New South Wales, from 1848 to 1867, was under the control of two Boards, the National and the Denominational, who received from Government large sums of money in equal proportions. But in the latter part of 1866 an Act had been passed which made education a department of the State. It abolished these Boards, substituting a Council of Education appointed by the Governor, with the advice of his Executive Council. The body thus created is intrusted with the disposal of all moneys granted by the Legislature for primary education. It has power to establish and maintain public, and afford assistance to denominational, schools ; and possesses au- thority, " subject to certain provisions, to appoint and remove teachers or school inspectors; to frame regula- tions ; to elect its own president ; to define the course of secular instruction ; the training, examination, and classi- fication of teachers ; the examination of scholars ; the dis- cipline to be enforced Its regulations are laid before Parliament, and have the force of law."* Public schools are entirely secular, except that during one hour in each day the children may receive religious * ' Industrial Progress of New South Wales,' p. 407. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 327 instruction from the clergymen of their respective deno- minations. If no such clergymen attend, then this hour must be employed in secular study. The public school- buildings may not be used for any political or religious purpose; but the denominational school-rooms, which have been built and are kept in repair by the different religious bodies to which they belong, are often used both for Sunday-schools and for public worship. A public school may be established in any district where it can be shown that there are twenty-five children who will attend it regularly. The council, as a rule, doubles the amount of private contributions for the building and furnishing of a public school. A denominational school must be in existence before Government aid can be obtained. The council may then certify it, provided it be not more than five miles distant from a public school, and have an attendance of thirty children ; while that of the public school must not fall short of seventy. The certificate is liable to be withdrawn if the building become dilapidated or the apparatus insufficient, if the pupils sink below the appointed number, or if the rules of the council be otherwise infringed. Provisional and half-time schools appear to be a sub- division of the public schools, and " may be established wherever twenty children of the school age, residing within a radius of ten miles from a central point, can be collected in groups of not less than ten children in each ; " * they are generally taught by itinerant teachers, who move about among the scattered population. A fee of a shilling a-week for each child is charged, a reduction being made for several pupils from one family; but if the parents cannot pay a fee at all, the children are not on that account refused.t In thinly-peopled districts all denominations frequently unite to support provisional schools. These, and also the " half-time," may be regarded as tentative. Eventually * ' Industrial Progress of New South Wales,' p. 408. f Ibid. 328 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. they are sometimes closed, and sometimes they are con- verted into public schools. All aided by the State must, of course, submit to Government inspection. The total number of schools under the Council of Edu- cation at the end of 1872 was 962, attended by 88,487 children, in a population of 600,000. The number of public schools has steadily increased since 1867, while those belonging to denominations have as steadily de- creased. All teachers must be certificated. A training- school is attached to the model public school in Sydney. The supervision of country schools is intrusted to local boards, whose duty it is to inspect and report upon them to the council. Some do their work very efficiently, but apathy appears to pervade the greater number. The chief public school in New South Wales is in Fort Street, Sydney. Mr. Parkes invited us to accompany him thither on the 25th November. His intended visit had been announced, and we found the whole establish- ment prepared for our reception. We should have been glad to see it also in its normal state, and that we might do so the head master begged us to come in at any time, but, to our regret, we never had leisure to profit by his courteous invitation. The school is in three divisions for infants, girls, and boys, each containing 500 pupils. We went first to the boys' school-room a noble apartment. The pupils, divided into ten classes, are taught by six masters and four pupil teachers. The head master said he considered that the classes were not too large for efficient teaching, and that the danger of letting the boys who are either idle or dull escape work was prevented by the necessity of bringing every scholar on ; for, if they remained longer than usual in the lower classes the school inspector would call the teacher to account. The first class performed some ex- ercises in mental arithmetic so rapidly, that simply to hear them was almost to take away one's breath ; reading aloud followed, but that did not impress us as equally good. We entered the girls' school-room, corresponding in size to that of the boys', while they were singing ; and WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 329 when this was over, individuals from several classes were called upon to read aloud. We were glad to hear that the girls are taught sewing in all its branches. They learn to make their own clothes, and become so expert in fine needlework, that on quitting the school they can obtain engagements in shops without a premium. There is a regular school curriculum which every pupil must go through ; beyond this other branches of study may be followed out of the regular school-hours. Latin forms part of the boys' curriculum, and drawing that of both sexes ; while for both French is an extra. The infants are subdivided into three classes ; the youngest sing and clap hands. &c., the next in order pro- gress somewhat further in education, while the third learn reading and writing. In the Inspector's report for 1872 we find this passage which, we confess, strikes us as irre- sistibly funny. "The results disclosed by examination are as follows : Babies good ; junior infants good ; senior infants fair." This school is, as far as we could learn, chiefly attended by the children of superior artisans and small shopkeepers ; but mixed with them are scholars of both a higher and a lower class. The fees charged are in proportion to the means of the parents, sixpence a-week being the lowest ; while some pupils pay nothing. Parents can, by representing their inability to pay school-fees, obtain their remission without any difficulty, and this applies to the whole colony. The report of the Council states that, " the number of avowedly free scholars continues to be yearly augmented, having now reached 7211 ; while the number professing to pay at the autho- rised rates, but actually paying less, or even nothing at all, is increasing still more rapidly ; " and further on it speaks of " the systematic evasion of the payment of fees by persons who cannot plead want of means as an ex- cuse."* The head master at Fort Street (whose salary, we Council of Education Report.' Sydney, 1872. 330 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. believe, amounts to 600Z. a-year) told us that no un- pleasant feeling is created between the pupils who pay and those who do not. In the afternoon we paid a visit to the Keceiving-house for pauper lunatics, to which persons who have shown symptoms of insanity, and whose friends are unable to support them in asylums, are committed while they await the medical certificate which authorises their consignment to the State Lunatic Asylum. Unhappy creatures of this class attacked by mental disease were usually in the first instance put in prison as the only available place for their temporary safe-keeping. The injustice as well as hardship of mixing persons suffering from this calamity with those who have offended against the law, induced the Legislature of New South Wales to pass the humane Act under which this institution has been established. Why it has not yet entirely super- seded the gaol we have already explained. The Keceiving-house is an airy, commodious building, where the poor sufferers can be made as comfortable as their condition permits. Several patients were there on the day of our visit. One poor woman lay in a half-uncon- scious state ; she obstinately refused all food. Another, an aboriginal, was imbecile (the effect of age rather than of disease), and seemed very comfortably enjoying her pipe as she smilingly replied to our salutations. Some of the inmates who are suffering only from a temporary attack recover during their detention ; but the majority are sent on to lunatic asylums. Many of them attacked at a great distance from the capital have to perform long journeys before they can reach Sydney, which must, especially in the hot season, considerably aggravate their malady. In a thinly-popu- lated country like New South Wales this cannot be avoided ; but it is consoling to reflect that at the end of their painful journey they find shelter in the comfortable Keceiving-house instead of incarceration within the gloomy walls of a gaol. Let us hope the other Austrian colonies WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 331 will speedily follow the good example of New South Wales! On the 27th November we visited the Female School of Industry, where girls are educated and trained for domestic service. This institution, which has been in existence for forty years, was until lately carried on in a house close to the Domain. The land it occupied became so valuable, that Government resumed possession of it, and in its lieu have built a new and excellent house, plea- santly situated on the outskirts of Sydney, abounding in such conveniences, however, as the girls are not likely to meet with in the houses of their future employers. It seems the Legislature voted a certain sum (7,000?. we believe) for building the house, which on its completion was not exhausted. The committee of ladies who manage the institution, naturally desired that the surplus should be placed in their hands; but as the Legislature had voted the 7000?. expressly for luilding alone, no part of it could be devoted to any other purpose, and the com- mittee, as a mode of using the remainder, put in all these appliances. The girls, forty-five in number at the time of our visit, perform under the supervision of the officers all the work of the house, washing, baking, milking (their cows graze in the Domain), and dairy-work inclusive. The bread which we tasted was very good, and the house was in excellent order. From the Female School of Industry we went to a similar institution, but of an humbler character. The house was small and even shabby inside, and the few conveniences it possessed were of the simplest kind ; yet as far as we could judge in a hasty visit the essentials of successful training were present. An atmosphere of home pervaded the house ; and in the endeavour of the man- agers to induce the parents to contribute something towards the education of their children, is found the best safe- guard against their benevolent intentions being marred by engendering a spirit of pauperism. In beauty of situation the infirmary of Sydney must be 332 WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. almost unrivalled ; standing on high ground, the spectator from the balconies at the rear of the building looks over the lovely Domain, with its trees and green sward, to Woolloomooloo Bay on the southern side of the harbour. Bat it is an old building, and deficient in many requisites considered essential in a modern hospital. The question of altering or building it on the present site, or of erecting a new one in a different place, has been for some time under discussion, and at the period of our visit no definite plan had been adopted. Some years since, the Government, desiring to improve the nursing in the hospital, and also to establish a train- ing-school for private nurses, erected a delightful dwelling for them within the enclosure of the infirmary, and were fortunate enough to obtain, through an application to St. Thomas's Hospital in London, the services of a highly competent lady as superintendent. She arrived in 1868, accompanied by five trained sisters to form the nucleus of the school, which has proved a valuable acquisition to Sydney. The lady superintendent, Miss Osburn, kindly showed us both her own special institution and the hospital. The wards are as commodious as the old-fashioned building allows, and the patients were evidently well cared for. A few days prior to our visit there had been a terrible acci- dent by the overturn of an omnibus down a steep bank, in which several men had been severely hurt, who, poor fellows, were patients in the infirmary the day we visited it. They lay, some unable to move, others with their heads bound up, presenting a melancholy spectacle. The Public Charity Commissioners politely invited us to accompany them in inspecting some institutions they considered would be particularly interesting to us, and on November 25th we went with them to Paramatta. Our first visit was to a Protestant orphan school, founded in 1814. It stands on the banks of the Paramatta river, here a small and, when we saw it, a muddy stream, which we had to cross by a ferry. The lower reaches, the beauty of which we often heard extolled, and always in- tended to see, we never unfortunately found leisure to visit. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 333 Both this school and the Catholic orphanage, which we have already described, were established for the reception of destitute orphans, and are the only charitable institutions in the colony of a sectarian character which are under the direct control of the Government. Both are entirely sup- ported by the State. The buildings of that we visited to-day are old, but they are commodious and well situated. The instruction given is very good. The boys work in the garden, the girls in the house and laundry, and all ap- peared healthy and happy. We were much amused by a group of very lively little girls, with their shoes and stockings taken off, scrubbing diligently the pavement of a verandah, each one cleaning her own particular stone, and all seeming thoroughly to enjoy their work. Two hundred and fifty children can be accommodated, and they are received from three years old to thirteen. On reaching this age they are apprenticed. Unfortu- nately no organisation exists for the supervision of the young people after they have quitted the school, and therefore no accurate estimate can be formed of their success in life an omission which should be supplied as soon as possible. The two other institutions one at Paramatta the other at Liverpool, a small country town eight miles further from Sydney we visited to-day, are both asylums for men incapacitated by age or sickness from gaining their own livelihood, and corresponding precisely with the infirm wards of our workhouses. They are supported entirely from State funds, and are under the control of the Colonial Secretary. The building at Paramatta originally in- tended for barracks, and that at Liverpool, were erected during Governor Macquarie's rule, which lasted from 1810 to 1821. Neither is well adapted to its use, but the latter is the better of the two. The Liverpool asylum contained to-day rather more than six hundred inmates; all are feeble, and nearly a third are confined to their beds. The greater proportion are old ; some are blind, others lame, yet the whole work 334 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. of the institution, even to the duties of clerk and dis- penser, are efficiently performed by those among them who are not altogether incapacitated from labour. There are but two officers, the surgeon-superintendent, Dr. Strong, who is, however, permitted to take private practice also, and the matron, under whose control are the whole of the domestic arrangements. This lady is the widow of the late master, and was appointed his successor on her husband's death. As our visit had not been notified, there could have ber j n no preparation, and we therefore saw the asylum in its normal condition. Our arrival being announced to Mrs. Burnside, the matron, she conducted us over the building through the wards, the laundry, the dormitory, and into the work-rooms where we found the inmates occupied in the different trades required in the institu- tion ; while the kitchen had its cooks and the wards their nurses. Indeed, work was going on in every de- partment. Mrs. Burnside showed us a new shoemaker's shop erected by the inmates themselves, and a very compact, well-constructed building it looked. Next she took us through a well-cultivated garden, which sup- plies the institution with all the vegetables it con- sumes except potatoes. Then passing into the recrea- tion-ground, we found ourselves in a large paddock, nine acres in extent, recently added to the institution. Here were old men reclining on the seats put up by them- selves or their companions, and enjoying the view of trees planted by the same hands. In the garden was a little carriage made by one of the men, and used by those who cannot walk, so that even the cripples are able to enjoy the recreation-ground. In the refectory tea was being prepared. Ample plain food is provided ; but little indul- gences, such as butter and fruit, the inmates purchase for themselves with the money they receive for their services. Every one is remunerated for what he does, and as far as possible is paid by piece-work ; and this seems to be the motive power which keeps the whole machinery of the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 335 asylum in smooth and regular action. A class similar to that we find very difficult to manage at home here form a well-ordered community; and yet the raw material worked up with such success is quite as unpromising as that we have in England. The evidence before the Public Charities Commission given by Mrs. Burnside and Dr. Strong shows that drink is the primary cause which consigns nearly the whole of the inmates to the asylum; and that a "third of their number are sick, many of whom are suffering from severe illness. The deaths from January 1st to June 30th, 1873, averaged 13 a month in a population of about 680. Moreover, the inmates can quit the asylum when they choose, and feel pretty certain that on again applying to the authorities they will be allowed to return just asthe corresponding class at home can leave the workhouse and come back to it at pleasure. The medical officer has no legal power of detention over those even whom he knows will get intoxicated if they can procure liquor, though in some cases he does prevent their exit. Nor are the men naturally industrious. The larger proportion of them are ex -convicts; yet so cheerful and industrious an air prevails that it was difficult to recognise, as we walked through the wards, the workshops, and the garden, that we were among sick and aged paupers. Mrs. Burnside, a woman of great capacity and excellent disposition, whose whole being seemed occupied in pro- moting the welfare and comfort of her proteges, spoke of them almost with affection ; and remarked that, though convicts, they were by no means unpleasant people to live with. To Dr. Strong we had the pleasure of being only introduced, as he was absent during the greater part of our most interesting visit, but we heard him spoken of in high terms as an excellent officer. From all we witnessed at the Liverpool asylum we can heartily endorse the following paragraph from the report of the Commission : " This plan of giving small gratuities appears to answer remarkably well ; and as the demand for work always ex- 336 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. ceeds the supply, it is put into other hands if badly done. Of the economy of the system there can be no doubt, as persons in the wards now earning fourpence a-day perform the duties for which servants were paid 357. a year, and the whole cost of each inmate is now only 91. 8s. 8%d. In a moral point of view the system is excellent, as amongst those who are still able to work it keeps alive some feelings of self-respect, and tempers that sense of abject poverty which must embitter the thoughts of some, at all events, who are compelled to seek refuge in such an asylum. They might all doubtless be compelled to give their services for their bread. ' If any would not work neither should he eat,' is doubtless good in theory, but we question whether it would be possible to carry this theory into practice in such an institution without resorting to a system of coer- cion which, with such feeble old men, is revolting to our feelings of humanity. And in the case of the sick and infirm who is to decide upon the limits of their incapacity ? It is far better to attach such inducements to the work, and to apportion it out so wisely, that it is cheerfully under- taken and satisfactorily performed The vigour and energy displayed by the Surgeon-Superintendent and the Matron appear to have infused themselves into the very inmates, the tailors, shoemakers, and other workers, applying themselves with a cheerfulness and eagerness pleasant to witness."* The Paramatta asylum is managed on the same prin- ciples, but does not attain equal success, in part owing, the Commissioners consider, to the inferiority of the building. A similar asylum for women at Sydney standing on high ground in a beautiful situation, and in one of the fashion- able quarters of the town, was also erected by Governor Macquarie, traces of whose tenure of office seem to pervade all parts of the colony settled during his rule. It contains more than two hundred inmates, the greater proportion of whom are old or sick. The few young women are either 1 Public Charities Commission Report,' p. 144. WHAT WE SAW IX AUSTRALIA. 337 blind, cripples, or idiots, for whom there is no other refuge. As the asylum is in the metropolis, it does not require a resident medical officer, but is managed by the matron, Mrs. Hicks, whose qualifications are as remarkable as those of Mrs. Burnside. She and one laundress are the only officers in the institution, the whole of the work, nursing included, being performed by the inmates, who also make all their own clothing, with the exception of boots and shoes. The house affords good bathing accommodation, and the old women have their warm baths regularly. One who has attained the age of 106 "goes," said Mrs. Hicks, "into a tub every Saturday morning like my own baby." This old woman, whom we saw in her bed, is doubtless an ex- convict. She told us she had come out in Governor 's time (we could not catch the name), a genteel way of con- cealing the manner of her arrival. At meals* the old women are divided into messes of eight, the strongest being chosen captain of the mess. She fetc-hes the dinner, and, we conclude, carves for her mess-mates; but every woman pours out her own tea. Small gratuities are given for the work performed, as at Liverpool, and the women looked as cheerful and happy as the old men there. Their annual cost per head is only 10Z. 16s. ll^cZ. Through the kindness of a Jewish friend we were invited to see both the week-day and Sabbath-schools in Sydney, supported by that denomination. Much to our regret, we were only able from lack of time to visit the one which corresponds to the Sunday-schools attached to Christian churches, but which is held of course on Saturday. We reached the large and handsome synagogue soon after ser- vice had ended, and found the younger members of the congregation divided into numerous classes according to age, social distinctions being evidently ignored. The Old Testament was the subject of study, and instructors and pupils (some of whom varied little in years) were alike earnestly engaged in the lessons. Many of the elder relatives of the scholars had remained; and when the classes broke up an interesting little cere- z 338 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. mony took place in the presentation, to the best pupil during the past year of each sex, of a testimonial of merit, the annual gift of Baroness Lionel de Rothschild. A few kindly words were spoken to the children by a member of the congregation, who represented the donor of the medals, and this was followed by a short address from the Rabbi. In its course he made an allusion very gratifying to E and ourselves ; telling his young flock, in reference to the accidental presence among them of nieces of Sir Rowland Hill, of the benefits bestowed upon the whole world by the author of cheap postage. December 4th. This afternoon a friend took us to Botany Bay, about eight miles from Sydney. After driving across the city and its suburbs, in a southerly direction, we reached the scrub over which a considerable portion of our route lay. We saw many beautiful wild flowers, but owing to the boggy nature of the ground, could gather but few. Farther on we passed a hotel standing in beauti- ful gardens, a favourite honeymoon resort we were told, and bearing the name of Sir Joseph Banks, the celebrated botanist. Reaching the bay, we bent our steps to the monument raised to the memory of the brave French navigator, La Perouse. An elegant structure of white stone rises on the green sward at a little distance from the sea. The monument stands in a railed enclosure planted with shrubs, of which we obtained the key from the guardian living near, and went inside. On its base the following inscription is engraved A LA MKMOIBE DE MONSIEUR DE LA PEROUSE. CETTE TERRE QU'lL VI8ITA EN MDCCLXXXVIII E8T LA DEHNIERE D'OU IL A FAIT PARVENIB DE SES NOUVELLES. IllRIGfi AU NOM DE LA FRANCE PAR LES 80IN8 DE MM. DE BOUGAINVILLE ET DAMPIER COMMANDANT LA FRKGATE LA THETIS ET LA CORVETTE EgPERANCE EN RELACHE AU PoRT-jACKSON EN M0CCCV. WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 33,9 Born in 1741, La Perouse entered the French navy at an early age, and became a distinguished officer, no less remarkable for humanity than for his well-known bravery and enterprise, as the following anecdote will show: During the war between France and England he was dis- patched to Hudson's Bay to take possession of the estab- lishments of the Company occupying that territory. One of these, Fort York, fell into his hands without resistance, having no garrison to defend it. Not desiring to hold the place, he ordered it to be destroyed, and prepared for re- embarkation ; but learning that some Englishmen had escaped into the woods, he left provision and arms for their use, fearing they might either die of hunger or fall into the hands of the savages. Peace being concluded in 1783, the French Government despatched La Perouse to the Pacific, hoping to rival the English in their discoveries in that part of the globe. After rounding Cape Horn, visiting the Californian coast and penetrating as far as Avatsha, in Kamtchatka, he reached Botany Bay, but to find Captain Phillip, the first Governor of .New South Wales, already arrived. Sailing away he was never heard of again. Several ships were dispatched by the French Government in search of him, and it was at length ascertained that his vessel had been wrecked on one of the Santa Cruz islands, thenceforth called by the French from this circumstance, we believe, Isle de la Recherche. Before leaving the spot we plucked some of the violets growing round the foot of the memorial to the gallant and ill-fated Frenchman, which it is gratifying to possess on British soil. Our delightful visit to Sydney was drawing to a close. We had relinquished our plan of returning overland to Melbourne, and had taken our berths by the ' Citv of Adelaide,' intending to start on the 9th ('December, that morning, however, news came that the crew of our steamer had struck, and consequently she could not move. Thus we had a day's grace, as the ' Wentworth,' which sup- plied her place, would not leave Sydney till the next evening; and heartily rejoicing in the delay, we accepted z2 340 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. an invitation to spend the afternoon in the lovely Middle Harbour. Port Jackson is famous for its oysters, which fasten themselves to the rocks in every direction, literally by millions. They are generally much smaller than those we are familiar with in Europe, and the shape of their shells is most irregular. Diminutive size, however, is not characteristic of all oysters in Australia. Those, for instance, found at Port Lincoln are remarkably large, equalling a half-crown in circumference, and thick in pro- portion, while their flavour is excellent. Picnic parties, we were told, will often start from Sydney, carrying with them the minor accessories for an oyster-feast, the mol- luscs themselves being to be had simply for the gathering. We landed at a spot this afternoon where not only the rocks were encrusted with them, but they were even adhering to the roots of trees, and the friends who were with us did not let us depart without tasting the delicacy as fresh as it is possible to be. Our delay in quitting Sydney enabled us to pay a second visit to the House of Assembly, under the escort of the Member for Paramatta, " the Father of the House," and in the hope of hearing Mr. Parkes, who bears a high reputation as a speaker, address the Chamber. The Houses of Parliament at the upper end of Mac- quarie Street have nothing striking in their exterior, but the Chamber in which the Lower House meets is a spacious and well-proportioned apartment, handsomely fitted up. That of the Legislative Council we did not see. By the courtesy of the Speaker* we had seats just outside the bar that sacred portal itself, of course, no stranger can pass. The Postmaster-General is now in England, engaged in negotiations connected with the establishment of the new mail route by San Francisco. His absence is not ap- proved, it appears, by the Opposition, as we learnt from * The Hon. W. M. Arnold, the news of whose melancholy death by drowning from the flooding of the Puterson river has lately reached England. February, 1875. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA.' 341 the following motion by Mr. Buchanan : " That in the opinion of this House, the long-continued absence of the Postmaster-General from the performance of the duties of his office, while he continues to draw from the public treasury a large salary, is in itself a wrong worthy of the condemnation of this House ; while at the same time the absence of the responsible head of an important depart- ment of the State cannot be otherwise than detrimental to the due and proper conduct of the business of that department. " That the above resolution be conveyed by address to His Excellency the Governor." Mr. Parkes, to our disappointment, did not undertake the defence of the Government himself, but entrusted it to one of his colleagues. It was, however, perfectly suc- cessful, Mr. Buchanan's motion being negatived by a large majority. In the course of the debate, which was extremely lively, feeling being strong on the occasion, many of the members, unable to restrain themselves, rose to their legs, and spoke all at the same time. The Speaker did not at once interfere, thinking possibly that the shortest method of ending the melee would be to let the members tire themselves out. But, after an interval, the clamour showing no signs of subsidence, he quietly rose. A respectful silence immediately ensued. With much dignity he uttered the following words : a Gentle- men, it is perfectly free to every member to address this House, but it will be more convenient if only one speaks at a time." The rebuke was sufficient. Next day, the 10th, with great regret we bid farewell to Sydney and to our kind friends there, and embarking on board the ' Wentworth,' reached Melbourne about noon on the 13th of December. 342 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTEE XX. Arrival at Melbourne All England Eleven Hot Wind Christmas Holidays Toorak Penal Servitude Commission Larrikins Act of 1864 Industrial Schools Boarding-out Abbotsford Reforma- tory and Eefuge Voluntary Supervision. THE P. and 0. boat, with the English mail, reached her anchorage at Sandridge on December 13th, just before the ' Wentworth ' drew up alongside the quay. Her letter-bags were already discharged, and her passengers \vere hastening in little boats to the shore. Among them were the All Eng- land Eleven, whose advent had been for many weeks a topic of interest, and whose enthusiastic reception we were just in time to witness. Coaches, drawn by four horses, awaited them on the pier, and long before we with bag and baggage could reach the land, the cricketers had driven off amid cheers of welcome. Early in the afternoon we were established in rooms which we had engaged by telegram from Sydney at Menzies' Hotel, the Mivart's of Melbourne. Although nearly midsummer, the heat was not oppres- sive. On the following Monday, however, we had our first experience of a hot wind. Before we went out we were aware that a strong wind was blowing, but so well-built is this hotel, that until we opened the hall-door we were "unconscious of the heat which accompanied it. The sensa- tion, on quitting the house, was precisely the same as on entering the hot room of a Turkish bath. This prevailed in places so sheltered that the air was still. The heat was greater in the teeth of the wind ; but it was always a dry heat, and not unpleasant to us, to whom it was a new experience. It lasted on the present occasion only a few hours. Sometimes it continues for three days at Melbourne (in Adelaide it has been known to blow WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 343 unintermittingly for eleven), and becomes very ex- hausting. Residents feel it far more than new comers, and dislike encountering it so much that it is considered a sufficient reason for breaking any not very important engagement. December 16th. E was to leave us to-day for Ade- laide, and on quitting the house to accompany her to the steam-boat we discovered a fresh change of temperature, of which in-doors we had been ignorant. The air was now so chilly that it was absolutely necessary to delay and put on additional clothing even to walk a short distance through the streets. The time of our visit to Melbourne was unfavourable to our seeing some of its institutions. The schools were soon closed, Parliament was not sitting, and people were leaving town for the Christmas holidays. Others, indeed, were coming in from the country to enjoy the gaieties of Mel- bourne, and, above all, to witness the cricket match on Boxing Day. Thus the hotels were very full, as we learnt one morning when the manager of ours informed us that our rooms had been telegraphed for by an old customer, and that Mr. Menzies must request us to give them up. On asking if others as good were prepared for us, we found that only inferior ones were offered, and there appeared no anxiety to regard our convenience at all. We then inquired if the law concerning hotels and their guests were the same in Victoria as in England, and on the manager admitting it was, we declined to move. Our refusal, how- ever, was not accepted, and it was plain that no objection would be felt to turn two ladies, travelling in a strange land, into the street. We rejoined that whatever the law and customs of the country required we would do, and would refer to some one of the gentlemen we knew, living at Melbourne, on the subject for instance, to Mr. . At the mention of this name the manager's countenance changed. He was sure Mr. Menzies had no wish to put us to inconvenience ; he would speak to him, and let us know. In three minutes he returned to say that the rooms were at our disposal. 344 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. We found the hotel in all respects excellent, with the exception of this unsatisfactory incident, which, with the refusal of some railway porters at Sydney to do their duty, formed the only exception to the uniform courtesy we experienced during the whole of our sojourn in Australia ; a courtesy often accompanied by active kindness and indifference to trouble in entire strangers, for which it is impossible adequately to express our thanks. In the afternoon a drive of three or four miles out of town to Government House led us through Toorak, the most fashionable suburb of Melbourne. Handsome man- sions, approached by carriage-sweeps, stand far back from the broad, white, and at this season it must be owned, very dusty road, recalling the approach to some important cities in Southern Europe ; while an ivy-covered church and its adjacent parsonage look intensely English. The present residence of the Governor, standing in pretty grounds on the banks of the Yarra, is a hired one and small for its purpose; but a vast palace is rising, much nearer to Melbourne, presenting in its conspicuous position a most imposing aspect. Before we left England our attention had been drawn to the treatment of adult and juvenile offenders in Victoria by the .Reports, recently presented to the Colonial Parlia- ment, of a Eoyal Commission appointed in 1870.* In these very able documents, founded upon evidence gathered from Europe and America, as well as upon that of the witnesses of great experience examined by the Commission, were expounded, in a catholic and philosophic spirit, the principles laid down by leading authorities on the repres- sion of crime ; and though some were rejected the value of which is recognised at home, many of vital importance were accepted and made the basis of practical suggestions for the future government of Victorian prisons. The Report endorses the opinion that, with regard to a large class of criminals, the infliction of punishments is * 'Report (No. 2) on Penal and Prison Discipline:' Victoria, 1871; and ' Itcport (No. 3) on Industrial and Reformatory Schools.' Victoria, 1872. John Ferres, Government Printer, Melbourne. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 345 ineffectual to deter them from persevering in evil courses. " Thus a systematic course of reformatory treatment con- stitutes an indispensable part of any effective scheme of penal discipline, ami all the several portions should be framed with a direct view to that end. . . . Reformatory treatment requires to be carried forward with comparative slowness and caution from stage to stage. Time becomes an essential element . . . and the logical conclusion is, that the minimum period of imprisonment in all penal sentences for serious offences should be of considerable length." * The distinction is carefully drawn between casual and frequent offenders. The even greater turpitude and danger to society is recognised of " crime-capitalists " as compared with the actual thief; and the introduction, with certain adaptations, of our " Habitual Criminals Act " of 1869 is recommended, with the suggested provision "of severer punishment . . . for persons found guilty of har- bouring reputed thieves or receiving stolen goods." | The Report admits " scarcely any substantial distinction between habitual drunkenness and lunacy," and recom- mends that " the Lunacy Statute . . . should be amended so as to include habitual drunkards." J It makes a sugges- tion, which seems worthy of consideration in any com- munity sufficiently limited for its members to be mutually recognisable, namely, that policemen should be employed for certain appointed periods as prison warders. "Two years might be fixed as the term of engagement, the time being reckoned as service in the force. At the end of the term the officer would be replaced by another, and would return to his ordinary duties. By this arrangement the police-force would gain a ' face-knowledge ' of the criminal population." We find the growing evil of "larrikinism" dwelt upon in the evidence. " Larrikin " seems to be almost synony- mous with our " rough," except that it applies to young persons only at present, and that these appear to be even * Report (No. 2), p. v. t Ibid. p. viii. J Ibid. p. xi. An Inebriate Asylum Las since been established, with legal power of detention. Ibid. p. xx. 346 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. more audacious than is their class usually at home. The offences charged against them seldom apparently include theft, but usually consist in licentious and obscene be- haviour. The " larrikin " indulges in the coarsest and most insulting language addressed to inoffensive passers- by, and this is sometimes attended with personal violence, which we were told may be encountered in even the best streets of Melbourne. The evil is attributed in great part to the absence of due training and parental control in childhood, and this probably has led the commissioners to make a suggestion, which, though startling at first, appears to be based upon a just principle. " It is undeniable," says the Report, " that a large measure of responsibility does in many instances rest upon the parents when children and youths, who are still under parental guardianship, are brought before the tribunals as offenders against the law. It is fitting that in such instances the culpability of neglecting to exercise proper parental control should be brought home to the parents in a practical manner. We therefore recommend that it shall be left to the discretion of the bench, upon proof of the parents' culpable negligence, of which a previous conviction shall be deemed sufficient primd facie evidence, to impose on them a fine (not exceeding five pounds), and to order them to make good any damage that may have been done to property by the delinquent." * There has, however, been no indifference on the part of the State to her own duty in preventing the growth of juvenile crime. Neither money nor care have been spared, though these appear sometimes not to have been expended to the best advantage. In 1864, special legislation had become necessary to meet the evil. Prior to that time, " children coming under the care of the Government were kept at the Immigrants' Home, Prince's Bridge. In the year 1858, ... it contained about fifty children of this class; but the numbers increased very rapidly, so that * Keport (No. 2), J>. xiii. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 347 in 1864 they amounted to nearly 600, and the rate of increase was yearly augmenting. " This large increase was caused mainly by the exten- sive and indiscriminate immigration that flowed into the colony in the years following upon the gold discoveries, and the very unsettled state of society which arose from it, as a necessary consequence. The bulk of the population were for years without fixed homes ; families were broken up by dissolute habits, children left desti- tute by the frequent fatal accidents that occurred at the mines, and the bonds of parental obligation were weakened or ruptured by a roving life and fluctuating fortunes. So long as this state of things continued, the rate of increase in the numbers of children thrown upon public charity augmented year by year; but there was reason to hope that when society had become compara- tively settled and prosperous this rate would diminish. Experience has proved, however, that the reverse has been the case. "It therefore became imperative on the Government to make provision for the maintenance and education of these children, and thus the schools were commenced."* They sprang from the " Neglected and Criminal Chil- dren's Act," passed in 1864. This provides that indus- trial schools for the former, and reformatory schools for the latter class of children, may be established by Government, or by voluntary agency. .It contains, also, a somewhat remarkable provision, namely, that individual convicts under sixteen years of age may be assigned, under certain conditions, by any judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, to parents or other guardians deemed fit for the charge. Young persons under fifteen years of age are children within the meaning of the Act, and may be committed for not less than one, or more than seven years ; and when half the period of detention has expired, they may be placed out on licence. The cost of their maintenance * Report (No. 3), pp. ii:. iv. 348 WHAT WE SA W IN AUSTRALIA. is made recoverable from parents to the amount of ten shillings a-vveek.* The history of the schools first established affords fresh illustration of the evils arising from unsuitable buildings, the agglomeration of large numbers, and absence of classi- fication ; and also from the lack of the voluntary element in the management of these institutions. " The inmates were allowed to sink into a condition of the greatest neglect. Those diseases which especially exhibit the absence of care and comfort amongst children aggregated in large numbers, namely, cutaneous affections and oph- thalmia, were almost universal ; and the mortality during the two first years was excessively great. It should be added, that the Government, upon being made aware of the existence of these evils, did all that could be done under the circumstances to remedy them ; and in course of time they were much mitigated. But their occurrence proves the exceedingly unfavourable conditions under which the system commenced ; and some of its original detects are yet far from being removed."! In June 1872, when the Commissioners inspected these establishments, there were twelve in operation under the Act, including two school-ships. Two of the schools were for Roman Catholics, and were under the voluntary man- agement of members of religious orders ; and a school at Sandhurst was under the control of a local committee, all being subsidised and inspected by the State. The whole number contained 1248 girls and 1378 boys, of whom, however, only 59 girls and 125 boys were " convicted," i.e. were in reformatory schools, having been found guilty of criminal offences. The " neglected," located in nine industrial schools, were of a very mixed class, including not only those needing preventive discipline, but many who were simply under the care of the State as destitute. The evil of such association is dwelt upon in the Report, * ' An Act for the Amendment of the law relating to Neglected and Criminal Children ; ' June 2nd, ISG-i. Ferres ; Melbourne, f llcport (No. 3), p. iv. WHAT WE SAW AY AUSTRALIA. 349 and so also is the laxness with which parents are per- mitted to throw the maintenance of their children on the public funds ; whence it must be inferred that the pro- vision of the Act for recovering the cost from them was very inadequately carried into effect. The Commissioners recommend that " neglected " children should be provided for out of local funds, sub- sidised by the State, the "convicted" remaining wholly chargeable on the central authorities ; and they urge an increase of voluntary agency in the treatment of both classes. They also advise the extension of the age at which children shall be liable to committal to Industrial and Reformatory schools to 16 and 18 respectively ; and that the age up to which " neglected " and " convicted " children who have absconded may be relegated to school should be raised to 16 and 21 years respectively. For the " neglected," however, they urge in the strongest terms the adoption of the Boarding-out System to such an extent that the schools shall become merely reception- houses, and places of detention for the comparatively few to whom boarding-out cannot be applied ; and that all these remaining inmates shall attend the common schools. They earnestly invite the co-operation of ladies in admin- istering the system, and state that they have already consulted clergymen of different creeds on the best means of obtaining suitable homes for the children. "The ministers of the several Protestant denominations declared their willingness to merge their minor differences, and to act in unison, so that in the disposal of Protestant children no distinction of sect would be allowed to interfere with the general working of the plan. The Catholic bishop states his willingness to take under his care, and provide for, the whole of the children of that denomination at present in the industrial schools and reformatories, together with those who may hereafter be brought in, on condition of the State making a weekly payment for each child. The co-operation of the religious bodies being secured, as well as that of the leading citizens and of benevolent ladies in the various_ localities, there can 350 WHAT WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. hardly be a doubt that a sufficient number of suitable families would be found. The same valuable agencies, moreover, would be kept constantly in action by means of the local committees to watch over the children, so as to secure for them proper mental and religious instruction. The system, when thus carried out, and kept carefully under official inspection, becomes very far superior to any other method that could be devised. The point of per- fection in dealing with destitution is reached when the mutual co-operation of private charity with State bounty is brought into the fullest activity."* The Commissioners, probably recognising the likelihood in a new country of the extensive adoption of children into the families where they had been placed to board, suggest that any person adopting, with legal sanction, a child who had been abandoned by its parents, should become responsible for its care, and acquire full control over it until it reached the age of twenty-one. But they do not omit to urge that " arrangements should be made with the Governments of the neighbouring colonies for ' back- ing warrants ' to apprehend offenders who desert their families, or abscond in order to avoid paying orders made for their support ; so that they may be brought back to Victoria in default of making satisfactory arrangement for payment."! Having by the perusal of these reports acquired some theoretical knowledge of the state of criminal discipline in Victoria, we desired, now that we were on the spot, to observe its practical administration; and received from Mr. Duncan, the head of the Penal and Reformatory Department, and also Inspector-General of Prisons and Reformatories, all possible facilities for seeing the institutions under his direction. He most kindly accom- panied us on several occasions ; but to the Convent of the Good Shepherd, at Abbotslbrd, in the outskirts of Mel- bourne, where there is both an Industrial and a Reforma- tory School for girls, we went alone, on December 17th. Report (No. 3), p. xiii. t Ibid. p. xxi. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 351 The nuns have a penitentiary under their charge in the same building, but we understood that the inmates never mingle with the school children. It would have been better, we thought, to have the three institutions entirely separate. There are nearly 200 girls, from one to sixteen years of age, belonging to the two schools, and therefore, of course, under different conditions of committal ;* but they are, to a great extent, mixed together. They do all the house- work of the portion of the building they occupy, and their own washing; and the elder girls work in the garden. Individuals among these also, if not morally unfit, have each, to some extent, charge of four or five little ones, being responsible for their neatness and cleanliness. The elder girls are divided from the younger at night. A nun sleeps close to each dormitory ; and the proportion of these ladies engaged in the care of the children seemed large. We had arrived, unfortunately, at an inconvenient hour for visitors, and in consequence did not go over the whole of the children's department. The school-room was crowded and somewhat close, and the pupils were by no means trim in appearance. As regards health and brightness, they looked about equal to workhouse children at home. Their cost for 1873 has been under 131. a-head ; so low a sum being attributable, probably, to the absence of salaried officers. The children, as a rule, are placed out on licence as early as the law permits ; but if, when the period of their sentence is fulfilled they are not fit for service or discharge, their recommittal, if they be still under the limit of age appointed by the Act, can be obtained. The employer of a licensed child signs an agreement to observe certain conditions in respect to it, including the supply of proper clothing, food, and medical attendance, opportunity to attend public worship and Sunday-school, and permission to an appointed agent of the Government to visit the * Children guilty of the slightest offence are sent to Reformatories, In- dustrial Schools receiving only the " neglected " aud " destitute." 352 WE A T WE SA W IN A USTRALIA. licensee. He agrees also to give wages, beginning with a shilling a-week for a boy and sixpence for a girl ; half the amount is to be paid quarterly in advance to the department, and the remainder at the end of the quarter to the child. A system of voluntary supervision over the licensees, from all Industrial and Reformatory Schools in Victoria, is exercised, partly by the " Ladies' Visiting Association " founded specially for this object and partly by visiting committees of the Young Men's Christian Association. Local committees of the Ladies' Association have been formed very extensively throughout the colony. They communicate with their President, a lady residing at Melbourne ; and all communications with Mr. Duncan's department take place, we understand, through her.* On a child being licensed (after a month's trial) to service, the secretary of the committee in the locality to which it is sent is informed of its presence, and she appoints a visitor from among the members of her committee. It is the duty of the visitor to assure herself by personal obser- vation that the conditions imposed upon the employer are fulfilled. If any circumstance arise absconding, ill- treatment, serious illness, or death requiring the inter- vention of the department, the visitor must immediately report it, and the fact will reach the authorities through the President ; but if nothing unusual occurs, she reports periodically upon her charge ; her reports are tabulated with those of other visitors by the local secretary, and transmitted to the President, who half-yearly sends all she has received from the local committees to Mr. Duncan. Besides supervision by these organisations, the depart- * The President of the Association at the time of oxir stay in Melbourne, \vas absent from the colony, and we had not the advantage of learning the details of the working of the society from herself; but we believe our description is correct. We have thought it desirable to give porticulars, as they may suggest means for creating a similar organisation at home, where it would be as valuable as patronage societies for the same purpose are abroad. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 353 ment invites it from the clergyman of the denomination to which the child belongs, residing in the neighbourhood to which it is sent ; and the clergyman and the members of the said societies are requested not to discontinue their visits when the term of licence expires, because as it is remarked upon the printed form supplied to them " it may sometimes occur that advice and remonstrance, at the somewhat critical period when these children are freed from the control of the department, may prevent them from going astray." The system thus carefully provided for the surveillance of the children does not indeed secure it to all, some of them dwelling in places too remote to be visited; for information concerning these Mr. Duncan has to rely upon the police. 2 A 354 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTER XXI. Prisons of Victoria Female Convicts Establishment for Male Convicts at Pentridge View from Tower Crof'ton System Coburg Boys' Reformatory Melbourne Gaol Industrial School. IN the colony of Victoria there are ten ordinary gaols one at Melbourne and the rest in the provinces and three penal institutions, namely, Pentridge gaol, two hulks, and a house a few miles from Melbourne differing little from an ordinary dwelling ; all these latter, however, consti- tute but one penal establishment, in which male convicts alone are received. Female prisoners under sentence to penal servitude fulfil it in Melbourne gaol, with the advantage of so much of the enlightened system applied to the men as the circumstances of that over-crowded prison will permit. December ]8th. Mr. Duncan took us to Pentridge to see the gaol and also the Boys' reformatory there. Although five or six miles from town it may be considered a suburb of Melbourne, as we did not entirely escape from houses the whole way. Arrived at the prison we mounted the watch-tower, whence we could at a glance see the ground- plan of the gaol. Besides the view of the prison imme- diately beneath us, we obtained from our elevated position an excellent one of the country around. We beheld an undulating plain, perhaps thirty miles across, almost encircled by mountains. Sometimes a solitary height, bold inform, rises far above its neighbours of such Mount Macedon, at the termination of the Dividing Range, forms a striking example but low sweeping lines mostly mark their summits. Among them are the Plenty Ranges whence the metropolis obtains an abundant supply of water ; WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 355 and the Dandinong Hills, amidst which there is some fine scenery. Their nearest point may be reached in a long day's excursion from Melbourne ; but to enjoy their beauty thoroughly two or three days are needed, and com- fortable country inns along the route make such an expe- dition easy. Fern Tree Gully is a lovely spot where the fern-trees grow thirty feet high, and the graceful lyre-bird may still be sometimes seen. This ravine forms part of a State Forest-reserve, where the public are prohibited from cutting the trees or plants, and a ranger lives in a 'cottage in the glen to prevent the regulation being violated. The mountains under the sunless sky of to-day were of a uniform indigo colour. The intervening landscape burnt with summer heat, very much resembled a vast stubble- field, in the midst of which rose the loftier buildings of Melbourne, her suburbs extending for many miles around her. Looking now within the gaol enclosure we saw a large inner yard surrounded by a wall, on which are look-outs, each occupied by a sentry carrying a loaded gun. In this yard are several buildings separated from each other by a considerable space. They include Mr. Duncan's resi- dence, the officers' quarters, an infirmary, a day-yard with sheds for men who are in feeble health but not ill enough to be invalided, and three blocks, named respectively A, B, and C. Between this yard and the outer wall of the prison are seventeen acres of land which are cultivated by prisoners, and produce all the vegetables, except potatoes, they consume, and also hay for the cows and horses of the establishment. In the blocks A, B, and C, called "divisions," the prisoners are lodged in lour stages of their discipline, both the third and fourth being passed in division C. D is " intermediate " and, like C, includes two stages the fifth and sixth. The men who have reached the fifth stage occupy the hulks, which are moored off Williamstown four miles froai Melbourne ; and those in the sixth are lodged in the house we have mentioned (which is not strictly a 2A 2 356 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. prison), also at Williamstown. In both the latter stages they are employed on public works ; but prisoners are not eligible for the fifth and sixth whose sentences do not exceed twelve months they have not time to work up to them nor are those who have been re-convicted. At the termination of his sentence the prisoner is dis- charged in whatever stage he may be, and whether he has earned his appointed number of marks or not the substitution of a labour-punishment for a time-punish- ment not having yet been adopted in Victoria any more than elsewhere. We are still, all of us, content to turn offenders loose upon the community because a certain date has arrived, and not because they have "ceased to do evil, and learned to do well." If physicians treated their hospital patients on the corresponding principle, how great would be the outcry at their want of sense and of humanity ! A complete and carefully administered method of registering industry and general conduct by the acquisi- tion of marks is in full operation in the penal establish- ment of Victoria; the number earned regulating the prisoner's advance to a higher stage, accompanied by increased privileges, and if sufficient in amount, obtaining eventually the remission of a certain portion of the sentence. Thus it will be seen that the convict system of Victoria has been closely modelled on that of Sir Walter Crofton, arid it is needless therefore to describe it in detail. The adoption of his plan had been recommended by the Royal Commission, with the exception, however, of the very principle which gives vitality to the whole, that, namely, of vesting in the prisoner himself the power of shortening (within due limits) the term of his confinement. It would appear that heretofore too free a use of remission largely prevailed, the evil effect of which seems to have blinded the Commissioners to the value of that principle which, endorsed by the approval of the greatest authorities on penal discipline, constitutes a vital element of the Crofton system. Mr. Duncan, in the first Report issued WE A T WE SAW IN A US TRALIA. 357 by him after his appointment in 1870, points out the difference in its application, and urges that remission should within strict limits still be attainable.* Happily his view has prevailed. Descending from the tower, we visited each department we had seen from above. Cleanliness and order reign throughout ; and a very agreeable feature of the gaol is the pleasant sitting-room for the warders, containing a good library for their special use. The apartment is further adorned by a beautiful piece of sculpture executed by a former prisoner. The bearing of the officers towards the prisoners is kindly, while the manner of the prisoners is respectful without servility. Formerly the prisoners at Pentridge were regarded as dangerous, and only a few years ago a chaplain was murdered while ministering to one in his cell. Here, as at Darlinghurst, the change in this respect wrought by humane and reasonable treatment is very striking. The general aspect of the men is now favourable, and, except for the Government brand (two letters and a broad arrow on their clothes), might pass for ordinary workmen. Their attire consists of a coloured shirt, white moleskin trousers, grey cloth jacket, neckerchief, cabbage- tree hat, and a long loose jacket of coarse white flannel for wet weather. The hours of labour are from seven to five, exclusive of dinner and school. The latter, attended during the heat of the day, is discontinued, as regards men employed in hard labour, for the three winter months. There is a large library for the use of the prisoners, including the works of Dickens, Thackeray, Scott, Byron, &c., and theological books suited to lioman Catholics and Protestants selected by their respective chaplains. Among the prisoners, there are always some Chinese, but the library contains no Chinese books; the prison rules are, however, translated into their language. * 'Penal Establishments: Report of the Inspector-General for 1371.' Government Printer, Melbourne. 358 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. There are three chaplains (one is, we believe, Piesby- terian), but we were sorry to find there is no chapel or building of any kind appropriated solely to religious worship. One end of the dining-hall is shut off when required for the purpose. It is furnished with a harmonium, and a choir has been formed among the men. The infirmary wards are airy and tolerably cheerful. Connected with them is a large verandah for the use of the patients, commanding a fine view. Absence from work entails loss of labour-marks (though not those for good conduct), and there is very little malingering. The ordinary diet of the prisoners includes meat daily, bread, vegetables, and hominy eaten with brown sugar. This is so brown that at first sight we supposed it to be tobacco. We were told it is called " ration* sugar," and is of the same quality as that given to station servants. In the advanced stages of their detention the men's diet improves. Tea is supplied to them and also tobacco. The cells, 600 in number, and never occupied by more than one prisoner each, are lighted till bed-time, and are provided with means for summoning a warder. Pulling wool, plaiting straw, shoe-making, and clothes- mending are the employment of their occupants, but no work is given them during the first month of imprison- ment. The two punishment-cells can be made perfectly dark, but they are rarely used, as detention in ordinary cells on bread and water diet, with loss of marks, is usually found a sufficient punishment for gaol offences. The sentries in the look-outs, however, have orders to fire on prisoners attempting to escape ; once beyond the prison walls recapture is difficult, PO that strong preventive measures have to be used. Nine penal servitude men absconded during 1872 (two while in the intermediate stage), of whom, however, seven were recaptured. Prisoners have the use of a slate, and three books at a time, one religious, one educational, and one for recreation. Mr. Duncan aims at driving away depraved thoughts and Usually in the colonies pronounced " rasli'un." WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 359 evil designs by substituting wholesome mental food, but the recreation of literature and study is not allowed to interfere with work. Thus we saw books and slate piled in a neat little heap outside the cell-doors, during the working hours of prisoners who were still in the stage of separate confinement. The trades' teachers are not prison officers, and do not live within the gaol. Supervision by teachers or warders is not absolutely continuous ; but there are certain points of observation whence the prisoners can be seen without their knowing it, so that they are ignorant, when the officers are absent, whether they are being watched or not. There are workshops for hatters, carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, matmakers, tinsmiths, ironfounders, wool- combers, and weavers. " All work," Mr. Duncan is of opinion, " provided for prisoners should be not only useful, but of a kind the utility of which is apparent. Mere purposeless labour, and all expedients contrived to secure an expenditure of physical energy, without any corre- sponding results, are I think fatal to reform, and too often engender a spirit of sullen discontent."* He has there- fore provided ample choice of useful and remunerative employment, and the men become interested and in- dustrious. 6644?., in 1872, were paid into the Government Treasury, earned in cash by the men undergoing penal servitude, including those at Williamstown ; while the total value of their labour was estimated at 19,2 12/., the average number of prisoners being 704. Their total cost was ;-50,m'Z. The Coburg Reformatory for boys, in which Mr. Duncan and the ladies of his family take great personal interest, contains over a hundred, varying in age from eight to upwards of sixteen. The school was opened on the 80th of January, 1873, when the inmates were removed hither from the ' Sir Harry Smith ' Ship-reformatory, the use of which was then discontinued. The * Nelson ' Industrial School-ship is still in operation, containing 350 boys, * 'Penal Establishments Report for 1S71.' 360 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTBALIA. but for want of time we did not visit it. The gross cost of each boy at Coburg for the past year has been between 31Z. and 32, less about 61. for the value of his labour. The building the lads occupy was formerly a portion of the gaol, but great care has been taken to prevent any communication between the respective inmates, and it has been altered to make it as cheerful and unprison-like as circumstances permit. The dormitories (where an officer is on duty and a little gas burns throughout the night) are large and airy, and ground-glass panes in the windows conceal the strong bars outside, which cannot be removed without danger to the edifice. There is no band yet, but some thirty lads were put through their drill for us to see. They marched well, and looked bright and happy. The appearance of others at work in the tailoring and shoemaking shops was satis- factory. On the land attached to the reformatory several were busily employed, and seemed thoroughly interested in their occupation. Already fine vegetable crops are growing on what, till the boys came, was waste ground, rich only in huge stones. School is attended on the half- time plan, but we arrived too late to see the afternoon scholars at their lessons. To be placed out on licence is made the chief reward for good conduct ; but this cannot be done until the lad is thirteen, and has fulfilled half his sentence, nor even then with safety, we should think, unless the sentence be usually longer than the inspector's report shows it some- times is. " Very little good," he says, " can be done with those young persons who are sentenced to the reformatory for one year only. Under a two years' committal they can, if well behaved, be allowed out to service, under supervision, when they have completed twelve months of their term ; whereas, if committed for twelve months only, they return at the end of that time to their old companions and their former temptations."* The next day (December 19th) we visited Melbourne * ' Report on Reformatory and Industrial Schools for 1873.' Government Printer, Melbourne. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 361 gaol, which stands in the outskirts of the city. Here are congregated all the women sentenced to penal servitude in the whole colony; lads too old for a reformatory; several little children of female prisoners ; men and women tried at Melbourne and sentenced for less than two years; prisoners awaiting trial, under remand, or in want of bail ; and also insane, imbecile, and destitute persons, committed that they may be taken care of, and not yet transferred to the proper asylums, or for whom room therein cannot be found. The latter class ought never to be subjected to the misery and degradation of being brought within prison walls at all, and for the rest ample space for complete classification is of course of the first importance. Yet all these persons (more than 500 on the day of our visit) were assembled in a building with separate sleeping cells for only 212, the other inmates (chiefly women) being lodged frequently three in a cell, and overcrowded in the day-wards also. Thus we saw destitute and imbecile women in the same yards with those under punishment ; and penal servitude women (employed in sewing with the needle or with the machine), mixed up with those sentenced for a month. These occupied a large airy apartment, originally intended for a chapel. The uniform is not degrading in appearance, and the absence of the hideous caps female prisoners at home are usually required to wear is very pleasing. Nor is their hair cut short. It is very plainly but neatly dressed, the mode of its arrangement being strictly defined in the gaol regulations. The impossibility of duly classifying the prisoners prevents the mark system, in operation at Pentridge and vVilliamstown, being fully employed with the penal servi- tude women ; nominally, however, and to a limited extent practically, they are under its regulations, but there is no intermediate prison for them. The money gratuities they can earn are fixed at half the amount of those obtainable by the men on hard labour. Some of the women do the washing for the whole prison, and the best seemed to have been made of the limited 362 WHAT WE SAW JN AUSTRALIA. space available for a laundry. The cooking is done entirely by men, who also bring the women's food into their wards. We saw their supper of Indian-meal porridge carried in on large trays, which their bearers set upon the ground just within the door of the women's corridor. The hard labour men are employed in separate yards at stone- breaking ; most of them were working well. The youths are also kept away from the rest. For these latter prisoners only is there any school instruction. About ten of them in one of the yards were drawn up in line that we might speak to them. Poor lads ! they looked very much like their class in England. In the infirmary we found a little fellow in bed by himself who had been committed to prison simply because he had no one to take care of him, his father having gone up the country. Apparently there was not much illness in the case, but he had been crying in his cell, and seemed to have been brought to the infirmary by way of comforting him. Probably he would soon be transferred to a school, or be boarded-out. Two lads were in a cage-like compartment in one of the yards, and we spoke to them through the bars. They had been taken up for sleeping out-of-doors, and in dirt and rags would have equalled any street Arab at home. In a similar compartment we saw a finely-grown lad in sailor-dress, who would have been well-looking but for the hard expression on his handsome features, just convicted of the heinous offence of trying to set his ship on fire. We asked him where he came from, and learnt he had been a pauper orphan, and came from the ' Goliath.' He had been sentenced for two years to Coburg reformatory, and there he may yet, we will hope, retrieve himself. The gaol is very clean, and the infirmary arrangements are good. Indeed, throughout the building the utmost advantage has been taken of the wholly inadequate accom- modation. Mr. Duncan is of course fully aware of its de- ficiencies. In his last prison report, dated May 1874, he again dwells upon the importance of so remedying them as to " make that provision for the prisoners which a care WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 363 for their sanitary and moral welfare so urgently demands." The insufficiency of the accommodation in Melbourne Gaol, and its unfitness for carrying into effect a wise system of prison discipline was urged in the report of the Royal Commission, and it is melancholy to find most of the evils there enumerated undiminished. In the afternoon we visited the St. Kilda Road Industrial School for boys, girls, and infants, to which the sickly children who come under the care of the State are generally sent. The buildings were described in the report of the Royal Commission as " in all respects unsuitable for the purpose;" they "form a portion of the military barrack, and the local military force occupies the other portion. Such a situation for a school of several hundred girls is so obviously unsuitable that it needs not to be enlarged upon. ... It lies on the edge of a swamp, and has an exceed- ingly cheerless aspect,"* and so indeed it impressed us, in spite of our seeing it this sunny summer afternoon. The elder boys are separated from the other inmates, and work in the Botanical Gardens and Government parks. Girls who have been at service and are returned to the school are also kept apart. They are employed in wash- ing, and elder girls freshly committed are placed with them. The babies and very little children are in wards by themselves, and some of these were indeed a piteous sight. Among several who were in the hospital-ward two deserted infants, a few weeks old, were sinking under disease, and want of their proper food. Everything appeared to be done for them that the nature of the institution permitted, but each needed individual watch- ing and cherishing.t A tiny baby dying by itself in the corner of a large ward, not crying because too feeble to emit a sound, but gasping out its last breath as it lies upon its cot when it should be in a mother's arms, is a ghastly spectacle which once beheld can never be forgotten ! The younger girls were at play, and though they did * Report (No. 3), p. 6. t Wet-nurses are obtained for young infants when possible, but at present there is a deficiency. 364 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. not look robust they gave us the impression of being kindly and wisely cared for by their matron. They do the housework under the direction of servants. All the children attend worship on Sundays outside the school. They and the officers alike belong to different creeds, and the officers take each their little flock to their own church. The number in the school to-day is about three hundred. It has been greatly diminished within the present year by boarding-out, and probably will be still further decreased ; and as it is proposed to build a suitable school in the Royal Park for such of the permanent children as cannot be placed in cottage homes, this will, we understand, become merely a reception-house. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 365 CHAPTEK XXII. Melbourne Home for Servants Model Lodging-house Benevolent Asylum Boarding-out St. Kilda Boys' Industrial School at Sun- bury Ladies' Benevolent Society. THERE are so many institutions we desire to see, and the time wo can appropriate to Melbourne is comparatively so short, that we are obliged occasionally to economise it by dividing; each, under the kindly guidance of residents interested in these institutions, going her separate way. Thus on December 20th, E was taken to see the " Governesses Institute and Melbourne Home for Ser- vants," and the Model Lodging-house. The Home, which is also a Eegistry Office, was established in 1864. It receives governesses, sempstresses, and domestic servants, and will accommodate thirty inmates. A gentlemen's committee gives assistance when needed, but a committee of ladies are practically the managers, one or more of whom are daily present. The house, built by subscrip- tion supplemented by a Government grant, is very conveniently arranged, and looks extremely comfortable. The institution is now self-supporting. The charges per week for board and lodging are, for a governess I/., or 17s. if she share her bedroom with another ; for sempstresses 13s. ; and for servants 12s. ; all to be paid in advance, unless, in the discretion of the committee, an applicant be permitted instead to sign an undertaking to pay as soon as she is able. Of the servants comparatively few remain more than a very short time. The demand for them is so great that a good servant need never be out of place. There exists in Melbourne (as also in Sydney) a " Society for the Promotion of Morality," which is con- 366 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. stantly on the watch for opportunities to initiate useful enterprises, apparently relinquishing each when fairly launched to the management of persons specially in- terested in the undertaking, reserving its own strength to set fresh schemes afloat. In this way it has established the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society ; it promoted the passing of a Bill through Parliament for the suppression of gambling-houses, and originated a Reading-room and Club for factory boys. Some of its members are connected with the Servants' Home, and every emigrant ship that arrives, bringing young women, is met by a representative of the society, who informs them of the respectable lodgings there provided ; and gives each a short printed letter, containing most useful and kindly advice, together with the addresses of persons to whom they are urged to apply in case of trouble or difficulty. In visits paid by the members of the society in perform- ance of their self-imposed and most benevolent duties to the low lodging-houses of the city, the wretched haunts to which working-men were compelled, for want of better, to betake themselves came under their notice, and to pro- vide accommodation which should be both morally and physically wholesome, they formed a Company for the erection of a Model Lodging-house to receive 200 men. It was opened in September last, and forms a large and handsome block of buildings in the business part of Melbourne, the ground upon which it stands having been a gift from Government. The general arrangements are good, and the beds look very comfortable ; they are in large dormitories which have baths and lavatories at- tached. The charge is Gd. or 9d. a night, varying with the part of the building occupied ; and the under- taking promises to be a pecuniary success. During last month more than 50Z. were taken beyond the working expenses, and it is expected the shares will pay eight per cent. R was shown the Benevolent Asylum, the object of which, set forth in its bye-laws, is '' to relieve the aged, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 367 infirm, disabled, or destitute, of all creeds, and nations, and to administer to them the comforts of religion."* It supplies the place of a workhouse with us, but is under voluntary management, and is supported by subscriptions, largely supplemented by a State grant. In 1872, the latter amounted to 8500Z., while the total income was a little over 12,OOOZ. On a list of "Life Governors" there are the names of several ladies, but the acting committee consists entirely of gentlemen. The report informs us that " the institution has been full throughout the year, and numerous necessitous cases have had to be rejected, especially amongst the female applicants." It is to be hoped tbat they obtained help from other charities ; but it will be remembered that in Melbourne gaol yester- day we found women committed to it simply because they were destitute. We can but conclude that the accommo- dation, which the arrangements of the building render available for male inmates only, must be much more extensive than that appropriated to the other sex, as, notwithstanding the refusal of admission to women greatly needing assistance, we learn from the report for the year 1873 that the number of female inmates was less than half that of the men. All are so far aged and infirm as to be, or to be be- lieved to be, incapable of earning their living. * Many are bedridden, and the deaths in ]872 amounted to 83, upon an average population of 626. f Still those who are able are expected to work five hours a day, obtaining for their labour a small remuneration. Pay- ment for work by the piece has been lately introduced, and much more is accomplished now than formerly. The inmates make their clothes, including boots and shoes, and pick oakum ; but the nursing and service of the house is done entirely by paid servants, whom R saw * ' Twenty-third Annual Report of the Benevolent Asylum,' Melbourne, 1873. t This average i-> approximate only, being obtained by adding tbe numbers present on January 1st, 1872, and January 1st, 1873, and halving the total. 368 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. waiting on the men at dinner. Otherwise this was served much as in an English workhouse, except that the food was more abundant. The building struck K as very large ; but it con- tains no day-room except the dining-hall, and the wards are crowded, many of the invalids sitting up by their bedsides provided, however, with comfortable chairs. A few small rooms are allotted to married couples. In one of the corridors E, met a lively old lady, who claimed to be ninety-six years of age. She could read without spectacles, and was conscious of no diminution in her power of hearing. Her son had sent for her from England, and she boasted that she had a grandson a minister of religion. Why she was dependent on public charity E could not learn. The urgent recommendation by the Koyal Commis- sioners, in their Report on Industrial and Reformatory Schools, to substitute, as far as possible, boarding-out for these institutions, has, though issued only in 1872, been so promptly and extensively acted upon, that already 600 children are placed out with foster-parents. Acting upon the suggestion of the Commission, the Victorian Government invited the co-operation of the clergy, and that also of ladies. " To the ladies of Victoria," says Mr. Duncan, under whose department the administration of. the system falls, "the Government is much indebted for the willing assistance rendered in finding suitable homes for so many children. As the result of the request for co-operation in this work, fifty-four committees were in a short time formed in various parts of the colony ; and by all these ladies' committees, as soon as a few official diffi- culties had been got rid of, willing and painstaking assistance has been afforded."* After expressing his satisfaction in this successful initiation of the system, and mentioning a curious result of its adoption, with which we are familiar at home the application, namely, of parents * ' Report of the Inspector of Industrial and Reformatory Schools in Victoria for the year 1873.' Issued July 1874. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 369 for their children on their being transferred to homes from the schools he points out difficulties yet to be guarded against, as well as those which already had arisen. The latter were consequent chiefly upon the rapidity with which so large a number of children had been put out, but were also partly owing to the fact that some were too old to fall into their places in the families where they had been received.* He recommends the observance of rules similar to those with which our Local Government Board accompanied its Boaiding-out Order of 1870; indeed the method adopted in Victoria is already in some degree identical with that established by the Order. The Ladies Committees (unlike those of the Ladies Associa- tion, already described, for visiting children licensed from schools) are not parts of one large society, but are inde- pendent of each other, and communicate, through their secretaries, directly with the department. Each receives thence the money for the maintenance of the children under its care, and pays it periodically to the foster- parents. The amount varies with the age of the child, but averages for all rather more than 5s. a-week. In estimating the cost of the syt-tem, however, the value of the child's schooling should be added, calculated in the Industrial Schools at 1Z. 2s. 3d. per annum. There is also some extra expense at present imposed upon the department, and doubtless very much additional labour, by the correspondence which has to be carried on with the boarding-out committees scattered over the colony ; they must, however, eventually be set off against the staff expenses of the schools, which will, of course, be greatly diminished if boarding-out prevails. The committees consist usually of about twelve members, and each has its own president and secretary. On various occasions we have met with ladies thus engaged in car- rying the system into effect. It is gratifying to learn that, so far as their experience enables them to judge, they * Two-thirds were above seven years old, considerably more than a hun- dred were upwards of ten, and several had been put out even afttr they were twelve. 2 B 370 -WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. believe it to be perfectly applicable to the circumstances of their country ; and to find that it is exciting, alike in the ladies who supervise, and in the foster-parents who receive the children, the same warm interest in their welfare which is awakened in those practically concerned in conducting boarding-out at home. We visited this afternoon a member of a committee at St. Kilda, who kindly gave us much information con- cerning the working of the plan. She also took us to see one of the houses under her surveillance. The foster-parents, who had no children of their own, had re- ceived a family of four, all delicate, and sent to them for that reason, from the St. Kilda Koad Industrial School about two months ago. They were still sickly in appear- ance, but looked much better, we were told, than when they first came. The cottage was a good one, and the condition of the children satisfactory. St. Kilda, four miles from Melbourne, with which it is connected by railway, is a handsome and thriving watering- place. A fine esplanade extends far along the beach, from which lead wide streets, intersected by others running parallel with the sea. It contains a few remarkably hand- some mansions, long rows of comfortable villas with gardens, tolerable shops, several churches, a townhall, some good hotels, and a large bathing establishment, the portion of the beach reserved for bathers being duly fenced to prevent the entrance of sharks, who, it is said, con- gregate outside, and look with hungry eye at the prey they cannot reach ! December 22nd. We went with Mr. Duncan, by railway, to Sunbury, twenty-four miles from Melbourne, to see a large Industrial School for boys, and a Reformatory for girls. Our route lay across the parched plain until we approached our destination, which is at the edge of the hilly country. The schools are placed upon a broad round eminence, whence there is a fine view over a prettily wooded and broken foreground, in which is the estate of Mr. Francis, the present Prime Minister, who is a large wine-grower ; while beyond rise range after range of low WE A T WE SAW IN A USTPA II A. 371 mountains, of a rich soft blue almost equalling, this fine summer day, that of the Blue Mountains themselves. The situation of the school has been complained of as bleak and remote, ill- provided with fuel, and having its water-supply at the bottom of the hill, whence it has to be pumped to the top.* The soil, indeed, looks rocky and unproductive ; and the distance from Melbourne doubtless deprives the institutions of the benefit of voluntary super- vision and assistance. But it is an advantage for the children to be thus beyond the reach of evil relatives and companions, while the air seemed to us most agreeably invigorating. The moral aspect of the boys the Com- missioners reported upon very unfavourably, attributing it to the want of healthful employment and suitable re- creation. Great changes for the better have evidently been effected since their Report drew attention to the state of the school probably in consequence of it. In many respects, indeed, this establishment appeared to us worthy of comparison with Mettray. The same division into groups prevails (here there are about fifty boys in each), occupying distinct dwellings, unenclosed by any walls. The houses are one-storeyed, and have broad verandahs, where are placed the baths and lavatories. They consist, besides, of a large airy dormitory, a day- room, and an apartment for an officer and his wife, some- times placed between the former, but sometimes at one end of the building, a less convenient arrangement for supervision. The boys were being drilled before dispersing to school or work after dinner, when we arrived; they looked bright and happy, and fairly healthy. In the infirmary we found very few patients, and these were suffering from chronic disease. A medical officer resides at the school, but he takes private practice also. The boys range in age from five to twelve or thirteen. Under eight, they attend school in the morning and afternoon; after that age they are half-timers, and these seemed to us to enjoy their lessons Report (No. 3). 2 B 2 372 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. more than the little ones, and to be admirably taught the three subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic, to which, besides singing, their instruction is limited. Including the schoolmaster and his assistants, and the trades-teachers, there are fifty-two officers, while the number of boys is now 520. In the superintendent, Mr. Scott, the services of a gentleman have been secured who seems admirably suited to his post, and calculated, by his enlightened zeal in the discharge of his duties, to raise still higher the tone of the institution, already greatly improved. There is a garden in which the lads work, besides, we understood, reclaiming the surrounding land ; and they have cows, pigs, and sheep to take care of. They make their jackets and trousers, and, under superintendence, cook, bake, and scrub. The houses were beautifully clean, and those of the rooms which have been lately built are very cheerful and commodious. In employing a husband and wife to take charge of each group of boys, the excellent example of Eed Hill has been followed. Each couple presides over its own "family" at meals, which are taken in a common hall. This latter arrangement seemed to us a mistake, as every house pos- sesses an excellent day-room, scarcely used apparently, except in the evening, when the boys occupy it, and amuse themselves with reading, games, &c. From the Industrial School we walked half a quarter of a mile across a field to a small range of buildings opening into a little court, the entrance to which is kept locked. The matron, who takes great interest in her work, is also female superintendent of the boys' school, and to her the wards-women (as the officers' wives are called) are respon- sible. She resides, however, at the Reformatory, and has two assistants under her the number of girls being twenty-five. She seemed to adopt as much as possible the arrangements of a family, and the manner and appearance of the girls certainly betokened individual care. When we arrived a portion of them were at lessons, taught by one of the masters from the Industrial School, who instructs them when school-hours there are over. A female officer WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 373 was present, but was not teaching. The arrangement seemed to us a very extraordinary one, especially as many of the pupils are almost young women ; but we were assured that it works well, and that the girls are always docile and respectful to their instructor. Besides making their clothes, mending for the boys when there is a press of work, and doing their own housework and washing, they wash all the boys' clothes, including their moleskin trousers ; and as these are always changed once, and sometimes twice, a-week, the girls must work hard. Their accommodation is very scanty ; in the same room they eat, sew, and take their lessons, and there is but one dormitory. As the building contains no infirmary-ward, a poor girl, far ad- vanced in consumption, was being nursed in the same room where her schoolfellows would sleep. We understand that an additional dormitory will shortly be built on the fourth side of the court, which, with the two other rooms and the laundry, kitchen, &c., will then be quite enclosed, and will afford too little space, we fear, for the exercise and variety of objects essential for young people. The annual cost of the two schools is stated together in the Inspector's Keport, and, after deducting the value of labour and produce supplied to other Government insti- tutions, amounts to 201. 11s. Sd. per head. One of the numerous and very instructive tables which Mr. Duncan includes in his Keports shows that the cost has fluctuated greatly during the past seven years. In 1867 it exceeded '261., while in 1871 it sank to 17Z. 10s. The average num- bers in the schools have varied considerably, though not to the same extent. In 1869, and again in 1872, they reached 724 ; for this year they are 613, a considerable diminution upon any in the preceding six years, to be attributed, doubtless, in part to children having been boarded-out, who otherwise would be in the Industrial Schools.* It is perhaps too soon for the improvements recently introduced into the management of juvenile offenders to have affected * ' Report of the Inspector of Industrial and Reformatory Schools for 1873,' pp. 16, 17. 374 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the numbers in the schools ; but we may hope that this will also cause a yet further decrease.* Before we reached Victoria we had heard of the valuable aid rendered by ladies to the community in important public work. One of its branches, the administration, namely, of Out-relief in the colony, we had learnt was entirely in their hands. Our wish for information on the subject becoming known to some members of the "Mel- bourne Ladies' Benevolent Society " (which expends the sums collected for this purpose), they most kindly facili- tated our inquiries. From the Reports f furnished to us we learn that the society was founded in 1 845. Except for a brief period, when a Gentlemen's Committee had a short-lived existence, it has consisted entirely of ladies. Twenty-four form the com- mittee, and the wife of the Governor of the colony may be said to be ex officio its patroness. It appears to have been originally a purely private association, the purpose of which was " to relieve the wants of the poor, particularly females, by supplying them with clothes, food, and necessaries;" and, to prevent imposition, all cases relieved were to be visited by a member of the committee, unless satisfactorily recom- mended. Visitation, however, has long been the unbroken rule in all cases. In apology if apology be needed for the existence of the society, it is remarked, " in" older and more settled communities the poor have commonly some relations or friends to aid them in their emergencies ; but here, crushing misfortune, through sudden bereave- ment, or sickness, or otherwise, frequently befals those * In a letter from Mr. Duncan, dated January 27th, 1875, he writes: " The schools here are decreasing in number as a consequence of the con- tinued success of the boarding-out system, which the Ladies' Committees so materially assist in promoting. Sunbury the Boys' school you visited will cease to exist, as a school, in a few weeks. It is intended to occupy the buildings and site as a farm for harmless insane persons. The new school at the Royal Park will be completed in about a year, and I am of opinion that, in a few years, it will be sufficient for the accommodation of all the children who will remain within the schools." t ' Annual Reports of the Melbourne Ladies' Benevolent Society.' Mel- bourne; Evans Brotheis, 44, Collins Street, West. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 375 who, as recent arrivals, have no such resources, and in their isolated and helpless state they are in danger of perishing." Another perhaps more pitia.ble class among those relieved are persons, " formerly accustomed to hold a highly respectable position in society, becoming, through sickness or misfortune, reduced to the positive want of the bare necessaries of life." The Association represents many forms of faith, and gives its help irrespective of creed or nationality. In 1860 it was resolved to establish an Industrial Home for the reception of women and children in whose cases out-relief seemed inexpedient, a few such being usually on the Society's books. A house was taken for the pur- pose in the city, but the institution was subsequently re- moved to a comparatively rural district, where it is still in operation. " It has proved especially helpful to mothers of infants whose state of health required their almost constant attention, by enabling them to get medical attendance, good nursing, and change of air ; ' and much useful service has been gratefully rendered to the institu- tion by these women. Children are also received to board at the Home on the application both of labouring men who have lost their wives, and of kindred societies. The work of the society was greatly increased in 1869 by tbe committees of the Benevolent Asylum, and of the Immigrants' Home relinquishing to it all administration of out-relief, which thus came into its hands for the whole city. "Confining out-door relief to one society is most desirable, and prevents imposition," say the ladies in their twenty-fourth Report. It may justly be added that it displays gratifying confidence in their mode of ad- ministering such relief. The great extent to which the suburbs had attained led in the same year to the formation of local societies ; the parent association continuing to administer relief in Melbourne proper, and still covering all ground not other- wise occupied. The city is divided into small districts, each of which a member of the committee is appointed to 376 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. visit. A map correspondingly divided, with each district numbered, and the name of its visiting lady entered on the margin, forms one of the published documents of the society. The system pursued resembles that in operation at Elberfield ; there, however, men alone discharge this charitable duty, the reason alleged being, we have heard, that women are too weak to resist importunity from unworthy applicants. Another among the points of difference is the important one, that whereas at Elberfield a visitor is permitted to undertake only four cases' (i. e. families) in order to secure thoroughness of investiga- tion into their circumstances, the increase of population at Melbourne now throws the care of about forty families upon each member of the committee, and thus acquaintance with the condition of the applicants must be less complete. Belief is given chiefly in kind ; but sometimes rent is paid, or tools are redeemed from pawn, or a sewing- machine, or other means of employment may be supplied. When money is spent it is usually regarded as a gift, not as a loan. The committee has met " for despatch of business " every alternate Tuesday since the foundation of the society twenty-seven years ago. We were permitted to be present at the meeting of December 23rd, when about twenty members attended. A printed list setting forth the routine of topics for consideration is supplied to each lady, and strictly adhered to. Thus the proceedings are very orderly, and the subjects that successively arise are rapidly disposed of. " Cases " stand last upon this list. Each member's report of families visited and grants made during the past fort- night, entered upon a form with which she has been sup- plied at the previous meeting, is read aloud. The grants average rather under Is. per head per week. If there be a new case, its circumstances are briefly explained ; the old ones are simply enumerated. If a difficulty has occurred it is submitted to the meeting. The sexes of those relieved must be specified in the report, this information being needed for a return furnished yearly to the Kegistrar- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 377 General. Each report as it is read is handed to the secretary of the society who prepares from all a short statement of the relief given during the past fortnight, which is published in the ' Argus ' and the ' Age,' the leading daily papers of Melbourne. The only case which came before the committee in detail to-day was contained in a letter from a widow in service who had two children to support, her earnings being 12s. a week while their board cost 12s. 6d. She asked the committee to advise her how to meet this difficulty, and to help her with clothing. Alter a very short deliberation a grant was made. We were surprised the case was not to be investi- gated, until it was explained to us that the woman was well-known to the committee, and could be trusted not to abuse its aid. A " Belief Card " is used when help in kind is given (consisting usually of bread and groceries, but sometimes including meat), which when the required entries by the visiting lady and the tradesman who supplies the goods have been made, constitutes his authority for supplying them and his bill against the society. It is handed to the treasurer at the ensuing meeting, who returns the lady a cheque for the amount. She discharges the bill before the next meeting, and then gives the treasurer the receipt. The funds this society administers have greatly increased of late years. Originally we believe they were derived from private resources alone. In the tenth Report, how- ever (the earliest in our possession), we find " unclaimed poundage fees from Government" contributing 500?. to a total of 1111?. In the year 1860 this amount is ex- ceeded by only a few pounds, the total including a large sum, the proceeds of a lecture by the Rev. Thomas Binney (then visiting the colony) delivered at the Mel- bourne Young Men's Institute. Six years later the whole annual income is slightly over 1400?., but Government aid had meanwhile lapsed. To regain this urgent efforts seem to have been made, and with success, but only to the extent of 500?. By 1869, however, we find nearly 3000?. derived from this source 378 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. alone, the total income exceeding 5300Z. ; and in 1872 nearly 4000?. of the public money was administered by this society ; similar associations elsewhere also receiving grants. One of the conditions to any society or institution receiving State aid in Victoria is that its secretary shall periodically supply the Treasury with a full state- ment of its accounts, verified by declaration before a Justice of the Peace. Another is that a sum equal to one-third of the grant desired shall be proved to have been raised by private subscriptions. These conditions being fulfilled, application may be made for a share of the sum of 120,000?., annually voted by Parliament to be divided among the charities of the colony. In the debate in the Lower House on the vote for 1873, it appeared that the grant to the Melbourne Ladies' Benevolent Society would be reduced 25 per cent, in consideration of their having a large balance remaining from the previous year a circumstance attributed by one of the speakers to the economy with which their funds are administered. WUA T WE SA W IN A USTEALIA. 379 CHAPTER XXIII. Public Library Museum Art Galleries Mothers' Meeting Back- slums Industrial Home Christmas Day Dust-Storm Boxing Day Cricket Match Out-relief Immigrants' Home. DECEMBER 23ED. In the afternoon we visited the Public Library, Museum, and Art Galleries, and had the advan- tage of being taken over the whole of the remarkably handsome and commodious building they occupy in Swan- ston Street by one of the gentlemen holding an appoint- ment in the institution. The foundation-stone was laid in 1854, and the library was opened to the public two years later. The edifice, which stands back from the road in pleasure-grounds, though already very large, is not yet completed. When finished, it will be a really magnificent building. The ground-floor is occupied by galleries for sculpture and painting. Copies of Raphael's cartoons, of the Elgin marbles, and many others of the art treasures of the world have been obtained ; and there are several modern paintings of high character, mingled, it must be admitted, with very inferior examples. Government makes an annual grant, we understand, of 1000Z. for the purchase of pictures and statues, 2000?. for books, and 1000Z. for additions to the general museum. The pictures which formed the nucleus of the collection were selected by Sir Charles Eastlake, and those now purchased in Europe are, we believe, chosen by Mr. iluskin. Australian scenery has found most successful interpreters in Chevalier and Buvelot, whose pictures greatly adorn the gallery. The former has been induced to return to Europe ; but M. Buvelot remains, and in his studio, as well as in the museum, we saw landscapes in the 380 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. interior, which made us long to visit the lovely scenes portrayed. The views among the Australian Alps recalled the chesnut-clad slopes on the Italian side of their European namesakes. The galleries are rendered available as Art-schools, the students having admission in the early part of the day, before the doors are thrown open to the public. In the rear of the Art-galleries, with which it com- municates, is the extensive range of building erected for the Exhibition of 1866, substantially constructed with a view to its future incorporation with the main edifice, when this needs enlargement ; meanwhile it affords a spacious and admirably lighted location for the Industrial and Tech- nological Museum. We examined with great interest the abundant collection of objects connected with goldmining, quartz, alluvial soil, specimens of the pure metal, fac- similes of remarkable nuggets (very like Brobdingnagian potatoes in form), and models of various and most ingenious implements for quartz-crushing and earth-washing. One of the attendants, who had himself been a digger, showed us how several of these are used. The gold-bearing quartz is white, with streaks of a grey or olive hue, and the gold is usually found in these streaks ; the alluvial soil, whence the precious metal is obtained by washing, looks much like rottenstone. In connection with the Technological department courses of scientific lectures are delivered. There is, too, a class for female students in telegraphy, whom we saw in busy manipulation. The Library is on the first-floor, and is entered by a turnstile recording the number of visitors, which amounts to an average of between six and seven hundred daily. It is a most agreeable and commodious apartment, and the readers (of very different ranks) we found in it seemed thoroughly to enjoy the advantages it affords. There are upwards of 70,000 volumes, including a good general library ; a large collection of local and European Parlia- mentary documents ; a gift from the Queen of the works of the Prince Consort, accompanied by an autograph letter from herself, placed in a glass-case in the centre of the WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 381 reading-room ; the writings of Lepsius on Egypt, presented by the Emperor of Germany; and a fine collection of French books from the late Emperor of the French. Geological and topographical maps and anatomical charts are suspended on the walls, and facsimiles of historical documents of imperial interest, e. g. Magna Charta and the Death-warrant of Charles I.; and others of more local value, among which is a copy of almost the first news- paper published at Melbourne. It was not printed but written, and the issue was consequently very small. The first of these productions was nailed to a tree, and its con- tents perused in situ. These consisted of little more, however, than advertisements and public notices, with a flavouring of accidents and other startling occurrences. The books are well classified, and conveniently arranged for readers to help themselves from the shelves, to which they also restore the volumes after use. The confidence thus placed in the care and honesty of the public is not often betrayed, though instances have occurred of gross abuse. In some cases pages or even sheets have been stolen, the more remarkable thefts being of sermons, which have been cut out of the volumes containing them. The plunderers displayed more taste in their depredations than benefit derived from their studies, the discourses abstracted being those of Arnold, Butler, Blair, Heber, and ' Great Sermons of Great Preachers.' * All classes are admitted ; for though young persons under fourteen are nominally excluded, students below that age are allowed to come, if they do not annoy their com- panions. The reading-room, 40 feet high and 230 feet long by 40 wide, has galleries sufficiently broad to be fur- nished with tables and chairs, forming many almost private studies for readers who desire to be alone. A portion of the main room is divided from the rest by curtains, and reserved for female students. There is a lending branch of the Library, which circulates books among country * ' Report of the Trustees for 1872.' Ferres, Government Printer, Mel- bourne. 382 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. institutes; but the expense of carriage to the borrowers has limited its operations, and this it has been proposed Government should defray.* From the roof of the building we obtained a fine view of Melbourne. Its great extent, and large, and in many instances very fine buildings, are amazing when one recollects that forty years ago its site was untrodden by the white man. Knowing our desire to see different phases of social life here, Canon Becher, the incumbent of St. James, invited us to attend a tea, to be given this evening to the members of a Mothers' Meeting belonging to his parish. St. James's, we may mention, is the Cathedral Church of Melbourne ; but from its extreme hideousness, both within and without, and its obviously recent origin, it is most unworthy of a title full of beautiful and venerable associations. We could not but marvel that among the many handsome buildings of the metropolis a Protestant Cathedral has not yet found a place. It was still broad daylight when we repaired to the large school -room in which, decorated with mottoes and greenery, the company were to assemble. Most hospitable provision had been made for the guests, but comparatively few came, and of these several arrived after the meal was finished a fact significant of the abundance of food with them. One woman appeared so far intoxicated that she, with difficulty, made her way up the room, and did eventually stumble and fall. In an English meeting of the kind she would not probably have been allowed to enter; but much greater liberty must be given here, and it was thought best to let her remain and keep her as quiet as possible. With this exception the guests dif- fered little from the same class at home, except that they had not the sad pinched look which comes of insufficient nourishment. After tea, when prayer was followed by friendly con- versation among all, and addresses from some of the ladies ' Report of the Trustees for 1872.' WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 383 and gentlemen present, the " larrikins " were active outside, making their presence known by many a bang at the door. Canon Becher, in walking with us to our hotel, made a circuit to show us Synagogue Lane, which supplies the Melbourne Police Court with its worst class of offenders. It was perfectly quiet to-night ; and though a narrow street here, it is, as compared with corresponding "slums" at home, so wide and well-looking, that it is difficult to believe it is the special haunt of the criminal class. Vice, however, as distinct from crime, is more apparent in other parts of the city, we were told. This afternoon we visited the Industrial Home, which the Ladies' Benevolent Society decided, in 1860, to open. Its object is "to provide a temporary home for women, with such young children as may be dependent on them, during occasional intervals of employment ; to assist in procuring employment for them, in service or otherwise ; and to give them temporary occupation, as far as possible, of a kind remunerative to the institution, until they can again find employment,"* and is open to all, of whatever nation or creed. It occupies a house standing in a large garden at South Yarra, capable of receiving thirty inmates, or more. The rules apparently are as lax as prudence permits, and the place has as little as possible the air of an " institution." The Home acts as a labour-test. If a woman apply to the parent society for aid, whose cha- racter makes it doubtful whether out-relief would not be abused, she is invited to live in the Home, and to bring her children with her, if she have any. There is a rule to the effect that married women, widows, or deserted wives, alone shall be admitted ; but as there is no other equally suitable refuge for the unmarried who desire to do well, these also are allowed to come in. Sometimes in- mates have to be dismissed for insubordinate conduct, some- times they depart of their own accord, dissatisfied with * 'Fourteenth Report of the Melbourne Ladies' Benevolent Society.' 384 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTSALIA. an asylum which requires them to work ; but many benefit from the kindly shelter, and the opportunity of obtaining permanent employment it affords. Washing is taken in large quantities, and all the women are expected to labour to the extent of their ability. They are not paid wages, but receive board and lodging for themselves and their children ; and the latter are sent to day-schools in the neighbourhood. The garden is valuable as a drying- ground, and supplies the Home with vegetables ; but a gardener cultivates it, all the women who are strong enough being needed in the laundry. There were only five to-day equal to the labour, but they were working with a will, and doing their work well; still, with the Christmas holidays at hand, which obliges the matron to send the linen home by the middle of the week, she has for some days had a hired woman to help. There were four or five feeble-looking inmates occupied in housework, or taking care of children. Indeed, the poor creatures are not infrequently admitted when out of health, to promote their recovery before being recommended to service. Some stay a long time, if they have two or three children, who are here an impediment to the mother taking a place. If, however, she be willing to part with them, she has little difficulty in getting them committed by a magistrate as destitute, when they are sent to an Industrial School, and thence probably boarded-out; the mother, however, being liable to contribute to their support. We were extremely pleased with this little institution ; and it is certainly highly creditable to its managers, that with a very fluctuating population, some of whom are in- valids and a large proportion children, the earnings of the Home last year covered more than half of its expenditure. December 25th. Signs that Christmas is approach- ing have been very general the last lew days. Besides announcements of all kinds of festivities, toys, sweetmeats, and cakes have abounded in the shop- windows, and there has been a great display of greenery for purchase, which has now found its way to its destination. This includes in some instances the outside as well as inside of houses, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 385 boughs being placed over their entrances. Ferns and gum-tree branches seem to be most generally used, but at Midsummer they naturally soon lose their freshness, and do not compare for beauty with our holly and other ever- greens. During the morning a dust-storm arose, so severe that every now and then when a strong gust of wind brought volumes of sand, the houses opposite our windows became invisible through the thick white mist. The hydrants with which the streets of Melbourne are watered were in constant use to mitigate the evil as much as possible. The storm did not prevail beyond the city, at least in the direction in which we went, nor was it indeed considered a severe visitation anywhere. We heard that sometimes these storms are so dense that the drivers of vehicles have to lead their horses, holding a light in their hands to make known their presence. This afternoon we went by railway to call upon friends in one of the suburbs, and saw an abundance of well- dressed pleasure-seekers; but the proportion of family groups was smaller than on Christmas Day in England. The Scotch are numerous here, and perhaps they have brought with them their national disregard for this as a family festival. The day is more brilliant than in our finest summer weather, and the sun more powerful than we ever know him in our latitude ; but there is a colder wind blowing than we are accustomed to at the correspond- ing season at home. It does not, however, prevent picnics. Many passengers left the train at " Picnic Station " close to a Government Keserve tolerably rich in trees, but, as they are gums, affording little shelter from the sun. In driving out to Toorak to dine at Government House (where the after-dinner toast was "The Queen God bless her!") we were again among the holiday-makers, but although it was evening we saw neither drunkenness nor rough behaviour. December 26th. This we are informed is a far more general holiday than yesterday, and besides the usual festivities of Boxing-day, is distinguished by the cricket 2 c 386 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. match between the eighteen Victorians and the All England Eleven. F had occasion to go to Toorak very early, and although her train started before nine in the morning, already the station was crowded with passengers leaving town or arriving from the country. There was no pushing or rude behaviour ; everyone seemed good-tempered and desirous to promote the convenience of all. The railway passes the cricket-ground, and on her return she saw this large space, the price of entrance to which was half-a- crown, lined very many rows deep with brightly-attired company. The Governor, and 30,000 of his subjects were expected to be present. The grand stand was filling fast, and round about the enclosure were large numbers bent on seeing all that could be seen from the outside. Meanwhile K had availed herself of an invitation to accompany a member of the Ladies' Benevolent Society in a round of visits to the families under her charge. The visits are of course not made at fixed times, and to-day was kindly chosen to suit E 's scanty leisure ; another would have shown her more of the inhabitants, as the holiday had emptied several of the dwellings. Most of the families she saw occupy distinct houses, frequently built of wood and extremely small. There were one or two that in dirt and neglect rivalled any similar tenements in England, but standing in wide streets and under brighter skies they did not impress R as equally squalid. The recipients of the Society's aid resembled their class at home. Some were thrifty and self-helpful, others plainly needed the spur of necessity to exert them- selves. Some evidently shrank from asking for help, while others were quite willing to beg. In one family, consisting of a very miserable-looking deserted wife who yet seemed reluctant to seek aid her little child and her mother who had no such scruples, a visitor, stout in form and red in face, was introduced by the latter to E. 's companion and herself as " this lady from Sydney." Her gay attire, consisting of a transparent white bonnet trimmed with brilliant pink and a pea-green dress, probably be- WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 387 tokened that she had come to Melbourne to honour the cricket match with her presence. " This lady from Sydney," announced the mother with much dignity, " knew my daughter there, and gave her away when she was married," a statement which the visitor confirmed with the words, " I did, ma'am," uttered in a tone of great complacency, as though she had performed a very meri- torious deed. Looking at the forlorn and ragged young wife, B thought her self-satisfaction decidedly out of place. Entirely to avoid imposition is perhaps impossible, but the careful personal administration of relief which ii witnessed probably reduces its abuse to the minimum. If help be improperly obtained from other sources the donors are as much to blame as are indiscriminate alms-givers in London in all localities where charitable organization operates. The Ladies' Benevolent Society is well-known in Melbourne, the ladies for each district will visit all cases laid before them, and the public have reason to rely confidently alike upon their benevolence and their discretion. We took much pains to ascertain with what degree of approval their labours are generally regarded. One opinion only seemed to prevail, and one highly honour- able to their zeal and self-devotion. The periodical state- ments of their expenditure which Government requires from them, the Colonial Treasurer informed F he himself examines, and added that he considered this So- ciety conducted its business better, on the whole, than any other administering funds derived from the State. In the afternoon, besides making calls, we visited the Immigrants' Aid Society's Home. Originally intended for the temporary accommodation of immigrants, it is used little for this purpose now, and it has for some years received casuals, young women, children, and many in- curables, who otherwise would be relieved in the Benevo- lent Asylum ; the two institutions dividing between them the classes who inhabit our workhouses. The Home con- sists of several humble blocks of building, erected for various purposes as occasion required. Thus there is an 2c2 388 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. absence of external regularity and order, but the whole was clean, and the discipline apparently satisfactory. It is impressed upon the inmates that this institution affords temporary shelter only (except to the perma- nently afflicted), and they are urged, and also assisted, to obtain employment elsewhere. Thus the admissions and discharges during 1872^ exceeded respectively 9000 ; the daily average of inmates being 430. While in the Home all are employed in remunerative labour who are capable of performing it ; and last year they earned in this way more than 900Z. for the institution. Besides washing being taken in, they pick oakum, teaze hair, and go out to work by the day. Some are thus employed as gardeners, getting perhaps 2s. a-day, of which half accu- mulates for the earner, and is given to him on departure. By an alteration, the good effect of which is dwelt upon in last year's Report,* the children are as much as possible separated from the adults, excepting those who are so young as to need the care of their mothers. Many of the latter are unmarried, and how to obtain for them employ- ment outside the Home is a painful problem to the mana- gers. " To the question, ' What are you proposing to do tor a living ? ' the answer invariably returned is : ' Take a wet-nurse's situation.' And, ' What will you do with your own infant ? ' receives for reply : ' Give it out to dry-nurse.' Everybody knows from experience what may reasonably be expected to follow such a step. It is by no means a rare occurrence in such a case, when the mother obtains a wet-nurse's situation, and puts her own child to dry-nurse with some baby-farmer, that in a few weeks afterwards she applies, with her infant sick, perhaps dying from atrophy, superinduced by improper feeding. ... In every respect the i'uture of many of the female inmates who appeared before your committee is beset with much perplexity and unsatisfactory prospects."! This institution, like the Bene- * ' Twentieth Annual Report of the Immigrants' Aid Society's Home for Houseless and Destitute Poor.' Melbourne : Maeon & Co., Flinders Lane, West. t Ibid. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 389 volent Asylum, is managed by volunteers, and these appear to be all gentlemen. Ladies might, perhaps, deal more successfully with this class of inmates. The children are described as of a very low class, need- ing to be taught cleanliness and decency of behaviour; and for this reason, probably, receive instruction within the Home, instead of attending a common school outside which would probably be a preferable arrangement on many accounts, were they fit to associate with the off- spring of the independent working-classes. For the casuals, who enter at night and leave in the morning, the lodging provided is, owing partly to the want of funds, of the scantiest kind consistent with de- cency. For the humble food supplied the able-bodied must give the value in labour before they are permitted to depart. Great pains are taken to limit the recipients of charity in the Home to the right class. A special com- mittee of investigation from time to time personally ex- amines every case, to ascertain its claim upon the institu- tion, and to promote the removal of all for whom its shelter is unsuitable, fully reporting the result of their in- quiries. In concluding one of these reports they remark : " The really healthy and able-bodied were few, and these not belonging to the labouring-classes, but chiefly clerks or professionals who have missed their opportunity and are now dependent upon precarious means of earning a living."* Keferring to the inmates generally, they say : " Reckless living and exposure, it is clear from the state- ments made, have caused many to become helpless for life."t The Home is mainly supported by a Government grant, this being supplemented by subscriptions and the produce of the labour of the inmates. Without deduction for the value of the latter, the total cost, including building ex- penses, was for 1872, about 14Z. 5s. per head. * Twentieth Annual Report. f Ibid. 390 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. CHAPTEE XXIV. Ballarat Memorial Fountain Mechanics' Institute Industrial School for Girls Hospital Black Hill Gold Mines Orphanage Boarding-out Approaching Departure from Melbourne Intermediate Prison Gratuities Prisoners' Aid Society Board of Honorary Visitors Statistics Reformatory and Industrial Schools Prisoners Summary of Crime in Victoria. DECEMBER 27TH. We left Melbourne by the 6.30 A.M. train for Ballarat, distant nearly a hundred miles, in a north-west direction, the journey thither occupying four hours. The line passes through Geelong, and, as is fre- quently the case in Australian towns, it is not protected by a fence, the rails running along, or traversing the streets without let or hindrance. Geelong is about twenty miles from Melbourne, and from the large space it occu- pies, has a somewhat scattered appearance. We could see Irom the train handsome buildings, and two good-looking hotels. There is a certain watering-place expression about it rather than that of a busy port, which reveals the change in its destiny since it first aspired to rival Melbourne. Soon after leaving Geelong we quitted the plain, entering a somewhat broken country, much less burnt in appearance. Here we continued gradually to ascend, the line passing through scrub and a thinly-wooded but prettily undulating district, bold isolated hills appearing in the distance. Here and there a little station indicated a township, though there was small evidence of population to supply traffic. At length emerging from among the hills, the white buildings of Ballarat gleaming in the sun- shine, lay before us. The town, covering a great deal of space, occupies a broad shallow basin amid an almost mountainous region sufficiently high above the sea to WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA. 39 1 make the climate quite different from that of Melbourne. There are two stations, one at East Ballarat, the other at Ballarat proper. The latter was nearest to the house of the friend who was to show us all that could be squeezed into our few hours' sojourn, and she forthwith took us under her guidance. One part of the town is singularly handsome. Where two main and very wide streets cross, the fine site afforded by their junction is occupied by a memorial fountain to the explorers led by Burke and Wills. Bound about stand four banks and the principal public buildings the Townhall, Post and Telegraph Office, Mechanics Institute, &c., all of a fine light-coloured stone and good design. Public gardens down the middle of Sturt Street, and trees along the footways, give the city a continental aspect; and its general appearance, together with the bright atmosphere, reminded us of a German watering-place. One almost looked about for the "Brunnen," and ex- pected to hear classical music from a first-rate band ! "What, however, most impressed us was the substantial and long-established air which Ballarat "Canvas-town" in 1852, when all her population lived in tents now wears. Probably, indeed, she has worn it already a long time colonially speaking for we learn that a plot of land which in 1853 might have been bought for 2.01., sold, only five or six years afterwards, for 10Z. a foot frontage ! A large hotel was built upon it (which stands there now), and the land could not have commanded such a price unless other buildings of importance surrounded the spot, or were about to do so. We ran into the Mechanics' Institute, a fine edifice containing a hall for meetings and entertainments, and a free library with a separate room for female readers; and then sped away to the Industrial School for Girls, a large airy building erected for its present purpose, two miles and a-half distant. It was past the hour for lessons on a Saturday, but scrubbing was going on in all direc- tions ; the girls, with shoes and stockings off, two to one bucket brush and cloth, used the latter alternately, and the 392 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. bucket in common, an economy of arrangement new to us. The cleanliness and order of the building might, we thought, have been surpassed, but the appearance and bearing of the children were good, and the matron's manner towards them was very pleasant. Few are above twelve; and the demand for servants is so great that the list of applications for them is full to the end of next year. Boarding-out has removed a considerable number of the little ones, which the matron laments, as the elder girls used to take care of them, and now lose this training. Schooling is given on the half-time plan. The distance from Ballarat is considered too great for the girls to attend public worship there ; and as it is very rare for a clergyman to come to the school, the matron usually con- ducts religious service. The children have no gardens, but play in the fields surrounding the house. Two girls were shown to us, perhaps eight and nine years old, who had been brought to the institution two or three years ago from a hut in the bush, where it was ascer- tained they had been living a considerable time absolutely alone ; but they must have been strangely neglected for a much longer period. When they arrived, -they either would not or could not speak, or even sit, their mode of resting being to lie on the ground. Both speak easily now, we were told, though our efforts to obtain a response to our questions completely failed. One of the little dam- sels was successfully darning a stocking, and looked bright ; nor did we understand that dullness of intellect is suspected in either. From the school to the hospital we drove through prettily laid-out, but at present very new-looking, Bo- tanical Gardens, bordering a miniature lake, on which are pleasure-boats. A lake it is now, though formerly a swamp, which several years ago became perfectly dry. Some years afterwards the water returned, and it has not since disappeared. The hospital, supported by subscriptions and a State grant, is large, and on the separate-wing plan, and stands in a nice garden. Some of the flower-beds were covered with refuse from a foundry, so used, we were told, WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 393 to prevent the soil from drying. The exterior of the building is cheerful, and even elegant in appearance, without being costly. One portion of the hospital, called the " Prince Alfred Wing," in commemoration of the Prince's visit to Ballarat, has been lately added, and is lofty and admirably ventilated, the dimensions of the wards allowing 1600 cubic feet of air to each patient, while large windows, on both sides, reach to the top of the walls. The wards in the older part were very hot, and we were surprised to find neither verandahs or even Venetian blinds ; but we were told that they are not needed in this cooler hill climate, and that the temperature to-day was excep- tionally high. To us it felt agreeably cool. The male patients have male attendants, those whom we saw being elderly and somewhat feeble-looking ; nor on the women's side was there the orderly and refined aspect which prevails where trained nurses are employed. A long drive brought us to the Black Hill, scored and burrowed in all directions by mining operations. Being Saturday afternoon, the miners had "knocked off;" but, thanks to the explanations given us at the Melbourne Museum of the apparatus they use, we could pretty well understand what the operations here must be. Very little alluvial soil now remains, and the gold being almost entirely extracted from quartz which requires costly machinery, the mines are generally worked by companies, the miners receiving tixed wages ; but sometimes individuals still labour on their own account. No great discoveries of the precious metal have been made lately, but there is a steady moderate yield. Whatever soil is found in the mine is crushed indiscriminately, and three pennyweights of gold to the ton affords a profitable return. Excavations here, we understand, are carried to a depth of two or three hundred feet ; but at Sandhurst (originally Beudigo) these have reached seventeen hundred feet, with no sign of coming to the limit of the auriferous soil ! The aspect of any district where mines prevail suggests a combination of new railway-works, brickfield, stone- quarry, and rubbish-heap; but in the brilliant sunshine 394 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. to-day even these unfavourable elements in the view were scarcely ugly, while the landscape beyond the mining district is beautiful. Its chief characteristics are the isolated and generally flat-topped hills rising above an undulating wooded country, which we noticed this morning. Oar last visit was to an Orphanage, supported entirely by private charity a cheerful commodious building, at the extreme edge of the town. It contains about 260 boys and girls, who are not separated during the day. Only three of the girls are above twelve, while a large proportion of all the children are very much younger ; yet with the assist- ance of two or three servants, and under the direction of the excellent master and matron, they do the work of the establishment the boys taking the rougher parts, and cultivating the garden. In other respects the two sexes seemed to be treated alike. We saw them enjoying them- selves in their common playground; and a bath, large enough for swimming, is appropriated to the girls at one part of the day, to the boys at another. The children make all their clothes, except shoes. These, too, they made formerly ; but the number of boys old enough for the work is now too small for it to be worth while to employ a teacher. Every part of the building was in good order, and the bed-linen looked beautifully white. Late on a Saturday afternoon there were, of course, no lessons going forward, and our time did not permit us to test in any way the amount and quality of the instruction given ; but from the unconstrained bearing and animated and healthy appearance of the children, and from the general aspect of the building, we received a very pleasant impression of this institution. In conclusion, our friend took us to the house of a lady , who, like herself, is an active member of a boarding-out committee, and we had much pleasant chat about their work. There are two of these organisations here one at Ballarat East, the other at Ballarat West having under their separate care about ninety children ; and good homes could be found for a larger number. It was growing dusk WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 395 when we left for Melbourne, and midnight when we reached our hotel, weary, but well pleased with our excursion. We have seen the exterior only of Melbourne University, which is well placed on high ground, quite outside the city. It is a handsome building in the Late Perpendicular style, and, when complete, will form a quadrangle. Three sides are finished, but the southern, which will be the principal facade, remains to be built. This University differs from that of Sydney, in admitting women to matriculation. In the University reserve of a hundred acres, which is prettily laid-out in gardens and pleasure-ground, stands the Museum, so placed as to be protected by the Univer- sity buildings from the dust of Melbourne. It contains an interesting collection in various branches of natural science, remarkable for their excellent arrangement. E found time one clay for a very short visit, and was especially struck with the groups of stuffed animals, in which the aspect and attitudes of nature are admirably preserved. Victoria has recently spent, within one year, half a million sterling upon elementary education. The Act of 1872 makes the ordinary curriculum of instruction in the Government schools gratuitous to all, and much of the expenditure has consisted in buying Denominational and converting them to State schools. When sufficient accom- modation has in this way, and by building, been secured for the whole population of school-going age, the com- pulsory clauses of the Act, left until then in abeyance, will be enforced. The programme of obligatory subjects of study is drawn up for six successive classes, and embraces all the branches of a plain English education. It includes, for the girls, every description of plain-needlework, and to the highest class cutting-out is also taught. In districts where population is very thin, a half-time system prevails ; one teacher is allowed to give instruction at two different places on the same day, an attendance of two hours and a half being required from the pupils in 396 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. each school. Elsewhere four hours daily must be occupied with the appointed curriculum ; but extra subjects Latin, French, drawing, &c., for which the pupils pay very mode- rate fees may be studied at other times. Religious in- struction may be given out of school-hours, and both clergymen and lay-teachers attend at some at least, if not at all, of the schools to impart it. Eight exhibitions, of the annual value of 35?. each, tenable for six years, are awarded every year by Government to the pupils of State-supported schools, upon certain con- ditions, including attendance at a public grammar-school, subsequent matriculation at Melbourne University, and passing its first B.A. degree examination at the end of the fourth year of tenure. The lowest salary to a teacher is 80?., which, for the head master of a large school, may rise to some hundreds ; for instance, his emolument for an average attendance of 350 pupils would amount to 360?. (partly fixed salary, and partly payment by results), the salary still increasing with an increased attendance. Assistant and pupil-teachers are liberally paid in proportion. The schools were closed during most of our stay in Melbourne, but after they had reopened R paid a hasty visit to two. These were formerly Denominational, but had been bought by the Government. Boys and girls were in the same classes, the girls generally occupying the front benches. The pupils included boys of very different ranks, R was told, but girls belonging to the higher classes of society do not attend the public schools. The teachers are of both sexes, and the staff in one of the schools numbered seven, the scholars in attendance being 250. Not only is education gratuitous, but R found that school-books and slates are provided free of cost. At both schools some of the pupils were drawing, but not from real objects ; they were simply copying drawings. Others were differently occupied, but R observed nothing specially noteworthy in the teaching or its results, except the manner, indicating excellent instruction, in which the highest class in one of the schools answered geographical questions. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 397 While in South Australia we had heard of efforts, of which it is too early yet to judge of the results, to intro- duce Sericulture a term, however, signifying at present in Australia the production of healthy eggs from the silk- worm more olteii than the growth of silk itself. For many years disease has prevailed among these tiny spinners in, Europe, and though recourse has been had to Japan, the stock imported thence has been hardly more healthy. Meanwhile the demand increases ; and if good " grain," as the eggs are technically called, can be raised in large quantities, and a reliable method can be devised for con- veying it to the silk-making countries of the old world the danger to be avoided being, of course, the prema- ture hatching of the eggs in the tropics a most im- portant article of export will be added to the resources of Australia. The Government of New South Wales proposes, it is said, to have the management of the worms their " educa- tion," as it is called taught in the public schools. West Australia has made a grant of land to a lady-seri- culturist; and has placed the sum of 500Z. on the esti- mates as a bonus for the first bale of silk produced there ; but Victoria is the most active in the enterprise.* At Melbourne a company for its promotion has been created, and is managed entirely by ladies ; and numerous branch societies formed in country districts are in correspondence \\ith it. One of the ladies now actively concerned in con- ducting the business of the Association was so good as to call upon us, and give us information upon its working. To the energy of Mrs. Bladen Neill, however, the present activity of the movement is doubtless owing ; and from a little manual for sericulturists which she has published we have also derived particulars of its progress.! Several years ago, distressed by the misery into which the farmers of the Murray District were often plunged * The Government of South Australia has recently offered bonuses for the cultivation of mulberry-trees, and the production of cocoous. Government Gazette, Feb. 7, 1875. t ' The Silkworm.' Melbourne : Mason, Firth, and M'Cutcheon. 1873. 398 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. by the failure of wheat crops and the uncertainty of markets, Mrs. Neill cast about for some supplementary industry which they could combine with their ordinary occupations. Aware of the deterioration of the silkworm in the countries where hitherto it had been grown, it occurred to her that a new and stronger race might be developed in Australia, and that sericulture, which is pursued by the small agriculturists of the south of Europe, would supply the kind of employment she desired to introduce. The first step was to provide food for the worms, and with this view Mrs. Neill planted the mulberry largely. The variety which has been acclimatized at the Cape of Good Hope grows admirably in Australia, and produces from seed sown broadcast plants from which the leaves may in a few months be gathered. 1 In 1870 Mrs. Neill began to raise grain. She appears, however, not to have been satisfied ; and resolved to go to Europe, hoping both to discover a remedy for disease among the worms, and to secure a market for her grain, when she should be able to produce the necessary quantity. After visiting many of the chief seats of sericulture in Italy and France, and finding disease everywhere and a general despair of extirpating it, she heard accidentally of the Magnanerie (or silkworm-farm) of M. Koland, at Orbe, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland. Thither she repaired, and remained four months to study his system. This con- sists in restoring the creatures to a comparatively natural mode of life, disease having evidently been engendered by the rapacity of the silk-growers, who, with the object of increasing the amount of silk, had subjected the worms to an artificial existence, which included among its highly injurious elements overcrowding and restriction from the open air. M. Koland began by establishing a nursery or rather a convalescent home at such an altitude as should pre- clude premature hatching, and there he allows the worms to live for two successive seasons in the mill berry-trees, slightly protected from wind and cold, and entirely so from WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 399 rain. The grain of the third season is hatched indoors, while that of the fourth is sold to produce silk, being perfectly free from disease. " Regeneration," however, as this process for restoring the race to health is called, must be continuous, as M. Roland " considers that after five or six reproductions disease will reappear ; for from the moment the worm is taken from the tree and subjected to artificial indoor treatment, degeneration begins, though the beauty of the silk is greatly increased through what may be called artificial education." After a certain stage under ordinary indoor treatment " the race becomes so weak that the worms become diseased and die in thousands, and subsequently the whole crop of silk or grain is lost."* The knowledge that the superior appear- ance of the material is secured by the sufferings of disease should teach us to be satisfied with the less attractive produce of the healthy animal ; but it is well that in the risk of losing the worm a powerful motive appeals to the self-interest of the grower to " educate " it under sanitary conditions. Unhappily at other stages of this industry much cruelty is now practised. Thus we learn that when the eggs have been laid, " all the moths should be destroyed, either by burning or on a manure-heap. About three days is suffi- cient for this purpose." And again, that the chrysalis within the cocoon from which silk is to be wound is destroyed by subjecting it to the influence of steam. A "suffocating machine," the invention of a gentleman at Turin, destroys about 90uO Ibs. of cocoons a-day very rapidly let us hope. For small silk-growers a method is recom- mended which requires that the process should continue at least half-an-hour. In this " care must be taken to see that the vapour be sufficiently hot to strike the cocoons for a sufficiently long time when boiling. To test the success, open some of the largest cocoons and touch the chrysalis with a hot iron. If it shows signs of life the process has not been complete, and it must be repeated."! We quote The Silkworm.' f Ibid. 400 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. these revolting details in the hope that by directing attention to the subject more humane methods for accom- plishing the desired ends may be devised. M. Roland's success in restoring the worm to health has been followed by the gratifying result that from twenty-five pounds and a half weight of cocoons produced from his grain, two pounds and an eighth of silk is obtained, while five hundred and seventy of his cocoons will produce in a season cocoons equal to two pounds and an eighth in weight, a success in which French silk-growers accustomed to deal with the sickly grain imported from Japan could at first hardly believe.* Having ascertained that cocoons of the quality she had already obtained in Australia would sell in Europe at the highest price, and informed herself of the best method of reeling silk, Mrs. Neill started for Sydney, taking with her a supply of grain from Orbe. Most elaborate pre- cautions were employed to secure its safe passage through the tropics, which was achieved by packing it in ice, though constant watching seems to have been also necessary. Ar- riving in January 1873, Mrs. Neill was able to raise from the grain she had brought a fresh supply in time to dis- patch it in the following March to the Vienna Exhibition. It is calculated that a quarter of an acre of land planted with mulberry-trees will in Victoria support forty thousand worms, the moths from which will produce one ounce of grain, and this will reproduce the following season one hundred and twenty ounces, the price of which is estimated at 11. an ounce. Mrs. Neill has established a silkworm-farm on her own property, Corowa, on the Murray, which is managed by a lady trained in the art of sericulture; and a thousand acres also have been allotted to the use of the Association for Sericulture by the Government of Victoria. Mrs. Neillj however, looks forward to a large amount of grain being produced by very small cultivators, and an agency has been organized for transmitting in a combined form the quantities they raise to the European market. * ' The Silkworm.' WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 401 Our departure from Melbourne was at hand, and we had not yet seen the " intermediate stage " of prison discipline the keystone of the Crofton system, which Victoria has now, happily, made her own. It was impossible to leave without one of us, at least, personally noting its operation, and equally impossible for both of us to spare time to do so. F , therefore, accompanied Mr. Duncan in an official visit to "Williamstown on the morning of December 29th, before starting for Adelaide by the steamer ' Aldinga,' early in the afternoon. She will tell her own story : We first went to the hulks. Formerly only one was used, and the men slept mostly in association. A second is now being adapted for their habitation that each man may have a cell to himself, which will be nearly as large as a first-class cabin for four persons on a P. and 0. steamer, and fairly well ventilated. These compartments are not constructed with such strength as would resist violence, if the men chose to break their way out ; but at so advanced a stage of their discipline, attained moreover by good con- duct, this is not apprehended. The cells have no provision for artificial light, but means to introduce it are being taken. It is much needed, as the locking-up hour is 6 P.M., and very little daylight enters at any time. The men take their meals together upon the main deck. They were just ending dinner when we arrived, and had not resumed labour before our hurried visit was over, so that I could not observe in what spirit they work ; they look like ordinary labourers, though perhaps a little rougher in dress and manners, but with nothing except the Govern- ment mark on their clothes to indicate that they are prisoners. They are employed in constructing a break- water at the mouth of the Yarra, designed to deepen and regulate the channel. They quarry the stone on shore, about a quarter of a mile from the hulks, and bring it by a tramway to a little jetty, whence they convey it in boats to its appointed place. The quarries are entirely untenced, but the warders there carry loaded firearms. No schooling is given to the men in the stages passed at Williamstown, but I think they have the use of a library. 2 D 402 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. From the hulks we went to the docks at Williamstown, two or three miles distant, to see the sixth-stage men at work. Want of time unfortunately prevented me from visiting the house in which they are lodged. It is not fitted up as a prison, though the men cannot go in and out at will. This, however, I learnt from Mr. Duncan, is to protect them, from suspicion, if crimes are committed in the neighbourhood, rather than from distrust of the men themselves. The prisoners, whose warders are here unarmed, are employed together with free labourers though keeping somewhat apart at contract work, and the contractor considers that they work as well as the free men. They are now engaged in levelling the ground, removing hills of soil, and filling up hollows with stones. Prisoners who have reached the fifth and sixth stages, but who are not equal to hard labour, are employed in lighter work, but receive only half the amounts in gratuity the others obtain. These are Id., 2d., and 4:d. respectively, for every nine marks earned daily in the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages, the allowances accumulating and being paid in a lump sum on discharge a variation from the method adopted in the Irish Intermediate Prison of placing a portion at the prisoner's disposal during the last period of his detention, which embodies Captain Maconochie's principle of accustoming him to the use of money, as to other features of ordinary life, while he is still to some extent under guidance. In England the accumulated gratuity is paid on liberation into the hands of a Dis- charged Prisoners' Aid Society to be spent for the ex- prisoner's benefit ; or, where no Prisoners' Aid Society exists, the chaplain of the gaol takes charge of the money. There is such a Society at Melbourne, but unhappily it has no lady-members, and concerns itself only with discharged male prisoners. A valuable recommendation by the Royal Commission the appointment, namely, of a Board of Honorary Visitors of Gaols and Penal Establishments does not appear yet to have been acted upon. The Commissioners suggested WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 403 that " the proper employment of female prisoners in the Penitentiary and the best method of disposing of them on their release should be left to the decision of this body."* It is obvious, therefore, that they contemplated ladies sitting on the Board ; and these might in such a position efficiently render the services of a Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society to women on their liberation. In concluding the notice we have been able to give of the important subject of penal and reformatory discipline in Victoria, it may be useful to subjoin the following statistics. The number of children in her Industrial and .Reformatory Schools was on : Industrial Reformatory Schools. I Schools. lotaL 1 January 1, 1872 .. .. 2442 179 2621 January 1, 1873 .. .. 2379 168 2547 Remaining on December 31, 1873 1682 153 1835f The yearly cost in the Reformatory and Industrial Schools of Victoria is not given separately ; but the average of both together, after deducting the value of the labour of the inmates, is 19?. 2s. tid. per head. The total number of children boarded-out in 1873 was 650, of whom 566 were with their foster-parents at the end of the year. Reports from the Ladies' Committees show the children to be clean, well-clothed, well-lodged, and with the exception of three healthy. All who were old enough were regularly attending day and Sunday schools, except that a very small number were prevented, occasionally, by illness. Of the eighty-four who oy the end * 'Report' (No. 2), p. 20. t ' Reports of the Inspector of Industrial and Reformatory Schools in Victoria for 1872-73. ' 2D2 404 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. of the year had quitted their foster-homes the following return is given : * Sick 23 Imbecile 1 Unmanageable 5 Thieving 2 Discharged f 23 Transferred [to other homes probably] .. .. 12 Adopted 1 Board ed-out in error 3 Difference of religion 1 Childrens' address found out by mother . . . . 3 Foster-parents' health failing 1 Given up by foster-parents 2 Absconded and sent back to schools J .. .. 3 Died 4 84 Bearing in mind that the whole 650 children were boarded-out in the course of a very few months, necessi- tating perhaps haste in the selection of some of the homes ; and that a considerable proportion of these young people were above the age at which in England we anticipate success, this return appears to us satisfactory. The trial of the boarding-out system now being con- ducted in Victoria and in South Australia is important not to themselves alone, but to their sister colonies, who may profit from their experience. Tasmania has already adopted the system on a limited scale, and it was reported recently to be working well there. If its applicability to the circumstances of a new country be satisfactorily proved, New South Wales will probably soon avail herself of its advantages ; while it may be expected that the remaining provinces will not long forego its benefits. That the principles on which the system is based are sound has * ' Report of Inspector of Industrial and Eeformatory Schools, 1873,' p. 12. f The period of legal detention had, we conclude, expired. j Another had absconded, but had been returned to its foster-parents. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 405 been proved to demonstration, but that it must be administered with great caution, with zeal, and with a personal and indeed almost affectionate interest in the children, is likewise patent. The qualities necessary to success abound in Australia, and we entertain strong hopes of a favourable issue to this important experiment.* The total number of adult prisoners in Victoria at the close of the three vears, 1871-2-3, was as follows : In the Ten Common Gaols. In the Throe Departments of the Penal Establishment. TotaL Males. Females. 'Peintridge. Hulks. House. December 31, 1871 .. 644 253 606 91 29 1623 December 31, 1872 .. 641 215 571 112f 17 1556 December 31, 1873 .. 602 261 585 101 26J 1575 The total population of Victoria at the census of April, * The method of disposing of the waifs of English cities, and of some of the inmates of English pauper schools, pursued for several years with a self- devotion above praise by Miss Eye and Miss Macpherson, who convey their little charges to Canada, and there obtain their adoption into families, has many points of resemblance with the boarding-out system as practised in Australia, the condition of the two countries being in some respects alike. The recent official report, dated January 1875, of Mr. Doyle, Local Government Inspector, upon the condition of these children, points out the desirableness of greater caution in placing them, and above all, in super- vising them when placed, than these ladies have been able to exercise in regard to the very large number upon whom their generous labours have bestowed the brighter prospects afforded by transference to a new country. We see no reason why Australia should be deterred by the difficulties, and, as Mr. Doyle reports, to a certain extent even failure which Miss Bye and Miss Macpherson have encountered ; but their experience may be useful to show how wise has been the course followed by the authorities both in South Australia and in Victoria, in securing voluntary and local co-operation in the choice of homes and surveillance o'f the children. f 1 absconded during 1872. j 3 absconded during 1873. ' Reports of the Inspector-General of Penal Establishments for 1872-3.' 406 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 1871, was 731,528, of whom 17,935 were Chinese, and 1330 aboriginals.* The average cost of prisoners for the year 1872, less the value of labour performed, was in the penal establishments, 151. 12s. ; and the average for nine common gaols was Yll. 9s. 2d. ; the tenth gaol, at Castlemaine, in that year more than paid its expenses. For 1873, the cost in the penal establishments was 97. 14s. lid. per head; while in the ten common gaols it amounted to 22Z. 17s. 5d. In one of the latter (Sandhurst) the prisoners were almost self-supporting, their annual cost to the State being only 14s. 2d. each, f Different circumstances, however, which our limits do not permit us to go into, affected the pay- ments for labour in some of the common gaols in 1873, and the amount actually performed does not vary to the extent these figures make it appear to do. Going back ten years, we find that though the number of persons taken into custody in Victoria has somewhat increased, namely, from 22,255 in 1863 to 23,705 in 1872 (of whom considerably upwards of 20,000 were discharged or summarily committed), the number tried and convicted sank in the ten years from 653 to 407. More than three-quarters of the persons taken into custody in 1872 came from the United Kingdom, Vic- toria herself contributing less than one-tenth. More than three-quarters of the whole number were men. The highest number for both sexes in any decade of age was between 30 and 40 years old. Thirty-eight men have been executed in the past ten years, and one woman happily the only female offender who has undergone capital punishment in Victoria. | * ' Statistics of the Colony of Victoria for 1872.' Part III. Ferres, Mel- bourne. t ' Reports of the Inspector-General of Penal Establishments for 1872-3.' ' Statistics of the Colony of Victoria for 1872.' Part V. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 407 CHAPTER XXV. TASMANIA. Van Diemen's Land Convicts Change of Name Bass's Straits Intense Cold St. George's Heads The Tamar Launceston Invalid Depot Out-door Belief Benevolent Society Falls of the South Esk Cheap Coaches The Mail Journey by Night Bridge water The Derwent Hobartqn Mount Wellington Go- vernment House The Queen's Domain Botanic Gardens Museum Governor Davey's Proclamation The last Aboriginal Transporta- tion The " Cascades " Female Prison Asylum for the Destitute Reformatory for Boys Fern-tree Bower Mount Nelson Flowers Fruits Return to Adelaide Higher Education. THE island now called Tasmania, lying between. 40 45', and 43 45' parallels of south latitude, and 144 45', and 148 30' degrees of east longitude, was discovered in 1642 by the Dutch navigator Tasman, when dispatched by the Governor of Batavia to explore "The Great Unknown South Land," as Australia was called in those days. Tasman named the new country Van Diemen's Land, some persons believe after his patron ; others maintain in honour of his patron's daughter, Maria Van Diemen, to whom he was attached. Until 1798, when Bass and Flinders made their way through the strait which bears the name of the former, Van Diemen's Land was believed to be a portion of the Australian continent. The first settlement on the island was founded in 1803, under the direction of the Governor of New South Wales, as an auxiliary to Port Jackson, for the reception of convicts. Van Diemen's Land remained a part of that colony until 1824, when it was made independent of New South AY ales. Convicts were sent in large numbers from England until the year 1853, when the colonists suc- ceeded in compelling the mother country to yield to their 408 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. determination to receive them no longer. The painful associations with the name of Van Diemen's Land, con- nected as it was with the horrors of transportation, prompted the colonists to petition the Queen that it might be changed. Permission being granted, the island was named Tasmania, in honour of its first discoverer. Its present representative form of government, adopted in 1855, is similar to that prevailing in others of our Australian colonies. For various reasons, our stay in Sydney had been pro- longed so much beyond the time we had calculated upon, that we even feared we might have to give up our visit to Tasmania altogether. F , indeed, was compelled to do so ; but accompanied by a cousin, E spent eight days in that charming island. The distance from Melbourne to Launceston is 276 miles, a voyage of from twenty-six to thirty hours. My cousin N and I sailed from the former place on the 30th December, 1873, at 10 A.M. The Eip was more like a whirlpool than I had seen it in previous voyages. We seemed, on passing Queen's Cliff, to plunge into a foaming surge, driven by the wind in all directions at once, so that the waves dashed against the vessel on every side at the same moment. A fellow-passenger told me that on one occasion, when the same steamer was traversing the Eip, the sea had carried the bulwarks away on one side, and washed a young lady and a little boy off the deck, whose bodies were never recovered. This accident had produced such an effect on our captain, that he would never afterwards permit his female passengers to remain on deck during the transit in stormy weather. I con- clude, therefore, that ours was a mild experience, as we received no orders to go below. But however mild in reality, it sufficed to send a fair proportion of our com- panions to their berths ; and as the sea continued dis- turbed, few of them reappeared until we had entered the estuary of the Tamar. Our route lay from north-west to south-east, across Bass's Strait. This channel between two vast oceans forms a WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 409 comparatively narrow passage, running almost due east and west, from one or other of which points of the compass the wind there generally blows; the water being thus violently driven through so confined a space necessarily creates a rough sea. The cold, though it was midsummer, became intense in the afternoon, and I was glad to use every wrap I could procure. Luckily for me there was an abundance, some belonging to N , reduced to her berth, and some kept on board the vessel for the benefit of the passengers, a comfort I never met with in any former voyage. Eemark- ing to one of the ship's officers that it was bitterly cold, he answered, " Oh, yes ; we have a southerly wind, you know ; " from which I learnt we had not yet advanced far enough to be protected from it by Tasmania. When I went on deck on the 31st, we could distin- guish the mountains on the northern coast of the island as they gradually emerged from the soft mists of the early morning. The temperature increased as we approached the shore, and as soon as we had entered the Tamar it rose to summer heat. The ascent of the river really an arm of the sea was very agreeable, between wooded heights, with here and there a well-to-do looking hamlet. The Tamar winds considerably ; its reaches, from which often no outlet is visible, resembling a series of lakes. Launceston, forty miles by the river from its mouth, looked a clean little town as it seemed to bask in the midday sun. It lies in an angle, between steep hills, at the junction with the Tamar of the north and south Esk rivers. Its broad streets and substantial banks, and public offices built of the rich, creamy-brown, coloured Tasmanian stone, give a handsome appearance to what otherwise would be but an ordinary-looking place ; and a hedge of geraniums growing against one of these edifices, ablaze with scarlet flowers our first introduction to the luxuriant blossom of the island gardens added to our agreeable impressions on entering the town. Among her institutions, Launceston possesses a public library, a hospital, and an invalid depot, i.e. an asylum for 410 WHAT WE SA W IN AUSTRALIA. men incapacitated for work by sickness or age ; women requiring such shelter are received into the infirmary belonging to the House of Correction. Similar refuges exist in Hobarton, and together, these afford all the in-door aid given to adult paupers throughout the island, except that lunatics of their class go to the Asylum for the Insane at New Norfolk, near the capital ; and male paupers to Port Arthur, on Tasman's Peninsula, in the south-east of the island, though there, we believe only such as either are or have been prisoners are received. Out-door relief is dispensed by magistrates in the towns, and by officers called wardens in the rural districts. There are, besides, two Benevolent Societies, one at Launceston, the other in the metropolis, which administer out-door relief. Their funds are derived from subscriptions, supple- mented by Government grants. These societies were esta- blished before direct out-door assistance was provided by the Executive. Several pleasant excursions can be made from Laun- ceston. We had only time for one to the cataracts of the South Esk, so close to the town that the whole expedi- tion requires barely an hour's row in a boat for its accom- plishment. The little stream joins the Tamar just below Launceston between two high cliffs, united by a suspension- bridge connecting the town with the country lying north of the river. To reach the mouth of the Esk we passed on our way several wooden jetties, their gaunt black beams looking forlorn without the vessels drawn up along- side for which they had been constructed. Some are even falling into decay, melancholy witnesses of the decrease of trade. After a pleasant row up the Esk, again between high wooded cliffs of the remarkable perpendicular formation so frequent in Australia, we reached the " Cataracts." Our boat was able to approach within a short distance of the rushing, tumbling water which poured over large masses of rock, but did not appear to us to fall from any considerable height. New Year's Day is as great a festival here as in the other WffA T WE SAW IN A US THALIA. 411 Australasian colonies, and the citizens of Launceston were enjoying their holiday either in angling or in picnic parties on the banks of the stream. Our boatman was a devoted admirer of his country and of its resources. Everything, according to his account, which was to be found in the neighbouring mainland exists in Tasmania ; but he did not entertain an exalted opinion of the powers that were, and considered the best thing for the island would be its union with Victoria. We heard afterwards that the opinion he expressed was prevalent in Launceston but found little favour at Hobarton. This, however, is not surprising when we remember that supposing such a union to be effected, the latter, once a metropolis and seat of Government, would sink into what the former always has been a provincial town. As a matter of course, whoever visits Australia brings home opossum rugs. We had been advised to buy ours, if possible, in Tasmania, where they are cheaper, and where there is a better choice of the dark and by far the hand- somer skins peculiar to that island. This variety is called black, but the fur is really dull brown tipped with black. The common kind is grey, and is called by English furriers the Australian chinchilla. Friends at Launceston told us where the best might be prociired, but feared the shop would be closed for the holiday. Their surmise proved too correct. The shutters were up, but happily the door was ajar, and effecting an entrance we found the owner quite willing to transact business. As our order was large, and he could not complete it in the short time we should remain in the island, we went to another furrier to see what his shop would afford. Here the shutters were likewise closed, but the door was open. No rugs were to be had, but we found some very pretty skins tawny, with white spots of the native cat, which, though so named, is not of the feline tribe. It is ex- tremely destructive in the farmyard, being especially fond of eggs. Additional rugs we bought at Hobarton, as well as some skins of the ornithorincus, of which the fur is short and very close, and not unlike that of the seal. 4 1 2 WE A T WE SAW IN A US TRALIA. The temperate climate of Tasmania has rendered it a sanatorium as popular among Australians as it has long been to the Anglo-Indians. The richer colonists of the continent frequently spend the hottest months of the year in the island. Launceston, as being considerably nearer Australia than Hobarton, is a favourite place of debarkation for these tourists. Their influx causes so great an increase of traffic during the summer that at its commencement several coaches are put on the road to Hobarton in addition to the mail. But a railway is nearly completed, and will soon supersede them. The mail, a huge vehicle painted red, and with coachman and guard in a livery of the same colour, contains three seats, and is calculated to hold nine passengers inside, besides several on its top. Supplementary coaches often run in oppo- sition to the mail, and charge lower fares. They are rickety old carriages, and as they are addicted to racing with each other accidents not infrequently happen. A fatal one had occurred very shortly before our arrival, which determined N and myself, as we could not spare three days for the journey in a carriage, by far the pleasanter mode of transit, to travel by the mail. This we were assured is compelled by Post Office regulations to reach the stations along the road at fixed hours, and is thus unable to indulge in racing with other coaches. Our intention, therefore, was to quit Launceston at six in the evening, to sleep at Campbell Town, forty miles distant, and continue our journey by the day mail next morning. But when we were securing our places at the coach office we discovered that the day mail ran only three times a week ; and that if we slept at Campbell Town we must either go on by the " cheap coach " or delay a day and night on the road. Either alternative was out of the question. I therefore said to the clerk, " We must go straight on to Hobarton through the night, and counter- mand the beds we have telegraphed for at Campbell Town." He answered with great suavity, to N 's in- dignation and my own intense amusement, " Certainly, ma'am, being ladies you are at liberty to change your WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 413 minds." We then hastened to the telegraph office, where the clerk on learning our wishes politely pushed a paper across the counter, saying, " The fact is, ma'am, the line was engaged just now, and your message has not been forwarded. Perhaps, therefore, the best way will be to return it to you with the shilling" We could not but feel highly satisfied at such a finale. As an instance of thoughtful kindness in Tasmanians, I may mention that we were expecting a telegram on that day (New Year's Day) from Hobarton, but owing to the general holiday the message did not reach Launceston until after our departure. The authorities there, though we had left no instruction on the subject, were so good as to for- ward it to Campbell Town, where we found it on our arrival. The New Year's Day races at Launceston had taken off the whole staff of the hotel except one maid and a lad, and with the staff the cart too, apparently the only vehicle for conveying our luggage to the coach office by half-past five o'clock, there to be weighed, and all in excess of the 14 Ibs. allowed to each passenger to be charged 3d. per Ib. for carriage to Hobarton. Lack of punctuality we had been told would necessitate leaving it behind. The time for starting drew nearer and nearer, and still no cart appeared. At length, dreading separation from our trunks as much as did the traveller in 'Kob Roy' from his port- manteau, we appealed to the maid, who proved herself equal to the occasion. She managed to borrow a wheel- barrow. On this our luggage was packed and borne off, not to the mail, however, but by mistake to the cheap coach, which started about the same time. Imparting to us this provoking piece of news, the maid added that she had already dispatched the lad who had committed the error to set it right. I ran after him to ensure rectifica- tion, but found my interposition was not needed, and our luggage reached the mail office in due time to be weighed and packed. It is, however, an ill wind, &c., for this mistake brought unexpected custom to the mail. In lifting down our trunks for transference from the coach, a strap in the rickety vehicle gave way, whereby the un- fortunate driver fell and was hurt. The accident so much 414 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. alarmed two of his passengers that though not ladies they took the liberty . of changing their minds, and travelled by the mail to Hobarton. We quitted Launceston by an admirable road, the pro- duct of convict-labour. Our route lay among wooded hills interspersed with cultivated fields and pasture ; but the farming was generally of an inferior order. Sweetbriar ran riot over the fields. This shrub is not indigenous to Tasmania, but its seeds were introduced probably in hay imported in the early days of the colony. A great nuisance to the farmers, the sweetbriar was pleasant enough to us, rendering the atmosphere fragrant with its odour. The air w'as delicious, and when the sun had set, a brilliant moon bathed the landscape in floods of light. As we advanced the scenery became flatter and less attractive. Notwithstanding our rapid motion, having the roomy coach to ourselves we managed to obtain some sleep ; but I could not regret being roused by N soon after dawn, just as we were crossing the Derwent at Bridge water. The lake-like character of the scenery on the Tamar was here repeated. The Derwent, an arm of the sea as high as Hobarton, though very different, its shores being less verdant and more bold in character, has claims to beauty equal or nearly so to those of Sydney harbour itself. Our road for the remaining sixteen miles of our journey lay almost along its banks, and we entered the capital while it was still early this lovely summer morning. The gardens were brilliant with flowers ; geraniums grew in great bushes, and blossomed with a luxuriance rarely if ever seen in England. Before us Mount Wellington reared his head to the blue sky, while town and river were bathed in southern sunshine. Mount Wellington, how- ever, is not always so complaisant. At times he wraps himself so completely in clouds that not a vestige of him can be discerned ; on one or two of the six mornings we were in Hobarton he thus retired from view. It is reported that the Duke of Edinburgh remarked when he visited Tasmania, that having been told Mount Wellington rises WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA . 415 above Hobarton he implicitly believed such to be the case, but that he could not verify the fact from his own observation, as unfortunately he had never once seen the mountain himself. The public buildings in Hobarton, as in Launceston, are handsome, but the town itself has few pretensions to beauty. Its situation, however, on the lower slopes of Mount Wellington, with the lovely Derwent at its feet, leaves nothing to be desired; and Tasmanians may be justly proud of their Government House, a building of striking appearance, the foundation stone of which was laid by Sir John Franklin. It stands sufficiently high above the river to afford fine views from the windows, and has especially handsome and commodious reception-rooms. Close by are the Botanic Gardens, twenty-one acres in extent, to which admission is free. They command ex- quisite views of river and mountains; and in this genial climate the trees and plants gathered from almost all parts of the world come to perfection. Hobarton possesses an extensive forest-like park, the Queen's Domain, in which there are pleasant walks and drives. Near its entrance is the High School, opened in 1851. for boys of all religious denominations. Tasmania is too" poor a colony to support a University. But the State gives annually two scholarships of the yearly value of 200?., and tenable for four years; one of the con- ditions being that the holder shall enter a University in the United Kingdom. A cricket-ground lies hard by, in which the Tasmanians are shortly to try their skill against the All England Eleven. The harbour is spacious ; and on its broad quays we saw huge stacks of roofing-shingles, large quantities of which used to be imported by the other Australasian colonies ; but now corrugated iron appears to have taken their place. The museum is very interesting, with its stuffed animals and its relics of the aborigines. There we saw a complete skeleton, probably ten feet high, of the New Zealand Moa with its long upright neck, the giraffe of the feathered tribe. One of the curiosities is an illustrated 416 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Proclamation issued to the natives by Governor Davey in the year 1816. They had stated that for lack of the English language they could not understand the meaning of his proclamations, and to insure their comprehension of the measures he intended to pursue in governing them, he had the one prepared which is now preserved in the museum. An engraving of it is given in Sir C. Dilke's * Greater Britain,' but as his text makes no allusion to it I will describe it here. It consists of four separate designs on a sheet of paper not larger than foolscap. At the top a white and a black man are standing arm-in- arm, each holding a dog by a string. Side-by-side with them a white and a black child hold each a hand of the other. On the same level a white woman has a black baby in her arms, while a black woman holds a white baby in the same position. Beneath this a British officer is depicted shaking hands with a native chief, each followed by representatives of their respective nations. The third design consists of two parts; on one side a black is seen spearing a white, who has already received two spears in his body, while the black is in the act of dis- charging a third ; on the other the murderer is being hanged, the body of his victim lying close by. The fourth and last design is a similar representation, but with the actors reversed, a white man being the slayer and a black the slain. It would have been well if the just and humane treat- ment portrayed in this proclamation had been carried into effect. On the contrary, unhappily, our dealings with the aborigines of Tasmania are a blot on our national character. The race is now extinct with the exception of one old woman, supposed by some persons to have been a chief- tainess. She is well cared for at the expense of the colony, and lives in a family at Hobarton, who are paid, I heard, 60Z. a year for her support. Her native name is Truganini, but she is equally well known by that of Lalla Kookh. We were in lodgings at Hobarton next door to where she lived, and as she often came into our landlady's kitchen we had the opportunity of making her acquaintance. She is WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 417 a hale, healthy-looking old woman, short, and rather stout. A scarlet handkerchief tied round her head, leaving her grey locks partially visible, gave her quite a picturesque appearance; the rest of her attire was of prosaic European fashion. She spoke a little English, and accepted with apparently much gratification sixpence for the purchase of tobacco. I was advised to make my offering small, and perhaps even this sum would have been better withheld, as there was considerable danger of her spending it in drink. Our landlady said that on the occasion of one of Lalla Kookh's visits, when she (the landlady) had a black eye, the result of an accident, Truganini enquired if her husband had given it her. Answering in the negative, the landlady asked if Lalla Rookh's husband had ever given her black eyes ? " Oh yes, a thousand," was the reply. I told the old woman I had come a very long way across the sea. She asked if I had come from Oyster Cove about twenty-two miles distant. I believe this voyage had been her longest, and most probably her only sea experience. She had lately paid a visit to Government House, and when introduced to the Governor had poked him in the chest, saying at the same time, " Too much jacket, too much jacket," implying thereby that his Excellency was becoming too stout. I was desirous to see the convict establishments of the island, painfully notorious in the annals of crime and punishment; and every facility for visiting these and every other institution was most kindly afforded me by the members of the Government. Port Arthur, however, sixty miles from Hobarton, and only to be reached by a sailing vessel the Government schooner was too distant to admit of my going there during the short time I re- mained in Tasmania. All who yet remain of the Imperial prisoners sent to Van Diemen's Land until, in 1853, transportation was discontinued, are now detained there ; but 1 heard from Mr. Kennerley, the Prime Minister, that the establishment is to be broken up. The prisoners will be brought to Hobarton, where, m the House of 2 E 418 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. Correction, there is ample space for their accommodation, and the land they have hitherto occupied will be sold. When every convict shall have completed his sentence, and not one remains in the island, years must yet elapse before Tasmania can recover from the effects of the fatal mistake the English Government committed in adopt- ing transportation. The colony acted with far-seeing wisdom when, at the cost of a serious diminution both in revenue and trade, it put an end to a system which was involving it in moral ruin. Though the mother country strongly resisted the refusal of her colonies to continue to receive her criminals, this refusal has not inflicted the injury upon her she expected ; on the contrary, it has con- ferred an important benefit upon her through the criminals themselves. Forced to retain them in her midst, their presence has compelled her, in order to repress their evil- doing, to amend her laws and adopt a more rational treat- ment of these offenders. The result of this course of action has shown, notwithstanding the imperfect manner in which it has been carried into effect, that the diminution of crime, by means of the reformation of the criminal, is not only practicable, but that it is in a large degree certain of attain- ment in proportion to the fitness of the measures employed to secure it. I visited the local prisons at Hobarton with the Colonial Treasurer. The " Cascades," so called from its neighbour- hood to a waterfall in a pretty glen at the foot of Mount Wellington, was erected by the Imperial Government for the reception of female convicts. No longer required for this purpose, the extensive ranges of building, in which there appears to be ample space, are used as a House of Correction for female colonial prisoners, an Asylum for paupers, a Depot for orphan and neglected children, and a Reformatory for boys. Like all prisons I have visited in the Australasian colonies, it is beautifully clean. The prisoners are employed in washing and sewing, but chiefly in the former occupation. Washing is taken in, and as far as 1 could see, is well done. Some of the women are in solitary confinement; and if this punishment be WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 419 inflicted for short periods it is undergone in cells partially darkened : I saw two young girls thus placed. These pri- soners are generally occupied in picking oakum. Those employed in the laundry, and I believe those engaged in needlework, are in association ; but room being plentiful, every woman sleeps in a cell by herself. There is no school ; and I was sorry to observe that no means exist for introducing artificial light into the cells into which the prisoners are locked at 6 P.M. The Reformatory for boys occupies a separate quadrangle of the vast building, and contained thirty pupils at the time of my visit. They live quite apart from the other inmates of the Cascades, and are employed in cultivating land beyond the prison- gates. Schooling is provided for them, and each boy sleeps in a cell to himself ; he is locked in at seven o'clock in the evening, and rises from bed at five in the morning. The boys were at play when I saw them ; they looked healthy, but presented a dirty and uncared-for appear- ance. I learned that the institution is not considered successful. Its location in a gaol is a great disadvantage, and may induce the feeling I noticed among the boys, that they are brought to the institution to be punished rather than reformed ; individuals among them, in answer to questions, spoke of the offences which had caused their admission to the reformatory as deeds they felt somewhat proud of having accomplished. It may be said in extenua- tion of the choice of such a locality for the school, that Tasmania is now a poor colony, and it was very tempting to utilise a building ready to hand rather than incur the expense of renting or erecting a new one. The asylum for male and female paupers is in another portion of the building, and contains now a hundred and forty-seven men and one hundred and five women. They appear well cared for and kindly treated. Some are quite bed-ridden, others are able to perform the work of the institution. A female prisoner is the cook. The inmates are allowed to receive their food raw, if they choose, and cook it for themselves ; and some among them avail themselves of this permission. They may also enliven 2 E 2 420 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. the portion of the wall allotted to each with woodcuts and other little decorations. One old blind woman can play on a harmonium which stands in her ward, and amuses herself and her companions with her music. She was gratified by our listening to her performance. The children, eighteen in number and all little, are apart from the bulk of the prisoners, and a school is pro- vided for them ; but one of the women has them in charge. Some are the offspring of prisoners ; the others are either neglected or orphans, and I conclude are only brought to the Cascades to await their final disposal, by being boarded-out or sent to the Queen's Asylum for destitute children, supported by Government. I could not visit this institution, as some of the pupils were suffering from scarlet fever. The inmates at the end of 1873 numbered between three and four hundred, having diminished considerably during the previous three years. This was partly attributed to the increased out- door relief given to indigent families, but also to the fact that applications for admission receive a more thorough investigation than they did under the Imperial regime* If it be discovered that the circumstances of the parents have improved, children who have been admitted are returned to their care. When relief is given to indigent families, the condition that the children shall attend school is generally annexed, though rarely enforced ; but the Report just quoted recommends that stringent measures be adopted to compel attendance. I did not hear a satisfactory account of the results attained by the Queen's Asylum. The evils of bringing up children together in large numbers, so fatal at home, are not less disastrous in Tasmania, and have induced the Government to consider the advisability of adopting board- ing-out. The Public Charities' Commissioners say : " The occasional adoption of the system, according to the dis- cretion of a careful and responsible administrator, would be expedient, and to this extent we are at present led to * ' Report of the Royal Commission on Public Charities.' Tasmania, 1871. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 421 recommend it." At the time of my visit it had been intro- duced, forty children having been placed out in the suburbs of Hobarton. No ladies' committees had, however, been established; but the Governor of Tasmania assured me he considered the friendly supervision of the children by ladies interested in their welfare to be indispensable to the success of the experiment, and the Prime Minister told me he hoped their co-operation would be obtained. I heard that, as a class, respectable foster-parents do not exist in Tasmania, an alleged fact attributed to the convict ele- ment being yet strong in the island. It must be remem- bered that a similar belief in the lack of suitable persons at home was almost universally expressed in England when the general adoption of the system was first advo- cated, but that it has proved groundless wherever the plan has been brought into operation. Although the cir- cumstances of the mother country differ somewhat from those of the colony, there is fair reason to hope that in the latter also, as time goes on, the want will be supplied.* The House of Correction in Hobarton, formerly occupied by convicts from England, is now used as a gaol for men under short sentences. I found it exquisitely clean ; but, though very large, there appeared little classification of the prisoners. Those who can be trusted are taken out to work in the Queen's Domain, the gardens of Government House, and other public property. 1 met a gang one day walking to their employment. The " old hands " who have friends in the colony are not permitted to work outside the prison, as it is impossible to prevent their escape. These are employed in stone-breaking within the prison-yards ; some are in association, but others (convicted of brutal or dis- graceful crimes) are separate. No school exists in this prison, and artificial light in the cells is also wanting. In a house situated on one of the hills rising above Hobarton, and commanding a lovely view of the Derwent, is an Industrial school, opened in 1869, for which the * We have been informed tliat at the end of 1874 boarding-out was in successful operation in Tasmania. 422 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRAL1A. Boys' Home in London was the model. The lads, thirty in number, cultivate the garden, attend to the cows, and perform all the work of the house, which they keep exqui- sitely clean. They also produce fruit and butter for sale : none of the latter is consumed b'y themselves. A gardener directs the out-door labour, while a man and his wife, the master and matron, complete the staff. The lads, a bright, healthy-looking happy group, are evidently well cared for by their excellent superintendents. At the end of 1872 twelve boys had been placed out in service, ten of whom are doing well. The pupils appear to belong to precisely the same class who enter industrial schools at home. They are either orphans, or their parents are drunken and leading dis- solute lives; or they are in extreme poverty. A poor man suffering from illness and aware that his end was near, heard that a school existed at Hobarton for the reception of friendless lads. He walked thither from Launceston, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles a journey which, in his weak state, occupied fourteen days and succeeded in placing his son in the Boys' Home. He set out on his return, but strength failed, and he was found dead in the bush, forty miles short of his destination. The lads were called into the schoolroom during our visit, where they sang cheerily, and performed their march- ing evolutions with spirit and precision. They could also inform me on a point on which I was ignorant, the exact number of miles I was distant from England. The insti- tution is excellently managed, and the treatment of the boys by the master, who seems to regard them as his own children, is both kind and judicious. It is evident that the managers are imbued with the true spirit of philanthropy, while the number of inmates is small enough to preserve among them a real family feeling. The school impressed me as the best of its kind that I saw in Australia. The presence of scarlet fever in the Girls' Industrial School, established in 1864, prevented me from visiting it. Mrs. Du Cane and several other ladies take much interest in this institution, and the members of the Public Charities' WHA T WE SAW IN A USTRA LI A. 42o Commission, say " cleanliness pervaded the dormitories, schoolrooms, and kitchen ; and the girls seemed healthy, tractable, and properly cared for." * The managers have long been desirous to acquire more suitable premises, and are now taking active means for attaining this end. Paying a call at Bishopscourt one afternoon, 1 found my- self on entering the drawing-room in the midst of ladies busily engaged in needlework ; and I learned that they were preparing for a bazaar shortly to be held for the purpose of raising funds to purchase a better house for the school. Our time permitted us to make only one or two of the numerous excursions round Hobarton ; but we found leisure one afternoon to reach Fern-tree Bower on Mount Wellington. There, both fern-trees and the lesser tribe grow in profusion, among gigantic gum-trees rising to a height of between three and four hundred feet. Their trunks are straight as arrows, and the foliage begins at an altitude much too great for the shape of the leaves to be distinguishable. They are longer in this species, the Blue-gum (Eucalyptus globulus), than in any indigenous to the continent of Australia. Between their huge trunks we caught glimpses of the Derwent lying far beneath us. Hobarton is supplied with water from Mount Wellington, and in this ferny dell numerous rivulets are combined in one channel, which conveys it to the city. Hard by, under a grove of fern-trees, are placed tables and benches for the accommodation of picnic parties, the favourite out- door amusement of Australia. We gathered a frond from one of these trees, and found it measured more than five feet in length. One morning we had a pleasant drive along the shores of the Derwent towards the sea, catching a glimpse of Briwie Island, which divides Storm Bay from D'Entre- casteaux Channel, the two entrances to the harbour the latter so called from its discoverer, a French admiral, ' Report Public Charities' Commission, 1871.' 424 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. dispatched by his Government to ascertain the fate of La Perouse. We had not time for an excursion to New Nor- folk, thus named by the early inhabitants of Norfolk Island. When compelled by the English Government, in 1808, to quit their settlement, they chose this spot in Tasmania in which to found a new one, and gave it the name of their former beloved home. The salmon ponds are about six miles from New Norfolk, where the ova, first brought to Tasmania in 1864, have been successfully hatched. The fish, when reared, was allowed to enter the Derwent for the purpose of visiting the sea before spawning, according to its custom, and never, until a year or two ago, was it known to return ; thus raising the supposition that some inhabitants of the salt-water, inimical to salmon, had devoured it. It is true that fish were caught coming up the river believed by the colonists to be salmon ; but on being sent home to a European naturalist for verification, they were pronounced by him to be some other kind offish. Again a second speci- men, dispatched for the same purpose, was also declared to be an impostor. On this occasion, however, the natu- ralist made a mistake, which he afterwards corrected by admitting the fish to be veritable salmon. Another, taken in the Derwent shortly before my visit, I saw preserved in spirits in the museum at Hobarton. The man who caught it had, I understood, received the 301. reward offered by the Tasmanian Government for the first salmon obtained from that river. The Derwent is longer and broader than European salmon streams, and its banks are thickly wooded to the water's edge. These circumstances render fishing difficult, and persons who believe that salmon may be established there contend that it must exist in enormous quantities before it can be caught to any extent ; and some years, they are of opinion, must elapse before the necessary increase can take place to produce them. Meanwhile the fact that real salmon has been caught ascending the Der- went, affords promise of future success. Our last excursion was to Glenorchie, about five miles WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 425 from Hobarton. We spent some pleasant hours there in a garden teeming with English fruits, and more brilliant with flowers than I had seen elsewhere, but which, I was informed, had been much richer in blossoms a fortnight earlier. How that conld be, however, when every plant and every spray seemed one mass of flower, I could not understand. English fruits grow in perfection in Tas- mania, and preserves are made on a large scale as an article of commerce. Great quantities are used on board ship and in the bush. Last year a Melbourne jam-manu- facturer came to Tasmania and made his preserves here ; but this year the fruit, or at least a portion of it, is being sent to Victoria. The friends we were visiting were then contributing towards making up an order for five tons of currants, raspberries, &c., to be shipped for Melbourne. Hop-grounds, in luxuriant growth on this estate, extend to the shores of the Derwent, whence we had a view of Mount Direction, a fine wooded hill upon the opposite bank. Mount Wellington is also a near neighbour perhaps a little too near, for on one occasion a landslip rushing down the mountain side brought with it enormous masses of dead wood which h;id destroyed half the hop- grounds, and depositing a great portion of the debris in the open space before the house of our host, had completely blocked up his hall door. Quitting Hobarton with great regret, we returned to Launceston by the night mail, and sailed for Melbourne the next day, January the 8th. Our departure, however, was delayed by the tardiness of the tide. Had it risen punctually it would have floated us out of the harbour at the time fixed for starting. But tides are very uncertain in these parts of the world, and we waited for more than an hour before this had risen high enough for our require- ments. In going down the Tamar much of the landscape was obscured by the smoke of bush-fires, which resembled a thick fog, in various places shutting out the hills from our view. Fires extending for many miles along the mountains must have raged to produce the amount of smoke we saw. 426 WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRALIA . A tidal mishap similar to that at Launceston awaited us at Melbourne. Boats from the former town, instead of disembarking their passengers at Sandridge or Williams- town, ascend the Yarra to the city itself. As we approached the river's mouth the water was so low that the narrow channel, alone deep enough for our purpose, was difficult to make. In endeavouring to enter it, despite vigorous efforts to propel her in the right direction, our vessel stuck in the mud. After some time spent in futile endeavours to get us off, a boat was lowered, in which two of the sailors rowed to another vessel lying near at anchor, and placed one end of a rope (the other being fastened to our ship) in the hands of some of its crew. These men pulled stoutly ; and our engines being set to work, we were tugged out of our unpleasant predicament, making the water around black as Erebus with the mud we stirred up. The prow of our vessel being turned away from the Yarra, I asked one of the sailors where we were going. " Round the bay," he answered. At first I thought he meant Hobson's Bay the bay, par excellence, in the colony of Victoria and I looked forward with disgust to such a pro- longation of our voyage. Fortunately, however, he alluded to Williamstown Bay, a small inlet of the larger gulf; but small as it was it sufficed to upset many of our fellow- passengers, who had but just recovered from their sea- sickness. When we had accomplished this circuit we hap- pily made good our entrance into the Yarra, where, to-day, all was smooth sailing ; but our additional voyage so retarded our arrival, that the " Provedor " was obliged to give the passengers their tea on board, a meal he had fondly hoped they would enjoy on land. On the 13th January, N and I had a third expe- rience of the irregularity of the tide. Intending to leave Melbourne for Adelaide, we were to start at two o'clock, and precisely at that hour (for the ' Aldinga ' is very punctual) the usual throbbing of the engine and general bustle pervading the casting-off duly began ; but our efforts to depart were vain. The tide was too low to float the vessel, and we were told we must wait till G P.M. Even WHAT WE 8 A W IN A USTBALIA. 427 then the water was still too low, and it was now announced we could not start till nine o'clock the next morning. At length, after nineteen hours' delay, the tide was favourable, and once fairly off, so prosperous was our voyage, that it was accomplished in forty-five instead of forty-eight hours a celerity, however, with which on this occasion we would willingly have dispensed. We were roused at 5 A.M. on the 16th with the intimation that we had reached Port Adelaide. No train we found would start for the city till half-past eight, and no breakfast at all would be served on board. The world at Port Adelaide was scarcely awake, and a weary interval passed before we could obtain any food. Within two hours after the meal we at length succeeded in procuring we rejoiced to find ourselves at Hazelwood. Since the foregoing chapter went to press, we have been furnished, by the kindness of a friend, with the following extracts concerning the means for higher education in Tasmania : " Associate of Arts Degree. This degree is open to persons of any age, and of either sex. " Exhibitions. Two exhibitions of 20Z. each, tenable for four years, at such schools as shall be named by the parents or guardians, and approved by the Council, are annually bestowed on boys under fourteen years of age, who have not during the previous six months been pupils of a Government School, and who have been resident in the colony for two years immediately preceding. " Gilclirist Scholarship. A Scholarship of 100Z. per annum, tenable for three years, either at the University of Edinburgh, or at University College, London, is bi- ennially awarded to the candidate who passes highest at the matriculation examination of the University of London, carried on at Hobarton. Candidates must have been resident in Tasmania for five years or over, and be above sixteen, and below twenty-two years of age." * * ' Walch's Tasmanian Almanack for 1874.' 428 WHA T WE SA W IN A USTRA LI A. CHAPTEE XXVI. Great Heat at Adelaide Weather Australian Climate Luminous Atmosphere Bush-fire Christmas Gathering Torrens Gorge Waterfall Gully First P. & O. Boat at Glenelg Celebration of the event - Our departure West Australia Albany Schools Abo- rigines Eepression of drunkenness Final departure from Australia Bombay Italy Home again. BEFOEE E started for Tasmania I left Melbourne, having, indeed, but an hour's interval between my return from Williamstown on the 29th December, and embarking for Adelaide with S at two o'clock that afternoon. The 'Aldinga' is small enough to navigate the Yarra, and takes her passengers on board, therefore, at Melbourne. The river has no beauty below the capital, and the passage down is only interesting from the fear of running on a bank, alternating with the hope of escaping that calamity. It befell us, and we stuck fast for some time, being at length hauled off by the help of men and boats, the dis- turbance of the mud caused by the operation raising a horrible stench. This part of the Yarra is bordered with factories, and the effect of their contributions to the ordinary drainage, on a narrow and winding river may be imagined. No other adventure occurred, and we reached Port Adelaide on the afternoon of the 31st. On landing, I at once became aware of heat far exceeding any we had experienced, with the exception of the hot wind at Mel- bourne, during our stay either in New South Wales or Victoria. It subsequently increased, and in January 1874, the thermometer at Hazelwood reached 113 in the shade. It hung, however, against the house, and it was thought the heat held by the brick wall, which was as WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 429 great though the sun never shone upon it as could be pleasantly borne by the hand, may have somewhat influenced the mercury. New-comers rarely suffer from heat as much as those who have been long in the colony, and to my sensations even this degree scarcely exceeded what was agreeable. I did not, indeed, attempt to go beyond the garden during the middle of the day, and never put my head out of doors without an umbrella. It is, however, considered an open question whether the heat is not less felt by those who pursue their ordinary occupations, uninfluenced by it, than by those who seek to mitigate it, or avoid exertion while it lasts. We heard gentlemen say that it was better to go to business than to remain at home ; and one of our lady-friends always chose the hottest weather for her preserving. Her motive, however, was to escape wasting a highly-prized luxury. Nothing could add, she argued, to the misery of a hot day ; but she might avoid spoiling a cool one. A hot Sunday, every one agreed, was the ne plus ultra of wretchedness. A punkah was introduced into one of the Adelaide churches this summer; but there is little expectation of their being generally used, the extreme variableness of the climate being a discourage- ment to adopting arrangements which would be only occasionally available. The high cost of service, also, would prevent an extensive adoption of punkahs unless they could be worked by machinery. Within doors the temperature at Hazelwood was several degrees below that marked by the thermometer outside. This difference was secured by shutting every window, and drawing down the blinds on the sunny side of the house before sunrise, and keeping all thus closed until the outer air had become cooler than that within. Some- times this does not happen, even when the sun has set ; and houses may remain shut up all night and for suc- cessive days and nights, when the stagnation of the air, in addition to the heat, becomes very exhausting. This, however, is unusual ; and indeed some persons prefer the comparative freshness obtained by opening windows, and 430 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. so allowing the air to circulate, to the lower temperature maintained by keeping them closed. People are sustained through the heat by the hope of a change, which may come at any moment. Then windows are thrown open, and every one's spirits rise in proportion as the thermometer goes down. Most enjoy- able weather usually follows a hot period, until another comes round. But sometimes the change from extreme heat is not to an agreeable coolness, but to what seems, by contrast, absolute cold ; and as the fall in temperature may take place in half an hour, it is an element of danger to health, which has to be guarded against, so far as cir- cumstances permit. For instance, flannel should always be worn next the skin ; and warmer clothing should be put on directly the increasing coolness makes itself un- pleasantly felt. Thus even an hour's drive from home should not be taken without a supply of wraps to throw on at a moment's notice. One morning I noticed an all-pervading smell of bonfire, and an unusual haziness in the atmosphere. Inquiring what these indicated, I was told they showed that a large tract of trees was burning within, probably, a few miles. Later in the day smoke appeared in more distinct masses above the neighbouring hills, and it became probable that we might soon witness the magnificent, but awful spectacle of a bushfire. For two or three days the smoke hung in the air, and we heard of fires at some miles distance. The heat, however, conquered my desire to go to see them ; and they never came to us, except that one evening in the dusk a gleam, like that of a giant glow- worm, appeared upon the hill-side; then another and another. The light crept hither and thither, but never kindled to a blaze ; and next evening it was gone. When we were leaving South Australia for New South Wales. 'many were the lugubrious warnings we received of the trials we were about to undergo in exchanging the dry and buoyant air of Adelaide for the moist and depress- ing atmosphere of Sydney. Arrived there, every one on hearing whence we came compared Adelaide to an oven, WE A T WE SAW IN A USTRAL1A. 431 and congratulated us on having left her scorching plains behind for the soft breezes and verdure of their harbour. Meanwhile Melbourne, '.vhich we had heard pitied at Adelaide for the inferiority of its climate, is satisfied it possesses by far the best of the three. There we were assured that Sydney is enervating; while a particularly hot, dusty, and disagreeable day was always characterised as "Adelaide weather." All, however, agreed in con- sidering the climate of Tasmania perfect. Our own judgment in regard to the three capitals would give the palm to Sydney, but her inhabitants candidly admitted that we were fortunate in the season, which was cooler than is usual in November and December. At Mel- bourne we had many very enjoyable days, " hot but not too hot," as Mr. Woodhouse might have said ; while nothing can excel the bright loveliness of a South Australian spring day, unless it be the soft radiance of her summer nights, when the moon and lesser planets, like little moons, seem to hang from the violet sky. Colours are perfectly distinguishable on such a night ; indeed scarlet and green are almost as vivid as in broad day of an English winter. However much the climate of Australia may differ in some respects from that of our island, in one its variable- ness there seemed to us nothing to choose between them. Of course we were told that our visit was made in an abnormal season (our general experience as travel- lers teaches us that abnormal seasons always prevail), and that had we come in any other year it would have rained and been fine, or cold or hot, according to rule. As it was we could discover no rule upon which any reliance could be placed unless it were the "rule of contrary." Kain would come when least expected, arid, as it seemed to us, a great deal ottener than was wanted, though when the rainy season was past we were assured the proper number of inches had not fallen. Some friends who claimed to be weatherwise used to tell us that when *' clouds banked up in the west at sunset it always meant rain next day." If it did, " it " must have been as vari- able and changeable as even the female human animal, 432 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTEALIA. for the following morning would quite as often be bright and dry as not. The meteorological record for past years shows indeed very considerable variation in the weather; and it is believed that the increase of cultivation in addition to all other influences is gradually affecting the climate. The characteristic in the atmosphere of Australia which most charmed us was its extreme luminousness, whence come the wonderful expanse of her skies, and the grandeur of her cloud-architecture. The clearness of the air and the affluence of light giving brilliancy to every colour and distinctness to every form, have a wonderfully exhilarating effect. " This glorious canopy of light and blue," as fitly expresses the sense of exultation with which one drinks in the inexpressible beauty of the Australian sky, as the poet himself could have experienced under that of Spain. From our personal experience we should be inclined to suspect that the bracing effect of the climate one hears so much of rarely extends beyond the feeling just described, for we ourselves were rarely sensible of it in any other form. But the vast amount of manual labour which has been achieved in Australia, and the busy life the colonists lead, demonstrate a vigour and industry incom- patible with enervation, and we can only infer that our sojourn was not long enough to acclimatise us. On January 17th the Christmas family gathering, post- poned until we had all returned, took place. The party being always a very large one, dinner is laid on this occasion in the principal verandah, half of which affords ample space. Strangely incongruous to us seemed the usual Christmas fare amid the freshly-gathered summer fruit which covered the table ; and no less so the croquet and sauntering in the shade which followed the feast. Already while in Melbourne we had secured our cabin by the first homeward mail-steamer which would call at Glenelg, and now but a fortnight remained of our stay in Australia. It was chiefly spent in farewell visits ; but our friends would not let us depart without seeing the Torrens. Gorge and the lovely scenery of Waterfall Gully, neither WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 433 more than a few miles from Hazelwood. Indeed, as often happens, their very proximity had prevented our visiting them before. They could be seen at any time, and had thus been postponed to more distant objects of interest. A weir across the Torrens, where it issues from be- tween lofty precipitous banks, forms a miniature lake. Hence the water is conveyed to a reservoir nearer to Adelaide through a huge pipe, which looks as it follows the bends of the river like a gigantic snake, and sadly mars the beauty of a spot which formerly must have been as lovely as the valley above this disfigurement still is. In Waterfall Gully are two cascades. The lower of these emerging from among trees falls over a lofty wall of rock into a narrow grassy dell ; the upper, a shallower fall, is completely embowered in terns, such as grow only under glass at home. For thirteen years South Australia has been constrained sorely against her will to dispatch a steamer eleven hundred miles to King George's Sound for the conveyance of her letters. In celebration of the new contract coming into effect, which would bring the mail-steamer to her very door, an arrangement regarded as of great importance to the colony, the captain and officers of the ' Pera ' were invited to a banquet at Glenelg, presided over by the Mayor, and at which the Governor and the leading gentlemen of the province were also guests. Great numbers of persons flocked to Glenelg to behold the unaccustomed spectacle of the ocean steamer, and many went on board to visit her where she lay a couple of miles from shore. We reached the little town by an after- noon train, and found the streets decorated with flags, and everything wearing a gala air ; and so crowded was the jetty that it was difficult to make our way to the further end whence we were to embark, between the groups with which it was thronged. Among them we encountered many friends and acquaintances, and amid renewed farewells we reached the boat, which conveyed 2 F 434 WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTBALIA. us to the *Pera.' Contrary to expectation she did not start until late at night, and as we lay off the shore a splendid moonlight brightened our last view of South Australia. Next morning land was out of sight! We reached Albany about 11 P.M. on February 4th, and as our ship would sail again at noon on the following day, we hastened on shore next morning, having but scant time for a glimpse all that was now possible of West Australia. The little town is surrounded by scrub, or is rather built actually upon it, unreclaimed land inter- mingling with the houses and gardens. A closer inspec- tion modified our previous conclusion as to its neatness, revealing indeed among its poorer houses a general untidiness invisible from the deck of the steamer. Our first stopping place was the post office, both to inquire for letters from home and to dispatch others to Adelaide. While we were transacting our business, which involved the purchase of stamps and some writing, a little boy approached with a letter he desired to post. Not wishing to detain the child, we made room for him to come up to the window ; when, with a courtesy we shall always remember in association with West Australia, lie drew back, saying, " No, you are ladies, and must be served first." Continuing our walk we soon reached a plain but substantial school-house, and on entering found the master giving instruction to boys and girls together. Mixed schools prevail in West Australia. Out of the sixty Government or public schools in the colony to which " necessitous persons " are admitted free there are but six in which the sexes are divided.* The Albany schoolmaster told us that several of his pupils live as far as five miles off, at the same time pointing out quitn a little lad who had come that dis- tance. Some arrive in carts, others ride on horseback, "for," added he, "our children must learn to be inde- * Bluebook, ' West Australia,' for 1872. WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. 435 pendent." The scholars were healthy-looking, and had an air of self-reliance pleasant to see. Quitting the school we passed through, the township, noticing outside a house a young kangaroo so tame that it was evidently a pet animal, and meeting vendors of curiosities on the alert to sell their wares to the strangers. Here also were a few aborigines, looking much more like savages than any we had seen elsewhere. Their shaggy straggling hair hung down on their shoulders, and their only garment was a blanket, leaving their legs and feet bare. Judging, however, from what was related to us of the natives of this part of Australia, they must be shrewd and quick-witted. They seem also to possess qualities which cause those taken into the houses of the colonists to be treated as petted children, and their most provoking misdeeds to be pardoned over and over again. The following anecdote is illustrative of the sharpness of these children of nature. A lady who had a little native girl as her servant had occasion one day to call her away from her dinner, and during the child's absence the cat made off with her food. On returning to the kitchen ahe discovered the loss, when her mistress overheard her reproving the thief in severe terms. 4l You wicked woman," she said, "you steal my dinner you no go to heaven." The lady took an opportunity of explain- ing to her little maid that a cat must not be addressed as a woman, adding that cats do not go to heaven. " Yes they do," rejoined the girl ; " last Sunday teacher said God put the goats on one side and the sheep on the other, and if sheep go to heaven why not cats?" We are not aware that any missions have been estab- lished by the Government for the aborigines; but one exists about eighty miles from Perth, under the management of monks of the Benedictine Order. We learned from Mr. Malcolm Fraser (Surveyor-General of the Colony), that it was founded many years ago, by one of their number, a Spaniard, named Calvados, who had formerly been in the army of Spain, and much at Court. He is a fine musician, and turns his gift to practical account. 2 F 2 43() WHAT WE SAW IN AUSTRALIA. A bullock-dray being needed at the mission, he raised the money for its purchase by giving a concert. The institu- tion is agricultural, and self-supporting, excepting some assistance from Government. The Pope has made Sal- vados a bishop in acknowledgment cf his missionary labours, which, as only the civilisation and not the conver- sion of the blacks is attempted, affords remarkable testi- mony to the really Catholic spirit of his Holiness. It is to this creation that the presence in the colony of two Koman Catholic bishops is owing, one having previously been sent there as head of his church in West Australia. Among the aborigines at Albany some had boomerangs to sell, or to throw for the amusement of strangers. We had not seen them before in the hands of natives, and should have been interested in witnessing the use of this curious weapon, and glad, also, to buy some to bring home ; but the certainty that the money we should give would be spent in drink deterred us. Mr. Hare, the resident police magistrate whom we met on the quay, in speaking to us of the aboriginals, remarked, " The visit of the mail-steamer always brings business to my Court." Must the contact of the Anglo-Saxons with uncivilised races always result in inflicting evil on the savage ! Shortly before meeting with Mr. Hare we had seen posted in the windows of the Court-house the following notices, names, of course, filling the spaces : West Australia to wit. " NOTICE. " Publicans and all others, are hereby forbidden to sell or supply during months from the date of this notice, with Spirituous or Fermented Liquors, or Liquor part whereof is Spirituous or Fermented, under a penalty of Five Pounds (5) in accor- dance with Act of Council, 20 Viet. No. 1, Sec. 65 & 66. " Given under our hands at Albany, in the said Colony this "(Signed) WHA T WE SA W IN- A USTRALIA. 437 "RESIDENTS' OFFICE. " Albany, 187 . has this day been prohibited from being supplied with Spirituous, or Fermented Liquors, during months from this date. "(Signed) Mr. Hare assured us that the law, of which these notices are the exponents, and which is in force throughout the colony, has a considerable effect in repressing drunken- ness. Even in the country districts, where, of course, the police force is small, it is not inoperative. Willingly should we have remained longer on shore, but the captain's gig, in which we were to return to the ' Pera,' was ready to start. Bidding a long farewell to Australia, where we had spent ten pleasant months, we quickly reached our vessel, and soon were again out at sea. Seventeen days after quitting King George's Sound we landed at Bombay, and before pursuing our homeward journey spent a delightful fortnight in India. Great indeed is the contrast between the two countries ! Among the still sparse inhabitants of Australia we had beheld all the institutions of the mother-country, reproduced with an even more extended development of the principle of self- government; and, though independent, her children yet gladly acknowledging the filial tie. India, teeming with population the representatives of peoples and empires differing in every respect from the Anglo-Saxon, yields an often reluctant submission to a mere handful of an alien race. Solemn, indeed, are the responsibilities imposed upon us by the exercise of such vast and almost despotic power! Fearing a too early return to an English spring after our sojourn in hot climates, we tarried again in Egypt and in Italy. The stupendous remains of ancient civilisa- tions which here also surrounded us, and more especially, perhaps, the sense of intense realism created by the reve- lation of the minute circumstances of dailv life in ancient 438 WE A T WE SA W IN A USTRAL1A. Rome, brought before us by the excavations proceeding in her midst, seemed to banish Australia to the region of imagination an illusion further strengthened, may be, by finding the ordinary affairs of life proceeding precisely as when we had embarked on our long expedition. This feeling of the unreality of the period that had intervened, clung to us as we neared home ; and when the friends awaited us at Charing Cross to greet our return, who from the same spot had cheered our departure, it needed the added height of the before tiny nephew to convince us we had, indeed, been far away ; and that what we saw in Australia is no dream, but a very substantial reality ! THE END. LONDON: PRINTED DT WTI.MAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND (.MAKING CROSS. BEDFORD STREET, STRAND, LONDON, W.C. May, 1885. 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