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 AUSTRALIAN CRUSOES; 
 
 THE ADVENTURES OP 
 
 Sin (fiigliBti, Irttlrr nii^. [ife /nmilij 
 
 J 'Hf,i:pij'. ;, ', I ,\ 
 
 WILDS OF AUSTRALIA, 
 
 CHARLES ROWCROFT, ESQ., 
 
 A RESIDENT MAGISTRATE. 
 
 FROM THE SIXTH LOXDOX EDITION, 
 mm illustrations. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 J. W. BRADLEY, 48 N. FOURTH STREET. 
 
 1859. 
 
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It is with the view of describing the process of 
 settling in a new country ; of the precautions to be 
 taken ; of the foresight to be exercised ; of the 
 early difficulties to be overcome ; and of the sure 
 reward which awaits the prudent and industrious 
 colonist, that the editor has collected the following 
 tales ; and he may add, that he can testify to the 
 accuracy of the descriptions which they contain 
 from his personal experience as a resident magis- 
 trate in the colony. The first tale which is pre- 
 sented to the public is the journal of a settler, 
 detailing in his own homely language, the actual 
 progress, day by day, from the beginning, of the 
 establishment of a colonist's farm. 
 
 (iii) 
 
 mm-1392 
 
LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. 
 
 THE settler's JOURNAL. 
 
 I DO not pretend to be philosoplier enougt to analyze 
 deeply the reasons which induce me, after a long and 
 active life, passed for the most part in laborious but 
 pleasurable occupations, to lay down the axe for the 
 pen, and to write an account of my life in this country. 
 Perhaps it is that my family being grown up, and gently 
 pushing, as the young do, the aged from their stools, by 
 supplying my place in overseeing my farm, the leisure 
 that has come over me prompts me to employ my mind, 
 which from habit is disinclined to inaction, in recalling 
 past scenes and old recollections. Or it may be that, at 
 sixty-two years, the garrulousness of old age inclines 
 me to indulge on paper in the talk which every one 
 around me seems too busy to attend to orally. I would 
 fain hope that I am actuated by a better reason than 
 any such as these : that the desire to present a useful 
 history of a settler's life, and to show by my own 
 
 (5) 
 
C Why I Write. 
 
 instance how mucli may be accompHshed by prudence, 
 industry, and perseverance, incites me to write this 
 record of facts and feelings. Whether these accounts 
 may ever appear in print I do not know, although I will 
 confess that it is not without a secret inclination that 
 they may, in some shape, find their way to the perusal 
 of the public, that I now proceed to arrange them. 
 Whether thej appear in print or not, I have at least 
 the satisfaction of toping, that when I shall repose 
 beneath the si)i) of: this beautiful country, which I have 
 learned to love AO. clearly, my children's children after 
 me may sometimes turn to this manuscript of the old 
 man's recollections not without advantage from ita 
 perusal, 
 
ii^fi^itx IrrnnK 
 
 Mr. William Thornley, a sort of Half-farmer in the County of Sur- 
 rey, finding that he cannot live on his Small Capital, turns his 
 thoughts to the Colonies — Reasons for Emigration — A Wife's 
 hearty Consent an indispensable Preliminary — Preparations — 
 Voyage to Van Diemen's Land — Appearance of the Country — 
 He has an Interview with the Governor — Mode of obtaining a 
 Grant of Land. 
 
 It is now twenty-two years since I left London for 
 Van Diemen's Land. When I got on board ship, I 
 remember I found many of the passengers keeping 
 journals, so I did the same, though I can't say I found, 
 at first, much to put in it ; however, the habit of keep- 
 ing a journal stuck to me after I landed, so that I was 
 never easy at night unless I wrote down what had 
 occurred during the day. I am glad of it now, as I 
 find that the looking back on what I have gone through 
 is useful to me, and makes me the more thankful for 
 what I have got now, and the reading of it will^ I think, 
 be of advantage to those who come after me ; so I will 
 first describe how it was that I came to emigrate, and 
 then I shall copy all my bits and scraps of journals 
 fairly out, that those who may think that some profit is 
 to be got from them may easily read them. 
 
 It was in the beginning of the year 1816 that I was 
 first in difficulties in England ; that was just after the 
 close of the long war. There was great distress in the 
 country ; all seemed to go wrong. So many lost em- 
 
 (7) 
 
8 Thoughts or Emigration. 
 
 ployment from the change of war to peace, that many 
 were starving, and there was great confusion and riots. 
 If I recollect right, it was the year when the " Blank- 
 eteers" came from the north to present a petition to the 
 king. I had carried on, for many years, a pretty good 
 business at Croydon, in the corn trade. I did something 
 with coals too, the canal being handy (by-the-by, that 
 gave me the idea when I went abroad of the advantage 
 of water-carriage), and I never refused any sort of small 
 trading that seemed likely to turn to profit. But the 
 corn business was my main stay, and that brought me 
 a good deal into communication with farmers, and their 
 way of farming ; but I found that farming was a very 
 different thing here in Van Diemen's Land to what it 
 was in Surrey. I remember, as if it was yesterday, that 
 one morning, when I went to the corn-market, I found 
 a cluster of farmers and others standing round a neigh- 
 bour of mine reading a letter ; it was from a son of 
 his — a wild sort of chap — who had gone out as mate 
 of a vessel to Sydney, or Botany Bay, as it was called 
 then. By-the-by, Bot<any Bay and Sydney are quite 
 different places ; Botany Bay lies round to the south 
 of Sydney, and there is no town at all there; Sir 
 Joseph Banks named it Botany Bay from the number 
 of new plants which he found there, but the town of 
 Sydney was fixed thirteen miles further to the north. 
 Well, the reading of this letter caused a good deal of 
 amusement, speaking of the kangaroos, and the natives, 
 and the bush-rangers ; but what sm-prised us most was 
 to hear how easily the young fellow had turned farmer; 
 for fanning was not at all in his line, as he had scarcely 
 looked into a farm in his life when he was in England. 
 
The Subject Broached. 9 
 
 The accounts contained in this letter of the beauty of 
 the country, of the fertility of the soil, and of the 
 largeness of the crops, made a great impression on me, 
 and gave rise to vague ideas and designs, which dwelt 
 in my mind, and set me about making further inquiries. 
 However, I said nothing about it at home at this time, 
 waiting till I had acquii'ed more information, but went 
 on with my business as usual ; but my business did not 
 go on as usual with me. My purpose is not to describe 
 how a man breaks down in England, but how he gets on 
 in the colonies, so I shall say no more of my losses and 
 difiiculties than this ; that with one failing and another 
 failing, and people crowding into the trade and taking 
 the bread out of one another's mouth, and altogether, I 
 found that it would not do any longer. So one evening, 
 after a hard day's work, and no profit, but all loss, I 
 made up my mind to put an end to it. My wife was 
 sitting alone in the parlour, and I said to her (for I 
 ought to have said before that I had been married eleven 
 years, and had five children), " Mary," said I, " things 
 are going on very badly." 
 
 " They'll get better by-and-by," said she. 
 
 " They've been getting worse the last six months/' 
 said I. " I don't like the look of it at all." 
 
 " "We must work the harder,''' said my wife. 
 
 Said I, "I tell you what it is, Mary, I work as hard 
 as any man can, and we both of us spend as little as 
 we can, but we are eating up our capital; and work as 
 I may, and pinch oui-selves as we may, we can't go on 
 at this rate. You know how many have broke, and 
 there's no chance of our money from them ; in three 
 years we shaU have nothing left, and maybe we should 
 
10 Where To? 
 
 break down before then, for things are getting "worse 
 and worse, and the trade is like playing at hazard." 
 
 "Why, William/' said Mary, " what would you have 
 us do ? Shall we try a farm ?" 
 
 "Not in this country," said I. "What with rent, 
 and rates, and taxes, and tithes, with corn falling, and 
 all things unsettled, I'm thinking farming never will 
 be the business it used to be. No, Mary," said I, 
 speaking to her with much earnestness, " farming won't 
 answer here ; and with our five children depending on us 
 for bread, and for their future provision in life, I should 
 not like to risk the little that we have left in working at 
 a farm in this country. We must make up our minds 
 to a great effort, and since there are too many struggling 
 with one another in England, we must go where the 
 people are few, and the land is plenty. We must emi- 
 grate." 
 
 "Emigrate !" said Mary; " where to?" 
 
 " Why," I replied, " perhaps I have not made up 
 my mind which would be the best place to go to, nor 
 indeed could I make up my mind that we should emi- 
 grate at all until I had consulted with you, and you had 
 agreed to it. But I have thought of the matter a good 
 deal, and the more I think of it, the more convinced I 
 tim that it would be better for us to take care of what 
 we have left, and turn it to account in a new country. 
 If there was only you and me, we could make a shift, 
 perhaps, to rub on ; but when I consider our children, 
 who are growing up, and how to provide for them com- 
 fortably I know no more than the dead, I do feel that 
 to be sure of house and home, and bread to eat, and 
 clothes to wear would be better for them than to be 
 
TheDecision. 11 
 
 exposed to all the chances of uncertain trading or fann- 
 ing in this country." 
 
 Well, I saw that the tears had come in Mary's eyes 
 at this talk, and her heart was quite full ; for the 
 thought of her mother, now advanced in years, and of 
 her relatives and acquaintances about, of the scenes of 
 her early childhood and the companions of her youth, 
 all to be quitted, perhaps for ever, was too much for 
 her ; and all the circumstances of our own losses and 
 difficulties crowding in upon her thoughts, her emotion 
 got the better of her, and she burst into tears, and 
 sobbed for some time. My own eyes were not dry ; 
 but I felt that in these cases almost all depends on the 
 firmness of the head of the family, and that if he gives 
 way, all gives way soon after. I soothed her with all 
 the kindness of an affection as true and as deep as ever 
 man had for woman ; I explained to her exactly our 
 condition and all our circumstances, and after a long 
 consultation, her good sense coming to her aid, and, 
 most of all, her strong affection for her children mas- 
 tering all other considerations, she fell in with my views, 
 and it was agreed, that as we had made up our minds 
 to this decisive step, the sooner we carried it into effect 
 the better. 
 
 I have been the more particular in narrating this con- 
 versation, because it made, as may easily be supposed, a 
 great impression on me as it related to one of the most 
 important acts of my life ; and from the circumstance 
 also, that from that hour my dear wife never made a 
 single complaint, nor uttered a murmur at all the incon- 
 veniences and occasional hardships which she was put 
 to, as well during the voyage as during the first years 
 
12 Preparations Begun. 
 
 of our settling in the colony. This deserves the more 
 worthily to be noted as I have been a witness, in Van 
 Diemen's Land, of the evil effects of a contrary course 
 of conduct on the part of the wives of emigrants. To 
 my knowledge, more than one failure has happened from 
 the fancies, and fine-lady aifectations, and frettings, and 
 sulkiness of settlers' help-mates ; forgetting how much 
 of a man's comfort and happiness, and, in a colony, of 
 his success, depends on the cheerful humour, the kindly 
 good temper, and the hearty co-operation of his wife. 
 
 Well, the great point being settled, that of my wife's 
 consent and hearty concurrence in the project, all the 
 rest went on rapidly enough. She was a little fright- 
 ened at first at all there was before her to do ; but she 
 found that the labours and difficulties which, viewed in 
 the mass, seemed almost insurmountable, were easily 
 overcome as they were encountered singly : and, as she 
 said at the time, with her cheerful smile, " that if we 
 waited until we had provided against all possible and 
 impossible contingencies, we never should undertake the 
 expedition at all ; that what others had done, we, with 
 prudence, and care, and energy, might do also ; and 
 that, putting fb the work all the zeal and industry that 
 we could bring to it, we must leave the rest to that Pro- 
 vidence which never deserts the willing heart and the 
 humble mind." 
 
 I could write a great deal about all our hopes and 
 fears, and our little and great troubles ; but I am anx- 
 ious to get to my journal. I shall not give a long ac- 
 count of our voyage by sea, of the sharks that we saw, 
 and of the flying-fish that we broiled, because all those 
 things have been described over and over again. All 
 
OurCapital. 13 
 
 sea-voyages are miicli alike ; there must be some dis- 
 comfort on board of a vessel, where you cannot have 
 much room to yourself, and the passage to New South 
 Wales is, I dare say, often a very tedious affair ; but 
 this I will say, that every thing is made better by 
 good temper, and by a cheerful and contented mind. I 
 have observed through life, that much of people's hap- 
 piness or unhappiness proceeds from the way in which 
 they take things. Some fret and grieve everlastingly 
 at what cannot be helped, and lose the enjoyment of 
 that which they might otherwise derive pleasure from, 
 because they cannot have everything their own way, 
 and so they go on, miserable themselves, and making 
 everybody else miserable around them ; while others, 
 making up their minds to bear the annoyances they 
 can't escape from, contrive to make pleasures out of 
 very slight materials, and, by their own good-humour 
 and cheerfulness, to inspire the like in others. But, 
 'before I begin our voyage, it will be well to state what 
 our circumstances were on leaving England, and what 
 we took out with us 
 
 I found, after scraping together all I could get, that 
 T eould just manage to muster up £1150; little enough 
 to begin the world anew with, and with a wife, five chil- 
 dren, and my wife's mother, to convey to the other side 
 of the globe. It ought to be observed, too, that my 
 wife had been well educated, and had always lived in a 
 lady-like way; and although she had always been an 
 industrious housewife, she had never had any practice 
 in the hard work which, for the first year or two, falls 
 on the settler in a new colony. Besides this £1150 in 
 money, we had our beds and bedding, and blankets and 
 
 ) 
 
14 The Voyage. 
 
 linen, and such household articles, in plenty; and £i 
 variety of things which lie about a house, and seem of 
 no value, we took out with us, and found them valuable, 
 for use or sale, in the new country. As to the bulk of 
 our furniture, we sold it all, as I was told that it would 
 Be several years before we could have a siiitable place 
 to put it in, and that I should find the money more 
 useful,; that I must rough it for some time, and think 
 of nothing but stock — that is, of sheep and cattle. 
 This advice was very good, as I afterwards found, and 
 I was as happy, for many months, sitting on the stump 
 of a tree, with my wife opposite me on another,* as if we 
 had reclined on the softest sofas in London. But there 
 was not much time for reclining, as will be seen when I 
 come to my journal. I took care to carry with us all 
 the usual tools imperatively wanted on first settling, 
 such as saws, axes, chisels, augurs, &c. I had the good 
 fortune to listen to the advice of the captain of a ship, 
 and took out all the furnishing of a blacksmith's forge, 
 which I found of the greatest use to me. 
 
 Now to our voyage, which I shall make short enough. 
 We setsail from G-ravesend on the 7th of September, 1816. 
 We touched at the Cape of Good Hope; but I shall not 
 stop to describe a place that has been so often described 
 before. I want to hasten the way to the colony. After 
 a passage of about five months, we arrived at Hobart 
 Town on the 3d of February, 1817. Hobart Town is the 
 chief town or capital of Van Diemen's Land, at the 
 south end of the island. The new ideas which the 
 words "north" and "south" conveyed in those parts 
 confused me at first; for, contrary to the impression 
 which they convey in Eui'ope, the north wind on the 
 
TheNew Country. 15 
 
 opposite side of the globe is the warm one, and the 
 south the cold one. " These warm north winds" and 
 " these cold south gales" sounded oddly, and it was 
 some time before I got used to the expressions. The 
 aspect of the new country was not encouraging, and I 
 felt a little damped at first. All the country up the 
 river, from Storm Bay Passage to Hobart Town, had a 
 mournful, desolate appearance. The trees had a sombre 
 look, and the grass was a dirty brown, excepting here 
 and there a green patch, where I was told it had been 
 recently burnt. It looked like the close of autumn 
 instead of the middle of summer, which it was, we ar- 
 riving, as I said before, on the 3d of February, and the 
 months of winter and summer being reversed here in 
 this topsy-turvy place. A brown and dusky autumnal 
 tint seemed to pervade all nature, and the place had a 
 quiet, sleepy appearance, as if everything had been 
 standing still and was waiting for settlers to come and 
 improve it. Mount Wellington, as the large high moun- 
 tain, about four thousand feet high, is called, at the 
 back of the town to the left as you go up the river, had 
 a little cap of snow on its summit, which I have ob- 
 served in summer several times since, but it seldom re- 
 mains more than a few hours at that season of the year. 
 The town had a straggling, irregular appearance; a 
 pretty good house here and there, and the intervening 
 spaces either unbuilt on or occupied by mean little 
 dwellings, little better than rude huts. It is to bo 
 borne in mind that I am speaking of Hobart Town as it 
 was twenty-two years ago ; since then, great changes 
 have taken place, as will be found noted from time to 
 time in my journal. One thing I can't help adverting 
 
16 Kangaroo-Dogs. 
 
 to, and that is, the surprising number of dogs that kept 
 us awake for some nights after we arrived in the town 
 with their incessant barking. At that time every one 
 had a kangaroo-dog who could contrive to keep one, 
 and what with these and others, first one set up a growl, 
 and then another caught it i;p, and he was of course 
 answered from another part of the town, so that pres- 
 ently hundreds of dogs, watch-dogs, kangaroo-dogs, and 
 mongrels of all sorts and sizes, all would set up such a 
 barking and tearing, that we thought to be sure some- 
 thing dreadful must be the matter ; that the convicts 
 Jiad risen, or the natives had fired the town. We wished 
 that all the dogs had their tails stufi"ed down their throats, 
 to stop their noise. But we soon got used to this, like 
 the apprentice that was lost, and found asleep in the cop- 
 per that the workmen were hammering at outside ; and 
 afterwards we found the value of the faithful and intel- 
 ligent kangaroo-dogs in the wild-bush ; for their vigi- 
 lance saved us all from being murdered by the natives, 
 or perhaps burned to death, as I shall have to relate in 
 its proper place. Well, I did not care, at this time, for 
 the statistics, as the term is, of the town or the colony ; 
 I was too much taken up with my own statistics, and 
 with arranging to settle ourselves on our land, and get 
 out of the town, for we soon found that our money 
 would melt away very fast if we staid there, and no 
 return for it, everything being so dear. I paid 35s. 
 per week for the wretched place that we got shelter in : 
 as to going to an inn, of which there were one or two 
 indifferent ones, of a public-house order, that would 
 have been ruin indeed. Meat was 9d. and 10(7. per lb ; 
 bread a little cheaper than in London ; as to milk and 
 butter, that we were obliged to go without. 
 
S'i^RANGE Feelings. 17 
 
 Altogether, I did not like the looks of matters; but I 
 was assured that the interior of the country was more 
 inviting, and I was advised to lose no time in getting 
 on my land, for it had been observed, that more than 
 one emigrant who had lost his time in loitering over the 
 town, gaping and staring about, and fretting and com- 
 plaining because all things did not come easy to his hand, 
 had soon got rid of so much of his money, as not to 
 have enough left to establish himself, and carry him 
 through the first year. I must own I could not help 
 feeling strange in a new country, where everything was 
 so different from what one had been used to at home ; 
 and the difficulty of getting a female servant, and that 
 a convict one, to help my wife with the children and 
 the house, trifling as it may seem to speak of, troubled 
 her sadly. I felt very queer myself among the convicts ; 
 some with yellow jackets on, and some without, but all 
 with a peculiar look, as it seemed to me, with here and 
 there gangs of a dozen or more working on the roads 
 with chains on their legs, and making the place look, 
 as I must confess, not very respectable. However, I 
 had not expected to find plum-puddings gi-owing on the 
 trees ready baked, and beds of rose-leaves ready spread 
 to lie on, as some did, so I plucked up heart, and set to 
 work. 3Iy first care was to see all our goods and chat- 
 tels safely landed from the ship, and properly housed 
 in a store belonging to a merchant in the town. This I 
 had to pay dear enough for. I was rather puzzled to 
 know what to do with my money, in a land of convicts, 
 where every finger was a fish-hook ; but the governor 
 allowed me to deposit it in the treasury. As it was all 
 in dollars, the weight was pretty heavy, more than I 
 2 
 
18 Embakrassment opKiches. 
 
 could carry by myself; and I said jokingly to my wife 
 that I had sometimes read of the embarrassment of 
 riches, but that I had never felt it before. After all 
 expenses of outfit and passage paid, I found myself in 
 the colony with 3600 dollars in hand, being about 
 £780 sterling, having pui-chased the dollars in London 
 at four shillings and fourpence a-piece. With this sum 
 I had to set about establishing myself in the wilderness. 
 
 I had now to turn my mind to the fixing on a place to 
 settle on. The way of obtaining land was very different 
 then to what it is now, and, as I think, the alteration has 
 not been for the better. The mode of obtaining land 
 two-and-twenty years ago, was thus : — 
 
 Before leaving England, I applied to the office of the 
 Secretary of State for the Home Department, by letter, 
 stating my intention to emigrate to Van Diemen's Land 
 with my family, and requesting an authority to obtain a 
 grant of land when I got there. In reply to this, I re- 
 ceived a sealed letter, addressed to the lieutenant-gover- 
 nor, and which, I was informed on an interview with the 
 clerk to that department at the Home Office, contained 
 the necessary authority. This letter, I afterwards ascer- 
 tained, was an authority to allot to me a grant of land 
 according to my means. When I arrived at Hobart Town, 
 I waited on the governor with this letter. The governor, 
 whom I saw himself, and who was very kind in his infor- 
 mation and advice, made a note of my circumstances, of 
 the amount of my property, of the number of my children 
 and family, of my views in coming to the colony, and he 
 dwelt much on the hona fide nature of my intentions to 
 go on the land and work it. I told him that I had come 
 with the intention of settling as a farmer, and of resid- 
 
Land Granted Me. 19 
 
 ing on my land, and cultivating it myself. At this 
 time, in the year 1817, this class of settlers was always 
 specially favoui'ed by the colonial government, as indeed 
 it was right and politic to do, for it was precisely the class 
 that was wanted in the colony to form its inhabitants of 
 the interior, to raise food for the colony, and to create es- 
 tablishments for relieving the government of the expense 
 of maintaining the convicts. It aided the plan, also, of 
 reforming the convicts, by removing them from the temp- 
 tations of the town, and of habituating them to healthy 
 work in new positions, where they would be removed from 
 old habits and associations. Being one of this desirable 
 class, I was told by the governor that he considered me 
 entitled to as large a grant of land as was consistent with 
 his general instructions ; and that he should allot to me 
 twelve hundred acres. "Well, I thought, this was a good 
 beginning. Twelve hundred acres of land of one's own 
 has a good sound, and is a pleasant contemplation ; but 
 the next thing was where to find them. There was plenty 
 of land unappropriated in the colony, but very much of 
 it was bad land, and in unfavourable situations. On this 
 point the governor said I must decide for myself; '' that 
 there was much bad land in the colony, and that the good 
 land near the town, in any quantity at least, was nearly 
 all taken up ; but that if I thought of turning my at- 
 tention particularly to the breeding of sheep, he should 
 advise me not to be afraid of penetrating into the inte- 
 rior, for that he judged, from his communications from 
 England, that emigration to these colonies would soon so 
 much increase, that the difficulty of stock-owners would 
 be to get far enough off from the influx of new set- 
 tlers, so as to find sufficient range near their homesteads 
 
20 StarttoFindIt. 
 
 for the feeding of their flocks and herds." And so I 
 afterwards found it. At that time, when land was granted, 
 it was a free grant, or gift, from the crown to the emi- 
 grant. This acted as a great encouragement, and I think 
 the various plans that have heen adopted since, although 
 well adapted to raise the value of the land in the colony 
 among the colonists, have had the eifect of preventing 
 many persons of moderate means, but of practical know- 
 ledge, from venturing to these distant regions. 
 
 I got the order easily enough, as I have said, but I 
 found I had difiiculties enough to contend against, and 
 my first difficulty in respect to land was where to fix on 
 it; for I heard so many contradictory accounts of the va- 
 rious parts of the country, every one praising his own 
 district, as fancy or interest dictated, that I was fairly 
 bewildered, and almost at my wit's end which way to turn 
 my steps. But as the choice was one that must be made, 
 and that quickly too, I set heartily about it. Leaving 
 my wife and children, and her mother, who, though old, 
 had the excellent quality of being trustworthy, as com- 
 fortable as I could make them in their lodgings in the 
 town, and having arranged with a resident family to have 
 an eye to their safety in my absence, I put my gun over 
 my shoulder, and started up the country. 
 
(0 Im |i t B r € 1; i r h . 
 
 Resolves to lose no time in getting out of the Town and on to his 
 Farm — his Journey up the country in search of good land — his 
 talk with an old hand — he meets with a strange person and 
 makes a new acquaintance — mode of Farming in the Colony — 
 an Adventure. 
 
 HoBART Town was quite still when I left it about five 
 o'clock in the morning, but the sun was getting up beau- 
 tifully. There were only one or two stragglers about. 
 I fimcied the air was beginning to feel warm already, 
 and the summer sun in Van Diemen's Land is no joke 
 in a hayfield, though I don't remember that I was ever 
 inconvenienced by it more than in England. When I rose 
 the little hill going out of the town, I stopped and turned 
 back to take a look at the town I was leaving. I cer- 
 tainly was much struck with it. It looked so like the 
 BEGINNING of a town, there could be no mistake about 
 it. It was all interspersed with the poles and scaffold- 
 ing of houses being built, and it looked almost as if a lot 
 of people had come only the night before, and had begun 
 to set up a city to dwell in. On my right hand, as I 
 stood on the hill looking down upon the town, was Mount 
 Wellington, with thick, white fleecy clouds hanging down 
 from its top and concealing its head. All the space be- 
 tween the town and the mountain was covered with trees 
 and shrubs, having for the most part, a dusky green fo- 
 Ijage Nearly fronting me stood the Government house, 
 
22 Lonely Feelings. 
 
 unfinished, and towards the left was the hroad river Der- 
 went, extending as far as the eye could reach to the 
 south, till it joined the sea. Lying at anchor close in 
 shore were two merchant vessels and a few boats. It 
 certainly was a magnificent sight : the noble river ; the 
 fine harbour, allowing ships of five hundred tons burthen 
 to anchor within a stone's throw of the end of the jetty ; 
 the tiny patches of cultivated land here and there, which 
 seemed to give a hint of the treasures unclaimed around, 
 and requiring only tillage to reveal them; and, above 
 all, the air of sleeping enterprise which the quiet town 
 in the early morning seemed to be invested with, formed 
 together a remarkable picture. I stood looking at it a 
 good while, and wondering what it would come to, when 
 suddenly the bell of the convicts' barrack yard was rung 
 to summon the government-men to work; and it served 
 to summon me too, for I fancy that without being aware 
 of it, I was a little loth to leave human habitations and 
 plunge into the bush among the natives. However, I 
 was on a high road as yet, though not a very good one, 
 so after giving a little look at the spot where I knew my 
 wife and children were dwelling, I cast a glance at the 
 priming of my fowling-piece and marched on. 
 
 I met nothing between camp, as Hobart Town was then 
 called, and New Town, about three miles. I remember I 
 felt very lonely ; I had not warmed into the work, and I 
 felt all the hesitation which a man feels when he sets out 
 to take a journey without having first determined where 
 he intends to go. I was in fact a seeking where to go, 
 and looking out for some information to guide me as to 
 the point whither to direct my steps, with the impression 
 on my mind, from my experience in the town, that everj- 
 
Which Way? 23 
 
 one would endeavour to deceive me as to wtat land was 
 vacant, and which was the best part to settle on. With 
 all these anxious thoughts I continued my way, passing 
 one or two miserable looking cabins by the road, till I 
 reached the ferry on the right, about ten miles from camp. 
 Here the river is still broad; about as broad as the Thames 
 at Chelsea. At this place I made a halt, in order to de- 
 cide whether I should continue my road to New Norfolk, 
 about twenty-one miles from the camp, or cross over and 
 take the high road, such as it was, leading from the one 
 side of the island to the other, that is, to Launceston, on 
 the banks of the river Tamar. I walked down to the edge 
 of the water and talked to the ferry-men who were busy 
 about their boat. They all advised me to go on to New 
 Norfolk, where there was plenty of fine land, as they said, 
 and a settled district. The master of the ferry, and of the 
 inn belonging to it hard by, came up, and I asked him 
 what he thought. He looked at me a bit as if to mea- 
 sure what I was worth, and shook his head in a very wise 
 manner : 
 
 " You're a new settler V said he. 
 
 "Yes," said I, "very new; and should feel much 
 obliged if any one would direct me a little which way I 
 had better go to look for land." 
 
 " Much land ?" said he. 
 
 " Twelve hundred acres." 
 
 " Not much for a sheep-farm, but enough to make a 
 tidy homestead." 
 
 "I think it is ; but where can I find a good bit of land ?" 
 
 "Breakfasted?" said the landlord. 
 
 "Before I set out." 
 
 « Oh !— Well, I tell you what I should do if I wag you; 
 
24 The Landlord's Cheer. 
 
 you had better take up your quarters with me for a day 
 or two, and thou Til see what can be done." 
 
 "And then?" said I. 
 
 "And then you can cross the ferry, and — " 
 
 " Thank ye," says I; for I saw which way the wind was 
 blowing; the ferry-men would have me go to New Nor- 
 folk to save themselves the trouble of pulling me over for 
 their master, and their master would have me spend my 
 money at his inn, and I doubt not advised every one, as 
 he advised me, to cross his ferry, whether or no. So, 
 thought I, I see I must depend on myself; now if New 
 Norfolk is already settled, that argues that it was con- 
 sidered a good place to settle in when there was plenty 
 of good land to pick and choose, so I'll go and see what 
 the place is made of. 
 
 " Good morning," said I to the landlord, who was 
 standing looking at me, and his ferry-men looking at him ; 
 " I shall see what sort of land they have at New Norfolk." 
 
 "You had better wait till evening," said the landlord, 
 "you'll find it precious warm." 
 
 "I don't like to lose time." 
 
 " Take a glass of rum ?" 
 
 " No, thank you, I never drink it." (The ferry-men 
 grinned.) 
 
 " Or a glass of brandy ?" 
 
 " No — much obliged." 
 
 " I've got some whiskey, real farantosh — : or Irish, 
 vvith the true smack of the turf in it? Or " 
 
 " Thank you, I never drink spirits in the morning, but 
 I should like to have a drop of beer. Although its early, 
 I've had a longish walk — and a little mild ale. . . ." 
 
Rum OR Water? 25 
 
 '' Keer ! — mild ale ! — Lord love ye, why you haven't 
 come out here to drink beer and mild ale, have you ? 
 You'll find no beer up the country. Rum's the stufii"; 
 that's our drink in this colony." 
 
 " Why, you have water, I suppose ?" 
 
 " Water ? Water ! Oh ! yes to be sure we have water ; 
 we always use it for tea; and lean tell you, a cup of tea, 
 with a glass of rum in it, is very refreshing." 
 
 " I had rather have a drop of milk in my tea," said I. 
 
 "Why, maybe some would; but you see use is every 
 thing, and it isn't so easy to get milk in these parts, so 
 that rum is mother's milk to us now. Ha ! ha ! you'll get 
 used to a settler's life by-and-by, rum and all." 
 
 " Well, "said I, " barring the rum, I hope I soon shall ;" 
 and so I took my leave, not overpleased with the conver- 
 sation nor with the landlord of the Ferry. However, it 
 was his business to make people spend money at his inn, 
 and cross his ferry, and we are all somewhat selfish, I 
 take it, in our own vocations. 
 
 The sun began now to be pretty warmish, and my 
 watch told me it was ten o'clock. Thought I, if it is 
 warm at ten, I shall be melted at mid-day; but to New 
 Norfolk I must go ; so I put my best foot foremost, and 
 strode away manfully. In about an hour's time, however, 
 the sun's rays became so powerful that, not yet having 
 recovered my habits of walking, I began to give way; 
 and I looked to the right and left for a likely place to rest 
 in. As I cast my eyes about, I spied a rough looking 
 man seated on the ground at a little distance from the 
 road; near a little rocky mount, drinking water from a 
 spring which oozed over the shelf of a little platform of 
 etono. Thought I, this is not one of your rum drinkers, 
 
26 Makes an Acquaintance. 
 
 as he is soaking in the pure element with such gusto ; but 
 he's a queer looking chap too. It was the first of the 
 species that I had occasion closely to observe, so I may 
 as well describe him. 
 
 His feet were enveloped in a pair of old moccasins made 
 out of a sheep's skin, with the wool outside, but much 
 worn, it seemed, with travel. His legs were bare. A pair 
 of very old knee-breeches, which once had buttons and 
 strings, but which now had none, encased his nether 
 person. The principal part of his dress was a frock-coat 
 of kangaroo-skin, or rather of many skins, dried with the 
 hair on, and presenting a curious variety of shade from 
 wear and dirt. On his head he wore a hat, if hat it could 
 be called, which once seemingly was black, but now was 
 of no particular colour, the crown whereof was ingeniously 
 fastened to the body with the fibres of the stringy bark 
 tree, albeit that it permitted to peep forth the ragged ends 
 of some dry native grass, which its owner had thrust 
 within it (seeing that it was too large, not having been 
 originally made for him), to maintain it in a becoming 
 and convenient position. A grizzly beard of a fortnight's 
 growth, gave a finish to his ferocious appearance. I sur- 
 veyed this hairy individual with much curiosity, as I ad- 
 vanced towards him, and with some mistrust, for there 
 were bush-rangers abroad, and although this was not a 
 likely place to meet with them, I was strange to the 
 country, and thought it best to be on my guard. I kept 
 my hand therefore convenient to the lock of my piece, 
 with the muzzle before me, careless like, but quite ready 
 My precaution, however, did not escape the observation of 
 the kangaroo man, who now turning his face to me and 
 looking up, said in a country -like tone : 
 
Rather a Queer Figure. 27 
 
 " You needn't be afeeard o'me, Master. If you want 
 water, come and drink. Thank God, there is water in 
 the country, plenty and sweet enough — except where it's 
 brackish. Drink, (seeing that I hesitated) well — I'll 
 go farther off; no wonder perhaps you're timid a bit. — 
 If you'd a gone through what I've gone through in this 
 wretched country, you'd have reason enough for it." 
 
 There was something about the man's manner and 
 about his face too, though the sovirest looking I ever 
 saw, that made me feel there was no harm in him, so 
 I stooped down and had the most delicious draught I 
 think I ever tasted. I had learnt the value of water 
 by my long voyage from England, but I think I never, 
 even as a schoolboy, enjoyed a drink of water so much 
 before. This mutual draught from the same fountain 
 established at once a sort of companionship between me 
 and the man of skins, and we sat down together by the 
 side of the spring. 
 
 I could not help gazing at my new acquaintance wit'ii- 
 a sort of wonder, and thinking in my own mind that ho 
 formed a queer figure in the foreground of the arcadian 
 scenery of the new country. 
 
 ''You look at me." 
 
 "I can't help it," said I : ''I don't mean any offence, 
 but pray, do all the people in this country dress in your 
 style ? I don't mean to say that it is not a very proper 
 dress, and (fearing to anger him) very becoming and 
 suitable to the country ; but I only arrived a fortnight 
 since, and everything seems strange to me." 
 
 " Not stranger than it does to me," said the man. 
 " How do you think I came by this dress, as you call 
 it ? Well — you needn't guess ; I'll tell you, I'm dressed 
 by voluntary contribution." 
 
28 Dressed by Bushmen! 
 
 " Voluntary contribution ! How's tliat ?" 
 
 " Why, you see, about ten days ago, I was met by 
 the bush-rangers on the other side of the island, and 
 they stripped me of everything." 
 
 " They did ?" said I, and I clapped m}"- hand on my 
 gun. 
 
 " Oh — you needn't be afceard — there's none on 'em 
 here, and I hope you won't meet an}-^ in this horrible 
 country. Lord forgive mc — I wish I was well out of it. 
 Fool that I was to leave my old master in Shropshire to 
 come out here to get land of my own. Ah — well — go 
 farther and ftire worse. These rascals, these bushrangers, 
 took every individual thing I had about me, and kept 
 me for three days to carry their baggage for them. The 
 one that took my coat, and a prime velveteen one it was, 
 with plenty of pockets, chucked his kangaroo-skin jacket 
 to me ; ' here, my hearty,' says he, ' is something to 
 remember us by. You can't say we haven't treated you 
 well, for you have shared of the best with us, and we 
 have shown you all the country.' These moccasins I 
 got at a stock-keeper's hut, who let me fit the sheep' skin 
 warm to my feet, and they were comfortable enough at 
 first, but now they are dry, they get unpleasant. But 
 it's not long that I'll wear 'em, for I'll go back home 
 again to England, if I have to work my passage. Hea- 
 ven send that I was out of this horrible place ! I do 
 really think it was made before the other countries were 
 begun, and found not to answer. There is nothing in 
 it like anything anywhere else, and what's worse, there's 
 notliing in it to eat." 
 
 " Nothing to eat ! that's a bad job 3 how do people 
 subsist then ?" 
 
Mr. Crab's Opinion. 29 
 
 " Oh ! I don't mean there's nothing to eat exacny ; 
 though I don't know what one can get all over the 
 country but mutton chops and dampers ; but I mean 
 that the country furnishes nothing of itself: no ani- 
 mals, no fruits, no roots. Now I thought before I came 
 here, there must be plenty of fruit in a warm climate ; 
 but, bless your heart, you may look a long time in the 
 woods for anything to eat, I can tell you. The only 
 thing like a fruit that I've ever seen, is a cherry wrong 
 made, with the stone growins; outside. I did eat a lot 
 of them one day when I was hard run, as I observed 
 the birds eat 'em, and a pretty murmuring they pro- 
 duced in my inside ; but that's neither here nor there. 
 What I say is this : this is the worst country, and the 
 most dreadful place that man ever was in, and all I wish 
 is that I was out of it." 
 
 ''I am sorry," said I, "to hear you give so bad an 
 
 opinion of the country I have come to settle in, Mr. j 
 
 you have not told me your name." 
 
 "Crab — Samuel Crab; that's my name, and that was 
 my father's name. You see I'm a Shropshire man, and 
 for five-and-thirty years I was head ploughman to Squire 
 Dampier, at Dampier Hall. A good master he was to 
 me, and a fool was I for leaving him; but it all came 
 from reading and writing." 
 
 " From reading and writing ! — how was that ?" 
 
 " Why you see, one day I was at the blacksmith's 
 about a plough, and as I had nothing to do, I took up a 
 newspaper that was there (od rot the writers on 'em), and 
 began reading about the Colony of Van Diemen's Land, 
 of all places in the world, what capital land was there, 
 and what high wages were to be got, and how much 
 farming men were wanted, and particularly ploughmen, 
 
30 Rather Disheartening. 
 
 and how you were sure to make your fortune there quite 
 Dut of hand like. Well, if ever I longed for anything in 
 my life, it was to have a bit of land of my own, but I 
 never could get hold of it any how, nor saw any likelihood 
 of it. So, in short, I was seized with a sort of fit to go 
 to Van Diemen's Land, and go I would, spite of what 
 master could say. I had saved a matter o' ^bout a hun- 
 dred and fifty pound, and so go I did, and now I'll go 
 back again.^' 
 
 I Tfas a little damped to hear this talk from a real 
 farming man, and one, too, who had seen a good deal of 
 the country, and I began to have misgivings of the prxi- 
 dence of what I had done in leaving a rich and settled 
 country like England, for a new and wild region, such as 
 Van Diemen's Land. My new acquaintance seemed rather 
 of a dull and obstinate nature^ like most farming men in 
 the middle coimties of England, and was likely enough 
 to be prejudiced against the country after the mauling 
 the bush-rangers had given him; but still I thought he 
 could tell me what he had seen, so as he seemed inclined 
 to talk, I went on to question him for the sake of infor- 
 mation. 
 
 "What system of farming," said I, "do they follow 
 most in this country ?" 
 
 "System? Bless you, you don't suppose they follow 
 any system here ? The way they go on is quite disgusting 
 to me ; they know no more of farming than a Londoner. 
 They don't know how to grow anything." 
 
 "No wheat?" 
 
 " Yes, they do grow wheat — such as it is." 
 
 "Barley?" 
 
 "Yes: barley." 
 
 "Oats?" 
 
How THEY Farm Here. 31 
 
 "Not seen much oats; however, I believe they can 
 grow." 
 
 "Potatoes?" 
 
 " Oh — plenty of potatoes." 
 
 " Vegetables? cabbages, peas, beans, and such lilce?" 
 
 " Yes : I can't say but they can grow 'em ; but they're 
 too large to please me, and I'm sure they grow too quick ; 
 besides, it stands to reason that things can't grow properly 
 with the soil just disturbed, as it's done here. A man in 
 my country would be ashamed to call it digging. And 
 then to see what they call a field of wheat ! I call it a 
 field of stumps ! And where there's no stumps they don't 
 do much better. They just put the plough once through 
 it, and there lies the sod turned up with the grass growing 
 on it ; and then a weaver chap, or a London pickpocket, 
 comes with the seed in a bag, and oh, my eyes, how I 
 laughed ! he flings it about as if he was feeding the 
 chickens; and then another chap comes with a large 
 branch of a tree, drawn by a couple of oxen, and he 
 sweeps the grain about, and that they call harrowing ! and 
 when that's done they just leave it." 
 
 " And what becomes of it ?" 
 
 " Oh, first the cockatoos get a good bellyfull, and then 
 the parrots and magpies have a peck at it. But it comes 
 up at last." 
 
 " Well, that's something." 
 
 " Yes — maybe — but it ought'nt to come up done in 
 that slovenly way. It's a shame to waste good seed so. 
 And then when they do get a bit of land a little — no 
 not in order — but out of disorder, how they do work it, 
 dear me ! What do you think a sort of cockney chap 
 said to mc at Pitt-water, for I've been over there ? Says 
 
82 I Understand Mr. Crab. 
 
 I to him, ' Friend/ says I, ' how often do you let your 
 land lie fallow in these parts ?' ' Fallow/ says he, 
 ' what's that ?' ' You're a pretty chap to be a farmer,' 
 said I, ' not to know what lying fallow means. Why 
 lying fallow means letting the land rest a bit to recover 
 itself for another crop.' ' Oh/ said he, ' our land in 
 this place never lies 'fallow,' as you call it; we just 
 put the same crop in every year. There — that field has 
 grown wheat for eleven years.' ' What, have you had 
 the cruelty,' said I, ' to put wheat on that bit of land 
 for eleven years ?' ' To be sure I have/ said he, ' and 
 shall grow wheat on it for eleven years longer, if I live.' 
 Master, you might have knocked me down with a 
 feather : I never before heard anything so horrid. I 
 felt sure at once, that no good was to be done in a coun- 
 try where creatures harrow with branches of trees, and 
 treat their land so cruelly. But it was worse than that 
 when I came to look more into it. I know you won't 
 believe it; they'll never believe it of me when I get 
 back to Shropshire. This very bit of land, that Fve 
 told you of, that the creature grew corn on for eleven 
 years without stopping, never had — no — not so much as 
 a handful of manure the whole eleven years. What do 
 you think of that? Would any Christian farmer in 
 England treat his land so ? Why, it's against nature !'' 
 I now began to understand the sort of man I had 
 to deal with ; one of those obstinate sons of the soil 
 who cannot be made to understand that it is possible to 
 carry on farming in any other way than the way which 
 they have been accustomed to; and whose prejudices 
 against innovation are so strong, that they will not 
 believe in the truth of what they see with their own 
 
Mr. Crab's Glass of Beer. 33 
 
 eyes, and wring everything from its true bearing to the 
 backing up of their own notions. Now that I felt at 
 ease with my new friend, I began to be amused with his 
 oddity and obstinacy, and I thought, perhaps, as he had 
 had some experience in the colony, and knew the coun- 
 try', he would be a useful companion to me, though not 
 very prepossessing in his personal appearance. 
 
 '' Well, Mr. Crab," said I, " what do you mean to 
 do now ?" 
 
 " Oh, I shall make the best of my way on board-ship, 
 and get out of this miserable country as fast as I can." 
 " But to my certain knowledge no ship will sail for six 
 weeks ; what would you do in the town all that time ?" 
 " Ah — there's another horrid thing against the coun- 
 try ; when a poor man has been enticed over by all the 
 lies of the captains, and ship-owners, and book-writers, 
 here he must stay till some captain gets as sick of the 
 country as he. What's to become of me for six weeks, 
 I'm sure I don't know ! To live in that wretched town 
 is horrible, where all the people are convicts, or worse 
 than convicts, with their wickedness and extortions. 
 Only once did I go into a public-house while I was 
 there." 
 
 " And how did you fare there ?" 
 " Oh ! I'll tell you : ' Glass of beer ?' said I. No- 
 thinf under a bottle,' said the landlord. ' How much 
 does your bottle hold?" said I; for I knew it was 
 necessary to be caatious in dealing with these town 
 chaps. ' Just the same as in England,' said he, show- 
 ing a bottle with Barclay's bottled stout marked on the 
 label. It's true — my heart did warm to the beer, and 
 <iuite forgetting to ask the price, I said, with a sort of 
 3 
 
M What HE Pays FOR it! 
 
 glee, ' Out with the cork.' It was out in a twinkling ; 
 that drink was a prime one, I must say, if I never have 
 another. ' Take a glass yourself, landlord,' said I. 
 ' With pleasure,' said he, and filling it slowly to the 
 brim, ' Your very good health,' said he to me. ' The 
 same to you,' said I, filling another. He filled his at 
 the same time, without waiting to be invited. * How 
 do you like it ?' said he. ' Never drunk better in my 
 life,' said I. ' What's to pay?' ' Half-a-guinea,' said 
 he. ' Half-a-guinea,' said I, ' for a bottle of beer !' 
 ' Yes,' said he, * and cheap too ; there's only two dozen 
 left in the colony, and you've just drunk one of them.' 
 The beer seemed to move in my stomach at this charge, 
 as if it had got down there by mistake and wanted to 
 come up again. I said nothing; I could'nt speak; I 
 felt I was done. Had I paid the money in their paper 
 shillings and sixpences it might have taken off the edge 
 of the mishap a bit. But I laid down two silver dollars. 
 The landlord took 'cm up. 'Another sixpence,' said he. 
 I pulled out another silver dollar, he gave me some bits 
 of dirty paper for the four-and-sixpence change, and I 
 made a vow that if ever I had the opportunity I'd sarve 
 him out for it. But that's nothing to what I've suffered 
 in this abominable country, which is fit for nothing but 
 convicts and kangaroos to live in." 
 
 " Seeing how ill you've been treated in the town," 
 said I, " and it seems that the bush-rangers have not 
 treated you much better in the country, I hardly know 
 what to say to you. I'm going up the country to look 
 for land, but sadly in want of some intelligent person 
 to advise me how to proceed. It is difficult to get sin- 
 cere information, I fear, from people already settled, aU 
 
Crab AS A Companion. 35 
 
 being interested in advising you to take land either near 
 them, or far from them, as the case may happen to suit 
 them. It is a difficult matter for a stranger to know 
 what to do." 
 
 "You're a farmer, I take it, by your look?" said Mr. 
 Crab, inquiringly. 
 
 " I can't pretend to be a farmer like you," said I, 
 "because I am sure you're a thorough-bred one, but I 
 know something about it." 
 
 "That's very properly said," replied Mr. Crab. 
 " Well — I don't know, master, may I ask your name ?" 
 
 "Thornley," said I; "William Thomley, late of 
 Croydon, in Surrey : some good farming there." 
 
 " Why, for London farming, perhaps, there may be ; 
 but you Londoners can't be supposed to understand 
 farming like us in Shropshire. However, master, I'm 
 thinking, that if you like it, I'll go with you over the 
 country a bit ; and perhaps I shall be able to persuade 
 you not to stay in this villainous place, but go back to 
 the old country, where people farm their land like 
 Christians. I suppose you don't mistrust me ?" 
 
 <' Not a bit," said I. " There's honesty in your face ; 
 so now, if you have rested long enough, let us be mov- 
 ing." 
 
 "Come along, then," said Mr. Crab, "and I can 
 show you a way through the bush, where, although 
 rougher than the road, we shall be screened from the 
 rays of the sun." 
 
 One soon gets acquainted with one's fellows in the 
 bush, where there is not much picking and choosing of 
 companions, and I and my grumbling friend soon got 
 pretty well used to each other. We strolled on leisurely, 
 
36 Strange Proceedings. 
 
 tlirough the busb, and were witbin a short distance of 
 New Norfolk, when our ears were suddenly assailed by 
 a confusion of sounds that startled the quiet wilderness, 
 and made us wonder what outbreak or disorder could 
 occasion such a furious outcry ; presently we descried a 
 horseman riding with all his might through the trees 
 beside us, now jumping over fallen timber, then ducking 
 his head to avoid the branches of trees, but in spite of 
 the dangers, which he seemed ever to avoid by some 
 special miracle, still keeping at the top of his speed, 
 and urging on his horse, which seemed to be as much 
 excited as the rider. Presently the cracking, it seemed, 
 of innumerable whips, making sharp reports like small 
 fire-arms, was heax-d around, and a straggling multitude 
 began to encircle us. We were lost in amazement at these 
 strange proceedings; but as this was my first introduc- 
 tion to a curious branch of the agricultm-al economy of 
 a ' Settler,' I shall defer the explanation of the disturb- 
 once which confounded us to a new chaptei". 
 
Cijnptjr /Durtlj, 
 
 How to milk a wild cow— Picture of a Settler's dwelling— Mutton- 
 chops and dampers— A spare bed— " Improvisatised"— Night 
 alarm — Sheep-stealing. 
 
 In the meantime the tumult increased, and the 
 shouts of men and the cracking of whips drawing 
 nearer and nearer betokened a speedy catastrophe. My 
 kangaroo-skin friend seemed to regard with a sort of 
 scornful glee the hurly burly around us. His sour 
 visage became puckered up into a knotty contexture, 
 expressive of the most intense disdain, coupled with a 
 secret satisfaction. " Now," said he, " master, you'll 
 see how they manage some matters in this beautiful 
 country." 
 
 " What can the matter be ?" said 1. 
 
 As I pronounced these words, a sudden crash of dead 
 boughs and dry bushes at no great distance from us 
 excited in me apprehension of danger. Instinctively I 
 turned to the quarter whence the threatening sounds pro- 
 ceeded, and stood ready with my fowling-piece against 
 accidents. I saw my friend Crab give a grim smile at 
 this movement, as I was inclined to do myself, had I 
 not been, I must confess, rather frightened ; for at this 
 moment I beheld a mad bull, as it seemed to me, mak- 
 ing; right to the spot where we stood. The animal ap- 
 peared to be in a state of the most intense excitement, 
 with its mouth covered with foam, its nostrils dilated, 
 
 (37) 
 
38 AWildCowChase. 
 
 eyes wild, and its tail twisted into that cork-screw figure 
 indicative of a disposition to do miscliief. I jumped 
 aside as the creature made a plunge at me, glad enough 
 to escape. 
 
 " It's a mad cow," said I. " I suppose this climate 
 makes cattle very savage when they get worried?" 
 
 " Not madder than the people that are after her," said 
 Crab; '■'■ however, wait a bit till you see the end of it." 
 
 By this time we were in the midst of the crowd which 
 was chasing the cow, but I could not yet divine their 
 particular object. 
 
 " What do you want to do with her ?" said I to a 
 tall thin man who had ceased for a moment to crack his 
 whip ; " she seems tembly wild." 
 
 " Wild !" said he, '■'■ the brute is always wild, but 
 she's one of the best milkers I've got, and have her in 
 the stock-yard I will this blessed evening, if I raise all 
 New Norfolk for it." 
 
 " I shall be glad to lend a hand," said I, " but I'm 
 not used to the ways of the country yet, and perhaps I 
 might do harm instead of good." 
 
 But my aid was not wanted on this occasion, for at 
 this moment a general shout in the distance proclaimed 
 that the victory was won. I and Crab, with the tall 
 thin man, the proprietor of the vivacious cow, imme 
 diately set off at a rapid pace for the scene of triumph. 
 There were about thirty people assembled, among whom 
 were one or two women. I observed that some of the 
 men were provided with ropes made of bullock's hide 
 twisted together, of great strength. I was still puzzled 
 to know what was intended by all these preparations 
 Presently a farming man appeared, wi^ a tin pannikin, 
 
New Way TO Milk A Cow. 39 
 
 01 a half-pint measure, and a stool with one leg. The 
 stool with one leg looked like a design to milk the 
 animal, but what the tin pannikin was for was a mystery 
 to me. Had there been a milk-pail, I should have made 
 out their object at once ; but this piece of machinery 
 was as yet but little known in the colony. I continued 
 to watch the proceedings with great interest, when pres- 
 ently a man advanced with a stoutish long stick, or 
 small pole, with a hide-rope forming a large loop at the 
 end of it ; the other part of the rope he held in one hand 
 in a coil. Climbing over the rails of the stock-yard, 
 which were formed of the solid trunks of trees placed 
 lengthways, about six feet high, he stood within the 
 space. The cow eyed him as if she was used to the 
 game, and without waiting to be attacked, made a dart 
 at him ferociously. This did not disconcert the man 
 with the pole and loop, who, stepping aside with the 
 most perfect coolness, and with infinite agility, let the 
 animal knock her head against the rails, which she did 
 with a force that made the massive pile tremble. This 
 process was repeated several times, to the great amuse- 
 ment of the spectators, some of whom applauded the 
 pole-bearer's nimbleness, while others were inclined to 
 back the cow. 
 
 " That was a near go," said one, as the beast made a 
 sudden plunge at her tormentor, tearing off with her horn 
 a portion of his jacket 3 "she'll pin you presently, Jem." 
 
 " Never fear," said Jem, ''a miss is as good as a mile. 
 She is the most cantankerous varmint I ever see'd : but 
 I'll have her yet." 
 
 " What are you going to do," said I ; " kill her ?" 
 
 " Kill her !" exclaimed my tall friend ; " what ! kill 
 
40 TheCow Milked. 
 
 the best, the nicest, and sweetest-tempered creature of 
 the whole herd ? She's so tame, she'll almost let you pat 
 her, only she doesn't like to be milked; that always puts 
 her out. Now for it. Jemmy, that's the way ; haul in 
 quick, keep it up — don't slack — hold her tight, now 
 we've got her. Where's the foot rope ?" 
 
 Watching his opportunity, the man with the pole had 
 succeeded in throwing the loop over the animal's horns, 
 and two or three men on the outside of the yard, quickly 
 gathering in the end of it, hauled it taut, as seamen do a 
 cable in getting up the anchor, round the thick stump of 
 a tree. I looked at Crab at this stage of the proceedings, 
 and I admired the expression of scornful enjoyment 
 which his sour flice exhibited. He gave me a glance, 
 which said, without the necessity of words, " This is the 
 way they milk a cow in this country." The cow, how- 
 ever, was not milked yet; to arrive at that conclusion, 
 some further steps were necessary. The animal was now 
 standing with its legs firmly planted before it, its neck 
 elongated, its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and kick- 
 ing with its hind legs continuously. These refractory 
 members were now secured by a loop, into which they were 
 dexterously insinuated, and half a dozen men catching 
 up the end, hauled it out, and kept it on the stretch, to 
 prevent her from plunging about. The creature, it 
 seems, was now in a correct posture to be milked. Crab 
 gave me another look. 
 
 The man with the one-legged stool and pannikin now 
 advanced, speaking soothingly to the animal to be ope- 
 rated on. and using much ceremony and caution in his 
 approach. Seizing a favourable opportunity, he contrived 
 to squeeze a few drops of milk into his pannikin ; but the 
 
Australian Hospitality. 41 
 
 sensitive cow, outraged, it seemed, at this indignity ou 
 her person, gave a sudden plunge, which upset the heel- 
 rope holders, and, recovering her legs, she kicked man, 
 stool, and pannikin over and over. Shouts of laughter 
 proclaimed the amusement of the bystanders, and numer- 
 ous were the gibes and jeers lavished on the occasion. 
 And now, the pride of the stockmen being roused, and 
 their honour piqued by the presence besides of two 
 strangers, the witness of their manoeuvres, they set to 
 acrain to manacle the almost-spent animal ; and he of the 
 pannikin, discarding the stool as a womanly encumbrance, 
 boldly kneeling down, with the determination of a hero, 
 and undaunted by the meanings and writhings of his vic- 
 tim, contrived to exude from her about half a pint of 
 milk. This triumph achieved, the cow was set at liberty, 
 the poles of the gateway were withdrawn, and the animal 
 bounded into the bush. 
 
 "Well, master," said Crab, "did you ever see a cow 
 milked that way before V 
 
 " Surely," said I, " they might manage better than 
 this." 
 
 "Ahl" said Crab, "this would be a tale to tell in 
 Shropshire. It's worth while to go back only to tell this 
 much. But you'll see more curiosities, master, as you 
 go on." 
 
 " Come with me," said the proprietor of the cow, " and 
 see my house, and my farm, and my wife and children. 
 I see you're a stranger (addressing me); as to you," 
 looking at Crab doubtfully, "you seem to ha\e settled 
 down into the habits of the place, to judge by your 
 dress, though it is a little queerish even for the busb. 
 "Where are you come from V 
 
42 Australian Farm-House. 
 
 '^I am come from camp, " said I, "to look for land, 
 and this — (gentleman I -would have said, but as I looked 
 at my companion the word stuck in my throat) — this set- 
 tler—" 
 
 " Don't call me a settler," said Crab, " I arn't going to 
 settle, as you call it ; the bush-rangers, and the convicts, 
 and the thieves of people have settled me." 
 
 " Well," I said, " I met my companion by the way, 
 and he has had the kindness to offer to show mc the coun- 
 try." 
 
 " You've come to the wrong place," said the New Nor- 
 folk man, '' to look for land ; there's none to be had here. 
 The land hereabouts is but poorish, after all, and we 
 settled on it more for the sake of the water-carriage than 
 for the quality of the land. But there's my house, just 
 on the other side of the water; cross over with me, and 
 at any rate you shall have a hearty welcome." 
 
 I cannot easily describe the feelings of interest and cu- 
 riosity with which I approached the place. I regarded 
 it as a mirror into which I was about to look for the 
 reflection of the condition which in a little time I was 
 myself to assume. The golden visions in which 1 had 
 indulged on ship-board had already begun to vanish be- 
 fore the rough realities of settling in a new country, and 
 it was not without a tincture of sadness that I prepared 
 myself for a view of a settler's farm. I will endeavour 
 to describe it as it existed twenty years ago, and as it may 
 still be found, in its material resemblance, in some parts 
 of the colony. 
 
 I beheld before me a low building, which I afterwards 
 ascertained was built of the logs of the stringy-bark tree, 
 split in half, and set on end. The building was about 
 
Appearance op the Farm. 43 
 
 thirty feet long, and whitewashed. Its roof was com- 
 posed of shingles ; that is, of slips of wood about nine 
 inches long, four inches broad, and a quarter of an inch 
 thick. These shingles had acquired a bluish cast, from 
 exposure to the atmosphere, and had a slatish appearance. 
 At one end of the house was a rough-looking piece of 
 stone-work, formed of irregular pieces of stone procured 
 near the spot, and forming the end wall and chimney. 
 At the back of the building was a tolerably large stack 
 of wheat, enclosed with trunks of trees, forming an occa- 
 sional small stock-yard. At one side was a garden, paled 
 in with palings of the stringy-bark tree split into irregu- 
 lar rough boards or pales. I could see iu this garden the 
 aspect of the most luxuriant vegetation. In front of the 
 house a small tree was left standing, from one of the 
 boughs of which was suspended a sheep newly killed. 
 
 At the sight of our approach, it seems, an attack was 
 instantly made on the carcass, as a man was busily em- 
 ployed in cutting it up. At the same time, a sun-burnt 
 but very pretty face became visible at the door of the 
 house, and instantly disappearing, a hissing sound was 
 immediately heard within, proclaiming that some culinary 
 preparation was put in progress. At a little distance was 
 heard the bleating of a small flock of sheep, for evening 
 was now set in ; and from another quarter a team of bul- 
 locks, urged on by a strange looking driver, with an im- 
 mense cracking of his whip, and a prodigious deal of ex- 
 postulation, slowly drew near with a huge load of wood 
 for fuel. We were in the act of entering the house, when 
 our passage was impeded by a tiny swarm of little chil- 
 dren, the eldest about seven — the youngest of the six being 
 held up by the eldest to greet its father. Each was pro- 
 
44 The Farmer's Family. 
 
 vided with a thick lump of " damper/' which had been 
 served out to amuse them until the more substantial re- 
 past should be prepared. The clothing of these urchins 
 was of the lightest possible description consistent with 
 decency, and moccasins seemed to be the prevailing fash- 
 ion. They were clean, however, and cheerful, but in- 
 clined to have a lanky appearance, like little weeds run- 
 ning to seed. This, I ascertained afterwards, was the 
 general appearance of the children born in the colony. 
 
 " Any milk, fother?" said a little lisping girl. 
 
 " Just a drop, my dear, for your mother and the baby. 
 Where's your brother ?" 
 
 As he spoke, a slender lad, of about ten years of age, 
 made his appearance, with a grave and tired air. He 
 came up to greet his father. 
 
 "Sheep all right, Ned?" 
 
 " Yes, father ; we should have left them on the Green- 
 hill all night, but Dick saw two men watching the flock 
 in the early morning, and he came upon them again in 
 the afternoon. He doesn't half like their looks. But 
 the sheep are safe enough now in the little yard." 
 
 " Now, Sir," said the New Norfolk man, " if you're 
 inclined for supper, come along." 
 
 We entered the habitation, which consisted of one spa- 
 cious apartment, opening into the air. At the end op- 
 posite the chimney a space was divided off into two 
 small bedi'ooms. Opposite to the entrance of the house 
 a door led to a skillion, which served for a kitchen ; and 
 it was from that spot that the hissing sounds, now be- 
 come more violent, proceeded. In the middle of the 
 principal apartment was a rough table of boards, on 
 which were disposed sundry tin pannikins, a few plates, 
 
An Australian Supper. 45 
 
 ■with some odd knives and forks. A gigantic green bot- 
 tle, containing rum, graced one corner of the table, and 
 in the centre was set, as a place of honour, the pannikin 
 :f milk which had been obtained by the united efforts 
 of the establishments within reach. 
 
 And now the hostess emerged from the back recess, 
 bearing in her hands an enormous dish of mutton-chops, 
 which was Cjuickly followed by another dish, in which 
 appeared a sort of doughy cake. 
 
 "I thought," said the lady of the house, '^you would 
 like a cake in the pan better than a damper ; so here it 
 is. Edward, help the gentlemen; they have had a long 
 walk, and must be hungry." 
 
 This hospitable intimation was responded to by her 
 husband, who forthwith thrust out of the large dish 
 three or four of the chops into a plate, and handed them 
 to me. "Help yourself," said he to my companion; 
 "you're used to the ways of the place. Where's the 
 salt ? No mustard ?" 
 
 "The mustard's out ; we must have some more from the 
 camp. And the salt ! "Well, that is unlucky. I declare 
 there's not an atom left. Well, you must do without it, 
 or we can send to Conolly's farm, not three miles off. I 
 know they've got salt there, for they were to salt down 
 a bullock to-day." 
 
 "Don't trouble yourself," said Crab; "I've got some 
 salt in my pocket — in this kangaroo jacket, which the 
 bush-rangers gave me for mine. I dare say they've 
 missed the salt before now, confound them." With this 
 he inserted his fingers into a recess of his hairy garment, 
 and produced a small quantity of a blackish and gritty 
 substance. 
 
46 Crab's Experience. 
 
 " Ah I" said our hostess, " that's come from Saltpan 
 Plains. Well, any is better than none. And so, 
 friend, the bush-rangers have had hold of you; did they 
 treat you ill ?" 
 
 " They just stripped me of everything I had got — 
 luckily my money was left in camp — and made me carry 
 their baggage for three days. No joke that in the sun, I 
 can tell you. But I saw a good bit of the country with 
 them. It's a dreadful country; all up hill and down 
 dale. Scarcely a good bit of land to be seen anywhere. 
 I do believe that there isn't any twelve acres in the 
 country that would feed a single sheep for the whole 
 year." 
 
 " You don't seem to like the country," said mine host, 
 addressing Crab. 
 
 " Like it ! How can any one like it ? Who would 
 live in it that could get out of it? There isn't one 
 single thing to stay for. Poor land ; where it's better, 
 it's covered with trees, and they must be cut down be- 
 fore you can get at the soil to do anything with it. And 
 then the stumps ! Impossible to drive a plough in a 
 straight line. And then, suppose you have stock; if 
 you have cattle, they start away into the bush, and catch 
 'em again when you can ! And if you have sheep, 
 they're driven away by the thieves, and find 'em again 
 if you can ; let alone being shot at when you're looking 
 after them. As to the bush-rangers, it's very pleasant, 
 isn't it, to have your house broken open in the middle 
 of the night, and everything cleaned out of it, while 
 you have the satisfaction of looking on with your hands 
 tied behind your back, and a blackguard pointing a 
 cocked musket at your head ? Oh ! the fools that come 
 
Mutton Chops and Dampers. 47 
 
 here deserve to be robbed, and starved, and murdered. 
 I say, serve 'em right for being such fools as to come, 
 and bigger fools to stay !" 
 
 The pile of mutton-chops was now discussed, and the 
 ponderous cake in the pan had nearly disappeared under 
 the vigorous attacks of the party. Mine host now turned 
 to the bottle of rum. 
 
 " If we only had a lemon here, we would cook up a 
 bowl of punch. But, never mind, we must make the best 
 of what we have got." 
 
 With this philosophic remark, he poured into his pan- 
 nikin about a quarter of a pint of rum, qualifying it with 
 what seemed to me an exceedingly small modicum of 
 water out of a pail that stood by, and invited me and 
 my companion to do the same. Not being used to the 
 liquor, I declined, much to the astonishment of the New 
 Norfolk man; but Crab, without any hesitation, poured 
 out for himself a stiff portion of the stuff, evincing that 
 in this particular he had condescended to conform with 
 the customs of the colony. I must not omit to mention 
 that while our banquet of mutton-chops was being en- 
 joyed by the elder portion of the company, the good 
 dame of the house served out tea to the juveniles from 
 an iron tripod boiling on the hearth. A handful of tea 
 was thrown into this receptacle, and set to boil. The tin 
 pannikin of each was then successively inserted in the 
 decoction, to which was added some very dark looking 
 brown sugar. The unusual luxury of milk added an 
 especial zest to this refection, the imbibing of which was 
 interspersed with frequent and unceremonious attacks on 
 the pyramid of mutton-chops, not forgetting the cake in 
 the pan and the eternal damper, the never-failing accom- 
 paniment in those tiipes of a farmer's meal. 
 
48 My First NiaHT in the Bush. 
 
 Symptoms of drowsiness now began to appear. The 
 young fry Lad long since been stowed away in their va- 
 rious dormitories, and our worthy hostess bestirred her- 
 self to contrive some place of rest for myself and my 
 companion. With this intent, her husband was dislodged 
 from a sort of wooden sofa or bench, and Dick was called 
 in to assist in the preparations. 
 
 "Have those kangaroo skins been sent into camp?" 
 
 " No, missis — they're in the hut — and they'll make a 
 capital bed for the gentlemen. I'll get 'em in a minute." 
 
 A heap of crackling skins was presently produced, 
 which Dick, acting as chambermaid, proceeded to arrange 
 for my accommodation. A contribution of blankets and 
 rugs was levied on the premises to make up our beds, my 
 friend Crab being accommodated with a heap of sacks 
 spread on the floor. In this manner, after the usual com- 
 pliments, we prepared to take our rest. Crab, I observed, 
 flung himself on the sacks without the ceremony of taking 
 ofi" his clothes, and presenting the appearance of a huge 
 hairy animal of a nondescript character, soon gave indi- 
 cations of being sound asleep. As for myself, fatigued 
 as I was, the novelty of the scene, and the excitement of 
 the day's journey, kept me awake for some time. I pon- 
 dered on my first day's experience of a settler's life ; the 
 rudeness of the cottage ; the roughness of the materials 
 about it; the coarseness of the food, in the manner of 
 serving it, as well as in its substance ; the slovenliness and 
 uncouthness of the farming establishment, so far as I had 
 been able to inspect it; and a feeling of disappointment 
 and of insecurity which I could not shake off", all tended 
 to sadden me. Everything was quiet within and with- 
 out ; the very dogs, watchful as they are in this country, 
 
SuddenAlarm. 49 
 
 seemed to be buried in sleep. Gradually my thoughts 
 grew more and more confused as weariness overpowered 
 me, and I fell asleep. 
 
 My rest, however, was not destined to be of long dura- 
 tion. About three o'clock in the morning, I was dream- 
 ing that I was in Hobart Town with my wife and chil- 
 dren, and that we were exclaiming against the annoyance 
 of the ceaseless barking of the dogs. The barking grew 
 louder and louder, and my children, it seemed to me, 
 began to cry, frightened at the fierceness of the uproar. 
 I started up to still them, and in so doing, awoke. The 
 dream, however, had been suggested by a present reality. 
 My host's dogs were barking violently outside, and the 
 children were joining in chorus in aid of the general 
 outcry. The door of the house was now vehemently 
 assailed by Dick, the shepherd, and my host, roused from 
 his slumbers, was quickly on the alert. 
 
 " Master I" cried out Dick, ''the sheep are out of the 
 yard — there's mischief abroad. You had better look to 
 yourselves inside. The stranger gentleman has got a 
 gun with him — is he waked up ?" 
 
 " All ready," said I, jumping up in the dusk, " gun 
 and all ; but what's the matter ? have the bush-raneers 
 attacked us ?" 
 
 " Of course they have," said Crab, who had risen from 
 his couch of sacks; "of course ! what else could you 
 expect ? Bush-rangers, ah, to be sure ! this -is a pleas- 
 ant place to live in. But I suppose you won't give in, 
 master," speaking to our host, "without a bit of a 
 scrimmage ?" 
 
 " Hope not," said the farmer, " it's bad fighting with 
 tlie bush-rangers when you have a wife and children to 
 4 
 
60 Sheep-Stealers. 
 
 defend. But I don't think it's them ; it's only some 
 chaps after the sheep ; but they must be cautiously dealt 
 with, for they dou't mind giving you a shot when they're 
 close run." 
 
 " What's o'clock ?" 
 
 " It's a quarter past three." 
 
 " Ah — then it's not far from daylight. Kouse up the 
 men, Dick, and call the dogs in. It's not much use to 
 follow till there's light enough to see the tracks. Keep 
 close, my dear (to his wife, who had huddled on her 
 clothes), while I'am away, and don't let the children 
 stray about. This is no bush-ranger's afiair, but it's an 
 audacious trick to drive away a man's sheep under his 
 very nose, I must say. I and Dick will follow the track. 
 Grive me my musket. Where are the cartridges ? That's 
 right. I'll take that half damper with me ; we may 
 want it before we come back. Dick, we'll take Hector 
 and Fly with us ; let the other dogs be kept back. I 
 wish the mare had not run off to the bush just at this 
 time. Well, perhaps we are better on foot, as it's sheep 
 we are after. Now, Sirs, I must wish you good bye." 
 
 "Grood bye!" said Crab; "not a bit of it. You 
 don't suppose I'am going to eat your meat, and drink 
 your rum, and desert you in this strait. No — no — I'll 
 lend you a hand. Just give me a good thick stick, 
 that's what I'm best used to, and I'll stand by you. 
 And you, master," speaking to me, " you'll come too, 
 won't you ? Your barrel may be of use to us." 
 
 '^ I'll go with you with pleasure," said I. " I know 
 nothing of the bush yet, but I'll do what I can to help." 
 
 " Thank you both," said our host ; " we shall be four 
 men with two barrels, and three men left behind to take 
 
Preparations to Track Them. 51 
 
 care of the farm. We may have a long journey before 
 us, so prepare yourselves for it. Wife, get out a bottle 
 of rum ; Dick, you'll have no objection to carry it, I'm 
 sure ; but play fair, my man." 
 
 ' Better take a couple of pannikins with us," said 
 Dick. 
 
 " Eight," said our host. " And, Dick, take a light 
 tether rope with you — we may want it. And now let" 
 no one speak ; and don't let it be known, if we can help 
 it, how many have left the farm." 
 
 "I think it would be the best way," said the prac- 
 tised shepherd, " for two to go to the right and two to 
 the left, and meet at the Green Hill, so that we shall 
 be sure to cross the track ; no doubt there will be plenty 
 of tracks ; that's the trick of the rascals, but we must 
 try to get on the main one." 
 
 " Take the man with the kangaroo-skin jacket with 
 you, then," said the farmer, " and go to the left, and I 
 and the gentleman will take the right. And here, take 
 the musket, that there may be a barrel with each party. 
 "We must make the best use of our time, or we shall 
 have no chance of coming up with the rogues. 
 
 The day now began to dawn, and there was light 
 enough to see where to set the foot. Each party pro- 
 ceeded to its destination without further delay, and I 
 soon found myself with the farmer at a considerable dis- 
 tance from the homestead. We kept near the banks of 
 the river for about half a mile, and then turning to the 
 left, the farmer began diligently to search for the tracks 
 of the stolen flock. I assisted him in his search as 
 well as I could, and we were both so absorbed in our 
 examination, that we did not perceive, till we came 
 
62 We Come Upon Them. 
 
 suddenly upon them, on turning round an eminence, a 
 mob of natives, seated by a fire. They started up at 
 our approach, and the farmer, laying his hand on my 
 arm, paused, with some signs of alarm, to reconnoitre 
 them. 
 
Pursuit of the sheep-stealers— Meeting with the natives— The black 
 man's instinct in tracking— Walk over the country— Finds land 
 to please him — Retiu-ns to Ilobart Town with his new acquain- 
 tance, Crab — Proceeds with his family to the Clyde. 
 
 "There's no harm in them/' said the New Norfolk 
 man, after having examined the natives for a little time ; 
 " this is a town mob ; you see they have got blankets 
 among them ; but it is always well to be on one's guard, 
 for they're treacherous devils. Don't let yoiu- gun out 
 of your hand, and don't show any fear of them. Now 
 we'll go among them ; if I could make 'em understand 
 that I am looking after strayed sheep, they could be of 
 use to me I don't doubt." 
 
 While he was speaking, we advanced towards the fire, 
 the natives standing near us here and there, and gazing 
 at us with a sort of cold, lazy, idiotic look. Near the 
 fire was the log of a tree, and my New Norfolk friend 
 motioned me to sit down. 
 
 "Sit opposite to me — there — face to face — so that 
 each may see what is going on at the other's back, with- 
 out seeming to take particular notice. I'll try if I can 
 make anything out of these fellows." 
 
 Three or four of the natives, meanwhile, re-seated 
 themselves at the fire, and resumed the meal which, it 
 seems, our approach had interrupted. 
 
 I was a little cuiious to obser\^e how these grave-look- 
 
 (53) 
 
54 NativeDelicacies. 
 
 ing black personages were pleased to conduct the cere- 
 mony of their morning's repast, and my curiosity was 
 presently gratified. Being satisfied, I presume, that we 
 had no hostile intentions, they continued their culinary 
 preparations. A tall and slender young lady, with a 
 ragged blanket gracefully festooned about her person, ap- 
 peared with a net slung round her neck, in which was 
 a large lump of gum. She handed this lump of gum, 
 about the size of a small cocoa-nut, to one of the men. 
 Another lady produced an opossum, which looked to me 
 something between a dead cat and a squirrel. The gum 
 and the opossum were thrown on the fire, the hair on the 
 outside of the latter, and whatever it had in its inside 
 helping to its relish. After the gum and the opossum 
 had fizzed, and crackled, and smoked a little time, one 
 of the party snatched out the opossum from the fire, 
 and plunging his face into its entrails, enjoyed himself 
 with the delicacy for a brief space, and then threw back 
 the remains on the fire ; another of the party snatched 
 it up, and tearing the limbs asunder, and picking off the 
 choicest bits, chucked the half-picked bones to the ladies 
 of the community, who stood behind them, and who 
 received these testimonials of affection with much submis- 
 siveness and respect, and with considerable gratification. 
 
 "They don't seem to have much respect for the ladies," 
 said I to my New Norfolk friend. " These black fellows 
 take the lion's share of the breakfast." 
 
 "Oh, that's the way they always treat their gins." 
 
 " Their gins ! what are they ?" 
 
 " Oh, they call their wives ' gins.' You see, a native 
 will have three, or four, or five, or perhaps more wives, 
 according to accident — sometimes more, sometimes less; 
 
Opossum avith Gum Sauce. 55 
 
 I rather think it's according as they can find food. They 
 make their gins work for them, and collect the little bits 
 of gum from the trees, such as you saw in that one's net 
 just now. And they're capital hands to catch opossums ! 
 I've seen a black gin get up a stringy bark tree after a 
 'possum as well as any one of the men could. But they 
 seem to have done breakfast. I must try now to get them 
 to help me after the sheep." 
 
 It is to be observed that the repast which I have 
 slightly described, passed in utter silence, the natives 
 eating voraciously of the singed opossum and the hot 
 lumps of gum without speaking or noticing us. On the 
 principle that it is ill to come between a fasting man and 
 his meat, the farmer had refrained from asking any ques- 
 tions or making any proposals about his lost sheep, until 
 the natives were free to attend to him. He looked out, 
 therefore, for the chief of the party, and the following 
 colloquy took place : — 
 
 " Much kangaroo ?" 
 
 " Kangaroo gone." 
 
 "Opossum good?" 
 
 " Good." 
 
 The correctness with which these few words were pro- 
 nounced by the black man surprised me. 
 
 " Do they speak English ?" said I to my companioh. 
 
 "Only a word or two; but they are capital mimics; 
 they catch hold of a word and repeat it very correctly 
 even when they don't understand it." 
 
 " Sheep many?" continued my companion to the chief. 
 
 " Sheep many." 
 
 " Sheep gone," said my friend, pointing to a hill in the 
 distance. 
 
 The bltvck man shook his head. 
 
5C Striking A Bargain with Natives. 
 
 " Find sheep 1" said the farmer, accompanying the 
 words with the action of a man searching for tracks on 
 the ground. 
 
 The black man turned to his companions, and said 
 something to them which we could not understand. The 
 group gathered nearer to us, and chattered together 
 doubtfully. 
 
 " They have not seen the sheep driven away," said the 
 farmer to me ; indeed they could not, as the job was done 
 before it was light, and the natives never move about in 
 the dark; ''but I think they understand what I mean, 
 and are considering about it in their way. See, the black 
 chief with the red cotton handkerchief round his neck is 
 going to speak. I suppose it's about the terms." 
 
 " Sheep gone ?" said the black man. 
 
 "Gone!" said my friend; "can't find;" and he 
 repeated the gestures of looking for tracks on the 
 ground. 
 
 " What give ?" said the native. 
 
 " Now what shall I offer the rascals ?" said my 
 friend. " They are too knowing by half; I don't know 
 which are the worst, the wild or the tame ones. It's 
 astonishing how soon savages learn our Christian ways 
 of doing nothing for nothing. By the look of that 
 black villain's face, he's determined to make a bargain 
 ofit." 
 
 " I've some dollars in my pocket," said I; " I'm sure 
 they are much at your service." 
 
 "It's not dollars they want; they don't understand 
 the meaning of money yet ; but they want what's as 
 good as money." 
 
 " What give !" said he to the black functionary ; 
 " give bottle of rum." 
 
Three Bottles an Inducement. 57 
 
 The words "bottle of rum" seemed to be perfectly 
 well understood by the black creatures, but they looked 
 to their chief; their chief looked at them, and seemed 
 to consider in his mind how much, after sharing the 
 contents of the bottle among his tail — to the number 
 of about twenty — would remain for himself. 
 
 He shook his head. 
 
 " One bottle," pointing to the group, " little." 
 
 " The old rascal," exclaimed my companion; ''he's 
 as hard to deal with as a camp storekeeper; but he can 
 do what I want if he likes, Tm sure ; Til try him with 
 another bottle." 
 
 " Two (holding up two fingers), two bottles of rum." 
 
 " Two," repeated the chief to his gang, pronouncing 
 the words very correctly. The natives looked irreso- 
 lute ; but the chief decided. 
 
 " Two bottles— little." 
 
 " We had better make a pretence of going," said the 
 farmer ; " then, perhaps, they'll agree." 
 
 " Two bottles much. Good bye." 
 
 " Good bye," said all the natives together. 
 
 " Why they seem all to talk English," said I. 
 
 " They've all caught that word up. But we must 
 have that old fellow to help us. Confound him ! But, 
 however, I can water the rum, that's something." 
 
 Tiu-ning around, we observed the natives still looking 
 at us, as if waiting for a last bid. 
 
 " Three bottles," said the New Norfolk man, holding 
 up three fingers. " Three big bottles of rum." 
 
 We were turning round to continue our way, when 
 the black negotiator, concluding that he had now arrived 
 at the limit of the reward, called out — 
 
58 The Bargain Concluded. 
 
 "Tree bottle— good!" 
 
 We stood still upon this ; and presently four or five 
 of the men joined us. A consultation now took place 
 between them, and after some considering, the chief 
 pushed forward a young slim native. 
 
 " Good," said he ; " find sheep." 
 
 The farmer not approving of this substitution, shook 
 his head. 
 
 " Pickaninny not good to find sheep. You," point- 
 ing to the chief, " you go." 
 
 " No go — gins !" 
 
 "Ah," said my friend; "he says he can't leave his 
 gins. Well, I suppose we must take the young one. 
 Come." 
 
 The young native immediately stepped forward. He 
 was completely naked. The weather, to be sure, was 
 very warm. His hair was woolly and frizzled; his 
 limbs clean and straight ; but his whole body was very 
 slender, with the exception of that portion of his person 
 which served as a receptacle for the opossums and gum- 
 balls with which he had recently regaled himself. I 
 could not help remarking on its extraordinary protu- 
 berance. 
 
 " These chaps are made to carry a good lot of proven- 
 der," said I. 
 
 " They do eat enormously," said my companion. " Per- 
 haps it is, that, as their food is very precaiious, they think 
 it prudent to lay in a good stock when they can get it ; 
 and so it swells 'em out a bit. But which way is the 
 fellow taKmg us ? Why, he's goiog back again. Ah ! I 
 see he's going back for the first track. Well, he knows 
 what he's about; that's some encouragement. Look— 
 
Search C o m 5i e n c e d . 59 
 
 lie's going to speak. No; he can't do that. But I un- 
 derstand him ; he wants to know where the sheep were 
 driven from. Let me see — where are we ? Oh ! there 
 lies the farm, over that little hill." " There," said he, 
 speaking to the native — " sheep there" — and throwing 
 his arm away from it — " gone ?" 
 
 The native considered a few moments, and then without 
 any attempt to make his intention understood, led the 
 way over a low hill that was to our left. 
 
 " This will bring us near the place where we appointed 
 to *neet the shepherd and your friend," said the New 
 Norfolk man ; " they will be wondering what has become 
 of us." 
 
 "While he was speaking, we heard a distant sound, as 
 of some one hallooing, but with a cadence that was 
 strange to me. The peculiar mode of the country — 
 whether hit on by accident, or scientifically designed, I 
 know not — of throwing the voice to a distance in the 
 bush, was new to me ; but I could make out the sounds 
 easily enough. " Coo-oo-ee \" 
 
 ^' That's Dick and your friend," said the farmer ; " they 
 think we have missed them, and they are trying the 
 chance of our hearing them coo-ee. I'll answer them." 
 
 With that he put his hands to his mouth, and replied 
 with a loud and shrill " Coo-ee ?" His cry was answered, 
 and, standing still, the native seeming perfectly to under- 
 stand the reason of the proceeding, presently two dogs 
 came bounding towards us through the trees ; and in a 
 little time, the bulky form of my kangaroo-skin friend, 
 Crab, and the blue jacket of the shepherd were visible to 
 us in the distance. They soon joined us. 
 ""What luckr*" said the farmer. 
 
60 Follow OUR Leader 
 
 "I think I've found the tracks," said the shepherd, 
 "but I suppose we shall be sure now, as I see you've got 
 one of the natives to guide you. I saw a smoke over the 
 hills, and thought it was likely there was a mob of 'em 
 about. Well, master, we had better put the black fellow 
 on the track that I've found, and then he can go right 
 ahead." 
 
 The black man, however, refused to proceed in any 
 other than his own way, and continued to lead us straight 
 to some spot that he seemed to have fixed on as a favour- 
 able starting point. 
 
 " I suppose we have nothing to do but to follow him?" 
 said the shepherd. 
 
 " Follow him I" said Crab, who had hitherto continued 
 silent. '' Follow him ! Now, isn't it a pretty thing to 
 see us following a black fellow, to find a whole flock of 
 sheep that's been driven ofi" in the night? Here's a coun- 
 try to live in 1 A man lies down in his bed with a flock 
 of sheep in his yard, and when he gets up the next morn- 
 ing he finds all his sheep driven ofi" the Lord knows 
 where ! And then he must get a black fellow to find 
 them for him ! Well, if this won'^t make a man sick of 
 the country, I don't know what will. What do you think 
 of it, master?" turning to me ; "you came out to look for 
 land, and now you axe looking for sheep ; and you'll find 
 about as much of one as the other, I'm thinking." 
 
 It was very odd — but I must confess the truth, the 
 excitement that had taken possession of me had put out 
 of my head my own particular business, that of looking 
 for a piece of land to settle on ; and I found myself em- 
 barked in an expedition with the New Norfolk settler 
 after his lost sheep, with as much keenness and eagerness 
 
ISeethe Country. 61 
 
 as if it was an affair of my own ; so apt are we all to bs 
 acted on more by the pressing and immediate circuai- 
 stance than by the distant consideration. But I felt 1 
 was in for it, for better or worse, and that I was bound 
 in honour to go through with it. I could not help, how- 
 ever, letting the thoughts that came across me break out 
 in words to my New Norfolk acquaintance. 
 
 " "Well," said T, " I did not contemplate this sort of 
 fun when I came to New Norfolk ; I came to look for 
 land, and now, it seems, I'm turned sheep-hunter — or 
 sheep-finder ; but I suppose this is a part of the usual 
 adventurous life of a settler ?" 
 
 "I'll tell you what, my friend," said the farmer, "I am 
 much obliged to you for your company and assistance 
 in this matter, and the more so, because it was done 
 readily and good naturedly ; but if you want to see the 
 country, you could not have a better opportunity than 
 this; for you are very certain to be led a pretty dance 
 before we have done, and that over parts of the country 
 that neither you nor I perhaps would think of penetrating 
 into, unless compelled by the necessity of following the 
 track. So don't suppose you are losing time; rather 
 you are gaining time, for you are seeing, if you will 
 make use of your eyes, more of the country than most 
 strangers do." 
 
 '' Well," said I, " I was told before I set out, that 
 a settler's life was one of adventure; and this is a pretty 
 good beginning." 
 
 We had now arrived at the margin of a little rivulet, 
 
 of which there are many in this country, a foot or two 
 
 broad, and of the depth of a few inches only. The 
 
 native paused here, and seemed to ponder for a while. 
 
 V 
 
62 Crab Grumbles at the Chase. 
 
 Not being used to tlie bush, I bad no notion -wbere we 
 were, and I felt, for the first time, how easily those 
 unaccustomed to the bush get bewildered. There was 
 the sun to go by, to be sure, and we could see it — and 
 feel it too. But wandering in the bush, and becoming 
 lost in it, seems to produce some specific emotion of the 
 mind, by which the faculties become actually stupefied 
 and the wits lost. But I shall have to speak of this in 
 another place. The black fellow soon made up his 
 mind; pointing backwards and shaking his head, to 
 signify that the sheep were not in that direction, he 
 continued his way to the left, keeping near the little 
 rivulet, and searching, as I observed by his eye, for the 
 tracks of the sheep. We continued in this line for some 
 miles, till we began to feel tired. Crab called a halt. 
 
 " This seems to be rather a wild goose chase. Here 
 we have followed this black rascal for I don't know how 
 many miles, and not the tail of a sheep have we seen — 
 and in my opinion never shall; for I'm quite sure 
 he's only leading us to a proper place for a mob of these 
 devils to set on us, and devour us — the Lord help us ! 
 To think that this should be the end of my mother's 
 son ! To be eaten up by those black villains — just 
 chucked on the fire, and before we're half done, to have 
 them set their teeth in us. Well, to be sure ! master, 
 what do you think of it ? I'm for going back agani 
 before it comes to worse." 
 
 " Go back \" said the shepherd ; " never think of it. 
 We must come on the tracks some time. Why? you 
 would never go back without the sheep ! Three hun- 
 dred and fifty sheep must leave their marks behind 
 them." 
 
The Track Discovered. 63 
 
 " But they don't," said Crab. 
 
 " Come on," said the farmer, motioning to the native 
 to move forward. " It would be a pretty joke to go 
 back without any of the flock. Ah ! the black fellow 
 has got scent of them — see, he is pointing to something 
 on the ground." 
 
 We now hastily followed the native, who, after rapidly 
 continuing on the track, suddenly stopped, and seemed 
 to require some information, which he did not kuoAv how 
 to ask for. 
 
 " Go to him, Dick," said the farmer ; " you know 
 their ways better than we do. Try to make out what 
 he wants." 
 
 The shepherd approached the native. The native 
 pointed to the tracks. 
 
 " Sheep," said he. 
 
 " Sheep, sure enough," said the shepherd ; " but he 
 means something that I can't make outv" 
 
 The native now, throwing his arms about so as to de- 
 scribe a large space of land, said in an inquii'ing tone, 
 "Sheep? sheep? sheep?" 
 
 " Ah !" said Dick, " I see what he's at now ; he wants 
 to know if there were many sheep ; he has come upon 
 fresh tracks, but only of a few, and he fears being led 
 away after the wrong lot." ''Many," said he to the 
 native ; " little,"- pointing to the present tracks and 
 shaking his head. The native, it seems, understood him, 
 for he immediately turned off at an angle to his left, and 
 in about a couple of miles we crossed the track of a num- 
 ber of sheep, which we now found had been driven paral- 
 lel to the river for some distance; the sheep-stealers then 
 turned sharply to the left, and crossed a part of the river 
 
64 A D 1 1/ E M 51 A . 
 
 where it was easily fordable. On the other side of the 
 river the tracks were plain and fresh, and we proceeded at 
 a rapid pace in pursuit. We continued our course for 
 several miles, when the tracks suddenly assumed the 
 appearance of a fork, part towards the right and part 
 towards the left. 
 
 In this dilemma it was resolved that the farmer, with 
 the shepherd and the native, should proceed to the left, 
 and that I and Crab should follow the track to the right, 
 and act according to circumstances. To this arrange- 
 ment Crab made no objection, as there was " as good a 
 chance," he said, "of finding them one way as anotlier^ 
 although he had no doubt they had been driven away by 
 this time where nobody would find them; and if they 
 were found, so changed that nobody could know them, 
 as they would be all fresh marked and fircbranded." 
 And so we parted on our respective expeditions. 
 
 I afterwards learned that the New Norfolk man reco- 
 vered nearly all his sheep, but I shall not stop here to 
 relate the particulars. I want to show how I got on my 
 farm, and by what means a settler arrives through difii- 
 culties and dangers to independence and fortune. 
 
 "Well, master," said Crab, ''you have seen something 
 of the country now; what do you think of it?" 
 
 " It's a beautiful country to look at," said I ; " but 
 beauty of scenery is one thing, and goodness of land is 
 another. A settler can't live on a fine prospect ; he must 
 get his living out of the fatness of the soil under his 
 foot; but just at this moment. Master Crab," continued 
 I, "I would rather look on a good breakfixst than any- 
 thing else." 
 
 "In that case," said Crab, stopping and speaking 
 softly, "you have a chance of something — look there, 
 
Chase a Kangaroo. 65 
 
 just over that log of a tree — don't you see his head ? 
 It's a brush kangaroo. There, he's hoppLng off; now 
 you've a good shot at him." 
 
 I &ed, and the animal gave a bound forward. 
 
 " Ycm've hit him/' said Crab ; and, tired as we were, 
 we set off at a run after the wounded kangaroo. 
 
 The animal, however, hopped away at an amazing rate, 
 and it continued its course for more than a mile before it 
 fell. Crab quickly cut it up, and lighting a fire of the 
 dead wood which lay in plenty about, we made a bush 
 breakfast and dinner all in one. The water of a spring 
 close by supplied drink ; and Crab armed himself with the 
 tail of the defunct, as a supply, as he said, against acci- 
 dents. 
 
 The chase of the kangaroo caused us to lose the track 
 of the sheep, and Crab proposed that we should cross 
 over the country till we came to the high road uniting 
 the two extremities of the island. I assented to this 
 scheme, and after a toilsome march of thirty hours, we 
 found ourselves on the main road. A settler's bullock- 
 cart fortunately was proceeding to Norfolk Plains, on the 
 northern side of the island. We availed ourselves of its 
 Eonvenience; and partly riding and partly walking, we 
 arrived at the large tract of level land known by that 
 name. From thence we proceeded to Launceston, and 
 returning by the high road, we arrived at a place called 
 " Green Ponds," in the district of Murray. Here, at a 
 little public house, newly set up, I heard of a tract of 
 country lying westward, on the banks of the Clyde, par- 
 ticularly suitable for cattle and sheep feeding, which was 
 the Hne I had a mind to follow. I crossed over, with the 
 persevering Crab, and lighted on a spot, which pleased 
 5 
 
G6 IFindLandtoPleaseMe. 
 
 me at once, from the back run for sheep and cattle which 
 it aiForded. 
 
 Having fixed on my land, I hastened back to Hobart 
 Town, that I might be the first to apply for it. I had 
 been away seventeen days, and it was with not a little 
 delight that I saw my wife and children again, for 1 
 seemed to have been absent a much longer time. The 
 very next day I got an order from the governor to take 
 possession ; and I was informed the land would be regu- 
 larly surveyed and marked out for me by the govern- 
 ment surveyor, as soon as his engagements would per- 
 mit, and that in the meantime I might take possession 
 and erect my buildings. My next care was to provide 
 myself with two bullock-carts, and two teams of four 
 bullocks each, to carry up such utensils and things as 
 were absolutely necessary. 
 
 • On consulting with my wife, I found that^she prefei- 
 red going on the land with me at once, with the children, 
 to staying in the town until I had got some accommoda- 
 tion for her. Fortunately we had brought out with us 
 two good tents, one a pretty large one ; these served us 
 in good stead. We were in a pretty bustle, it may be 
 supposed, packing up and getting ready for our journey. 
 It was about fifty miles from the town to the spot I had 
 chosen. All our goods and traps being ready — and hav- 
 ing had assigned to me two government men, a bullock- 
 driver, and a farming-man — my wife, her children, and 
 her mother, occupying one cart, with the woman ser- 
 vant, and all sorts of articles for bedding and use ; and 
 the other cart being filled with utensils, and tools, and 
 provisions, we commenced our journey on the 26th of 
 February, 1817, with anxious thoughts, but full of 
 spirits and of hope, for the river Clyde. 
 
(£;ijii|itrr liitlj. 
 
 Journey up the Country with Family, Bullock-carts, and Crab — A 
 Steep Hill — A Night in the Bush — Arrives at his Land — His 
 First Chop at a Gum Tree. 
 
 It is more than twentj-one years since I set out on 
 this memorable joui-ney, but the whole scene is present- 
 to me as if it was an affair of yesterday ; and I remem- 
 ber well my sensations at the sight of my wife perched 
 on the top of a feather bed in a bullock-cart, with her 
 old mother sitting beside her, and the children higgledy- 
 piggledy about her, enjoying the novelty and the fun of 
 being dragged by bullocks in a cart. There was some- 
 thing so droll in the set-out, and at the same time the 
 occasion was so serious, that my poor wife did not know 
 whether to laugh or to cry ; but the tumblings that the 
 roughness of the road gave the children soon made them 
 merry enough, and their joyous mirth set the rest of the 
 party a-laughing, so that the journey was a merry one — 
 in the beginning at least. The old lady sat very quietly 
 in her place, a little frightened, but resigned to her fate. 
 She owned, afterwards, that she never expected to get to 
 the end of the journey alive by such an outlandish sort 
 of conveyance, and she was like to be right in her fore- 
 bodings, at one time. 
 
 We got on very well till we arrived at the ferry, for 
 many years known as Stocker's Ferry, about nine miles 
 from camp. The bullocks behaved admirably. These 
 
 (67) 
 
68 Journey to our New House. 
 
 were all fine animals. I gave forty pounds a pair for 
 two pair. The other two pair I got for thirty-five pounds 
 a pair; but one of the bullocks was rather old and 
 weak, but a steady worker, and a prime fellow to break 
 in the young ones ; it seemed to me he took a pleasure 
 in it. Bob, who lived with me for many years after- 
 wards, had the honour of conducting the principal team, 
 the first cart being committed to the care of my other 
 servant. I walked, helping the one or the other, as the 
 occasion happened, with Will, my eldest boy, now nearly 
 ten years old, for my companion. We had not goue 
 more than a mile from the town, when we heard some one 
 calling after us, and who should it be but Crab, who 
 joined us, terribly out of breath, and with an uncertain 
 expression of countenance which represented an odd ap- 
 pearance of habitual sourness and present concern, which 
 induced me to stop the whole cavalcade for a moment, 
 wondering what could be the matter. 
 
 "Well, Mr. Crab," said I, " nothing wrong, I hope ?" 
 
 " Nothing wrong yet that I see," said Crab ; " but 
 I'm thinking, master," said he, hesitatingly, "you're 
 rather short-handed for what you're about. You see, 
 when one of the bullock-carts turns over, you'll hardly 
 be strong enough to set it on its legs again. . . ." 
 
 " Oh, gracious ! Mr, Crab," said my wife, " don't 
 make things worse than they are ; you will always look 
 on the worst side so." 
 
 " Why, ma'am," said Crab, trying to look gracious, 
 " I don't like to frighten the ladies; but it's always best 
 to be prepared for what's to happen, then when it comes 
 it isn't so bad. So I thought I might be able to heip 
 you a bit, as I'm used to the ways of the country, and 
 
Crab Overtakes Us. 69 
 
 see 3-011 safe on your land; and I don't doubt that when 
 you get there, you'll be glad enough to get back again; 
 and then it would be a consolation to me to see you safe 
 in the town again, and aboard ship, so that you may go 
 away home from this horrible place, which it's a shame 
 to entice people to — poor, deceived, wretched, miserable 
 creatures ! Besides, I've taken a sort of liking to your 
 good man here, and the long and the short of it is, if 
 you like, I'll go along with you to your land, and lend 
 you a help, for you'll want it bad enough. What do 
 you say to it, master ?" 
 
 There was a real good and honest feeling in the man. 
 which, in spite of the rough husk that covered it, had 
 given me a liking for him, and I readily agreed to his 
 proposal ; telling him that I was heartily glad of such a 
 valuable addition to our company. He gave a nod, to 
 intimate that he considered the social compact as con- 
 cluded, and then eagerly relapsed into his accustomed 
 sourness and sarcasm. He immediately began to com- 
 plain of the state of the roads, of their ruts and une- 
 venness. 
 
 " Did ever mortal man," said he, " conceive the 
 stupidity of these road-makers? Here they take you 
 right over the hill, when it would have been no further, 
 and much easier, to go round it. But no — the road 
 must be carried in a straight line, and so the poor cattle 
 must be murdered in dratrginor their loads over it. And 
 
 Co O 
 
 then look at the stumps of trees left in the middle of 
 the road. A nice place, isn't it, for a gentleman to 
 travel in ?" 
 
 " But you can't expect," said I, " to find things in & 
 new country all ready made to your hand ; there must 
 be a beginning to everything." 
 
70 Progress on the Journey. 
 
 " Then why do you come to a now country ? Why 
 oan't you wait till it's an old one, and fit for Christians 
 to live in ? Not that this place wrll ever be fit for any- 
 \hing to live in but a convict or a kangaroo." 
 
 By this time we had arrived at Stocker's Ferry. 
 
 " What do you intend to do now ?" said Crab. 
 
 " Cross the ferry." 
 
 "How?" 
 
 " How ! why in the ferry boat, to be sure." 
 
 " You'll be capsized — bullocks, carts, and all." 
 
 " We must take our chance of that." 
 
 After a good deal of trouble, we crossed over safe. 
 
 " Well, Crab, that job's done well," said I. 
 
 " Better the other way, and so saved worse," said 
 Crab ; " but, however, as we are on this side, heaven 
 help us ! we had better get on to where there is water 
 for the bullocks, for they begin to be distressed in the 
 heat of the day. They'll never be able to get these loads 
 to the end of the journey; that's my opinion." 
 
 With these pleasing prognostications as an accompani- 
 ment to our toil, we reached Brighton Plains, where we 
 made a halt, in a sheltered spot, by the side of a little 
 stream, and let loose the bullocks to graze. Crab assured 
 us that we might make up our minds to stay where we 
 were for some weeks, or days at least, as the bullocks 
 would be sure to stray away into the bush. 
 
 We laughed at his talk ; and the children, glad to be 
 released from the confinement of the cart, made the little 
 valley ring with their shrieks and their merriment. My 
 wife was as merry as any of them ; and the old lady was 
 pleased to have proceeded so far, and to have accom- 
 plished the much dreaded crossing of the river without 
 
A N I G II T O N T U E R O A D . 71 
 
 accident. I tliought even the furrows of Crab's rugged 
 features once or twice nearly relaxed into a suiile. as he 
 witnessed the frolicsome mirth of the children, but he 
 sliook his head with much gravity — ''Ah/' said he, 
 "poor things! let them enjoy themselves; they little 
 know what's in store for 'em." 
 
 We now called a council of war, and it was determined 
 to wait till the cool of the evening, and then make a 
 vigorous push for the Green Ponds, where a little public 
 house had been recently established. We arrived there 
 just at dark : and as the house was small, and the night 
 fine and warm, we preferred passing the night under our 
 tents, which were c[uiekly set up. We secured the bul- 
 locks in a small stock-yard, close by the little inn ; and 
 with the exception of Crab, the whole party was soon 
 fast asleep. That indefatigable individual insisted that 
 we should be attacked by the bush-rangers ; and he re- 
 mained therefore on watch to give the alarm. 
 
 Nothing occurred, however ; and by four o'clock in the 
 morning, we were all a-foot, and ready to start. We 
 proceeded in due order for about four miles on the high 
 road. We had then to turn to the left, westward, on our 
 way to the place of our destination. Crossing the nar- 
 row river Jordan at an awkward ford, which would have 
 been of difl&cult accomplishment at any other than the 
 summer season, we continued our way with much pre- 
 caution, as there was no marked road, and the track was 
 not always very plain. 
 
 After a few miles progress, we arrived at the foot of 
 the Den Hill — part of a ridge of mountainous hills, ex- 
 tending to the left. On the right was a smiling valley, 
 watrr?d c>y a little stream. The appearance of the asceuti 
 
72 Ascent of a Perpendicular Hill 
 
 before us was very formidable; it is not very much bettei 
 now ; but at that time the country was little known, and 
 an untravelled road always appears, the first time, longer 
 and worse than it is. Here we made another halt, to 
 gather up courage to face the ascent, and to recruit the 
 strength of the cattle and their drivers. Crab looked at 
 the hill covered with a thick mass of trees, and without 
 any visible opening, and then at the carts and bullocks, 
 with a very long fiice. I confess I had some misgivings 
 myself. I had gone over the hill before, when I wont 
 to look at the land at the Clyde ; but going over such a 
 hill on foot, and surmounting it with laden carts, are two 
 very different things. 
 
 As we discussed some bread and meat on the grass, 
 we were all very serious, even the children regarding the 
 black, dense mass of trees rising one above another be- 
 fore us with fearfulness and perplexity. We turned to 
 Crab instinctively, expecting to hear fi-om him some of 
 his usual evil prognostications. But he preserved a 
 rigid silence, stufiing huge pieces of damper into his 
 mouth, with a diligence and perseverance that seemed to 
 imply he was doubtful when he might have the chance 
 of doing so again, and enjoying maliciously, I was in- 
 clined to think, the novel disappointment of his unusual 
 taciturnity. 
 
 At last, seeing that the thing must be done, I shook 
 off the lethargic feeling which fatigue, the heat, and 
 apparently insurmountable difficulties before us had cast 
 over me, and I braced myself up for the effort. We got 
 on pretty well for about a rjuarter of a mile, but the 
 steepness of the way and the impediments of the dead 
 timber, lying on all sides about, brought us to a stand- 
 
Halt Half-way Up. 73 
 
 Btill. Putting pieces of wood behind the whe'cls of the 
 carts, to prevent tlieir rolling backwards, we looked 
 inquiringly at one another. It seemed a hopeless task. 
 Crab said nothing. The men looked at the bullocks 
 despairingly. 
 
 " It's more than mortal cattle can do," said Bob, who 
 had shown himself a civil and diligent fellow; "you 
 might as well attempt to climb up the walls of a house." 
 
 I thought so too, but I took care to keep my thoughts 
 to myself. I was puzzled to know what to do ; and the 
 evening was drawing in, and the clear light failing us, 
 though at that time of the year the nights are never 
 quite dark in Van Diemen's Land. In this difhculty 
 my wife came to our aid. 
 
 '^ If four bullocks cannot draw one cart up the hill, 
 why not put the whole eight on, and draw one cart up 
 at a time ?" 
 
 It was like Columbus's egg; nothing more easy wheu 
 it was done. In a trice we unharnessed the provision 
 cart, Crab lending himself with alacrity and energy to 
 the movement ; and with prodigious labour, and the 
 exhaustion of the whole party, we succeeded, after two 
 hours' work, in dragging the cart, with my wife and 
 children, to the summit of this terrible hill. It was 
 now nearly dark, and we had left the provision-cart 
 about a mile behind us, and the animals were too much 
 exhausted to render further attempts possible. Under 
 these circumstances, we were obliged to pass the night, 
 as it were, under arms, with the bullocks yoked and 
 chaiu'^d, for we were afraid to let them wander to feed, 
 not knowing the country. Crab volunteered to mount 
 guard over the cart below, and to keep up a good fire to 
 
74 ^VrriveattheFarm. 
 
 point out' his whereabouts. We did the same ; and in 
 this way we passed the night, not very commodiously; 
 but the genial warmth of the season, and the brilliant 
 fineness of the night, reconciled us to our rough lodg- 
 ment, and as we had plenty of covering for the children, 
 they slept soundly, and all passed oif well. 
 
 At the first sign of light we were stirring. "We had 
 to pursue the same process to get up our provision-cart, 
 when we made a hearty breakfast, and not the less so 
 from having gone without our supper. Our way was 
 now all dow^nhill by a gentle inclination ; and sometimes 
 following the faint track, and sometimes guided by the 
 notched trees, and making our way over the dead timber 
 and through the bushes as well as we could, we arrived 
 in about a couple of hours at the site of my future farm. 
 
 It was now noon. The sun was intensely hot, and we 
 very tired, bullocks and all ; but we had arrived safe, 
 and we felt in spirits. And here we were, our little 
 party, alone in the wilderness. To the west there was 
 no human habitation between us and the sea ; and the 
 nearest settler's residence was not less than eighteen 
 miles. There was j^asturage for sheep and cattle for 
 scores and scores of miles, and no one to interfere 
 with them. But I had not yet a single sheep, nor 
 a single head of cattle, except my eight working bul- 
 locks. We turned th(^m out to graze on the plain before 
 us, through which ran the Clyde, then better known 
 by the name of the Fat Doe River ; we had no fear of 
 their straying, for they were tired enough with their 
 journey. The two men then set up the tents without 
 bidding. 
 
 I remember I sat on a fallen tree, with my wife and 
 
Unload OUR Goods. 75 
 
 children and ter mother stretched on the ground in the 
 shade, for some time absorbed in thoughts of mingled 
 pain and pleasure. Crab had strolled into the bush. It 
 •was a brilliant day. There was a solemn stillness 
 around that was imposing ; the sun shining gloriously 
 in the heavens, and the prospect around most calm and 
 beautiful. I felt melancholy. Thoughts crowded thick 
 upon me. I had undertaken a vast task, to establish a 
 home in the wilderness. The fii-st stage of my enter- 
 prise I had accomplished ; through toil, and labour, and 
 difficulty, and danger ; but I had accomplished it. The 
 first object was gained. I had reached the land of pro- 
 mise. I had taken possession of my land, and a noble 
 domain it was. But what were the risks and difficulties 
 that remained ? I felt fearful at the work before me. 
 No help near in case of danger ; no medical assistance ; 
 no neighbour. I looked at my wife and children lying 
 listlessly on the dry and parched grass; I looked around 
 me, and tried to penetrate into the obscurity of the 
 future and guess the end. Worn out with thought, and 
 weary with travel, I insensibly gave way to the feeling 
 of lassitude which possessed us all, and fell asleep on the 
 grass. My wife would not have me wakened, but taking 
 on herself, without hesitation and without delay, the 
 duties of a settler's wife, she silently gave directions for 
 unloading the carts, and preparing our canvass house. 
 The smaller tent she made the temporary storehous<3 for 
 our multifarious goods ; the larger one was converted 
 into a general bedchamber for herself, her mother, and 
 the children. The store tent was destined for mo to 
 sleep in. Two boxes formed a table on the outside, and 
 fitting logs of wood formed appropriate seats. A fii-e 
 
76 Success to the First Farm. 
 
 was kindled near the spot, and dinner got ready. It 
 •was quite an early settler's meal ; boiled salt pork and 
 damper, with tea and brown sugar, and rice for the 
 children. All this was prepared while I slept. I was 
 awakened by Crab, who had been absent about a couple 
 of hours on his exploring expedition. 
 
 " Holloa !" said he; " here's a pretty settler, to go to 
 sleep while his wife works for him. Look here, I've got 
 something for you." 
 
 I awoke at this, and felt quite refreshed and ready for 
 action. Crab displayed a brace of wild ducks, which pro- 
 duced a general curiosity among the party. Without 
 stopping to ask questions, Crab prepared them for the spit 
 after his way. But spit we had none, so we contented 
 ourselves with throwing them on the hot embers, native 
 fashion, and hooking them out with the ramrod of one of 
 our muskets. "We distributed them among young and old 
 in equitable proportions. I had brought up with me a 
 five gallon cask of rum, rather in compliance with the 
 customs of the colony than with my own inclination ; but 
 on this occasion, and to do honour to the splendour of 
 our repast of game, I served out a moderate ration of it, 
 much to the satisfaction of the two men, who were well 
 pleased at the unexpected libation. We soon got very 
 merry, and at last felt so reconciled to our new position, 
 that I caught myself proposing three-times-three to the 
 success of the First Farm on the Fat Doe River. 
 
 And now, having rested and refreshed, we all began to 
 bestir ourselves in earnest to our work. My eldest boy, 
 Will, was set to watch the bullocks, to prevent their 
 straying too far. The men busied themselves in erecting 
 a sod hut for themselves about a hundred yards from the 
 
Preparations to Build. 77 
 
 tents. Crab got out the grindstone, fixed it on a conve- 
 nient stump of a fallen tree, and prepared the axes. 
 My first care was to put our fii-e-arms in order, and handy 
 for use. I had two muskets with bayonets, a fowling- 
 piece, and two pair of pistols, one a large pair of horse- 
 pistols; I had besides a yeomanry broad-sword and a 
 hanger, so that we were tolerably well armed. Crab 
 looked grim at my warlike preparations. 
 
 " Ah \" said he, " a pretty way of taking possession of 
 a farm, with guns and blimderbusses, instead of ploughs 
 and harrows. Well, to be sure; the madness of the 
 people to come to such a place as this to fight with the 
 natives and the bush-rangers. However, as you are here, 
 I suppose something must be done to get a roof over your 
 heads. I have found some capital timber not a quarter 
 of a mile off, that would do to build a log-house. You'll 
 find that the best thing you can do, is to house yourself 
 comfortably ; — comfortably ! yes, pretty comfort there is 
 in the bush! we look very comfortable, don't we? all 
 alone in the wilderness, without a soul near us to help us, 
 and not a drop of beer to be had for love or money. 
 Well, as you have made your bed you must lie on it. 
 You are in for it for a while, and so I suppose you must 
 make the best of it." 
 
 With these appropriate and gratifying observations, the 
 cross-grained, but diligent Crab, furnished himself with 
 the heaviest axe of the lot, and we went together, to the 
 verge of the forest ; our encampment having been formed 
 on a piece of ground nearly clear of timber. We eyed 
 some hard looking gum trees for a little time, pausing to 
 select those most fit for our purpose. 
 
 "Now," said Crab, "who is to strike the first stroke ?" 
 
78 FellinqThees. 
 
 "That will I do," said I, and fetching a blow at a gum 
 tree before me, struck my axe in the bark. 
 
 " Well done for a beginning," said Crab ; " here goes 
 for another." 
 
 At this he struck a sturdy stroke on the other side of the 
 tree, but without producing much impression. 
 
 " Hard stuif this," said Grab. " I'm thinking we have 
 harder work before us than we thought for ! I wonder 
 how long it will take you and me to cut down this tree ? 
 but let us at him again." 
 
 We chopped, and chopped, and sweated, and worked 
 till we were fairly exhausted ; we made a pretty decent 
 gap on both sides, but the tree gave no intimation of 
 coming down. 
 
 " This vn]l never do," said I ; " there must be some- 
 thing wrong here ; we must not be all day cutting down 
 one tree." 
 
 " Casting my eye on the axes that lay on the ground, 
 it occurred to me that the fault was in the tools. We 
 had made use of heavy, broad axes, which after experi- 
 ence taught us were quite unfit for felling timber. 
 
 "There's something wrong with these axes," said Ij 
 "let's try the axes which I bought in camp." 
 
 They were much longer from heel to edge, and much 
 narrower, presenting not more than half the breadth of 
 edge to the wood. The first cut showed their superiority. 
 
 " This is the article," said Crab ; and with that he gave 
 a flourish with his axe in the air, and shivered ofi" a 
 prodigious slice of the obstinate gum-tree. We went at 
 it merrily, and presently the tree began to shiver, and 
 suddenly it fell down with a prodigious crash to the 
 ground. 
 
A New Kind of Assistant! 79 
 
 "That's number one," said Crab, ''and precious hara 
 work it is, I must say. And this is what we have come 
 to t 'other side of the earth for ! to cut down gum trees ! 
 A nice employment for middle aged gentlemen, I must 
 say. I'm thinking we might have had enough of this 
 pleasure at home, without coming so far for it. How- 
 ever, every one to his mind. And now for the next, mas- 
 ter. Here is a good looking chap ; let's have a chop at 
 him." 
 
 "Let us try the saw," said I ; " it's ready set, perhaps 
 that will do it easier." 
 
 "Any way," said Crab, "so long as we are amused. 
 I take it, in about six months at this rate, we shall be 
 able to get timber enough for a hut. But here's a nice 
 breeze got up. Oh, this is what they call the sea-breeze 
 that comes in the afternoon ; but sure we are too far from 
 the sea to feel it." 
 
 "Well, never mind where it comes from ; it's too plea- 
 sant to be asked questions about. Upon my word I 
 thought it was rather warmish." 
 
 The wind now rose so as to bend the branches of the 
 trees, and its grateful coolness was unspeakably refresh- 
 ing, after the sultry heat of the day. I saw the tents 
 agitated by it, and the loose things on the grass dancing 
 about, and the children merrily chasing them. But I 
 found the breeze more than pleasing ; it was a useful help 
 in felling the trees, and we quickly took advantage of it. 
 Cutting the side of the tree next to the breeze, we found 
 that the force of the wind saved us half our labour, for 
 the branches being full and thick in leaf, they presented 
 such a hold to the wind, that a slight notching of them 
 brought them down. In this way we felled eight trees 
 
1 
 
 80 NlGHT-TlIOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE=, 
 
 aud gave tbe appearance of a little clearing to thai 
 spot. 
 
 In the meantime the evening was drawing in, and thft 
 shades of night soon fell on xxs. The men had raised 
 the walls of their sod hut, and covering it over with 
 branches of trees, they were content for the night. The 
 bullocks showed no disposition to stray ; so, after seeing 
 all things put in order as well as the circumstances per- 
 mitted, we disposed ourselves for rest. Crab insisted on 
 keeping watch with nuisket and fixed bayonet ; and with 
 a cartouch-box slung behind him, he made a most for- 
 midable figure. 
 
 All was still; the stars were bright in the heavens, 
 and I could distinguish the faint outlines of the distant 
 hills. It was long before I could compose myself to 
 sleep. I was full of thought and anxiety. I had every- 
 thing to do; mine was really a beginning. The soil 
 around me had not been disturbed by civilized man since 
 its creation. The vast wilderness seemed to have re- 
 ceived us into its ample bosom, and to have closed 
 around us, shutting us out from all communication with 
 humanity. We formed but a little speck on the vast 
 space of the uninhabited country. I endeavoured to 
 picture to myself the future farms that might arise 
 around us, and the coming of neighbours to cheer and 
 strengthen us. But the reality was too present and too 
 strong to admit of the consolations of the imagination. 
 I felt committed to an act of doubt and difficulty. I 
 revolved my past life in England, and wondered how 
 any state of misfortune oould have been urgent enough 
 to induce me to embark in so fearful an undertaking as 
 that of a settler's life in the wilderness. But the very 
 
Implores Divine Help. 81 
 
 per; of my position served at last to nerve me up to the 
 encounter. I felt the deep responsibility of my: position 
 as the father of a young family, and the husband of an 
 affectionate wife, who, by my act, had been conveyed 
 from home, from relations and from early friends, to 
 brave the risks and adventures of a settler's life. 
 
 With the serious thoughts with which this contem- 
 plation inspired me, I lay down to rest, not without 
 returning my grateful thanks to the Great Disposer of 
 all events, for having arrived thus far with my family 
 in health and safety, and entreating the Divine protec- 
 tion and help in my solitary encampment; with such 
 prayer I addressed myself to sleep to gather strength 
 for the morrow. 
 G 
 
A Settler's dail^' labours — Chopping down gum-trees tough work — • 
 Builds a Log-house — Buys some Sheep — Shoots a wild animal — 
 Black cockatoo-pie — A Kangaroo steamer. 
 
 Thursday, FehriLary 2St7i, 1817. — Up. at daylight. 
 Set the men to work to cross-cut the trees that we felled 
 yesterday. Ci'ab helped, and they sawed and felled 
 alternately. Crab said it was regular nigger work; 
 when they were tired of chopping down the gum-trees, 
 they had to set to to saw 'em — to rest themselves ! 
 
 * « * -X- * 5f: 
 
 Walked over my land ; guessing, as well as I could, 
 the extent of twelve hundred acres, at the rate of one- 
 thii-d frontage to the river. Fixed on the line where 
 the measurement of my lot should begin. After a good 
 deal of consideration and examination of the parts about, 
 I settled on the spot for building our log-house. I 
 thought that the time might come when I should be 
 able to erect a better house, so I marked the place for 
 our temporary habitation close to the spot for the future 
 building, and so as to form a part of the general plan. 
 Marked out in my mind a garden and entrance. After 
 this I set to work to help Crab and the men in prepar- 
 ing split logs, for the hut. My wife says she doesn't 
 like me to call it a " hut ;" so, mem., '' to call it a cot- 
 tage." Got twelve more trees down to-day. My 
 eldest boy, Will, who had been watching the working 
 
 (82) 
 
Sunday A Day OF Rest. 83 
 
 bullocks Tvitliiii sight of the tents, told us at dinner that 
 he had seen a kangaroo, with a young one in her pouch, 
 grazing not far from him. I must get dogs, not only 
 for hunting occasionally, but for safety, to give the 
 alarm at night, and in the day-time too. The weather 
 beautiful. TTe live in the open air, and it seems to me 
 it would not harm us to sleep in the open air ; but we 
 have our tents. No one came near us all day. 
 
 Friday, March 1. — At work all day with Crab and 
 the men, sawing the fallen timber into lengths and 
 splitting it to set up. Crab has been splitting shingles 
 to serve instead of tiles for the roof. Bob said that many 
 huts are thatched with a sort of grass, abundant in all 
 marshy places, and which serves the purpose of straw 
 pretty well; but I don't like the idea of having a com- 
 bustible roof where you are exposed to fire, as well from 
 the natives as from the accidental firing of the dry grass 
 in the summer season; so, although it is more labour 
 and more expense, I have decided against thatch. Had 
 the shingles split ten inches long and four broad. Only 
 cut four more trees. Saw no one all day. 
 
 Sundai/, March 3. — Could not make up my mind at 
 first what to do, whether to go on with our cottage, 
 which was a pressing want, or to keep the Sunday as a 
 day of rest. Consulted with my wife. She thought it 
 was proper to keep up the distinction of the Sunday for 
 the sake of preserving the good habits of the children. 
 Pondered over the matter a good deal. As to there 
 being any harm in working on a Sunday on such mat- 
 ters as we were engaged, I did not think there was ; but 
 as the weather was fine, I thought it best not to disturb 
 Sunday habits. So after we had read prayers to the 
 
84 Commence Building. 
 
 children, we passed the day talking, and jilanuiug, and 
 strolling among the trees, but not far from the house. 
 And I don't think there was any time lost, after all ; for 
 our day's rest made us the fresher and stronger for 
 Monday's work. As I am upon this subject, I may say 
 here, that in my experience I never knew any harm 
 fome to a man's constitution from working the six days 
 t)f the week as hard as he might, if he rested on the 
 seventh. But I have observed that when a man in his 
 eagerness has worked every day without taking his rest 
 on the seventh, it has worn him out, and that he has 
 become used up much sooner than the man who rested 
 one day in the week. And this remark holds good, as 
 I have had occasion to know, with those who worked 
 with their heads as well as with those who worked with 
 their hands. Saw no one all day. No Sunday visitors here. 
 
 Monday. — Began setting up the logs to form the walls 
 of the house. House to be sixty feet long and sixteen 
 broad, and the logs nine feet out of the ground; to be 
 divided into one large room, twenty feet long ; a passage 
 ten feet wide ; and on the other side of the passage four 
 rooms, one to be a store-room. At the end of the pas- 
 sage, facing the entrance, a closet for all sorts of things. 
 At the back of the long room of twenty feet, a skillion, 
 to serve as a kitchen, &c. 
 
 When I showed the plan to Crab, he said, '' I should 
 never live to finish it; however, I might go on building 
 it till I left, and he would not balk my humoiir if I had 
 a fancy for it." 
 
 Saturday. — More chopping and sawing. 
 
 Sunday. — Passed as before. 
 
 Monday, March 11. — Hard at work at the house, and 
 
A Settler's Daily Life 85 
 
 all tlie week; put the logs in the ground two feet aeep; 
 got all the shingles split for the roof. 
 
 Tuesday, March 19. — The cottage presents a respecta- 
 ble appearance. Shingled it over as far as the long 
 room, then stopped for want of shingle nails. We had 
 not had fresh meat since we got on the land, and my 
 wife thought the childi-en were not thriving. Arranged 
 to send the bullock-cart to camp for a fresh supply of 
 nails and flour, and to bring up as much as it could 
 carry of our goods from the merchant's store — Crab to 
 go, with one man. 
 
 Wednesday. — Saw the cart off. "We all felt very 
 lonely. We did not lose time, however, but finished odd 
 things about that wanted attending to. 
 
 Thursday, March 21. — Took my gun, to see if I 
 could bring down some ducks, to make a fresh meal for 
 the children; for we had been living on the salt pork 
 we had brought up with us. Tried to keep the tents 
 and new building in sight, but was led further than I 
 intended. Came up to a lot of ducks swimming leisurely 
 about at a part of the river that was very deep, with the 
 current not so rapid as in the shallow parts. I was go- 
 ing to have a shot at about twenty of them, when sud- 
 denly a gun was fired into the midst of them, close to 
 me. I was in a terrible fright — the suddenness of the 
 report, and its unexpectedness, filling me at the moment, 
 with all sorts of fears. My first impulse was to run 
 home to my wife and children ; and then the thought 
 occurred that I should be exposed and defenceless that 
 way, to be shot at, if there was any one of a mind to 
 do it. 
 
 AU these thoughts passed through my head in an ia- 
 
86 New Way of Making Acquaintance. 
 
 stant ; and in the meanwhile, the man who had fired the 
 shot advanced rapidly through the shrubs after his game. 
 As he came on, his eyes lighted on me with my gun 
 cocked, and pointed towards him. I saw at once by his 
 manner that he was as much frightened at me as I was 
 at him. The Fat Doe River at this place is about forty 
 feet across : he was on the other side. There we stood 
 for a little while, he stopping and gaping, and I stand- 
 ing with my piece in the position to fire. How long we 
 should have remained in these positions, each in fear of 
 the other, I can't pretend to say; but the suspense ended 
 by a flock of ducks that came flying between us, just 
 over oui- heads. The ducks were so close, they looked 
 so plump as I stood under them, and I wanted them so 
 much, that I could not resist the temptation. By a sort 
 of instinct, for I was always fond of sporting, I raised 
 up my piece, and forgetting my usual caution, I let fly 
 at them. Down came three. 
 
 ''Well done I" cried out the stranger; "I see there's 
 no harm in you, or you would not have flung your fire 
 that way ; but you'll loose your ducks, if you don't mind ; 
 there are two in the water sailing down the stream." 
 
 I soon found a long rod, with which I secured my 
 birds ; and the stranger going further down the stream, 
 recovered the four which he had shot before me. 
 
 "I suppose you took me for a bush-ranger?" bawled 
 I, speaking to him as he was standing and holding his 
 wet ducks by the legs, on the other side of the narrow 
 stream. 
 
 " I did not iLke the looks of you, as you stood with your 
 gun pointed at me as you did ; that's just the way of 'em. 
 I suppose*you're looking for land?" 
 
ObtainsomeDogs. 87 
 
 " I have found my land, and I'm on it, not a 0|uarter 
 of a mile from here. What are you doing ?" 
 
 " I have got charge of a stock-yard, about fifteen miles 
 off, and I'm going my rounds to see how the cattle lie." 
 " Cattle ! I wish I had known there were cattle here- 
 abouts; I should have been glad of some of the fresh 
 meat. I've seen none near us. But, to be sure, I have 
 never left my tents before to-day, to go as far as this 
 even. But we can talk as we go home ; they are waiting 
 for me, and glad enough will they be at what I am bring, 
 ing them." 
 
 With this we proceeded homewards, till we came to the 
 part of the stream where a tree had fallen across, which 
 served as a bridge for the stock-keeper to come over to me. 
 When we got to the tents, he went, as a matter of course, 
 to the men's sod-hut, where Bob did the honours ; this 
 relieved me from a little embarrassment, for I did not 
 know on what footing to treat the stock-keeper. After 
 a while Bob appeared with the stranger's four ducks, 
 saying that he would be glad of salt pork instead, as it 
 would be a treat to him. 
 
 Friday, 3Iarch 22. — The stock-keeper slept in Bob's 
 hut. I found that he had two kangaroo dogs for sale, 
 a dog and a bitch — asked twelve dollars each for them. 
 Thought it a large sum, but after some explanation agreed 
 to give it. To bring the dogs on Tuesday. 
 
 Saturday, Ilarch 23. — Tried my hand with Bob at 
 making a table. Took some of the cleanest of the split 
 logs, and splitting them again, contrived, by smoothing 
 them with the axe, and planing them where possible, to 
 produce a tolerably even surface. It was six feet long, 
 and four wide. My wife praised my ingenuity, and her 
 
88 Start off to Buy Sheep. 
 
 mother declared it was a splendid piece of furniture. The 
 '"hildren were very merry at it, and Betsy, my eldest girl, 
 who was christened after her grandmother, covered it with 
 an old green cloth, that had served to pack things in, 
 which gave it quite a genteel look. 
 
 We were all abed and asleep, when we were awakened 
 by a prodigious cracking of whips and sounds of voices 
 in the distance. "We were agreeably surprised by the 
 arrival of the bullock-cart, with Crab and the man, bear- 
 ing fresh supplies and additions to our stores, for we did 
 not expect him till next day. 
 
 Sunday, 24. — Passed as usual. Crab says he has seen 
 a fine lot of sheep — one hundred and eighty ewes with 
 their lambs, and forty wethers, to be had cheap for 
 money, near the Green Ponds. Thought of the sheep 
 all night, but could not plan how to keep them without 
 another servant. 
 
 Monday, 25. — Found that John Bond, one of my go- 
 vernment men, had been used to sheep in England. 
 Determined to have a look afthe sheep nest day, but 
 very reluctant to leave home. 
 
 Tuesday, 26. — Crab and Bob set to work to complete 
 the shingling of the cottage. Seeing the importance of 
 beginning to get stock about me, and of taking advan- 
 tage of cheap sales, I started off at daylight with John 
 Bond to the Green Ponds. Arrived there at mid-day ; 
 examined the sheep, bought the whole lot at 10s. 6c?. a 
 head, that is, reckoning the ewe and lamb as one. The 
 lambs are about five months old. This comes to four 
 hundred and sixty-two dollars, dollars passing for five 
 shillings, which cost me four shillings and fourpence in 
 London. 
 
ANightAlarm. 89 
 
 They were large carcassed sheep, partaking more of the 
 Leicestershire breed than any other; their wool far from 
 fine, but not positively coarse. These one hundred and 
 eighty ewes formed the basis of my future flocks, of the 
 rise of which I shall have to speak in the proper place. 
 I paid for the sheep by an order for so much money in 
 camp. When I had bought them, the next thing was 
 how to get them home. I and my man drove them to the 
 foot of the Den Hill that evening, and then letting them 
 feed in the valley, they rested quietly where they were 
 when the day closed. 
 
 We kept watch and watch all night. About the mid- 
 dle of the night the sheep became very restless, and I 
 wondered what was the matter, and was easily alarmed, 
 being in constant apprehension of bush-rangers and na- 
 tives. I had my gun ready, and listened attentively ; I 
 could hear nothing but my man snoring. Presently I 
 thought I heard a sort of snuffing, as of some animal, 
 and peering through the dark, I thought I saw an out- 
 line different from that of a sheep, and standing by itself. 
 I knew there were no wild animals in the country that 
 would attack man, but I felt a little queerish at the ap- 
 pearance of the shadowy form of a creature which I took 
 to be the native dog, as I had heard it called in camp. 
 I was curious to know what it was, and, prompted by 
 that feeling of using the gun which grows with one in 
 the bush, I fired. The whole flock roused up at this, 
 and my man awoke directly. I told him what I had 
 done, and when we had settled the sheep down again, we 
 went to the 'spot, and found an animal killed and warm. 
 
 When the daylight came, I found I had killed a sort 
 of animal peculiar to the country, as all animals are in 
 
90 Arrive at Home with my Sheep. 
 
 Van Diemen's Land. It was more like a large wild dog 
 or jackal than anything else; about the size of a New- 
 foundland dog, but not so thick and heavy ; of a brown- 
 ish colour, and was partly striped and partly spotted like 
 a leopard. It was a female, and possessed the peculiarity 
 attached only to the animals of New South Wales, of the 
 false belly or pouch for containing the young one. I was 
 not naturalist enough to make out to what description of 
 animal the creature belonged, but my friend Mr. Moss, 
 who settled near me some years after, has told me since, 
 that the animal is of the canine genus, and of a species 
 before unknown. My man skinned it for me, and when 
 we got home Betsy covered the stump of a gum-tree with 
 it, and it being elegantly stuffed with dry grass, it formed 
 a seat of honour for my wife. 
 
 We lost no time iq^etting the sheep over the long hill, 
 and then letting them travel leisurely, we reached home 
 with them before noon. 
 
 There was a fine stir about the tents when the sheep 
 came in sight. We were welcomed by my wife, and her 
 mother, and the children in a body. Even Crab seemed 
 pleased. 
 
 "Well," said he, "here's more company, at any rate. 
 You must look sharp after them, or not a tail will you 
 see to-morrow morning. The sheep in this country are 
 dreadful creatures to stray. And no wonder, poor things ! 
 they naturally try to find some grass fit to eat, which they 
 never do, and that makes 'em eternally wandering about. 
 We shall have a pretty job to brand 'em. Where do you 
 mean to mark 'em." 
 
 " Why," said I, " I must do as well as I can, for I 
 have no marking-irons." 
 
AnoteerTriptoTown. 91 
 
 " No marking-irons ! Here's a mess ! TVe must 
 make another journey to town. Only think of travel- 
 ling fifty or sixty miles, and the same back, after mark- 
 ing-irons, or any little thing that may be wanted. "Why, 
 there isn't a blacksmith nearer than camp ! Well, i 
 suppose we must make another trip ?" 
 
 ''And no great harm in that/' said I; ''I don't see 
 the use of putting the plough in the gTOund yet; it's too 
 late and too early; so we had better take advantage of 
 the leisurCj^'and cart everything up that must be carted." 
 
 " Why, you never mean to drag all your goods up 
 here, when you're sure to have to drag them all back 
 again V said Crab ; '• for as to staying here, that's out 
 of all question. You'll soon have a visit from the bush- 
 rangers when they smell out there is something to be 
 got; or else the natives will call on you in a friendly 
 way, and make a bonfire of your, new house ; or else — 
 you'll make a bonfire of it yourself, when you come to 
 be sick of the whole affair, as you soon will." 
 
 " We shall see," said I. And so it was settled that 
 the cart should go down next day with Crab and Bob, 
 as we should want the other man to mind the. sheep. 
 We turned our little flock into the meadow, where we 
 could see for a mile before us, with only trees enough to 
 make the place look pleasing, like a gentleman's park in 
 England. 
 
 The stock-keeper came this afternoon with the two 
 kangaroo dogs. Hector and Fly ; I found they were the 
 very same dogs I had met with at New Norfolk. They 
 soon got used to us. 
 
 Wednesday, March 27. — Crab went to camp with Bob, 
 and one of the carts, and four bullocks. The stock- 
 
92 A Kangaroo Steamer. 
 
 keeper stayed with us to-day to lend a hand to finish the 
 ihingling ; but my boy was mad to take the dogs out 
 ifter a kangaroo, and the stock-keeper promised to go 
 mth him and show him the sport next morning. 
 
 Got on well with the shingling to-day. 
 
 Thursday, Jfarch 28. — Finished the shingling to-day 
 all but the skillion. 
 
 Just after dark, Will came home with his new friend, 
 the stock-keeper, tired enough, and he soon made an end 
 of the remains of a cockatoo-pie. He brought with him 
 the tail of an immense kangaroo as a trophy, while the 
 stock-keeper bore on his shoulders the hind-quarters of 
 another, holding the two hind-legs before him, while the 
 tail was hanging down his back nearly to the ground. I 
 asked what they had done with the kangaroo that Will's 
 tail belonged to, and they said they had left the fore- 
 quarters on the ground, and that they had hoisted up 
 the hind-quarters and the skins on a tree, some six or 
 seven miles from the tents. I thought this a sad waste, 
 but it was the general custom in those times. The wo- 
 men then busied themselves in cooking part of the 
 venison for supper, under the instructions of the stock- 
 keeper, who was an experienced epicure in kangaroo 
 cookery. The tenderest parts, and those most free from 
 the tendons and fibres with which the flesh of the kan- 
 garoo abounds, were carefully cut out, and chopped up 
 fine; some slices of salt pork were added to this, and 
 the whole put to steam slowly over the fii'e. 
 
 This national dish of the Van Diemen's Land bush is 
 called a ''Steamer." I think I never ate anything so 
 delicious; we all had a hearty stuff, and the old lady 
 insisted on having the rum introduced, to celebrate, as 
 
My Son's Keturn. 93 
 
 she said, Will's first exploit of huntiog. The tail was 
 left on the fire in a Papin's digester, to make soup for 
 the next day. The soup was better even than the 
 steamer ; but I must not anticipate. As we sat round 
 the fire on our logs of wood, enjoying ourselves after 
 the bush fashion, I sitting, as my custom was at that 
 time, with my gun over my arm, for fear of surprises, 
 but feeling more safe since the arrival of the dogs, which 
 in this country act not only as hounds for hunting, but 
 as capital watch-dogs, the ladies were curious to know 
 how "Will had contrived to catch the kangaroos, and 
 what sort of sport it was. Will was very tired, but the 
 cockatoo-pie and the steamer had refreshed him, and he 
 soon fired up at the recollection of the sport, and told us 
 what had happened to him. As this was my boy's first 
 expedition, I noted down his description in my journal, 
 thinking it might interest him in after times ; and to do 
 it the greater honour, I have made it the subject of a 
 separate chapter. 
 
Cjiajitn (Bigljtli. 
 
 A Kangaroo tunt — Description and habits of the animal— Crab 
 dilates on the topsy-turviness of all things animal, vegetable and 
 geographical in Van Diemen's Land. 
 
 It was just light when the stock-keeper called me, and 
 I wasn't long dressing. I took one of the large pistols 
 that father said I might have, and the stock-keeper had 
 a musket, and we had half a damper and a paper of salt, 
 and I had my big hack -knife, and so oif we went. I do 
 think Hector knew he was going to have some kangaroo, 
 for he seemed so glad, and licked his chops, and Fly wag- 
 ged h-er tail, and the morning was so beautiful; and what 
 do you think, father, the bird that mother likes to hear 
 so much is a magpie ! it is indeed, for I saw it, and it's 
 just like an English magpie, only it sings so beautifully. 
 We walked over the plain till we came to the hills; the 
 dogs kept quiet behind us. The stock-keeper said I 
 might see they had been well trained; they kept their 
 heads low, and their tails hanging down behind them, as 
 if they had no life in them ; but you should have seen 
 them when they got sight of a kangaroo, did'nt they 
 pluck up ! We went on till we got about four or five 
 miles from the tents, and then we did not talk, for the 
 kangaroos are startled at the least noise; they are just 
 like hares for that. Then the stock-keeper stood still. 
 
 He said to the dogs, " Go find;" and then the dogs can- 
 (94) 
 
A Kanqaroo*IIunt. 95 
 
 tered about round us, going farther and farther, till Hec- 
 tor began to smell aboiit very earnestly. 
 
 "He has got scent," said the stock-keeper, and so he 
 had, for he galloped off with his nose to the ground, 
 straight ahead. Fly saw him, and she galloped after. 
 
 " I think it's a big one," said the stock-keeper, " the 
 dogs seem so warm at it." 
 
 I was running after them as fast as I could, when the 
 stock-keeper called after me to stop. 
 
 " Stop," said he ; " it's of no use for you to run, you 
 could not keep up with them." 
 
 " Why, what are we to do ?" said I ; " if. they kill a 
 kangaroo, how can we find it ?" 
 
 "Wait a bit," said he ; " all in good time. If the dogs 
 kill a kangaroo, we shall find him, I'll warrant." 
 
 So we waited and waited till I was quite tired ; and a 
 good while after. Hector came back quite slowly, as if 
 he was tired, with Fly following after. The stock-keeper 
 looked at his mouth. 
 
 "What's that for?" said I. 
 
 " To see if he has killed," said he ; " look here, his 
 mouth is bloody, and that's come by killing a kangaroo, 
 you may be sure of it." 
 
 Then the stock-keeper stood up and said to Hector, 
 "Showj" and then Hector trotted off, not fast, but pretty 
 fast, so that I was obliged to trot too to keep up with 
 him; and he trotted on and on till I was rather tired, I 
 dare say for three miles from where we were at first ; and 
 on he went, and we following him, till he brought us to 
 a dead kangaroo, close to a little pool of water. It was 
 a monstrous big one, with such a claw on each of his 
 hind-legs ;• a claw that would rip up a dog in a moment, 
 or a man too, if he got at him. 
 
96 Fight avit^ the Kangaroo. 
 
 " Good dog \" said the stock-keeper, and Hector wagged 
 Lis tail, and seemed to like to be praised. Then the 
 stock-keeper gave me his guu to hold, and he cut open 
 the kangaroo and gave the inside to the dogs. Then he 
 skinned the upper part down to the loins, and cut the 
 kangaroo in half, and hung it up in a tree, noting the 
 place ; the other half he left on the ground • that is, when 
 he went away from the place, for he would not let the 
 dogs have more than a taste of the blood, lest it should 
 spoil their hunting. 
 
 ''What's to be done now?" said I. 
 
 ''We'll till another," said the stock-keeper, "if you 
 are not tired." 
 
 I said I was not tired a bit ; so after we had rested a 
 little while, we went on again, the dogs following us as 
 at first. We saw plenty of brush kangaroos, but we 
 would not touch them. After we had got a mile or two, 
 the stock-keeper, who had been examining the ground all 
 the way along, said, " I think there are some big ones 
 hereabouts, by the look of the marks;" so he said to the 
 dogs, "Go find," as he had said before. Almost directly, 
 we saw such a large fellow — I'm sure he was six feet 
 high — he looked at us and at the dogs for a moment, and 
 then off he went. My gracious ! what hops he did give ! 
 he hopped with his two hind-legs, with his fore-legs in 
 the air, and his tail straight out behind him, — and wasn't 
 it a tail ! — it was as thick as a bed-post ! and this great 
 tail went wag, wag, up and down, as he jumped, and 
 seemed to balance him behind. But Hector and Fly were 
 after him. This time the stock-keeper ran too, for the 
 ground was level and clear of fallen timber, and you 
 could see a good way before you. I had begun to feel a 
 little tired, but I didn't feel tired then. Hop, hop went 
 
Chase another Kangaroo. 97 
 
 the kangaroo, and the dogs after him, and we after the 
 dogs; and we scampered on till I was quite out of breath j 
 and the kangaroo was a good bit before the dogs, when 
 he turned up a hill. 
 
 "Now we shall have him," said the stock-keeper; 
 " the dogs will beat him up hill." 
 
 I wanted my breath, but I kept up, and we scrambled 
 up the hill, and I thought the dogs would get him ; but 
 the kangaroo got to the top of the hill first, and when we 
 srot a sight of him, he was bounding down the hill, 
 
 Co? o 
 
 making such prodigious leaps at every jump, over every 
 thing, that you could'nt believe it, if you did'nt see it. 
 The dogs had no chance with him down hill. 
 
 ''It's of no use," said the stock-keeper, "for us to 
 try to keep up with him; we may as well stay here. 
 He'll lead the dogs a pretty chase, will that fellow ; 
 he's a Boomah, and one of the biggest rascals I ever 
 saw." 
 
 So we sat down at the top of the hill, under a gum-tree, 
 and there we sat a long time, I don't know how long, 
 until we saw Hector coming up. The stock-keeper looked 
 at his mouth. 
 
 " He has killed," said he ; " but he has got a little 
 scratched in the tussle, and so has Fly. That big chap 
 was almost too much for two dogs." Then he said, " Go, 
 show !" and Hector and Fly trotted along straight to 
 where the kangaroo lay, without turning to the right or 
 left, but going over everything, just as if they knew the 
 road quite well. We came to a hollow, and there we saw 
 the kangaroo lying dead. Just as the stock-keeper was 
 going to cut him open, I saw another kangaroo not a 
 hundred yards off. 
 
98 Kangaroo Fights the Dogs. 
 
 "There's another/' said I; and the dogs, although 
 ihej had had a hard battle with the kangaroo lying dead, 
 started off directly. Close by us was a large pond of 
 water, like a little lake. The kangaroo was between the 
 dogs and the lake. Not knowing how to get past, I 
 suppose, he hopped right into the lake, and the dogs 
 went after him. He hopped further into the lake, where 
 the water got deeper, and then the dogs were obliged to 
 swim, but they were game, and would not leave their 
 work. When the kangaroo found himself getting pretty 
 deep in the water, he stopped, and turned on the dogs; 
 but he could not use his terrible hind claws, so when one 
 of the dogs made a rise at his throat (they always try to 
 get hold of the throat), he took hold of him with his fore- 
 legs, and ducked him under the water. Then the other 
 dog made a spring at him, and the kangaroo ducked him 
 in the same way. 
 
 " Well," said the stock-keeper, " I never saw the like 
 of that before ; this is a new game." 
 
 And all the while the dogs kept springing at the kan- 
 garoo's throat, and the kangaroo kept ducking them un- 
 der the water. But it was plain the dogs were getting 
 exhausted, for they were obliged to swim and be ducked 
 too, while the kangaroo stood with his head and fore-legs 
 from out of the water. 
 
 " This will never do," said the stock-keeper; "he'll 
 drown the dogs soon at this rate." So he took his gun 
 from me, and put a ball in it. 
 
 " Now," said he, " for a good shot ; I must take care 
 not to hit the dogs." 
 
 He put his gun over the branch of a dead tree, and 
 ■^^atching his time, he fired, and hit the kangaroo iu the 
 
M A K E A D I N X E R F H I M . 99 
 
 neck, and down it came in the water. He then called 
 off the dogs, and they swam back to us. 
 
 " He is such a prime one," said he, " it would be a pity 
 to lose his skin ;" so he waded in after him, and dragged 
 him out. " It's a pity," said he, '^to lose so much meat, 
 but his hind-quarters would be a bigger load than I 
 shoidd like to carry home ; but I must have his skin, and 
 I'll tell you what, young fellow, you shall have his tail, 
 though I'm thinking it's rather more than you can carry 
 home." 
 
 This roused me a bit, to think I couldn't carry a kan- 
 garoo's tail; so I determined to take it home, if I dropped, 
 though I must say it was so heavy that I was obliged to 
 rest now and then, and the stock-keeper carried it a good 
 part of the way for me. 
 
 " What shall we do with the meat ?" said I. 
 
 "What shall we do with it!" said he; "are you 
 hungry ?" 
 
 " 1 believe you," said I. 
 
 " Then we'll make a dinner off him," said the stock- 
 keeper. 
 
 With that we got together some dry sticks, and made 
 a fire, and the stock-keeper took the ramrod of his mus- 
 ket, and first he cut a slice of the lean off the loins, 
 which he said was the tenderest part, and put the ramrod 
 through it, and then he cut out a bit of fat, and slid it 
 on after the lean, and so on a bit of fat and a bit of lean, 
 till he had put on lots of slices, and so he roasted them 
 over the fire. He gave me the ramrod to hold, and 
 cutting a long slice of bark out of a gum-tree, made two 
 plates • capital plates, he said, for a bush dinner. I told 
 you we had got some salt and some damper, and I was 
 
100 Nature of the Kanc4Aroo. 
 
 pretty hungry, as you may suppose, and I thought it the 
 most delicious dinner I ever ate. When I had dono, I 
 laid down on the grass, and Hector and Fly came and 
 laid themselves down beside me, and somehow, I don't 
 know how it was, I fell asleep, I was so tired. I slept a 
 good while, for the stock-keeper said it would have been 
 a sin to wake me, I was in such a sweet sleep. I woke 
 up, however, after a good nap, and felt as if I could eat 
 a bit more kangaroo. But it was getting late, and so we 
 made the best of our way home. We passed by the place 
 where we had killed the first kangaroo ; so the stock- 
 keeper brought home the hind-quarters and the three 
 skins, and I brought home a tail; and really I don't know 
 which is best, kangaroo steaks or kangaroo steamer. 
 
 "Or cockatoo-pie," said his mother; " and now to bed. 
 I dare say we shall dream all night of your ' Tale of a 
 Kangaroo.' " * * * * 
 
 Will's account of his sport amused us very much ; and 
 it was a correct description of the way of hunting the 
 animal. I may remark here on the amazing quantity of 
 grass that a kangaroo eats ; it eats nothing else in its 
 wild state, but the quantity found in it has often aston- 
 ished me. When caught very young, and tamed, it will 
 eat all sorts of vegetnbles ; but of all things I ever 
 tried it with, it is fondest of browu sugar; it will follow 
 you about for brown sugar, just as sheep will follow the 
 shepherd to get a lick of a lump of salt. It is a timid, 
 fearful animal ; very pretty in appearance when its head 
 and neck only are visible over the bushes, 'but an ungainly 
 creature in its whole aspect. The feature of its false 
 belly or pouch, into which the young one creeps to sleep 
 or to avoid danger, is peculiar to the females of all tne 
 native animals of this country. 
 
Cjmjitjr liiutlj. 
 
 Takes posstssion of his new house — Delight of independence — Crab 
 puts the plough into the ground — The garden, and sheep-shear- 
 ing — The settler takes stock and makes a discovery. 
 
 Ajivil 1. — Took possession of our new house, ard 
 "worked hard at the doors and window-shutters. Frost 
 at night. 
 
 Ajjril '2. — All hands at the stone chimney. Made a 
 rough job of it, but got on pretty well. The stone is 
 easy to work; it easily breaks into flakes handy for 
 working; as for mortar, we use some sandy loam mixed 
 with clay from the river, and it seems to make cement 
 good enough for our purpose. 
 
 April 3 and 4. — Finished the stone chimney, and 
 lighted a blazing fire, for the nights are cold now ; and 
 with our large table iu the middle of the room, with 
 Betsy's green cloth on it, and seated on our logs of 
 wood, we formed a cheerful party at supper. 
 
 April 5. — Eose early, according to my custom, and 
 surveyed my new dwelling with a particular sort of satis- 
 faction. "No rent to pay for you," said I; "no taxes, 
 that's pleasant ; no poor-rates, that's a comfort ; and no 
 one can give me warning to quit, and that's another 
 comfort; and it's my own, thank God, and that's the 
 greatest comfort of all." I cast my eyes on the plain 
 before me, and saw my flock of sheep stiidding the plain, 
 with my working bullocks at a little distance. My dogs 
 * (101) 
 
102 A New Feeling OF Independence. 
 
 camo "jp and, lii;k,cd, my Lands. Presently my children 
 came^ out m,to the frosk, morning air, which was rather 
 Bracing, a,j the weather >i;as getting colder every day, in 
 the morning and evening, but still warm in the middle 
 of the day, and we had a romp with the dogs. As we 
 sat at breakfast that morning in our rude cottage, with 
 the bare walls of logs of trees, and the shingle roof 
 above us, all rough enough, but spacious, and a little 
 too airy, I began to have a foretaste of that feeling of in- 
 dependence and security of home and substance which 
 I have so many years enjoyed in a higher degree than I 
 then looked for; but I must not anticipate. 
 
 •K- * * - * -;5- ^ ^ 
 
 Finished all the doors and shutters, and put on good 
 fiistenings of bolts and locks which I had brought from 
 England. 
 
 April 6. — Considered in my mind whether it would 
 not be well to turn up some ground to sweeten ready for 
 spring sowing in September. The winter frosts, should 
 there be any, of June, July, and August, would pulve- 
 rize the clods a bit. I can't help smiling while I write 
 this of June, July, and August, being the wiiUer months ; 
 it shows how topsy-turvy things are here. Consulted 
 Crab about it, for he understands farming well. Crab 
 says there must be something wrong about it ; he can- 
 not understand how I can pretend to have a Spring 
 sowing in September ! "It's against reason," he says, 
 "and against nature, and he can't encourage such 
 nonsense." 
 
 Aj)ril 7. — Thought I'd try a bit of land about a 
 quarter of a mile from the house, and that lay handy 
 for fencing — about twelve acres. Stuck the plough into 
 
Improving the Farm. 103 
 
 it this morning, and it turned up rarely. Crab came to 
 laugh at us. I saw he eyed the furrows wistfully, and 
 cast a longing look at the plough. At last he grew very 
 fidgetty, and taking occasion to find fault with the fur- 
 rows for not being straight, he seized hold of the shafts, 
 shoving me aside without much ceremony, saying, 
 '' Heaven be good to us ! do you call that ploughing ? 
 Here, give us hold." His grim visage seemed actually 
 to change and light up when he felt the wood in his 
 hands, and giving the word. Bob smacked on the bul- 
 locks, and Crab, in the exuberance of his joy, began to 
 sing some extraordinary Shropshire song, which made 
 the woods ring again, and the work went on merrily. 
 Frem that hour Crab would allow no one to touch the 
 plough but himself, and he really seemed to enjoy his 
 work with all the relish of an unexpected restoration to 
 an old and loved occupation. 
 
 The ground was quite clear of trees, and without many 
 stones, and in little more than a fortnight the whole was 
 turned up. Then we set to, to cut down the light tim- 
 ber in the vicinity to make a bush fence, which employed 
 us for some time. After that, we worked hard to fence 
 in a bit of ground for a garden. We had to go rather 
 farther from home after some stringy-bark trees best for 
 splitting laths, and contrived to enclose about an acre. 
 Then we had a stock-yard to build, and pens for the 
 sheep, and to fence it with bush fences. Building the 
 stock-yard was hard work, as we had to form it of the 
 solid trunks of trees, about nine inches to a foot in 
 diameter, and from twenty to thirty feet long ; these we 
 had to drag by bullock-chains and four bullocks, from 
 1 spot about a mile and a half from the house : heavy 
 
104 More about my Farm. 
 
 work, and hard labour to set them up. I determined to 
 do everything well, and in such a way as to fall in with 
 my plan of the future farm and buildings. All this 
 work, and the sending of the cart three times to Camp 
 to bring up various articles, occupied the whole of the 
 winter months of June, July, and August. 
 
 I ought to say here, that I found the winter very 
 mild. The snow lay on the ground once for three days, 
 about two inches thick, and there was ice strong enough 
 to bear in one or two places, in a deep hollow about 
 three miles from the cottage, which the rays of the sun 
 did not reach. The mornings and evenings were cold, 
 particularly just before daylight, when the cold was 
 sharpest, but the middle of the day was like a bright 
 October day in England. There is very little rain in the 
 autumn in Van Diemen's Land, that is, from the begin- 
 ning of March to the end of May ; and not much rain 
 during the winter months of June, July and August. 
 The rainy season is for about sis weeks or two months 
 in the spring, that is, in September and October. 
 
 November 1. — My one hundred and eighty ewes, 
 which I bought last March, have produced me two hun- 
 dred and twenty lambs, many having dropped two lambs 
 a-piece. I trust the wool will be improved, as I had 
 taken care to choose the best rams I could find shortly 
 after I bought them. This makes my flock look re- 
 spectable. 
 
 This month I bought six cows heavy with calf, for 
 four pounds each. They are fine cows, but rather wild. 
 Applied for another servant from the government, and 
 had assigned to me a tolerably good one, but he knows 
 nothing of farming. We find now that we have plenty 
 
Summer in Decejniber! 105 
 
 to do. My poor wife v.'orks lianl, for tlie female ser- 
 vants are generally idle, troublesome things. Her 
 mother, however, helps her with the children. * * 
 
 Got the windows of the cottage glazed, and covered 
 the floor all over with boards, and put boards over our 
 heads for a ceiling. The shepherd found some whitish 
 earth, like whiting, about six miles from the cottage. I 
 had long since plastered it inside and out with sand and 
 river clay, and now I gave it a coat of this whitewash 
 outside, which gave it a very smart appearance. For 
 the inside, I mixed with the white earth some of the 
 red ochre which is abundant in many parts of the coun- 
 try : this produced something of a salmon colour, and 
 the plaster being smooth, the ochre gave it the appear- 
 ance of stucco, and it looked very well and seemly. 
 
 We begin to think something of ourselves, and should 
 assume airs of importance, only there is no one near us 
 to show them to. 
 
 Decemhei-. — We are now getting to the end of De- 
 cember, and summer is coming on. The wheat looks 
 well, which Crab attributes to his peculiar method of 
 ploughing, which he has endeavoured to explain to me ; 
 but I .cannot understand it, although I agree with him, 
 of course. He says he shall wait to see how the wheat 
 comes up, and then he shall bid me good-by and go home. 
 
 The garden comes on beautifully. Peas want stick- 
 ing. Cabbages and cauliflowers transplanted last month 
 doing well. The six cows dropped their calves this 
 month. This will make them attached to the place. 
 The l)€(jinning of the farm looks thriving ; may the end 
 not disappoint me ! 
 
(Cjin|itrr (fotlj 
 
 Expenses of settling — Increase of sheep and cattle — Anecdotes of 
 snakes — His position in 1821 — Increase of sheep and cattle in 
 lS2i — Sheep-stealing increases in the Colony — Hears some dis- 
 agreeable accounts of bush-rangers — His prosperous state in Jlay, 
 1824 — His tranquillity is suddenly disturbed by distressing cries 
 of alarm from a neighbouring farm. 
 
 March Isf, 1818. — As I had from the first formed 
 the plan of attending particularly to the breeding of 
 sheep, as the easiest and most profitable occupation that 
 could be pursued in Van Diemen's Land, I did not em- 
 barrass myself by attempting to bring a large quantity 
 of land under cultivation, and I applied myself there- 
 fore to the tillage of my farm no more than was suffi- 
 cient to supply my own consumption. I kept my atten- 
 tion steadil}' fixed on the raising of wool, as a commo- 
 dity, should the value of the carcass fail, of easy con- 
 veyance, compared with corn, and of certain sale as an 
 article of export. 
 
 Decemher 31, 1818 — Divided my sheep into two 
 flocks. Their numbers stand thus : — 
 
 In March last I find the numbers 702. Since then, 
 lambs dropped in October from the 180 old ewes — ewes, 
 118 ; wethers, 100=218 lambs. The 100 young ewes 
 dropped in November 62 ewe lambs and 58 wethers^^- 
 120. 
 
 This makes— old flock . . .702 
 
 Old ewes' lambs . . . .218 
 
 Young ewes' lambs . . . . 120 
 
 1040 
 (106) 
 
I N C R K A S E OF iM Y F L O C K S . 107 
 
 Deducting from this number S4 head consumed on 
 the farm, my two flocks amount to 956. My -working 
 bullocks are the same as before, namely eight. My six 
 cows have produced me six more calves, raising my 
 
 stock of cattle to 18, besides the working bullocks. 
 
 * ^- * * * 
 
 I was a little puzzled to know what to do with my 
 wool, the expense of carting it to town being great. 
 An agent of one of the merchants offered me three- 
 pence per pound to take it away at his own expense, 
 which, after some consideration, I thought it best to 
 accept. - 
 
 I worked hard this year at my fencing, which is one 
 of the most difficult, laborious, and expensive of a new 
 settler's operations ; but if it can be done without en- 
 croaching too much on his funds, it amply repays the 
 labour and outlay ', I mean the fencing in of his corn- 
 fields, paddocks, sheep-yards, and homesteads. 
 
 I have not said much about the snakes to be seen all 
 over the colony. We have killed a great many of them, 
 but we have never been bitten by them. They always 
 avoid you, and are glad to get out of your way. I have 
 -re or two anecdotes to relate of them, which I may as 
 well introduce here. 
 
 I was one day walking with my shepherd, and ob- 
 serving the sheep, when being tired, we sat down on 
 the grass; there was dead wood scattered around. I 
 had only just seated myself, when turning my head I 
 bfbeld a monstrous black snake close behind me ; it was 
 c^arly six feet long, and apparently asleep, at least it 
 was quite motionless. I silently pointed out the reptilo 
 
108 Anecdotes op Snakes. 
 
 to the stock-keeper, and drawing from my pocket the 
 pistol which I usually carried, and which was loaded 
 ■with ball, I approached cautiously within a few inches 
 of the creature's head, intending to blow its brains out. 
 Drawing the trigger, the powder flashed in the pan, but 
 the charge having escaped, either from careless ramming 
 or from having long carried it about in my pocket, the 
 remaining powder in the barrel was only just sufficient 
 to move the ball, which rolled slowly out of the muzzle, 
 and dropping on the snake's head, roused it. I think I 
 never was in such a terrible fright in my life ; I made 
 sure that I should kill the snake on the instant, and 
 there I was on one knee close to it, and without the 
 chance of escaping if it made a dart at me. By some 
 extraordinary good luck, the snake was frightened too; 
 it raised up its head — looked at me for a moment — and 
 then glided away. We were both in such a fright that 
 we had not presence of mind to kill it with sticks, and 
 so it escaped, and right glad were we to escape the 
 danger. 
 
 At another time, I was looking about at a short dis- 
 tance from the cottage, in the autumn, when the rivers get 
 very low, when I observed on the opposite side of a deep 
 pool of water a rustling among the long grass, and pres- 
 ently the head of a snake appeared over the bank, peer- 
 ing with curious eye into the pool below. I judged, 
 from the creature's movements, that it had been accus- 
 tomed to drink out of this pool, and was disappointed 
 to find the water so low as to be out of its reach. It 
 seemed to ponder a good deal on this state of things, 
 turning its head to the right and left, as if to devise 
 Bome means of getting at the water. At last it turned 
 
Another Snake Story. i09 
 
 its head towards the long wirj grass around it, and 
 selecting an appropriate tuft close to the edge of the 
 bank, it twisted the end of its tail round the grass, and 
 so letting itself down and hanging by the extremity of 
 its tail, it was enabled to reach the water. It then 
 drank, frequently raising up its head as a fowl does 
 when it drinks. I was observing the motions of the 
 gentleman all the time with much curiosity, and with 
 my fowling-piece ready to shoot it before it retired ; for 
 the deadliest war is the constant proclamation of the 
 colony against all snakes, and no mercy is ever shown to 
 this most dangerous and insidious enemy. I fired and 
 killed it. It measured nearly five feet and a half in length. 
 I shall tell only one more story of snakes. I was 
 riding on the other side of the colony, about twenty 
 miles from Launceston, when I suddenly came upon a 
 snake crossing the road; it was not a very large one, 
 but I was struck with the remarkable beauty and bril- 
 liancy of its colours. I had my double-barrel fowling- 
 piece slung at my back, as was usual with me, and in 
 my hand I had one of the little straight horsewhips 
 used on horseback. The snake crossed just before me, 
 and I stopped immediately and alighted, with the inten- 
 tion of killing it, urged by that instinct to kill a snake 
 wherever seen, which becomes added, I think, to -our 
 other natui-al instincts, after a residence in the colony. 
 The creature moved away with great rapidity towards 
 some trees at the distance of about a hundred and fifty 
 yards, on a path which I directly saw was a snake-track. 
 I had great difficulty in making my horse follow me in 
 this chase. "When I came up to the reptile, I reached out 
 my arm and gave it a slash on its tail with my horse- 
 
110 A Battle with Him. 
 
 ■whip. This made it stop, and turn its head and hiss, 
 with a threat to dart at me. Then I kept back, and the 
 snake made another start, till I brought it to a stand- 
 still by another cut of my whip. I could see no broken 
 bough near me to smash it with, and I did not like to 
 dirty my fowling-piece by discharging it. 
 
 This running fight lasted for some score of yards, till 
 at last the snake, getting exasperated, turned, and stood 
 at bay. I relate this anecdote principally, because of 
 the attitude which the snake now assumed, which I had 
 often seen in pictures, but never before in nature. The 
 snake coiled itself up into a close coil, so as to form a 
 good foundation, it seemed, for a spring. It reminded 
 me, in this attitude, of the picture of the snake in an 
 old edition of Milton's " Paradise Lost," where the 
 serpent is represented tempting Eve. This resemblance 
 occurred to me while I was fighting it. 
 
 We now had a grand battle. I let go the reign of 
 
 my horse, and fought the snake with my horsewhip, I 
 
 slashing it occasionally round the neck and body, and 
 
 it darting out at me, and hissing furiously, with its 
 
 eyes as bright as diamonds. It was rather rash of me, 
 
 I confess, but I was excited at the time, and did not 
 
 think of the risk that I ran. I could not master it, 
 
 however, with my slight weaJDon, so I retired, when it 
 
 immediately made off again, as much as to say, "Let 
 
 me alone, and I'll let you alone." I followed it till I 
 
 came to some broken boughs, when I easily killed it by 
 
 a blow on the body. 
 
 ^ ^ ^ ^ 
 
 • On looking over my journal, I do not find anything de- 
 eerving of particular mention up to 1821. I ploughed. 
 
The Neighborhood Increases. Ill 
 
 and I sowed, and I reaped in due order, and my flocks 
 and herds increased without much attention on my part, 
 except to keep them together. I attended carefully to 
 the garden. My children had suffered no illness since I 
 had arrived in the colony. In 1821 some new settlers 
 took land in this district, and the place began to assume 
 the appearance of becoming more inhabited, 
 
 A surgeon, a gentleman-like and clever man, settled 
 near us; but there was nothing for him to do except 
 attending to an occasional accident. A blacksmith, at 
 the close of this year, established himself on the banks 
 of the Clyde, and this was a great convenience to us, 
 during this year I planned out a cut from a river, where 
 a natural bend afforded the facility for the purpose of 
 erecting a flour-mill, which was much wanted, as there 
 was no mill nearer than camp, fifty miles off; and we had 
 to cart our wheat down to the town, and return with the 
 flour — a tedious and expensive process. I had to manage 
 with a hand-mill for my own use, but the time consumed 
 in grinding corn in this way was very great, and the 
 labour of it was distasteful to the servants, so that it was 
 frequently out of order. In the course of the following 
 year I erected a small floui' mill, with an undershot 
 wheel, which answered very well, and its cost was soon 
 repaid by its convenience to myself, and by the toll which 
 was paid to me by my neighbours as the inhabitants in- 
 creased. 
 
 In 1821, a careful census was taken of the statistics 
 of the colony, which I find in my journal to stand 
 thus : — 
 
 Number of inhabitants, 7,185; acres in cultivation, 
 14,940; sheep, 170,000; cattle, 35,000; horses, 350. 
 
112 My Wealth Increases. 
 
 During 1822 two magistrates were appointed for ttia 
 district. 
 
 May, 1824. — Matters remained much as usual up to 
 May, 1824. This completes my seventh year in the 
 colony. During these seven years the colony had assumed 
 a very diiferent appearance. Numerous emigrants had 
 arrived, and the country had become more settled. The 
 value of sheep had risen in 1821, and good ewes sold 
 currently for 20s. a head, and if with lambs by their side, 
 from 20s. to 30s. This state of things put the old set- 
 tlers who had attended to their stock in fine spirits, for 
 the influx of settlers kept up the price of stock for some 
 years. I did very well by the sale of mine, and had the 
 good fortune not to neglect taking advantage of the op- 
 portunity. I realized considerable sums by the sales 
 which I made, and my sheep sold well, as the wool was 
 fine enough to command a ready sale at the same time 
 that the carcass was heavy enough to suit the new set- 
 tlers, who wanted sheep as meat for consumption. I find, 
 on referring to my journal, that in May, 1824, my stock 
 stood as follows : — 
 
 Sheep— ewes, 3,650 ; wethers, 290. Total, 3940. 
 
 Cattle— 75. 
 
 Working bullocks — 14. 
 
 This year I bought three horses, two mares heavy with 
 foal for £50 and 60£, and a gelding, for which I gave 
 £65, for my own riding, as my circuits began to be too 
 heavy to be performed on foot. I was in Hobart Town 
 at the close of the autumn of 1821, at which time there 
 was more than one excellent hotel, when, in walking 
 about, I came upon a bit of land, about half an acre 
 (within the town I may say), and covered with rubbish 
 
Sheep-Stealing more Frequent. 113 
 
 and stagnant water here and there, and looking •wTetched 
 and neglected; the run of new buildings had taken a tura 
 in another direction, and this piece of waste had been 
 overlooked. 
 
 Living at a distance, I could not help being struck 
 with the rapidity with which the town was increasing ; 
 a sightly church had been built ; a new court-house in 
 progress of completion ; the government house completed 
 in its improved state ; there was a talk of the establish- 
 ment of a bank ; and the colony was thriving and im- 
 proving rapidly. I took all these things into considera- 
 tion, and was surprised to find this plot of ground ne- 
 glected ; but so it was, and nobody seemed to care for it. 
 Having spare money which I did not at the moment 
 well know how to dispose of, I made inc{uiries about the 
 owner and price, and found that I might have the lot for 
 a hundred pounds. So I bought the bit of waste land ; 
 but other matters distracting my attention from it, I did 
 nothing with it for some years after. What was done 
 with it I shall have to relate in its proper place. 
 
 Sheep-stealing had been rife for the last two or three 
 years, the value of the animal making it a great temp- 
 tation, and the facilities for driving off and concealing 
 sheep being considered, it is not to be wondered at. 
 One or two bush-rangers have also been abroad ; I was 
 on business in town this year (1824), and heard the in- 
 formation of a party who had been attacked by bush- 
 rangers. It made a very disagreeable impression on me, 
 and I felt very uneasy as I listened to it, from thinking 
 that my own family was exposed at that moment to the 
 same disaster. 
 8 
 
114 Bush-Rangers Abroad. 
 
 I could not sleep all niglit after hearing this news of 
 bush-rangers being out. Hitherto we had not been mo- 
 lested at the Clyde, but it occurred to me that the arri- 
 val there of fresh emigrants likely to have money and 
 valuables about them, and new to the country, and 
 thereby more easy to be attacked, might tempt the con- 
 victs to go up there. These thoughts kept possession 
 of me all night, and I could not resist the desire of re- 
 turning home. At dawn of day, therefore, I set out, 
 and my horse being fresh, I had no difficulty in reaching 
 the Clyde before two o'clock the same day. I may re- 
 mark here that the horses in Van Diemen's Land are 
 capable of cndviring great fatigue ; they are small, but 
 strong and hardy; sure-footed, and capable of support- 
 ing their work on the natural grass of the country on 
 their journeys. * * * j -^yas glad to find all safe at 
 home, but I made my wife rather uneasy by my report 
 of the marauding of the bush-rangers at Pitt. Water. 
 
 This information about the sheep-stealing coming upon 
 the news of the bush-rangers at Pitt Water, made me un- 
 comfortable and restless. But the sight of my foraily and 
 
 my home soon restored me to my usual cheerfulness. 
 * * * * * 
 
 Extract from my journal of May, 1824 : — 
 " Kept a sharper look-out after my own flocks. Cer- 
 tainly I have been very lucky hitherto; things have 
 thrived with me most prosperously. I am now in pos- 
 session of a numerous flock of sheep ; of a tolerable herd 
 of cattle ; I have forty -five acres of land under tillage ; 
 the building of my new stone house proceeds favourably; 
 I have a fair portion of land fenced in ; my garden has 
 succeeded admirably ; I have all sorts of English vegeta- 
 
Family Matters. 115 
 
 bles in abundance ; strawberries, raspberries, gooseber- 
 ries, currants, young apple and pear trees, vigorous and 
 growing fast. 
 
 " My family, now increased to six, begin to be com- 
 panions to me; and theii" education, even in this out-of- 
 the-way place, has not been neglected. The place is be- 
 coming settled around me, which although it curtails the 
 run for my sheep and cattle, increases the feeling of se- 
 curity, and aifords some society. 
 
 " My eldest boy, now seventeen years of age, is a valu- 
 able assistant to me, and affords the promise of becoming 
 a healthy, intelligent, and honourable man. My daughter 
 Betsy grows a fine, handsome girl; and my other chil- 
 dren are healthy, happy, and improving. I have the plea- 
 surable feeling of caring little whether my consumption 
 of meat and flour is a little less or a little more. Abund- 
 ance reigns around me. The feeling of anxiety w|^th 
 which I used to be haunted in England, in respect to how 
 my children could be made certain of lodging, food, and 
 clothes, has departed from me. There is plenty for all ; 
 and the dominant desire now is changed to that of be- 
 coming wealthy. To be sure, we still live rather in the 
 rough; but usage has made it familiar to us. We use no 
 fine furniture, wear no fine clothes, and our establishment 
 still bears the impress of a settler's early life. But I am 
 rich (for independence is riches) in sheep and cattle, and 
 house and land. My large room has become furnished 
 with an ample supply of books, and I find recreation and 
 advantage in their perusal. 
 
 ' ' The climate, on experience, we find healthy, though 
 very changeable, and subject to extreme variations of 
 heat and cold. I find, by the register of my thermome- 
 
116 A Great Change. 
 
 ter, that the temperature has varied thirty-two degrees 
 between night and noon ; being below freezing-point in 
 the night, and above sixty-three at twelve and one o'clock. 
 These variations, do not affect the health of any of us ; 
 we/ee? the cold, — that is all. 
 
 " This year we have added fish to our table. We threw 
 a net across a narrow part of the river, about half a mile 
 from the house, and we now obtain a plentiful supply of 
 eels at most times. We catch also a small fish of the na- 
 ture of the gudgeon, but larger, which we call the fresh 
 water smelt. But the rivers in this colony, at least the 
 inland portions of them, are not prolific offish; nor do 
 the large lakes, the sources of several of them, supply 
 much. Scarcely a fish, indeed, is to be found in the lakes 
 of the colony. There is plenty of wild fowl at the lakes ; 
 1 have seen flocks literally of thousands of wild ducks on 
 one of them." 
 
 But to return to my Journal. 
 
 Thus, in May, 1824, all things prospered with me. 
 But now the uniform life which I had led for some years, 
 experienced a great change. Just before the winter, that 
 is, toward the end of May, 1824, we were sitting round 
 our cheerful fire, and the servant had with difficulty 
 borne in a huge log to replenish it; it was about nine 
 o'clock, and quite dark, when the barking of the dogs 
 announced the arrival of a stranger; he was on horseback, 
 as we could hear from the sound of the horse's hoofs on 
 the hard ground. He was quickly shown into the house, 
 and according to the custom of the colony, food and 
 drink were placed before him ere he was troubled with 
 any questions. But he was eager to communicate tho 
 tidings with which he was charged. 
 
Startling Outcries. 117 
 
 Information had been received by tlie government of 
 the escape of a body of convicts from Macquarie Har- 
 bour, who were spreading consternation over the district 
 of Pitt Water, -vrhere they had plundered and ill-vised 
 many settlers, and where they had been joined by fur- 
 ther bands of convict servants. Our guest was in haste 
 to communicate the intelligence to the resident magis- 
 trates, as it was thought likely that the band of bush- 
 rangers would turn their steps to this district, as being 
 unprotected, and abounding to the west in places of 
 concealment. 
 
 We were still in earnest conversation on this alarming 
 news, and I was hastily revolving in my mind the best 
 means of guarding against an attack, when loud cries, 
 seemingly for help, from the opposite side of the river, 
 on which a new settler had lately fixed himself, caused 
 us suddenly to break up our party. I lost no time in 
 preparing our arms, which from habit were always kept 
 in a state of efficiency, and calling in two of my men on 
 whom I could entirely depend, I entrusted them with a 
 musket a-piece, and made such preparations for our 
 own defence as the circumstanees afforded. 
 
 Crab, who had now become part of the family, under- 
 took to defend the house ; and after a hasty consulta- 
 tion, we agreed that it would not be kind or manly to 
 abandon our neighbours in their distress and difficulty. 
 I was perplexed to contrive how to render them the re- 
 quisite assistance, and to leave a sufficient defence at 
 home, when a fresh and violent barking of the dogs 
 caused us a further alarm. The night was quite dark, 
 but the stars shone brightly. The dogs barked furi- 
 ously, and it was plain to us, who were acquainted with 
 
118 Go toKender Help. 
 
 the language of their warnings, that they were excited by 
 the approach of some unusual object, and of more than 
 a single individual. 
 
 Seeing the necessity of prompt and decisive action, I 
 advanced from the door of the cottage, being protected 
 in the rear by one of the men. A voice amidst the tu- 
 mult called out to me to call off the dogs, who were fu- 
 rious. I thought I recognised the voice of the speaker, 
 and it proved to be a neighbour who had settled about 
 four miles off. He had been going his rounds to look 
 after his sheep, marauders being abroad, when, approach- 
 ing within half a mile of my cottage, his attention had 
 been attracted by the cries which had alarmed us. Ho 
 was well armed, and accompanied by two friends, also 
 well armed. 
 
 Cheered by this reinfoi'cement, I lost no time in ac- 
 quainting them with the news of the escape of the con- 
 victs from Macquarie Harbour, aud of my fears that our 
 new neighbour was in the hands of the bush-rangers. 
 They at once agreed to lend him their help ; and as I 
 was well acquainted with the point where the river could 
 be best crossed, and my home being now secure from 
 any sudden attack, we advanced without delay to the 
 scene of danger. But as this forms one of the epochs 
 of my life, I must reserve the account of the adventures 
 and disasters, which now came thick upon me, to an- 
 other chapter. 
 
iDlinjitur (E'lrnnitlj. 
 
 Hastens with a party of friends to his neighbour's assistance — The 
 dangerous passage of the river on the trunk of a tree — The lifelei^s 
 body of a young girl strangely discovered — The plundered dwell- 
 ing, and the desolate mother. 
 
 The family which we were hastening to help had not 
 arrived on their land more than three weeks, and con- 
 sisted of a Mr. Moss, his wife, a daughter about seven- 
 teen, and two young boys of seven and six years of age. 
 They had been well off at one time, but a succession of 
 misfortunes had reduced their means to an income too 
 small for a bare subsistence in England, but amply suf- 
 ficient for a prosperous establishment in Van Diemen's 
 Land. Mrs. Moss had been highly educated, and her 
 daughter was possessed of more than the usual accom- 
 plishments of her age, and of their former station. The 
 arrival of this young lady at our settlement seemed, as 
 a young friend of mine expressed himself, *' like the 
 springing up of a beautiful flower in the wilderness." 
 We all felt a strong interest in these new settlers, and 
 we were ready to risk much to seiTO them. 
 
 While my friends put themselves in fighting order, I 
 buckled my old cavalry broad-sword round me so as not 
 to interfere with my movements, for having served in the 
 yeomanry in Surrey, I had ever after a liking for the 
 weapon, to which I felt I could trust in case of close 
 conflict ; and with ray double-barrel fowling-piece slung 
 
 (119) 
 
120 Dangerous Passage of the Kiver. 
 
 over my back, aud my large horse-pistols in the pockets 
 of my shooting-jacket, I led the way across the river. 
 My companions followed cautiously and silently in In- 
 dian file. It was quite dark, with the exception of such 
 glimmering light as the brilliancy of the stars afforded. 
 
 It was my plan to cross the river by the trunk of a 
 tree, which had fallen over from the opposite bank, and 
 formed a natural bridge, a rough one, and not easily to 
 be passed by day; and in the dark, the passage over it 
 was rather a dangerous experiment. There was a dead 
 silence around, which seemed more terrible than the 
 cries by which we had recently been alarmed, and filled 
 US with ominous fears for the fate of our neighbours. 
 
 We Cj[uickly reached the crossing-place, and in a low 
 whisper I warned my companions of the dangerous 
 points of the bridge. My young neighbour, Beresford, 
 was particularly anxious on this occasion. I did not 
 remark it at the time, as we were all active and excited j 
 but subsequent events made me remember it. The river 
 at this spot is narrow, and flows with the rapidity of a 
 mountain torrent. I observed in the gloom that Beres- 
 ford's two companions hesitated at the sight of this dif- 
 ficulty. 
 
 " I wish we had light for this work," said one ; " I 
 can see the foam of the water, and I think I can see 
 something which I suppose is the tree lying across it ; 
 but it's an awkward job this." 
 
 " Speak low," said I; "you don't know what ears may 
 be listening to you." 
 
 " Speak low ! — why, the roaring of this water is 
 mough to drown all the noise that we shall make on 
 ■his side. The river seems to be angry to-night. I 
 
I Lead the "Way. 121 
 
 uops you are sure of your tree-bridge. I .should not 
 like to find myself in that boiling gulf below ; if I did, 
 I'm inclined to think no one else would find me." 
 
 '•' It's an ugly sight," said the first speaker ; "but if 
 Thornley is sure of the passage, I'll venture it; and 
 don't let us lose any time, for if we are to do any good, 
 we must be quick about it." 
 
 "Well, we are in for it; we can't go back; who leads 
 the way ?" 
 
 "I'll lead -the way," said Beresford; "I'm the 
 youngest of the party ; now, follow me." 
 
 " No," said I, " that's my business ; I know the pas- 
 sage best. ..." 
 
 "Perhaps not better than I do," .said Beresford; 
 "come on." 
 
 "How can that be?" said I; "you have not occa- 
 sion to cross the river so often as I have." 
 
 Beresford said something which the noise of the waters 
 prevented me from hearing. I led the way, and began 
 to crawl over on my hands and knees. 
 
 I must confess that it was not without a momentary 
 tremor that I beheld the white foam of the torrent dash- 
 in »• furiously past beneath me. A single false movement 
 was death ; and the disagreeable feeling came over me, 
 that if an enemy should have had the foresight to guard 
 this pointj I and my companions, in our defenceless posi- 
 tion were exposed to sure destruction. 
 
 With these thoughts agitating me, and the darkness of 
 the night, the incessant rushing of the water, and the 
 danger of our expedition, all tending to inspire doubt 
 and fear, it is impossible to describe my sensations, when, 
 utretching forward my arm fo feel the way before me, my 
 
122 A Thrill of Horror. 
 
 Land encountered what seemed to be a human head of 
 hair. I was clinging to the trunk of the tree, in a po- 
 sition disabling me from the use of my weapons, nor in- 
 deed did the necessity of holding fast allow me to have 
 more than one hand momentarily disengaged in my 
 creeping posture. All sorts of fears were instantly con 
 jured up in my horror and bewilderment. 
 
 My first thought was that the bush-rangers, suspect- 
 ing our intention, were lying in ambush, and every in- 
 stant I expected to receive a volley from the opposite 
 bank. Then visions of the natives arose, and I actually 
 crouched up, the better to defend myself against the 
 shower of spears which I knew would be the beginning 
 of their attack. My companions behind me, embar- 
 rassed by my stoppage, and not knowing the cause, urged 
 me to proceed, as the swift running of the white waters 
 beneath their eyes was beginning to produce giddiness. 
 For nearly a minute I was totally at a loss what to do. 
 At last the mist with which the sudden alarm had enve- 
 loped my brain began to disperse ; I reasoned with my- 
 self rapidly and decisively. 
 
 I knew that to go back over our perilous bridge was, 
 in the dark, and encumbered as we were with our arms, 
 impossible. Go on we must. As I formed this resolu- 
 tion, it suddenly occurred to me that the form before me 
 must be in the same embarrassment as to advancing or 
 retreating as myself; and that at any rate the chances 
 were equal in the event of a struggle for mastery. Em- 
 boldened by this thought, I stretched out my hand 
 again, and met with the same object. It seemed cer- 
 tainly a human head ! It was motionless, and had re- 
 mained, as well as I could judge, in the precise position 
 
A Lifeless Female Form. 123 
 
 in wliicb my hand lighted on it before. But the second 
 time, the hair struck me as being softer, and the sensa- 
 tion flashed across me that it was not a man's hair that 
 I was feeling. My wonder increased b}' this new dis- 
 covery, and my fears yielding to my excitement, I ex- 
 tended my arm, and traced the long ringlets of a woman ! 
 My alarm was now changed to wonderment and horror. 
 Laying my hand on her fiice, I found it deadly cold ; her 
 arms were encircled round the trunk of the tree, but 
 they hung lifeless, and I at once guessed that the female, 
 whoever she might be, in attempting to cross the river 
 by this dangerous place, rendered more dangerous and 
 frightful by the darkness, had been terrified by the roar 
 of the raging waters, and had faiuted. 
 
 What to do in this unexpected dilemma, I was at a 
 loss to imagine. My companions began to be alarmed, 
 and the infection of superstitious fear was beginning to 
 unnerve chem. In these perplexing and dangerous cir- 
 cumstances, I felt the necessity of coming to some prompt 
 decision. The female before me had evidently either 
 fainted, or perhaps overcome by fear and exhausting ex- 
 citement, was dead ! But her lifeless body formed an 
 obstacle to our further progress, and I considered that, 
 at that very moment, while I was deliberating, the work 
 of death might be going on among our neighbours whom 
 we were endeavouring to succour, and that our assistance 
 was prevented by an impediment to whom all help per- 
 haps now was vain. 
 
 With this feeling — that four lives were at stake on the 
 trunk of the tree, trusting to my guidance, and that other 
 lives were jeopardized by the delay of our assistance, the 
 exquisitely painful thought came over me, that stern ne- 
 
124 Danger Makes me Calm, 
 
 cessity justified the sacrifice of the one for the many, and 
 that we must risk the dislodging of the body of the -wo- 
 man for the purpose of completing our passage across the 
 river. The form lay motionless, and on the balance on 
 the slippery trunk of the tree ; the slightest motion was 
 suflUcient to overturn it into the boiliug and roaring gulf 
 below! 3Iy companions urged me to proceed. I ex- 
 plained to them in a few words the cause of my stoppage ; 
 but they still continued to press me to go forward, their 
 fear of the present peril overcoming their apprehension 
 of the remoter hazard, should the bush-rangers be in 
 ambush on the other side, and waiting for us to rise up 
 to get the surer aim ; they vehemently and angrily com- 
 plained that they could no longer keep their hold, and 
 that they could neither recede nor advance. 
 
 Impelled by the imminency of the danger, my senses 
 benumbed by the cold, and my mind confused by the un- 
 ceasing roaring and foaniing of the furious waters, my 
 presence of mind almost forsook me. I stretched out my 
 hand again : the form was still motionless — but I traced 
 the outline of the small and delicate features of that cold 
 face, and quick as lightning the thought of my own 
 daughter flashed across me. That thought restored my 
 wandering senses. I became instantly calm and col- 
 lected : and with a sort of desperate energy I raised my- 
 self to a sitting posture across the tree, and propelling 
 myself with my hands towards the object before me, I 
 took firm hold of her long tresses to prevent the bodj 
 from slipping from its dangerous resting-place. All con- 
 tinued to be still around, except the noise of the river. 
 I now I'aised my voice to overtop the roaring of the wa- 
 ters, and turning my head towards my wondering can.- 
 
Beresford Saves Her! 125 
 
 panions, I communicated to them my intention to pre- 
 serve the body, dead or alive. 
 
 " It is the form/' said I, " of a young girl." 
 
 " A young girl !" exclaimed Beresford. "Then " 
 
 " In the name of Heaven," said the man behind him, 
 "do not stay talking. Man or woman, young or old, 
 we must pass now to the other side. Necessity has no 
 law. jMove on quickly, for I shall not be able to hold 
 on half a minute longer." 
 
 "Yes," cried out the hindermost, "move on — move 
 on — I dare not attempt to move backwards. As it is, 
 the cold has so benumbed me, and I am so giddy with 
 the roaring of these waters under me, that every moment 
 I expect to slip off. Move on, I say ; this is no time 
 for fine feelings ; our own lives are at stake. We are 
 lying here to be murdered, if there are really bush- 
 rangers abroad — and this afiair looks like it. Move on, 
 
 I say, or by I shall be tempted to make a way for 
 
 myself." 
 
 • " Stop," said Beresford; " stop — for God's sake, stop. 
 I have a horrible presentiment of who this poor girl must 
 be. We must make an effort to save her. Let me try 
 to pass you (speaking to me) ; or stay — I think I see a 
 branch below that the water is rushing against; I will 
 make the attempt to save her if I perish." 
 
 With that my young friend, passing his fowling-piece 
 to me to hold for him, threw himself by a bold and ac- 
 tive movement under the tree; and clinging by the 
 broken boughs, by a succession of desperate struggles 
 succeeded in gaining a position on the other side of the 
 female, where the thick part of the trunk afforded a surer 
 footing. He then gradually drew the motionless form 
 
126 We Approach the Hut. 
 
 towards him, and taking it in Lis arms, bore it to a small 
 distance from the river, and laid it on the grass, glisten- 
 ing with the Tvhite frost. In the meantime we had all 
 succeeded in crossing the bridge safely; and the men 
 finding themselves on firm ground, soon recovered their 
 presence of mind and courage, and were ready for action. 
 There was no time to be lost. The spot which we had 
 to reach was less than a quarter of a mile distant, and 
 we were all eager to move forward. But what was to be 
 done with the lifeless female ? Young Beresford had 
 been endeavouring to restore warmth by chafing the 
 hands of the inanimate body, but without success. It 
 seemed as dangerous to leave it on the cold ground, 
 should life be not quite extinct, as to bear it with us. 
 But decision was necessary; and yielding to the en- 
 treaties of Beresford, whose interest in the inanimate 
 form seemed overpowering, we hastily agreed that he 
 should bear the body with us, while I advanced before, 
 being best accjuaintcd with the locality, his two friends 
 following close after me. In this order we approached 
 the spot where our new neighbour had raised his homely 
 dwelling. 
 
 As I neared the place, my foot lighted on a soft sub- 
 stance, which induced me to stoop down to examine it. 
 It was a dead kangaroo dog. I felt it, and found that 
 its brains had been dashed out by some heavy instru- 
 ment. This occurrence foreboded danger, and we pro- 
 ceeded rapidly and silentl}^ but with increased caution. 
 The outline of the hut now loomed through the dark ; 
 all was silent. We were perplexed how to proceed ; we 
 could see no enemy, and feared some plot to entrap us. 
 We continued our advance, however, to the door of the 
 
An Appalling Sight. 127 
 
 hut in a line, young Beresford bearing the body in the 
 rear. I held his fowling-piece in my hand, with my 
 own slung behind me. We reached the door ; it was 
 fastened, but we thought we could distinguish stifled 
 breathing within. We knocked ; no answer. We were 
 impressed with the conviction that tne enemy, whoever 
 it might be, was there. 
 
 I directed Beresford, in a whisper, to take the body 
 to the side pf the hut, that it might be out of the line 
 of fire from the windows and door. Then, with one dash 
 of my foot, I burst the door from its hinges, and we 
 three rushed in. A scream, so deep, so piercing, so 
 full of mortal fear and agony, that it even now thrills 
 through me as I recall it, arrested our steps. But I 
 guessed on the instant the real state of the case. On 
 the hearth the embers were still red. Snatching a 
 handful of thatch from the roof, I made a blaze. That 
 light revealed to me the form of a woman, crouched in 
 a comer, bound, with two young children beside her. 
 The transient blaze of the lighted grass ceased, and we 
 were again in darkness. 
 
 " Oh, God !" cried the woman, " are you come again ? 
 I have never spoken — not one word — indeed I have not 
 — and the children have scarcely breathed — but if you 
 are determined " 
 
 <' We are friends," said I, " come to assist you; we 
 heard yoiu* cries " 
 
 "Oh, why did you not come sooner ? — my husband 
 — my child — my daughter, where is she ? — she ran out 
 to get help — is she drowned ? — what have they done 
 with her ? — my God ! my God ! shall I ever recover 
 the horrors of this dreadful night?" 
 
128 Endeavour to 11 est ore Life. 
 
 While she spoke these words, Tvhich pierced our very 
 Bouls, and filled us with the most fearful forebodings, 
 one of my neighbour's friends had again lighted up 
 some thatch on the hearth, which threw a glare around, 
 and enabled us to see about us ; fortunately, a candle 
 which had been extinguished was found close at hand ; 
 this afforded us a dim and dismal light. 
 
 Beresford, who heard the scream, had caught the 
 words of the mother, and while I stationed one of our 
 party at the door of the hut, and another at the back, 
 he hastily brought in the body of the apparently lifeless 
 girl. The mother, whom I had unbound, did not speak; 
 she gazed on the body of her child in speechless agony. 
 
 " She is dead ;" at last she muttered — " she is dead ! — 
 they have killed her ! — better so, perhaps, than worse ! 
 What may have happened ? Am I awake, or is it a 
 di-eam ? Oh, no — it is all real — cold and dead — cold and 
 dead !" 
 
 A passionate burst of tears followed these words, ut- 
 tered in all the calmness of despair, and the children, 
 now recovering from their stupor, mingled their cries 
 with the bursting sobs of the mother." 
 
 But my young friend was not inactive during this pain- 
 ful scene. With wonderful coolness and presence of mind, 
 he took all the steps that were likely to restore conscious- 
 ness, if life remained ; and the energies of the mother 
 beginning to revive, she presently added her assistance 
 He had placed the body of the poor girl on a rough 
 wooden couch, with her feet close to the fire, which was 
 now blazing up briskly. The mother rubbed her feet, 
 and my friend chafed her hands ; but life seemed to have 
 departed. The mother said nothing, but worked on 
 
Friends Join Us. 129 
 
 silcutly, the two children looking on in ti-embling expec- 
 tation. I stood by, racking my brain to remember all 
 the mean.s that I had read or heard of to restore sus- 
 pended animation. There "was no apparent injury, her 
 mother assured us, to cause death, and our hopes revived 
 even at the faint prospect of restoration which this intel- 
 ligence afforded us. All that I have related, since we 
 began to cross the river, took place in less than twenty 
 minutes, so that the possibility of life being not yet quite 
 extinct still remained ; but the hope became everj- mo- 
 ment less and less. 
 
 While we were thus employed and thus agitated with 
 our various fears — the mother for her child, the young 
 man for the beautiful girl before us — and I, as a parent, 
 entering into the bitter sorrows of their weeping mother, 
 we heard loud shouts proceeding from the direction of 
 the place where we had recently crossed the river, and 
 presently, at a rapid pace, a party of friends joined us. 
 
 The news of " bush-rangers abroad" had quickly 
 spread from neigbbour to neighbour, and the present 
 party having assembled, they learnt at my house our ex- 
 pedition and its object, and immediately started to sup- 
 port us. They had crossed at a point of the river higher 
 up, but affording an easier and a safer passage. Fortu- 
 nately the gentlemen who had settled among us as a sur- 
 geon was among the party, and his attention was imme- 
 diately directed to the apparently lifeless form of the 
 beautiful young girl. 
 
 It was a moment of most painful expectation. He felt 
 her pulse long and anxiously. I saw his countenance 
 change. He held before her lips a small pocket looking 
 glass, which he first, with professional coolness, carefully 
 wiped. He iuspected it once — twice ! 
 
130 Efforts to Restore Life. 
 
 "Place lier," said he, "ou her side." 
 
 It vras done. 
 
 Again he applied the glass to her lips. It was untar- 
 nished. 
 
 " Throw more wood on the fire," said the surgeon. 
 " Light wood — quick — make it blaze up." 
 
 He applied the glass again. 
 
 Gradually his countenance changed from the expres- 
 sion of hopelessness which had saddened it, and suddenly 
 it lighted up as the brightness of the glass became ob- 
 scui-ed. We were breathless. 
 
 " Hush !" said he. " Be calm," addressing her mother. 
 " All will depend on your coolness and presence of mind. 
 If you can command your feelings, I may do much. She 
 is not dead !" 
 
 Here an hysteric sob seemed to choke the mother, 
 but she stifled itj and, with hands clenched, and cheeks 
 streaming with silent floods of tears, she sunk on her 
 knees, with her eyes dimly gazing at him who seemed to 
 be her guardian angel. 
 
 " She is not dead 1" repeated the sui-geon, in a low 
 tone. " Life — I think — I am sure — still remains ; but 
 the slightest shock would instantly destroy it. Beware 
 of exciting her by questions or by disastrous news, 
 should I succeed in restoring her to consciousness. 
 Nothing but silence and soothing will save her from 
 death or insanity. Has any one some brandy with 
 him ?" 
 
 Fortunately one of the party — the most drunken fel- 
 low in the settlement — had a travelling flask of rum, 
 which, indeed, he was never without. It was quickly 
 produced; and, after its owner had taken a sip of it. 
 
He is Successful. 18 1 
 
 ''to see." as he said, "that it was the right stuff/' he 
 handed it to the surgeon. I am inclined to think that 
 that fiask of rum saved the young lady's life, but it cost 
 its propi'ietor his own sooner than in the ordinary course 
 of thipgs, for from that moment he was never without his 
 flask, always emptied, and ever refilled, " in case," as 
 he used to say, " any other unfortunate person might 
 chance to want some of it; and so, on the sti'ength of 
 the life that he boasted it had saved, he hastened the 
 end of his own. 
 
 " And now, gentlemen," said the surgeon, " be pleased 
 to retire from the hut, and leave me alone with this 
 lady. There seems to be more work for you to do before 
 this family can be set to rights." 
 
 We silently obeyed. I was the last who quitted the 
 room ; and as I was going out at the door, the poor 
 mother laid her hand convulsively on my arm, and with 
 a sort of desperate calmness whispered, " 5Iy husband — 
 have they murdered him ?" 
 
 " Surely not," I said; " hope for the best — you see 
 we are strong enough to take active measures for his 
 safety. Depend on us that we will neglect nothing to 
 find him, and to restore him to you." 
 
 " I am sure you will. See, the surgeon is trying to 
 pour some spirit down my poor child's throat. Now 
 leave us." 
 
 All this time Beresford had not spoken a word. I 
 found him, as I passed, stationed close to the door. 
 There was a light outside the Jiut now, as some of the 
 party had kindled a fire in front of it, which threw its 
 ■ glare around for a considerable distance. All our party 
 now assembled together; and it was agreed that we 
 
132 I AM MADE Leader. 
 
 should keep watch round the place during the uight, 
 and that at daybreak we should go in search of our 
 neighbour. We made a diligent examination of the 
 parts about, as we conjectured that the bush-rangers 
 might have bound and gagged him, and left him at a 
 distance from the hut ; but we could find no traces of 
 him or of them. With one accord I was chosen the 
 leader of the present expedition, as being the oldest 
 settler, and the one best acquainted with the bush. I 
 had mustered my party with the view of allotting to 
 them their different stations, when a cry from the hut 
 arrested our attention, and young Beresford came run- 
 ning to us, and crying out, — 
 
 " She is saved ! She is saved ! She is alive ! She is 
 breathing 1 And now," said he, " for her father; that's 
 the next thing to attend to. It's the first inquiry she 
 will make when she recovers her senses, and if she should 
 suspect the worst, the consequences in her present state 
 I am sure would be instantly fatal." 
 
 "That is our object," said I; "we must find the 
 poor fellow. And now let us make our arrangements. 
 There are twelve of us ; I dare say we are strong enough 
 to cope with the other party ; for we have the right on 
 our side, and that is a tower of strength. I propose 
 that at break of day we should remove this family to 
 my cottage. In the mean time it is necessary that we 
 should prepare ourselves for bushing it, for some days 
 perhaps. Let four men go to my cottage, and procure 
 ail the necessaries that we shall want, and don't forget 
 the kangaroo rugs, for the nights are cold, and we shall 
 need them." 
 
 " Don't forget some brandy," said one. 
 
Prepare to Pursue tue Rangers. 131? 
 
 ''Nor the tea and sugar," said another; 'Mhere's 
 nothing like a cup of tea in the bush ; it's more refresh- 
 ing than all the spirits in the world." 
 
 "Bring plenty of pannikins," said a third; ''one 
 apiece will not be in the way." 
 
 "Take care to bring plenty of rice," said I; "it lies 
 in a small compass, and is more handy for the bush than 
 flour; but tell them at home to make as many small 
 dampers as we can carry; and bring away all the baked 
 bread in the house. My men will help you to carry the 
 things." 
 
 " How are your powder-horns ?" said young Beres- 
 ford. 
 
 "Plenty of powder, but little shot." 
 " Ask for the bag of slugs and the little bag of balls, 
 that hang by my bed's head," said I ; " and bring a dozen 
 or two of spare flints with you, and anything else that 
 you think will be useful." 
 
 " Would it not be well," said one, "to give notice to 
 the magistrates?" 
 
 "Right," said I, "who will volunteer to go over the 
 plain this dai-k night, and tell the one farthest ofi"?" 
 
 " That will I do," said a spirited young fellow ; " I 
 know every inch of the way ; if I meet with anj'thing, I 
 will fii'e off my piece." 
 
 " You can tell one of my servants to apprise the other 
 magistrate of this night's work, as his house is in a line 
 from my cottage. If he is at home, he will be with us 
 by daylight, you may depend on it ; for he is young, and 
 has no wife nor child, and he likes these expeditions. It 
 may be useful, too, to have a magistrate among us to 
 sanction our proceedings, so ask him to come with us, and 
 
134 My Dogs Follow Me. 
 
 say that we should be obliged to him if he would be our 
 leader ; and you may as well say that no one could do it 
 so well as himself. There's nothing like being civil, and 
 we all like to be flattered a bit. Who knows what it is 
 o'clock ?" 
 
 " Not eleven yet." 
 
 " Then we have the whole night before us." 
 
 " And so have the bush-rangers ; they may get well 
 away before morning." 
 
 '.'No," said another; " it is impossible to travel fast 
 on a night so dark as this. Let us have daylight before 
 us, and get well on their tracks, and they can't escape 
 us." 
 
 " Shall we try the dogs after them ?" 
 
 " No ; the kangaroo dogs are of no use as bloodhounds; 
 they will track those they are used to for any distance, 
 but they don't understand being set to track strangers. 
 But we must take some dogs with us, for we shall want 
 to pull more than one kangaroo for our dinners before 
 we have done, I'm thinking." 
 
 " Here is one to begin with," said I, " as I felt a cold 
 nose thrust into my hand. Hector and Fly are growing 
 old now, but here's one of thei;- breed, and here's an- 
 other. They have found me out you see. Now let some 
 one get two more, so that the four may not all belong 
 to one party, in case of being separated. Shall we take 
 any horses? I have three in the stable amd four more in 
 the bush that are sure to come for their corn in the morn- 
 ing. Perhaps they're in the open stable now, for they 
 often come up and get under shelter when the nights 
 are wet or cold." 
 
 It was agreed that four- of the party should be 
 
The Kest op that Night. i35 
 
 mounted, to act as scouts ; but as it was likely that the 
 marauders would choose the most inaccessible paths, 
 where a horseman would be taken at great disadvantage, 
 it was thought best that the rest of the party should be 
 on foot. 
 
 '■'■ Take another horse, as a pack-horse," said one, '' to 
 carry our provisions, and let one of your men lead 
 him." 
 
 " A bright thought !" said I, '■'■ and now I think we 
 shall be well prepared for the bush ; and so I recommend 
 all to sleep as much as they can till daylight, that we may 
 be the fresher for the work." 
 
 "Oh, never mind sleep; we are too much excited to 
 sleep to-night ; but let us have some supper." 
 
 " Will you come to my cottage, or stay here ?" 
 
 " Oh, stay here ; we will not leave the poor woman 
 to-night; no, we'll sup here, and make a bush night of 
 it to begin with ; but it's terribly cold. There," said 
 the speaker, throwing a heavy log on the fire, which 
 made the sparks fly up like a fire-work ; " there's some 
 food for you; and there's another, and another. By 
 George, we'll have a jolly fire, and make a merry night 
 of it. I say, how's the young woman ?" 
 
 Beresford required no further hint than these words ; 
 looking at me, I gave him a nod, and he disappeared in 
 an instant. He tapped gently at the door of the hut, 
 and returning to us immediately, whispered to me — 
 
 " She lives ! she has not spoken ; but she sleeps." 
 
 "Good," said T, "and now do you sleep too; we 
 shall want all your strength to-morrow." 
 
 He smiled, and shook his head — " I will never sleep," 
 said he, " till I have found her father." 
 
186 The Mother's Story. 
 
 '' I do not doubt," said I, " that you will spare no ex- 
 ertion to recover him ; aud now let us try to get some 
 information about this sad afiair. Is the mother cool 
 enough to tell us her story ? It would be a help to us 
 to know something of the character and numbers of the 
 party who attacked the hut. We should not lose any 
 time by it, as it would be useless to start in pursuit of 
 the bush-rangers till daylight. See if the poor lady can 
 leave her daughter for a while ; the surgeon can sit by 
 her while the mother is away ; and we ought to know 
 all the particulars as well as she can tell them." 
 
 Bcrcsford went to the hut, and presently returned 
 with Mrs. Moss, from whom we were happy to learn 
 that her daughter still breathed and slept. We placed 
 the afflicted lady on a log of wood before our bush-fire, 
 and our sentinels being planted in suitable places, to 
 guard against surprise, she described the attack in the 
 following terms. 
 
(0I;n|itrr Cmrlftji. 
 
 The attack of the bush-rangers — The mysterious fate of the losi 
 husband — It is resolved to pursue the bush-rangers — Preparations 
 for the expedition — The magistrate heads the party — Horrible 
 discovery. 
 
 I HARDLY know where to begin : I have very little to 
 tell. It all seems now to have passed in a moment. 
 We were sitting round the fii'e, I and my husband, and 
 my poor Lucy, and the two children. Since we came 
 up here, my husband always used to keep his gun in his 
 hand, or else close by him, ready for use, for our greatest 
 horror was these bush-rangers, and I don't know really 
 whether I was most frightened to see him always carry- 
 ing that eternal gun about with him, or to see him with- 
 out it; though it would have been but little protec- 
 tion against so many ! Perhaps it's all for the best.- If 
 he had fired, and killed one of them, it might have ex- 
 asperated them, and they might have done worse. Well, 
 we were assembled round the fire, as I said, and my 
 husband was particularly cheerful; he was sitting in the 
 corner close to the window, with his gun leaning against 
 the wall close to his hand, when he got up to close the 
 shutter on the other side, as the wind was chilly. 
 
 It seems that we had been watched all the evening, 
 and I suspect one of our men (we have only one man 
 besides the shepherd) was a spy on us, for my husband 
 
 (137) 
 
138 Attack op the Bush-rangers. 
 
 had left tlie corner where his gun was, only for a mo- 
 ment, when a man in a kangaroo jacket rnshed into 
 the room, and got between my husband and his weapon, 
 which he seized hold of, and pointing his own gun at 
 my husband, commanded him to throw up his hands 
 over his head, or he would fire. 
 
 "We were all in a cluster together, and my husband 
 fearing, I dare say, that we might be wounded or killed, 
 held up his arms. On this the bush-ranger threw his 
 gun over his arm ; but my husband in an instant rushed 
 at him, and clasped him round the body. In the strug- 
 gle, the bush-ranger's gun went off. But in the mean- 
 time more bush-ranger's had come; two of them imme- 
 diately seized my husband from behind, and the first 
 struck him over the head with the end of his gun, which 
 I think stunned him for a time. They then bound him 
 tightly hand to foot, and at the same time two of them 
 held me and bound me also, and another man took hold 
 of the children. Looking round, I missed Lucy, and 
 guessed that she had escaped from the back window of 
 her little bedroom. God help her! I hardly know 
 whether to wish she may be restored to life and con- 
 sciousness or not. But God's will be done ! 
 
 Well, gentlemen, when they had bound my husband, 
 they asked him where he had put his money ; for being 
 new settlers, we had been so imprudent as to bring nearly 
 a thousand dollars with us, besides a little plate, and our 
 watches, and other articles of value, of which no doubt 
 the bush-rangers had information. My poor husband 
 was scarcely recovered from the stunning blow of the 
 bush-ranger's gun, but he declared that we had no money ; 
 that we were poor settlers, and had nothing with us but 
 a few necessaries, such as flour and tea and sugar. 
 
My Husband's Life Tiire.^ tened 189 
 
 The man who had first pointed his gun at him, now 
 placed it close to his head, and swore most horribly that 
 if he did not instantly tell him where the money was hid, 
 he would blow out his brains. This man seemed to be 
 the leader. 
 
 " Money," said he, " we will have; we know you have 
 got it, so tell us where it is, or" — and here he swore a 
 dreadful oath — " you shall have the contents of this bar- 
 rel through your brains." 
 
 I was held by two men, who had tied a handker- 
 chief over my mouth, and it was in vain that I struggled 
 to get loose. The bush-ranger put his finger on the lock 
 of his gun, and I heard a click ; I knew well what the 
 click meant. In another instant I expected to behold 
 my poor husband's head shattered to pieces. With a 
 desperate strength, which nothing but despair could have 
 lent to me, I loosened one arm, and tearing the handker- 
 chief from my mouth, I exclaimed, " Oh! tell them, tell 
 them I For Grod's sake tell them ! — life is better than 
 money ..." 
 
 "Oh — ho !" said the leader, ''so there is money, after 
 all. Then I think Til find a way to get it. Here," he 
 said to one of the men, '^ put your musket close to this 
 gentleman's head ; that's right — now cock it — now put 
 your finger on the trigger, and if he oflfers to cry out — 
 fire ! And now for the lady. Just put the handker- 
 chief over her mouth again, and this time take care she 
 doesn't get it off again ; a woman can't hold her tongue, 
 though her husband's brains may be blown out from her 
 talking. In the meantime, ma'am," said he, with a sort 
 of mock politeness, " I'll trouble you to walk into the 
 inner room, I should not like to shock a lady's nerves. 
 
140 They Find the Money. 
 
 nor a gentleman's neither, with what is usual in these 
 cases." 
 
 " I will not move/' said I, horrified at his words. " I 
 will not move ; I will not leave my husband and my 
 children. Kill me, if you will, but here I will stay." 
 
 "By no means," said the mocking bush-ranger; "we 
 never wish to kill anybody if we can help it, that's not 
 our game; but if you will not walk, you must be carried." 
 
 The two men who held me then lifted me up in an 
 instant, and carried me into the bedroom, where they 
 threw me on the bed. 
 
 " Now," said the leader, " is the lady put comfortably 
 to bed ?" 
 
 "Ay, ay," said the man who held me down; "we've 
 got her tight enough." 
 
 " You see," he said to my husband, for I could hear 
 him speak plainly, as the two rooms are separated only 
 by the log partition, "you see how things are; you had 
 better tell at once, before we proceed to further extremi- 
 ties." 
 
 Extreme terror and faintness had kept me silent till 
 this moment, but now fear for my husband and my chil- 
 dren, as well as the horror of my own condition, over- 
 came all other feelings, and I cried out, " I'll tell ! I'll 
 tell ! Don't fii-e ! Take up the stone before the hearth — 
 the money is there." 
 
 The leader immediately desired some one outside to 
 bring a strong stake to lift up the stone, telling him to 
 be quick, for they had no time to lose, as they had far to 
 travel before morning. Then I heard them remove the 
 Bione, and the dollars chinked as the man pulled out the 
 bag and threw it on the floor. The sight of the 
 
Discover My Daughter's Escape. 141 
 
 heavy bag and the sound of the money, I fancy, put 
 the party in good humour, for the men who held me 
 relaxed their hold, and one left, telling the other not to 
 lose sight of me. 
 
 Presently I heard the leader say — 
 
 " Where's the young girl V 
 
 No one seemed to know. 
 
 "By ," said he, the young hussy has escaped, and 
 
 she will give the alarm. Be quick, my men, quick — 
 quick ; leave nothing behind that you can carry away — 
 blankets, sheets, clothes — everything. We shall want 
 them when we get to the lake. It's a pity, though, that 
 the girl has escaped. She will set her father free, and 
 that may be awkward for us. Stay ; we'll take him with 
 uy, and then he can't give any information about us." 
 
 " To shoot him is the shortest way," said one. 
 
 " Hang him," said another. " Chuck him into the 
 river, and there he'll be snug till somebody finds him." 
 
 "Don't stand talking about it," said a third; "shoot- 
 ing him would give the alarm, and throwing him into the 
 river is unnecessary trouble. Just lend me a bit of cord, 
 or a silk handkerchief, and I'll warrant he'll be quiet 
 enough after." 
 
 I conjectured he was about to strangle my helpless 
 husband, for I heard the leader say — 
 
 " Stop ! — no murder, if we can help it. We can do 
 that with him at any time, if his living is likely to harm 
 us. For the present we will take him with us. Loose 
 his legs and bind his arms behind his back. And now 
 let us be off. But first let us make the lady safe." 
 
 I was taken accordingly into the sitting-room ; and then 
 they bound me fast, and left me as you found me. My 
 
142 The Bush-Rangers Leave. 
 
 husband had been silent all this time, with the object, no 
 doubt, which he carried into effect when he was removed 
 outside the hut. When he found himself on the outside, 
 where his voice could be heard, he immediately set up a 
 loud shout for help, that made the woods ring; he was 
 answered by screams near the river, which proceeded, I 
 do not doubt, from Lucy. My husband's cries were in- 
 stantly silenced. 
 
 " Gag him I" cried out a voice. 
 
 " Let us knock that young vixen on the head before 
 we go," said another voice; "she will rouse the neigh- 
 bourhood, and our plan will be defeated." 
 
 "It's too late," said the leader; "the alarm is given 
 already. It would do us no good to put the girl out of 
 the way now; we should only lose time; we must be 
 quick, and place a good distance between us, before we 
 can be pursued. We shall gain a march, for we cannot 
 be tracked till daylight ; but we can travel all night, and 
 so get well ahead." 
 
 With that they left me, threatening me and my chil- 
 dren with instant death if I uttered the least sound of 
 alarm. I think I must have fainted ; for I remember 
 nothing more, till I was a'roused by the door of the but 
 being burst open, which the bush-rangers, I suppose, be- 
 fore they left, had fastened on the outside. 
 
 " How many in number," said I, "do you think they 
 were ?" 
 
 " I cannot tell ; I think there must hare been eight 
 or ten at one time in the hut ; at the same time I heard 
 the voices of some outside. All those whom I saw were 
 armed with a gun of some sort. They were very wild- 
 
Plan next day's Expedition. 143 
 
 looking; the leader had on a kangaroo-skin jacket, and 
 he did not look very ferocious, but he was very deter- 
 mined." 
 
 '' It was your husband's and your daughter's cries," 
 said I, " that we heard on the other side of the river, 
 and it is plain, from your story, that your daughter 
 endeavoured to cross the river for help, but was terrified 
 by the roar of the waters and the diiEculty of the pas- 
 sage, and that, overcome with exhaustion, she fell into 
 the fit on the trunk of the tree in which we found her. 
 Let that fortunate escape," added I, '' inspire you with 
 a hope that we may be successful in finding your hus- 
 band uninjured." 
 
 The lady then returned to her daughter ; and our 
 companions, who had gone on their several missions, 
 having returned, we passed the remainder of the night 
 by the fire, planning our nest day's expedition, and 
 giving and receiving mutual information on the best 
 course to be pursued, and the likeliest track of the bush- 
 rangers. 
 
 The day had just begun to break, when we were 
 cheered by the appearance of the young magistrate on 
 horseback, with a servant and two friends also mounted, 
 and two constables on foot. They were all well armed ; 
 and when he had communicated to us the intelligence 
 which he had received in the night of the numbers and 
 desperation of the bush-rangers, we were not a little 
 glad to be joined by such an efiicient reinforcement. 
 The magistrate immediately took on himself the con- 
 duct of the expedition ; and his activity and determina- 
 tion were so well known, that all the party were happy 
 to place themselves under his direction. 
 
144 We Discover their Track. 
 
 The plundered family having been first removed with 
 the greatest care to my house, the poor young lady 
 showing no other sign of life than a low breathing, we 
 lost no time in putting ourselves in order. The magis- 
 trate divided our body into two parties, entrusting the 
 command of one party to me, and the other to young 
 Beresford. As the four horses brought by our last 
 reinforcement were sufficient for the purposes of scouts, 
 the remainder of the party proceeded on foot, so that 
 each of our parties, Beresford and mine, consisted of 
 seven, including ourselves. With these preliminary 
 dispositions we set about searching for the track of the 
 bush-rangers, extending ourselves in a line, the better to 
 cover the ground. The track was soon found, as the 
 large body of the bush-rangers, laden with their booty, 
 could not conceal the marks of their passage. 
 
 " Stick to the track," said our leader to the constable 
 who acted as guide, "and let nothing distract you from 
 it. Gentlemen," said he, addressing us, "1 shall leave 
 on the track all those on foot, who I trust will be ready 
 for action. I and one of my friends will gallop on for 
 some distance towards the tall tree on the high hili 
 yonder, and try the chance of coming up with the 
 rascals. Two of the horsemen will scour the country 
 on your flanks. We are only eighteen in number, and 
 the bush-rangers are reported to have more than thirty 
 among them. But we are in a better state of efliciency 
 than they can be. Take care not to throw away your 
 fire. Now, we will go and clear the way for you." 
 Saying this, he galloped off in the direction to which 
 the track of the bush-rangers seemed to lead us. 
 
 We continued our course warily but rapidly for about 
 
Start in Pursuit. 145 
 
 ten miles, when we found the magistrate and his three 
 companions waiting for us at the spot where two tracks 
 were distinctly visible. We had scarcely exchanged a 
 few words, when the horseman to our left galloped into 
 view, and made silent hut expressive signs for us to 
 come to him. He motioned us to be cautious, and to 
 look about us. I beckoned to the horseman on our right 
 to join us, and, leaving him as a sentinel to mark the 
 point of the track from which we had been called off, 
 we moved quickly to our left, and soon reached the spot 
 to which the horseman had called. Here our eyes were 
 suddenly arrested by a spectacle which caused us all in- 
 stinctively to throw forward our arms, and gaze anx- 
 iously around us. The sight chilled our very blood, and 
 was sufficient to strike the boldest among us with son- 
 sternation and horror. 
 10 
 
ClmiitBr Cljirtmitli. 
 
 The ruins of the burnt Stock-keeper's hut — The murderer Musquito 
 and the Natives — The sagacity of the Kangaroo dogs — Native's 
 tomb — The Natives begin an attaclc — Skirmish with the Bush- 
 rangers. 
 
 Amidst the ruins of a stock-keeper's hut, recently 
 burned down, we beheld a form which we recognized as 
 human only from the outline of the body. One arm 
 was totally consumed; the other was shrivelled up. 
 The body was literally roasted and charred, li was in 
 vain, after we had recovered the first emotions which the 
 horrid sight created, that we endeavoured to trace the 
 features of the disfigured head ; it was a shapeless mass 
 of calcined bone. The clothes, which might have served 
 to identify it, were, of course, utterly consumed. 
 
 It must not be supposed that in making this examina- 
 tion we were neglectful of our own safety. Our active 
 magistrate immediately despatched the two unemployed 
 horsemen, to make circuits of discovery round the place, 
 and while he, with one of the constables, made a close 
 investigation of the ruins, the remainder of our little 
 party stood in order with our arms prepared in readiness 
 to meet any attack. Our first impression was, that the 
 hut had been visited by the bush-rangers, who either in 
 malice or revenge, had set fire to the hut, and burned to 
 death the unfortunate occupant. But the truth was pre- 
 (146) 
 
A Sickening Sight. 147 
 
 seudy made manifest by one of the horsemen, who 
 hailed us from a little distance, to join him. 
 
 We proceeded towards the spot where he was standing, 
 and we presently came on two dead bodies, evidently 
 stock-keepers from their clothes and appearance. They 
 were quite dead and cold. Their wounds at once in- 
 formed us that they had been killed by the natives. 
 On laying bare their clothes, we found their bodies 
 pierced with innumerable small holes caused by the long, 
 thin spears used by the natives in their encounters. 
 Their heads were battered to a jelly-like mass, from the 
 frequent blows of the waddies, a small and light club of 
 hard wood, which forms the weapon of the natives of 
 Australia, in close combat. 
 
 The sickening sight of these two bodies, coupled with 
 the horrid form amidst the ruins of the hut, told plainly 
 what had happened. The stock-keepers had been at- 
 tacked by the natives, who had, no doubt, intercepted 
 the two unfortunate men before us, and had killed them 
 after a hard fight, as the number of their wounds testi- 
 fied. The third stock-keeper, it seemed, had been able 
 to gain the hut, in which, perhaps, he had defended 
 himself for some time against the natives ; and the black 
 people had set fii-e to the thatch of native grass, and so 
 consumed it and him. We searched again, and more 
 narrowly amongst the charcoal ruins, and found the 
 barrel of a musket partially melted by the fii-e, with the 
 lock nearly whole, and the piece of brass belonging to 
 the butt of the piece. This was confirmation of our 
 surmise. The stock-keeper in the hut had very likely 
 wounded or killed one or more of the natives, and they, 
 rendered more savage by their wounds, had burnt him 
 alive 1 
 
148 MUSQUITO AND THE NATIVES. 
 
 At this time a native of Australia, by name Musquito, 
 a tall and powerful man, had been committing many atro- 
 cities in Van Diemen's Land. He had been sent from 
 Sydney some years before for an offence, I think it was 
 murder, that he had committed, by Governor Macquarie, 
 a proceeding complained of at the time, but gradually 
 forgotten, as Musquito, until within the last year or so, 
 had conducted himself well, and had proved himself 
 useful on several occasions, by tracking runaway con- 
 victs, and lost or stolen sheep. It was known that he 
 was at the head of a mob of natives, consisting of about 
 thirty ; but we had no idea that he was in this part of 
 the island ; however, this looked very like some of his 
 work, and we were not a little troubled at the prospect 
 of having to contend against the treacherous natives as 
 well as with the fierce and desperate bush-rangers. This 
 was an addition to our difficulties and our danger on 
 which we had not calculated, and the magistrate called 
 a council of war to deliberate on the best mode of pro- 
 ceeding. 
 
 We took advantage of the opportunity of this halt to 
 refi'esh ourselves, as we anticipated hard work. On the 
 hearth of the demolished hut we found a tripod, such as 
 was in common use then, and now too for boiling things 
 in, holding three or four gallons. One of the constables 
 cleaned it out to make tea in. There were many of the 
 shrubs known by the name of the tea-tree gi-owing near, 
 and as we wished to husband our stock, we made tea of 
 some of the leaves, which make a very good substitute 
 for the China tea. The leaf resembles the leaf of the 
 privet, which is common in the hedges in some parts of 
 England. In the meanwhile some of our party buried 
 
Sagacity of the Kangaroo Dogs 149 
 
 the two dead stock-keepers, after having first examined 
 their clothes narrowly, to see if we could find any paper 
 or marks by which they could be identified. On one 
 we found a tin tobacco-bos, which was given in charge 
 to one of the constables, and on the other was his pass, 
 from which we ascertained his name, and also that he 
 had recently arrived from Hobart Town. 
 
 All this time we took care to guard against surprise, 
 for we did not know who might be watching us, but we 
 felt no fear from an open attack of any body of natives 
 that could be collected against us ; but if by chance 
 Musquito and his mob of natives should join with the 
 bush-rangers, we felt that such a body of sixty or more 
 persons, with the bush-rangers well armed and despe- 
 rate, might be more than we could cope with. These 
 considerations troubled us all not a little, and we made 
 haste to despatch our meal, keeping a strict lookout the 
 while. 
 
 Our banquet was not a very merry one, I must say ; 
 we all had very long faces, with some slight misgivings 
 of the prudence of our expedition; not that there was 
 any want of courage among us, or of the spirit of enter- 
 prize ; we were bold and cool enough ; but some of us 
 had left wives and families behind, and we felt that we 
 were fighting against odds ; that we were risking our 
 own lives, which were precious, against the lives of 
 rascals which were worthless. 
 
 These thoughts, with the burial of the dead and dis- 
 figured men, and the sight of the other man burnt into 
 charcoal, cast a gloom over us which was painful and 
 dispiriting. Our kangaroo dogs went smelling about 
 with their tails down, and crouching with that expres- 
 
150 Hector Scents the Natives. 
 
 sion of fear which these hounds display when they ar< 
 in the \dcinity of an unusual object, and especially whei? 
 they see or smell a native. One of them poked about 
 the ruins, and startled us with a howl so dismal that it 
 almost chilled us with a sort of superstitious fear. 
 
 " Young Hector is uneasy," said one. 
 
 " He knows there's something wrong," said another; 
 " and he can't make out what that charcoal body means. 
 I don't think he has much spirit in him just now to pull 
 a kangaroo." 
 
 Hector, however, suddenly belied this surmise, for, 
 ascending the little eminence above the ruins, he assumed 
 an attitude of lively and fixed attention. His head be- 
 came erect, his eyes keenly piercing into the bush, and 
 his body ready for a spring. 
 
 " Silence," said I; " Hector has got scent of something; 
 I know his ways well. . See, he looks at me, to intimate 
 that there is something in the wind. Go see," said I; 
 " see, Hector, good dog, what is it ?" 
 
 The intelligent animal immediately set off into the 
 bush stealthily, and without barking or growling. He 
 was soon out of sight. 
 
 " It's only a kangaroo," said one of the constables. 
 
 ''It's more than a kangaroo," said I; "Hector is 
 almost equal to his old sire, who could do everything 
 but speak, and indeed I think he could have talked, if 
 he only knew how to begin ; but I understand his signs 
 well. Depend upon it, there's a reason for what he 
 does." 
 
 As I spoke these words, we observed the dog canter- 
 ing back to us at a swift pace. He came straight up to 
 me, and whined with peculiar signs of fear. 
 
He Leads Us to the Attack. 151 
 
 " He has seen a native," said I; " that I'll swear. I 
 can't mistake him. We had better be prepared, though 
 I can't think they would have the temerity to attack 
 us." 
 
 " Let us go and face the danger/' said our young 
 leader ; " it is better to put an end to it one way or the 
 other : as to retreating, that is out of the C{uestion." 
 
 " Oh," said we all, — "■ no retreat, no retreat !" 
 
 '/ Then put yourselves in order, gentlemen, and let us 
 move on." 
 
 "Let us follow the dog," said I, "and go warily 
 about it; these natives hide behind the trees, and you 
 can hear nothing of them till you find a spear stickinof 
 in you. Keep the other dogs back, and let me and 
 Hector go first. Now, Hector, good dog ; where is it ?" 
 
 Hector licked my hand, as if to say, " take care of 
 yourself," and trotted on before. I kept immediately 
 behind, taking care not to over-run him, and the rest of 
 our party followed quickly after us, on the alert, and 
 with their arms ready. Hector continued at his trotting 
 pace for about two hundred and fifty yards, when he 
 stopped, and assumed the attitude of a dog pointing at 
 game. I tried to pierce into the bush with my eyes, 
 but I could discover nothing. I looked back, and saw 
 my party behind, all ready for action. 
 
 " Go see !" I said to the dog. 
 
 The dog hung down his tail, sniffed, whined, and 
 standing up, pawed me with his fore-legs. 
 
 I patted him. 
 
 " What is it. Hector ?" 
 
 But some terror hung over the hound, and he was re- 
 luctant to move forward ; but he looked towards a parti- 
 
152 A Dead Native Discovered. 
 
 cular part of the busli, and uttered the low whine expres- 
 sive of unusual fear." 
 
 The magistrate now, leaving the others behind, joined 
 me. 
 
 "What is the matter with the dog?" said he. 
 
 " I can't tell," said I ; "but there is some reason for all 
 this; I'm sure there are natives about by his manner; 
 if they were bush-rangers he would bark or growl." 
 
 "We must put an end to this suspense," said the ma- 
 gistrate ; " observe him now, he is looking intensely at 
 some object not far off. Stand here, and hold my horse, 
 and I will go on the line the dog points to." 
 
 He immediately advanced on foot, having first observed 
 the bearing of an object behind me, in order that he 
 might keep in a line straight to the point to which the 
 dog's eye was directed. In the meantime the party be- 
 hind came up to where I stood, and we all held ourselves 
 ready for an alarm. The magistrate had not advanced 
 far before he stopped, and looking cautiously around him, 
 holding his fowling-piece in a position to fire, and with- 
 out turning his head, beckoned with his arm for us to 
 advance. 
 
 We came up to him, and he silently pointed to a hollow 
 and blackened trunk of a tree, the branches of which 
 were still standing, and covered with the late autumn 
 leaf. Within the trunk we saw standing up a native, 
 with his face turned towards us. The blackness of his 
 colour assimilating with the charcoal of the burned tree 
 prevented the body from being distinguished from the 
 blackened trunk, until we got close to it, but the acute- 
 ness of the hound's organs had enabled him to detect this 
 object at a considerable distance. The sight of this na- 
 
A Native's Tomb. 153 
 
 tive lurking within the body of the tree instantly filled 
 us with the fear that there were more close at hand, and 
 we expected every moment to receive a volley of spears 
 from the hidden enemy; but none appeared, and all was 
 silence; the dogs, however, showed symptoms of unea- 
 siness, which made us look about us. 
 
 "Shall I fire?" said one of the constables; "it's a 
 sure shot." 
 
 " Stop," said the magistrate ; " let us try to take him 
 alive ; we have got him safe ; he can't get through tlie 
 back of the tree, and we hem him in at the front. But 
 it's odd that he doesn't move." 
 
 We were about thirty yards from the tree, but as the 
 native was within the trunk, we could not discern in the 
 obscurity more than his dusky body ; the trees were very 
 thick all round, forming a dense mass of trunks as close 
 as they could grow. It was a favourable place for the 
 natives to fight in, and they are so active, and so clever 
 in hiding themselves, that you may be in the midst of 
 hundreds in such a place without being able to catch a 
 sight of one of them. 
 
 "I'll put an end to this," said the magistrate; "be 
 ready, my friends, and don't let him escape." 
 
 Saying this, he ran towards him with his fowling-piece 
 pointed towards the tree. 
 
 " Why, he's dead ! and we have come upon a native's 
 grave ; I have heard of them, but never saw one before. 
 This is one of the black fellows that the stock-keeper shot, 
 no doubt, before he was burnt to death in the hut." 
 
 On examining the body, we found the mark of the 
 musket-ball that had gone through his heart and passed 
 out at his back. He was most likely close to the hut 
 
154 Natives Begin the Attack. 
 
 wlicu he was shot, and must have been killed instantane- 
 ously. 
 
 We were clustering round the tree, gazing at this sight, 
 and a little off our guard, when a whirr was heard among 
 us, and a long thin spear passing through the group of 
 heads without wounding any one, stuck in the bark of 
 the tree. We were quickly roused by this compliment, 
 and we turned about, looking round on all sides; but we 
 could see nothing. Presently we heard the tramp of a 
 horse's feet, and a crashing through the bushes, and the 
 horseman whom we had left as a sentinel came into view. 
 A spear was sticking in his back, and two pieces of bro- 
 ken spears were sticking in the sides of the horse, which 
 seemed maddened with fright and pain. It was with diffi- 
 culty that the rider could direct his horse towards us, the 
 animal being almost unmanageable. 
 
 " Look out !" he cried ; " the natives are on us — I have 
 not seen them; but they have marked me and my horse. 
 Depend upon it they arc joined by the bush-i'angers, or 
 they would not think of attacking an armed man on horse- 
 back. Musquito is with them you may be sure, and he 
 has taught them that the danger is over when a fire-arm 
 is discharged ; I dropped mine when this spear struck me. 
 It came on me unawares; and, in catching at the bridle 
 when the horse started, I dropped my piece. I am not 
 much hurt; but this spear makes me smart a bit." 
 
 "Oh never mind a spear wound," said our young 
 magistrate; " we have got a surgeon among us, so we are 
 all right." 
 
 While these words were passing, we had secured the 
 horse, and our friend dismounted. The spear had pene- 
 trated the flesh under his right arm, and the point was 
 
Being Speared no Joke. 155 
 
 sticking out of the wound three or four inches on the 
 other side. It was a small spear, about ten feet long. 
 The end had been sharpened and hardened in the fire, by 
 scorching it, according to the custom of the natives, and 
 it formed an ugly weapon to be lodged in a gentleman's 
 person. The two constables quickly drew out the pieces 
 of broken spear from the horse's side ; they found more 
 than a dozen spear-holes in the horse's body, which bled 
 freely, but none of them seemed to be deep, except two. 
 All this passed in less than half a minute ; and we were 
 all the time looking out for an attack, but could not 
 guess from which quarter it would come. "We stood in 
 this way for several minutes, straining our eyes to dis- 
 cover our enemies, but in vain. Suddenly our young 
 leader, who was sitting on horseback, cried out — 
 
 '' Holloa, they're at me !" 
 
 We turned and looked. A spear had gone through his 
 hat sideways, and knocked it off; but we could see no 
 one. 
 
 " That was a good shot," said one of us. " Perhaps 
 the next may be better — look out !" 
 
 A shower of spears fell among us from the same quar- 
 ter, hitting one of the constables, and wounding another. 
 As the distance, however, was great, they did little more 
 than penetrate the skin, and a laugh was raised at the 
 expense of the sufferers. The parties speared, however, 
 did not appear to enjoy the joke at all. 
 
 "It's of no use," said one of them, ''to stand here to 
 serve as targets for these black rascals ; let us make a rush 
 into the bush, and come to close quarters." 
 
 "They will not let you," said our leader; "you have 
 no chance against them that way ; but we must do some- 
 
156 Bush-rangers Join the Natives. 
 
 thing. We must try to drive them through this belt of 
 wood, and get them into the plain beyond, where we 
 shall be able to see what we are about. But we must be 
 very cool, and very cautious. Take three of your party," 
 said he to me, '^to the left; and do you, Beresford, take 
 three of yours to the right, so as to slant the black ras- 
 cals, and drive them from the trees. Take care to keep 
 us in sight, and don't advance too far. The rest must 
 advance steadily straight on ; I and the two on horseback 
 will be ready to give assistance to either party." 
 
 We lost no time in effecting this movement, and pro- 
 ceeded at a brisk pace through the wood. Beresford's 
 party had the first shot : — the natives moved round to the 
 other side of the trees; then we had a shot at them; and 
 in front was our main body. They could not stand this 
 long ; they did throw some spears at us, but they fell 
 harmless. They scampered off, in number about thirty 
 or forty, as near as we could guess, and we after them, 
 till they came to the edge of the bank bounding the 
 wood, over which they disappeared. 
 
 We were hastening after them, when suddenly thirty 
 or forty armed men started up from beneath the bank, 
 and fired a volley on us, which brought us to a stand- 
 still. We were all in a line, separated, but not far from 
 each other, the chase after the natives having caused us 
 to break our ranks. I looked down our line when the 
 volley was fired, and it was with the most painful con- 
 cern that I saw my young friend Beresford drop to the 
 ground. 
 
 It was clear that the natives had formed a junction 
 with the bush-rangers, and our little party now stood in 
 their presence, with fearful odds against us, and with 
 
Fairly in for it. 157 
 
 threg of us disabled. Thus fairly brought into action, 
 we had nothing to trust to but our courage and disci- 
 pline, and the moral superiority which the right has 
 over the wrong. The bush-rangers, after their first 
 volley, had disappeared under the bank. Our leader 
 instantly called out, " Reserve your fire — close together 
 ■ — now follow me." 
 
The Bush-rangers retreat — The Magistrate's party pursue — A 
 Bivouac — Tracks of the Bush-rangers — Crossing of the big river 
 — The pursuit grows warm. 
 
 We immediately turned to the right to a point about 
 fifty yards off, where there was a clump of trees which 
 projected from the main mass of the forest. By this 
 manoeuvre we turned the position of the bush-rangers, 
 which at first was in their favour, to our own advantage, 
 as it enabled us to take them along their line, so that 
 they stood in one another's way ; and while they were 
 unprotected in the open plain, we were sheltered by the 
 trunks of the trees. 
 
 As I followed with my division of the party, I passed 
 poor Beresford, whom I had seen fall at the first volley 
 of the bush-rangers. Raising him up, we bore him to 
 the shelter of the wood. Our present position enabled 
 us now to see the movements of the bush-rangers. It 
 was not their game to fight, only to disable and embar- 
 rass the pursuit; we were not surprised, therefore, 
 though I must confess I felt considerably relieved, to 
 behold the bush-rangers in rapid retreat stealing under 
 the bank. 
 
 Perhaps it would have been prudent in us, seeing 
 
 their numbers and determination, and assisted by a 
 
 harassing body of natives, to have let them alone, and 
 
 to have suffered them to retire without molestation. 
 
 (158) 
 
The Bush-rangers Retreat. 159 
 
 But our blood vras up, and as I have often observed on 
 other occasions, there seems to be a fighting instinct iu 
 human nature, so that two men, or two bodies of men, 
 when they have got opposite each other with the in- 
 tent of fighting, do not like to separate without exchang- 
 ing blows. 
 
 These thoughts occurred afterwards, for I was as hot 
 as any of us at the time, and as eager to continue the 
 pursuit. The sight, too, of our neighbour fired us. We 
 saw him amidst his plunderers, with his hands tied be- 
 fore him, and goaded on by two or three of them.- We 
 were all going helter-skelter after them, when we were 
 stopped by the voice of our young leader, who was the 
 coolest among us. 
 
 "Stop, gentlemen," said he; "we must not go too 
 fast. Remember that our lives are precious, and it is 
 my duty not to allow you to expose yourselves unneces- 
 sarily. I am afraid these rascals are too strong for us. 
 You may observe that the natives seem to be confident in 
 their numbers. We are only eighteen in number, and 
 our enemies are at least sixty or seventy. I make no 
 doubt that a party of soldiers which the Government has 
 directed to the Clyde, will follow our steps, and they can 
 easily track us to where we are. My advice to you is to 
 wait here till that help reaches us ; then we shall be a 
 match for them." 
 
 'No waiting," cried out one bold young fellow; "let 
 us go at them while we are in the humoui- for it. Those 
 rascals will never fight when it comes to the scratch ; 
 let us make a rush at them, and put an end to it." 
 
 " If you will allow me to give my advice," said I, 
 "1 am of the same opinion as our magistrate. We 
 
160 We Use Stratagem. 
 
 ought to endeavour to take these fellows alive ; it would 
 be a dear victory if we were to buy it at the expense of 
 many of our own lives." 
 
 " Oh ! let us fight it out now/' cried several; " why, 
 these bush-rangers will be joined by more convicts, de- 
 pend on it, as they go on. Let us crush them at once, 
 before they get to a strength too much for us to put 
 down." 
 
 " Well/' said the magistrate, " if you are determined 
 to go on with this job, I will not disappoint you; but 
 we must use a little stratagem in our proceedings. It is 
 now four o'clock; in a few hours it will be dark, when, 
 you know, the natives will not stir, for they are afraid 
 of the evil spirit which they believe wanders about in 
 the night-time. I propose, then, that we should remain 
 where we are for two hours, so as to make the bush- 
 rangers think, if they watch us, that we have given up 
 the pursuit. Then we must track them to their resting- 
 place for the night, and so surprise them asleep or off 
 their guard, for our object is to secure them alive, and 
 to rescue our friend from their hands, with as little risk 
 as possible to ourselves. Are you agreed ?" 
 
 " Agreed," said we all. 
 
 " Then now let us lose no time in attending to young 
 Beresford." 
 
 We were all glad to find, on examination, that Beres- 
 ford had only been stunned by a ball which had grazed 
 his head ; there was not much bleeding from the wound, 
 hut as the blood had flowed down his face, which was 
 j^ale as death, it gave him a ghastly appearance. In less 
 than half an hour he was sufficiently recovered to sit up, 
 but he complained of headache, and weakness of tho 
 limbs. 
 
PEPARE FOR THE StrUOGLE. 161 
 
 " Do you think you could keep up 'with us ?" said our 
 leader. 
 
 ''I'll try," said he, "and at any rate you shall not be 
 stopped on my account. I would rather stay behind." 
 
 " And be speared by the natives," said I, ''which you 
 certainly would be. No — no ; if we go on, you must go 
 with us, if we have to carry you, for our party is too 
 weak to be divided." 
 
 " And now, gentlemen, pray make the best use of 
 your time. Rest yourselves ; and while you have the 
 opportunity, put your arms in order, and I recommend 
 you to put new flints in your -hammers. It is half the 
 battle to have your weapons in good order. "We shall 
 have the advantage of the bush-rangers there, for their 
 muskets must be rusty, and out of order." 
 
 We set ourselves about the work accordingly, and put 
 our arms in good condition, keeping a good lookout the 
 while, but we were not molested. At the end of two 
 hours, one of the horsemen was despatched on the track 
 of the enemy, and after him another to keep the first in 
 view, and to "communicate with the main body. The 
 third wounded horse we feared would be of little use, 
 so he was turned loose in the bush, and his saddle and 
 bridle stowed away in the fork of a tree, and covered 
 over with bark to keep it dry. His rider's wound was 
 a little stiffish, but he said he should be all right if it 
 came to a brush, and he got warmed to the work. 
 
 Our party was divided as before. I had the direction 
 of six men, and Beresford of six more. The dismounted 
 horseman made Beresford's party amount to seven. Our . 
 leader, who was well mounted, made excursions of 
 observation on either side. 
 11 
 
162 A Disagreeable Night. 
 
 Ie this order wc proceeded on the track of the busli- 
 rangers till tlie dusk of tlie evening, when we made 
 another halt. Planting sentinels around, whom we 
 relieved at stated times, we remained in this position till 
 midnight. We then resumed our march in Indian file, 
 calculating that we should reach the resting-place of the 
 hush-rangers at three or four o'clock in the morning, at 
 which time the slumher of sleepers is most profound. 
 
 But we found that we had overrated our powers of 
 tracking ; we had not proceeded half a mile before we 
 were brought to a stand-still ; we had lost the track, 
 and in the obscurity of the night we found it impossible 
 to recover it. Wc remained, therefore, where we were, 
 afraid to light a fire, lest we should reveal our position. 
 We made cautious excursions to the right and left, 
 in the hope of discovering our enemies from the light 
 of their fire ; but we could see nothing, and the night 
 passed away in one of the most disagreeable bivouacs I 
 ever witnessed. We contrived the best supper that we 
 could in the dark, and those who could got some sleep. 
 
 At the first dawn of light we were up and stirring, 
 but it was a good half-hour before we could recover the 
 lost track. The morning was hazy and raw, and we all 
 felt that it was anything but a pleasurable expedition that 
 we were engaged in. I have often admired how much 
 difiesrence a good night's rest and a good supper make 
 on the capabilities of a man ; it is in vain that enthu- 
 siasm lends its aid to support us in arduous under- 
 takings ; man, after all, depends much on his physical 
 condition, and the old proverb of an English soldier 
 being in the best fighting condition after a good dinner, 
 I have had frequent opportunities to test the truth of. 
 
We Resume the Chase. 163 
 
 On we went with very long faces, and very blue noses, 
 for about three miles, when we came to a brook about 
 twenty feet wide, and not very deep, to the border of 
 which our track led. The walk, or rather the trot, had 
 warmed us up a bit, and, without any hesitation, we all 
 dashed into it. It was nearly up to our middle, and the 
 stream ran very strong, but we crossed it merrily. Pro- 
 ceeding onwards, the track led us to the summit of 
 a green hill, at which point it appeared the bush- 
 ranfrers had taken a sudden resolution, for the track 
 now proceeded at a right angle from the old one, and, 
 after following it for a couple of miles, we found our- 
 selves on the bank of the Shannon River. 
 
 Here we were a little at fault, for the stream was too 
 deep and too rapid to be forded, and we were not suffi- 
 ciently ingenious to construct an extempore canoe from 
 the bark of a tree, as the natives of New South Wales 
 are accustomed to do. On the other side of the river, 
 which was about sixty yards wide, was a stock-keeper's 
 hut, which looked as if it had been abandoned, so deso- 
 late and wretched was its appearance. 
 
 The tracks on our side of the river were quite fresh, 
 and it was evident that a body of men had recently 
 crossed at the spot where we stood. Our leader des- 
 patched the two constables to the right and left to make 
 discoveries; but they returned, after the lapse of an 
 hour, with the report that they could find no means of 
 crossinrf the river, and that they had discovered no track. 
 
 After similar explorations on all sides, we were com- 
 pelled to come to the conclusion that they had crossed 
 the river at the point where we were standing, but how 
 they had done it was the puzzle. There was no sign of 
 
164 Stopped by a Kiver. 
 
 way living creature on the opposite bank, and the stock- 
 hut, iToin its roofless condition, and the general aspect 
 of things aboiit i*, seemed to have been long since aban- 
 doned. It was rz "^"iin that we held a council of war ; 
 no one could help «« ^ut of our difficulty ; there was 
 the deep river between us and our enemy, and there we 
 might stay for ever, if we waited till it had done flowing. 
 
 *' Let us cross the river higher up," said one, ''till 
 we come to a place that is fordable." 
 
 " Lord bless you !" said one of the constables ; " you 
 will find no ford on the Shannon. It's the most ram- 
 bustious river in the whole colony, and always goes 
 ramping and roaring along as if it were in the most ter- 
 rible hurry in the world to get over the ground. It's 
 quite a speck to cross it on horseback, unless your horse 
 is a real good one, and in the dry season. But, what 
 do I see there? Look ! Don't you see a little sort of 
 a punt behind those sedges ? It is a punt ! Depend 
 upon it, the bush-rangers crossed by that thing." 
 
 We all gazed anxiously; and, sure enough, there was 
 a something about six feet long, and how wide we could 
 not tell, which looked like an outlandish wash-tub set 
 to soak, and which might, by a vivid stretch of the im- 
 agination, be likened to a punt. 
 
 '' Well," said the magistrate, " we will not be stopped 
 by the Shannon, or by anything else, in doing what we 
 have a mind to. The horse that I am on will do any- 
 thing that a horse can do, and I will make the attempt. 
 Do you, gentlemen, draw yourselves up so as to protect 
 my crossing, in case of enemies lying on the bank 
 opposite, and I will try what Diamond can do." 
 
 With that he was about to urge his horse into the 
 water, when the constable called out — 
 
Magistrate Swims the River. 165 
 
 " Stop, sir, stop ! You don't understand the strength 
 of the stream, or jou would not attempt to cross straight 
 over. You must go up a hundred yards or so, and you 
 will find the force of the current will not allow you to 
 land on the other side nearer than the point opposite. 
 Better say a hundred and fifty yards up, and pray take 
 care to keep your horse's head well up the stream, or 
 you will be turned over in no time.^' 
 
 " Thank you," said the magistrate, " for your coun- 
 sel. I always listen to the advice of old hands." 
 
 Taking the stream at about a hundred and fifty yards 
 to the right, he plunged in, taking a little leap from the 
 bank. He went under water as high as his waist, but 
 it was only for a moment, for as he leaped his horse 
 against the stream, the force of the current, aided by 
 the exertions of the horse in an opposite direction, 
 buoyed him up directly. He had taken the precaution 
 of holding his fowling-piece in his hand above his head, 
 so that his weapon escaped damage. 
 
 The action and struggle of the horse, guided by a 
 practised hand, were beautiful The rampant stream 
 swept on with a sort of fury, as if ravenous for the prey 
 upon its bosom, but our young leader, as cool as if he 
 was on the high road, with his fowling-piece raised high 
 out of the reach of the spray of the waters, held on his 
 course, undismayed by the rushing waters. 
 
 It was a short course and a dangerous one, for the 
 utmost efibrts of the noble and powerful animal, whose 
 energies were called forth to battle the impetuous current 
 of the famed Shannon Eiver, were barely sufficient to 
 enable him to reach the landing-place. But he did 
 reach it, and our breathless suspense was allayed by a 
 
166 Succeeds in (tetting a Boat. 
 
 success which, during its progress, seemed all but im- 
 possible. 
 
 He waved his gun to us when he was safe, and we 
 replied by a cheer, forgetting our habitual caution, and 
 the necessity of silence in a bush expedition. We then 
 observed him ascend the bank, and approach the ruined 
 hut. Some argument that he made use of was irresisti- 
 ble, for presently, to our great surprise, we saw a man 
 emerge from the building in the usual habiliment of a 
 sojourner in the bush, that is, a kangaroo jacket. 
 
 This detected individual proceeded with some alacrity, 
 partly prompted b}^ his desire to assist his fellow crea- 
 tures in crossing the stream, and partly, I suspected, by 
 the persuasive influence of the magistrate's gun, which I 
 observed to be most pertinaciously pointed at the head 
 of this inhabitant of the Shannon, to the place where the 
 washing-tub punt was moored under the bank. Some- 
 tliing that the magistrate said to him seemed to have the 
 effect of making him redouble his exertions. 
 
 Having taken his place in the punt, he proceeded to 
 creep up the bank, sometimes propelling his frail boat by 
 a sort of oar, and sometimes catching hold over the 
 shrubs and inequalities of the bank. Having obtained 
 the requisite distance to enable him to shoot the passage, 
 he used his paddles with the most commendable vivacity, 
 stimulated, perhaps, by the sight of a tolerable number 
 of gun-barrels ready to inflict instant punishment on any 
 vacillation or treachery, and quickly came to laud a lit- 
 tle above the spot where we were standing. When we 
 saw this nondescript species of craft, we were amazed at 
 any one trusting himself to such a speculative attempt at 
 navigation. We looked at the punt, and we looked at 
 
Eathek a Ticklish Affair 167 
 
 one another, but no one offered to take his seat in this 
 novel addition to the transport service. 
 
 "Now, Worrall," said one of the constables to the 
 other, ''you're the man to set the example. Did'nt you 
 cross the Derwent once in a bark canoe when you were 
 
 "Hold your tongue," said Worrall; "if I was a fool 
 once, it's no reason why I should be a fool again. Get 
 into it yourself with your fat carcass, and then perhaps 
 there will be one rogue less in the world." 
 
 "Not cross in my punt !" said the Columbus of Van 
 Diemen's Land; "why there's no danger at all. There 
 was a stock-keeper last week who crossed, that is, who 
 would have crossed if he had not been so obstinate. He 
 icoidd lift .up his head as he was lying at the bottom of 
 the punt, and of course it upset, and I got a wetting, and 
 was very near losing my punt. But it was his own fault 
 that he was drowned. Now, misters, who comes first ?" 
 
 No one seemed at all inclined to " come first," and 
 there were whisperings about wives and families, and 
 the first duty of a man, and such like. Meanwhile the 
 magistrate on the other side, was making earnest ges- 
 tures for us to join him, and I felt that it was necessary 
 for some one to take a decisive part, so I stepped forward 
 with the intention of making the first trial. But the 
 gallant young Bercsford anticipated me, and, without 
 saying a woi'd, he placed himself in the punt, and the 
 man of the river pursuing the same process of crawling 
 up the side of the stream by which he had reached us, 
 landed him safely on the other side. This put us all on 
 our mettle, and it was not who should shrink from the 
 risk, but who should go first, that was now the question. 
 
168 We All Cross Over. 
 
 I have often tliought since of the hazard of this crossing, 
 and wondered how we escaped; but so it was; we all 
 crossed over in safety, and leaving a couple of sentinels 
 on the outside, we all entered the hut. 
 
 We were wet, and cold, and tired. The sight of glow- 
 ing embers, therefore, on the hearth was very cheering. 
 We quickly provoked the fire to a blaze, and enjoyed the 
 warmth with unusual satisfaction. There was a tripod 
 on the fire, in which we immediately made tea for the 
 party, for tea is always cherished as the grand restorer 
 of fatigue in bush excursions ; spirit heats and debilitates, 
 but tea refreshes and strengthens ; such is the experience 
 of all in Van Diemeu's Land. I don't know whether 
 porter or ale might not do as well, or better ; but por- 
 ter and ale are not to be found in the bush, and they 
 are commodities too bulky to be carried about with you ; 
 so that the universal ingredient is tea ; and a rough look- 
 ing stock-keeper, in appearance something between a bear 
 and a badger, talks of his tea with the same gusto as an 
 old woman at a Scotch christening. With tea, then, we 
 made our bush breakfast, and as we were all particularly 
 well pleased with our own courage in crossing the river, 
 we were in high spirits. 
 
 We endeavoured to ascertain from the occupant of 
 the hut something of the condition and probable route 
 of the bush-rangers, but this ambiguous individual pro- 
 tested most vehemently that he had seen nothing of 
 them, and that how the marks of the footsteps came 
 which we pointed out to him surpassed his comprehen- 
 sion ! 
 
 We knew that this was a lie, and some of us were 
 stronglyjnclined to shoot him on the spot, to prevent 
 
We Proceed. 169 
 
 his giving information about us ; but the magistrate 
 prevailed on us to postpone this summary mode of exe- 
 cution till we came back, observing that shooting was 
 too good for him, and that he would certainly come to 
 be hanjred without our taking the trouble to interfere 
 in expediting so desirable a consummation. Having 
 refreshed ourselves and dried our clothes, and having 
 carefully examined our locks and ammunition, we pro- 
 ceeded gaily on the track of the enemy. 
 
CljKlitu /iftnittlj. 
 
 Arrival at the great lake — Bush-rangers at bay — The Fight — Simul- 
 taneous attack of the Natives — Matters remain in suspense — 
 Thornley looks out for a Kangaroo for supper. 
 
 We followed the track, but we could not come up 
 with the bush-raugers. We kept on for about twenty 
 miles over a rough and difficult country, crossing the 
 big river by a ford, till we came to the foot of a tier 
 of hills too steep for a fatigued party to encounter. 
 Here we made a halt for the night. The next morning 
 we continued the pursuit. When we reached the top 
 of the tier, we beheld in the bottom before us the wide 
 and beautiful lake then known by the name of x\rthur's 
 Lake. 
 
 The scene was beautiful beyond description. The 
 morning broke clear and bright, and the sharp mountain 
 air was exhilarating and exciting. Behind us was a 
 romantic country of undulating hill and dale, and before 
 us were the tranquil waters of the great lake. We were 
 all struck with the impressive character of the scene, 
 and for some minutes we were silent. 
 
 " How beautiful and quiet the lake looks," said our 
 leader, " with the morning sun lighting it up ; it seems 
 a pity to disturb such a place with sounds and acts of 
 blood and battle, but I have a notion that we shall hem 
 in the bush-rangers on the borders of that lake, and 
 then, when we bring them to bay, we may prepare for a 
 (170) 
 
'>» 
 
Arrive at the Gtreat Lake. 171 
 
 desperate struggle. Now, gentlemen, if you have satis- 
 fied your love for the picturesque, we will move on." 
 
 As well as we could calculate, we were about four 
 miles from the margin of the lake, and we proceeded at 
 a tolerably rapid pace, following the track of the bush- 
 rangers till we came to its banks. Here, it seems, they 
 had come to a halt, and were doubtful how to proceed ; 
 for the shore was much ti-ampled by men walking to and 
 fro. "We did not stop long, for, observing that the track 
 led to the left, we followed it. It seemed that the bush- 
 rangers were undetermined how to proceed, for they fol- 
 lowed the winding of the margin of the lake for some 
 distance, when, suddenly quitting that course, their track 
 led direct to a point of the lake where some cedar-trees 
 grew on a tongue of land stretching into the lake about 
 a quarter of a mile. 
 
 As we proceeded, we observed a smoke to arise from 
 the extremity of this point, which we had no doubt was 
 the fire of the bush-rangers. After our long and toil- 
 some pursuit, we hailed this indicator of the refuge of 
 the bush-rangers with joy and satisfaction, although with 
 a secret consciousness that the end was not to be attained 
 without a sharp and desperate struggle. At the en- 
 trance of this little peninsula we halted, and our leader, 
 assuming the air of one on whom rested a serious respon- 
 eibility, urged on us the importance of discipline, and 
 the necessity of attending strictly to orders in the com- 
 ing conflict. 
 
 " My friends," said lie, "we are about to engage with 
 men whom we are driving to desperation. If that fire, 
 as I believe it does, indicates the presence of the bush- 
 rangers, you will observe that our approach will hem 
 
172 Preparations por Attack. 
 
 them in, and tliat they will have no means oi escape 
 but by our destruction. Are you resolved and ready?" 
 
 " Resolved and ready !" said Beresford, who had re- 
 covered all his energy, although looking a little pale 
 from the eifects of his wound ; " do you think we have 
 come thus far to shrink back when the decisive moment 
 is come ? What would any one of us feel if he was in 
 the hands of the bush-rangers, and saw his friends and 
 neighbours sneaking oflf when it came to real blows, and 
 afraid to go on with the enterprise they had begun ? I, 
 for one, am ready for the worst; I have been hit once, 
 but I have no mind to duck my head for all that." 
 
 "Wo are all ready and resolved," we said; "do you 
 lead us, and depend on it, you may trust us as if we were 
 drilled soldiers." 
 
 " Then," said he, "let us lose no time, but endeavour 
 to surprise them in their lurking-place. I think they 
 don't suspect they are followed, or they would never have 
 chosen a ground from which they have no retreat." 
 
 " Or, perhaps," said one, " they are confident in their 
 strength." 
 
 "It may be so. At any rate it behoves us to use the 
 utmost caution and address in our advance. And now 
 let us move on." 
 
 We adyanced accordingly, with that sort of tremulous- 
 ness produced by excitement, not fear, which is apt to 
 pervade those ou the eve of a dangerous exploit. But 
 our hope of surprise was soon shown to be in vain, for 
 we had not proceeded more than two or three hundred 
 yards, when a shot from behind a tree warned us that 
 our approach was discovered. This did not stop our 
 advance, however, and rapidly ascendipg a gi'een knoll, 
 
Battle with the Bush-rangers. i.73 
 
 we beheld before us the party of bush-rangers in battle 
 array. We levelled our pieces^ but the voice of our 
 leader arrested our impetuosity. 
 
 " Stop/' said he; "that is not according to promise. 
 You must not fire without the word." 
 
 " The bush-rangers will not wait for the word," said 
 one of us, for at that moment they fired a volley at us. 
 Again my poor young friend Beresford had the misfor- 
 tune to be hit. He dropped to the ground. Quitting 
 my party, I ran to him ; he was bleeding fast. Several 
 slugs had struck him on his right side ; he was in great 
 pain, and almost fainting from loss of blood, for the 
 jagged shot made from split bullets had torn him sadly. 
 Without losing a moment in asking questions, I con- 
 trived to drag him behind the dead trunk of a tree which 
 was lying close to us. Our leader lost no time neither. 
 In an instant he formed our little party in the position 
 most advantageous to it, by moving us a little to the 
 right. 
 
 Our enemies had not had time to load again ; but they 
 were busy about it, and as they stood in a position slant- 
 ing from us, the six shots fired promptly, but coolly, 
 confused them not a little ; it stopped the loading of more 
 than one musket, and before they could recover them- 
 selves, my party of seven put in a deliberate fire, for we 
 were all used to the bush, and were not at all flurried. 
 We now observed three of their men to drop ; but two 
 got up again, one remaining on the ground, apparently 
 shot dead. In the meantime, Beresford*s party were 
 ready to fire again, and almost at the same time about a 
 dozen shots came from the bush-rangers; not one struck 
 us : but one ball struck the hollow trunk of the tree be- 
 
174 Their Leader. 
 
 bind wliicli Beresford was lying, and was stopped by his 
 body. 
 
 The bush-rangers were now ranged in a line opposite to 
 us, and we counted thirty-one, three having fallen. Seve- 
 ral of those, however, who were standing in line were 
 disabled, for one or two were stamping and writhing with 
 pain, and we saw one man with a fowling-piece in his left 
 hand, and with his right arm hanging down, and seem- 
 ingly rendered useless by a shot. There was one man 
 among the bush-rangers whom we could not help no- 
 ticina; and admiring. He was one' of the finest men I 
 ever saw. Tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, his 
 whole form denoted great strength, combined with great 
 activity. He stood a little in advance of his party, as 
 cool as a cucumber, and quite regardless of the shots that 
 flew about him. As the two parties were not above a 
 hundred yards distant from each other, we occasionally 
 heard his voice encouraging his men. 
 
 " Fire away, my hearties," he cried out, while he was 
 reloading his musket with all diligence, — "fire away; 
 better die by a musket ball than a rope." 
 
 With that I saw him delibeivately examine the pan of 
 his piece. He was not quite satisfied with its appearance, 
 for he paused for a moment, as if in seai'ch of something. 
 Stooping down to the ground, he picked up a little twig 
 or stiif straw, and coolly cleared the touch-hole of its ob- 
 struction. He then primed the pan quickly but without 
 hurry from his powder-horn, and putting his musket to 
 his shoulder, pointed it here and there among us, as if 
 seeking for the best mark. He was not long in finding 
 one. The magistrate who was on horseback, formed a 
 conspicuous object. The other two on horseback were 
 
The Natives join in the Attack. 175 
 
 behind us among some trees, to guard against a surprise 
 from the natives. I saw the bush-ranger take a quick 
 and steady aim, and immediately after, a cry from our 
 leader made me fear that the shot had taken effect. It 
 was certainly a capital shot ; it went through his hat, and 
 knocked it off. 
 
 "Everybody seems to have a spite against my hat," 
 said the magistrate; " the natives sent a spear through 
 it the other day, and now these rascals have put a bullet 
 throuch it. Any more of this fun will spoil my best hat. 
 Keep up your fire," said he to me and my party. "This 
 bit of a scrimmage is no joke, gentlemen. Fire coolly, 
 and take aim at a particular man. They are double our 
 numbers, but we have the advantage of position. Who 
 is that man in front ? There he is, going to fire again ; 
 — he has fired, and one of you is down. This is a bad 
 job," said he to the wounded man, "but we can't help 
 it. But what do I see behind us ? The natives ! By 
 George ! they are on us ! Look out for the spears ! and 
 keep steady, for God's sake. Now we are fighting for 
 our lives indeed. Keep steady, and fire quick. Keep 
 it up — keep it up ! Show a firm front, and I with the 
 other two horses will make a rush at them." 
 
 We heard the natives at our back uttering loud cries 
 and screams, and inciting one another to close with us. 
 I had enough to do to attend to my own work, for we were 
 almost tired with loading and firing, and another shot 
 from the bush-rangers tore open the left arm of one of 
 our party. 
 
 The yells of the natives now became louder and 
 fiercer, and the fire of the bush-rangers became quicker, 
 and I thought I observed symptoms of an intention to 
 
176 Natives Routed. 
 
 make a rush at us, simultaneously with the advance of 
 the natives. 
 
 Spears now fell thick among us, and I thought a crisis 
 had come which would settle the fight without any more 
 long shots, when suddenly I saw our leader, with the 
 two other horsemen, dash in among the natives, and 
 slash away with their swords. They had served in the 
 yeomanry in England, and understood the use of the 
 broad-sword well, and every cut told on the naked bodies 
 of the natives. The waddies were of no use against the 
 broad-swords of horsemen, and their slight spears were 
 not strong enough to serve as pikes, so that they were 
 completely at the mercy of the sabres. 
 
 If it had been among trees, the horsemen would have 
 stood no chance against such a body of natives ; they 
 would have been riddled like sieves by their spears, with- 
 out being able to get a cut at them ; but in the plain 
 the horsemen had all the advantage, for the natives were 
 afraid of the horses as much as of the riders, and find- 
 ing themselves unexpectedly assailed in that fashion, 
 they were for a little while panic-struck, and incapable 
 of resistance. They soon found the use of their legs, 
 however, and they scampered off like deer across the 
 little plain towards the entrance of the peninsula. The 
 horsemen followed them for some distance, and then re- 
 turned towards us. In the meanwhile a brisk fire was 
 kept up on both sides. 
 
 We had at this time seven of our men disabled, and 
 about thirteen of the bush-rangers were in the same con- 
 dition. But this increased the odds against us; for we 
 were now only six, and with our throe friends on horse- 
 back, nine against twenty-one. But we had the advan- 
 
Bush-rangers Slacken their Fire. 177 
 
 tage of position, and we had got rid of the natives ; but 
 the hazard seemed desperate. 
 
 I now observed the magistrate with his two compa- 
 nions to the left of the bush-rangers. They had sheathed 
 their swords, and unslung the double-barrel fowling- 
 pieces which they carried at their backs. All this did 
 not take long in occurrence, though it requires many 
 words to relate. They immediately fired at the bush- 
 rangers and hit two of them. This move evidently puz- 
 zled the enemy ; but their leader soon formed his party 
 to meet it. Some of them faced about and fired, and 
 one of the horses was hit, as I observed by its plunging 
 about. 
 
 The fire of the horsemen, however, sensibly relieved 
 us from the shots of the enemy, and our little party of 
 six now redoubled their fire, and the bush-rangers becan 
 to waver and show signs of unsteadiness. It was plain 
 that their weapons were not in the same state of efii- 
 cicDcy as ours, for although they all had pieces of some 
 description, their fire was slack and unfrequent, while 
 every one of our barrels told ; besides, we were all ac- 
 customed to the use of fire-arms, which most of the 
 bush-rangers were not. I am inclined to think, too, 
 that they were fearful of expending all their ammuni- 
 tion., which they would have a difficulty in replacing. 
 
 This and other reasons combining, caused them to 
 slacken their fire. Their fii-e-arms, too, for want of 
 proper cleaning, and from the damp of the bush, became 
 every minute more and more unserviceable, and all the 
 while we were pelting them with our shots, sheltered by 
 the trees behind which we fought. 
 
 Once I thought they had fully made up their minds 
 12 
 
178 TiiEY Turn and Hun. 
 
 to a rush, and the result might have been fatal to us. 
 They gathered themselves up in a compact body, and 
 the leader led them about fifty paces towards us at a 
 running pace, but at this distance our volley told fear- 
 fully. We fired plump into the midst of them, at about 
 fifty yards' distance, while the horsemen gave them the 
 contents of three barrels on their left. 
 
 This was enough for them. Five fell — two got up again, 
 and three remained on the ground. They now broke, 
 and ran away over the little plain. Their leader was the 
 last to run. He turned round, and levelling his musket, 
 gave us a parting shot. This was the only shot that 
 came close to me, to my knowledge, during this bloody 
 fight. The ball struck the left-hand side of the tree be- 
 hind which I was standing loading my piece ; it knocked 
 off the end of my ramrod, which in the act of ramming 
 projected of course beyond the trunk of the tree. I 
 thought it an odd shot, but I was too satisfied that it did 
 not knock ofi" me, to make any remark about it at that 
 time. 
 
 I thought the horsemen would have pursued the bush- 
 rangers as they were running ofi", but, contrary to my 
 expectation, they galloped toward us. 
 
 " Keep where you are, gentlemen," said our leader. 
 " Don't let the bush-rangers see how we are reduced in 
 number. On the plain they would be more than a match 
 for us, and they might turn and defeat us. We must be 
 content with what we have done, and think ourselves 
 well off". And now for our wounded friends : where is 
 the surgeon ?" 
 
 " lie was one of the first of us that was hit; he is Ij" 
 mo- on the other side of the mimosa tree." 
 
Our Party Reduced to Nine. 179 
 
 " That's unlucky ; but we must do the best we can. 
 Let us see — how many of us remain fit for service ?" 
 
 Six of us stood forward. 
 
 " Here are six, and that with myself and my two com- 
 panions on horseback, makes nine out of eighteen. A 
 melancholy deficit. But with our small numbers it 
 would be madness to force a close conflict with desperate 
 men. "We must take counsel what to do. In the mean 
 time let us show a bold front. I did not expect, I must 
 confess, that the bush-rangers would fight so well; but 
 they are desperate, and they feel that their alternative is 
 a halter." 
 
 We all thought that our situation, with the bush- 
 rangers in superior numbers on one side, and with the 
 natives on the other, was desperate indeed. We felt as 
 doomed men ; but unwilling to give up our lives without 
 a struggle, and retreat being now as dangerous as to 
 stand where we were — to say nothing of the impossibility 
 of our forsaking our wounded companions — we deter- 
 mineu to sell our lives as dearly as possible. We there- 
 fore drew ourselves up in three parties of two each, posted 
 behind the trees. 
 
 In this position we stood for about half an hour with- 
 out any signs of future attempts from the bush-rangers ; 
 they had ceased firing, and so had we ; and presently 
 afterwards they retired behind a green ridge about a hun- 
 dred yards behind them, close to the water's edge. 
 
 r>uring the fight, we had seen nothing of our friend 
 whom the bush-rangers had taken with them from the 
 Clyde, and to tell the truth, in the urgent necessity of 
 defeating them and of defending our own lives, we had 
 almost forgotten that his rescue was a principal reason 
 
180 Care of Our Wounded. 
 
 for our pursuit of the bush-rangers. The horsemen now 
 did good service; they served as patroles to guard our 
 little party from surprise to the right and left, and one 
 of them made occasional excursions to the rear, to look 
 after the natives, but it seemed they had had enough of 
 it for the present. 
 
 Relieved from the apprehension of an immediate at- 
 tack, we now turned our attention to the wounded. 
 They had contrived to drag themselves behind the big 
 hollow log of the tree where I had placed poor Beresford, 
 and we were relieved to find them all still living. 
 
 The course of the conflict had drawn us more to the 
 right, and in the excitement and the noise of the firing 
 we had not been able to pay attention to those who were 
 hit ; it was as much as we could do to defend ourselves 
 from being massacred by the numbers against us. It was 
 an agreeable surprise to us, therefore, to find the sur- 
 geon, with a bloody handkerchief tied round his head, as 
 busy as possible with his patients. During his sojourn 
 in the colony, and indeed in the whole course of his life, 
 he had never, he said, had such a favourable opportunity 
 of gaining experience in gun-shot wounds. 
 
 I could not help thinking, notwithstanding our dis- 
 tress and peril, and the ghastly faces of the wounded, 
 that the professional gratification at the sight of such a 
 variety of lacerations, acted like a charm on his own 
 wound. Planting the two horsemen, and two on foot 
 as sentinels, we bent all our attention to the care of ou'" 
 suffering companions. 
 
 There was plenty of water at no great distance; wo 
 fetched some, and it refreshed them greatly. The sur- 
 geon was sadly troubled, however, at the prospect of 
 
The Surgeon's Resources. 181 
 
 passing the night in the open air, for there were three 
 of them in a bad way, and he feared the cold, frosty air 
 of the hikes wouhl be too sharp for the sick, and we had 
 doubts about the prudence of lighting a fire. In this oc- 
 cupation the remainder of the day wore away, when I 
 saw our four dogs coming to us. 
 
 I was startled at first, for really I had never missed 
 them, the fighting and firing having put everything else 
 out of my head. Hector came up to me with a mean- 
 ing air, as I thought, and I looked at his chops, and 
 saw that he had assisted in the killing of a kangaroo 
 not long before ; the other dogs looked significantly 
 about something, but they kept in the rear of Hector, 
 paying a sort of deference to his superior sagacity and 
 favour. It struck me that a kangaroo steamer, if we 
 could venture to make a fire to cook it, would be no bad 
 thing in our present circumstances, and it was agreed 
 that I should go after it, if it did not lead me too far. 
 
 ''Take my horse," said the magistrate; "if you 
 should fall in with the natives, he will save you from a 
 spearing, and I'll stay to help the surgeon. He wants 
 some splints, he says, for Worrall's arm, but there's no 
 surgical instrument-maker with a shop hereabouts, I 
 fancy." 
 
 "I have it," said the surgeon, "I have it; where's 
 your axe ?" said he to the other constable ; " here 
 Tucker, chop me a strip of bark from this tree. That's 
 right ; that's a capital piece. Here," said he, cutting 
 some longitudinal slips in it, " here's a beautiful cradle 
 for a wounded arm ! This is another wrinkle for me ! 
 I never thought, when I was serving my time in Aber- 
 deen, thab I should have to invent splints from the bark 
 
182 I GO TO Hunt Supper. 
 
 of a gum-tree in Vau Dicmcn's Laud I Now, my man, 
 it's almost worth while to get one's arm shattered a bit 
 to have it done up so nicely; that's it; don't wince, 
 man ; stop, give me a pocket-handkerchief, one of you, 
 or something; there — that will make a nice soft bed for 
 it. A little water do you want ?" 
 
 " Couldn't you put a little brandy in it?" 
 «< j^o — no brandy; inflammation, you know, and all 
 that. And now for the others. Well, to be sure, I 
 have enough to do with you all. Where have you been 
 hurt," said he, " Mr. Nicholls ?" 
 
 " Here, on the right side. I feel very faint." 
 " I see ; but we must get out the ball ; it isn't deep 
 in. How to do it, though — that is the question — for I 
 have not got the tools with me." 
 
 "I have got a corkscrew," said Worrall. 
 " A cork-screw ! Why, I never did hear of balls 
 being extracted by a cork-screw ; but — " 
 Nicholls groaned. 
 
 Seeing that I could be of no use in this difficulty, 
 and thinking that the meat would be a help to us, I 
 slung my fowling-piece behind me, and throwing the 
 horse's bridle over my arm, I set off in search of the 
 kangaroo. I first did all that it was possible for me to 
 do for my young friend Beresford. His left arm had 
 been shattered by a ball, and he was suffering the most 
 excruciating pain. The surgeon, who was much attached 
 to him, but who, under the present circumstances, made 
 no distinction, helping those first who most wanted 
 assistance, now took Beresford's case in hand, and our 
 mutual friend, the magistrate, gave him all the aid ho 
 could think of. 
 
(!^lin|itBr lixtnntlj. 
 
 Hector points at unexpected game — Thornley meets with a party of 
 Soldiers — His joy thereat— His disappointment thereon — His la- 
 mentable predicament — His fortunate escape from a pistol-bullet 
 — His release — A letter from his 'Wife — The Bush-rangers escape 
 to an Island in the Lake — Melancholy news from the Clyde — 
 Thornley resolves to return home. 
 
 The day was drawing to a close; I judged there was a 
 good hour and a half's daylight. I saw there was some- 
 thing in Hector's manner more than usual, but I set it 
 down to the recent scrimmage with the natives, and the 
 firing. I bid him " Go show !" He trotted on, and at 
 about half a mile's distance he brought me to the dead 
 kangaroo, lying not far from the lake. I did not wait to 
 cut it up, but threw it as it was across the saddle, and 
 was about to return to my friends, but Hector exhibited 
 a strange unwillingness to go back, and ran on a little 
 way in the direction from which we had come from the 
 Clyde. 
 
 Being well acquainted with his ways, and knowing the 
 wonderful instinct of the dog, I was uneasy ; my mind 
 being full of the fear of natives being at hand. But the 
 signs he gave were not the signs of natives ; they meant 
 something else. The bush-rangers, I knew, were behind 
 me, and that they could not pass our little party without 
 an alarm being given. " Well," thought I, " the dog 
 knows something that he seems to think I ought to know 
 
 (183) 
 
184 Meet with Soldiers. 
 
 too. I'll follow him a little way at any rate ;" so I threw 
 down the kangaroo from the horse, and mounted. 
 
 Hector seemed pleased at this, and knowing that I 
 could keep up with him on horseback, he cantered off at 
 a pretty good pace, keeping the track by which we had 
 reached the lake. When we had gone about a mile, I 
 stopped ; but Hector still showed a great anxiety to pro- 
 ceed. "Well, Hector," said I, "I'll trust you, but I 
 can't understand what you are at; if it is to go home 
 that you're trying for, that won't do." The other three 
 dogs had staid by the kangaroo, which I had thrown on 
 the ground, so that I was alone with Hector. 
 
 We had proceeded in this way about three miles, and 
 I was beginning to think I had gone far enough, when 
 Hector suddenly stopped, and assumed the attitude of 
 pointing at game. " What's in the wind now ?" thought 
 I. "Is it an emu that the dog has been bringing me to ? 
 It's worth a shot, however, for the sake of the fat; but 
 I must be wary !" I got off my horse, which I tied to a 
 tree, and advanced stealthily into the direction to whichi 
 Hector pointed. I had not proceeded more than twenty 
 steps, when to my surprise, and I must confess, exceed- 
 ing fear, a quick sharp voice cried out — 
 
 " Who goes there ?" 
 
 "More bush-rangers," thought I; " now I'm in for 
 it!" 
 
 " Who goes there ?" repeated the voice, and I heard 
 the well known click of the cocking of a musket ; it 
 came from the direction of a thicket close by. I looked, 
 and saw the muzzle of a musket projecting just beyond 
 the leaves. I was in a terrible fright. 
 
 '' A friend," said I in a hurry. 
 
They take Me for a Bush-ranger. 185 
 
 "Stand, friend; if you move, I fire !" 
 "I'm done I" thought I; " it's all over ! I shall be 
 made a target of by these rascals, and there's the lake 
 handy by to throw me into afterwards I" 
 
 As these horrible thoughts crossed me, I heard the 
 peculiar sound of the shouldering of arms together by 
 drilled soldiers, and immediately afterwards a sergeant's 
 party showed themselves in line to the left of the thicket. 
 
 " Hurrah !" said I, jumping about in delight; " well 
 done, Hector !" 
 
 " Hurrah ! What the devil is the man hurrahing 
 about ?" said the sergeant. " I've a notion, my friend, 
 that the next caper you cut will be from a tight rope. 
 Secure him ! Present ! There, you see, resistance is of no 
 use. The rascal has got a beautiful fowling-piece with 
 him, stolen, of course, from some unfortunate settler." 
 
 "What the devil are you about?" said I; " you're 
 mistaken " 
 
 " No mistake at all. There, tic his arms behind his 
 back — a little tighter. Two file, present at him. Now, 
 my friend, lead us on to where your other blackguards 
 
 are nestling, or by , you shall have a couple of the 
 
 most beautiful balls through your rascally body that 
 ever were cast by the king's commissioners. Lead 
 on — I say! you won't ! Fix your bayonets, and touch 
 him up behind. Ah, that makes him move !" 
 
 " Holloa !" said I, " none of that fun ; I'm not a 
 bush-ranger; I'm after them myself. I'm a gentleman!" 
 
 The laugh that the soldiers set up at this assumption 
 of dignity made the woods ring again. 
 
 " A gentleman ! a beautiful gentleman you are, ar'n't 
 you ? It's a pity you hav'n't got a glass, to see how a 
 gentleman looks when he has taken to bush-ranging I" 
 
186 My Unpleasant Position 
 
 It struck me then for the first time, that my appear- 
 ance might well lead the soldier,s wrong as to the personal 
 consideration which was due to my standing in the 
 colony. I had on my bush-dress, which was dirtied 
 and stained with travel, and ray hands, face, and clothes 
 were smeared with the blood of my wounded companions, 
 whom I had recently been assisting. In addition to 
 these unfavourable indications, my beard was of three 
 days' growth, so that it may be easily imagined that I 
 presented a capital likeness of a hunted bush-ranger to 
 the eyes of the soldiers. 
 
 I might have laughed at my ludicrous position if it 
 had not been so dangerous, for the two soldiers behind 
 me, with cocked muskets and fixed bayonets, which 
 seemed to have been sharpened up for my especial ac- 
 commodation, kept their fingers, as I observed, and I 
 shuddered at the sight, on their triggers, ready to treat 
 me with the contents of their barrels at the least sigu 
 from their commander ; and soldiers, I well knew, were 
 not very particular about shooting a bush-ranger in 
 the bush, and taken, as the lawyers say, in JJagrante 
 delicto. I was in a cold sweat, and my excessive per- 
 turbation was visible to the men. 
 
 '^ Look at the sneaking hound," said the sergeant; 
 " what a desperate funk the coward is in just at the 
 chance of being shot ! Be steady, my men, don't shoot 
 him if you can help it. Now, my beauty, use your 
 stumps." 
 
 " I'll take you," said I, with a sort of desperate 
 eagerness, " to where you will find the bush-rangers- — 
 and—" 
 
 " Oh — you will, will you ? You're a nice fellow for 
 
Suspected as a Murderer! 187 
 
 a Dusb-ranger ! A pretty blackguard you — to betray 
 your comrades I" 
 
 " I don't betray any body," said I. " I " 
 
 " Hold your jaw/' said tbe sergeant, " and get on, or 
 you sball bave anotber spur from bebind ; and take care 
 you don't tbink of betraying us, or you'll regret it as 
 long as you live, tbougb tbat wouldn't be long, you may 
 depend on it. And — bold your jaw," again said be, 
 seeing I wanted to speak — " lead us to your comrades in 
 silesce; we don't want you to give 'em notice of our 
 coming by your blackguard and treacberous tongue." 
 
 Compelled tbus to be silent, witb my arms tied bebind 
 my back, if I bad been inclined to pbilosopbize, I migbt 
 bave mused on tbe instability of buman affairs ; but my 
 contemplations were interrupted by tbe sigbt of my 
 horse witb his bridle hooked over tbe branch of a tree. 
 
 ''0, bo!" cried out my tormentor, '' bush-rangers 
 ride a-horseback now-a-days, do they ? Tbe Clyde ma- 
 gistrate's horse, by George ! You infernal rascal ! 
 you've shot tbe magistrate, that's clear ; and here's his 
 gun that you stole. Don't speak; we want none of your 
 lies. Wilbams, lead the horse. Ob ! tbe villain, to 
 shoot a magistrate ! A husli-ranger to shoot a magis- 
 trate ! ! That deserves double hanging ! Now, don't 
 attempt to give us any of your jaw, or we'll gag you in 
 no time. Prick him up behind if he speaks. A mur- 
 dering bush-ranger is not going to come over ?<s, at any 
 rate." 
 
 ^'A pretty situation," thought I, ''for an old Surrey 
 farmer, and middle-aged gentleman to be in ! After I 
 have escaped being shot by the bush-rangers, it seems 
 that I am now more likely to be summarily executed by 
 
188 Application of the Bayonet. 
 
 a sergeant's party of soldiers! "Well, this is the last 
 time that I will ever go a-hunting of bush-rangers — 
 that's certain." 
 
 All this I said to myself, for the terrible sergeant had 
 his eye on me, and I feared that if I opened my lips I 
 might have a couple of balls through my body, to say 
 nothing of the points of the bayonets, the smart of 
 whose application was uncommonly disagreeable. 
 
 In this trim we marched on. I looked round for 
 Hector, but he had disappeared. After a three miles' 
 march, we came to the dead kangaroo, which the dogs, 
 for some reason, had abandoned. 
 
 "Here's their dinner," said the sergeant; "and a 
 very pretty piece of venison.it is. We are right on the 
 track, I see; there it leads. We are not far from the 
 rascals now, I'm thinking. What says our honest 
 friend here ? He nods his head. He's wise. (Here I 
 rubbed myself against a tree at the place where I felt 
 the smart of the bayonet.) Oh — I see, he knows how 
 to take a hint. Now for the kangaroo. Johnson, you're 
 a clever chap with your knife. Just divide him at the 
 loins here." 
 
 " How shall we carry him ?" said one. 
 
 " Put it on the horse, to be sure," said one of the 
 soldiers. 
 
 " On the horse !" said the sergeant; "no, you would 
 not dirty the magistrate's saddle that way. But — eh ! 
 it is dirty already, and with bloc«d, too ! That's the poor 
 magistrate's blood ! Oh, you murdering villains — won't 
 you catch it for this ? Here — stick the kangaroo on his 
 shoulders, and let him carry it for us. Not a word I 
 Let him feel the point of your bayonet, Steadman — that's 
 
Arrive near the Encampment. 189 
 
 enougli ! Why, it makes him dance with the kaogaroo 
 on his shoulders. Xow for it — move on, my men, and 
 keep awake — there's mischief near, by this blackguard's 
 looks, I'm thinking." 
 
 I was straining my eyes to endeavour to discover some 
 sign of friendly help to release me from my very disa- 
 greeable situation, and it was my gaze that attracted the 
 attention of the vigilant sub-oificer. But it was now 
 getting dark, and I could distinguish nothing but the 
 dim and thick foliage of the cedar-trees, and the wide 
 and cold looking expanse of the dreary lake. The ser- 
 geant took the lead on the track by which I, with my 
 companions, in the morning, had followed the bush- 
 rangers to their retreat, and we presently entered the 
 neck of land at the extremity of which we had hemmed 
 them in. 
 
 " A likely place for a nest of vipers to lurk in," said 
 the talkative sergeant, in a low voice; '' but what do 1 
 see there ? Halt I Steadman, take two file, and examine 
 that odd-looking lump there." 
 
 Steadman departed, and reported in military style, 
 
 '< It's a dead native; he's been slashed all to pieces 
 with broad-swords. He's quite warm, and seems only 
 just dead." 
 
 " Broadswords ! natives ! oh, the cruel villains, they 
 have been killing the natives to boil them down for their 
 fat to make bush-candles ! What a horrid set ! But 
 now, silence ! no more talking; let no man speak a word. 
 We can't be far off from the villains, for this neck of 
 land doesn't stretch above a quarter of a mile into the 
 lake ; so now, my men, be awake, for we shall have a 
 brush presently. Now, my friend with the kangaroo, 
 
190 Fortunate Escape. 
 
 we will take the liberty to gag you ; we can't Iiave our 
 precious lives put in jeopardy by your treachery. Open 
 your mouth, you blackguard, or I'll wrench it open with 
 the end of my firelock. There, now you're quite com- 
 fortable — so move on." 
 
 We moved on accordingly, leaving the horse tied to a 
 tree in silence, and in Indian file, the wary old sergeant 
 using every art to surprise without being surprised. It 
 was nearly dark, so that we came on one of our horsemen, 
 who was standing sentinel, without his perceiving us, so 
 silent and cautious were our movements. At the sight 
 of him, at not many yards' distance, we halted; but the 
 sentinel's horse was aware of our approach before the less 
 acute senses of his master had distinguished us. He 
 snorted and betrayed our advance. The horseman imme- 
 diately fired one of his pistols at us, and galloped off to 
 give the alarm. 
 
 The hind-quarter of the kangaroo on my shoulder, 
 being the most conspicuous object of the party, attracted 
 the attention, I presume, of the horseman, for the pistol- 
 shot struck one of the thigh bones of the animal, and the 
 legs being tied tight to my person, the shock knocked me 
 and my burthen down. 
 
 "There's a shot that has robbed the gallows," said 
 the sergeant. " Don't be in a hurry, my men; take it 
 coolly." 
 
 They had not advanced many paces, however, before 
 they were confronted by the magistrate, with all our party 
 who could act. I could just distinguish them as I lay on 
 the ground, in an attitude of preparation for mutual at- 
 tack. The steady discipline, however, of the military, 
 and their habitual coolness in danger, saved both parties 
 from a murderous discharge. 
 
llEJOiN OUR Party. 191 
 
 " We are a party of soldiers," said the sergeant, " and 
 we are too strong for you. You bad better surrender, 
 and trust to tbe governor's mercy." 
 
 " Hurrah !" cried out the supposed bush-rangers. 
 
 ''Hurrah !" said the cool old sergeant, almost inclined 
 to be offended at this apparent insult to his dignity. 
 " Hurrah ! You're very fond of hurrahing, my fine fel- 
 lows. The first thing that other chap that one of you has 
 just shot said was hurrah! but I m thinking " 
 
 "It's all right/' said a voice I was glad to hear; "we 
 are friends I" 
 
 " The magistrate of the Clyde ! Well, I'm glad you 
 are safe, but I hoped you were bush-rangers. The Lord 
 forgive me, I hope I have not made a mistake with the 
 other man." 
 
 "What man? wliat do you mean?" 
 
 "Why, we got hold of a terribly ill-looking chap, I 
 must say — one of the most ferociousest-looking bush- 
 rangers I ever set eyes on ; and we were bringing him 
 along with us, when your sentinel, I suppose he was, fired 
 ofi" his piece and shot him. But I hope there's no harm 
 done." 
 
 "It's Thornley, I'll be bound," said the magistrate; 
 " where is he ?" 
 
 " Oh, he's not far off." 
 
 My friends immediately came to seek me in a body. It 
 was some little time before they could pitch upon the spot 
 where I lay, for being gagged I was not able to respond 
 to their inquiries. At last, however, they found me, and 
 as it was dark, in a seemingly desperate plight. Wet 
 with the blood of the ^kangaroo, which was bound tight 
 to me, and with my arms tied behind my back, and 
 
192 A Letter from My Wife. 
 
 gagged, the only signs of life that I gave was by low 
 and hollow groans. 
 
 "He is almost gone, poor fellow," said my friends; 
 " but let us release him from his bonds." 
 
 They untied my arms, and loosened the fastening of 
 the kangaroo, and feeling about my face, they discovered 
 that I was gagged. I was quickly relieved from this 
 stopper ; and the first thing, I remember, that I said was, 
 '' Take care of the kangaroo; it's the finest haunch I ever 
 saw, and we shall want it for supper." 
 
 "Well," said the magistrate, "you can't be very bad 
 after all, if you are wanting your supper. Come, tell 
 us all about it." 
 
 I told them how I was mistaken for a bush-ranger, 
 not forgetting the hint a posteriori which the soldiers 
 had given me to hold my tongue, so that I had not the 
 opportunity of explaining the mistake. I believe that I 
 narrated this part of my mishap so ruefully, that it was 
 impossible for them to resist the temptation to laugh at 
 the mingled danger and drollery of my position, and then 
 and there they set up such a burst of merriment as must 
 have startled and astonished the bush-rangers if they 
 were within hearing. Being now confident in our 
 strength, by this addition to our numbers, of the party 
 of military, we lighted a fire and cooked the kangaroo 
 after the usual bush fashion. 
 
 " Thornley," the magistrate began to say 
 
 " Thornley !" said the sergeant; "I've a letter for 
 that gentleman. Sorry to be tlie bearer of ill news, sir, 
 but your house and farm have been burned down. But 
 this letter will tell you all. There is another for a gen- 
 tleman of the name of Beresford — here it is. Oh, sorry 
 
The Bad News IN It. 198 
 
 to see you've been hit, sir; but it's nothing when you 
 are used to it. Here — let me hold this piece of lighted 
 wood near you, that you may see to read it." 
 
 Availing myself of the same light, I read, with an 
 anguish which it would be in vain for me to endeavour 
 to express, the following letter : 
 
 " Dearest Husband — The sad misfortune that has 
 befallen us, and the fright and cold of the night, have 
 so shaken me that I can scarcely write to you, and the 
 soldiers cannot wait long for my letter, as they are in a 
 hurry to go after the bush-rangers. Thank God ! thera 
 are no lives lost, but the house is burned down to the 
 ground, and almost everything that was in it. Ths 
 large wheat stack, they tell me, is burning now. How 
 the fire began, I do not know. Dick let the horses out 
 of the stable, so that they were saved, but the saddles 
 and all the harness are burned or spoiled. 
 
 " The cattle were got out of the stock-yard in time ; 
 but the home flock of merinos is dispersed in the bush. 
 The wind was very high, and unfortunately the fire be- 
 gan at the further end, so that it embraced all the build- 
 ings except the new barn. The large pile of sawed stuflF, 
 and the stock of firewood helped to do the mischief, for 
 they caught fire early, and communicated it to the house. 
 As to trying to put out the fire with water from the 
 pond, it was all useless. We longed for the London 
 fire-engines. Poor Lucy Moss was the first who gave the 
 alarm; she was awakened by the blaze of the wood-stack, 
 and very soon afterwards the house was in flames. The 
 men did not like to go near it, as they were frightened 
 at the little keg of gunpowder that was brought up about 
 18 
 
194 The News from Home. 
 
 a fortnight ago. We are all housed at the old stock-hut 
 by the creek, and all our neighbours are very kind. 
 
 "It is now seveu o'clock. A sergeant's party of sol- 
 diers has been sent by the governor after these bush- 
 rangers. They saw our fire in the night, and thought it 
 was the bush-rangers who had attacked us. They were 
 out lying on the Den Hill, about five miles from us, but 
 they hurried to the spot, and gave us all the help they 
 could, but help was useless against such a fire ; however, 
 it saved a few things for us. I am terribly uneasy about 
 you, as we have heard nothing of you since you left to 
 go in search of Mr. Moss, and I am glad, indeed, that 
 the soldiers are going on your track. The sergeant seems 
 a most determined fellow, but very grim-looking; you 
 will be glad enough when you find yourself among them. 
 They say that if they catch hold of a bush-ranger they 
 will make short work of him, for the bush-rangers shot 
 one of the soldiers at Pitt Water, and the others arc 
 very much enraged at it. 
 
 ' I hope to Heaven that you get safe out of this affair, 
 and let the soldiers go on with it, for it is their business 
 to go after bush-rangers. However, my hope is, that the 
 soldiers may soon fall in with you, and then I do not 
 doubt you will feel safe and comfortable. William wants 
 to go with the soldiers to join you, but I have persuaded 
 him to stay with us, as he is of more use here. 
 
 " The old sergeant says he must go now. Farewell, 
 and Heaven protect you ! Pray try to come back 
 directly, as there will be plenty of people to fight with 
 the bush-rangers without you, when the soldiers join 
 your party. 
 
 '* Your affectionate and anxious 
 
 " Mary Thornley." 
 
Attack the RANaERs. 195 
 
 While I read tliis disastrous intelligence by the light 
 of the cedar-stick which the sergeant held for the 
 wounded Beresford's accommodation, preparations were 
 promptly made by the magistrate for a night attack on 
 the bush-rangers, in order to take them by surprise 
 before they could be aware of the arrival of the soldiers. 
 
 What Beresford's letter contained I had no opportu- 
 nity at that time of knowing, although I observed he 
 read it over, short as it was, very earnestly two or three 
 times, and then put it by very carefully. I was in a 
 manner stupefied for a while by the intelligence of my 
 wife's letter, and undetermined how to act. My first 
 impulse was to hasten home immediately, but that was 
 more easily said than done, for I was upwards of thirty 
 miles from home, and the country was a desolate one to 
 travel through, and difficult to cross. Besides, there 
 was reason to believe that the natives were between our 
 party and the settlements, and it was a risk of too great 
 danger to encounter them single-handed. While I was 
 hastily revolving these thoughts, the word was given 
 for volunteers to step forward for the night attack. 
 
 " We don't want any volunteers for this business," 
 said the sergeant; "you had better leave it to us, and 
 stay where you are to take care of your wounded men. 
 We are enough without you, and I warrant, if we come 
 on the rascals, we'll give a good account of them." 
 
 "Ah! Mr. Sergeant," said the magistrate, "you 
 want to have all the fun to yourselves. But I think 
 you are right this time. I think, gentlemen, we had 
 better stay where we are, and take care of our friends. 
 I will go with the soldiers, because the presence of a 
 magistrate may be useful ; and do you, Worrall, come 
 with me ; you can act as a messenger, if you're wanted." 
 
196 The Rangers Escape to an Island 
 
 They set out accordingly, and we remained by our 
 fire, keeping strict watch, however, and full of anxiety 
 for the issue of the adventure. We remained in sus- 
 pense about a couple of hours, when Worrall returned 
 and reported that they could see no signs of the bush- 
 rangers. Presently afterwards the soldiers came back, 
 and the sergeant posted some of them at intervals across 
 the neck of land, so as to prevent the bush-rangers from 
 stealing past us in the night. 
 
 " We need not be in a hurry," said the sergeant ; 
 " we have them safe, and when the daylight comes, we 
 can catch them like rats in the corner." 
 
 ''A pent rat is a dangerous animal," said Beresford. 
 
 In this position we waited till daylight ; when, leav- 
 ing the two horsemen to act as sentinels for the wounded 
 party, we all proceeded to the point where we calculated 
 the bush-rangers would be found. In this expectation, 
 however we were disappointed ; we could see no traces 
 of them. Pursuing our search, we discovered footsteps 
 at the water's edge, with the farrows made by the drag- 
 ging of pieces of dead timber from the bank to the 
 water. Some little bits of hide-rope were scattered here 
 and there, as if recently cut. 
 
 '' Depend upon it," said the experienced Worrall, 
 '' they have been watching us, and saw the arrival of 
 the soldiers, and as a last shift they have made a raft 
 of the dead timber, and floated away to the little island 
 of snakes yonder. They could easily do it, for it is not 
 above a quarter of a mile over. Anything to escape 
 hanging I" 
 
 "And how are we to follow them?" said the sergeant; 
 '' why they would pick us off like cockatoos a-roosting 
 
I START FOR HOME. 197 
 
 if we -were to approach them that way ! But they must 
 soon starve there for want of provisions. "Well, we 
 must keep a sharp lookout, and see what's to be dona 
 If we had a boat now, we could venture it, though that 
 would be a ticklish job." 
 
 ''A boat!" said I; ''why I know there's a boat hid 
 somewhere hereabouts, by a party who visited the lake 
 last year. I remember they told me it was hid at the 
 end of a neck of land like this, on the left-hand side of 
 the lake." 
 
 " In that case," said the magistrate, " it is very likely 
 to be found on that peninsula that you can see about 
 three miles oif there; at any rate we can look for it. 
 But, Thornley, you are wanting to get home, I dare say, 
 and we can do without you now. Take my horse, if you 
 like, and if you think it safe to venture, which I must 
 tell you I doubt. But of course you must be anxious to 
 get home." 
 
 "There is not much of a home left for me," said I; 
 " but I should like to get to my family as quickly as 
 possible, and if I can trust your horse I will risk it, for 
 I am not wanted here now." 
 
 " Oh, you may trust the horse ; he will take the water 
 like a duck — only give him his head ; — and you may fire 
 from his back like an arm-chair; he will stand as steady 
 as a rock." 
 
 "Well then," said I, "I'll go. So taking leave of my 
 young friend, Beresford, and bidding good-by for the 
 present to my companions, I left them to continue their 
 pursuit of the bush-rangers, and set out on my way home. 
 It would have been well for me had I remained ; but I 
 little anticipated the disasters and perils which beset me 
 
198 Am Lost in the Bush. 
 
 on this memorable journey through a difficult and deso- 
 late country. The account of the six days, however, du- 
 ring which I was lost in the bush, and the adventures 
 that befell me, must form the subject of another chap- 
 ter." 
 
Thornley sets ouf for the Clyde ; tries to make a short cut, and 
 misses his way — He is lost in the Bush. 
 
 It was at the close of the month of May, the beginning 
 of the winter season in Van Diemen's Land, that I quit- 
 ted my companions on the borders of the Great Lake, 
 and, full of sad and anxious thoughts, turned my course 
 towards home. I took care before starting to examine 
 ray double-barrel fowling-piece minutely, as well as the 
 holster pistols at the saddle ; with these four barrels and 
 my broad-sword, I considered myself a match for any 
 casual attack, as my object was to make the best of my 
 way home, and to avoid any encounter, either with bush- 
 rangers or natives. Besides, as the distance from the 
 Clyde was not much more than thirty miles, and my 
 horse was good, I calculated, that although part of the 
 country was hilly and difficult, and that I had lost some 
 hours of the morning light before I set out, I could reach 
 home before the end of the night. 
 
 o 
 
 Hector, who had watched me very closely all the morn- 
 ing, and had seemed particularly inquisitive as to what I 
 was about, of course accompanied me, and Fly accom- 
 panied him. In this fashion I travelled on, nothing 
 doubting that my journey, dull and solitary as it was, 
 would come to its natural termination after the usual 
 fatigue ; but I little guessed what was in store for me. 
 
 I had gone about three or four miles, when I came to 
 
 (199) 
 
200 Try to Make a Short Cut. 
 
 the foot of a sharp hill, part of an irregular tier of hills, 
 stretching from the lake to the south-east. When I had 
 come down this descent with my companions, in pursuit 
 of the hush-rangers, I had not particularly remarked ita 
 steepness, but as I stood at its base, and in a manner 
 under it, I felt a strong desire to avoid the task of climb- 
 ing up the height, and I cast my eyes about to see if 
 there was any break in the tier that presented the pros- 
 pect of a less difficult assent. 
 
 I observed to the right a hollow which promised an 
 easier passage, and as I had always strongly in my 
 mind, that it was no farther to go round a hill, than to go 
 over it, I turned my horse's head, without a hesitation, 
 in that direction. When I reached the hollow, however, 
 it proved delusive, and I found myself in a sort of bay 
 surrounded by hills, not very high, but very steep. 
 Still, full of the desire to avoid climbing a hill at the 
 beginning of a journey, and having a sort of lazy dis- 
 inclination to dismount, I continued my way somewhat 
 farther to the right, expecting to find the outlet that I 
 wanted. 
 
 In this way I was led to try several tempting valleys, 
 which all ended like the first, in disappointment. Vexed 
 at the loss of distance and the loss of time which these 
 attempts cost me, I determined to be bafiled no longer, 
 and dismounting at the foot of a high hill, I proceeded 
 to climb to the top, leading my horse by the bridle. 
 When I reached the summit, I flattered myself that I was 
 rewarded for my labour by the discovery of a valley 
 which stretched to some distance, and by which, it 
 seemed, I should be able to escape the fatigue of the 
 continual ascents and descents which I should have had 
 
Get Lost. 201 
 
 to surmount by pursuing the original track to the left. 
 I never doubted but I should be able to find my way to 
 the Clyde by some way or other, for the thought of 
 being lost in the bush, and on horseback too, never oc- 
 curred to me. 
 
 I cantered pleasantly down this valley, which, with oc- 
 casional windings, and one or two gentle ascents, con- 
 tinued for five or six miles, when I was suddenly brought 
 to a stand-still by finding myself in the same difficulty 
 as before, the valley ending in a little deep bay sur- 
 rounded by steep hills. " Well," thought I, '' as I have 
 come so far, I am not going to be stopped by a hill now 
 though it is a tough one, and at any rate I have had an 
 easy five miles through the valley." 
 
 So without stopping to think more on it, I got off my 
 horse, and leading him by the end of the bridle, I scram- 
 bled up the hills. It was a very sharp climb, and when 
 I got to the top, the prospect was rather discouraging. 
 A succession of hills was before me, like the waves of a 
 troubled sea suddenly solidified. The hills looked like 
 gigantic waves. "Hills or plains," thought I, " I must 
 get through you; I can't miss the ' lie' of the country; 
 and so long as I pursue the right direction, I must come 
 to the end of my journey at last." So I worked my way 
 on, sometimes riding, sometimes walking, but imbed- 
 ding myself more and more among the intricacies of the 
 hills. 
 
 At last I got tired of this work, and my horse began 
 to be tired too, so at the bottom of one of these punch- 
 bowls I sat down to rest myself; Hector and Fly lay 
 down beside me, and my poor horse, with his head hang- 
 ing down, looked very doleful. By this time the day 
 
202 Worse and "Worse. 
 
 had become overcast with a sort of mist, so that I could 
 not see the sun, and the valley in which I was resting 
 looked very gloomy indeed. "I don't like this/' said 
 I; "but I must have another try at it." 
 
 I took off my horse's saddle, and gave him a rub down, 
 and cooled his back a bit; then I set myself to consider 
 the dij-cction of the Clyde. I was puzzled ; and I be- 
 gan to feel that uneasy sensation which besets one who 
 has lost his way. But my head was cool ; and after cal- 
 culating as well as I could the turnings and windings by 
 which I had reached the present spot, I decided on 
 making my way right across the tier to my left. Pat- 
 ting my horse, and speaking to Hector and Fly encourag- 
 ingly, I set at the hill boldly. 
 
 I found this climb more difficult than any of the pre- 
 vious ascents; and when I had finished it, fiigged as I 
 was, it quite chilled me when I found that I was no 
 better off than before ; nothing but hills upon hills, as 
 far as the misty atmosphere would allow the eye to pene- 
 trate. This was very vexatious, and I began to feel a 
 strange trouble come over me. But I never was one to 
 stand still and despond ; so plucking up heart, I plunged 
 down the hill, and found myself in a valley similar to 
 the last, but with the disagreeable accompaniment of 
 a multitude of stones and pieces of rock impeding the 
 path. 
 
 ''Worse and worse," said I; "but rocks or no rocks, 
 I must get home." 
 
 I skirted this impassable way to the right for about a 
 mile, till I came to a point which presented a favourable 
 opening. I still kept, or thought I kept, the right di- 
 rection ; I followed it, therefore, leading my horse, and 
 
My Horse Becomes Lame. 203 
 
 getting over the occasional rocky parts as well as I could. 
 I had now another hill to cross, but free, to my great 
 joy, from stones. I got on my horse, for I was sadly 
 tired, vexation of mind increasing the fatigue of body. 
 
 I had not proceeded many steps when I found one of 
 the horse's legs failing him, and presently, setting his foot 
 on the sharp top of a projecting stone, his leg bent under 
 him, and he stumbled, and almost fell down. I was off 
 in a moment, and with his foot in my hand. The mis- 
 chief was plain ; he had cast a shoe ! I remember to 
 this day the odd pang that shot through me as I contem- 
 plated this disaster. My difficulty was great enough 
 with the aid of a horse, but without it, it was an awk- 
 ward one indeed. Nay; it was worse than being without 
 one, for I now had to lead a lame horse up hill and 
 down hill, to my great fatigue and encumbrance. I held 
 his foot in my hand for some time, I do believe for more 
 than a minute or two, gazing at it, as if by looking and 
 looking I could remedy the loss. 
 
 When I put down his leg, I stood for some time with 
 my hand on his shoulder, and in a manner stupefied by 
 the disaster. He was dead lame. I tried to lead him 
 on, but it was with great difficulty that I could pull him 
 after me. It then struck me that I might find his shoe 
 by searching for it, and that by some means I should be 
 able to put it on again, so as to answer as a temporary 
 shift. Leaving the poor horse standing still, with his 
 near foreleg bent listlessly, I tried to track the way by 
 which we had come; but this I found no easy matter, 
 and it consumed a great deal of time. I succeeded 
 however, in finding the shoe, which had been torn off 
 among the rocks over which v>'e had recently passed. 
 
*204 A Lonely Night. 
 
 The recovery of the shoe quite lightened my heart, and 
 I strode back to the horse with some glee, with my trea- 
 sure. It was in vain, however, that I tried every ima- 
 ginable scheme to replace the shoe. I tried to bind it 
 on with my handkerchief, but that was an idle attempt. 
 So there I was with a lame horse in a dead fix. 
 
 In the meantime the shades of evening began to close 
 in upon me, and I felt weary and hungry. Having no 
 fear of the horse's straying suddenly, I took off his sad- 
 dle and bridle, and fastened the holster pistols round my 
 waist with my handkerchief. He presently began to 
 feed, and that pleased me. But what was I to do ? To 
 drag him after me in his lame state was an impossible 
 task, and I could not at once make up my mind to leave 
 him. " At any rate," I thought, " I will try the chance 
 of a night's rest; that may restore him sufficiently, 
 perhaps, to take me home." 
 
 So I set about establishing myself for the night, and 
 as I was used to bush expeditions, I soon made myself 
 tolerably comfortable. There was the kangaroo rug for 
 my bed and covering, and the saddle for a pillow, and 
 that was luxurious accommodation for the bush. I 
 wished to go after a kangaroo, but I was too tired, and 
 it was getting too dark for that sport. 
 
 I looked for water, and fortunately found a little 
 spring running over a shelving rock at no great distance. 
 I took a good drink of it, and then tried to get the 
 horse to it, but it would have been too loag a job ; so I 
 filled my hat, and by that means contrived to give him 
 a drink too. I then kindled a fire, by flashing some 
 loose powder in the pan of one of the pistols, and lighted 
 a piece of charred punk, which is as good for the pur- 
 
Awakened by the Cold. 205 
 
 pose as the G-ermau tiuder wliicli lias been brought to 
 the colony by some settlers. Sitting down by my fire, I 
 proceeded to eat my supper in great state, the kangaroo 
 rug forming a comfortable carpet, and the saddle a rest- 
 ing-place for my elbow. 
 
 The fire burned briskly and cheerfully, and I discussed 
 a huge piece of damper with considerable relish. As I 
 did not expect to be out in the bush another night, I 
 was rather lavish with my provision, and Hector and 
 Fly came in for a more than liberal share of the supper. 
 I confess I felt as if I wanted something more, and I 
 was vexed to lose a night, and to have to pass it in the 
 bush unnecessarily ; but there was no help for it, so I 
 prepared myself for a sleep. 
 
 With my pistols in my belt, and my fowling-piece 
 alongside of me, I rolled myself up in the kangaroo 
 rug, my feet towards the fire, and my head resting on 
 the saddle for a pillow. Hector nestled himself close to 
 my head, and feeling secure against any sudden surprise 
 with my faithful dog watching me, overpowered with 
 fatigue I soon fell asleep. 
 
 I slept for some hours, and was awakened by the cold 
 air of the early morning. The sharpest time of the 
 twenty-four hours in Van Diemen's Land is just before 
 sunrise, and as it was now the beginning of winter, I 
 felt the frosty air very disagreeable. It was still dark, 
 and the fire was quite out. Not liking to stumble about 
 in tne dark after fire-wood, and expecting that the morn- 
 ing would break in about an hour or so, I unrolled my- 
 self from my rug, and kept myself warm by walking, 
 taking short seaman's turns backwards and forwards. 
 
 The time seemed very long before daylight came, but 
 
206 Take a Farewell or My Horse. 
 
 as the longest night must at last come to an end, so did 
 .nis, and my sight was gladdened by the coming light, 
 but the morning was very foggy. From this foggy state 
 of the atmosphere I was inclined to suspect that I was 
 in the vicinity of some lake, but how I could have 
 wandered back to the Great Lake, if I had done so, it 
 puzzled me to make out. The hazy state of the 
 weather, however, was a serious evil, as it prevented me 
 from seeing the sun, and deprived me of that guide to 
 my course. 
 
 When it was light enough, I looked eagerly round for 
 the horse, and saw him close to the spot where I had 
 left him the previous night. I went np to hira and 
 examined him 3 he was in a pitiable condition indeed j 
 his foot was swelled frightfully, and it was plain that it 
 was quite out of the question to hope that he could 
 carry me, for he could not even carry himself beyond a 
 few steps on his three tottering legs. 
 
 Well, this was a bad job; but I had my own legs to 
 carry me, and they had never failed me yet; it would 
 take more time for me to get home, certainly, but I had 
 not the slightest apprehension of being able to reach 
 it. So, as there was no help for it, I was obliged to 
 abandon the poor horse to his fate ; his saddle and bridle 
 I placed under a shelving rock, and I marked the place 
 in my mind by taking various bearings, so that I might 
 know it again. 
 
 Having done this, and having patted the horse as a 
 sort of farewell — the creature seemed to look beseech 
 ingly at me not to leave him — I set about considering 
 the direction in which I should proceed- I felt rather 
 sharp-set, the damper having become digested with pro- 
 
Travel without Breakfast. 207 
 
 yoking rapidity, but as I had nothing to eat, I was 
 obliged to do (I used to say to my boysj as the King 
 of Prussia did when he had no bread — I went without 
 
 I decided on the direction at once, my mind being still 
 clear, and I tramped on lustily up hill and down dale for 
 about ten miles, when I found myself becoming tu-ed, 
 and still embosomed, to my great perplexity, in the midst 
 of these eternal hills. At last I got angry at my situa- 
 tion — my head became confused — I grew distrustful of 
 myself and of my judgment, and I felt myself rapidly 
 losing all sense and power of deciding on any direction 
 as the right one. 
 
 My head, however, did not yet give way ; I had still 
 "sufficient self-possession to be aware of the danger of 
 suffering my mind to lapse into the perilous state of fear 
 and indecision in the bush, and I thought if I could get 
 some food, the restoration of the body' s strength might 
 help to keep the mind in its equilibrium. I looked out, 
 therefore, for something to shoot ; but in that desolate 
 place I could not spy a single bird of any description. 
 
 I thought I would try what the dogs could do. I looked 
 narrowly about for some distance around, but could see 
 DO trace of a kangaroo. I thought I would try, however, 
 — so summoning up my spirits, and assuming a cheerful 
 tone, I bid the dogs " go hunt !" To my great and most 
 pleasurable surprise, they immediately began to hunt in 
 circles around me, till the wideness of their range with- 
 drew them from my' sight. I flattered myself, by their 
 not returning, that they had got scent, and I remained 
 very anxiously at the spot where they had left me for 
 more than two hours. 
 
 During this time, a fear came t)ver me that the dogs 
 
20h My Dogs find Gajie. 
 
 might leave me, and that I should lose the help of their 
 ■vratchfulness and instinct in the bush ; but this fear was 
 an injustice to their fidelity, for at the end of the time 
 they returned looking sorely jaded, but with the marks 
 on their mouths of having killed their game. 
 
 My two hours' rest had refreshed me, and it was with 
 a joyful and eager voice, partly prompted by an exceed- 
 ingly sharp appetite, and partly by the instinctive de- 
 light of a huntsman at success, that I bid them " go 
 show !" They trotted on, and I aft-er them, and a weary 
 way they led me. Right over the steepest hills and down 
 the sharpest precipices, without once stopping or swerv- 
 ing from their line, they took me over seven or eight miles 
 of the severest country that I ever travelled over before 
 or since. Several times I thought I should have been 
 obliged to give in, but hunger is a fierce prompter, and 
 I knew there was killed game at the end, and at length 
 I reached it. 
 
 Even the dogs were tired ; I sat down for a while, for 
 I was dead beat, and I felt faintish. The sight of the 
 kangaroo, however, was a restorative. I soon cut him 
 up, and gave the dogs a meal; and then I kindled a fire, 
 and was not very particular about the cookery, I assui-e 
 you. I cut ofi" slices from the loin, the tenderest part of 
 the animal and the bush-ranger's tid-bit, and throwing 
 them on the glowing embers, ate my vension stakes hot 
 and hot without waiting for salt or seasoning. 
 
 I left oif, because I could not cat any more, and then 
 I began to think, What was I to do ? I had now got into 
 a part, still among steep hills, where I had lost absolutely 
 all idea of which way I had come, or which way I ought 
 to go. I was besides very tired, and my feet and limbs 
 
More and more Lost. 209 
 
 were getting tender from scrambling over stony ground, 
 and over rocks and precipices. 
 
 I felt too much fatigued to encounter more wandering 
 that day, for the evening was coming on ; — so I made 
 the best of it. I missed my kangaroo rug and saddle for 
 blanket and pillow, but I lighted up a good fire, and 
 sometimes lying down, and sometimes walking about to 
 prevent the night air from benumbing me, and occasion- 
 ally having d, peg at the kangaroo, making capital broils, 
 I contrived to get through the night without losing my 
 spirits. 
 
 When daylight came I cut off from the kangaroo as 
 much flesh as I could carry, and then looking out for the 
 highest hill in my vicinity, I ascended it, and endeavoured 
 to make out where I was, and which was my proper 
 course. I could see nothing but hills, like the vast and 
 tumultuous waves of a troubled sea. The atmosphere 
 was still misty, and I could not, therefore, help myself 
 by observing the position of the sun. I tried to put the 
 instinct of the dogs into exercise, and I spoke angrily to 
 Hector, and bid him "go home." 
 
 The dog crouched, and obeyed reluctantly 5 when he 
 had got fifty yards or so I called him back, and then 
 taking the bearings of different points I pursued the line 
 which Hector had taken, hoping it was in the direction 
 towards home, or to some inhabited place to which the 
 instinct of the animal had prompted him. Cherishing 
 this hope, I proceeded in this course for many miles, but 
 over a dreadfully fatiguing country, but still without ex- 
 tricating myself from my embarrassing entanglement in 
 those perplexing and confusing hills. 
 
 It was now beyond mid-day, and I sat down to rest 
 14 
 
210 Meet with an Eagle. 
 
 myself, and, kindling a fire, dined heartily on the flesli 
 of the kangaroo which I carried with me, taking care to 
 feed the dogs well, that hunger might not tempt them to 
 stray from me. Having so refreshed myself, I earn- 
 estly bent all my faculties to discover whereabouts I 
 could be, and which was tie proper course to pursue. 
 In my difficulty and anxiety, I thought the best thing to 
 do was to try to discover my own track, which I hoped 
 the tread >f the horse's feet would leave sufficiently plain, 
 and so find my way back to the point from which I had 
 first deviated, when I sought for an easier passage across 
 the tier, on leaving the Great Lake. 
 
 This I knew would be a tedious journey, but it seemed 
 my only resource. I set about it, therefore, with all the 
 coolness and vigilance which I could summon up, and 
 choosing a direction which I judged would lead me across 
 my own track, I set diligently to work. But all my ef- 
 forts were in vain. Each succeeding mile seemed only 
 to plunge me deeper and deeper into the recesses and 
 mysteries of the woods. 
 
 At the close of day, when the light began to fail 
 me, I found myself at the foot of a rocky and scraggy 
 mountain, at the base of which was a black and stag- 
 nant-looking pool. An eagle arose from the margin of 
 the water as I approached, and slowly soared to the sum- 
 mit of the mountain. There were no trees near this 
 spot, nothing but a few ragged and stunted bushes. It 
 was the very picture of loneliness and desolation. Its 
 gloomy and fearful aspect struck a chill into my very 
 soul, and the coming darkness helped to fill my now 
 weakened mind with all sorts of superstitious fears. 
 
 I held my fowling-piece in my hand for a considerable 
 
Fairly Lost in the Bush. 211 
 
 time, with a vague sort of apprehension of danger from 
 I knew not what. At hist I roused myself up sufficiently 
 to light a fii-e, which was a difficult matter, so scanty 
 was the fuel in that barren place. I contrived to kindle 
 one, however ; but its faint light seemed to multiply my 
 terrors, and to aggravate the feeling of loneliness and 
 desolation around me. 
 
 I felt that I was rapidly falling into that state of mind 
 of which I had heard, but which I had never experienced 
 — the confusion of intellect, and the deprivation of the 
 power of judging, causing the peculiar aberration of mind 
 which seizes on those who feel the terrible conviction of 
 being " lost in the bush I" I was now lost in the bush ! 
 That calamity, however, frightful as it was — with my 
 body enfeebled, and my mind wandering — was not the 
 worst evil that was to befall me. But I must pause 
 here, and recover myself before I attempt to describe the 
 horrible fate that awaited me in the desolate wild of 
 the dismal bush. 
 
Cljnpttr (BigijtBButlj. 
 
 Is threatened by Eagles — His sufferings — The Magnetic Needle — 
 The Dogs give notice of the Natives — Their attack — His fight 
 single-handed with the Savages. 
 
 I SHALL never forget my sufferings on tliat wretclied 
 night. It was piercingly cold, as the nights usually are 
 in the month of June in Van Diemen's Land, and it 
 was with the greatest difficulty that I could contrive, by 
 incessant motion, to prevent my limbs from becoming 
 benumbed. 
 
 The thoughts of my family, of my ruined farm, and of 
 the disasters which seemed to thicken on me, with the 
 dreadful feeling of my present state of helplessness, 
 almost maddened me. At last, towards morning, I sat 
 dbwn by the fire, and from mere exhaustion fell asleep. 
 
 I was soon awakened by the nipping cold of the early 
 morning. My sleep, however, short as it was, served to 
 calm me. I began coolly to reflect on my position. " I 
 certainly was lost in the bush ; but was there no way out 
 of the difficulty ? If I continued in a straight line in any 
 one direction, I must at last come to some stream, or 
 perhaps to some stock-hut, or to some known point, 
 which would be the means of recovering my way; — the 
 great danger to be avoided was straying to the west, in 
 which direction there were neither settlements nor stock- 
 yard stations, and nothing but the wild and untrodden 
 bush between me and the sea. If I could keep an east- 
 (212) 
 
Strength and Spirits Kestored. 213 
 
 ward course, I must at last arrive at some broad track, 
 and certainly at the higli road across the island." 
 
 Such were my thoughts. I tried, therefore, to observe 
 tbe rising sun, but the fogginess of the morning was too 
 great to allow me to do more than ascertain the point 
 from which light seemed to come. That was some help, 
 however; so, summoning up my strength, and endea- 
 vouring to preserve the coolness of mind necessary to en- 
 able me to keep a straight course, I set out. 
 
 But I had not proceeded many miles before the same 
 doubt, and confusion, and indecision of mind, which I had 
 experienced the day before, again seized on me. When I 
 perceived this fit coming on, I immediately paused and 
 lighted a fire. While I was lighting it, a kangaroo 
 hopped into sight ; the dogs pulled it down in less than a 
 couple of minutes, not a hundred yards from the fire. 
 This I looked on as a good omen, and it reassured me. 
 I made a good bush meal, and felt my strength some- 
 what restored. 
 
 It was now past mid-day, and I again set myself earn- 
 estly to consider the right direction. There was a bar- 
 ren hill to my right, very steep, and without trees to ob- 
 struct the view. I determined to climb up it, in order 
 to get a better prospect of the country around, and with 
 that view I looked about for a stick to use as a walking 
 staff. I soon found a young sapling fit for my purpose, 
 and having provided myself with this help, I buckled my 
 gun behind me, that my hands might be at liberty T 
 then climbed, with a good deal of scrambling, to the top 
 of the hill. 
 
 Having gained the top, I proceeded to examine the 
 country around mo very carefully, hoping that I might 
 
214 Attacked by Eaoles. 
 
 catch sight of some point, or high hill, or particular tree, 
 by which I might learn my present position. 
 
 I was anxiously engaged in this manner, and quite ab- 
 sorbed by my anxious survey, when suddenly there was 
 an obscuring of the light above my head. I raised up my 
 eyes to ascertain the cause of it, when, to my exceeding 
 terror, I beheld one of the largest of the eagles of those 
 regions poising itself on its wings not twenty yards 
 above my head, and in the attitude of pouncing down 
 on me. 
 
 I had more than once witnessed the attack of an eagle 
 on a sheep, which is by fixing its claws on the body of 
 the animal, and digging out its eyes with its beak; the 
 sheep then becomes an easy prey. The thought of this 
 horrible fate made me instantly put my hands over my 
 eyes, so imminent was the danger, and so great was my 
 fright. I fancied I heard the flapping of the creature's 
 wings, and in a sort of despair I whirled the stick which 
 I held in my hand over my head to ward off the expected 
 attack. 
 
 Looking up at the same moment, I perceived a second 
 eagle who had joined the first, and they now flew in rapid 
 circles just above me. I guessed at once that I had ap- 
 proached the spot where they were accustomed to build 
 their nest, and that they were angry at the intrusion. I 
 slipped my fowling-piece from my back, and fired both 
 barrels, first at one and then at the other. They uttered 
 a fierce scream, but did not leave ms. 
 
 I did not wait any longer, but ran helter-skelter down 
 the hill, making more than one summerset before I got 
 to the bottom. Luckily, however, my gun escaped any 
 damage in this scrambling tumble ; and although I felt a 
 
Further Sufferings. 215 
 
 good deal bruised, I lost no time in reloading it, and then 
 I felt secure. The peril to which I had been exposed 
 shook me a great deal, and I sat down at the foot of the 
 hill in a very disconsolate mood, feeling that my nerve 
 was giving away under the terrors of being lost in the 
 bush, for at any other time I fancy I should have been 
 glad of the opportunity of getting such a good shot at 
 an eagle, and particularly of getting a sight of their 
 haunts. 
 
 This thought made me very sad ; but I still kept up 
 my spirits, and my bodily strength was not yet subdued. 
 I was well armed, and had my faithful dogs with me, and 
 another effort might bring me to some known track. 
 Again, therefore, I braced myself up to the task, and 
 choosing a direction which, according to my judgment, 
 led eastward, I determined to make a vigorous effort. My 
 efforts, however, were all in vain, and the fourth night 
 found me still an almost hopeless wanderer. 
 
 The fifth day passed in the same wearisome endeavours. 
 My strength now began to fail me; not so much, I think, 
 from bodily fatigue, as from the exhausting operation of 
 anxiety of mind and uncertainty of direction. Towards 
 the close of the evening I arrived, at dusk, at the foot of 
 a rocky hiU. The dogs were uneasy, and whined a good 
 deal, but I set it down to their sj-mpathising with my own 
 appearance of sorrow and dejection. 
 
 I had scarcely strength to raise a fire and broil some 
 of the flesh of the kangaroo which I carried with me. I 
 had no water, and in the dark I could not discover any. 
 A sort of numbness of the mind had now come over me ; 
 a leaden feeling of cold despair. In my strange frenzy, 
 I fancied I must have wandered towards the western coast, 
 
216 Repair my Clothes. 
 
 for I could not otherwise account for my not being ablo 
 to discover some track or point known to me. 
 
 Tn this state I lay down by the side of the fire in a state 
 of complete bodily and mental exhaustion. My dogs 
 crouched close to me, and I fell asleep. I awoke once in 
 the night with a feeling of cold ; I replenished the fire 
 with some large fuel, and slept again. 
 
 I must have slept soundly ; for in spite of the cold, 
 and of the thirst which was on me, I did not wake till 
 the light roused me. It was a glorious morning; very 
 cold, but the air was clear and bright. I tried to get up, 
 but found my limbs so benumbed that I could hardly 
 move. I contrived, as I lay on the ground, to push with 
 with my feet the loose pieces of dead timber about to 
 the fire, which was still faintly burning. Presently 
 there was a good blaze, and the warmth restored me a 
 little. I continued to heap dead wood on till I made a 
 complete bonfire. 
 
 This exertion and the heat of the blaze revived me 
 completely, and once more I endeavoured to rouse my- 
 self to the labour of fresh exploring in the bush. This 
 was the morning of the sixth day. 
 
 Casting my eyes about me, I saw, not far ofi", a; sort of 
 natural basin hollowed out in a rock, about a foot deep, 
 and as clear as crystal. Feverish with thirst, I took 
 a good drink, but the water was very cold. I then sat 
 down beside it to consider what I should do. 
 
 In my tumble down the hill I had torn off the strap of 
 one of my leather gaiters, and its looseness was an an- 
 noyance to me in walking. As I always carried a house- 
 wife with me in my bush expeditions, I thought I would 
 spend a few minutes in sewing on the strap again ; so I 
 
The Magnetic Needle 217 
 
 undid the case, aud placed it by the side of tne rocky 
 basin. I took out a needle, and with my arms resting 
 on the side of the basin, proceeded to thread it, when it 
 slipped through my fingers and fell into the water be- 
 neath; but instead of sinking, it floated on the top. 
 
 I was struck with this circumstance, and admired how 
 the needle floated at the top of the water, when I observed 
 it slowly to turn half-way round, and then remain sta- 
 tionary. It instantly occurred to me that the needle had 
 become magnetized, and I remembered that, some weeks 
 ago, my youngest daughter had been amusing herself with 
 a magnet and the needles in this case. I tried it again ; 
 taking the needle from the water, I rubbed it di-y and 
 clean, and then holding it parallel to the surface of the 
 water, I let it drop; it floated, and turned itself slowly 
 to the same point as before. 
 
 I was full of joy at this discovery, as I nov',- had the 
 means of ascertaining the points of the compass, and my 
 confidence in myself returned. "Without leasing any 
 time, I prepared for another start. I breakfasted gaily 
 on some of the kangaroo steak that remained, and talk- 
 ing to my dogs, proceeded on my way. I had not gone 
 far, however, when I perceived by the dogs' significant 
 signs that there was something in the wind. It was not 
 a kangaroo, that was certain ; but I flattered myself that 
 we were approaching some human habitation, and that 
 the sagacity of the hound had detected its vicinity. I 
 spoke to him, therefore, and encouraged him to look 
 about him, but the dog exhibited a strange reluctance 
 to leave me, and presently began to whine in the man- 
 ner which I knew indicated his scent of the natives. 
 
 Broken down as I was with excessive fatigue and 
 
218 Hectou Discovers Natives! 
 
 anxiety, I confess that this apprehension almost over- 
 powered me ; a tremulous fear possessed me ; my limbs 
 for a while refused to move ; my sight became clouded, 
 and a cold sweat came over me. This was my sixth day 
 of wandering and privation in the bush, and where I 
 was, or how far from home, was unknown to me. I sat 
 down on the log of a tree, and tried to rally my fleeting 
 spirits. I thought of my wife, of my children — of my 
 home, or rather the spot where my home once was — and 
 made a powerful effort to recover my coolness of mind, 
 and to summon up my courage. " After all, it might 
 not be the natives ; the dog might be mistaken, or they 
 might have passed away." 
 
 I ti'ied to delude myself with these hopes, but a glance 
 at the dog was sufficient to convince me that the natives 
 were near. Hector was v ry uneasy; he whined, and 
 licked my face, and exhibited signs of fear too ex- 
 pressive to be mistaken. 
 
 With this horrible conviction on my mind that a 
 deadly struggle for life must soon take place, the very 
 extremity of my danger, and the force of my fear 
 caused a reaction in my frame. I nerved myself up 
 with a sort of terrible despau-. I looked around, but 
 as yet saw no signs of my dreaded enemies. 
 
 I examined the two barrels of my fowling-piece, and 
 assured myself that the charges in them and in my pistols 
 were unshaken. I carefully inspected the pans, probed 
 all the touch-holes, and felt that the flints were firmly 
 fixed and clean, and dry at their edges. Then I looked 
 at my powder-horn, and calculated how many charges it 
 would supply to me. I had a little bag of bullets with 
 me; these I placed loose in a convenient pocket, 
 
Find My Broadsword. 219 
 
 All the -while I -was searching the bush with my eyes 
 on every side. No signs of the natives ! I began to 
 indulge in the hope that after all it was a false alarm, 
 and again I proceeded on my way, but slowly and warily. 
 I had gone about two miles, when I came to a spot which 
 I thou"-ht was familiar to me. Looking about, I recog- 
 nised the place where I had stopped five nights before 
 with my lame horse j the horse had disappeared — per- 
 haps strayed away — but I saw on the ground my old 
 broadsword which I had left there as an encumbrance to 
 my walking. 
 
 Full of fears of the natives, I greeted this weapon as 
 an old friend, and seized on it eagerly. I felt more se- 
 cure with this additional means of defence, and drawing 
 it from its sheath, which I cast on the ground, I carried 
 the sword in my hand. I had scarcely resumed my jour- 
 ney, when Hector began to growl and whine in a way 
 which put me on my guard. 
 
 As my object is to record all the emotions of my mind 
 during this time of my being lost in the bush, and ex- 
 posed to the new peril which I am describing, I must not 
 forget to tell that the unexpected recovery of my broad- 
 sword produced a strange revolution in my mind and 
 feelings. I recovered from the extreme depression of 
 spirits which had weighed me down and deprived me of 
 aU hope and courage, and I now felt a full confidence that 
 I was a match for the natives, and that I should be able 
 to keep them at bay. 
 
 Perhaps the restoration of mind caused by the acci- 
 dental discovery of the magnetic needle on the water, 
 and the confidence of the right direction which that dis- 
 covery produced, helped to restore my coolness and cou- 
 
220 Natives Attack Me. 
 
 rage. However, without more philosophising on that 
 point, I will proceed to describe my fight with the na- 
 tives. 
 
 Fight or no fight, I thought that the best thing I could 
 do was to make progress onwards to the east with all the 
 speed that my strength would allow. I strode on, there- 
 fore, towards a gentle acclivity, beyond which there 
 seemed to be some clear ground, as the light was strong 
 beyond it. 
 
 I was in a valley about a quarter of a mile broad, clear 
 of trees, with a rise on each side of me thickly wooded. I 
 ascended the acclivity, and was cheered with the prospect 
 of a more open country, and with a scenery which seemed 
 not unknown to me. 
 
 Turning back to look at the ground which I had passed 
 over, and to take the bearings for my straight progress, I 
 thought I detected on my left hand through the trees, 
 the glimmering of a faint light. I was quite cool, and 
 fully prepared for a conflict, but as may be supposed, I 
 had no desire to seek it. Knowing the importance, how- 
 ever, of not being taken unawares, I stood still for a few 
 minutes; but I saw no more of the light. 
 
 This light, I have no doubt, was caused by the two 
 pieces of lighted stick which the natives carry about with 
 them to light their fire. They have discovered, by some 
 accident, that two pieces of lighted stick, or charcoal, 
 crossed and in contact, will keep alight ; whereas a single 
 piece would soon become extinguished. The settlers have 
 borrowed this hint from the natives. 
 
 I had turned round to proceed on my way, when my 
 steps were arrested by a spear which passed by me to the 
 right, and stuck in the ground. ''Oh, oh \" thought I, 
 
I Keep Cool. 221 
 
 " the fun is about to begin, is it ? "Well, I have four 
 barrels for you, my beauties; two long shots and two 
 close ones, besides my broadsword for a tussle." 
 
 I am surprised, when I look back, at my extraordinary 
 coolness ; but it was so. I did not fire, for I did not like 
 to lose a shot, but suspending my broadsword by its 
 leather to my left wrist, I held my piece ready. I was 
 in a tolerably favourable position, on the top of a low 
 green hill, so that I could see all around me, and I kept 
 a sharp look-out, I can assure you, for I did not know 
 from which quarter the attack might come. 
 
 I atrain turned round and proceeded a few steps, when 
 another spear came close to me. I did not care much for 
 their spears so long as they were cast from a distance, as 
 they do not inflict any dangerous damage unless they are 
 within forty yards or so; but this second spear was an in- 
 dication of a determination to attack me, and it showed 
 that I was watched, and that the natives were ready to 
 take me at a disadvantage. 
 
 How many there might be I had no means of know- 
 ing, but I took it for granted it was one of their wander- 
 ing mobs, consisting of about twenty persons, men, 
 women, and children. I gazed earnestly in the direc- 
 tion whence the spear had come, but I could see nothing; 
 the trees were about eighty or a hundred yards distant 
 from me. 
 
 While I was looking, a native showed himself, and 
 running a little way towards the spot where I stood, 
 cast a womera at me. I had never witnessed the casting 
 of this curious native weapon in a hostile manner before, 
 and having had that satisfaction, I certainly have no 
 
222 Disabled! 
 
 curiosity to see it cast in that manner again. Tlie 
 womera would have struck me if I had not skipped aside 
 in time, and as it was it was only by a hair's breadth 
 that I avoided it. 
 
 Almost before I could take aim at the native, the 
 womera, skimming through the air, returned to the spot 
 from which the native had cast it. I was unwilling to 
 fire without a positive necessity, and I refrained from 
 drawing the trigger, though I still kept my piece in the 
 position of taking aim. 
 
 The native picked up his womera, and without wait- 
 ing cast it at me again. I saw it whirling towards me 
 with great velocity, and in an instant afterwards I felt 
 myself struck with considerable violence on my left leg, 
 which, at the moment, I thought it had broken. The 
 shock brought me on one knee to the ground. The 
 native gave a cry of exultation, and I immediately fired 
 at him. The discharge of my piece was a signal for a 
 rush from the whole body ; about a dozen of them sud- 
 denly shot out from among the trees, and with wild and 
 terrific shouts, rushed towards me. 
 
 Supposing that I was defenceless after the discharge 
 of my gun, they came on swiftly, boldly brandishing 
 their waddies in the air, with the intent of shortly exer- 
 cising them on my unfortunate skull. I did not lose 
 my presence of mind, but remaining on one knee, I fired 
 off my second barrel, and hit the foremost man. 
 
 The second discharge puzzled them, and they halted 
 not knowing what to make of a gun that could fire 
 twice without being loaded. Seeing them hesitating, ] 
 drew one of my horse-pistols, and treated them with 
 
A Halt in tue Attack 223 
 
 another shot ; this completed their dismay, and they all 
 scampered off as fast as they came, behind the shelter 
 of the trees. 
 
 I lost no time in reloading my three barrels, and stood 
 on my guard again. Hector and Fly were of no use to me j 
 they were afraid of the naked savages. After waiting 
 in my posture of defence for some minutes, I thought 
 I might venture to make a move away from them, as I 
 had given them a taste of what I could do: but on 
 attempting to walk, I found that the blow of the womera 
 had been so sevei-e, that it had almost deprived me of 
 the use of my leg. I limped on, however, as well as I 
 could, deeming any advance homewards a gain. 
 
 I picked up the womcra and carried it away with me. 
 It was in the shape of a half circle, with a peculiarity 
 of make which must be seen to be understood, but of 
 the efficiency of which I had received a sharp illustra- 
 tion. 
 
 The natives seeing me bear away the womera, which 
 is a scarce weapon among them, and much prized, and 
 observing by my limping that I was wounded, raised a 
 loud cry of anger and triumph, which sounded in my 
 ears very disagreeably, as it betokened an inclination 
 on their part to continue a conflict which I should have 
 been very glad to avoid, though still without fear as to 
 the result, if I could hold out long enough. 
 
 Had I been aware that th,e fierce and vindictive Syd- 
 ney Black, known by the name of Musqueeto, was 
 among them, my confidence would have been consider- 
 ably abated ; bat the worst was to come, and the fight 
 presently began to assume a more serious air than I had 
 calculated on. 
 
224 See next Chapter! 
 
 The terrible extremity, however, -which I have to tell 
 of is of a nature so horrible and appalling, that I can- 
 not summon up spirits to enter on it to day ; my mhid 
 sickens and revolts at the recollection of its horrors. 
 The description of that fearful trial must form the subject 
 of a separate chapter of my eventful history. 
 
(^jjitjittr jiiintlrriitfi. 
 
 Takes refuge in a deserted Hut— The Natives besiege him, and set 
 fire to the Roof— His Escape— He climbs into a Tree— The Xd,- 
 tives set fire to it— Death seems certain— His Rescue. 
 
 The day was clear and bright, and though the early 
 time of June is the beginning of winter in Van Diemen's 
 Land, the beams of the sun, which shone splendidly at 
 mid-day, had still power to spread a feeling of summer 
 warmth over the park-like plains. I shall never forget 
 that memorable day of my light with the natives. 
 Xhne — buried in the wilderness of the vast woods — 
 wearied by a six days' travel in the bush in which I 
 had been lost — worn down from want of sleep, and 
 feeble from scanty fare, I was now exposed to a deadly 
 struggle with a body of furious natives, led on by the 
 fierce and malignant Musqueeto. I am amazed, when I 
 look back on the events of that fearful day, that I did 
 not sink under its difficulties, and that I am still alive 
 to relate the story. But to proceed. 
 
 I hastened on my way in the direction of the east, 
 trusting that by such a course I should come upon some 
 settlement, or stock-keeper's hut, which would afford me 
 a place of defence, or at least on some track of man 
 or beast on which I could rely to lead me to human 
 habitations. 
 
 The natives ceased to molest me for some miles, nor 
 could I detect any signs of their vicinity, but it will 
 15 (225) 
 
226 Take Refuge in a Hut. 
 
 be seen by the sequel that they did not lose sight of me. 
 I was in some pain, and limped a good deal at first from 
 the efiects of the womera which had struck me on the 
 leg, but as I got warm the pain left me, and I ceased for 
 a time to feel much inconvenience from the wound. 
 
 In this manner I proceeded some miles, when my 
 sight was gladdened by the appearance of a stock-keeper's 
 hut, to which I eagerly hastened. I looked round when 
 I approached it, but I saw no sign of the natives. When 
 I got to the doQr I called out — 
 
 "■ Hulloa ! anybody here ?" 
 
 No answer. 
 
 " Is there any one inside ? I have been lost in the 
 bush, and the natives have been attacking me. Don't 
 be afraid of me; I am William Thornley, of the Clyde." 
 
 No reply 
 
 I then knocked loudly at the door, thinking that some 
 one might be asleep inside, and not liking to burst in 
 suddenly, lest I should be mistaken for a bush-ranger, 
 and fired at ; for the equivocal appearance which my per- 
 son had presented a week since to the soldiers had not 
 been improved, I felt aware, by a six days' scramble in 
 the bush ; but as no reply was made to my repeated 
 knocking I concluded that the hut was empty. 
 
 I tried the latch, therefore, of the upper half of the 
 door : it was not fastened ; I opened it easily, and looked 
 in, first taking a look behind me, for fear of a surprise. 
 I saw no* signs of an inhabitant; so I opened the lower 
 half of the door, and stepped in. A view of the interior 
 satisfied me at once that the hut had not been occupied 
 for some time. I was sorry for this, as I had hoped that 
 I should meet with some one to direct me on my way. 
 
Make it Secure. 227 
 
 and who might assist me in my defence against the na- 
 tives. But on the whole, I was pleased with the dis- 
 covery of this hut, tenantless as it was, as it afforded me, 
 I thought, a temporary place of refuge. 
 
 I examined its capabilities of defence, and found that it 
 consisted, as usual, of two rooms or divisions, in the 
 inner of which was a window, and a shutter at the back ; 
 there was another window and shutter in front by the 
 side of the door ; when I say a " window," I mean an 
 opening to let in the light without glass or window- 
 frame; when the door and shutters were shut, it was 
 dark, with the exception of the light which penetrated 
 through the crevices of the logs of which the hut was 
 rudely built. 
 
 Without losing any time, I set to work to render the 
 hut as secure as possible against the natives, should they 
 have the mind to follow up their first attack. The up- 
 right logs seemed all to be pretty tight set, and strong 
 enough to resist any ordinary violence. The window at 
 the back was awkward, as it afforded the facility of a 
 back entrance while I was engaged in front. 
 
 To render this point secure, I pulled down the par- 
 tition of split logs that divided the two rooms, and con- 
 trived to barricade the back window with them, so as to 
 ensure me from any sudden inbreak on that side. I 
 then barricaded the front window in the same manner, 
 and I put a split log against the lower part of the door, 
 with one end jammed fii'mly in the earthen floor of the 
 hut ; the top part of the door I left to the security of the 
 bolt, intending to open it occasionally for the conve- 
 nience of firing through its opening. 
 
 These preparations occupied me for about an hour, 
 
228 My Unpleasant Position. 
 
 and, having concluded them, I felt that I was very 
 hungry, and what was worse, that I was suffering from 
 thirst. There was an iron tripod on the hearth, the 
 usual piece of kitchen furniture in a stock-keeper's hut, 
 and being heavy and bulky, it had not been removed. 
 It occurred to me that the spot chosen to build a hut on 
 was sure to be near to water. 
 
 As the extremity was pressing, I thought I might 
 venture to get a drink, so I clambered over the lower part 
 of the door, followed by Hector and Fly, who stuck close 
 to me, to look for the spring. The dogs were panting 
 for water, so I left them to their instinct, and presently 
 Fly, after a little snuffing about, went straight to a pool 
 formed by a spring, not twenty yards from the back of 
 the house. 
 
 I first took a good drink, which refreshed me greatly, 
 and then I cast about how to get a supply of water in- 
 side the hut. The tripod was too clumsy and too heavy 
 to be taken to the pool, so I got over the half-door, and 
 lifted it close to the entrance ; then I went back to the 
 pool, and, filling my hat with water, ran back with it, 
 and poured it over the door into the tripod. 
 
 While I was repeating this operation, I was terribly 
 startled by Hector suddenly darting off in the direction 
 of the bush. I thought, to be sure, that the natives 
 were on me, and, dropping my hat full of water, I scram- 
 bled over the door into the hut again. But it was a 
 false alarm, for in a few seconds after Hector came to 
 the door wagging his tail, with a kangaroo-rat in his 
 mouth, which he had killed, and which was the cause of 
 bis run into the bush. 
 
 I was not a little rejoiced at this vmexpected supply, 
 
They Attack Me in the Hut. 229 
 
 for I was sadly at a loss for food. I was not long in 
 kindling a fire, and skinning my prize, which was rather 
 a large one of the sort, nearly as big as a rabbit, and ex- 
 cellent eating, and made a broil of it, which afforded me 
 a delicious repast. 
 
 My spirits revived after this refection, and I began to 
 ■consider that I was perhaps only losing time by remain- 
 in" in the hut. It was now, as nearly as I could judge, 
 about two hours past mid-day, and I had plenty of day- 
 light before me to make considerable progress before 
 night. I had recourse to my needle again, and I 
 dropped it into the tripod ; it sunk to the bottom imme- 
 diately, being affected by the iron ; so I filled my hat 
 with water, and removing it to a distance from the iron 
 tripod, had the satisfaction of ascertaining the points of 
 the compass. 
 
 I prepared, therefore, to leave the hut, and put myself 
 in order accordingly. I was in the very act of throwing 
 my leg over the half-door, when I was stopped in my 
 exit by a growl from Hector, who immediately galloped 
 towards a thicket of trees about a hundred yards or 
 more in front of the hut. He quickly returned, and by 
 his crouching attitude and peculiar whine I at once 
 knew that he had scented the natives. 
 
 It was too true ; in less than a minute afterwards, a 
 body of about twenty men and women, headed by Mus- 
 queeto, moved rapidly towards the hut. 
 
 Being invigorated by food, refreshed with partial rest, 
 and confident in the power of my fire-arms — appalling as 
 this attack appears to me when I look back on it — I felt 
 at the time no fear. I was confident in the security of 
 my little fortress, and for a moment I felt a sort of re- 
 
230 I Shoot Several. 
 
 hictancc to fire into the mob of naked natives — savage 
 as they were — to the certain destruction of some of them ; 
 but this disinclination lasted only for a moment, for 
 the natives, with the grim Musqueeto, whom I now re- 
 cognised at their head, were fast approaching, and the 
 feeling of self-preservation regained its predominant 
 influence. 
 
 My left-hand barrel contained a single ball; I fii-ed; 
 a native fell, but the others continued to advance, and 
 sent a shower of spears at the open part of the door; one 
 of them went through the lower part of the back of my 
 left hand, where it stuck, while some went past me into 
 the hut, narrowly missing me, and some stuck in the 
 wall on each side. 
 
 I fired off my second barrel loaded with shot, and 
 slamming the door close, bolted it. This second dis- 
 charge, I judge, checked their rush; and fortunately, 
 for so determined were they, that I feel convinced, on 
 looking back, they would otherwise have succeeded in 
 their intention of forcing open the door. 
 
 They now commenced a furious yelling round the hut, 
 and some of them tried the back window, but they found 
 it secure. In the meantime I reloaded my fowling-piece, 
 putting a couple of balls in each barrel, for I felt that 
 the natives were in earnest, and that it would require my 
 utmost efforts to save my life from their furious assault. 
 I was standing by the door uncertain what to do nest, 
 when suddenly a spear was thrust between the crevice 
 of the lower and the upper door ; fortunately it encoun- 
 tered my shot-belt, which it perforated, and gave me 
 time to jump back. 
 
 It seems that my movements were watched from the 
 
They Fire the Roof. 231 
 
 outside through some crevice, for immediately on my 
 retreat, a rush was made at the door ; had it been made 
 on the upper part, the savages -would have effected an 
 entrance; but the lower part, having been secured by a 
 log, resisted the attempt, and placing the muzzle of my 
 piece at the same crevice through which the spear had 
 been thrust at me, I fired first one barrel and then the 
 other at the assailants. A horrid yell, that made the 
 woods re-echo, proclaimed that my fire was successful, 
 and I could hear the tramping of their feet as they re- 
 treated to a distance. 
 
 There was now a pause for some time, and a dead 
 silence. I reloaded my piece and stood on my guard. 
 I was afraid of placing my eye close to a crevice, lest a 
 spear should be thrust into it by some devil watching 
 me. I remained in this state of suspense for some 
 minutes, which seemed to me as many hours, wondering 
 what was to come next. While I thus stood, my ears 
 were assailed again with the horrid shouts and yells of 
 the natives, whose rage seemed to have redoubled at the 
 sight, probably, of their dead companions. 
 
 Fearing that the strength of the upper part of the 
 door was not sufficient to stand against a rush, I lifted 
 up a heavy log that had formed one of the door-posts of 
 the partition which I had broken down, and placing one 
 end of it against the door-flap I added my own weight 
 to it, pushing it down the door as firmly as I could. 
 
 But this sort of precaution was unnecessary. The 
 devils had hit on a surer and safer means of accomplish- 
 ing my destruction. I was soon made sensible of their 
 operations by a smell of smoke, which, to my terrible 
 dismay, became rapidly stronger and stronger. They 
 
232 The Natives fire the Hut. 
 
 had set fire to the thatch of the hut. The smoke ia- 
 creased, and presently the light of the flame was visible. 
 I now perceived that the thatch had been set on fire 
 on all sides, and as the smoke and flames increased, 
 the rejoicing natives yelled and screamed with frantic 
 delight. 
 
 My presence of mind almost forsook me at this crisis. 
 Escape seemed impossible ; and I felt that I was doomed 
 to the most horrible of deaths — that of being burnt alive ! 
 
 The light of the flames increased, and the smoke in- 
 side the hut became almost insufi"erable. Feeling that 
 if I remained where I was death was certain, I deter- 
 mined to make a desperate efi'ort to escape. There was 
 a little wind, which blew the smoke in the direction of 
 the back of the hut; the natives, as I knew by their 
 cries, were assembled in the front. 
 
 I detemined to attempt my escape by the back window, 
 hoping that the smoke in that direction would serve to 
 conceal my exit at the moment of getting out of the 
 window, when my position would be defenceless. I 
 hastily tore down my barricade of logs, and jumped 
 through the opening into the smoke. I was almost 
 suffocated, but with my gun in my hand I dashed 
 through it. 
 
 For the moment I was not perceived; but the natives 
 soon got sight of me, and a volley of spears Around me, 
 one of which struck me in the back, but dropped out 
 again, proclaimed that they were in chase. I kept on 
 running as long as I could towards a tree that was in the 
 middle of the little plain over which I was passing, in- 
 tending to make that my fighting-place, by setting my 
 back to it, and so to protect myself in the rear. 
 
IEscapetoaTree. 233 
 
 The spears flew around me and near me, but I reached 
 the tree, and instantly turning round I fired among the 
 advancing natives. This checked them, for they were 
 now becoming afraid of my formidable weapon, and see- 
 ing that I stood resolute and prepared for them, they re- 
 treated to some distance ; but they continued to throw 
 some spears, most of which fell short, and kept up a 
 shouting and yelling in a frightful manner, capering and 
 dancing about in a sort of frenzy — ferocious to get at 
 me, but kept at bay by my terrible gun. 
 
 My blood was now up. I was excited to a pitch of 
 joyful exultation by my escape from the burning hut, 
 and I felt that courage of excitement which almost 
 prompted me to rush on my enemies, and to bring the 
 matter to an issue by a bodily conflict with my broad- 
 sword. But prudence prevailed; and I placed my hope 
 and my dependence on my trusty gun, which had already 
 done me such good service. 
 
 Taking advantage of the temporary inaction of the 
 natives, I felt for my powder-horn to re-load the barrel 
 which I had discharged. To my unspeakable horror 
 and disappointment, it was missing. I searched every 
 pocket in vain. I had laid it on the table in the hut, 
 and there I had left it. To recover it was impossible, as 
 the hut was all in flames, and while I gazed on the burn- 
 ing mass, a dull report, and a burst of sparks from the 
 building, made known to me that the powder had become 
 ignited, and was lost to me for ever. 
 
 In my agony of mind at this discovery, my hair seemed 
 to bristle up ; and the sweat ran down my forehead and 
 obscured my sight. I now felt that nothing but a mi- 
 racle could save me ', but the love of life increasing in 
 
234 Climb It 
 
 proportion to the danger of losing it, I once more sum 
 moned up my failing energies for a last effort. I had 
 three barrels loaded ; one in my fowling-piece and two in 
 my pistols ; I had also my broadsword, but that would 
 not avail me against their spears. 
 
 If I could hold out till night, I thought I might be 
 able then to elude my savage enemies, as the natives have 
 a fear of moving about at night, believing that in the 
 darkness an evil spirit roams about, seeking to do them 
 mischief, and who then has power over them. Casting 
 my eyes upwards to the branches of the tree under which 
 I was standing, I observed that it was easy to climb, and 
 there appeared to me indications of a hollow in the trunk 
 between the principal branches, which might serve me 
 for a place of shelter till the night should enable me, 
 under the cover of its darkness, to escape from my 
 pursuers. 
 
 I formed my plan on the instant, and without losing 
 a moment I slung my gun behind me, and catching hold 
 of a branch within reach, I clambered up. The natives, 
 who were watching my motions, renewed their shouts 
 and yells at this manoeuvre, and rushed towards the tree 
 in a body. 
 
 I scrambled as fast as I could to the fork of the tree, 
 and found, to my infinite relief, that my anticipation 
 was right ; there was a hollow large enough to admit my 
 whole body, and efi"ectually to shield me from the spears 
 of the savages. As my foot reached the bottom, it en- 
 countered some soft body which I quickly learned was an 
 opossum, the owner of the habitation, which asserted its 
 rights by a sharp attack on the calf of my leg with teeth 
 and claws : I was not in a humour to argue the matter 
 
Safe for a Time. 235 
 
 with my new assailant, so with my thick bush shoes I 
 trampled the creature down into a jelly, though it left 
 its remembrances on my torn flesh, which smarted not a 
 little. AVhen I recovered my breath, I listened to as- 
 certain the motions of my enemies outside. 
 
 They had ceased their yells, and there was a dead 
 silence, so that I could hear my own quick breathing 
 within the trunk of the tree. " What are they about?" 
 thought I. While I mentally ejaculated this thought, I 
 felt an agitation of the tree, from which I guessed that 
 some venturous savage was climbing up to attack me in 
 my retreat. I cautiously raised myself up to look around 
 me, but the appearance of my hat above the hole was the 
 signal for half a dozen spears, three of which passed 
 through it, one of them grazing the scalp of my head. 
 "That plan will not do," thought I; ''I must keep 
 close." 
 
 As I crouched myself down, I thought I heard a breath- 
 ing above me ; I looked up and beheld the hideous visage 
 of one of the savages glaring oa me with his white eye- 
 balls, which exhibited a ferocious sort of exultation. 
 He had a waddy in his hand, which he slowly raised to 
 give me a pat on the head, thinking that he had me quite 
 safe, like an opossum in its hole. "You're mistaken, 
 my beauty," thought I ; " I'm not done for yet." Draw- 
 ing one of my pistols from my pocket, which was rather 
 a matter of difficulty in my confined position, I fired. 
 
 The ball crashed through his face and skull, and 
 
 I heard his dead body fall heavily to the ground. 
 
 A yell of fear and rage arose from his black compa- 
 nions. I took advantage of the opportunity, and raised 
 myself up so as to look about me, but their threatening 
 
236 They Fire the Tree! 
 
 spears soon drove me back to my retreat. There was 
 now another pause and a dead silence ; and I flattered 
 myself with the hope that the savages, having been so 
 frequently baffled, and having sufi"ered so much in their 
 attacks, would now retire. But the death and the 
 wounds of their comrades, it appears, only whetted their 
 rage and stimulated them to fresh endeavours; and the 
 cunning devices of that devilish savage, Musqueeto, were 
 turned in a new and more fatal direction. 
 
 As I lay in my retreat, I heard a sound as if heavy 
 materials were being dragged towards the tree. I ven- 
 tured to peep out, and beheld the savages busy in piling 
 dead wood round the trunk, with the intention, as I im- 
 mediately surmised, of setting fire to it, and of burning 
 me in my hole. 
 
 My conjectures were presently verified. I saw emerg- 
 ing from the wood one of their females, bearing the 
 lighted fire-sticks which the natives always carry with 
 them in their journeys. I looked on these agreeable pre- 
 parations as a neglected but not indifierent spectator, the 
 natives disregarding my appearance above the opening, 
 and waiting with a sort of savage patience for the sure 
 destruction which they were preparing for me. 
 
 The native woman approached with the fire, and the 
 natives forming a circle round the tree, performed a 
 dance of death as a prelude to my sacrifice. I was 
 tempted to fire on them ; but I did not like to part with 
 my last two shots, except in an extremity even greater 
 than this. 
 
 In the meantime the natives continued their dance, 
 seeming to enjoy the interval between me and death, 
 like the epicure who delays his attack on the deli- 
 
Timely Arrival of Friends. 237 
 
 cious feast before him, that he may the longer enjoy the 
 exciting pleasure of anticipation. Presently, however, 
 their death-song broke out into loud cries of fury ; they 
 applied the fire to the faggots, and as the blaze increased, 
 they danced and yelled round the tree in a complete de- 
 lirium of rage and exultation. 
 
 The fire burned up ! — the smoke ascended ! I already 
 felt the horrid sensation of being stifled by the thick at- 
 mosphere of smoke before the flames encompassed me. 
 In this extremity I determined at least to inflict some 
 vengeance on my savage persecutors. 
 
 I scrambled up from my hiding-place, and crawled as 
 far as I could on one of the branches, which was most 
 free from the suffocating smoke and heat, and fired the 
 remaining barrel of my fowling-piece at the yelling 
 wretches, which I then hurled at their heads. I did the 
 same with my remaining pistol, when, to my amazement, 
 I heard the reports of other guns; but whether they 
 were the echoes of my own, or that my failing senses 
 deceived me, I knew not, for the smoke and flame now 
 mastered me. Stifled and scorched, I remember only 
 falling from the branch of the tree, which was not high, 
 to the ground, when my senses left me. 
 
 I was roused from my trance of death by copious de- 
 luges of water, and I heard a voice, which was familiar 
 to me, exclaiming, — 
 
 " Well, if this is not enough to disgust a man with 
 this horrid country, I don't know what he would have 
 more. For years and years have I been preaching to 
 him that nothing good could come of this wretched den 
 of bush-rangers and natives, and now you see the evil is 
 come at last." 
 
238 I AM Saved. 
 
 I opened my eyes at these words. It was the voice of 
 Crab, whom Heaven had directed with a party of friends 
 to this spot to deliver me. Overcome with the intensity 
 of my emotions, racked with pain, and sick with the 
 very fulness of joy at my escape from death, I uttered a 
 piercing and agonizing cry of mingled pain and delight, 
 and fainted. 
 
^Ut €mtnihl^. 
 
 B.5 recovers his senses and finds himself among Friends — Account 
 of the Bush-rangers at the Great Lake — Moss's extraordinary 
 escape. 
 
 It was some time before I recovered from this fainting 
 fit, as the surgeon called it, " of physical exhaustion and 
 mental emotion." When consciousness returned, I 
 heard around me the subdued hum of human voices, and 
 for a moment I thought that I was in the power of the 
 natives, and that I was under preparation for being 
 roasted at the fire of the blazing tree from which I had 
 fallen, scorched and stifled. I kept my eyes closed for 
 a short space ; presently I distinguished the voice of the 
 magistrate of the Clyde. 
 
 " He seems in a bad way, poor fellow ! Have the 
 devils touched any vital part with their spears ?" 
 
 "No," said another voice, which seemed to me that 
 of my old friend, the surgeon; " he has not received any 
 mortal hurt that I can see, but he has had a sharp rap 
 on his left leg from some blunt instrument that has cut 
 and bruised it at the same time ; but there's no bone 
 broken." 
 
 " He'll never come to any more," said some one, which 
 seemed strangely to me like Crab's voice, but I could 
 not imagine how it could be his: "never; that's my 
 opinion ! Why, he has been lost in the bush for a week, 
 
 (23?) 
 
240 I Recover M y S e n s e s . 
 
 without any thing to eat, I'll be bouud, aud without a 
 drop of water, for there's never a drop to be had in this 
 country when you want it — in summer, especially. No, 
 poor gentleman ! I've stood by him for many a year, 
 trying to persuade him all I could to leave this horrid 
 place. I always told him that something would happen 
 at last J but I never thought it would be so bad as this. 
 He used to say, poor fellow, while he was alive, that 1 
 was always roasting him ; he little thought he would be 
 roasted in real earnest ! And there's that new sample 
 of Cape wheat that he was to try this season : all lost ! 
 What could induce him to get up that tree, I can't 
 conceive." 
 
 " The tumble from the tree can't have done him any 
 good," said the magistrate. 
 
 " No ; but the branch was not high, and it was a nice 
 soft bed of turf for him to fall on ; it was good luck 
 that he was not hit by our shots when we banged at the 
 natives." 
 
 " He is a long time coming to." 
 
 '' No, he's all right. This is more exhaustion than 
 anything else. His pulse is coming back now. You 
 sec, he has been in the bush for six days, suffering un- 
 der the sensation of being lost, and that wearing of the 
 mind is enough to exhaust the strongest energies. But 
 he's coming to fast now." 
 ''Will you bleed him?"' 
 
 ''Oh, no ! A glass of brandy would do him more 
 good than bleeding, in his present state." 
 "Here's a flask of brandy." 
 
 At the suggestion of bleeding me I opened my eyes, 
 not wishing to give the worthy surgeon the trouble of 
 performing that operatiou. 
 
i?iND Myself among Friends. 241 
 
 "By George !" said "Wonall, the constable; "do yon. 
 see how he opened his eyes, and roused up, when he 
 heard the talk about the brandy ? I do think that a 
 glass all round would do us good !" 
 
 "■ Well, my boy," said the magistrate, " how do you 
 find yourself after your tumble 1" 
 
 ''How do you find yourself, master?" said the rough 
 and honest voice of Crab; "how do you find yourself, 
 now you're come to life again ? I always told you how 
 it would be ; but you never would believe me ; and 
 there's the farm burnt down, and all the home-flock of 
 merinos the Lord knows where ; and there's Miss Betsy 
 taken ill, and Missus is but poorly, and they are in a 
 pretty confusion with one thing and another ; and the 
 blood-foal's dead, and the tame h'erd has taken to the 
 bush, and I don't know what else to say to revive you, 
 except that they say the small-pox is about, and ruina- 
 tion is going on everywhere ; and — " 
 
 "Hold your tongue, you villanous old grumbler," 
 said the magistrate ; " you have croaked enough to make 
 a sound man sick. Let him alone." 
 
 My head was still confused, and I was perplexed to 
 account for what I heard and saw around me. My 
 thoughts reverted to the day when we had our skirmish 
 with the bush-rangers at the lake, and for a few moments 
 it seemed to me that I was awaking from a long sleep, 
 and had been sufiering under the influence of a hideous 
 dream. But the sight of the blazing tree quickly re- 
 called to my memory the late terrible scenes; a feeling of 
 sickness came over me, and I closed my eyes again. 
 
 "Give me your brandy-flask," said the surgeon; 
 ** here, Thornley, take a little sip." 
 16 
 
242 A Drink Refreshes Me. 
 
 He put the bottle to my lips, and I drank a few tear 
 spoonsful. 
 
 " Is brandy a good thing for faintness, doctor?" said 
 Worrall. 
 
 " Nothing better ; it's a capital medicine when you 
 know how to use it." 
 
 " I feel very faint, myself," said Worrall; "poor Mr. 
 Thornley's condition has quite overcome me. Could you 
 obli'^e me with the brandy-flask ? I know how to use it." 
 " From long practice, I dare say." 
 " Gro and mind your business, Worrall," said the ma- 
 gistrate. " You shall have brandy enough when you 
 get home, for you have behaved well, and deserve it, but 
 now let us be moving ; — that is if the doctor thinks our 
 friend can travel." * 
 
 •' See if you can find a spring hereabouts, Worrall," 
 
 said the doctor, " and we will give our friend a refresher." 
 
 A pannikin of water was presently brought to me, into 
 
 whieh the excellent doctor put a fair proportion of 
 
 brandy. 
 
 "We must get him home somehow," said he, "and 
 set him to rights when we get there. We can't treat 
 him as if he was comfortable in a nice sick-bed." 
 
 I took the drink with eagerness, and looking up, be- 
 held the face of our lost neighbour, Moss. 
 
 " How did you get away from the bush-rangers V 
 were the first words that I uttered. 
 
 " Oh !" said Moss ; " we'll tell you all about that by- 
 and-by ; I have to thank my friends here for my re- 
 covery, and you among the rest, not forgetting our young 
 friend Beresford ; but that story will keep; we'll tell you 
 all about it in good time." 
 
We Start for Home. 243 
 
 I now saw that Beresford was near, but a little behind 
 me, with his left arm in a sling. I reached out my hand 
 to him, and, handing his gun to Mr. Moss, he extended 
 his right arm to me, and raised me up. 
 
 " That's right," said Worrall, who now came up to 
 us; " never say die. We are all ready," he said to the 
 magistrate, touching his hat, '' and we can get home be- 
 fore morning ; the night will be fine, and we have day- 
 light enough to cross the Big River, and then it will not 
 be more than twenty miles or so to the Shannon." 
 
 "I am ready," said I; "but" — and I tried to move a 
 few steps — " I can't walk ! I feel as stiff as if I ac- 
 tually had been roasted at the fire yonder." 
 
 " Well," said the sugeon, "I'm inclined to think 
 you would not have taken long to roast at that same fire, 
 if we had not come up in time to stop the cooking of 
 you ; but there's a horse for you, and we must contrive 
 to carry you with us." 
 
 " What has become of the natives ?" said I. 
 
 " There are some of them lying dead not far from us," 
 said the magistrate ] " the rest did not stay to make a 
 fight of it with our number. They are off in the bush 
 somewhere. But as to following them there, you might 
 as well look for a needle in a stack of ha3^ Besides, we 
 have had enough of it, and I think the natives, for this 
 once^ have had enough of it too. But we must not 
 waste fime in talking; we have the Big River to cross 
 beforp- dark, so let us make a start." 
 
 I was helped on to a horse, and we proceeded as fast 
 as we could to the banks of the Big River. We reached 
 it before dark, but we coidd not find a ford. We con- 
 sumed the remaining daylight in searching for one with- 
 
244 HoAV Crab got Here. 
 
 out success ; and it was resolved at last that we shoul 
 bivouac on its banks, and resume our search at daylighi 
 We lighted up several fires, and by the aid of some loose 
 branches, and the bark of trees, by means of which was 
 made a breakwind, I shortly began to feel tolerably com- 
 fortable, to which some kangaroo steaks and brandy-and- 
 water not a little contributed. As we lay by the fire, I 
 was curious to learn some account of the bush-rangers, 
 who had escaped, when I left my companions, to a small 
 island in the lake, at no great distance from the main 
 land. 
 
 *' Will it do him any harm," said the magistrate, " to 
 keep him awake with the story ?" 
 
 " Oh ! no," said the surgeon ; " it's early yet. Go on, 
 and then you will sooner have done." 
 
 "Bo you describe it. Moss," said the magistrate; 
 "you saw it best, and you can praise us, and so relieve 
 our modesty from the painful necessity of praising our- 
 selves." 
 
 "Very well," said Mr. Moss; " as I was only a spec- 
 tator of the fight, perhaps I can best describe it." 
 
 " How did Crab come among you?" said I. 
 
 " Oh ! that's easily told," said Crab. " After the 
 soldiers left us, Missus's mind misgave her that they 
 would never find you, and I entirely agreed with her on 
 that point; so seeing what a taking she was in, I off'ered 
 to go for you and bring you back, that is, if the natives 
 left any of you, for I told Missus they were terrible, 
 voracious cannibals. It seems, however, that the soldiers 
 did find you, or rather that you found them, and by all 
 accounts you had no reason to be over-pleased with their 
 treatment of you." 
 
Crab's Search for Me. 245 
 
 "Say nothing about it," said I, rubbing myself be- 
 hind; "there was a mistake." 
 
 " Was there ? And is it true that they touched you 
 up, and made you dance ? Lord ! how they did laugh 
 when they told me of it ! they said" 
 
 " Say nothing more about it; I don't want to be re- 
 minded about that." 
 
 " "Well, a corporal's party came up from camp next 
 morning to stay at the Clyde as a post of observation, so 
 I left Missus quite safe and comfortable, oily that every 
 thing she had was burned, and the whole family was in 
 distress and confusion; and I promised her, if you were 
 killed by the bush-rangers, which I told her I had no 
 doubt you was, for it's always best to know the worst, 
 that I would bring home your dead body for her to bury, 
 which would be a great consolation to her, poor lady, I 
 dare say. So I and Bob set out on your tracks, and we 
 reached the lake the very morning you left it for the 
 Clyde. And how it was that we missed you I can't un- 
 derstand, except that nobody can ever find his way in 
 this wild country when he's once lost." 
 
 "I see," said I, " I thought to take a shortcut to the 
 right, and so I missed you." 
 
 "That's always the case," said Crab, "in this mise- 
 rable place; nothing did ever go right in it, nor ever 
 will. But I'm getting old now — the more fool I for 
 stopping in it so long. But it won't be long before I'm 
 out of it ; this last business has been a sickener." 
 
 "You're one of Job's comforters, Crab," said I; 
 " but now pray don't interrupt Mr. Moss in his story." 
 
246 Mr. Moss'Account 
 
 THE CAPTURE OF THE BUSH-RANGERS. 
 
 When the fight in which you were engaged, (said Mr. 
 Moss,) was ended, the bush-rangers retired behind the 
 green bank by the margin of the lake. They lay 
 close all night, but they sent ovit scouts to see what you 
 were about, and when one of them came back to warn 
 them of the arrival of the soldiers, they were in a great 
 fright, not knowing what to do. Some of them proposed 
 to make a dash through your party, but that was thought 
 too rash ; one or two who were wounded hinted the pru- 
 dence of surrender, but the Grypsey, as they called him, 
 who acted as their leader, threatened to blow out any 
 man's brains who proposed a surrender. 
 
 " Better be shot," he said, " like men, than be hanged 
 like dogs." 
 
 Two of the bush-rangers had been seafaring men, and 
 they proposed that we should swim over to the little 
 island that was not more than some few hundred yards from 
 the shore. 
 
 "And what's to become of our arms and of the 
 wounded ?" said the G-ypsey. 
 
 '^Oh I" said they, ''make a little raft, and put our 
 arms and clothes on the top of it, and then swim and 
 push it over; there's no tide, and the lake is as smooth 
 as glass." 
 
 "A capital plan," said the Gypsey; "we'll do it, — 
 and then we can defy the murdering villains that are after 
 us ; for if they attempt to get at us, we shall have all the 
 advantage of firing at them under cover." 
 
 The bush-rangers were not long in putting this scheme 
 in execution. All the time you were watched by two 
 
Rangers Swim to the Island. '247 
 
 scouts, and they saw you sitting by your fire and enjoying 
 yourselves ; but it was not their game to excite your at- 
 tention. The rogues worked hard, and by launching 
 some dry logs into the lake, which they lashed together 
 with bullock-hide, they soon made a sufficient raft for that 
 purpose. 
 
 '< Now," said the G-ypsey, '' are you all ready? But 
 I forgot — can you all swim ?" 
 
 Three of them, who had been mechanics of some sort, 
 declared they could not swim a stroke. 
 
 '' Here's a mess ! Well, I tell you what you must do, 
 my fine fellows ; you must hold on in the water by the 
 raft — that will keep you from sinking. But what shall 
 we do with our prisoner?" 
 
 " Oh, let him go — he'll only be in the way ?" 
 
 " No, no, we'll keep him, we may find a use for him 
 yet. Now, sir, can you swim?" 
 
 ''No," said I — for the thought struck me of a strata- 
 gem to escape — '' and I hope you will not expose me to 
 the risk of being drowned." 
 
 '' Oh, you must take your chance ; it's no worse to be 
 drowned than to be hanged; so strip. Mister, and bundle 
 into the water.'' 
 
 I took oflF my clothes, and the scouts having been 
 withdrawn, and the whole party collected, we advanced 
 towards the water. 
 
 " Stop," said one of the sailors ; "how much line can 
 we make by putting it all together ?" 
 
 By a general contribution of neckcloths, garters, 
 cords, and bullock-hide, they made a line of about a 
 hundred and fifty yards in length. 
 
 " What's this for ?" said the Gypsey. 
 
248 Moss EscAPESPROM Them. 
 
 " You'll see the use of it presently/' said tlie sailor. 
 " Now for it ;" and we all got into the water. 
 
 " Where's the prisoner ?" said the Gypsey. 
 
 "Alongside me," said the other sailor; " he's all safe." 
 
 In this manner the swimmers slowly and with great 
 diflBculty pushed forward the raft, those who could not 
 swim, and I, pretending not to be able to swim, holding 
 on. They had reached the middle of the passage, or a 
 little more, when the sailor to the right said to the one 
 by me, 
 
 " Mate, take the end of the line and swim to the shore, 
 I think it will reach it now, and then haul on gently, 
 and that will quicken our work and lighten it too, for it's 
 getting more than we can do. Be alive, for this is too 
 hard work to last long." 
 
 My near companion quitted me with much alacrity, 
 glad to be relieved from his share of the toil of propel- 
 ling the clumsy wood-work, and shortly afterward I felt 
 that the raft was being hauled in from the shore. 
 
 The attention of the bush-rangers around being dis- 
 tracted from me by this circumstance, I took advantage 
 of the opportunity, and quietly dropped under water, for 
 I had been taught to swim, as a necessary part of my 
 education, in early youth ; and I was as confident in the 
 water, so long as my strength lasted, as on dry land. 
 
 On this occasion I had need of all my skill. My 
 limbs were torpid and benumbed from inaction in the 
 water, and by the exposure of my hands and arms to the 
 cold night air. I may add, that all the bush-rangers 
 complained of the piercing coldness of the lake-water, 
 and there was a terrible chattering of teeth among the 
 holders-on before I left them. 
 
He is Almost Frozen. 249 
 
 Well — I dropped quietly under water, taking care to 
 keep my head, as I thought, towards the shore ot the 
 main land; and although my limbs were almost para- 
 lysed by the cold, I contrived by a vigorous effort to 
 strike out for nearly half a minute under water, 
 there's no knowing what a man can do till his life is at 
 stake — and when I came to the surface, I had the satis- 
 faction to find that I was at a fair distance from the raft. 
 
 I swam on lustily, but in my hurry, and, I suppose, 
 anxiety and confusion of mind, instead of swimming to- 
 wards the main land, I swam towards another island, 
 which in the darkness I mistook for it. This island was 
 nearly a mile from the spot that I quitted, and being de- 
 ceived as to its distance, I expected to reach it without 
 much effort, and I nearly exhausted myself by quick 
 swimming before I was much more than half-way over. 
 
 Fortunately, there was not a breath of air stirring, and 
 the water was quite smooth, but bitterly cold. I rested 
 in the water for some seconds, but the cold was so pierc- 
 ing that I was afraid of cramp ; so I struck out again and 
 worked hard. I reached the shore of the island at last. 
 but I was so completely exhausted that I could scarcely 
 stand. The morning now began to break, and I per- 
 ceived that I was about half a mile from a low point 
 of land which ran out from the main shore into the lake. 
 
 I was too tired to venture into the water again, and I 
 assure you that my situation was a very awkward one, 
 indeed. I kept running up and down for some time to 
 keep myself warm, and at last I thought I might as well 
 be drowned as die of cold where I was, so I plunged in- 
 to the water again, and made an effort to reach the op- 
 posite shore. 
 
250 Rejoins His Party. 
 
 I had got little more than half-way across, when my 
 strength failed me, and I began to sink slowly into the 
 water . I gave myself up for lost, and I began to utter 
 that which I considered my last prayer, when I felt my 
 foot strike against the ground ; the water reached to my 
 chin, and I was just saved. I cautiously waded on, fearing 
 to fall into some hole every moment ; but the water grew 
 shallower and shallower, and the sand beneath my feet 
 was firm and even, and I arrived at the dry land. 
 
 Without losing a moment, I set oif to the point where 
 I expected to find my friends; I met them on their 
 way to the concealed boat. They were much astonished, 
 as you may suppose, at the sight of a creature that evi- 
 dently was not a kangaroo, but that was similarly unen- 
 cumbered by any article of dress. , But matters were soon 
 explained, and they had a fine laugh at the joke, when 
 I told them how I had escaped. There was a friendly 
 subscription of articles of apparel, to which the slain 
 bush-rangers were made to contribute more efficiently. 
 
 .("Vvrell — and did you find the boat?" 
 
 We found the boat in pretty good condition, with a 
 couple of sculls in her. We soon launched her, and then 
 it was debated what should be our mode of attack. 
 The old sergeant — what a grim old fellow he is ! — pro- 
 posed that we should attack them on three sides at once, 
 and make two rafts to assist us. 
 
 " If we go all together in a huddle in this little 
 boat," said he, " they will fire at us in a heap, and we 
 shall have no chance, at least not without great loss, and 
 that we should endeavour to avoid ; whereas, by firing 
 from three points at once, we shall distract their atten- 
 tion, and those in the boat m.ay dash in and charge them. 
 
They Plan the Attack. 251 
 
 Of course, we soldiers will go in the boat; it will just 
 hold us and no more." 
 
 *' I don't like your lives to be risked even in this way," 
 said the magistrate. " I think the safer plan will be to 
 starve them out. We gain nothing by exposing our 
 lives unnecessarily in a conflict with hardened felons and 
 murderers : they can do no harm where they are, and 
 they must be starved out at last. We can keep a strict 
 watch on them by the aid of our boat, and my opinion is, 
 some of them will get tired of being starved, and will 
 betray the rest." 
 
 ''Just as you please, sir," said the sergeant; "it's all 
 one to us ; but I should like to make a dash at 'em, the 
 cowardly scoundrels, to murder a soldier in cold blood, 
 and fire at his back ! But if these rascals were to put 
 another dodge on us, and steal ofi" while we are looking 
 on, there would be a fine laugh against us when we got 
 back to Camp. We don't mind doing it alone, rather 
 than not do it at all — what do you say, my men; shall we 
 try the boat ?" 
 
 "Ay, ay," said the men ; "we can fire close, and they 
 can never stand it ; besides, we can fixe three times to 
 their one, as they have to load from their powder-horns, 
 while we have our cartridges. Better have it over at once, 
 and rap at them while we can." 
 
 " Well," said the magistrate, " I have my doubts; 
 but it certainly is of importance to secure these despe- 
 rate fellows, and it would not be pleasant to have the 
 •augh against us if they escape; so let us set about it 
 without losing time." 
 
 We all set to work, and- we were busy constructing 
 our raft, when Crab and your man appeared on horseback. 
 
252 First Attack Fails. 
 
 " Yes," said Crab, " we tracked you to the place where 
 you had the fii'st fight, and then we easily tracked you 
 ou to the boat. And such a set of mad fellows I never 
 saw before in all the days of my life ; one would have 
 thought you were going to have a frolic instead of a 
 deadly fight with desperate men ; but this horrid country 
 makes all the people mad, and mad they must have been 
 to come to it, and madder to stop in it — that's my 
 opinion I" 
 
 "Mr. Crab entertains peculiar views," said Moss, 
 " and he has his own way of expressing himself : but to 
 proceed with my story — that is, if I am not making it 
 too long." 
 
 " Not a bit," said I ; "we have nothing to do but to 
 hear it ; and, as I was at the beginning of the fray, I 
 should like to hear the end of it." 
 
 "Well, then," said Moss, " we worked hard all that day, 
 but we could not construct anything to our minds as a 
 fighting raft. Half of the soldiers were despatched 
 to keep watch on the part of the shore which we had 
 quitted, and which was nearest to the island. We passed 
 the night as usual, but we had plenty of fires to keep the 
 cold off. Next day we finished our raft, which we 
 launched into the water. It was then towed by the boat 
 towards the island. When we approached within range, 
 a musket-shot was fired from the shore, which we ob- 
 served fell short of the boat in the water, but we saw no 
 one on the beach." 
 
 " This will never do," said the magistrate; " we shall 
 all bo picked oif this way." 
 
 He then called out to the sergeant to go back, which was 
 done, and we returned to the land to the point from which 
 
Soldiers Join the Party 253 
 
 the busli-rangers had started the morning before. We 
 all went on shore again, and consvilted on what sh juld 
 be done. We were engaged in this deliberation, when 
 we were agreeably surprised by the appearance of a cor- 
 poral's party of soldiers, and presently afterwards by a 
 bullock-cart drawn by four bullocks, and bearing another 
 boat, which had been despatched from Hobart Town to 
 the lake, as it was guessed such an assistance might be 
 wanted. This boat was larger and stronger than the one 
 we had found, and being thus provided, and our strength 
 being reinforced by the addition of the corporal's party, 
 it was at once resolved that we should force the bush- 
 rangers in their retreat by a simultaneous attack on dif- 
 ferent points. The sergeant took the command of one 
 boat, and the magistrate of the other. 
 
The Governor's Proclamation — The Magistrate's Mission — The Ser- 
 geant's Device — The Bush-rangers Captured. 
 
 We were just shoving oflP from the shore, when a mes- 
 senger on horseback arrived from Hobart Town, bearing 
 a letter from the Governor to the magistrate, which of 
 course we stopped to read, as the despatch was marked 
 "Important and immediate." The magistrate having 
 read it over to himself, said that as its contents concerned 
 us all, he would read it aloud, which he did to the fol- 
 lowing effect : — 
 
 " By , Esq., Lieutenant-Governor of his Majesty's 
 
 Settlements on Van Diemen's Land, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 "Whereas the convicts named in the margin, who have 
 been sent to the new settlement of Macquarie Harbour, 
 have effected their escape by passing the mountains, and 
 are now at large; and whereas it has been represented to 
 
 me by , Esq., at whose house the said convicts, or 
 
 several of them, were on the 9th instant, that they or 
 several of them were desirous of surrendering themselves 
 to the Government; I do hereby declare that all or any of 
 the convicts named in the margin, together with such 
 others as may have made their escape from Macquarie 
 Harbour at the same time, shall be pardoned for all 
 (254) 
 
The Governor's Proclamation. 255 
 
 offences committed by them, murder excepted, upon sur- 
 rendering themselves, with their arms, to any of the 
 under-named gentlemen, they being in the nomination 
 for the magistracy of this island, or to any ofl&cer or non- 
 commissioned officer commanding a party of the King's 
 troops, provided that such surrender shall be made on or 
 before the 21st instant. 
 
 " And I do hereby require and authorize , Esq., 
 
 of the Clyde; , Esq., of Jericho; and- , 
 
 Esq., of the Clyde, they being in the nomination of the 
 magistracy, to receive all or any of the said convicts on 
 their voluntary surrender, to convey to them a pledge on 
 my part that no charge shall be exhibited against them 
 for any offence committed by them in this island, mur- 
 der excepted, provided they shall surrender themselves, 
 with their arms, on or before the 21st instant. 
 
 " And I do hereby declare, that in the event of the 
 said convicts not accepting the mercy herein offered, and 
 of their continuing in a state of resistance to the laws 
 after the time specified, I will cause the whole of the 
 King's troops, together with the armed inhabitants, to be 
 put in motion against them, and that I will put a price 
 upon each of their heads, authorizing all his Majesty's 
 subjects to bring them in, dead or alive. 
 
 " And I do hereby further declare that I do by this 
 paper, under my hand, and the seal of the colony, convey 
 to you full power to pledge me to the several convicts for 
 the performance of all herein expressed and declared on 
 my part, and to receive their surrender. 
 
 " , Lieutenant-Governor. 
 
 " Government-House, Hobart Towa, 
 
 " To , Esq., 
 
 " River Clyde." 
 
2f)6 The M a g i s t r a t k ' s Resolution. 
 
 '•'Now, mj friends," said the worthy justice, ''it is 
 all very well to show your courage and your determina- 
 tion in making an attack on these bush-rangers, but we must 
 not be too hasty in the matter. Bear in mind that our 
 object should be to capture these dangerous men without 
 necessarily exposing our own lives, or the lives of these 
 brave soldiers who are so eager to get to close quarters with 
 the murderers of their comrade. As the Government 
 has empowered us to offer that their lives should be 
 spared, with the exception of the actual murderers, on 
 the condition of their surrendering themselves, it is my 
 duty to make the clemency of the Grovernment known to 
 them, and to give them this chance of saving their lives." 
 
 There was some murmuring at this, and it was con- 
 tended that no terms ought to be kept with villains who 
 had committed outrages and atrocities so horrible as 
 these had done ; but the magistrate was firm in his sense 
 of his duty, and declared that he was determined to give 
 effect to the merciful intentions of the Government. 
 
 " But how are we to acquaint them with it ?" said the 
 sergeant; "they will be sm-e to fire on us if we approach 
 them in a body, and I don't suppose that any one of us 
 is inclined to go alone into their den of wolves I" 
 
 " I will not ask any one to do my duty for me," said 
 the magistrate ; " I shall take one of the constables with 
 me to pull the boat, and go alone, and without arms ; my 
 mission wiU be a mission of peace and mercy, and J must 
 take my chance of the rest. Come, Worrall," said he, 
 •' step into the boat and pull me over." 
 
 " I'm a bad hand at pulling," said Worrall, " and be- 
 sides, they have a particular spite against me, and would 
 skin me alive if they could get me ; not that I mind, only 
 I would rather anybody else did the job this time." 
 
Worrall's Fears. 257 
 
 '* You can pull a long face," said the sergeant, *' at an_y 
 rate ; but one of us can go, if his honour pleases." 
 
 "No, no," said the magistrate; '^ Worrall is the 
 proper man ; it is right that he should attend me in his 
 official capacity." 
 
 It was with the most ludicrous reluctance that Wor- 
 rall proceeded to exercise his official functions on this dis- 
 agreeable occasion ; and as his face was turned towards 
 us as he sat in the boat with the sculls in his hand, the 
 dolorous countenance of that usually facetious indi- 
 vidual raised a general shout of laughter. 
 
 " I know," said Worrall, in most lugubrious accents, 
 "I'm booked; I shall be riddled like a sieve. Ah ! you 
 may laugh, but how would you like it yourselves ? And 
 the bush-rangers always put jagged balls in their guns, 
 out of spite ; as if smooth ones would not do as well." 
 
 ' Grive me a stick — and tie something white — a hand- 
 kerchief, or something, to it, that we may not run any 
 useless risk. That will do — now shove us off — and — 
 Worrall — ^what's the matter with the man ? Give way ! 
 the sooner we are there, the sooner it will be over." 
 
 "Well," said Mr. Crab, " if you don't like to be shot 
 yourself, you needn't disgust other people with it. 
 What made you stay in this horrid country? It's your 
 own fault for stopping in it, where there's nothing but 
 wild bush-rangers and savage natives to murder and de- 
 vour you — that's my opinion." 
 
 " Oh !" groaned Worrall, " it will be all over soon 
 enough !" 
 
 The boat proceeded languidly on its way, feebly pro- 
 pelled by exceedingly slow strokes, the sculls, as we ob- 
 served, rising perpendicularly into the air, and descend- 
 17 
 
258 Parley with the Rangers. 
 
 mg again in a straight line into the water, thereby caus- 
 ing the least possible motion to the boat which bore the 
 wretched Worrall to his miserable doom, who ever and 
 anon looked over his shoulder towards the anticipated 
 spot of his expected sacrifice, ducking his head occa- 
 sionally with a quick and frantic motion, to avoid the 
 shots which his fears suggested were being aimed at him. 
 The magistrate, who was standing up in the boat with 
 the white flag in his hand, at last seized hold of "Wor- 
 rall' s almost paralysed hands, and forcing him to row, 
 by a few vigorous strokes the boat was soon forced into 
 the mid-channel. 
 
 We now observed the bush-rangers assembling on the 
 beach of the island in order of fighting, and with their 
 arms in their hands. As the boat approached the shore, 
 we saw the magistrate wave his white flag in one hand, 
 while in the other he held up the open letter which he 
 had received from the Governor. The boat now neared 
 the shore and became stationary, but we could not hear 
 what passed. 
 
 " I will supply that deficiency," said the magistrate. 
 " I confess I did not feel very comfortable as we ap- 
 proached the spot where the bush-rangers were assem- 
 bled, and when I felt that my life was in their power ; 
 but I lost no time in telling them of the merciful ofier 
 of the Governor. Worrall had laid himself down at the 
 bottom of the boat, which I saw excited the bush- 
 ranger's suspicions; I made him get up, therefore, and 
 when they caught sight of his face, there was a general 
 shout of anger, and more than one piece was levelled at 
 him. I put up my hand and appealed to their honour, 
 and said that I had trusted myself among them in order 
 
Refuse TO Surrender. 259 
 
 to save life ; that I was bound to do my duty, and that 
 I could not better evince my desire to save them from 
 the consequences of their holding out, than by my 
 present act in confiding to their good feelings. I am in- 
 clined to think that my eloquence would not have saved 
 me from their murderous inclinations, if it had not been 
 for their leader, who really is a fine fellow, and I should 
 like to save him if I could. Some of the rascals called 
 out ' Treachery !' and pointed their guns at me, but their 
 leader (the Gypsey) stopped them, and he and I had a 
 parley together. I should say that I observed evident 
 signs in some of them of an inclination to submit them- 
 selves. 
 
 " ' WiU all our lives be spared ?' said the G-ypsey, ' if 
 we surrender ?' ' Not all,' said I ; ' but all except those 
 who actually committed the murders with which you are 
 charged.' ' But we are all in for it,' said he, ' and we 
 must stand or fall together; we won't agree to have some 
 picked out from the rest to be hanged in Camp yonder!' 
 'I cannot engage,' said I, 'that all your lives shall be 
 spared ; but your immediate and quiet surrender would 
 no doubt go far in your favour.' ' Let us hear that 
 part of the Governor's letter read to us word for word/ 
 said the Gypsey. 
 
 " I read it to them from beginning to end, but they 
 shook their heads at it. 
 
 " ' It wont do,' said the Gypsey ; ' we may as well be 
 shot as be hanged. But you see we are well armed, and 
 prepared for you. We don't wish to do you any harm; 
 I believe you mean well to us ; but if you attack us, you 
 must take the consequence. We will fight it out to the 
 death. What say you my men, shall it be life or death 
 
260 False Signals. 
 
 with us ?' ' Ay, ay/ said the men ; ' no surrender, no 
 surrender.' 
 
 ''I thought my position was getting ticklish, for the 
 bush-rangers were working themselves up to a pitch of 
 savage fury. I, therefore, thought of the best mode of 
 retiring. 
 
 " ' I will give you,' said I, ' another hour to consider 
 of the offer of the Governor ; if before the end of that 
 time you will consent to submit, hold up a bough by the 
 water's edge, which we shall be able to see from the 
 other side. I leave you now, hoping that you will con- 
 sider the merciful offer of the Governor, and take advan- 
 tage of this chance of saving your lives.' So saying, 
 and without waiting for a reply, I immediately took the 
 sculls and pulled back ; and glad enough was I to escape 
 so well, I can assure you. And now. Moss, do you tell 
 the rest." 
 
 We waited till the expiration of the hour (said Moss), 
 but we observed that the bush-rangers were very busy 
 with the dead wood, and with boughs of trees, which 
 they cut down and dragged to the shore, to form, as it 
 seemed, a shelter, behind which they might defend them- 
 selves, and at the end of the time we saw one of them 
 holding the bough of a tree in his hand, which he waved 
 about. 
 
 " They have agreed to surrender," said the magis- 
 trate ; "don't you see the signal which we agreed on?" 
 
 "Not a bit of it," said the old sergeant; " those forti- 
 fications have not been run up for nothing : the treache- 
 rous devils, they show that branch as a feint, depend 
 upon it, to put us off our guard. But I think we may 
 take advantage of their own stratagem, and by pretend- 
 
The Sergeant's Stratagem. 261 
 
 ing to be deceived, we shall be able to deceive them. 
 Now, sir," said he to the magistrate, " will you be ruled 
 by me for this once ? I'm an old peninsular campaigner, 
 and have had some experience in the bush with the 
 Yankees, and I am up to their manceuvi-es." 
 
 " With all my heart," said the magistrate ; " what do 
 you propose to do ?" 
 
 " Why this is what I propose. First, do you get into 
 the boat again with Worrall, as if you saw and understood 
 their signal, and relied upon their meaning to surrender. 
 When you are sure they have seen you do this, then 
 come back, as if you had determined on some other plan 
 of receiving their submission. Now look at the wind. 
 You see it blows from us to them pretty smartish. Let 
 all of us hoist white flags or boughs of trees j they will 
 see us from the other side, and they will think we are 
 sure of their surrendering quietly, and so being deceived, 
 if they mean treachery, we shall be able to circumvent 
 them. Now you see the wind, as I said, blows from us 
 to them. We must make a large fire, as if for cooking, 
 and to make it look as if we had abandoned all thoughts 
 of fighting." 
 
 ''How will that help us?" said the magistrate. 
 " Why, you see when we make a good fire, we can 
 make at the same time a good smoke, and smoke enough 
 to hide us from the view of the bush-rangers." 
 " And what will you do then?" 
 
 " Let one boat go straight forward, making all the noise 
 you can, to fix their attention, while the other steals 
 round to the side of the island. We soldiers will go in 
 that, and take them in flank, and then we shall have 
 them nicely ; and while they are engaged with us, you 
 
202 They throw off the Disguise. 
 
 can push on and land, and so they will be between two 
 ■fires." 
 
 " Grood !" said the magistrate ; " a capital scheme ; 
 that is, if you can make smoke enough." 
 
 " Oh, let me alone for that," said the sergeant ; " I 
 learnt that trick long ago in America ; I'll warrant I' 11 make 
 a smoke that a man can't see a pot of beer through it." 
 
 The sergeant's plan was immediately carried into exe- 
 cution. We collected a quantity of dead leaves, which 
 at this season of the year are damp and difficult to in- 
 flame. We first made a fire as usual, and then we pro- 
 ceeded to light others along the shore, taking care to 
 smother them with dead leaves, which raised plenty of 
 smoke, which the wind carried over the water in the di- 
 rection of the island. We then manned the boats, and 
 pursuing the plan of the sergeant, made as much noise 
 as possible in pulling over. In the meantime, under 
 cover of the smoke, the second boat, with the sergeant 
 and his party, made the best of its way to the side of 
 the island. When we came within speaking distance, a 
 voice hailed us : — 
 
 "What the devil do you kick up such a smoke for?" 
 
 " The wood by the side of the lake is damp, and will 
 not burn. We saw your signal, and we are come to re- 
 ceive your surrender." 
 
 '^ Surrender be ! More fools you to suppose we 
 
 were going to give ourselves up to be hanged like sheep 
 in a slaughter-house. Take that for your folly." 
 
 At these words a volley was fired at us, but we were 
 prepared for it, and by falling down in the boat we es- 
 caped it altogether, the shots, in the obscurity of the 
 smoke, going over our heads. Without returning the 
 
The Double Attack. 263 
 
 fire, we immediately pulled off, and when we had got to 
 a safe distance, we began to fire, to distract the attention 
 of the bush-rangers from the second boat. "NVe con- 
 tinuod to fire for some minutes, till the smoke cleared 
 away, and then we had the satisfaction- to see that the 
 boat with the soldiers had succeeded in getting round a 
 point of land which concealed them from the sight of 
 the bush-rangers. 
 
 " The murderous and treacherous rascals !" muttered 
 Worrall, " they deserve to be punished for this villanous 
 treachery. Lucky we were to escape from them, but I 
 suppose the Gypsey thought he should secure our de- 
 struction best by this trick." 
 
 "Now," said the magistrate, "we may calculate the 
 soldiers have landed. Let us pull inshore and be ready 
 to second them. Fire as fast as you can till we get close 
 in, and then let 'half reserve their fire. There are the 
 soldiers stealing round ! The bush-rangers don't see 
 them yet ! They little expect an attack from that 
 quarter ! Now, my friends I Fire away ! Keep it up. 
 There go the soldiers ! Give way ! — pull — pull — reserve 
 your fire ! There go the soldiers again ! The rascals 
 are puzzled ! They don't know what to make of it. 
 Pull away ! Pull away !" 
 
 We were not long in reaching the shore, and the bush- 
 rangers being engaged with their unexpected enemy, 
 seemed panic-struck. They fired at the soldiers, but 
 without vigour and without aim. In the meantime we 
 were upon them on the other side ; and the soldiers, fix- 
 ing their bayonets, without hesitating, charged in among 
 them. 
 
 We got up to them at nearly the same time, and stopped 
 
264 Escape of G-ypsey. 
 
 their retreat. They were so bewildered by the sudden 
 ness of the unexpected attack of the soldiers, that they 
 made but little resistance, with the exception of the Gryp- 
 sey and another man, who seeing that their game was 
 lost, darted into the wood. Thinking that we had them 
 safe within the island, we first turned our attention to the 
 securing of those we had got, whom we bound hand and 
 foot before they had time to recover from their panic ; 
 three of them lay dead from the fire of the soldiers, and 
 several were slightly wounded. 
 
 "Where's their leader?'^ cried the magistrate. 
 
 " He has escaped for the j^resent, but we are sure to 
 have him at last." 
 
 "The boat," said the sergeant; ^' the boat on the 
 other side — look to it" 
 
 It was too late. The Gypsey had been too quick for 
 us. We saw him above a couple of miles from the shore, 
 pulling with his companion with all their might to the 
 main land. 
 
 "There they go," said Crab — "and all that we have 
 done is of no use, and I have got one of their buck-shot 
 through my arm; more fool I for going after them. 
 What have I to do with fighting bush-rangers ? And 
 there go the two greatest rogues of the lot ; tbey were 
 the ringleaders and the stirrers up of all the mischief; 
 and all our work is to do over again. I'll be bound, be- 
 fore night, they'll commit a dozen murders at least. 
 Well, this is making a silly end of it — that's my opinion !" 
 
 '•'Corporal," said the sergeant, "lose no time; you 
 must put yourself on their tracks ; you and your party 
 will be enough for those two ; I will take care of ihe 
 prisoners." 
 
Keturn to the Clyde. ±65 
 
 *' Put the corporal's party on shore/' said the magis- 
 trate, to the two constables, " where the other boa: lands. 
 You can then return and tow it back with you." 
 
 Worrall and his fellow-constables stepped into the 
 boat, and the corporal ruaking the usual military salaam, 
 departed with his men in pm-suit of the terrible Gypsey 
 When they returned, we all crossed over to the main land, 
 much to the joy of our friend Beresford, and the relief 
 of the Government messenger. We immediately set off 
 on our return to the Clyde, when to our surprise we 
 learnt that you had not yet arrived. We feared that 
 you had been killed by the natives, but Crab insisted on 
 immediately going in search of you, as he said you might 
 be lamed or lost in the bush. 
 
 Information was brought to us that the magistrate's 
 horse, on which you had started from the lake, had re- 
 turned home lame, and without saddle or bridle. This 
 increased our fears for your safety, and we had no diffi- 
 culty in mustering a sufficient party to aid you in case 
 of danger. Thank God we found you when we did. 
 
 " It was just in time," said I. 
 
 "It was, indeed; but that's over now; and when you 
 get home to your family you will soon recover yourself, 
 and cret things to rights again." 
 
 With this we turned ourselves to sleep, and I slept 
 soundly. The morning light found me refreshed and re- 
 stored, and I roused up the party to lose no time in cross- 
 ing the river. We found a fording place higher up, and 
 crossed without accident. Beresford placed himself by 
 my side, and we strode cheerfully on. 
 
 After a sharp march of some miles, we passed the 
 Shannon, and I began to feel myself again 
 
266 M I s s M s s . 
 
 " What has become of poor Lucy Moss ?" said I. " It 
 was you who saved her life on that awful night. When 
 we left her on our expedition to the lake, she had not 
 recovered consciousness. Is she still alive ?" 
 
 '' Miss Moss has to thank your wife for her recovery/' 
 said Beresford, "more than me. But look there ! Did 
 you ever see such a shot ? — that cockatoo on the end of 
 the branch of the tree there." 
 
 "Never mind the cockatoo, man," said I; "we have 
 had shooting enough for one bout ; let the cockatoo alone. 
 Well, poor girl, I hope she is gi-ateful to you for her life, 
 when you carried her in your arms on that terrible night 
 that we found her lying on the trunk of the tree over the 
 Clyde. It is not every one that would have perilled his 
 life by scrambling along that tree like an opossum, as 
 you did ; and I remember how very kind you were 3 and 
 when we offered to help you, you said the poor girl was 
 not in the least heavy, and I suppose — but bless the man, 
 what is the matter with him ? you are not going to faint 
 are yoti ? And what makes you tui-n so red in that odd 
 way?" 
 
 "It's my arm," said he, " that gives me a twinge now 
 and then." 
 
 "Oh! — is it? and who has done it up so nicely? 
 Here's been a woman's hand in this, I'll swear. Was it 
 my wife that sewed on all these little black ribands so 
 prettily— eh?" 
 
 " It was not Mrs. Thornley who did it exactly . . ." 
 
 " Exactly ! What, had anybody else a hand in it ?" 
 
 "Not particularly — that is, not altogether; but Mrs. 
 Thornley had the kindness to hold my arm — while — - 
 I think it was Miss Moss who sewed on the ties." 
 
 "Oh ! it was; and who" 
 
Home! 267 
 
 "There's the Clyde at last," said Beresford. "Look, 
 — cast your eyes just over that bare branch of the high 
 gum tree — don't you see the water? It can't be more 
 than four miles from us." 
 
 "You seem to be in a particular hurry to get back. 
 Nothing wrong about your affairs, I hope ?" 
 
 " Oh dear, no ! The truth is, that — that I want — that 
 is — that I'm anxious" 
 
 'Anxious to do what?" 
 
 " To see how your men — that is, my men — have got on 
 with the hedging and ditching since I've been away." 
 
 "Indeed!" said I. 
 
 I did not make any further observation to my young 
 friend, who suddenly quitted my side, but I thought a 
 good deal, and I said to myself — " I've seen many curi- 
 ous things in my time, but I never knew a young fellow 
 in such a hurry to see a hedge and ditch before ! 
 
 But I was now drawing nearer and nearer to home, 
 and that feeling put out of my head all other thoughts. 
 The loud and joyous shouts of our party proclaimed from 
 a distance their approach and their success. In a mo- 
 ment I crossed the memorable tree across the river, and 
 found myself once more in the embraces of my wife and 
 children. 
 
He returns to his Home — Sets about repairing his Disasters — 
 How to build a House with pulverized Earth — Mr. Crab's in- 
 creased importance, and how sheep may increase from one 
 hundred to two thousand — The building of a stone House re- 
 solved on. 
 
 It is now fourteen years since the events whicli I 
 have related happened ; but I remember them as if they 
 were of yesterday. Taking my wife in one hand, and 
 my eldest daughter in the other, I led them silently to 
 the humble hut, which now formed our only dwelling. 
 Our hearts were too full to speak. I looked round for 
 William • my wife guessed my thought?. 
 
 '* William is out seeking for you over the hills to- 
 wards Sorrell's Lake." 
 
 I looked on my other children, and kissed them one 
 by one. 
 
 " Let me be alone," I said, " for a little while : — my 
 head is giddy." 
 
 I sat down on a wooden bench, and tried to collect my 
 thoughts ; but the revulsion was too much for me. 
 The terrible emotions which I had suffered had shaken me 
 more than I was aware of: the events of a lifetime 
 seemed to have been crowded into the ten days' space 
 since I had left my happy home. 
 
 In that brief time how much had I suffered ! I had 
 
 fought in some desperate conflicts ! I had been lost for 
 (268) 
 
Affecting Meeting. 269 
 
 sii. days in the dreary and dismal bush ! I had been 
 all but overcome in my death-struggle with the natives ! 
 Desolation now met my eyes where I had left abundance ; 
 and the blackened ruins of my once cheerful cottage 
 lay in a melancholy heap as I passed them by ! 
 
 Overcome by the sudden rush of all these thoughts 
 which at once assailed me, and overpowered with the sur- 
 passing joy of beholding those whom so recently I had 
 never expected to see again, I felt that choking at the 
 throat which seizes on those who are torn by conflicting 
 emotions : mine were joy and sadness. I think my bosom 
 vfould have burst had not tears come to my relief; I 
 tried to check them as unmanly and unseemly at such 
 a moment : but they came thicker and thicker, and in the 
 fulness and thankfulness of my joy I sobbed aloud. 
 
 My dear wife took my hands and pressed them ten- 
 derly ; motioning ber to kneel down with me, I raised 
 my heart in gratitude and prayer to that Being, through 
 whose help I had been sustained in my many perils. 
 Then summoning my children, I caressed them again, 
 and my dear William soon after coming in, with all the 
 boisterous gladness of a young heart, shouted out his 
 joyous greeting. 
 
 That evening was one of joy and thankfulness ; we 
 did not think of what we had lost, but of what we had 
 gained. But a sort of brain fever was the consequence 
 of the excitement to which I had been exposed, which 
 confined me for many days to my bed. 
 
 Wben I recovered sufficiently to attend to my affairs, 
 I found that I had in a great measure to begin again the 
 work of a settler in the country ; but industry and per- 
 eeTerance will conquer most difficulties ; so I set about 
 
270 Beresford's Attentions. 
 
 repairing my disasters with a stout heart, and as we all 
 worked willingly, we worked cheerfully, stimulated by 
 the feeling that we were working for ourselves, and that 
 every improvement that we made — every stone that we 
 laid — and every stick that we planted, was on our land, 
 and for the benefit of ourselves and our children. 
 
 My first care was to look after my sheep ; for that was 
 my main stock, and what I most depended on. I had the 
 mortification to find that my home flock of merinoes 
 had got dispersed in the bush, but my three other flocks 
 at their different runs, consisting of about three thou- 
 sand, were safe. It took some time to recover my me- 
 rinoes, for they had strayed away, and had become 
 mixed with the sheep of various neighbours, but I got 
 them nearly all together again after a short time. As 
 to the tame cattle, they were gathered in by degrees, 
 but it cost my horses severe work to get in the wild herds, 
 with which they were mixed. 
 
 The worst part of the business was the loss by fire at 
 home of furniture, bedding, books, and indeed of almost 
 everything that the old cottage and the adjacent build- 
 ings contained. But there were no lives lost, and that 
 was a great consolation. 
 
 My friend Moss was re-established in his log hut on 
 the other side of the river, and I heard that young Beres- 
 ford was particularly attentive in giving them the benefit 
 of his assistance in putting their little farm to rights, 
 and my daughter Betsy, then sixteen years of age, and 
 inclined to be saucy occasionally, told me very demurely 
 "that Mr. Beresford was so very kind; that he was there 
 every day, showing Miss Moss how to plant her little 
 flower-garden, which must be an exceedingly diflicult 
 
Necessity for a House. 271 
 
 thing to do," Betsy remarked, ^' on the other side of the 
 river, as the flower-garden did not seem to make much 
 progress, although her instructor was always explain- 
 ing to her from morning to night something or other about 
 it." 
 
 This was said in such a sly way, that I looked on 
 Betsy with eyes which betokened some little surprise at 
 her observations, and it suddenly struck me that eight 
 years had passed away since I first came to the Clyde, 
 and that my eldest daughter, now sixteen years of age, 
 was assuming the airs of womanhood. 
 
 My son William, too, who had reached his eighteenth 
 year, had lately been throwing out hints on the propriety 
 of his making a visit to Hobart Town to purchase razors. 
 I had put a stop to that sort of presumption some time 
 before by gravely ofi"ering him a cart and four bullocks to 
 bring up a razor for him, but I felt that these pretensions 
 would at no distant time assume a character which re- 
 quired care and consideration, and that it was incumbent 
 on me to provide for them in time. These thoughts acted 
 as further stimulants to my exertions. 
 
 "This is a bad job, Crab," I began, "but it might 
 have been worse ; there have been no lives lost from this 
 sad fire, that is one great consolation ; but we can't live 
 without a house ; the point to be settled is, what sort of 
 one we shall build. You have seen a good deal of these 
 new sort of houses at Pitt Water, what do you think of 
 them ?" 
 
 Now it must be premised, that Mr. Crab had become 
 a very important personage in the district of the Clyde. 
 At the beginning of 1817, seven years before, I had pre- 
 vailed on him to purchase with his small capital a hun- 
 
272 Peofitable Speculation. 
 
 dred ewes heavy with lamb, and to put them out " on 
 thirds ;" which he did with an honest settler on the 
 other side, the Launceston side, of the island. 
 
 As the keeper of the sheep was to have one-third of 
 their produce to re-imburse him for his care and expense, 
 two-thirds remained for the owner; and as Crab con- 
 sumed none, and sold little of the increase, excepting for 
 the purpose of replacing the wethers with breeding ewes, 
 in the course of seven years Crab's original one hundred 
 ewes had increased, notwithstanding theft and all sorts 
 of losses, to two flocks of sheep of above one thousand 
 each, which he had established on separate runs, to the 
 eastward of Salt Pan Plains. He had continued to live 
 with me in my house, and was considered, as he consi- 
 sidered himself, a part of the family, and maintained his 
 authority as the autocrat of the ploughs and corn-fields. 
 
 I must add, that having now attained the age of sixty- 
 eight, he had become more obstinate in his opinions than 
 ever, and my recent calamities, which he declared he 
 had all along foreseen and expected, confirmed him in his 
 conviction of his superior penetration and sagacity. 
 
 " What do you think, Crab," said I, " of running up 
 a pise house? It's easily done, and we can do it with 
 the men we have got about us." 
 
 Crab slowly raised himself from the log of a tree on 
 which he was sitting, and placing on the rough table of 
 gum-tree boards his two hard and brown hands, he in- 
 clined his head a little forwards to me, and with much 
 solemnity replied : — 
 
 " And is it possible, Mr. Thornley, that you are think- 
 ing of building another house in this miserable place ? 
 Have you not had warning enough, by bush-rangers, and 
 
Betsy's Expostulation. 273 
 
 by natives, and by fires, to show you the wrongness of 
 all that you have done ? And eight years ago, in this 
 very place, did I not tell you what would happen ? and 
 hasn't it happened ? And now you are thinking of be- 
 ginning it all over again ! Why, it's a mere tempting of 
 Providence !" 
 
 " Oh, papa," said Betsy, " do let us go back to Eng- 
 land. Since all this work about the bush-rangers and na- 
 tives, I declare I'm quite frightened; and besides there's 
 not a shop near us, one must send to Hobart Town for 
 everything; and if one wants a new riband for a bonnet, a 
 bullock cart must be sent fifty miles for it. The idea 
 of bringing up a new bonnet in a cart drawn by four 
 bullocks I" 
 
 " Nonsense, Betsy," said "William ; '' what do you want 
 with new bonnets up here, where there are nothing but 
 cows and sheep to see you? ('ain't there, though?' I 
 thought Betsy muttered). To be sure, it is awkward not 
 to have a boot-maker near, and if you want any trifle 
 done to your gun, you must take it to town. That cer- 
 tainly is a nuisance." 
 
 " Miss Betsy is a very sensible young lady," said Crab, 
 " and I think the best thing to be done is for us all to 
 go home again to England, and there we can have a nice 
 little farm, and in Shropshire I know many that are to 
 be got at a low rent." 
 
 "Rent!" said I; ''that would be a settler. Crab, if 
 there was no other argument against it. Thank heaven ! 
 we have done with rent ! Our land is our own ; wc are 
 our own masters ; depending on our own exertions for 
 prosperity and fortune !" 
 
 " A pretty prosperity has come of it !" said the indo- 
 18 
 
274 PROsrEuiTY and Fortune. 
 
 mitable Crab. "It's a very prosperous state of affairs, 
 isn't it, when a man is shot at day after day by bush- 
 rangers, and gets lost in the bush, and is hunted by na- 
 tives — and — I ask you, now, master, whether, in your 
 conscience, you can deny that you ought at this moment 
 to be a roasted man V 
 
 " A roasted man !" said my wife. '^Good heavens! 
 Mr. Crab, what odd ideas you have \" 
 
 "But I'm not roasted yet," said I, "and, excepting 
 that clip which the natives' womera gave me on the leg, 
 I'm not much the worse for it. And, by-the-by. Crab, 
 how do your sheep get on beyond the Salt Pan Plains ? 
 Why, you will have more sheep in a short time than you 
 will know what to do with. What would you do with 
 them in England ? It would require a good bit of land 
 to feed two thousand sheep ; and then the rent ! No 
 rent to pay here — eh !" 
 
 "Eh V said Crab — "ah ! but it's better to pay rent 
 and have your property safe, than pay it in the shape 
 of bush-rangers, sheep-stealing, and burning, and such 
 like." 
 
 " That's a drawback," said I, "it must be confessed; 
 but still, my friend Crab, with all these drawbacks, and 
 in spite of all the inconveniences and disadvantages of 
 this wretched country, as you call it, you have contrived to 
 make two thousand sheep out of one hundred in seven 
 years ! I am inclined to think that you would not have 
 got together a flock of two thousand sheep in England 
 in that time, or in any time." 
 
 "May be not," said Crab — "may be not; but then 
 in England you can sleep in your bed without getting 
 up next morning and finding your throat cut, or your 
 
Crab's Advice. 275 
 
 house burnt about your ears. Well, well — a wilful man 
 must have his way 1 I suppose you must wait for an- 
 other disaster worse than this before you'll hear reason ; 
 but the end will come at last, and then you'll regret you 
 did not take my advice." 
 
 ^' Come, give us your advice about a pise house, as 
 you have seen some of them and I have not ; will they 
 do?" 
 
 " Do ! Lord bless you — never think of making a mud- 
 pie and calling it a house. "Who ever heard of patting 
 mud up into a heap, and then setting a roof on it? 
 Why, it must crumble to pieces, or be washed away by 
 the first rain that comes. But why talk of a mud 
 house when you have plenty of stone on your own 
 land ?" 
 
 ''Yes; but stone-masons' work is so very expensive in 
 this country, and such a house would take so long in 
 building." 
 
 ''Of course it would; everything is very expensive 
 in this country ; but you should have thought of that 
 before you came into it. But the stone house that I 
 mean is one which you might build of the same sort of 
 stone that the old chimney of the cottage was built of; 
 only to be done in a more sightly manner. Why, you 
 might build a house a hundred feet long for a few hun- 
 dred pounds, that would really be a place fit for a gen- 
 tleman to live in, and which some new fool of a settler, 
 with plenty of money, would buy, perhaps, when you 
 went back to England. And I '11 tell you what I '11 
 do," continued Crab, in his enthusiasm: "I've too 
 many sheep by a great deal for me to look after. I'll 
 sell one of the flocks, and that shall build the new house 
 
276 A GrENEROus Offer. 
 
 for you, and I '11 start to Salt Pau Plains about it this 
 very day." 
 
 ''Indeed/' said I, ''you will do no such thing." 
 
 '' And why not, pray; can't I do as I like with my 
 own sheep ?" 
 
 " You may do as you like with your own sheep, but 
 you shall not sell them to build our house ; there will 
 be about fifteen hundred pounds due to me in another 
 month, which I shall not lend again, so that I shall 
 have plenty of money for house, furniture, and all." 
 
 "Well," said Crab, considering a little, "perhaps it's 
 as well ; it will be all the same in the end, and you 
 would only lose your money by lending it. Very well; 
 the sheep are sure to increase if you leave them alone. 
 So now to find a good stone-quarry." 
 
 " Let us all go," said my wife; the day is beautiful. 
 I want to see Mrs. Moss on the other side of the river, 
 and you can help us over Lucy's bridge, and leave us 
 in Mrs. Moss's Cottage." 
 
 " Come, then," said I; " where 's my fowling-piece? 
 and. Will, do you take yours." 
 
 "Why, what on earth," said Crab, "do you want 
 with your guns ? — you are not going a mile from home." 
 
 "Perhaps not; but there's no harm in taking them 
 with us." 
 
 "My fowling-piece is dirty," said William; "but 
 Acre 's a musket clean, with the bayonet all ready fixed ; 
 and here's a cartouche-box of cartridges.'' , 
 
 "A pretty place to live in!" said Crab; "togoa- 
 Beeking for a stone-quarry with muskets and fixed bayo- 
 aets !" 
 
 " It's always best to be prepared," said I; "and, to 
 
Precautionary Measures. 277 
 
 my tliinking, precaution betokens courage, as it slunvs 
 the calculation of danger, and the predetermination to 
 face it." 
 
 It will be seen that it was well, on this occasion, that 
 we did not leave our arms behind us. 
 
Stone-quarries — Mannei- of Gardening by young Ladies in new 
 Colonics — A Stranger — Miss Betsy suddenly becomes scientific 
 respecting Stone-quarries and other matters — The large Ants re- 
 sent the intrusion on their territories — Wild cattle hunting — A 
 young Bull gets maddened, and galloping into the Bush, meets 
 with Betsy — Thornley sees her peril and gives her over for lost 
 
 Van Diemen's Land abounds in stone of all sorts, 
 and especially in a sort of stone which easily splits into 
 flakes ; it is commonly used to build the chimney of a 
 log-house, where bricks and lime are not easily to be had. 
 It is not so sightly as bricks, but it answers the purpose 
 very well, and almost anything in the shape of mud 
 serves for a cement. There was plenty of this sort of 
 stone on my land; indeed, too much of it, enough to 
 build a town, and on one rise there were so many fine 
 flat slabs of stones lying on the surface, that it made one 
 long to find a use for them. 
 
 The object of our search was to find a quarry of stone 
 easy to be worked, near the intended site of the house, 
 so as to avoid the expense and trouble of carting. But 
 first we proceeded in a body to the other side of the 
 river, passing in single file over the trunk of the tree 
 which had now obtained the name of " Lucy's-bridge ;" 
 Crab brought up the rear, with a crow-bar over his 
 shoulder, which it pleased him to carry on this occasion, 
 for the purpose of raising specimens of the stone. 
 ( 278 > 
 
A Stranger. 279 
 
 We found our friends busy about their cottage, which, 
 at Mrs. Moss's request, our diligent neighbour was care- 
 fully fortifying. The inside was hardly large enough to 
 contain us all, so we proceeded in a body to the new 
 garden, which Miss Moss, with great taste, had planned 
 near the river. 
 
 "Bless me," said Betsy, ''why I declare Miss Moss 
 has two gardeners to assist her; there's Mr. Beresford 
 sitting on the log of a tree, working dreadfully hard in- 
 deed, and explaining, I suppose, something or other; 
 and there's another helping him, only he's too far off to 
 join in the conversation, with a gun over his shoulder. 
 That's a stranger ; I wonder who he can be ?" 
 
 Our approach interrupted young Beresford's disserta- 
 tion on horticulture, and he came forward with a very 
 red face to greet us, while Miss Moss immediately began 
 to rake about the earth desperately. " Rather cold 
 work," said I, " to be idle. The mouth of June is not 
 the season to sit still in the open air. A good fire, and 
 the inside of a house, would be more comfortable." 
 
 '' I thought it was very pleasant," said Beresford. 
 
 "So it appeared," said I; "but I can't stop to talk 
 this morning. We are going to look for stone to build 
 our new house. Who is that young stranger ? He is 
 very like you." 
 
 " That's my brother. You know I have been expect- 
 ing him for some months. He came up here a week 
 ago." 
 
 " What is his age ? He is younger than you." 
 
 " Hp is nineteen — four years younger than I am. He 
 nas got terrible notions in his head about natives and 
 bush-rangers, and nothing on earth will induce him to 
 
280 Behesfoud's Excuse. 
 
 part with his gun : he cats, and drinks, and sleeps 
 with it." 
 
 As my friend thus spoke, the stranger advanced, and 
 saluted us with a very good air, and I was prepossessed 
 in his favour at once, by his modest and unassuming 
 manner. I am inclined to think that there was another 
 of the party who regarded him with favourable eyes ; 
 but of this I shall have to speak in its proper place. 
 
 " Who's for a walk ?" said I. " Come, Beresford, man, 
 don't sit on that log all day ; a brisk walk will do you 
 good." 
 
 ''I would go with you with all my heart, but the 
 truth is, I have promised Miss Moss to show her how to 
 trench the ground for Indian corn." 
 
 "Trench ground for Indian corn in June! Well, 
 that's a new idea, at any rate. You don't mean to say 
 that you are going to sow Indian corn in the middle of 
 winter ?" 
 
 " Sow it ! No — not to sow it, but there's nothing 
 like being prepared in time." _ 
 
 "Right there," said I; "and as you like to prepare 
 in time, had you not better come with us and look out 
 for a convenient stone quarry, for it seems to me you'll 
 soon be wanting a larger house than your present one ?" 
 
 Miss Moss, at this recommendation, worked away witb 
 her rake again with great energy ; but she had the 
 courage to say, "The surgeon, Mr. Beresford, desired 
 you not to use your arm ; and you know he said that any 
 exertion would be dangerous. But pray don't let me 
 keep you from joining your friends. I have plenty to 
 do inside the cottage." 
 
 So saying, she bid us a hasty adieu, and we proceedea 
 
Hunt FOR Stone Quarries. 281 
 
 on our walk. Beresford said he had to speak to Mr. 
 Moss about some sheep; but his brother, he added, would 
 be glad to accompany us to see the country. 
 
 "Well, then," said I, ''you can stay with your mo- 
 ther, Betsy, and we will go on with our search." 
 
 "I should like to go with you," said Betsy; "the 
 day is so fine, and I am so fond of seeing stone 
 quarries." 
 
 "Fond of seeing stone quarries !" thought I; "what 
 has come to the hussy; she never was so interested 
 about stone quarries before. Come, then," I said, " and 
 don't complain of being tired, for we shaU make a long 
 walk of it, perhaps." 
 
 We re-crossed the river, and struck into the bush, 
 William going on before, and I and Crab following se- 
 dately behind, while Betsy and the stranger camelfter 
 us. We soon came on some stone quarries, but we saw 
 none that pleased us. There were so many that we were 
 fastidious about them. 
 
 " J know of a capital lot of stone just on the other 
 side of that little green hill," said Crab, " if it would 
 not be too far for carting; but it all lies on the surface, 
 so the distance of cartage would be saved by the ease of 
 getting at the stone." 
 
 " It can do no harm for us to see it," said I, '< so let 
 us push on. Betsy! where the deuce is the girl? 
 Don't loiter behind so, or you'll be lost in the bush, and 
 your new acquaintance would not be able to help you in 
 such a strait, I think, eh ?" 
 
 " Oh, no fear, papa, of being lost in the bush, close at 
 home. I have more fear of the wild cattle that the men 
 are bringing in to-day." 
 
282 The Red Ants. 
 
 "Wild cattle!" said George Beresford; "are the 
 cattle then so wild here? are they savage when mo- 
 lested?" 
 
 " Savage !" said Crab, " there's nothing savage about 
 the poor things ; but they are angry at times, and so 
 would you be if you had half a dozen men on horseback 
 riding after you for some hours, and cracking their whips 
 at you enough to deafen a gum-tree. They are wildish 
 a bit now and then, and when there's a mob of them 
 rampaging along they can't stand on ceremony. You 
 must get out of their way, that's all. A little more to 
 the left, master, if you please ; no need to go over a hill 
 when you can go round it. There's no end to hills in 
 this country." 
 
 We walked on till we had gone about two miles from 
 home, when we came upon a splendid lot of stones, of 
 all shapes and sizes, and Crab, in his zeal, began to use 
 his crow-bar to heave up a slab here and there, to see 
 what was under it. Our new acquaintance, to manifest 
 his desire to render assistance in our search, took the 
 crow-bar, and worked away with great vigour in an irre- 
 gular pit of stones, which looked of an inviting quality. 
 He had not proceeded far in his task, before he uttered 
 a sharp cry, and began to dance about. 
 
 " What's the matter ?" said William; " has the crow- 
 bar fallen on your toe ?" 
 
 " Toe ! it's not my toe ! I've been bit by a snake !" 
 " A snake ! It's strange that we did not observe it ! 
 But I see ; it's no snake, it's the red ants that you have 
 disturbed, and one has given you a nip. I'll soon bring 
 •some more of them out." 
 
 So saying, he took the crow-bar, and, peering about, 
 
Their Hostility. 283 
 
 struck it lightly at the entrance of the passage several 
 times. Immediately a swarm of these prodigious ants 
 sallied out, elevating their nippers, and showing signs 
 of anger and irritation. These red ants are about an inch 
 and a half long, very bold and fierce in their nature, and 
 they do not hesitate to attack any intruder on their do- 
 mains. About four years before this time, one of my 
 men, who was employed in raising stone about a half 
 a mile from the house, was obliged to abandon the 
 quarry from the numbers and determined hostility of 
 these courageous and daring creatures. 
 
 We, who knew what was coming, got out of the way, 
 but our friend, with the curiosity of a new comer, 
 waited in the pit, to examine the appearance and motions 
 of this curious army of ants. He did not stay there 
 long, however, for the angry ants attacked him in a mo- 
 ment, and, biting his shins, and crawling under his 
 clothes, set him a-dancing in a manner that did infinite 
 credit to his agility. The pleasure of this novel sen- 
 sation was not increased by the loud laughter which ac- 
 companied his capers from all — all excepting my daugh- 
 ter Betsy, whose usual love of mirth had become sub- 
 dued, from politeness and in courtesy to a stranger. 
 
 " For heaven's sake, William," she called out, '' do help 
 Mr. Beresford ; those horrid ants will bite him to death." 
 
 " I'll fire at 'em," said William, " if he will only 
 stand still and let me pick 'em ofi" one by one. But, 
 never mind, they only bite, and they are not venomous — 
 at least much — and I never knew any harm come from 
 their bites. Our Bob has been bitten by them all over, 
 and he's used to them now, he .says, and, upon my word, 
 I tnink the ants learned to know him, for they left oft 
 attacking him after a bit." 
 
284 Betsy's Absence. 
 
 " This will do, Crab," said I ; '' this is capital stone, 
 and plenty of it, and ft's all down hill, or nearly so, to 
 the new house. So here we will fix for our quarry 
 And now we will go home." 
 
 "Not home yet, papa; Mr. Beresford wants to set 
 the falls of the Clyde." 
 
 " Well, do you and William go with him, and show him 
 the falls ; but they are little worth seeing in June ; the 
 spring-time, in September or October, is the time for 
 the falls, after the rains ; then they are a sight worth 
 seeing." 
 
 Leaving the young party to continue their walk, I 
 and Crab turned our steps homewards, as I expected a 
 herd of wild cattle to be driven into the stock-yard 
 during the day. When we got home, I found that my 
 wife had returned. She blamed me for letting Betsy go 
 so far from home, in these troublous times, as she called 
 them ; but I told her there was no fear of bush-rangers 
 or natives in the daytime so near a settlement, and we 
 followed such occupations as demanded our attention. 
 When the time had elapsed, however, for Betsy's return 
 home, my wife began to be uneasy at her absence, and 
 urged me to go in search of her." 
 
 " She is gone into some friend's house on the way," 
 said I ; '' there's no cause for being uneasy ; William is 
 with her, and the falls are not a quarter of a mile from 
 a settler's house." 
 
 But all I could say could not calm my wife's uneasi- 
 ness, for her late troubles had made her timid and 
 nervous, till I began to be uneasy myself. I took my 
 double-barrelled fowling-piece, and bidding two of my 
 men, whom I could trust, to come with me, I set out in 
 the direction of the falls. 
 
Arrival of Wild Cattlk. 285 
 
 I had not proceeded a hundred yards before I thought 
 I heard the distant lowing of cattle, and presently after 
 the cracking of the hunters' whips apprised me that the 
 herd which I had been expecting all day was approach- 
 ing the stock-yard. 
 
 Judging that an additional rider would be of use in 
 forcing them into the yard, I returned to the hut, near 
 which temporary stables had been erected, and putting a 
 saddle on the horse that was there — the two others were 
 out after the cattle — I was soon in the midst of the sport. 
 
 The forcing the cattle into the stock-yard is the most 
 difficult part of the task, as they are apt to break away 
 when they scent the enclosure, and to divide in separate 
 mobs, which it is exceedingly difficult to get together 
 again, as they fly off in all directions, and become savage 
 and furious as they are hard pressed by the shouts and 
 whips of the huntsmen. 
 
 In collecting them from their various runs, it is the 
 practice for three to five or six horsemen to set out to- 
 gether at the earliest break of day. The horsemen are 
 provided with a roughly-made whip, with a leather thong, 
 and a peculiar sort of lash at the end of it, made from an 
 old silk handkerchief, which is the best material for pro- 
 ducing a loud crack. 
 
 To make this lash, two strips of an old silk handker- 
 chief, about six inches long, are wetted, and twisted tight 
 separately, and then twisted tightly together. It is sur- 
 prising to those who have never tried this peculiar lash, 
 to hear the astonishing loud crack that it will make. It 
 is the noise of these cracking whips that frightens the 
 cattle into the required direction; and without these 
 whips it would be useless to attempt to drive them. 
 
286 Mode of C a v t u ii i n a T ii e m . 
 
 Thus provided, the hunters proceed to the spots where 
 they divine that cattle have rested the preceding night, 
 observing especially the brows of hills sheltered from the 
 wind. When they see a mob of cattle, a dozen, more or 
 less, they note the spot, and pass on, taking care not to 
 disturb them, and continue their search after more. 
 
 In this way they proceed, spreading themselves over 
 the country, and going twenty miles, perhaps, from home, 
 noting the different little mobs here and there on their 
 passage. They then gently urge the mob farthest off 
 towards the mob nearer home, and then urge the mob so 
 joined to the next one, and so on. 
 
 After a little while, the cattle begin to suspect mis- 
 chief, and then the furious riding begins, and the smaller 
 the number, the more difficult it is to drive them. A 
 horseman takes each flank of the mob, and the rest of 
 the hunters take charge of the cattle from behind. 
 Every now and then the cattle break off to the right or 
 left, and then the horseman, with loud shouts, pursues 
 them, and with the cracking of his whip drives them 
 back to the main body. Sometimes the whole body of 
 cattle will make a rush to escape, and then the utmost 
 efforts of the hunters are necessary to prevent them from 
 dispersing. 
 
 The country being in a state of nature,' and for the 
 most part covered with dead timber, the sort of riding 
 may be imagined. Copses are dashed through, dead 
 trunks of trees are continually to be leaped, for the 
 herd must be followed and kept in the right direction at 
 all hazards to man and horse ; and whatever the country, 
 it must be taken, up hill or down hill, up precipice or 
 down precipice. 
 
Its Exciting Nature 287 
 
 Sometimes the cattle take a direction round tlie brow 
 of a steep mountain, with a wall of turf on your left 
 hand, and a precipice of a hundred feet or two on your 
 right ! No matter; on you must go; hooting, shouting, 
 and cracking the never-resting whip, and never thinking 
 of the danger till you have passed it. 
 
 Talk of fox-hunting ! It is nothing compared with wild 
 cattle-hunting ! and as to the excitement, cattle-hunting 
 is ten times more exciting, but it must be added, incom- 
 parably more dangerous ! Besides, in cattle-hunting you 
 see your game, and a multitude of wild cattle in a state 
 of fury from hard driving is a grand and imposing spec- 
 tacle. I say nothing of the additional enlivement of be- 
 coming the pursued instead of the pursuer, from some 
 devil of a bull taking it into his head to resent the affront 
 put upon his independence. Then the chase assumes a 
 very different complexion, and cool must be the man and 
 steady must be the rider to escape when the wild bull is 
 determined, and inclined to be vicious. 
 
 I remember one of my men was chased between the 
 Shannon and the Clyde for ten miles on end by a furi- 
 ous bullock, who kept his horse at the stretch of his 
 speed the whole "way, till the rider came to a deep part 
 of the Clyde, when he dashed in, glad to escape from 
 his tormentor any way. When a pretty good number 
 are collected in this way, they are more easily driven, 
 as they are in each other's way, and impede each other's 
 motions ; but they are the more dangerous when they 
 make a rush at you. The only thing to be done then 
 is to ride with all your speed to the right or left, and 
 keep up with them in a parallel line till their speed is 
 spent ; then the work has to be done again. 
 
2S8 Successful Chase. 
 
 On the present occasion, my men had collected a mob 
 of above a hundred, some of which belonged to other 
 parties, and as it was winter-time, and the cattle were 
 not exhausted by the heat, as they sometimes are in 
 summer — for I have known a fat bullock to lie down 
 when thus driven from exhaustion, and I have not been 
 able to make him get up even by whipping him — they 
 were in fine condition for a run, and I soon saw that 
 there would be more than ordinary difficulty in getting 
 them into Ihe stock-yard, which was less than a quarter 
 of a mile from the building where I was temporarily 
 residing. 
 
 We were five horsemen in all; three of my own 
 horses, and two of my neighbour's, who, from love of 
 the sport, had joined in the hunt. We had just got 
 them to the entrance of the yard, where they stood 
 hesitating and obstinate, when a fine young bull uttered 
 a savage cry, and, darting between me and another 
 rider, galloped into the plain, followed by the whole herd. 
 
 It was quite a narrow escape for both, of us, and we 
 were only just in time in avoiding the rush of the infu- 
 riated animals. But we were too well used to the work 
 to be baffled, and in a short time we had them all under 
 command, though it required all the shouting and whip- 
 cracking that we could raise to urge them to the entrance 
 again. As it was, I think we should have lost them, 
 had it not been for two cows belonging to our tame herd, 
 which, fortunately, this time, were in front, and they 
 being used to the yard, cantered in to avoid the pressure 
 from behind, and then another simxiltaneous shout on 
 our parts, and a renewed cracking of whips forced them 
 all in ; then up bars, and we had them safe. 
 
 The young bull, however, did not approve of the trick, 
 
y..'^t.;•^^-C^ 
 
Terrible Apprehension. 289 
 
 aud he bellowed and galloped about the yard in a state 
 of perfect fury, lashing his tail about, and plunging his 
 horns into the ground till he got quite mad. In his 
 anger he made a dash at the heavy logs of which the 
 yard -was built, aiid butting his head against them, he 
 made the whole stockade vibrate with the concussion. 
 Finding it too strong to break through, he bellowed and 
 plunged about with increased rage, when suddenly ho 
 made a run at the logs, and with one desperate bound 
 he leaped right over them, although they were nearly 
 eight feet high, and dashed into the bush. 
 
 I admired the vigoiu- and determination of the ani- 
 mal, and as we did not want him, I let him go his way, 
 when it suddenly struck me that the course which ho 
 had taken was the same which my daughter would be 
 pursuing on her way home. I communicated my fears 
 to my two men, who were standing by me, and, instantly 
 seeinf the danger, they mounted their horses without 
 delay, and we proceeded after the furious animal, intend- 
 ing to head him, so as to tui-n him away from the path 
 where he might do mischief. 
 
 The short time that elapsed between his escape and 
 my thought of its danger was sufficient to enable him to 
 get considerably ahead of us, I took the way to the 
 right, being best mounted ; and my horse being fresh, I 
 put him to the top of his speed, riding over everything 
 in my way in my terrible anxiety. 
 
 A couple of miles were passed in almost less time than 
 I have taken to relate it, when my worst fears were re- 
 alized ! I beheld the infuriated animal, rendered more 
 furious by our pursuit and our cries, with its horns near 
 the ground, in the act of rushing towards ray daughter 
 19 
 
290 Miraculous Escape. 
 
 Betsy, -who, with my son and the young stranger, seemed 
 for the moment stupified with horror at the suddenness 
 and the imminence of the danger. 
 
 The red ribands of the unfortunate bonnet about which 
 poor Betsy had been so facetious a few days before, as 
 being honoured with a cart and four bullocks for its 
 special conveyance from Hobart Town, were streaming 
 in the wind, and whether or not that colour is really 
 hateful to cattle, I do not know, but in the present inr 
 stance the raging bull seemed to me to disregard her 
 two companions, and with an appalling bellowing that 
 made the woods re-echo, and filled me with a heart-rend- 
 ing fear, which I cannot describe in words, it rushed to 
 the spot where my poor girl, in an agony of terror, with 
 eyes fixed and hands uplifted, had fallen on her knees 
 before him. 
 
 The furious brute rushed on, and I had already given 
 up my dear child for lost, when I saw the young stranger 
 with a bound leap forward between them; — instantly 
 falling on one knee, and taking a rapid but cool aim, he 
 fired — the ball with which his musket was loaded struck 
 the animal between its horns, and the huge bull sud- 
 denly tumbled over and over on the grass, striking 
 down, in its plunging course, our heroic preserver, and, 
 as I afterwards found, breaking his musket to pieces. 
 
 Almost at the same moment I reached the spot, and 
 at the report of the musket, and the fall of the bull, my 
 well-trained and intelligent horse immediately checked 
 himself, and stood snorting with inquiring ears. For 
 some seconds no one stirred ; the bull lay on the ground 
 dead ; my daughter knelt with her hands clasped, still 
 in the attitude of fear, and George Beresford remained 
 motionless by her side. 
 
Cl]n|itBr tt^inrntii-fnurtlr* 
 
 The Stranger saves Betsy's life — The Surgeon appears agaii — 
 Thornley sets off for Ilobart To^vn. 
 
 The two horsemen who had accompanied me from the 
 stock-yard now dismounted, and their advance broke the 
 spell of fear and doubt which for a moment entranced my 
 faculties. I threw myself from my horse, and clasped 
 my daughter in my arms. Grasping my hand convul- 
 sively, she rose from her knees, and turned to the spot 
 where our young friend was lying insensible and pale. 
 Betsy did not speak, but kneeling down by the body, 
 clasped her hands, and looked up to us appealingly. 
 
 " Eide hard to the surgeon's ; it's not half a mile oflF," 
 said William to one of the men. '' Give him your horse 
 to come back on." 
 
 In less than five minutes the surgeon was with us. 
 The young man still remained insensible. 
 
 ""We must bleed him instantly," said the surgeon. 
 " Raise him up. Hold his arm out — so. Cut open the 
 sleeve of his coat ; no time for ceremony. There, that 
 will do; he is all right; you'll see he will come to 
 presently. I hope there are no bones broken." 
 
 '•'Good heavens!" said Betsy, "he will bleed to 
 death." 
 
 "No fear of that; do him good; very good blood; 
 body in good state — so it ought to be at his age. There 
 he is — coming to — beautifully. Now we'll bind his arm 
 
 (291) 
 
292 The Stranger Revives. 
 
 up. Who has got something to bind it with ? Ah ! this 
 red riband will do very well. But you'll spoil your 
 smart bonnet. That's it — and I declare here's young 
 Thornley has got a pannikin of water for him. You're 
 a thoughtful lad, and no doubt this young fellow will do 
 as much for you another time." 
 
 " Thank ye," said Will; "I hope I shall not have to 
 trouble him. I wish he had let me shoot the bull, 
 though ; but Betsy was right before me, and I was afraid 
 of hitting her if I fired." 
 
 " You needn't be sorry that you didn't kill the bull, 
 Master William," said one of the men; "there's Mr. 
 Crab will be in a terrible taking about it ; it was his 
 fovourite one of the herd, and a nice, tight, clean-made 
 cretur he was, poor fellow." 
 
 " That's right, Mr. what's his name ?" said the 
 
 surgeon. 
 
 "Mr. G-eorge Beresford," said Betsy; "he is Mr. 
 Beresford's brother." 
 
 " Oh ! the brother that's going to be married to Lucy 
 Moss : — well, then, Mr. Beresford, how do you find your- 
 self? Pain anywhere ?" 
 
 "I feel a little faint— where's the bull ?" 
 
 " There he is ; but I hope he is not only stunned too ; 
 perhaps he'll start up and give us a poke. Let us ex- 
 amine him a bit. He's quite dead. Struck between the 
 horns ! a lucky shot, by George ! You have had a nar- 
 row escape, some of you." 
 
 " A capital shot, sir ; but Mr. Crab will not like it. I 
 really don't know what he will do ! this, bull was such a 
 pet of his ! He saved it between four and five years ago, 
 from being killed — like. I know I shouldn't like to be 
 the one to tell him of it." 
 
Departure for Hobart Town. 293 
 
 " Rather an odd animal to make a pet of; but every 
 one to his taste. Now, my young friend ; I recommend 
 you to go home, and go to bed, and lie still for a day or 
 eo. There are no bones broken, but you may have re- 
 ceived more injury than appears at first, and the best 
 way is to guard against it, to avoid fever and so forth. 
 But what's the matter with the young lady, eh ? Oh ! 
 fright ; well, it is allowable for young ladies to be fright- 
 ened.. Let me feel your pulse. There, shake hands 
 with the gentleman — ' your preserver,' as you call him. 
 Proper to be grateful : very right feeling ; — pulse not 
 quite right, though ! Odd sort of fluttering ! There — 
 that will do, young gentleman — you needn't be shaking 
 hands all day ! Get home and keep quiet." 
 
 So saying, our excellent and kind-hearted surgeon 
 took his leave, and I with Betsy and William returned 
 home. On my arrival there, I found a letter for me 
 which had been sent express from Hobart Town, re- 
 quiring my presence as a witness on the approaching trial 
 of the bush-rangers who had been captured on our late 
 expedition. As the matter admitted of no delay, I imme- 
 diately prepared for my departure, intending to ride 
 about eighteen miles before night, and sleep on the road. 
 Giving such directions as were necessary in my absence, 
 I slung my fowling-piece over my shoulder, and set ofiF 
 on my journey. 
 
The facetious Attorney — Colonial modo of getting rid of a "Wife— 
 Thornley attends an execution wliicli makes him Sick — ^he re- 
 turns homewards — A Chase after Sheep — Encounter with a hush- 
 ranger. 
 
 I SLEPT that night at the Green Ponds, and met with 
 nothing remarkable. I got into town about four o'clock 
 next day, and ascertained that the trial of the bush- 
 rangers was to take place in a few days. 
 
 As I had nothing particular to do, I amused myself 
 with walking about, and I looked at the bit of land that 
 I had bought a month or two before, and it seemed to 
 me that it would be better if I could have the hundred 
 pounds which I had given for it in my own pocket again ; 
 but I could not find any one who would give the money 
 for it down ; there were plenty who would have bought 
 it on credit at nearly double the price, but I did not like 
 that way of dealing ; so after walking over it very discon- 
 tentedly, I came back to my inn in no very good humour. 
 
 I found a friend of mine, the sheriff, waiting for me, 
 who was tei-ribly out of spirits at having to attend the 
 execution of four men the next morning, one of them for 
 sheep-stealing, and two for bush-ranging; the fourth 
 man's case was a remarkable one, which, as I find it noted 
 in my journal, I will relate as illustrative of the manners 
 and customs of the colony at that period. 
 
 (294) 
 
TnE Lawyer's Story. 295 
 
 I dined with the sheriff that day, and the attorney, 
 Mr. Kasay, who defended the murderer, happened to be 
 present, and he was very merry with the story, the more 
 so as the sheriff heiug out of sorts, the attorney good 
 naturedly wanted to raise his spirits with stories of mur- 
 ders and suicides, and such like. 
 
 I shall endeavour to give the story in the lawyer's 
 own words, for I confess that, horrible as it was, I could 
 not help feeling an inclination to laugh at the way in 
 which it was told. But lawyers get callous to scones 
 of crime and misery from their professional habits, as 
 surgeons come to disregard the cries of a patient during 
 an operation. 
 
 " It was a very bad case," said the lawyer, '' as I told 
 my client from the first; but of course it was my duty 
 to do what I could for him. He followed the trade of 
 a pork-butcher, and one day, when he had a quarrel with 
 some other fellow — he was a baker — he took his knife, 
 with which he was accustomed to operate on his pigs, 
 and ' more suo' stuck it into his acquaintance, and ripped 
 him up ' secundum artem.' 
 
 '' He must have been a clever fellow at his trade, for 
 the stickee didn't need a second cut; he died, of course, 
 and my gentleman was duly committed, and all that. I 
 tried hard for him at the trial to get it turned into man- 
 slaughter, on the ground that the sticking was not done 
 with ' premeditation ;' for, as we argued, his knife being 
 in his hand, which was a sort of implement of trade, 
 he couldn 't help, from habit (we are all creatures of 
 habit), from sticking it into anything in his way that 
 seemed to want it. 
 
 " But it wouldn 't do. The judge was as crusty as if 
 
296 Parson Jorawaigh. 
 
 he had supped off pork-chops (he night before, and the 
 jury were tired, and wanted to get their dinner. So 
 they soon made up their minds about it, and we were 
 found guilty of course. So my man was marched off 
 to the condemned cell to wait till they were ready to 
 hang him; no pleasant contemplation : but it's nothing 
 when you're used to it. 
 
 ''It's curious what a revulsion it makes in a man's 
 feelings when he is found guilty. I 've had many a fine 
 fellow through my hands, who had been as dashing a 
 chap as you 'd wish to see, up to that point, and with all 
 the impudence of oppressed innocence; but when the 
 foreman turns up the whites of his eyes — (you may al- 
 ways tell what's coming by their sanctified looks) — and 
 whispers out that little word ' Guilty !' Lord ! what a 
 change comes over the brave fellow in the dock ; but all 
 this is nothing; I shall come to my story presently. 
 , " You know Parson Jorawaigh ? He 's the man to 
 stir 'era up ! Only give him a little time, sir, and he '11 
 make a poor devil turn himself completely inside out 
 — what the Scotch call ' making a clean breast of it !' 
 
 " Well, sir, my friend the pork-butcher grew very re- 
 ligious after he was condemned, as I have observed most 
 people do when they are going to be hanged; and you 
 know the motto among the convicts, 'Never give away 
 a chance.' 
 
 "The parson stuck to him, and, as the gaoler said, put 
 the poor wretch into such a stew, that he declared pri- 
 vately to him that he would prefer being hanged — much, 
 very much prefer it — to having any more of the parson's 
 jaw. But the parson is not the man to neglect his duty, 
 and Le kept walking in to him day after day, till at last 
 
A Modern Bluebeard. 297 
 
 he got the 'penitent,' as he called him tome, to confess; 
 and a pretty confession it was ! 
 
 " This was his fourth murder ! Yes, sir, positively his 
 fourth ! And who do you think were the victims of the 
 organ of destrnctiveness, so largely developed — for it all 
 goes by bumps, you know, now-a-days — in the head of 
 this modern Bluebeard? His three wives! that is, he 
 confessed to three — how many more he killed one really 
 can't say; but the parson was satisfied with his confes- 
 sing to three, and ' talked' to him no more. 
 
 " But the most curious part of the story is the way in 
 which he did it. Upon my life, I'm not sure that it's 
 right to tell the secret; there are so many ready to 
 take advantage of it. But, however, as we are among 
 friends, I '11 trust to your discretion, never to repeat it 
 to a married man. It was vei-y ingenious; quite origi- 
 nal. Well, we live and learn. It would make the for- 
 tune of a man in London for a tragedy, or a farce; only 
 it is so very dreadful. 
 
 " His plan, sir, was this. His wife got drunk, or he 
 made her so — all the same thing : when she was in that 
 happy state, what was more natural than that she should 
 throw herself on the bed, face downwards ? and if she 
 neglected to place herself in that position, why it was 
 very easy to turn her over, eh ? My gentleman then 
 clapped a pillow on her head, and sat upon it, ' as long,' as 
 he expressed himself, ' as he thought was necessary !' 
 
 '' Horrible ! isn't it ? To think what some men will 
 do to get rid of their wives I And the rascal confessed, 
 that as he sat there, he used to smoke his pipe, ' to take 
 off the dulness,' as he said. It's ver}' dreadful to think 
 of ! But really there's something droll in the idea ! 
 
298 His Crimes Terminated. 
 
 Not but that I feel the atrocity of such an act — although 
 the woman was his wife — it was a cool trick — very cool ! 
 
 " When the job was done, as he confessed, he went 
 to the public-house hard by, and staid there drinking 
 and smoking, till the news came that his poor wife was 
 found dead ! But all seemed fair and square. It 
 seemed that the woman had got drunk ! — natural 
 enough — had fallen down on the bed with her face on 
 the pillow — got smothered ! — natural enough ; — the hus- 
 band did not express any particular sorrow at the 
 event — natural enough. All seemed right, and while 
 some pitied him on account of the melancholy occur- 
 rence, others congratulated him on having got rid of a 
 drunken wife. 
 
 " So after a short time he married another. She went 
 off the same way. He was a man of nerve, however, 
 and he tried a third. Same as before. ' The neigh- 
 bours did talk,' he said, about this last melancholy oc- 
 currence ;' but he put on a suit of mourning, bran-new, 
 with black crape round his hat, and attended evening 
 prayer in his neighbourhood, regularly, so he was con- 
 sidered a model of a husband, but peculiarly unfor- 
 tunate. 
 
 '' How many more wives he might have mui'dered it 
 is impossible to tell, had not this last misfortune stopped 
 his fun. Parson Jorawaigh says he is the most penitent 
 lamb he ever had the happiness to save ! but for my 
 part, I don't think much of the penitence of a rogue 
 going to be hanged ! And if the parson has not more 
 luck with his miserable soul than I have had with his 
 miserable body, I must say that my friend the pork- 
 butcher will be in a worse mess after he is hanged than 
 
Trifling Remarks. 299 
 
 before. However, to-morrow he will have a sheriflTg 
 breakfast, eh ! old boy, a hearty choke and a caper ! and 
 you will have the particular satisfaction of ridding the 
 world of a vagabond ! Smothering his wives was bad 
 enough ! — still there might have been some excuse for 
 that — but killing a baker was going too far, particularly 
 in this place, where bakers are wanted." 
 
 The sheriff, who was a mild and gentlemanlike man, 
 of great benevolence of character, and of rather a nervous 
 temperament, did not relish the vivacious remarks of the 
 facetious attorney. I should be sorry to be the means 
 of exhibiting the latter personage in any light that 
 might seem unfavourable, which would be contrary to 
 my desire, and an injustice to him, for he was one of 
 the best of his tribe ; and it is only due to him to record, 
 that he has often befriended a client in difficulties, by 
 discounting his bill at sixty per cent, (on good security, 
 of course), without charging his customary fee of six- 
 and-eight-pence for attendance in the transaction ; and 
 so for the present I leave him. 
 
 The next morning, at the request of my friend the 
 sheriff, I accompanied him to the place of execution. I 
 had never witnessed this painful scene before, and I 
 made a vow never to witness it again. I should not per- 
 haps have made mention of the circumstance in my 
 journal, if it had not been for the remarkable coolness 
 of one of the sufferers. He was a fine man, and I could 
 not help thinking it was a pity to deprive a human 
 being of life for such an offence as sheep-stealing ; but 
 the practice had risen to such a mischievous height at 
 that time, that it was thought imperatively necessary by 
 the Government to make some severe examples. 
 
300 An Execution. 
 
 That man's death, ho-svever, haunted me for months 
 after. I was standing at the foot of the ladder up which 
 the condemned had to mount, and for more than a minute 
 I stood side-by-side of this man, who was the last in the 
 line, and who had to wait while some mistake about the 
 ropes on the platform above was remedied. I exchanged 
 some words with him, which very much prepossessed me 
 in his favour, and he spoke with all the self-possession 
 of a man going about some ordinarj^ business instead of 
 to be hanged. The under-sherifi' had to draw his atten- 
 tion to the matter in hand — for the poor fellow was 
 quietly talking with me — by hailing him from the plat- 
 form : — 
 
 " Now, my good man, we are waiting for you.'" 
 
 " I beg pardon, sir, I was only talking to this gentle- 
 man; I'll be up in a moment!" 
 
 Lightly stej^ping up the ladder, he joined his associates 
 above, and presently after, the falling of the platform 
 warned us that all was over ! I went back to my inn, 
 sick at heart, and with a wretched headache. I threw 
 myself on the sofa, and remained there the greater part 
 of the day. The next morning, vexed with myself, I 
 did not know why, and tired with the sight of the tcwn, 
 I set off home, without waiting for the trial of the bush- 
 rangers, as there was evidence enough without me, and 
 glad to get rid of the business. 
 
 I had some money matters to arrange with a settler at 
 New Norfolk, so I took that road, intending to cut across 
 the country to the Clyde. I stopped at New Norfolk 
 that night, and proceeded on my journey early the next 
 morning. There was nothing to prevent my reaching 
 home before night, though the country was hilly, as my 
 
Return Home. 301 
 
 horse was in a good condition. I had no fear of bush- 
 rangers or natives, for all the bush-rangers excepting two 
 had been taken ; and of natives I never had any fear 
 when armed and on horseback. 
 
 I met with nothing worth noting till I got within 
 about eight miles from home, when I saw a lot of sheep 
 with my brand on them, which I knew at once were part 
 of my home flock of merinoes. Impelled by that sort 
 of acquired instinct which prompts a settler, I think, to 
 go after his lost stock wherever he comes across them, 
 I followed the sheep, which led me a pretty dance over 
 the hills. 
 
 There were not above twenty of them, but they scudded 
 away like deer; for lost sheep soon become wild in Van 
 Diemen's Land, and it surprises those who have not had 
 experience of their habits, to find how fast and how long 
 they can run j it is quite a chase. Without a dog and 
 alone, I had no chance with them. My hunt after these 
 sheep, however, had drawn me near one of the steep 
 hills overlooking the Clyde ; and as my horse was rather 
 fagged with the run over the hilly country of that dis- 
 trict, I thought I would give him a little rest and a 
 drink ; so, dismounting, I led him by a circuitous path 
 down to the water, where there was a small patch of rich 
 grass, and tethered him there. I then re-ascended the 
 hill to look about me, for it seemed to me that I had fallen 
 on a little nook where there was good feed for five or six 
 hundred sheep, or perhaps more, which no one had taken 
 possession of. 
 
 I was scanning the place with a wistful eye, and had 
 advanced to the edge of a precipice overlooking the river, 
 and about a hundred feet above it, the better to take in 
 
302 Meets the Gypsey Leader. 
 
 the prospect, when I observed a man emerging from a 
 thicket of bushes, at some little distance, with a gun in 
 his hand. He had the appearance of a stock-keeper, and 
 not thinking of bush-rangers at the moment, I supposed 
 him to be some one who had been beforehand with me in 
 bespeaking a good run. 
 
 I felt a little disappointed at the sight, for I had al- 
 ready in my mind established a stock-hut near the spot, 
 and was calculating how many sheep it would feed, while 
 the supposed stock-keeper continued his advance towards 
 me. My fowling-piece was lying on the grass, as I had 
 taken it off to ease myself while I was taking a survey 
 of the country; but in truth I was not thinking of the 
 necessity of using it, being near the Clyde, and having 
 no thought of the bush-rangers. 
 
 In the meantime, the man approached me nearer and 
 nearer, and an odd manner which he seemed to have of 
 holding his musket excited my suspicions. I observed 
 him more attentively, and to my exceeding surprise, and 
 I must add, consternation, I recognised the features of 
 the Gypsey leader of the late gang of bush-rangers. I 
 had only time to snatch my fowling-piece from the grass, 
 when, pointing his musket at me, at a distance of about 
 fifty yards, he called out to me to lay down my arms ! 
 My gun was already pointed at him, and my only notice 
 of his command was to cock it, and place my finger on 
 the trigger, ready to fire. 
 
Awkward predicament — The Bush-ranger declares himself— Unex- 
 pected appeal. 
 
 "We remained in this position for nearly a minute, till 
 I felt my arms ache with holding out my gun in the 
 attitude of taking aim ; I lowered it, with the muzzle, 
 however, still pointed at the bush-ranger, and with my 
 finger ou the trigger. At this movement, I observed he 
 hesitated a little ; and then lowered his gun as I had 
 done. 
 
 I was at a loss what to do at this extraordinary adven- 
 ture. I did not like to be the first to fire, for he might 
 have companions at hand ; and I guessed he was unwil- 
 ling to run the risk of firing at me, for if he missed he 
 woidd be at my mercy. 
 
 As I anxiously examined my antagonist, it seemed to 
 me that he had a wearied and subdued appearance. So 
 far as his rough garments and his grisly beard went, he 
 looked ferocious enough ; but there was something in his 
 eye which conveyed to me the feeling that he had no mind 
 to make a fight of it, if he could avoid it. Impressed 
 with this idea, I threw my gun over my arm, and mo- 
 tioned him to do the same. 
 
 ' Who are you ?" said I, " and what do you want?" 
 "Who are you?" 
 
 '' One who does not wish to do you any harm, even 
 if you are what I suspect you to be." 
 
 ( 303 ) 
 
304 Awkward Predicament. 
 
 '' And what do you suspect me to be ?" 
 
 ''You look as if you had taken to the bush; but I 
 don't want to meddle with you, if you don't meddle with 
 me." 
 
 At these words he advanced towards me — within a 
 dozen yards or so. 
 
 "I see," he said, ''you are not one of the soldiers — I 
 think I can trust you." 
 
 "Don't come any nearer/' said I; "you must excuse 
 me, but the times are dangerous. You may trust me, 
 but you can't expect me to trust you." 
 
 "True," he said. 
 
 He looked round, and hesitated for a few moments, 
 and then gazed at me earnestly. 
 
 " You are one of the old settlers ?" 
 
 " I am 3 and my farm is on the banks of this river, 
 about a dozen miles up. My name is William Thornley, 
 and now you know all about me that is necessary for you 
 to know. Who are you V 
 
 I knew who he was well enough, but I did not think 
 it prudent to let him know that I recognised him ; so I 
 let things take their course. 
 
 " Who am I !" said the bush-ranger. " Ah ! that is 
 not easy to say. But, however, I will show you that I 
 can trust you. You will give me your word that you 
 will take no advantage of me ? Not that I fear it " 
 
 '' Oh ! I will give you my word not to attempt any- 
 thing against you — but what is your object ? What do 
 you want with me ?" 
 
 He made no reply, but laid his gun gently on the grass, 
 and then passed round me, and sat down at a few yards' 
 distance, so that I was between him and his weapon. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Thornley," said he, "will that do ? You 
 
The GtYpsey's Appeal. 305 
 
 gee I am now tiiianned. I don't ask you to do the same, 
 because I cannot expect you to trust to me; but the 
 truth is, I want to have a little talk with you. I have 
 something on my mind which weighs heavy on me, and 
 whom to speak to I do not know. I know your cha- 
 racter, and that you have never been hard on your go- 
 vernment men, as some are. At any rate, speak to 
 some one I must. Are you inclined to listen to me?" 
 
 " I was exceedingly moved at this unexpected appeal 
 to me at such a time, and in such a place. There was 
 no sound, and no object save ourselves, to disturb the 
 vast solitude of the wilderness. Below us flowed the 
 Clyde, beneath an abrupt precipice ; around were undu- 
 lating hills, almost bare of trees ; in the distance towered 
 the snowy mountain which formed the boundary to the 
 landscape. I looked at my companion doubtfully; for 
 I had heard so many stories of the treachery of the 
 bush-rangers, that I feared for a moment that this act- 
 ing might only be a trick to throw me off my guard. 
 Besides, this was the very man whom I knew to have 
 been at the head of the party of bush-rangers who had 
 been captured at the Great Lake. 
 
 He observed the doubt and hesitation which were ex- 
 pressed in my looks, and pointed to his gun, which was 
 on the other side of me. 
 
 ''What more can I do," said he, "to convince you 
 that I meditate neither violence nor treachery against 
 you ? Indeed, when you know my purpose, you will see 
 that they would defeat my own object." 
 
 " What is your purpose, then ? Tell me at once — 
 are you one of the late party of bush-rangers who have 
 done such mischief in the island V 
 20 
 
306 Requests a Favour 
 
 '^I am : and more than that, I am — or rathor was — 
 their leader. I planned the escape from Macquarie Har- 
 bour ; and it was I who kept them together, and made 
 them understand their strength, and how to use it. But 
 that's nothing now. I do not want to talk to you about 
 that. But I tell you who and what I am, that you may 
 see I have no disguise with you ; because I have a great 
 favour — a very great favour — to ask of you; and if I 
 can obtain it from you on no other terms, I am almost in- 
 clined to say, Take me to Camp as your prisoner, and let 
 
 the capture of the Gypsey ah ! I see you know that 
 
 name, and the terror it has given^ and still gives, to the 
 merciless wretches who pursue me — I say, let the cap- 
 ture of the Gypsey, and his death, if you will — for it 
 must come to that at last — be the price of the favour 
 that I have to beg of you." 
 
 '' Speak on, my man," I said; " you have done some 
 ill deeds, but this is not the time to taunt you with them. 
 What do you want of me ? and if it is anything that an 
 honest man can do, I promise you beforehand that I will 
 do it." 
 
 " You will ! but you do not know it yet. Now 
 
 listen to me," 
 
The Unsli-ranger's Tale — His Crimes and his Sufferings — Hig Es- 
 cajjc fiom Macquarie Harbour. 
 
 '•' Perhai'S jou do not know that I have been in the 
 colony for ten years. I was a lifer. It's bad that; 
 better hang a man at once than punish him for life ; 
 there ought to be a prospect of an end to suffering ; then 
 the man can look forward to something; he would have 
 hope left. But never mind that ; I only speak of it be- 
 cause I believe it was the feeling of despair that first led 
 me wrong, and drove me from bad to worse. Shortly 
 after my landing, I was assigned to a very good master. 
 There were not many settlers then, and we did not know 
 so much of the country as we do now. As I was 
 handy in many things, and able to earn money, I soon 
 got my liberty on the old condition; that is, of paying so 
 much a week to my master. That trick is not played 
 now, but it was then, and by some of the big ones too. 
 However, all I cared for was my liberty, and I was glad 
 enough to get that for seven shillings a week. But still 
 I was a government prisoner, and that galled me, for I 
 knew I was liable to lose my license at the caprice of 
 my master, and to be called into government employ. 
 Besides, I got acquainted with a young woman, and mar- 
 ried her, and then I felt the bitterness of slavery worse 
 than ever, for I was attached to her sincerely, and I 
 
 (307) 
 
308 The Bush-ranger's Tale. 
 
 could not contemplate the cliance of parting from her 
 without pain. So about three years after I had been in 
 this way, I made an attempt to escape with her in a ves- 
 sel that'was sailing for England. It was a mad scheme 
 I know, but what will not a man risk for his liberty ?" 
 
 '' What led you to think of going back to England? 
 What were you sent out for ?" 
 
 " Why, now, sir, if I tell you, you will not believe me, 
 perhaps, for there is not a prisoner that is asked the 
 question who will not say that he was innocent; and 
 indeed I don't think it a fair question to ask them, for 
 how can you expect a man to condemn himself?" 
 
 " I should not have asked you if you had not begun 
 to'tell me your story; but if you don't like to tell me, 
 say nothing." 
 
 " I have no reason to care for telling the truth. I was 
 one of a gang of poachers in Herefordshire, and on a 
 certain night we were surprised by the keepers, and some- 
 how, I don't know how, we came to blows, and the long 
 and the short of it is, one of the keepers was killed, and 
 there's the truth of it." 
 
 "And you were tried for the murder?" 
 
 " I and two others were j and one was hanged, and I 
 and my mate were transported for life." 
 
 '' Well, the less that's said about that the better; now 
 go on with your story, but let me know what it is you 
 would have me do for you." 
 
 '' I'll come to that presently ; but I must tell you some- 
 thing about my story, or you will not understand me. I 
 was discovered in the vessel, concealed among the casks, 
 by the searching party, and brought on shore with my 
 wife, and you know, I suppose, that the punishment is 
 
His Attempted Escape. 309 
 
 deatli. But Colonel Davey — he was governor tlien — let 
 me oflf; but I was condemned to work in chains in 
 government employ ; this was a horrid life, and I deter- 
 mined not to stand it. There were one or two others in 
 the chain-gang all ready for a start into the bush, if they 
 had any one to plan for them. I was always a good one 
 at head-work, and it was not long before I contrived one 
 jiight to get rid of our fetters. There were three others 
 besides myself. We got on the top of the wall very 
 cleverly, and fii'st one dropped down (it was as dark as 
 pitch, and we could not see what became of him) ; then 
 another dropped, and then the third. Not a word was 
 spoken. I was the last, and glad enough was I when I 
 felt myself sliding down the rope outside of the yard. 
 But I had to grin on the other side of my mouth when I 
 came to the bottom. One of the sneaks whom I had 
 trusted had betrayed us, and I found myself in the arms 
 of two constables, who grasped me tightly. I gave one 
 of them a sickener, and could have easily managed the 
 other, but he gave the alarm, and then lots of others 
 sprang up, and lights and soldiers appeared. I was 
 overpowered by so many. They bound my arms, and 
 then I was tried for the attempt to escape, and the assault 
 on the constable, and condemned to Macquarie Harbour 
 for life." 
 
 " I don't want to stop you in your story," said I, "but 
 what has all this to do with the service that you want of 
 me? The sun is going down behind that hill, and " 
 
 " Wait a bit — wait a bit — you will see. I have not 
 told you that my wife brought me a child. It is now 
 seven years old. I loved that child, Mr. Thornley, more 
 than a parent usually loves its child. It was all in all 
 
810 Pare N TAL Affection. 
 
 to me. It was the only bright thing that I had to look 
 upon. When I was sentenced to Macquarie Harbour for 
 life, it would have been a mercy to put me to death. I 
 should have put myself to death if it had not been for 
 the thought of that little girl. Well, sir, I will not say 
 more about that. When a man takes to the bush, and 
 has done what I have done, he is thought to be a mon- 
 ster without feeling or aifection. But people don't un-. 
 derstand us. There is no man, sir, depend upon it, so 
 bad that he has not some good in him ; and I have had 
 some experience, for I have seen the worst of us — the 
 very worst — in the most miserable of all conditions, for 
 that Macquarie Harbour is a real hell upon earth ! 
 There is no time to tell you about the hardships and the 
 miseries which the prisoners suffer in that horrible place 
 — it soon kills them. But my greatest misery was being 
 deprived of my little girl — my plaything — my darling — 
 my life ! I had not been at Macquarie Harbour a month 
 before news came that my wife was dead. I'll tell you 
 the truth, sir, attached to her as I was, I was rather 
 glad than sorry for it. I could not bear the thought of 
 her tailing into anybody else's hands, and as our separa- 
 tion was now absolutely and hopelessly forever — it is the 
 truth — I was rather glad than sorry when I heard of her 
 death. But my poor little child ! I thought of her night 
 and day, wondering and thinking what would become of 
 her. I could think of nothing else ; at last my thoughts 
 began to turn to the possibility of escaping from Mac- 
 quarie Harbour, desperate as the attempt appeared ; for 
 to cross the bush without arms and without provisions, 
 exposed to the attacks of the natives, seemed all but an 
 impossibility. But almost anything may be done, by 
 
Prisoners' Plan. 311 
 
 resolution and patience, and -watching your opportunity. 
 I have learned to know that secret." 
 
 I now became interested in the Gypsey's story, judg- 
 ing that some useful information might be got from it, 
 and I rather eagerly asked him — "And how did you 
 escape ? how did you do it ?" 
 
 "Ah ! that 's a trick worth knowing ! but I want you 
 to befriend me, and so I '11 tell you all about it." 
 
 " How many were there who escaped with you?" 
 
 " We were fourteen in all. You know, perhaps, that 
 the labour at Macquarie Harbour is dreadfully severe, 
 and the privations very great 3 and if the prisoners were 
 not kept down by a most vigilant system of superinten- 
 dence, there would be mutinies every day. But each 
 prisoner is so watched and guarded, that, working in 
 chains, which are constantly examined, escape is almost 
 impossible; and even if escape were possible, wander- 
 ing in the bush without arms or provisions is hardly less 
 dreadful. However, we did not think so ; we were re- 
 solved to escape at all risks, and take our chance of the 
 rest. It was a very difficult matter to communicate to- 
 gether, so as to agree on the plan of escape, and having 
 been deceived once before, I was wary of trusting my 
 secret intention to escape to any suspicious person. 
 You must know that the different gangs that work in 
 chains are watched by overseers, who have their eyes 
 constantly on them, and guarded by sentinels with loaded 
 muskets. It must happen, however, that at some times 
 particular gangs are set to work at a little distance from 
 the rest, on the outside of the general work. It was 
 for one of these occasions that I waited. There were 
 fourteen of us in all, and we went on working — cutting 
 
312 Successful Manoeuvre. 
 
 down timber and dragging it to the sawpits, the usual 
 work there — giving no cause for suspicion, till dusk, 
 when we managed so that we proceeded homeward in a 
 straggling line. There were two sentinels on the line, 
 whom we had to pass, and there were two overseers who 
 followed after us. At a given signal one of our confe- 
 derates rushed on the sentinel fai'thest off, while, at the 
 same time, I clasped the sentinel near me round the waist 
 and arms. This prevented them from firing off their 
 muskets, and giving the alarm. While that was doing, 
 another party of us gagged' and bound the two overseers. 
 Thus we had them all in our power, and it was but the 
 work of a moment, though it takes longer to tell. The 
 muskets were wrenched from the soldiers, and these, with 
 their cartouch boxes, in each of which we found twenty- 
 rounds of ball-cartridge, furnished us with arms. We 
 bound and gagged the soldiers as we had done the over- 
 seers, so that you see we accomplished our purpose with- 
 out taking life ; not that we should have hesitated to 
 sacrifice them all, had it been necessary, but it was not, 
 and it 's always bad policy, to my mind, to take away life 
 uselessly ; it 's only wantonness and cruelty to do so, and 
 it prejudices a man on his trial. The next thing to be 
 done was to get rid of our chains, for there was no time 
 to be lost, as we knew that if we were not present at 
 muster, the officer would send to look after us." 
 
C^ljfljitn (Tmnitif-ngljtli. 
 
 Passage across the Country of the escaped Convicts — The Bush- 
 ranger's confession — No man so bad but there is some good in 
 him — His last request — His awful death. 
 
 '' "We scrambled away as well as we could, till we got 
 a little distance off, and out of hearing, and then we set 
 to with a will, and rid ourselves of our fetters, all except 
 three, and those were too tightl}' fitted to be got off on a 
 sudden without better tools. We got the three chained 
 men along with us, however, as well as we could, for we 
 would not leave them ; so we helped them on by turns, 
 and the nest day, when we were more easy, we contrived 
 to rid them of their encumbrances. We hastened on all 
 night. I ought to tell you that we heard the bell rung, 
 and the alarm given, but we had gained an hour good, 
 and the ungagging of the sentinels and the overseers, 
 and hearing their story, took up some time, no doubt. 
 Besides, it is not easy to hit on a track in the dusk, and 
 as there were fourteen of us, armed with two muskets, 
 our pursuers would not proceed so briskly as they other- 
 wise might, and would not scatter themselves to look 
 after us. We were without provisions, but we did not 
 care about that, and not being used to long walks, we 
 were soon knocked up. But the desire of liberty kept 
 us up, and we struck right across the country in as 
 straight a line as we could guess. The second day we 
 
 (313) 
 
314 Passage across the Country. 
 
 were all very sick and faint, and the niglit before waa 
 cold, and we were cramped and unfit to travel. The 
 second night we all crept into a cave, which was sandy 
 inside, where we lay pretty warm, but we were raven- 
 ously hungry. We might have shot more than one 
 kangaroo that day, but it was agreed that we should not 
 fire, lest the report of our gun should betray our resting- 
 place to our pursuers. As wo lay huddled together, we 
 heard the opossums squealing in the trees about, and 
 two of us, who were least tired, tried to get some of 
 them. When we climbed up the trees, they sprang away 
 like squirrels, and we had no chance with them that 
 way ; besides, it was dark, and we could distinguish 
 them only faintly and obscurely. We did contrive, how- 
 ever, to kill five by pelting them on a long overhanging 
 bough, but they remained suspended by their tails, and 
 did not drop, although dead. To hungry men a dead 
 opossum is something, so one of us contrived to climb to 
 them, and get them down ; and then we lighted a fire 
 in the cave, quite at the extremity inside, to prevent the 
 flame from being seen, and roasted them as the natives 
 do. They were horrid rank things to eat, and almost 
 made us sick, hungry as we were ; but I don't think a 
 hair of them was left among us. The next day we shot 
 a kangaroo, but we feared to light a fire because of the 
 smoke, so we eat it raw. Well, Mr. Thornley, I will 
 not take up your time by telling you every little thing 
 
 we did in the bush. We came at last •' 
 
 ^' Did you see any good land in your way ?" said 1. 
 " The part that you crossed between the settlements 
 and Macquarie Harbour has never been explored. Any 
 good land for a run ?" 
 
Try to leave the Colon y. 315 
 
 " Not much ; the most of the country we crossed was 
 scrub; a great many stony hills. We saw very few 
 kangaroos, and few signs of them. It's a poor country; 
 but here and there was a nice bit. " 
 
 "Plenty of water ?" 
 
 '' No want of water; but it's not a good part of the 
 country for a run, if that's what you're thinking of. 
 The best part of Van Diemen's Land is to the eastward ; 
 all the western part of the island is far inferior to the 
 east. I could tell you of some good land for sheep run 
 near the eastern coast. 
 
 ''Thank you/' said I; "but are you not wandering 
 from the subject a little ?" 
 
 "Oh ! I was telling you that we first struck on the 
 outskirts of New Norfolk, and we debated what we should 
 do. Some were for attacking the settlement, and getting 
 arms ; but I persuaded them that it would be better for 
 us to endeayoui" to seize some small vessel, and escape 
 altogether from the colony; and in the meantime to 
 keep ourselves close, and not give any alarm. My com- 
 panions agreed to this, and we struck across the country 
 to Brighton Plains, and so to Pitt Water, where we ex- 
 pected to find some large boats, or, perhaps, some small 
 vessel, by means of which we might get away." 
 
 " And how was it that you did not follow that plan ?" 
 
 " We did follow it ; we got to Pitt Water, and lay 
 snug there for a while ; but we were obliged to rob a 
 settler's house of provisions for food, and that first gave 
 the alarm. We made a dash at a boat, but it was too 
 late; precautions had been taken, and the soldiers were 
 out after us. We were then obliged to retreat from Pitt 
 Water, intending to get into the neighbourhood of tho 
 
316 Gypsey's Confession Continued. 
 
 lakes, and go farther westward, if necessary, and retreat 
 to the coast, where we judged we should be too far off 
 to be molested." 
 
 "You did a great deal of mischief at Pitt Water, be- 
 fore you left it, if all the stories are true ?" 
 
 "We did, Mr. Thornley, I own it; but my men were 
 determined to have arms, and the settlers of course re- 
 sisted, and some of my men got wounded, and that made 
 them savage." 
 
 "And afterwards you attacked poor Moss's cottage ?" 
 
 " My men had been told that he had a large sum in 
 dollars at his hut; — I am surprised that settlers can be 
 so foolish as to take valuables into the bush — that was 
 all they wanted." 
 
 " But why did you take poor Moss along with you V 
 
 " I was obliged to do it to save his life ; some of my 
 men would have knocked him on the head if I had not 
 prevented them. It's true, Mr. Thornley, it is indeed; 
 I sa-ved his life." 
 
 " Well — that's something in your favour. And now 
 as the sun is sinking fast, and as the dusk will come on 
 us presently, tell me at once what you would have me 
 do for you." 
 
 ' ' Mr. Thornley," said the bush-ranger, " I have told you 
 of my little girl. I have seen her since the dispersion of 
 my party at the Great Lake. You know that I and 
 another escaped. Since then, I have ventured, in disguise, 
 into Hobart Town itself, and have there seen my child. 
 The sight of her, and her embraces, have produced in me 
 a strange feeling. I would willingly sacrifice my life to 
 do her good ; and I cannot conceal from myself that the 
 chances are that I must be taken at last; and that if I do 
 
His Last Request. 317 
 
 not perish miserably in the bush, I shall be betrayed, 
 and shot, or hanged." 
 
 " And what can I do to prevent it V 
 
 " You can do nothing to prevent that end, for I know 
 that I am too deep in for it to be pardoned ; if I were to 
 give myself up, the government would be obliged to hang 
 me for example's sake. No, no — I know my own condi- 
 tion, and I foresee my own fate. It is not of myself that 
 I am thinking, but of my child. Mr. Thornley, will you 
 do this for me ; will you do an act of kindness and charity 
 to a wretched man, who has only one thing to care for in 
 this world ? I know it is much to ask, and that I ought 
 not to be disappointed if you refuse it. Will you keep 
 your eye on my poor child, and, so far as you can, protect 
 it ? I cannot ask you to provide for it ; but be its pro- 
 tector, and let her little innocent heart know that there is 
 some one in the wide world to whom she may look up for 
 advice — for assistance, perhaps, in difficulty — at all events, 
 for kindness and sympathy. That is my request ; will 
 you have so much compassion on the poor, blasted, and 
 hunted bush-ranger as to promise to do for me this act 
 of kindness V 
 
 I gazed with astonishment, and I must add, not with- 
 out visible concern, on the passionate appeal of this des- 
 perate man in behalf of his child. I saw he was in 
 earnest ; there is no mistaking a man under such cir- 
 cumstances. I rapidly contemplated all the inconve- 
 niences of such an awkward charge as a hanged bush- 
 ranger's orphan. As these thoughts passed through my 
 mind, I caught the eye of the father; there was an ex- 
 pression in it of such utter abandonment of everything 
 but the fate of his little daughter, which seemed to de- 
 
318 A Desperate Struggle. 
 
 pi-nd on my answer^ that I was fairly overcome, and 
 could not refuse him. '' I will look after her," I said, 
 "but there must be no more blood on your hands ; you 
 must promise me that. She shall be cared for, and now 
 that I have said it, that's enough. I never break my 
 word." 
 
 ^" Enough I" said he, ''and more than I expected. I 
 thank you for this, Mr. Thomley, and could thank you 
 on my knees. But what is that? Look there, a man 
 on horseback — and more on foot. I must be on my 
 guard." 
 
 As he spoke, the horseman galloped swiftly towards 
 us. The men on foot came on in a body, and I per- 
 ceived they were a party of soldiers. • The Gypsey re- 
 garded them earnestly for a moment, and then ran to 
 his gun, but in his eagerness, he tripped and fell. The 
 horseman, who was one of the constables from Hobart 
 Town, was too quick for him. Before he could recover 
 himself and seize his gun, the horseman was upon him. 
 
 "Surrender, you desperate villain, or I'll blow your 
 brains out." 
 
 The Gypsey clutched the horse's bridle, which reared 
 and plunged, throwing the constable from his seat. He 
 was a powerful and active man, and catching hold of the 
 Gypsey in his descent, he grappled with him, and tried 
 to pinion his arms. He failed in this, and a fearful 
 struggle took place between them. 
 
 "Come on," cried the constable to the soldiers, "let 
 us take him alive." 
 
 The soldiers came on at a run. In the meantime the 
 constable had got the Gypsey down, and the soldiers 
 were close at hand, when suddenly, and with a convtal- 
 
An Awful Death. 319 
 
 sive effort, the Gypsey got his arms round the body of 
 his captor, and with desperate eflPorts rolled himself 
 round and round, with the constable interlaced in his 
 arms, to the edge of the precipice. 
 
 " For God's sake/' cried the const<able, with a shriek 
 of agony, '' help — help — we shall be over I" But it 
 was too late. The soldiers were in the act of grasping 
 the wretched man's clothes, when the bush-ranger, with 
 a last convulsive struggle, whirled the body of his anta- 
 gonist over the dreadful precipice, himself accompanying 
 him in his foil. We gazed over the edge, and beheld 
 the bodies of the two clasped fast together, turning over 
 and over in the air, till they came with a terrible shock 
 to the ground, smashed and lifeless. As the precipice 
 overhung the river, the bodies had not far to roll before 
 they splashed into the water, and we saw them no more. 
 
The Corporal is pleased to make some remarks on the recent Tra- 
 gedy — He searches the pockets of the deceased — His discoveries 
 — Thornley proceeds in much state to the Magistrate's house — 
 He is restored to his family — Mr. Crab indulges in some peculiar 
 observations on the occasion — Red Ribands produce curious emo- 
 tions in others besides mad bulls. 
 
 For some time we stood gazing down the precipice in 
 fearful silence. 
 
 "That was a desperate chap, that Gypsej !" said the 
 corporal, who in right of his dignity thought it incum- 
 bent upon him to speak first; "who would have guessed 
 that he would be up to that dodge ?" 
 
 '' It's a dodge that has done for him as well as the 
 constable," said one of the soldiers. 
 
 ♦'It's well it's no worse," rejoined the corporal. "It 
 might have been one of us, if the constable had not been 
 in such a hurry to make the capture ; and you see what 
 he has got by his greediness. However, it's only a con- 
 stable, so it's no great matter. But pray, mister," he 
 continued, turning to me, "who are you? You were 
 talking to the Gypsey when we first saw you, and you 
 were as thick as two thieves. Steadman, take charge 
 of him. We must take you to camp with us, sir; our 
 orders are to secure the Gypsey and any companions that 
 he may have with him." 
 (320) 
 
T n O R N L E Y I N T II o r B L E . 321 
 
 "Here's another mess," thought I,"f.nd I am in 
 another pickle with the soldiers ; the deuce is in my luck ! 
 My friends," said I, " I fell in with the Gypsey by 
 accident. You see there's my horse grazing in the hol- 
 low below; I was on my way home when I fell in with 
 the bush-ranger." ' 
 
 " That may be, sir, but it is rather suspicious; and I 
 must obey orders. Bowman, go and fetch up the gen- 
 tleman's horse." 
 
 "I suppose I may ride him?" 
 
 ' No objection, sir, only we must have hold of the 
 reins. Beg pardon, sir, you know we must do our duty 
 and obey orders ; very sorry, sir, but it^s always the cus- 
 tom to bind people's arms a little, just to keep them from 
 doing mischief. Excuse me, sir, but you must not mo\e 
 away. Steadman, you are loaded ?" 
 Steadman gave a sign of assent. 
 
 " Very pleasant," thought I; " however, they are not 
 so bad as the old sergeant, after all." 
 
 "You will have no objection to take me to the near- 
 est magistrate?" 
 "Where is that?" 
 
 "At the Clyde, higher up about eleven or twelve 
 miles." 
 
 " "We are going that way to report ourselves to the 
 sergeant's party there." 
 
 "Then," said I, " let us make all the haste we can, 
 for it's getting late. A two hours' brisk march will take 
 us there." 
 
 " I think," said the corporal, " that we ought to be 
 sure that the Gypsey really is dead, as well as the con- 
 stable." 
 21 
 
822 Recovery op the Dead Bodies. 
 
 "Dead!" said Bowman, '' he's dead enough I'll war- 
 rant; why the falling through the air would kill a man 
 from such a height, without the crash when he came to 
 the bottom." 
 
 '' Ay, ay/' said the corporal ;" that's all very well ; 
 but one never knows what' these bush-rangers are up to. 
 My orders are to take him, and we are to follow him 
 
 wherever he goes, although I must say ," and here the 
 
 corporal looked over the precipice with a waggish air 
 
 " T shouldn't like to follow him down this height, eh, 
 Steadman?" 
 
 " That would be going beyond our orders, as the major 
 says; but if we are to look for the bodies we had bet- 
 ter make haste, before the stream carries them too far 
 down." 
 
 We descended accordingly, by a circuitous path, and 
 found that the ground where they had fallen was indented 
 and marked with blood. Following the course of the 
 stream, we presently came to a spot where some dead 
 timber obstructed the current, and there we saw the two 
 bodies, separated and mangled, and quite dead. The 
 soldiers dragged them on shore, I remaining a passive 
 spectator the while, and from the appearance of their 
 remains there could be no doubt that the life of both was 
 extinguished at the same moment that they fell to the 
 earth from that fearful height. The corporal, with much 
 formality, searched the pockets of the dead men, and, 
 with a pencil, noted down their contents. 
 
 " Let's take the constable first," said the corporal. 
 "What have we got here? a pair of handcuffs; ah! 
 these come in handy ; the bush-ranger won't want hand- 
 cufiFs any more, but they'll do for his mate." 
 
An Examination. 323 
 
 " My good fellow," said I, " surely you are not going 
 to put those handcuffs on me ; I have told you who I 
 am, and you will soon learn the truth of it." 
 
 "It maybe all very right, sir, what you say; but 
 the orders are to secui-e all the companions of the bush- 
 ranger, and you can't deny that you were sitting cheek 
 by jowl with him when we spied you out. But, wait 
 a bit, Steadman, perhaps the gentleman don't like to put 
 on the darbies because they are wet. What have we 
 got next? It's all smashed ; rum! it smells though; 
 it's a pity now that the constable didn't give us a suck 
 out of his rum flash before he toddled over. I can't bear 
 waste." 
 
 " Don't you remember that parson-chap told him at 
 New Norfolk to mix water with his rum? He's mixed 
 it now with a vengeance, eh ? Ha, ha !" 
 
 " Ha, ha ! that's good. "What's this ? a pocket-book 
 and a lot of papers, but they are all wet." 
 
 ''Any mopuses?" 
 
 " Not a rap ! — yes, there is, though — here's one, two, 
 three, nine half-crown notes. Look in his other pockets, 
 Steadman !" 
 
 "Nothing but his handkerchief" 
 
 " Well, tie up all these things in the handkerchief, and 
 we'll take 'em with us." 
 
 " What shall we do with his clothes ? It's not a bad 
 suit, only it's so daubed and spoiled from the smash 
 he's had ; but we'll take his shoes. And now for the 
 bush-ranger; I suppose he's no great shakes. Clean him 
 out, Steadman." 
 
 " My eyes ! here's a find ! a bundle of one-pound 
 notes !" 
 
324 Valuable Discoveries. 
 
 " One-pound notes ! where the devil did he prig them 
 from, I wonder ? whose notes are they ? Kemp and Co. 
 — as good as dollars ! What has he got in the other 
 pockets ?" 
 
 ' ' A pair of small pistols ; but one's broken, from the 
 fall, I suppose; three pieces of flint, a steel, a bit of 
 punk ; — capital stufi" this to get a light ; — a powder-horn 
 squeezed flat, a bag of balls, a capital clasp-knife ; by 
 George ! here's a tidy tool to stick into a man ! Some- 
 thing in a bag ; it's tea ! We shall come to a teapot 
 next, I suppose. Here's a jolly lump of tobacco, and a 
 prime little wooden pipe ! No more smoking for you, 
 old boy; — and that's all I can find." 
 
 '' Turn him over; something jingles, I'm sure. Feel 
 inside there," said the corporal. 
 
 " He's in such a nasty condition — all smashed ; stop, 
 rU slush him a bit with water. There, now let's see. 
 By George ! here's a gold watch, and chain and seals ! 
 And look here ; sewed up in the breast of his coat there's 
 something, but I'll have it out. Lend me his knife, and 
 I'll rip it up. What's this? something curious, I sup- 
 pose, by its being so carefully sewed up. There are pa- 
 pers inside by the feel." 
 
 At this intimation my thoughts recurred to the bush- 
 ranger's child, and I judged that the parcel, which was 
 carefully enclosed in canvass, and neatly sewed up, might 
 contain something to throw a light on the previous life 
 and history of the man, for I knew it was a common 
 practice with offenders in England to be tried in feigned 
 names, to avoid being traced to their former connections. 
 
 " I should recommend you," said I, " not to meddle 
 with that parcel, but to deliver it up to the proper au- 
 
An Important Package. 325 
 
 thorities unopened. You may be called to account, per- 
 haps, if anything should be lost or injured." 
 
 The corporal surveyed me with a doubtful air, as if he 
 half suspected that I had some object in keeping secret 
 the contents of the packet. Fortunately, this made him 
 more careful in preserving it intact, in order that its 
 secrets might be discovered on a more fitting occasion. 
 
 "Give me the parcel," he said to Steadman; "we'll 
 look at it another time. No need to let all people know 
 what's in it," giving a look at me ; "and now what's to 
 be done with the bodies ? Our order is to bring in the 
 body of the bush-ranger, dead or alive." 
 
 "Had you not better consult the magistrate?" said 
 I; "I should think, as the body is sufficiently verified, 
 the best thing to do. is to bury it with the constable 
 where they lie." 
 
 "Oh! you can verify the body, can you?" said the 
 corporal. "Upon my word, Mister Gentleman Bush- 
 ranger, I think that will go against you at the trial. 
 However, it's not far to the magistrate's; so let us be 
 moving, and get there with our prisoner as quick as we 
 can ; and if the magistrate thinks it right, we can come 
 back again for the body." 
 
 We set out accordingly, I sitting on horseback in 
 great state, with my arms tied behind me, and the horse 
 led by the bridle by a soldier on each side. The cor- 
 poral followed behind, after slowly inserting, rather 
 ostentatiously as it seemed to me, a ball cartridge into 
 the muzzle of his firelock, and ramming it down leisurely. 
 The click, click of the iron-ramrod on the ball, I took, 
 as it was intended, as a quiet hint to me to be on my 
 good behaviour. 
 
326 Thornley's Eelease. 
 
 In a little more than a couple of hours we reached tlic 
 house of the magistrate, to whom I explained my ad- 
 venture, and on his assurance the corporal released me, 
 or rather handed me over to the custody of the civil 
 power. All the papers and chattels which had been 
 found on the person of the deceased were placed in the 
 safe-keeping of the magistrate ; and I took care to point 
 out particularly to his notice the curious packet dis- 
 covered within the breast of the bush-ranger's coat. I 
 then hastened home, but the news had already preceded 
 me, that I was taken into custody by a party of soldiers 
 for joining the bush-rangers, and as Crab immediately 
 surmised, was to be summarily shot. I found my wife 
 and family in the utmost consternation, but I soon as- 
 sured them of my safety and good condition, by de- 
 manding instantly a supply of mutton-chops, which were 
 speedily served up. When I had satisfied my first hun- 
 ger, I related my adventure with the G-ypsey bush- 
 ranger. My wife shook her head when I came to the 
 part about his little girl, and Crab, who was sitting 
 sulkily in the corner, and had been out of humour, as I 
 was privately informed, ever since the death of his pet 
 bull, gave a horrible grin when I mentioned my promise. 
 
 " Upon my word," said he, '' this is a nice country to 
 live in, isn't it ? If it can grow nothing else, it can 
 grow bush-rangers, however, and now honest people are 
 engaged to look after the breed. It's lucky, though, 
 master, that your friend, the Gypsey, did not give you 
 a hug over the precipice. Upon my life, it's droll — 
 very droll. Here are you, an old Surrey farmer, that 
 one would think would have gone on in the regular jog- 
 trot way all the days of your life, like other quiet folk, 
 
Crab's Ill-humour. 327 
 
 and if you haven't been engaging in more adventures 
 than ever were told in a story-book ! Dearee me — 
 dearee me — the older one grows, the more one learni' 
 If anything more was wanted to determine me to leave 
 this wretched country, it's this last affair. And then to 
 have a bush-ranger's child to keep ! My goodness ! 
 What ! . . . . well, never mind — some people are ! never 
 mind what ! And then there's nothing to be done, but 
 another fool must be enticed into the country to shoot 
 my poor bull — as if he ever did anybody any harm ! 
 He wasn't a bush-ranger, I suppose." 
 
 " But he did do harm, Mr. Crab," said Betsy, with 
 some vivacity, " he bruised poor Mr. Beresford dread- 
 fully, and he would have tossed me, if he had not been 
 shot just in time; and as it was, the dust from his 
 horns, as he plunged them about the ground, flew into 
 my eyes." 
 
 " Why didn 't you run away then ? or you might have 
 slipped aside, and caught hold of him by his tail, and 
 then he couldn't have hurt you ; he couldn 't have tossed 
 you with his tail, surely I" 
 
 " Good gracious, Mr. Crab, do you suppose that I can 
 hold bulls by their tails ? A pretty sight, indeed, for 
 your ugly bull to be rampaging about, and me holding on 
 by his tail. I wonder what next !" 
 
 "Bless me!" said Crab, '^to hear how some people 
 will go on ! But I'll go to bed. The quietest! — the 
 gentlest — and the sweetest-tempered beast — when he was 
 not provoked ! And why," he concluded, frowning at 
 poor Betsy, and resembling in his ill-humour the angry 
 animal that he lamented, — "why, in the name of all 
 that's reasonable, could the girl think of wearing red 
 
328 Red Ribands. 
 
 ribands m hor bonnet up here in the bush, when a strip 
 of kangaroo-skin or bullock's-hidc would have served 
 just as well ? And there 's that young rascal that shot 
 the bull ; yes ! he marchea about with the red ribands 
 at his breast, as if he wanted to anger all the cattle in 
 the district." 
 
 This last remark on the part of my old friend — unin- 
 tentioned as was the hit — made Betsy blush in a manner 
 that I thought was not caused by Crab's lamentation 
 over his bull. 
 
 " Oh ! oh !" thought I, " the young fellow has been 
 making the best use of his time while I 've been away. 
 We must examine into this matter before it goes too far; 
 young ladies, I see, are precocious in Van Diemen's 
 Land. I shall look out for the red ribands to-morrow.'* 
 And now to bed. 
 
Surveying a grant of Land — Crab becomes a Landed Proprietor 
 against the grain — The Bush-ranger's Daughter. 
 
 We were roused up early nest morning by a party of 
 the colonial surveyor's men, who came to measure some 
 land in our district ; and we were exceedingly surprised 
 to receive a letter of formidable dimensions, and bearing 
 a prodigious seal, addressed to '' Mr. Samuel Crab, River 
 Clyde." As soon as that worthy individual had emerged 
 from his dormitory, I placed the letter in his hands, and 
 being anxious to know what had given rise to a corres- 
 pondence between him and the Colonial Grovernment, I 
 urged him to break the seal. In the meantime the news 
 of the arrival of this unusual missive had caused all the 
 inmates to hasten from their rooms, and presently the 
 whole family was assembled to witness the ceremony of 
 opening the letter. 
 
 I have often regretted there was no artist present to 
 take a sketch of the party assembled on this interesting 
 occasion. It was still early morning ; the shutters had 
 been hastily and partially thrown open, and the grey 
 lio;ht streaked through the windows, while the flames of 
 the dry wood, which biu'nt and crackled on the capa- 
 cious hearth, diversified the lights and shadows of the 
 rude apartment. The women suspended their usual 
 avocations, and grouped themselves round Crab with 
 
 (329) 
 
330 A Mysterious Letter. 
 
 unrestrained curiosity. That interesting personage 
 stood in the midst ; in one hand he held a colonial hat, 
 ingeniously fabricated from the skin of a kangaroo, with 
 the hairy side outwards ; and in the other he upheld the 
 mysterious letter; peering into it with curious eye, and 
 with an odd expression of countenance, as if he half 
 doubted and half mistrusted the contents of the epistle. 
 
 " ' Mister Samuel Crab !' that's me, sure enough ; 
 but what on earth the Grovernor can have to say to me 
 is more than I can think. ' Mister Samuel Crab !' It 
 must be me ; but what it can be about is a wonder, 
 surely I" 
 
 " Suppose you were to open it," said Betsy, a little 
 pertly ; '^ perhaps the inside would tell you." 
 
 " Open it ! — well — do you open it, Miss, as you're so 
 curious ; but don't break the seal — why, there must be 
 red-ochre enough in that seal to ruddle a sheep ! Just 
 tear round it gently ; that's the way ; well, now, what 
 does it say ?" 
 
 '' Good gracious ! Mr. Crab, here's an order for a 
 gi'ant of land, for you !" 
 
 "A grant of land for me! the thing's impossible! 
 "What do I want with land when I'm a going to leave 
 the colony, maybe, in another week, only what to do 
 with those sheep worries me — there's nothing but plaguea 
 in this country — it can't be for mc ; there's some mis- 
 take !" 
 
 ■'' No mistake at all," said I; " here's the order plain 
 enough. Four hundred acres of land ! "Well, my 
 friend, you have got your wish at last, and now you 
 have land of your own. "What will you do with it ?" 
 
 " Land of my own ! — do with it ? — why, what should 
 
Crab's Good Fortune. 331 
 
 I do with it ? What's the use of land to me when I'm 
 going to leave the colony directly ? And where could I 
 find four hundred acres of land worth looking at ? 
 There's scarcely an acre of good land in the colony : 
 that's a fact — unless it's so covered with trees that you 
 can't squeeze your way through 'cm." 
 
 As my excellent friend thus expressed himself, I 
 fancied I observed in his manner a confusion and embar- 
 rassment, coupled with a secret inclination to possess 
 himself of the land, that I could not but suspect indi- 
 cated some fore-knowledge of this grant, which he was 
 pleased to regard as totally unsuspected. 
 
 " You were down in Camp," said I, " about two 
 months ago, Crab, were you not ?" 
 
 " To be sure I was." 
 
 •^ And did you not see somebody in particular there ?" 
 
 '' I saw nobody but a pack of knavish store-keepers, 
 who would cheat a man of the eyes out of his head, if 
 he'd let 'em. I was talking to one of those chaps on 
 the jetty, where I went to see if there were any ships 
 sailing for Encrland — he's one that I deal with for the 
 slops and things that I want for my stock-keepers, which 
 he cheats me in, of course — and he said if I applied to 
 the Governor, he had no doubt that I might get a small 
 grant of land, as I had a couple of thousand sheep, and 
 the Government, he said, liked to encourage industrious 
 farming men, that are really farmers, and not cockney 
 creters that don't know at which end of a sheep to begin 
 a-shearing at." 
 
 '' And so you asked the Governor ?" 
 
 " Not I ! But the store-keeper chap wrote a letter to 
 the GoYemor, asking a grant of land, and I signed it, for 
 
332 His Apparent Unconcern. 
 
 a joke-like, for I never expected anything would come 
 of it; and a pretty passion the Governor will be in, I 
 dare say, when he comes to know that I asked for a 
 grant of land, and all the while was a-looking out for a 
 ship to leave the colony \" 
 
 " But you have been going to leave the colony every 
 day for the last seven years, and you have not gone yet. 
 Perhaps you may stay seven years more, and then the 
 land will be of use to you. Besides, at your years " 
 
 " At my years ! Well, to be sure ! — and what's my 
 years ? I'm ouly sixty-eight; and I haven't had a day's 
 illness once the whole seven years, except the time of the 
 christening that you all drunk so much rum punch, when 
 the climate had such an eifect on me, and gave me a 
 dizziness in the head — it's so changeable I" 
 
 "Exactly," said I ; " the changeableness of the climate 
 has certainly a peculiar effect on some people, and on 
 occasions of christening it is apt to produce dizziness and 
 other disorders ; but that has nothing to do about your 
 land. I know of a prime little bit, with a capital run 
 for a small flock, not more than half a dozen miles from 
 here." 
 
 ''Ah! CheiTy-Tree Bottom. That's a niceishbit; 
 I remember the letter said something about Cherry- 
 Tree Bottom ; the deuce of a bit of a cherry will you 
 find there though ; but there's no water carriage." 
 
 '' Water-carriage ! You don't want water-carriage for 
 sheep ; they can carry themselves with their tails behind 
 them, can't they ?" 
 
 " Well — I can't say but that lot of land at Cherry-Tree 
 Bottom is a fairish piece for this country. But it's only 
 wasting it to give it to me, as I shan't be in the country 
 long enough to make use of it." 
 
A Friendly Offer. 333 
 
 ''But you won't do any harm to it, I suppose; you 
 can't take it away vrith you when you go." 
 
 "No, surely not; that's very true. Well — it is a 
 nioeish bit. Do you know I've a notion you might grow 
 hops in that bottom. I put the spade in it one day, and, 
 my eyes ! if it isn't all loam as far as you can dig, as 
 black as your hat, for I don't know how deep !" 
 
 '' I see," said I, '' that you have an inkling for it ; so 
 we had better have it measured at once, as the surveyors 
 are in the district." 
 
 "Well, well, do as you like. Measure away; but if 
 you think I'd stay in this country for all the land 
 that's in it, you are much mistaken ; that's all I can say 
 about it.'^ 
 
 " Why, you can sell it, if you don't like it," said I, 
 "and I'll buy it of you." 
 
 "' Will you, though ?" said Crab. " Well, that's very 
 friendly of you, I must say ; but it's worth nothing." 
 
 "It's worth a dollar an acre, at any rate; but what- 
 ever it may be worth, I'll engage to buy it of you. I 
 think it's worth two hundred pounds down, as it is." 
 
 " But what's the use of that ? I can't sell it till I've 
 had it three years, and used it as a farm. I declare," 
 he continued, looking through the window, " there's that 
 young fellow coming that killed my bull, and he wants 
 it, I know; but he shan't have it, I'll be hang'd if he 
 shall. I'm first, and I've the first right to it, and I'll 
 have it, or I'll know the reason why." 
 
 And so it was settled; the pleasure of preventing 
 young Beresford from having this particular bit of land 
 having more weight with Crab than all the arguments 
 we could make use of; so strong was his anger against 
 
334 Survey THE Land. 
 
 the slayer of Lis pet bull. I shall have to show, how- 
 ever, hereafter, how Crab was disappointed in his vindic- 
 tive determination. 
 
 The assistant-surveyor was polite, and his men were 
 ready, so after breakfast we set off to Cherry-Tree Bot- 
 tom, taking two of my men with axes to mark the trees. 
 ''Now," said Crab, when we arrived at the spot, "I'll 
 have this bit just here, do you see; beginning at this 
 gum-tree, and going over the point of that little rise just 
 across the rivulet yonder." 
 
 "I'll soon see," said the surveyor, " how the lines 
 run, and you can begin where you like." 
 
 "How the lines run!" said Crab: "what's that to 
 me ? The lines may run which way they like; but I 
 want this bit of land, and this is the bit I'U have 
 measured." 
 
 "Your side-lines," replied the surveyor, "must be 
 drawn according to the colonial regulations, parallel with 
 the rest, or there would be nothing but a confusion of 
 blocks and angles. Now for it ; that is the direction of 
 your side-line; where shall I begin?" 
 
 " You shall never begin for me," said Crab, very 
 angrily, " if I can't have the bottom. It's all scrub, 
 except just here." 
 
 " Let us see," said I, " if we can't manage it. Sup- 
 pose you begin at this mimosa-tree to the left ; then your 
 base-line would extend to that little green hill, and so 
 you would take in all the best part of the rivulet, and the 
 whole of the bottom." 
 
 "Well, measure away," said Crab; "it doesn't mat- 
 ter; I shan't be here long to be worried with your side- 
 lines and your angles, as you call 'em — though there'a 
 
Important Information. 335 
 
 not mucli angling to be had in that puddle, I'm think- 
 ing — measure away, and let's have done with it, and not 
 lose such a day as this for ploughing." 
 
 The surveyor adjusted his instrument accordingly, 
 and his two men going before with their chain, we fol- 
 lowed aftez", marking the trees as we went along, by 
 slicing off a piece of the bark, front and back, on each 
 side of the trees that formed the boundary line. The 
 survey, was soon concluded, and then Mr. Crab, regard- 
 ing his landed possessions with a condescending eye — 
 
 " I say, Mister," said he to the surveyor, '' don't you 
 tell the Governor that I'm going home again, by the 
 very next ship, may-be ; let that come of itself; no 
 need to anger people before the time ; and governors, of 
 all others, don't like to be made fools of." 
 
 "Never fear," said the good-natured surveyor; "I'll 
 keep your secret, you may depend. I dare say I shall 
 find you on your farm seven years hence." 
 
 "If you do," said Crab, "you shall eat me." 
 
 "Eat YOU !" said the surveyor, making an impromptu 
 survey of Crab's extraordinary person and habiliments; 
 "my dear sir, make yourself perfectly easy; I am quite 
 satisfied with the survey without wishing to appro- 
 priate you in so exclusive a manner to myself; and now 
 I must bid you good-day, and go to work in another 
 direction." 
 
 "With that he quitted us, and we returned homewards, 
 where I found my friend, the magistrate, who communi- 
 cated to me some information about the little girl, the 
 child of the bush-ranger, whose wretched fate I have 
 recorded, which determined me to lose no time in going 
 to Hobart Town to make inquiries, and to take measures 
 
836 Timely Interference. 
 
 for establishing, beyond the possibility of future ques- 
 tion, the identity of my new charge. It will be seen that 
 my interference was just in time to save her from a 
 deeply-laid plot to steal her away from the island. The 
 curious story of the Gypsey's daughter, I am inclined 
 to think, will be considered not one of the least interest- 
 ing parts of the memoirs of my busy life. 
 
Crab's contradictions — Frcuch Fashions penetrate into tho Interior 
 of Van Diomen's Land— A Parson wanted — Smoking a Ship — A 
 Plot discovered— A Disguise, and a nev? Adventure. 
 
 It was on a fine winter morning, in the month of 
 July, that I put the saddle on my horse for a ride to 
 Hobart Town, to inquire for the bush-ranger's daughter. 
 Some snow had fallen in the night, and it lay on the 
 ground about an inch thick, presenting an appearance of 
 striking contrast with the evergreen foliage of the native 
 trees and shrubs. The air was sharp, but bracing and 
 pleasant, and of that exhilarating pureness and freshness 
 which I have sometimes fancied peculiar to this island. 
 Grab stood by with his hand on the holster: he was 
 thoughtful that morning. His new dignity as a landed 
 proprietor sat uneasily upon him, and it was plain that 
 an inward struggle was going on between the temptation 
 to make use of his land, and the embarrassment of his 
 habitual vituperation of the colony. 
 
 '' I suppose," said he, "I must build some sort of a 
 hut on the land, to show that it's mine — not that it mat- 
 ters whether it's mine or anybody else's for the short time 
 that I shall stay here. But I must get some money to 
 pay for the things, if there's a dollar to be had in the 
 colony, which I don't believe. Do you carry your pis- 
 tols loaded ?" lifting up the cover of one of the holsters, 
 22 ( 337 ) 
 
338 Farming Prepakations. 
 
 and exposing to view the brass butt-end of one of tbe 
 large horse-pistols which formed my usual companions 
 in my journeys to town. 
 
 ''Best to be prepared, Crab/' said I; "I carry them 
 for use, not for show ; and what's the use of an empty 
 barrel in a hurry ?" 
 
 " Very true. It 's dreadful to think of the horrid con- 
 dition of this place, where a man can't step outside his 
 own door without pistols and blunderbusses ! But I must 
 try to get to the other side of the country, and sell a 
 matter of a couj^le o' hundred sheep or so, that I may 
 have money to make things tidy a bit at the bottom 
 yonder. It 's too late to put in any cuttings, but I think 
 we may make a good garden there, and in two or three 
 years I may gather an apple from my own tree, on my 
 own land — that is, some body else may, because, of course, 
 I shall not be here : and we may have some real cherries, 
 not those outlandish things, like a hawthorn berry 
 squashed, with the stone growing outside! I'm deter- 
 mined to- see if hops won't grow there, and grow they 
 shall, or I '11 know the reason why ! And only to think 
 of making my own beer with hops grown on my own 
 land. It would be a charity to teach the folks here how 
 to do it !" 
 
 I admired the contradictory emotions which I saw per- 
 plexed my old friend, and I took care not to check his 
 aspiratioris after a farm of his own. I encouraged him, 
 therefore, to go over to his sheep-runs and dispose of 
 some stock to meet his necessary outlays. I shall have 
 to describe in another place the amusing occurrences of 
 Crab's journey to Launceston, so I shall say no more of 
 them at present. 
 
French Fashions. 330 
 
 I was gathoriug up the reins to .start, when I was 
 stopped by my wife, who put into my hands a list of 
 various articles wanted by the family. As I glanced my 
 eye over the items, I read — '' bonnet for Betsy," "bonnet 
 for Mary," "bonnet for Lucy." Three bonnets ! Stuif 
 for summer dresses, gloves, kid shoes. " Why, my 
 dear," said I, "wc shall be ruined this way; why can't 
 the girls wear kangaroo-skin bonnets, as they used to do 
 when we first came here ? This is a new state of things 
 entirely." 
 
 " To be sure it is, my dear. When we first came hero, 
 there was nobody in the wild bush but ourselves, but now 
 we have settlers all round us, and I don't like the girls 
 to go about such figures I Besides, I want a bonnet 
 myself, and I see by the Rohart Town Gazette, that a 
 consignment has come from Madame Somebody, at 
 Paris ; so you had better buy all we want while you are 
 in town." 
 
 " The deuce take the newspapers," said I, " for putting 
 things into people's heads that otherwise they wouldn't 
 think about. The idea of French fashions up the coun- 
 try in Van Diemen's Land ! I suppose the girls will be 
 wanting parasols next, to preserve their complexions." 
 
 " I am glad you have mentioned it, my dear; I knew 
 there was something that I had forgotten, and it's the 
 parasols. You can get four, and then we shall have one 
 apiece." 
 
 " Upon my word," said I, " I can 't stand this. Pa- 
 rasols in the bush ! Why, the kangaroos would laugh 
 at us !" 
 
 " The kangaroos may laugh as much as they please, 
 my dear, but I don't like to see the girls get so freckled. 
 
340 Delicate Commission. 
 
 You forget that Betsy is a young woman now, and it 's 
 right that she should take a proper pride in herself." 
 
 'a see/' said I, ''how it is. That affair of the bull 
 is at the bottom of all the mischief. "Well — time moves 
 on. Nothing else wanted, I hope ?" 
 
 " We want another chest of tea ; the last one is 
 nearly out; but this time I wish you would buy a little 
 green to mix with the black ; and you see I have put 
 down a couple of bags of sugar, and a bag of rice." 
 
 " I see/' said I, "and now I'm off, or I shall be late 
 in town." 
 
 " Wait a moment/' cried young BeresfOrd, out of 
 breath ; " I have a little commission for you. I wish 
 you would do me a favour." 
 
 "With pleasure/' said I, "what is it?" 
 
 " I don't suppose it would give you much trouble, or 
 I would not ask you." 
 
 " Never mind the trouble. Wliat is it? I'll do it if 
 I can." 
 
 '' Why — you see, I can't go to town myself just at 
 this moment, and writing will not do " 
 
 "But what is it that writing will not do?" 
 
 "I don't want you to do anything — exactly, but it's 
 just to make some inquiries." 
 
 "Inquiries about what?" 
 
 "Oh, it's not about anybody ; but you see don't 
 
 you think, Mr. Thomley, it's a great inconvenience not 
 to have a resident clergyman at the Clyde ?" 
 
 "' What ! are you going to turn parson ?" 
 
 "Me ! nonsense ! that's not it; you don't understand 
 what I mean." 
 
 " How can I, if you don't tell me ? what is it that has 
 kindled this sudden religious zeal in you, pray ?" 
 
A Parson Wanted. 341 
 
 " If 8 not religious zeal, as you call it. Upon my 
 word, it's very provoking that you can't understand me. 
 Yon remember when poor Moss was carried off by the 
 bush-rangers ! In short. Miss Moss . . . ." 
 
 " Oh !" said I. 
 
 " WeU, now yon understand my meaning perfectly." 
 
 "But you have not told it." 
 
 " Haven't I ? why I have been telling you all the time. 
 But we can't be man-ied without the parson; we can 
 manage all the rest ourselves. Now, just do me the 
 favour to find out what we must do. We must go to 
 town, I suppose, because Miss Moss wishes to be mar- 
 ried in the church. .So if you can contrive to see the 
 Reverend, I want you to say that we propose being in 
 town on the twenty-fourth of this month — the twenty- 
 fourth, mind — don't forget the day — and that's all." 
 
 "And enough too," said I. "Are you aware, un- 
 happy man (I had just looked round and saw that my 
 wife was out of hearing), of the rash step you are about 
 to take ? It's only the other day that the parson had to 
 attend a very respectable gentleman on his last appear- 
 ance for killing one of his wives — although he had tried 
 three before; you see how difl&cult it is to find one to 
 suit ! — and now it seems it is your turn to require his 
 professional assistance, though not precisely in the same 
 way. Well, if it must be so, I suppose I must consent 
 to be an accessory before the fact, although why I should 
 help you to marry I'm sure I don't know, for you never 
 did me any harm. And now I'm off." 
 
 I rode leisurely on to town, stopping for about two 
 hours at the Green Ponds. As soon as I had seen my 
 horse properly taken care of, I set about the principal 
 
342 Mysterious House. 
 
 object of my journey, and walked to the part of the town 
 ■where the person who liad charge of the bush-ranger'a 
 orphan resided. I tapped at the door, and was surprised 
 not to receive any answer. I tried the latch, and found 
 that the door opened easily; there was no particular ap- 
 pearance about the house, so far as I could observe, but 
 it was empty; and I thought it odd that it should be left 
 unsecured. 
 
 As I stood before the door musing on what I should 
 do, and expecting every moment that some one would 
 appear to give me information of the inmates, I cast my 
 eyes towards the Derwcnt — for as the house before 
 which I was standing was at the upper part of the town 
 on the eminence to the north, I had a fine view of the 
 river and the harbour. I thought I observed an unusual 
 bustle on the jetty, and I descried a corpoitil's party 
 of soldiers stepping into a boat, whose destination seemed 
 to be a vessel about a quarter of a mile from the end 
 of the jetty, with her sails unfurled ready to start out- 
 ward bound. 
 
 As no one came, I conjectured that the occupants of 
 the house, which stood at some little distance apart from 
 any other dwelling, had gone out for some purpose, so I 
 closed the door, and prompted by that curiosity which 
 is apt to seize on us when we have nothing particular to 
 do, I walked down to the jetty, where I observed a num- 
 ber of persons congregated, and apparently excited by 
 some object of interest. The boat with the soldiers had 
 already pushed away from the shore, and was on its way 
 to the ship. 
 
 I quickly reached the spot, and found myself in tne 
 midst of a crowd of the miscellaneous character usual 
 
A Runaway. 343 
 
 on such occasions in Van Diemen's Land. The princi- 
 pal part was composed of prisoners, those in government 
 employ being distinguished by their yellow jackets, and 
 the others bearing that peculiar physiognomy -which 
 characterises those in the bondage of punishment — a 
 sort of cast-down expression of countenances, averting 
 themselves shrinkingly from the eye of any obsei'ver that 
 is cast inquiringly upon them. The remarks which I 
 heard around me soon made me acquainted with what 
 was going on. 
 
 '• Have they found him ?" said one. 
 
 " No : found him ! don't you see the soldiers are going 
 after him now?" 
 
 " They'll never find him," said another. 
 
 The constables rummaged every hole in the ship that 
 a rat could get into, and they could find nothing. 
 
 " They say they're going to smoke the ship." 
 
 " That will puzzle him ; there's nothing like smoking 
 a ship to unkennel a runaway." 
 
 "Who has run away?" inquired another. "Some 
 chap tired of his lag ?" 
 
 "It's Black Jack," said a roguish-looking fellow in a 
 yellow jacket; " they say he's got stowed away in a 
 cask, and that some of the crew have helped him." 
 
 "Jack had plenty of money," said the first speaker; 
 " but where he got it from always puzzled me." 
 
 " It puzzled more than you," said the yellow jacket ; 
 "Jack seemed to be always a scheming after something, 
 but we never could make out what." 
 
 " Was he a government man ?" inquired a farming- 
 looking person in a velveteen coat, and a straw in his 
 mouth. 
 
344 Smoking the Ship. 
 
 "Yes, a lifer; but he got a ticket of leave nobody 
 knows how; it wasn't for his beauty, at any rate. But 
 money can do anything. They say he was an attorney's 
 clerk before he came here — the one that did the swearing 
 part of the ofl&ce business, serving the notices and mak- 
 ing any davys that were wanted — I do believe that fel- 
 low could swear through a two-inch board. But it's all 
 up with him now if they find him." 
 
 "■ "What will they do with him, if they catch him V 
 asked the farmer. 
 
 '' Scrag him," replied the yellow jacket ; " don't you 
 know it's a job for the sheriff if a prisoner tries to 
 escape ?" 
 
 "They wouldn't hang him," observed a decent-look- 
 ing man who had listened to this colloquy; " they would 
 only send him to Macquarie Harbour." 
 
 *' Only !" exclaimed the yellow jacket. "Do you call 
 Macquarie Harbour nothing ? I'd rather give a jump 
 and a kick from the parson's hustings any day, than go 
 to that cursed place; they kill 'em there by inches. 
 There go up the soldiers; see they are ranging them- 
 selves in line across the deck ; we shall have some fun, 
 I suppose, presently." 
 
 I got interested about this attempted escape, though I 
 knew nothing about the man whom I had heard called 
 " Black Jack," and I made my way through the crowd 
 to the edge of the jetty, where I saw one or two persons 
 with whom I was acquainted. We watched the vessel 
 for about a quarter of an hour, when we observed some 
 smoke to issue from the fore part of her, and presently 
 afterwards a signal was hoisted on board, which was an- 
 swered from the shore. Some little bustle now took 
 
The Capture. 345 
 
 place on deck, and a small party of soldiers wliicli had 
 been marched down to the jetty, advanced to the edge of 
 the water, to keep clear a space for the expected landing. 
 In a minute or two some person huddled up was lowered 
 into a boat alongside, which was rapidly rowed towards 
 the shore. 
 
 " There's Black Jack!" exclaimed a voice, which I 
 immediately recognised as that of the yellow jacket ; 
 " they 've smoked him out of his hole, and now they've 
 got him, and he 's booked, and no mistake \" 
 
 "With that he edged himself closer to the spot to which 
 the boat was approaching, as if impelled by a sort of 
 restless curiosity. 
 
 " Keep back !" said the sergeant who commanded the 
 party of soldiers at the landing; " what are you pushing 
 in here for ? there 's plenty of room on the jetty without 
 crowding on us." 
 
 " I ain 't a-crowding," said the yellow jacket; " only 
 I want to see how a fellow looks after he's been smoked. 
 Re looks preciously down in the mouth; he's Black 
 Jack now, if he never was before." 
 
 Two constables now took charge of the poor wretch, 
 holding him up by his arms; he seemed to be in the 
 last stage of exhaustion, and so helpless was his ap- 
 pearance that they forebore to handcuff him. As he 
 tottered on he passed the spot where the man in the 
 yellow jacket was standing ; I fancied he gave him a 
 look, and immediately afterwards he staggered and fell 
 from the arms of the constables. The yellow jacket 
 officiously stepped forward, and caught hold of his hand 
 to assist him in rising, and I again observed Black Jack 
 give to this man a peculiar look. I was struck with this 
 
316 A Suspicious Personage. 
 
 circumstance, and it immediately occurred to me that the 
 captured man was acting a part, and that the other was 
 a confederate in some plot understood between them. 
 
 My curiosity was roused, and I kept my eyes on the 
 yellow jacket, who I observed took no further notice of 
 the prisoner, but seemed solicitous to make his way out 
 of the throng as quickly as possible. I don 't know what 
 feeling prompted me, other than a vague idea, that there 
 was some confederacy between them — and anything like 
 a plot among the convicts was sufficient to excite sus- 
 picion — but I felt a strange inclination to watch the man. 
 He contrived to make his way quietly and rapidly 
 through the crowd, but I followed him closely. With- 
 out turning his head, and affecting a careless manner, 
 he hastened towards the upper part of the town. He 
 stopped when he had turned the corner of the street, and 
 looked at something in his hand, which he read atten- 
 tively. He was about to move forward again hastily, 
 when he caught sight of me, and seemed surprised and 
 confused to see me near him. He hesitated for a mo- 
 ment, and then, as if he had made up his mind to aban- 
 don his present intention, he retraced his steps, and 
 taking off his hat as he passed me, he went away in 
 another direction. 
 
 I mused for a minute or two on this occurrence, and 
 regretted that I had not questioned the man. I looked 
 after him, but he was out of sight. 
 
 The afternoon was now drawing to a close, and I 
 thought that before I went to my inn, I would make 
 another visit to the house in which I was led to believe 
 the bush-ranger 's little girl resided. I walked up the 
 hill accordingly, and knocked at the door of the house 
 
He 18 \yATCHED. 347 
 
 with my stick : there was no answer. I opened the door 
 and found the house still untenanted, and apparently no 
 one had visited it since I was there before. I thought 
 this odd ; and being tired with my ride to town and 
 walking about, I sat down by the window. 
 
 As I looked down the road in the opposite direction to 
 that from which I had reached the house, I saw at a 
 little distance the man in the yellow jacket, who seemed 
 to be making his way to the same spot. This unex- 
 pected re-appearance of the man roused me, and vague 
 surmises crossed my mind, that he was in some way con- 
 nected with the persons whom I had come to seek. 
 There was no one in the street but himself, and I ob- 
 served that, after giving a careless look around him as 
 if to be sure that he was not watched, he came straight 
 to the house. He laid his hand on the latch, but checked 
 himself; and I heard him slowly walking round the 
 bidlding. 
 
 It instantly struck me that his object was to ascertain 
 whether there was any one behind it or near it, and I 
 determined to counteract his project. 
 
 There was a window at the back with the shutter 
 closed, the house consisting only of one room and a 
 kitchen at the side. It was getting dusk, and I thought 
 that if I could open the door so as not to be heard, I 
 could go round one side of the house while he was going 
 round the other, and so avoid being seen by him. I 
 opened the door cautiously; it made no noise, and I 
 moved sUently to the left, and looked round the corner. 
 There was no one to be seen, and I immediately stepped 
 to the left side of the house ; in a few seconds I heard 
 the man lift up the latch, and enter the house. 
 
j»48 An Accomplice. 
 
 Without losing a moment, I stationed myself at the 
 back of the house by the window, and waited for what 
 might happen. I remained in this position for nearly 
 half an hour, and was getting tired of waiting, being at 
 a loss what to do next, when I heard in the direction of 
 the bush — for this house was the last one on the outside 
 of the town — the pleasing note of the native magpie, 
 which seemed to me, howeyer, to be an imitation, though 
 a very good one. I guessed that it was some signal. 
 As I was between the house and the bush, I moved 
 away to the side, and it was just in time, perhaps, 
 to avoid being discovered, for I had scarcely done so, 
 when a light was shown at the window at the back of 
 the house, upon which the signal was immediately re- 
 peated. 
 
 It was now nearly dark, and I remained stuck up 
 against the wall, my curiosity being now excited more 
 than ever, for I felt convinced that the present proceed- 
 ings had some reference to the absence of the child whom 
 I had come to town to see. In a minute or two I heard 
 the footsteps of some one cautiously approaching, and I 
 was terribly frightened lest I should be discovered in my 
 hiding place. 
 
 Luckily for my project, the party who approached, 
 from an excess of precaution, crept in by the back win- 
 dow or opening, for there was no glass to it, only a shut- 
 ter. Anxious to catch the conversation of these worthies, 
 I crept on my hands and knees round the corner as softly 
 as I could, and ensconced myself under the window 
 through which the man had crept. I could see no light, 
 so I supposed the candle had been put out. The first 
 ■words that I caught were these : — 
 
Conversation Overheard. 349 
 
 " So Black Jack is caught ; it was a clever trick though, 
 to get hooped up in a cask with two false heads, and with 
 water top and bottom." 
 
 "Yes," said yellow jacket; "but the smoke found 
 him out } he lost his senses in the dark, and began to 
 kick before his time, and so they nabbed him. It's all 
 up with him now." 
 
 "Is it a scrag, d'ye think?" 
 
 "It's all one; he's of no more use to us. We must 
 think now of the job; what's to be done next?" 
 
 " I'll be hanged if I know. What's the use of keep- 
 ing the girl stowed away, now that Jack's done up ?" 
 
 "Oh, it's not Jack's work," said yellow jacket; "he's 
 only second fiddle; there's a swell at the bottom of it, 
 and he don't spare money, as you know." 
 
 "But what's the game?" said the other; "one don't 
 like to go blindfold to work in this way. Do they want 
 to put the girl out of the way — that's the long and the 
 short of it ?" 
 
 "I guess it's something like it," said yellow jacket. 
 " You see she's very much in the way at present, at least 
 so Jack said. There's something about estates in Eng- 
 land that she has a right to, but Jack couldn't well 
 make out the whole secret. We were all to be well paid 
 for it. and that's enough for us to know ; we have only 
 to do the trick." 
 
 " Then that's not the trick for me," rejoined the other ; 
 " I know I'm book'd for Macquarie Harbour, if I'm 
 caught, let alone this job ; but the G-ypsey was a good 
 friend to the prisoners, and he died game ; and I'll have 
 no hand in harming his child. As to keeping her close 
 for a while, that's nothing; but I want to know what 
 
560 A Plot Discovered, 
 
 they're at ? Aud why was it that Black Jack tried to 
 escape just at this time, when he's wanted ?" 
 
 "That's more than I can tell/' said yellow jacket; 
 "but I've got a scrap of paper from him." 
 
 " Ha ! how was that ? What does he say ?^' 
 
 " Here's the paper; but it doesn't tell much." 
 
 '' Get a light, and let us look at it." 
 
 I now redoubled my attention, and I became aware by 
 the light that gleamed through the cracks of the shutter 
 that the letter was being perused. 
 
 "Well," said yellow jacket, "what do you think 
 of it ?" 
 
 " It doesn't sa'y much : — 
 
 " ' If I am taken, carry this letter to the red-house 
 in Emu-street, and the bearer will receive a handsome 
 reward.' " 
 
 "I suppose," said yellow jacket, "that you will not 
 attempt to take it?" 
 
 " No, not I ; the town is too hot for me ; you must do 
 it; and as to the reward, I suppose I must trust to you 
 for my share of it." 
 
 " Never fear, that will be all right : bu.t I must be going 
 now; I must show myself by seven o'clock." 
 
 " Then I'll be off, too; when shall we meet again?" 
 
 " Be here to-morrow, at the same time, and tnake the 
 same signal." 
 
 "I will." 
 
 The window-shutter was now opened, and I slipped 
 round the corner, and lay hid at the side of the house. 
 The stranger, without waiting to look behind him, and 
 indeed it was too dark for him to see much, hastily 
 retreated in the direction of the bush. As soon as he 
 
Important Letter Obtained. 351 
 
 was at some distance, I resumed my position under the 
 shutter, and I observed by the light that it was not 
 quite closed. Prompted by a powerful curiosity, I cau- 
 tiously raised myself up, and peeped through the open- 
 ing between the shutter and the wall. I saw the man 
 in the yellow jacket lifting up a stone in the floor, under 
 which be deposited a letter, which I guessed was the 
 same to which allusion was made in their conversation. 
 Having done this, and trodden down the stone so as 
 to efface any appearance of its having been disturbed, 
 he quitted the house to the right, and returned into the 
 town. 
 
 After waiting a short time to guard against being sur- 
 prised by his sudden return, I entered the house. It was 
 dark, but I had noted the spot, and I easily found the 
 stone, and raised it with my fingers. I seized the letter 
 with no small satisfaction, and taking the left hand road, 
 I deliberated with myself on my way into the town what 
 step I should take next. I resolved to lose no time 
 in communicating the circumstance to the proper autho- 
 rities ; but first I thought I would try the eflTect of the 
 letter on the mysterious inhabitant of the red-house, be- 
 fore he could be put on his guard. I examined the let- 
 ter ; it had no address, and it was closed with a wafer, 
 and also sealed with wax, with the initials rudely en- 
 graved of I. S. 
 
 I deliberated with myself as I walked along, whether 
 I should open the letter, and get at the information it 
 contained; but I considered that it was probably so 
 worded as to be intelligible only to the party to whom it 
 was addressed, and that the breaking of the seal might 
 awaken alarm, and prevent me from arriving at the know- 
 
352 I Disguise Myself. 
 
 ledge of facts wbicli might be communicated to me as a 
 supposed party in the confederacy. "With that view I 
 thought it best to deliver the letter unopened, and act 
 according to circumstances, for if it came to the worst, I 
 thought that I could seize on the letter before I left the 
 house, and so get at its contents. 
 
 I repaired, therefore, to a friend's house, and told him 
 that I was engaged in an affair which required disguise. 
 My friend could not avoid exhibiting considerable sur- 
 prise at this request, but he was too polite to give ex- 
 pression to his thoughts, further than to hum in a sub- 
 dued tone the well-known air of "Mr. Lobski." I let 
 him have his joke, for I was too intent on my project to 
 mind his chaffing, and he soon furnished me with a 
 sailor's dress, which, with a very small, and very round 
 hat, having an abominable fishy smell, changed my ap- 
 pearance from a respectable, middle-aged settler, to that 
 of a sort of fresh water sailor. 
 
 My friend strongly recommended me to wash my 
 hands in a tar-bucket, to give a better resemblance to 
 the character, and hinted that a slight application of the 
 same substance to my face and whiskers would assist in 
 the personation of my new character. I declined these 
 kind suggestions, but I thought it advisable to acquiesce 
 in a huge quid, which he thrust into my mouth, in or- 
 der, as he said, "to inspire me with some seafaring 
 lingo," and I was not aware of the malice of this latter 
 suggestion until I found myself getting sick with the 
 nastiness of the " knock-me-down" tobacco. 
 
 Fortified by this disguise, I hastened to the red- 
 house, which. I found to be of tolerable dimensions^ 
 and furnished with the aristocratic appendages of a 
 
Carry out my Object. 353 
 
 bell and knocker. Not wishing to appear presuming, 
 I left the knocker alone, and applied myself to the 
 bell, at -which I gave a vigorous and sailor-like pull, 
 and waited with no small anxiety for an answer to my 
 summons. 
 
First Appearance in a new Character — The Disguise discovered — 
 The Struggle — Three to One too much — An Apartment for a 
 Single Gentleman. 
 
 It was about nine o'clock, and the night was very 
 cold. Some light fleecy flakes had begun to fall, just 
 sufiicient to spread a thin white carpet over the ground, 
 and from the dense clouds which hid Mount Wellington 
 from the sight, I anticipated a heavy fall of snow. 
 
 As I stood with my hands in my pockets, and the 
 abominable quid in my mouth, assuming as well as I 
 could the air of a sailor, and balancing myself as I have 
 observed sailors do on land, as if they missed the mo- 
 tion, with my legs stretched out apart, and my toes 
 turned in, I could not help admiring at the odd variety 
 of adventures in which I had been engaged, very unlike 
 the dull plodding life of an old Surrey farmer ; and now 
 I found myself embarked in an afiair about a little girl 
 whom I had never seen, which seemed likely, to judge 
 from the beginning, to turn out an awkward business to 
 interfere in. 
 
 All these thoughts passed through my mind while I 
 was waiting for the door to be opened ; and I wondered 
 ^hen, as I have often wondered since, on the number of 
 by-gone scenes which can be conjured up by the imagi- 
 nation in a very short time, the events of a lifetime be- 
 ing re-acted as it were in a moment. But this contem- 
 
 (354) 
 
My New Character. 855 
 
 platiou is too deep for a plain man like me, who has not 
 nad the advantage of book-learning in my early years, 
 though I sometimes think that the experience of actual 
 life is worth more than all the book-learning in the 
 Y^orld — so I leave this inquiry to the philosophers to 
 explain if they can. 
 
 One thought, however, came suddenly on me like a 
 puzzle, and it gave me a shock like striking one's plough 
 against an old stump of a tree that you didn't expect, and 
 that was, that I had neglected to ascertain the name of 
 the occupier of the red-house, and that I should look very 
 foolish if I should be asked who I wanted to see. But 
 it was too late to deliberate, for I heard the lock shot 
 back, and the door opening, a woman, who from the 
 glimpse I caught of her face by a light in the passage, 
 seemed very old and very ugly, put to me the very in- 
 convenient question that I apprehended. 
 
 ''Who are you wanting to see, pray?" 
 
 I shall be in a mess here, thought I, if I don't mind; 
 so taking a hint from the advice that I heard a lawyer 
 give one day, that "when you can't reply to a question, 
 answer it by asking another," I said whisperingly, '' Is 
 he at home ?" 
 
 " Is who at home ?" said the perverse old woman. 
 
 "Who?" said I; "Why him; don't you know?" 
 Here I tried to recollect some seafaring phrase, but for 
 the life of me I could think of nothing but " shiver my 
 timbers;" and that observation somehow didn't seem 
 appropriate to the occasion. So I contented myself by 
 rejDlying, "I've got a letter for him." 
 
 " A letter ! Eh ! give it to me." 
 
 " Beg pardon," said I : " avast there ! that's what I 
 
356 Take the Letter. 
 
 can'fc do by no maimer of means (I flattered myself ttat 
 this style was the real thing) ; I was told to give it into 
 the gentleman's own hands, that is, if he 's got any ; so 
 I clapped my helm hard a-starboard (what this meant I 
 didn't exactly know, but I was obliged to chance it), and 
 here I am come into port." 
 
 I saw that the old lady was considerably struck by my 
 display of nautical phraseology; so to follow up the 
 favourable impression, and to keep up my character, I 
 gave the quid — which during this brief colloquy I had 
 stuck scientifically into my cheek, producing thereby I 
 trusted a forecastle cast of countenance — a determined 
 squeeze with my teeth, which almost made me vomit ; 
 and committing an Americanism with a knowing sort of 
 air, I gave a professional hitch to my trousers, and waited 
 for a reply. 
 
 " You nasty beast," said the old woman, in a shrill 
 tone, and reti-eating down the passage ; " how dare you 
 foul people's houses with your filthy tobacco juice; do 
 you think I 've nothing to do but to clean after filthy 
 sea-sailor men, you dirty-seaweed ?" 
 
 ''What's the matter?" said a voice from the parlour 
 door, which was now opened; ''what's all this noise 
 about at this time of night ?" 
 
 "Noise! here's a nasty sailor spitting into people's 
 houses, and he says he 's got a letter for you." 
 
 " Yes, sir," said I ; " I 've got a letter for you — that 
 is, if you 're the gentleman it 's meant for ; and if you 
 are, of course you know it 's right for me to be cautious 
 who I give it to." 
 
 "Shut the door," said he, quickly, to the old woman; 
 " lock it ; draw the bolts. There, now (to me), come 
 in, come in." 
 
Proceed Cautiously. 357 
 
 I found myself in a small decently-furnished room, 
 with nothing particular iu its appearance. There was 
 another door opposite to that by which I had entered, 
 but it did not strike me as being unusual or suspicious. 
 ''Now/' said my host, in a rough way, '' where 's the 
 letter?" 
 
 I glanced at him to see what sort of a looking person 
 he was, and I must say that his appearance was not at all 
 in his favour. He was about forty years of age, dressed 
 in a rusty black coat and waistcoat, with a red handker- 
 chief round his neck ; I noted that he had on drab-col- 
 oured trousers, with black gaiters ; altogether his dress 
 struck me as if it was a disguise, for there was some- 
 thing incongruous between a certain air that he had and 
 the clothes that he wore ; they seemed to sit on him as if 
 he was not used to them. I fancied also that the rough- 
 ness of his manner was assumed, and I remarked that 
 the hand which he held forward to receive the letter he 
 expected from me was white and delicate. His counte- 
 nance was not the countenance of an ordinary man, and 
 it reminded me obscurely of some face that I had seen 
 before, but I could not bring to my recollection where 
 or when ; I should have thought it rather handsome than 
 otherwise, if it had not been for a peculiar expression 
 which I can describe no better than by saying it gave 
 one the idea that he was always plotting something, and 
 was fearful of detection. He repeated his demand 
 sharply : — 
 
 <' Give me the letter." 
 
 " Excuse me, sir," said I, " if I appear disrespectful, 
 but I should like to be sure that you are the gentleman 
 for whom the letter is intended. Perhaps you would 
 
358 Close Questioning. 
 
 tell me your name (be looked at me searcliingly), to 
 see," I added boldly, '■'■ if it corresponds with the name 
 on the letter." 
 
 He turned his eye to the door on the other side of the 
 room, and seemed to be considering for a second or two, 
 whether he should do something that he had a mind to; 
 but he altered his intention, and turning to me : — 
 
 "Well/' said he, "my name — to be sure, why 
 shouldn't I tell you my name? You know my name, 
 of course ?" 
 
 "You may guess," said I, "that I shouldn't have 
 been trusted with this letter if I wasn't in the secret. 
 But the risk is too great," I added, "as you know," 
 looking hard at him, " for any one of us to trifle with 
 the consequences. Before I give up the letter," said I, 
 in a determined way, " I must be sure that you are the 
 right person." 
 
 "And pray/' said he, " Mdiat is yours?" 
 
 Here was a puzzler ! I was all of a sudden, as the 
 sailors say, " taken aback," and I almost lost my pre- 
 sence of mind ; at the moment I did not know what name 
 to take, but as I was obliged to give some one without 
 delay, for I felt that any hesitation on that point would 
 excite suspicion, I gave my right one. 
 
 " William Thornley." 
 
 " Is that a purser's name, or the true one ?" 
 
 "The true one," said I; " and I give it you at once, 
 to show that as we are all bound up together, the best 
 way is to trust one another." 
 
 "Indeed!" said he; "and so it's come to this; but 
 we — ^yes, we are all alike now, I suppose. We — we 
 must all trust one another ! Come, we can't be all night 
 
Give the Letter. 359 
 
 aLcut this matter. I ;iiu known by the name of John 
 Wolsey; will that do for you?" 
 
 " Thougiit I to myself, it must, for I can't make 
 anything more of it." I gave him the letter. 
 
 He looked at the place where he expected to find the 
 address, but there was none. 
 
 " How is this," said he, coming a step forward, " there 
 is no name on the letter, and you have made me give you 
 mine?" 
 
 " Look at the seal," said I, at a loss to escape from the 
 difficulty. 
 
 He held it to the candle. 
 
 "That is right," said he, "but there is something 
 about you, my friend, that I do not understand. Sit 
 down while I read the letter." 
 
 He opened and read it ; and its contents seemed to 
 give him satisfaction, which was presently succeeded by 
 an expression of doubt and anxiety. 
 
 " You know the contents of this letter?" said he. 
 
 " Of course," said I. 
 
 " And the letter says that you are acquainted with the 
 interior of the country." 
 
 " Pretty well for that," said I ; not knowing what was 
 meant by the question. 
 
 " Do you think you could guide me this night to the 
 spot where they have taken her ?" 
 
 " Easily," said I, at a venture, and my flesh quivered 
 on my bones to learn what would come next, for I 
 guessed I had got hold of the clue to the Gypsey's daughter. 
 
 " At the ruined hut, near Seven-mile Beach," said he, 
 musingly. " Can you ride on horseback ?" 
 
 »'I have done nothing else all my life," said I, thrown 
 
360 Am Discovered! 
 
 oflF my guard liy tlic suddenness of the question. The 
 moment after I was conscious of my error, but it was 
 too late. 
 
 "All your life on horseback!" exclaimed my host. 
 '' How is this ? Let me look at your hands. Ha — you 
 arc no sailor. You have deceived me — there is treachery 
 here. Who, and what are you, man ? Speak ! I have 
 the means of forcing from you the truth. What is your 
 object? Why do you come here? and from whom did 
 you receive this letter V 
 
 He opened the door behind him as he spoke, and 
 called out. I felt that the decisive moment was come, 
 and that all that remained for me to do was to get pos- 
 session of the letter, which was lying open on the table. 
 1 made a clutch at it, and seized it before this Mr. Wol- 
 sey could prevent me, but at the same moment two men 
 appeared in answer to his call. I rushed to the door 
 leading to the passage, and opening it, I gained the 
 street door; but it was dark, and I could not readily 
 find the way of undoing the bolts by which it was 
 fastened. In the meantime the two men grappled with 
 me I caught hold of the door-chain, and struggled 
 hard, kicking at the door, and shouting with all my 
 might for assistance. 
 
 " Knock him on the head," said a voice, which I re- 
 cognised as that of the host of the red-house. In this 
 extremity I drew out one of the pistols with which I was 
 provided, but before I could use it, I felt a violent blow 
 on my head, given, I fancy, by some elastic instrument, 
 like one of those powerful and destructive weapons 
 called a "life-preserver." I immediately fell down 
 Rtunned. 
 
Perilous Position 361 
 
 When I recovered, I found myself in tlie dark, I did 
 not know where. I felt an aching pain in my head, and 
 I was very cold and sick. I endeavoured to raise myself 
 up, but in attempting to rise, I struck my head against 
 the brickwork above, which, nearly stunned me again. 
 When I recovered myself, I reached about as I lay, and 
 conjectured that I was in a sort of vault or cellar, for I 
 felt nothing but bricks, which were cold and damp, and 
 arched over my head. 
 
 I confess I was in great terror, fearing the worst, as I 
 could not doubt that those who had me in their power 
 would not hesitate to take away my life without scruple, 
 if they thought it necessary for their own safety. This 
 dismal thought made me repent having so rashly encoun- 
 tered such an adventure in the night-time, and under 
 circumstances so suspicious. 
 
 The buoyancy of my spirits, however, sustained me 
 even in this perilous position, and as soon as I could 
 gather my senses together, I began to cast about me how 
 to escape from my confinement. I thought of my friend 
 who had helped me to my sailor's dress, and who had 
 been so facetious in disguising me, and wondered whether 
 curiosity or any other feeling would prompt him to seek 
 afte'" me if I did not return in reasonable time. But 
 that seemed an unlikely thing to happen, and at any 
 rate he would not learn till the morning, when he might 
 make inquiries after me at my inn, perhaps ; and what 
 was to become of me the meanwhile ? for I calculated 
 that my swoon could not have lasted more than half an 
 hour at most : so that it wanted five or six hours to 
 morning, and when the morning came, it would bring 
 no daylight to me in my cavern. 
 
362 Buried AliveI 
 
 This thouglit disturbed me sadly, but I did not lose 
 heart. There was a great bump on my head, "which 
 pained me a good deal, but there was no blood, and my 
 hands were free. Thought I to myself, " while there is 
 life there is hope." I felt about, and found that I was 
 confined, as I at first conjectured, in a sort of vault or 
 cellar, about four feet high, and as well as I could mea- 
 sure as I crawled about, ten or twelve feet long, and five 
 or six broad. I examined with my hands the bottom, 
 and sides, and top of my prison all over, but I could 
 discover no place of outlet, which surprised me exceed- 
 ingly. I examined it again with great minuteness, but 
 it seemed to me nothing but rough brickwork, as well 
 as I could make out. I was puzzled^ at this, for I 
 could not make out how I had got in. 
 
 My examination of the vault tired me very much, and 
 I felt myself getting more sick and faint, which I at- 
 tributed to the closeness of the vault. I was at a loss 
 what to do. I feared that if I remained long in that hor- 
 rible den I should be suffocated. In this state minutes 
 seemed hours, and I felt myself falling into a sort of 
 phrenzy of excitement. 
 
 Strengthened at last by my very despair, I determined 
 to search again, and in passing my hands over the damp 
 brickwork, some of the mortar at a particular place at the 
 top felt softer than elsewhere. The horrible conviction 
 now came over me, that my murderers had bricked up 
 my prison-hole, and that I was buried alive i 
 
Necessity the Mother of Invention — Advantage of a Good Mem- 
 ory — An Anatomical Experiment — Courage and Perseverance 
 overcome all Difficulties — An unexpected Meeting — The Mys- 
 terious Letter gives a clue to a Hiding-place — Search of the Ked- 
 House. 
 
 I REMAINED stupified for some time at my helpless 
 condition, and I suffered from pain in my head very 
 much ; but as it was too probable that no help would 
 come from without in time to save me, I felt that I must 
 find the resource from within myself. I roused up my 
 faculties, and by dint of thinking and revolving over and 
 over again all possible means of escape, I hit upon something 
 at last. If, I reasoned, the ruffians who had me in their 
 power, have bricked up so recently the opening through 
 which they had thrust me, the mortar must be still un- 
 set and soft, and the bricks might, with a little labour 
 on my part, be displaced. With that thought I felt in 
 my pocket for my bush-knife, and in feeling for the knife 
 I found the letter which had led to my disaster. 
 
 I felt quite glad at this even in my dismal dungeon, 
 for at any rate I had got the letter safe, though it was 
 of no use to me in the dark, and whether I should ever 
 live to take advantage of it was very doubtful. I put 
 it as carefully by, though, as if it was a matter of per- 
 sonal importance to myself, for I had got interested 
 
 (363) 
 
364 My Spirits Revive. 
 
 about the girl that occasioned me such a mishap^ and I 
 believe there was something in the pertinacity of my 
 disposition that supported my courage, for all through 
 life I never began a thing without being determined to 
 go through with it. 
 
 I did not like to be baulked or defeated in anything 
 that I undertook, and having gone through great perils 
 before, and having escaped from danger and from death 
 so imminent and seemingly so certain, that I had given 
 myself up for lost, I thought that I might escape again, 
 sore as was the strait in which I was then cast. 
 
 Fortunately my big knife was safe in my pocket, and, 
 to my still greater surprise, one of my pistols, with a 
 small flask of powder and some balls. This latter dis- 
 covery convinced me that my enemies had some potent 
 and pressing reason for concealing me without delay, 
 supposing me dead, perhaps, and that, as their object 
 was not plunder, but merely to secure me out of the 
 way, they had not taken the trouble, or had not had 
 time to search me ; and that the bricking up of the vault 
 was done in order to prevent my being discovered. How- 
 ever that might be, the finding of my knife, and espe- 
 cially the pistol, acted as a powerful encouragement to 
 me, as in the case of any attack being made on me in my 
 cavern, or on my getting out, I felt that I had the means 
 of defending myself, for my knife was an effective weapon 
 of itself. Having first ascertained that my pistol was 
 loaded, and that the charge was home, and having felt 
 the priming with my finger, and found it right and dry, 
 I set about the task of delivering myself from my prison. 
 
 I could not sit upright, so I was obliged to work on my 
 knees in a very inconvenient position. I easily scraped 
 
Determined Exertions. 365 
 
 away the mortar from between some of the bricks, but, I 
 found them so tightly wedged together, that I could not 
 stir them, and to cut an opening with my knife seemed 
 an endless job, for the bricks were as hard as flints. 
 
 I laid myself down to consider what I should do, and to 
 rest myself, for the position was so fatiguing- that I could 
 not work for more than a minute or two together. My 
 head was very painful, and I felt i. suffocating sensation 
 about the temples that almost determined me to make 
 myself bleed somewhere to relieve the pressure of blood 
 on the brain. 
 
 I was sorely perplexed what to do, and tried again with, 
 my knife on the bricks, but I could make nothing of it ; 
 all of a sudden it struck me that as the weight pressed 
 downwards, and as the strength of the arch was in that 
 direction, if I could apply a force upwards, it might raise 
 up the weight of bricks which had not had time to be- 
 come firmly cemented together by the setting of the mor- 
 tar. But how to do it was the question ? I could not 
 stand upright to give the bricks a push, and I had no 
 strength in my arms while bending on my knees. 
 
 As I was thinking with all my might how to manage it, 
 I remembered to have read a story of some mutineers 
 having confined the captain and officers below the deck on 
 board ship, and that by exerting the force of the muscles 
 of their backs all at the same time, with a simultaneous 
 eflFort, they burst up the hatchway. Whether there was 
 any truth in that story I do not know, but I resolved to 
 try the same experiment. I put myself under the centre 
 of the recent brickwork, and then, straightening my 
 back, I made a powerful efibrt, and the superstructure 
 gave way. A loosening once made, I soon cleared away 
 sufficient bricks to admit of my exit. 
 
366 Escape from the Vault. 
 
 It was quite dark, and I had no idea where I was, but 
 I judged I could not be far from the spot where I had 
 been struck down. I scrambled out of the vault, and 
 stood upright. Feeling about me, I met a wall of brick, 
 roughly plastered, apparently, which was higher than I 
 could reach. I knew I was in some sort of room or 
 storehouse, as, had it been in the open air, I could have 
 seen the sky. 
 
 Groping my way cautiously along, and fearing to fall 
 into some pit, I came to the end of the wall, and continu- 
 ing my way at right angles, I came to a massive door, 
 which was fastened. I soon found the lock, and ascer- 
 tained that it was a huge lock of coarse manufacture, put 
 on the inside, to secure the door from without. It was too 
 strong for my knife to force, and in the attempt I should 
 only have broken the blade, which I wanted as a weapon, 
 for I did not know what resistance I might meet with ; 
 so I felt all over the floor, in the middle of which was 
 the vault from which I had escaped, for some means of 
 forcing the lock. 
 
 I found in the furthermost corner a whole heap of all 
 sorts of things; bits of iron, pieces of wood, and odds and 
 ends of nails, and staves of casks, and old iron hoops, 
 which showed that this strange apartment had been used 
 as a place to cast lumber in. I selected from the heap 
 of materials what I thought suited to the purpose, and 
 applying myself to the lock, I soon forced off the hasp, 
 and opened the door. ''Now," thought I, "is the mo- 
 ment of danger, and I must be prepared." Holding part 
 of an iron crow-bar in my right hand, and having my 
 pistol handy for use, I peered cautiously through the 
 open door. It opened into the air. I extended my left 
 
I Wait for Daylight. 367 
 
 hand, and advancing a step or two, I came upon a wall, 
 which I conjectured to be the wall of the red-house. It 
 was pitch dark, but the snow had fallen abundantly, 
 and I could trace by its white mark the line of the op- 
 posite building. 
 
 The fresh air revived me wonderfully. All was still, 
 and I could discover nothing by the eye or the ear to give 
 me any information. I felt along the side of the house, 
 and found a door opposite the one which I had forced 
 open. I listened, but I could hear nothing. Being de- 
 sirous of avoiding the house, I felt all round about, but 
 could discover no other means of exit but that door. 
 
 I did not like the venture, so I went back into my old 
 lumber-room, and sat down on the arch of the vault to 
 consider what I had best do. I had no great fear of 
 being surprised, or of being easily overcome where I was, 
 being armed, and having the advantage of position to re- 
 sist my attack. 
 
 Besides, I calculated that if I fired off my pistol, it 
 would most likely give an alarm, and bring assistance to 
 me, though! did not depend much on that, for I might 
 be murdered by numbers before help could reach me, and 
 the detection and hanging of the rascals after my death, 
 although it would be a great satisfaction to justice, would 
 be no satisfaction to me. Under these circumstances I 
 thought it would be best to remain quiet and leave well 
 alone, and wait for daylight, for let the night be ever 
 so long, the morning must come at last. 
 
 It seemed longer in coming that night than ever it was 
 before, and I never suffered so much from cold and 
 anxiety as on that wretched night ; but the cold was the 
 worst, for as there was not space enough to allow mo to 
 
368 Morning Dawns. 
 
 walk about to keep myself warm, I was obliged to sit 
 still and bear it. I had a mind once or twice to creep 
 into my vault again for warmth's sake, but the idea of it 
 revolted me ; I was too glad to be out to get in again 
 voluntarily. 
 
 In this way I passed the night, longing for the morn- 
 ing; I looked out of my door now and then to listen. 
 The night was bright, and the frost crisped the snow, 
 which lay thickish and sparkling on the narrow ledge of 
 ground between my fortress and the red-house. I looked 
 up at the stars, and tried to make out how long it would 
 be till morning ; but I was not astronomer enough to tell 
 the time of the night from the small space that I could 
 see from my confined yard ; had I been able to see more 
 of the heavens I could have told pretty well. 
 
 At last I fell into a sort of dose in my lumber-house, 
 and waking up in a fright at catching myself asleep, and 
 exposed to be surprised at a disadvantage, I observed to 
 my great joy that I could distinguish the objects about 
 me, and that the long-desired daylight was come. I can 
 scarcely describe the pain that I suffei-ed from the cold at 
 this time of daybreak ; it was so intense and so exces- 
 sively painful as to amount almost to agony : it was the 
 cold I dare say that Avaked me up. 
 
 It was not the first time that I had felt the biting 
 sharpness of the cold of the early morning in Van Die- 
 men's Land, but I never felt it before in a degree so pain- 
 ful. I banged myself about, and stamped with my feet, 
 but it was as much as I could do to recover myself suf- 
 ficiently to be ready for action. 
 
 When I felt myself a littTe restored, I looked about me 
 to see how things stood. I found that the vault into 
 
Courage and Perseverance 369 
 
 which I had been thrust was, as I thought, in the dark, 
 situated in the middle of the storehouse or lumber-room, 
 to which there was no window or other outlet except the 
 large door. What the vault was originally intended for I 
 could not guess, and did not trouble myself with resolv- 
 ing, as I had a more pressing matter to think about. The 
 wall of this building ran flush with the wall of the house, 
 and was bounded on each end by a short wall about 
 twelve feet high. There was no window at the back of 
 the house ; nothing but the door which I had felt in the 
 dark, and which, on a cautious examination, I found 
 secured on the inside. 
 
 I did not like to attempt the forcing of that door, for I 
 feared being overpowered by numbers, before assistance 
 could reach me, so I cast about to get out of the yard by 
 some means or other. The wall was too high to scale, 
 but I fancied if I could steady the door of my lumber- 
 room, which opened outside, I could get on to the top 
 of the building and drop down into the street on the other 
 side. 
 
 The light increased apace, and there was soon sufficient 
 to enable me to distinguish the heap of odds and ends in 
 the corner. I took some of the staves of old casks, and 
 pieces of wood lying there, and silently jamming them be- 
 tween the two buildings and the door, I contrived to steady 
 it between them. 
 
 It was no easy matter for me to get on the top of the 
 door, particularly as I was fearful of making a noise, for 
 it was more than six feet high, and I was weak with my 
 night's watching, and from the blow on my head, and my 
 limbs were benumbed with the cold ; but by the aid of 
 the great lock, which formed a convenient resting-plaxse 
 24 
 
370 My Escape. 
 
 for the foot, I got on the edge of the door, and mounted 
 on the roof of the store-room, which was formed of strong 
 planks, with an inclination inwards. It was very slip- 
 pery, from the snow which lay on it nearly three inches 
 thick. 
 
 I stood on the wall and prepared to drop down from it 
 into the open space, beyond which was the bush, the 
 ground being all covered with snow. As I had need of 
 both hands to assist me in holding on by the wall, I laid 
 my bit of crow-bar on the roof; but the weight of the iron 
 caused it to roll over the smooth boards through the snow, 
 and to fall heavily on my apparatus for steadying the 
 door, on which it descended with a crash sufl&cient to be 
 heard by the inmates within the house. 
 
 This accident made me hasten my movements, but as 
 my hands were cold and the boards were slippery, I could 
 not immediately get into a position preparatory to my 
 drop, and I was on my hands and knees when the door 
 of the red-house opened, and the man in the yellow 
 jacket, whom I had observed on the jetty, and whose 
 conversation I had overheard the evening before, appeared 
 at the entrance. He made a movement as if to come 
 after me, but I pulled out my pistol, and presented it at 
 him. He seemed scared at the sight of the pistol or of 
 me, I don't know which, for he hastily disappeared and 
 shut the door. 
 
 In a few seconds after I dropped from the wall, and 
 although I had a tumble, I got up unhurt, and instantly 
 ran off into the heart of the town. I made my way 
 straight to the inn, meeting no one on the road, and rang 
 the bell lustily. The waiter was soon roused up, for I 
 kept up a peal without stopping, and glad enough was I 
 when I found myself safe inside. 
 
The Clyde Magistrate. 371 
 
 " What's o'clock?" was my first inquiry. 
 
 " Just five, sir ; we wondered you didn't come home 
 last night. The magistrate from the Clyde has been 
 asking for you. He came in about ten last night, and 
 was very anxious to see you. He sat up for you a long 
 time, and couldn't make out why it was you did not sleep 
 here last night." 
 
 " Show me to his room directly," said I, '' and don't 
 talk of my haying been out ; make a fire as quick as you 
 can, and get a cup of hot tea, and something to eat. I 
 have business that will take rue out again directly." 
 
 In another minute I was in my friend's room. 
 
 " Why, what on earth," said he, " has been the 
 matter ? You look perished ; what have you been doing 
 all night ?" 
 
 I told him in a few words what had happened to me. 
 
 "And where," said he, '' is this mysterious letter?" 
 
 " Here it is ; I have not yet read it; do you read it 
 for me ; I can hardly see out of my eyes." 
 
 He took the letter, and read the following : — 
 
 ''It's all done. The gal is hid in Jim Burk's hut at 
 Seven-mile Beach. The schooner may easily take her 
 off near there, but there's no time to be lost, for there's 
 no trusting one another in this country. Mike can show 
 you to the place. Yours, J. S." 
 
 " It doesn't say much, but it says enough for our 
 present purpose. Who is this Mike ?" 
 
 "I don't know; perhaps it's the Yellow Jacket." 
 
 " Or his companion who went off into the bush the 
 other evening ?" 
 
 " Perhaps so; he was to meet the Yellow Jacket again 
 this evening about seven o'clock." 
 
372 Search the House. 
 
 " We'll provide for both of them \ but first we must 
 secure the inhabitants of the red-house. But we had 
 better do things quietly. Are you strong enough to 
 take a note to the police station ? if so meet me with 
 the constable, who will accompany you, at the corner by 
 the post-office, and I will get ready in the meantime." 
 
 Taking a drink of tea, and munching away at a hunch 
 of bread, I immediately proceeded to the police-office, 
 where, at the magistrate's requisition, I was aided at once 
 by four constables, without questions, and, accompanied 
 by one of them, I went to the place of meeting, the 
 other three straggling singly to avoid remark, but keep- 
 ing me in sight. It was still early morning, and there 
 were very few people about. Mount Wellington had a 
 fine white mantle spread over him, and the morning was 
 brilliant and frosty. I found the magistrate at the spot 
 agreed on, and we immediately proceeded to the red- 
 house, 
 
 '■'■ Go round to the back," said the magistrate to two 
 of the constables, " and secure any one who tries to es- 
 cape ; if they resist, fire without hesitation." 
 
 One of the constables then knocked at the door. 
 
 " Do you think we have force enough ?" said I. 
 
 " Oh ! plenty for the daytime ; besides we are in reach 
 of assistance if we want it, and these constables are used 
 to the trade. They don't answer ; knock again." 
 
 f' Try if the door is fast." 
 
 " The door seems fast enough, but we will soon prize 
 it open, if your honour will give the word." 
 
 " Knock and ring once more. No answer ! Lose 
 
 no time, my men ; we'll stand no nonsense ; get open 
 the door the shortest way." 
 
A Slight Clue. 378 
 
 " Sta}'/' said one of the constables to the other, ■svho 
 was about to apply a sort of crow-bar to wrench open 
 the door; '-perhaps they have bolted themselves, and 
 only locked the door; let me try with my quiet per- 
 suader." 
 
 With this he produced a bunch of large skeleton keys, 
 and selecting one with a sort of instinct, he applied it to 
 the lock, which yielded readily, and the door stood open. 
 
 "I thought it was so," said he; "they've bolted." 
 
 "Now search the house carefully," said the magis- 
 trate, '' and lose no time about it." 
 
 "We'll search," said the constable, "but we shall 
 find nobody, you may depend on it." 
 
 The house was searched accordingly from top to bot- 
 tom, and every cranny examined, and the flooring taken 
 up, but no one was fouud. All this took up some time, 
 and it v>as now past eight o'clock. There was a writing- 
 desk in the parlour in which I had had the interview with 
 the person who called himself John Wolsey, which was 
 open and deranged, as if some papers had been hastily 
 abstracted from it. The magistrate looked rapidly 
 through it, and then sealed it up, and gave it into the 
 charge of one of the constables. Various parts of dress 
 were scattered about in the principal room, which seemed 
 to have been left in a hurry, and among them the pair 
 of drab trousers and the black gaiters which I had ob- 
 served the evening before. I pointed them out, and the 
 constable, who had opened the door with his skeleton 
 key, examined them closely. 
 
 " These are country made," said he, "I'll swear, by 
 the stitches. Perhaps the maker has put his mark on 
 them, as they do sometimes in tho country at home/' 
 
374 StartinPursuit. 
 
 Turning up the waistband, he showed us a bit of 
 canvass, on which was the words "■ Thomas Sparks, 
 York." 
 
 "It's very thoughtless," said the constable, proud of 
 his cleverness, ''for a gentleman that is engaged in this 
 sort of fun to go about with breeches with a brand-mark 
 on 'em. We have got a clue to where these clothes 
 were made at any rate." 
 
 ''York!" said the magistrate; ''that corresponds 
 with the information contained in the Gypsey's papers. 
 Take care of all these clothes, and especially of these 
 trousers ; make them into a bundle, and I will put my 
 seal on them." 
 
 ''And now," said I, '' what's to be done nest?" 
 
 " The rogues have got the start of us," said the mag- 
 istrate ; " I should not wonder if they have gone to the 
 place of rendezvous at Seven-mile Beach ; we must go 
 after them ; but first I must provide for the Yellow 
 Jacket and his friend, at their meeting this evening, in 
 case we should not be back in time. Go," said he to 
 one of the constables, " and get the ferry-boat ready to 
 cross over to Pitt- Water — the horse ferry-boat — we may 
 want to ride. Two of you will go with me on a secret 
 expedition." 
 
 We then repaired to our inn, and having made a hasty 
 breakfast, we went down to the jetty, and, accompanied 
 by two of the constables, we leaped our horses into the 
 ferry-boat, and pushed off from the shore. 
 
(C^jmiitH '^liirti|-/nErtli. 
 
 The Colonel Constable — The Track in the Snow — Seven-milo 
 Beach — The Desolate Hut — The Discovery — Baulked again. 
 
 "We urged the boatmen to make the best of their way 
 over the river to the Pitt-Water side, and the constables 
 assisting, we soon neared the opposite shore. 
 
 " The snow lies thick on the land/' obseiTcd the 
 magistrate. 
 
 " It won't lie there long," said one of the boatmen ; 
 " the wind has got into the north, with a little west- 
 ing in it ; when the sun comes out, the snow will dis- 
 appear in no time ; see how the light air draws down 
 the river." 
 
 "Many persons passed this morning?" asked my 
 friend. 
 
 *' Not many; may be half a dozen or so. There was 
 one party in a precious hurrj' to get across, a little be- 
 fore sis o'clock; they took a wherry and sculled over to 
 Kangaroo Point. It's a shame to let people go over 
 that way when there's a regular ferry-boat ! Keep her 
 off the point a bit, Bill ; mind the shoal. It's a shame ; 
 and the Governor ought to stop it. But they were no 
 good, I'll warrant. There was one pale-faced chap in a 
 black coat that looked as if the baillies were arter him." 
 
 "Which way did they take when they landed?" 
 said I. 
 
 " Oh ! we couldn't see which way they took from the 
 
 (S76) 
 
376 Tracks in the snow. 
 
 jetty ; but they told inc they went oflF in the direction 
 of Knopwood's Farm ; but I dont see what could tak6 
 'cm that Avay; that's not the way to Pitt-Water. 
 They're arter no good, I'm sure, or else they'd ha' gone 
 by the reg'lar ferry what's provided for people on pur- 
 pose." 
 
 So saying, by a shift of the helm, he brought the 
 broad-side of the boat abreast of the landing-place ; and 
 we all got out of the boat, — our horses, who were used 
 to the work, jumping out with the same readiness as the 
 biped. 
 
 Taking a hint from the boatman's communication, we 
 immediately proceeded in the direction of Knopwood's 
 Farm, and it was not long before we came to marks of 
 footsteps in the snow. There were marks of two persons 
 having passed that morning, the impression of the feet 
 of one being large and broad, and of the other small and 
 narrow. 
 
 " These are our game," said one of the constables ; 
 " they have been in a hurry to get over the ground ; see 
 how they have digged their toes into the snow in their 
 haste. You see when a person walks slow and leisurely, 
 he puts his foot flat on the ground, and takes it up even; 
 but when he runs or walks quick, he bends his foot, and 
 digs his toe into the ground, leaving quite a different 
 trace from the other." 
 
 " Well — that's good," said the magistrate ; "I should 
 never have thought of that. Why (to the constable), 
 you can track like a native !" 
 
 " Better, I hope, a little," replied the constable ; 
 '' though those black chaps have a knack of tracking in 
 the bush quite wonderful to see at times; but I know a 
 
Start ON Their Track. 377 
 
 trick more than they, I fancy. Look at thi.s ; nere'.>? a 
 shoe that I found in the red-house. A native wouldn't 
 have thought of that now. Look here ; it fits exactly 
 the small print in the snow. Now we're right on the 
 scent, I reckon; but they're a good bit ahead of us, 
 and we have no time to loose, if we are to spoil their fun." 
 
 " Now we are sure of our track," said the magistrate ; 
 '' I think you and I, Thornley, had better ride on. The 
 marks are so plain that we cannot miss them ; and we 
 will leave the constables to follow us." 
 
 " That 's the way," said the constable, " try to get up 
 with them, sir, if you can; but I don't think you'll be 
 far before us, if I guess right." 
 
 "We trotted on accordingly, and easily tracked the foot- 
 steps till we came to one end of the Seven-mile Beach, 
 when the marks were lost in the sea. We tied our horses 
 to a tree, and searched narrowly about, but we could not 
 recover the trace of the footsteps. The tide was still 
 coming in, but it was nearly high-water. "We directed 
 omveyes along the beautiful margin of the crescent- 
 shaped beach, on which the sea was breaking loudly. 
 The white foam of the waves sparkled in the sun, giving 
 an animated appearance to the scene, that inspired cheer- 
 fulness and activity, but we could see no sign of living 
 thing ; but a low-masted vessel was disappearing in the 
 distance. We were quite at fault, and we rambled from 
 the stony beach to the bush, and from the bush to the 
 beach, quite at a loss how to recover the track, which 
 seemed lost in the sea. While we were still searching 
 for it, the constables came up at a trot, and Sanders, the 
 one who had exhibited his knowledge of tracking in the 
 snow, sat down on the shingles. 
 
378 The Constable's Adroitness. 
 
 ''Excuse mc, sir," lie said, '' but I'm blown with this 
 run. Here's a beautiful place! It's remarkable tha., 
 the sea is always rough on this beach ; it always breaks 
 more or less as you see it now, and you may hear the 
 roaring for miles and miles when there's a high wind 
 setting in-shore. Well, sir, your honour seems dead beat. 
 Water leaves no track ?" 
 
 " We have searched all about for more than a mile 
 round, and we can find nothing," said the magistrate. 
 " I fancy they must have been taken off by a boat, for 
 it's plain they have gone to the water's edge, but here I 
 lose them." 
 
 " Let me think," said Sanders, "Jim Burke's hub 
 must be about midway between this and the other end of 
 the beach, and about half a mile inland, behind that rise 
 yonder that you see in the distance, with some scrub on 
 it. I'll be bound they've kept on the sands, knowing 
 the tide was coming in, and then cut over to the hut, 
 but we'll soon find that out." 
 
 We proceeded in a body along the margin of -the 
 shingle, the other constable searching inland, and con- 
 tinued our way without discovering the track for three 
 or four miles, when the other man, who was a little in 
 advance of us, made a sign with his hand. 
 
 " That's the way to do it," said Sanders; '' never shout 
 out or make a noise when you're after game in the bush, 
 whether it's man or beast." 
 
 " He's found the track, I suppose?" said I. 
 
 '' To be sure he has, and so have we ; look here ; let's 
 try my shoe — ^fits exactly ! Now we have 'em again, sir." 
 
 " Follow us as fast as you can," said the magistrate, 
 " we'll push on." 
 
The Deseeted Hut. 379 
 
 "You'll see the hut directly you round the little hill/' 
 said Sanders; "but if they show fight, better -wait till 
 we come up. Soft and easy does it." 
 
 We cantered on to the little hill before us, and in a few 
 minutes we reached the hut. It was the very picture of 
 desolation. The sides were constructed of that which is 
 technically known in the colony by the name of " wattle- 
 and-dab," formed of upright stakes, with twigs interlacing 
 them hurdle fashion, and rudely plastered with mud. 
 The roof, which was thatched with native grass, was rough 
 and out of order, and some planks nailed together and 
 fastened to a cleft log by hinges of bullock' s-hide, com- 
 posed the door. A curtain of kangaroo-skin, much the 
 worse for wear, and looking as if it had the mange, was 
 pegged over the opening which formed the window. 
 Some big pebbles from the beach, with rough slabs of 
 the stone which is abundant almost everywhere in Van 
 Piemen's Land, were piled up with an intermingling of 
 mud, to serve the purpose of a chimney. We saw in a 
 moment that it was empty. 
 
 *' Poor country house for an independent gentleman," 
 said Sanders ; " but retired — very ! Nobody would think 
 of looking for this rural retreat, unless he knew where to 
 pitch on it. Many a stolen sheep has been cut into mutton- 
 chops in this hut, I'll be bound, without troubling the 
 butcher to call at the Marine Villa for orders." 
 
 "Don't lose any time, Sanders," said the magistrate, 
 " we must go to work again; you're a clever fellow, so 
 try if you can discover anything to give us information 
 of the parties we are in pursuit of." 
 
 " Let Scroggs try first, please sir," said Sanders, " and 
 that will give me time to rest, for I'm almost knocked up." 
 
380 SomeDiscoveries. 
 
 The other constable made a rigorous search, but he 
 could find nothing in or near the hut but the remains of 
 some scorched sheepskins, which had most likely been 
 burnt to avoid detection. 
 
 "Now Sanders/' said the magistrate, "try what you 
 can do; but you must look sharp, for the sun is melting 
 the snow fast, and we shall soon lose the tracks." 
 
 " Ay, ay, sir," said Sanders, roused by this remark, 
 " I did not think of that. Now let's have a look at the 
 premises." 
 
 ''Scroggs," said he, '^have you searched the thatch 
 where it has been disturbed there ?" 
 
 " It's only the wind," said his less observant coadjutor; 
 " the wind has blown the thatch about all round." 
 
 " Yes," said Sanders, " but that's to leeward of the 
 wind ; don't you see, by the bend that the trees have got, 
 which way the wind blows in these parts ? That thatch 
 has been disturbed lately, I'll swear, and not by the wind, 
 or I know nothing of my trade." 
 
 Thus speaking, the acute and practised constable 
 mounted on the shoulders of his fellow, and thrust his 
 arm into the part of the thatch which had excited his 
 suspicions. 
 
 " I thought so," said he ; "but what have we got here ? 
 A tinder-box ! No great find this. Lots of tinder, with 
 flint and steel all complete ! Handy to get a light with, 
 but no great use at present." 
 
 "Let me look at it," said the magistrate. " Turn out 
 the tinder, and see if there are marks about the box." 
 
 " No marks about it, sir," said Sanders, " except the 
 tinman's. Don't let the wind blow away the tinder, Sam ; 
 one never knows what one may want in the bush. I've 
 
Important Discovery. d81 
 
 known the time when its weight in gold would have been 
 given for that bit of tinder at Oyster Bay. Let me put 
 
 it back again Eh ! what's this ? Look here, sir, 
 
 here's a name on the unburnt part of the tinder ? The 
 rag has been the upper part of an old stocking, and here's 
 the name of 'John Shirley;' who's this John Shirley 
 now, I should like to know ?" 
 
 The magistrate took the tinder-bos, without making 
 any remark, and drawing me aside, we conversed for a 
 few minutes apart. 
 
 " George Shirley is the real name of the Gypsey," said 
 the magistrate, "if his packet speaks truth. It seems 
 that we have lighted on a near relation when we least 
 expected it." 
 
 " I see it all," said I, a sudden flash of light breaking 
 in upon me ; " the person that called himself John Wol- 
 sey struck me that night as resembling some one whom 
 I had seen before ; it's the bush-ranger. He gave me a 
 look, when he discovered my disguise, which reminded 
 me of other features which I could not caU to mind; it 
 was the look of the Gypsey bush-ranger as he rolled 
 over the precipice at the Clyde. That's it! I see it all! 
 This is the brother who is next heir, if the girl was out 
 of the way. Depend upon it, that's the clue to all this 
 mystery." 
 
 " I think as you do," said the magistrate ; " but there's 
 a great deal to be explained still. In the mean time let 
 us try to recover the poor child, for if our surmises are 
 correct, the party who has gone so far will not stop short 
 in effecting his object. I hope the poor girl may not be 
 murdered before we come up with her. I don't like the 
 appearance of that schooner that we saw in the distance 
 
382 Our Mortification. 
 
 when we came to the Seven-milc-Beach. But we liave no 
 time to lose, let us be moving ; the men are rested by this 
 time, and we can push on." 
 
 " There ought to be a third track here_," said Sanders, 
 '' but I don't see it. A child's foot is light, but it ought to 
 leave its mark on the snow. Here are the other two, and 
 a new one, as if making off in the direction of the creek, 
 where a boat could take them off, but I don't see the little 
 one's. The large foot makes a deep mark in the snowj 
 and deeper than before. How's that ? I have it ; the 
 large foot has carried the child, to conceal the taking of it. 
 Thoughtful that; but it's hard if I can't match any one in 
 the colony at this game. There they go ; and large-foot 
 doesn't like his load, for you see he goes stumbling on, 
 and here he has been down ; but he's up again — and 
 there they go; and, by George, here's the print of the 
 little one's foot, when her bearer had the tumble. They 
 trod it out, as they thought, but here it is as plain as can 
 be on the top of this tuft of native grass, with the snow 
 on it, like the sugar of a twelfth-cake ; Hurrah ! my 
 lads, we have 'em ! Three miles will bring us to the 
 creek, and then we shall see what comes next." 
 
 In little more than half an hour we came to the edge 
 of the creek, which at high water is deep and navigable, 
 but at the fall of the tide is a succession of shoals, through 
 which it is difi&cult to direct even a small boat. The 
 searching eye of Sanders soon espied an indentation 
 which had recently been made by the prow of a boat 
 striking against the bank, and we had the mortification to 
 feel that the parties of whom we were in pursuit had by 
 that means escaped for the present beyond our reach. 
 
The Consultation — Middle-aged Gentleman gets tired of Adven- 
 tures at last — The Track regained — An extempore Dinner and 
 fresli Oysters — A new Horror. 
 
 • 
 
 The diligent constable examined with great care all the 
 parts about, but there was no trace of footsteps. The 
 snow was now disappearing fast, but there was enough on 
 the ground to show the mark of the foot. The sun shone 
 brilliantly and warm, and we stood round the spot for 
 some minutes looking into the water, as if by some miracle 
 we should see the track of the boat. The magistrate 
 was the first to break silence. 
 
 "Where's the nearest boat to be got?" 
 
 " Nothing to be had nearer than Pitt Water," said 
 Sanders, " and it's all a chance if there's one there ; but 
 if we had a boat, what could we do with it ; how could 
 we tell which way they have gone ?" 
 
 " They might have made use of some boat to cross 
 over to the land on the other side," said the magistrate, 
 ''for the purpose of baffling our track; in that case, the 
 track would be visible on the other side." 
 
 " To be sure," said Sanders ; " how was it that I didn't 
 
 think of that ? If it was not for the shoals and the 
 
 mud, we might swim it with one of the horses ; but 
 
 there's no help for it; we can't get on without a boat 
 
 of some sort." 
 
 (333) 
 
384 A Consultation. 
 
 "Then we must lose no time about it 3 can you show 
 me the shortest cut to the township at Pitt Water?" 
 
 "Let me alone for that," said Sanders; "I should 
 like to know the place in Van Diemen's Land that I 
 couldn't show you the shortest cut to." 
 
 "Then come with me, and perhaps Mr. Thornley will 
 lend you his horse, that we may get over the groxind 
 the quicker." 
 
 " One word with you," said I, "before we go further. 
 I don't quite liie this new adventure," I added, drawing 
 the magistrate aside; "to tell the truth, I am tired of 
 being dragged into new scrapes; as soon as one ends, an- 
 other begins. Besides, we are not prepared for a 
 lengthened pursuit, and my head is not right; that 
 knock on it from the life-preserver has left a sensation 
 which is anything but agreeable ; and we are not 
 armed." 
 
 " You have youi' double-barrel." 
 
 " But you have no arms, and the constables have no- 
 thing but their sticks. Sanders, have you got any 
 weapon about you ?" 
 
 Sanders exhibited the huge stick which served as his 
 walking staff." 
 
 "I don't mean that; have you got any fire-arms?" 
 
 " You don't see any, do you ?" 
 
 " No ; that's why we ask." 
 
 "Do you think," said Sanders, "that an old hand 
 ■would ever engage in anything that looks like business 
 without his tools ?" and opening his waistcoat, he dis- 
 closed two small pistols in a concealed pocket on each 
 side of his waistcoat. 
 
 " And your mate ?" 
 
I GET Tired of such Adventures. 385 
 
 " He has nothing but his staflF. But Lord bless you, 
 sir ! it seldom comes to that. I carry mine for caution's 
 sake, but it's seldom necessary to show 'em, even. You 
 see, when a man's pounced upon by a constable, he's 
 cowed like, because he thinks that an officer has £ right 
 to take him, and his mind is used to feel that ^e can't 
 resist an officer; it's a habit like that loose characters 
 get. So while he is nonplused, we just take him gently, 
 and clap the darbies on him, and then we have him like 
 bricks." 
 
 "That's all very well," I continued, walking a few 
 steps aside, "but really I don't see that I am called on 
 to expose my life in this matter. Had we not better let 
 the police magistrate take it up ? He is clever, and 
 used to these things. Besides, I don't see the necessity 
 of taking the matter into our own hands ; it is an affiiir 
 for the authorities to interfere in ; for if the girl is the 
 daughter of the Yorkshire G-eorge Shirley, and the Gyp- 
 Bey's tale is true, she is an important personage, and it's 
 a matter for the government to take up." 
 
 ''All very true, my dear fellow," said my friend, 
 "but it's the time. While we are going back, and going 
 about the business formally, these rascals may convey 
 the gu-1 away, or, God knows ! murder her, perhaps." 
 
 "I rather think," said I, "they have some motive 
 for not killing her, or they would have done it before, 
 and not have encumbered themselves with her in this 
 chase ; to marry her, maybe, to some one. But we have 
 no time to indulge in surmises on that point, nor would 
 it DC of any use to us to resolve it at this moment. 
 The matter in hand is to consider the propriety of our 
 taking on ourselves the finding of the girl." 
 25 
 
386 Magistrate makes a Discovery. 
 
 "As to that," said the magistrate, "my mind is made 
 up ; I can act in any part of the colony, my commission 
 being made out for the whole of the island, though for 
 convenience sake, we are all appointed to particular dis- 
 tricts, and we are expected, of course, not to meddle 
 with matters beyond them unnecessarily. But I con- 
 sider this a case of necessity, and a pressing one, and I 
 think it my duty not to neglect it. I must in fairness 
 allow that I like these excitements, but I am differently 
 circumstanced to you, who have a family. But wait 
 here, at all events, till we return to relieve you ; this 
 spot ought not to be left imwatched ; and indeed, I want 
 your horse, if you have no objection, to mount the con- 
 stable as a guide, as he is the only one among us who 
 knows the road." 
 
 " Well," said I, " if it must be so, it must; but I must 
 say frankly, I am tired of these expeditions. I'm wanted 
 at home, and I've had enough of them." 
 
 "I see," said my friend, " you are not romantic." 
 
 " Not I ! I'm a plain Surrey farmer turned into a 
 settler, and as to your romance, I leave that to young 
 fellows like you. I would rather have half a dozen mut- 
 ton-chops just now than any dish of romance that you 
 could cook up for me." And so saying, I sat myself 
 down by the side of the water, with the other constable 
 for my companion, and the magistrate and Sanders can- 
 tered off in the direction of Sorrell-Town, the nascent me- 
 tropolis of Pitt- Water. 
 
 I was almost tired out, when a shout from the opposite 
 side of the inlet attracted our attention, and I sprung to 
 my feet. I saw the magistrate on horseback, standing 
 on the high bank. He took off his hat and waved it, 
 
The Bo atman' s Information. 387 
 
 from which I concluded that he had some good news for 
 us ; but I could not tell what, for it was too far for his 
 voice to reach us. My companion thought he could dis- 
 tinguish the word '' boat/' but to me it seemed only the 
 usual " cooee," the colonial way of throwing the voice 
 to a distance. But my companion was right, for pre- 
 sently afterwards we discovered a boat making its way 
 to us through the intricate passages of the inlet, for it 
 was now almost low water, and the numerous shoals 
 made the navigation very difficult. As it was, we had 
 to plunge into the mud before we could get into the boat, 
 and we were obliged to make a long round before we 
 could reach the shore. While we were making the pas- 
 sage, I asked the man in the boat, for there was only one, 
 what the news was. 
 
 "No news," said he, " except that I hear you are in 
 pursuit of two men and a girl who passed over here in the 
 morning. I was down here looking after some fish, when 
 I saw them just about where I took you up, and they said 
 they wanted to cross over, and they offered me, that is, 
 the gentleman did, a couple of dollars, if I would put 
 them over. I thought it odd to see the girl with them, 
 but it was no business of mine." 
 
 " What sort of a girl was she ?" I asked eagerly, for 
 this was the first person I had met who had seen my 
 troublesome charge. 
 
 "Oh ! just like other girls, but I did'nt see her face; 
 but she seemed very tired and sick, poor thing ! One of 
 the men carried her in his arms, and I think she had 
 been crying a good deal; but she didn't cry in the boat; 
 she seemed afraid of the man in the black coat. She 
 can't be more than six or seven years old, I take it; and 
 
888 Land Sharks. 
 
 what their game is I don't understand. However, it's 
 no business of mine." 
 
 " Much fish hereabouts ?" said I. 
 
 "Fish! bless you, the waters hereabouts are as full 
 of fish as they can cram ; but they are poor things for 
 eating, most of them. As you get farther up the inlet, 
 the creeks and little ponds that the tide leaves are full 
 of fish ; and the ground-sharks arc as thick as they can 
 swim." 
 
 " Grround-sharks ! that's unpleasant. How big are 
 they?" 
 
 ''Not big enough to do much mischief; they're most 
 of them as big as a large codfish — some bigger — weigh- 
 ing a matter of ten, or fifteen, or twenty pounds. The 
 natives eat 'em, but they're rank things to my taste." 
 
 " How do the natives catch them ?" 
 
 ''They don't catch them at all; they spear 'em with 
 their long thin spears; and then they put them over the 
 fire a bit, and eat 'em half raw; but they don't seem to 
 like 'em much. It's only when they can't get other food. 
 And now, masters, this is as near as I can bring you,; 
 the mud is awkward, but it isn't above leg-deep, and the 
 bottom is hard enough when you get there. But if 
 you are good climbers, I can run you right against the 
 clifi" yonder, and so you may get on the shore dry- 
 footed." 
 
 Receiving my assent to this latter proposition, he ran 
 his boat to the bank accordingly, and with a good deal 
 of difficulty I and the constable scrambled to the top. 
 We found the magistrate and Sanders waiting to receive 
 us, with another man on horse-back, and on the ground 
 was a huge basket which they had brought with i,hem. 
 
The Track Kegained. 389 
 
 A bust-fire of dead wood which they had kindled was 
 burning briskly. 
 
 The snow had almost disappeared, but there was still 
 Bufficient for a keen eye accustomed to the bush to dis- 
 tinguish the sunken traces of the party we were in 
 pursuit of. 
 
 " You see," said the magistrate, pointing to the almost 
 obliterated footsteps, '^we are on the scent, but they 
 have got the start of us, and the snow is nearly melted, 
 for it don't remain long on the gi'ound in this country." 
 
 " Upon my word," said I, '' I think I must decline 
 going any further. I am so weak and faint, that really 
 I am not fit for a bush excursion; and I must confess 
 I am so vulgar as to want something to eat." 
 
 "We have thought of that," said Sanders, "there's 
 the prog ; we wouldn't break into it, but waited till you 
 could join us." 
 
 " Now, my lad," said the magistrate, " produce your 
 provisions." 
 
 The stranger, who had the appearance of a respectable 
 servant, immediately spread on the log of the tree on 
 which we were sitting a white table-cloth ; and arranged 
 plates, and knives, and forks. 
 
 " I wish I could get a drink of something," said I, 
 " but I suppose there's no water hereabouts but what's 
 brackish." 
 
 ''Water! who thinks of water?" said the magistrate, 
 gaily; "here's a bottle of Barclay's own stout. Who 
 has got a corkscrew ? Here's a job ! no corkscrew ! It's 
 strange how people will go about without a corkscrew, the 
 the only thing that is ever useful, and never to be had 
 when wanted. Oh, you have got one, my lad, that's 
 
390 A GrOOD Dinner. 
 
 very clever of you. Here, Thomley, drink. There's 
 nothing like porter in the hush, only it's not to be had 
 everywhere. You see, I did not forget you." 
 
 "What have you got to eat?" said I, considerably 
 refreshed with my draught ; " I had but a scanty break- 
 x'ast." 
 
 " Then you shall make the better dinner. Bring him 
 out, my lad ! There's a splendid fellow ! A goose is 
 better hot, perhaps, but I think we can manage him as 
 he is ; — allow me," helping me to a leg and a wing, and 
 alloting the same portion to himself; — "and as to our 
 friends the constables, they may solace themselves with 
 that cold shoulder of mutton." 
 
 " rU have a dig at the miitton in a minute," said 
 Sanders; "but I shall treat myself to a few oysters 
 first." 
 
 ''Oysters! Is the man distraught with fasting? 
 You're not near Billingsgate-market, friend. What puts 
 oysters into your head ?" 
 
 " I'll put the oysters somewhere else in five minutes," 
 said the constable; "you don't know whereabouts you 
 are ; — this little bay is full of oysters, as I'll soon show you. 
 Scroggs, my boy," said he to his mate, " will you have 
 some natives ?" 
 
 '' I don't mind if I do," said the accommodat- 
 ing Scroggs; "a few dozens of oysters sharpen the ap- 
 petite." 
 
 Without more ado, the two constables took off their 
 shoes and stockings, and stripping their trousers high 
 up their legs, they borrowed a large cloth from the lad 
 with the basket, and waded into the water thirty or 
 forty yards. Reaching down their arms, they soon 
 
GoosK AND Oystees. 391 
 
 filled the cloth with oysters, and brought them to us, 
 rattling them down in a great heap, and went back to 
 the water for a fresh supply. 
 
 "Here, my lad," said my friend, "chuck some armsful 
 of these into the fire to roast, while we pass away the 
 time with the others. Who's got an oyster knife? That's 
 another thing that people never think of carrying about 
 with them, though they never know when it may be 
 wanted, as you see. Oh ! you've got a knife ; handy 
 knife this. There, lad, hook out the oysters directly 
 you hear them crack, or they'll burn. No bad fare, my 
 friend, for the bush — cold goose and oyster sauce. I say, 
 this knife puts odd ideas into my head. Suppose this 
 most respectable gentleman, John Shirley, Esq., was to 
 use the same sort of tool on the poor little girl — eh ? 
 There, don't lay down your knife and fork — I only 
 hinted it. Take some more goose, a leg and a wing are 
 nothing for a hungry man. Don't spare the oysters, 
 plenty more where those came from. I'll join you in 
 another glass of stout." 
 
 " With all my heart," said I, feeling better and stronger 
 for my meal; " and, after all, it would be a pity not to 
 make an effort to recover the poor girl. I shall never 
 forget the agony of the Gypsey when he talked of her 
 before he was dashed to pieces over that horrible pre- 
 cipice." 
 
 " Come, you feel in better heart now, and all ready for 
 another start, eh ? We must make our men despatch and 
 get ready for our march; we have brought a couple of 
 muskets with us, and lots of cartridges ; and you see my 
 Sorrell-Town acquaintance has lent me this fowling-piece, 
 shot-belt, and powder-horn, all complete. I found a party 
 
392 A Neav Horror. 
 
 just sitting dowu to dinner with malice prepense against 
 this late goose — peace to his remains ! But I soon ex- 
 plained matters to them, and they desjDatched this lad on 
 horseback with the provender. The lady of the house wa3 
 so interested about your young heroine, that a little per- 
 suasion, I think, would have induced her to join us in the 
 pursuit. Come Sanders," he continued, raising his voice, 
 ''another batch of oysters! Why, man, you'll grow 
 shelly if you take in so many of those testaceous deli- 
 cacies ! Holloa ! — what's the matter with the men ? They 
 have thrown down their load on the beach, and are stand- 
 ing aghast at something. Look, Thomley." 
 
 I turned my head, and beheld the two constables 
 anxiously and fearfully examining something that they 
 saw on the beach. We hastened to the spot ; and San- 
 ders, pointing to the spot that had attracted his attention, 
 said, to our dismay, in a more feeling tone than I had 
 given him credit for : — 
 
 " I fear they have done for the poor child, sir ; — this 
 is sadly suspicious." 
 
 We looked, — and in the shade near the base of the 
 overhanging cliff, we saw the marks of tramping feet, 
 and the white snow was crimsoned with large drops of 
 blood. 
 
 The sight of the blood filled us all with the most 
 anxious apprehensions ; and even the phlegmatic Scroggs 
 was moved at what appeared to denote the sad catastrophe 
 of the little girl's murder. 
 
 " I've knocked many a bullock on the head," said he, 
 " and cut many a sheep's throat, and never cared for the 
 sight of the blood — it was natural, and it's what animals 
 are used to; but me ! if I ever felt like this before, 
 
AliveorDead? 393 
 
 — it's enough to turn one sick — after eating oysters, too I 
 I couldn't have cut the throat of that little girl, now — • 
 though I've never seen her, — but a child's a child, — no, 
 not for a hundred dollars — no, nor a thousand neither. 
 Poor little thing ! how she must have scriggledl" 
 
Who is the Murderer and the Victim ? — A Settler's Fare — An Ex- 
 cuse for a Glass of Grog — Kangaroos in Miniature — The Chase. 
 
 ''The blood looks bad/' said the magistrate, after a 
 pause, " but that might happen a thousand ways. It's 
 the trampling of the earth round about that looks most 
 suspicious. See ! here has been a tuft of rushes pulled 
 up in the struggle. These rushes are thick and strong — 
 too strong for a child to pull up, I think, even in a death- 
 struggle. No, this was not done by a child's hand ! Let 
 us make a closer examination." 
 
 Pursuing our investigation, we found the mark of the 
 heel of a man's shoe, which had been digged violently 
 into the ground, apparently in a struggle to rise, and 
 beyond the circle where our own footsteps had trodden 
 down the snow, and which for a moment had prevented 
 our observing the space beyond it, we traced the ap- 
 pearance of some heavy body having been dragged for 
 some distance to a spot where there was a deep hole, at 
 the foot of some straggling rocks. By throwing in peb- 
 bles, we ascertained that the hole was of considerable 
 depth. In looking about, the intelligent constable ob- 
 served the mark of a stone of a large size having been 
 removed, the earth in which it had been imbedded ex 
 hibiting a surface which, from its freshnesS; it was plain 
 (394) 
 
My Sympathies Excited. 395 
 
 had been but recently exposed to the air ; and at short 
 distances two more indications of the same sort were dis- 
 covered. 
 
 '' That pool holds the dead body of somebody, I'll be 
 sworn," said Sanders; "but that's a secret that lies at 
 the bottom, and I don't see the way to get at it just now ; 
 but time will show, for there never was a murder ever so 
 secret that was not found out at last." 
 
 After a diligent search, we could find no other mai-ks 
 of blood than those which had fii-st attracted the atten- 
 tion of the constables ; but it was clear that a desperate 
 struggle had taken place on the spot, but who was the 
 victim, or whether there was more than one, was involved 
 in mystery. 
 
 By this time, having recovered from the eifects of my 
 previous night's sufifering, I began to warm to the work; 
 and being moved at the sight of the blood, and the 
 thought of the peril that the poor ghrl was in, if she was 
 still alive, I was eager to continue the pursuit. I pro- 
 posed, therefore, that we should not lose time in discus- 
 sing the probabilities of what had taken place, but mark 
 the exact spot, so as to be able to find it again without 
 difficulty, and move forward without delay to the rescue 
 of the child, whose precarious fate had inspired me with 
 an interest which I was surprised at myself; — but I 
 thought of my own children, and could not but feel 
 strongly for an orphan who had been cast on my care 
 under circumstances so remarkable, and against whose 
 life or welfare it was evident there was some nefarious 
 design. 
 
 We sent back our Sorell-Town purveyor liberally re- 
 compensed, and started ofi" on the track, now become 
 
396 The Pursuit Continued. 
 
 very faint, at a rapid pace, Sanders taking the lead. It 
 was now drawing towards the evening, and the sun was 
 sinking fast, afifording to us the not very agreeable pros- 
 pect of passing the night in the bush under a winter's 
 sky, with the likelihood of a heavy fall of snow for 
 feather beds. We were glad, therefore, when we found 
 that our course led us in the direction of the Coal-River, 
 where we knew there were many settlers, some of them 
 indeed verging towards the position of wealthy agricul- 
 turists. We skirted a succession of small farms, looking 
 very cold and desolate at the decline of the day in the 
 winter season, till we came to where a log fence had been 
 broken down ; we followed on, and presently came into 
 view of the red-brick house of some thriving settler in a 
 hollow beneath the hill. The marks of the footsteps in 
 the snow became more and more indistinct, but after 
 passing the centre of the enclosure, we observed the 
 prints of the shoes of a horse. 
 
 " This looks like business," said Sanders. " You see, 
 sir, these chaps are determined to go through with their 
 ■work. They have taken some poor devil of a settler's 
 horse, and depend upon it, sir, they have made up their 
 minds for a run." 
 
 "I have no doubt," said the magistrate, "that their 
 object is to get away from the island; and having been 
 stopped at Hobart-Town, I shouldn't wonder if they were 
 to make an attempt at Launceston." 
 
 " That would be leading us a pretty dance," said I. 
 "It's a chase of a hundred and twenty miles at least; 
 but we must hope to come up with them before then. If 
 they keep their horse, they will leave a good track behind 
 them ; we must take care not to lose it. It would b» 
 
A Settler's Hut. 397 
 
 well/' I added, "to measure the size and shape of the 
 horse's shoes while we have light enough." 
 
 Sanders took the hint, and found that the horse had a 
 broad shoe on the left fore-foot and a narrow-shaped one 
 on the other. He took down the exact size of each shoe, 
 and noted them with a pencil in a pocket-book. 
 
 Some flakes of snow now began to fall, and the dusk 
 came on, warning us that if we thought of seeking a shel- 
 ter for the night, it was time to look about us; but we 
 kept on our way as long as we could distinguish the 
 track, but the snow falling faster and faster, and dark- 
 ness coming on beside, we made a halt, and deliberated 
 on what was best to be done. 
 
 "With submission to you, sir," said Sanders to the 
 magistrate, "it's of no use to follow a track at night; 
 there's more lost than gained by it; for the fatigue 
 makes one the less able to do the work next day. You 
 see, we have 'em safe if this snow continues, which 
 looks likely, for they cannot rub out their marks, and 
 they must go between the river and the tier of hills; so 
 ihat, by crossing the line between, we shall come on 
 Iheir track again. If I might venture to advi.se, sir, 
 you will be all the better to-morrow for a night's rest, 
 and if we could borrow a couple of horses hereabouts, it 
 would be all the better, and we could make more speed 
 in the morning." 
 
 We thought the experienced constable's advice good, 
 and under his guidance we turned aside to the left, and 
 after half an hour's march we came to the door of a set>- 
 tler's hut, where we asked permission to pass the night. 
 It proved to be the dwelling of a man for whom the 
 magistrate had procured a ticket of leave about two 
 
898 A Settler's Fare. 
 
 years before, for guod conduct, iiudwho had since rented 
 a farm of three hundred acres, of which there were 
 about fifteen under tillage, with the working-bullocks 
 and farming conveniences usually let with the land on 
 such occasions. This was a lucky hit. Our first busi- 
 ness was to make inquiries after the parties we were in 
 pursuit of, but our new acquaintances could give us no 
 information. 
 
 We were made welcome with all the means which the 
 humble dwelling afforded, and the united efibrts of the 
 farmer and his wife were cheerfully rendered to furnish 
 out our entertainment. Fresh logs were thrown on the 
 fire, and some very lean mutton-chops, cut from a lan- 
 tern-looking sheep, which was suspended from the branch 
 of a tree outside, were immediately put into the frying- 
 pan by the man, while the woman busied herself with 
 the tea-things; mutton-chops for eating, and tea for 
 beverage, being the usual repast on almost all occasions 
 in the houses of the poorer class of settlers. 
 
 While these preparations were being made inside, we 
 looked to our horses out of doors. There was but poor 
 accommodation for them, but a sort of shed protected 
 them from the snow, and they were obliged to put up with 
 a bran mash for supper, and a tolerable feed of barley. 
 Hay and oats were for the most part unattainable luxu- 
 ries in Van Diemen's Land at that time, and not often 
 to be obtained now ; barley and wheat, or barley in the 
 straw, being their customary food, with the grass of the 
 country as it grows in its natural state. We were 
 quickly summoned by our host to the repast prepared 
 for us. 
 
 f' Rather poor mutton for you, sir," said the man; 
 
An Excuse for Grog. 399 
 
 '' we have but a poor run here for sheep, and it's not 
 easy to get them through the winter with anything on 
 their bones, but you shall have our best." 
 
 ''Why, you're getting on, Richard," said the magis- 
 trate, " if you have got a flock of sheep. How many 
 have you ?" 
 
 " There's near three hundred of 'em ; but they are 
 not my own ; I wish they were. I have 'em on the 
 thirds ; they were part of the farming stock, and thanks 
 to you, sir, the owner has trusted me with them, with 
 the rest. of the farminor things." 
 
 " Can you manage a cow ?" 
 
 " Not yet, sir ; we have four working-bullocks, pretty 
 good ones; but we can't manage a cow yet. This 
 is no place for stock. If we could contrive half a dozen 
 cows, we could make our money of them, for wife's a 
 good dairy-womian, and we are within reach of Camp, 
 where we could get half-a-crown a pound in money for 
 every pound we could make. But won't you eat, sir ? 
 the things are clean, though they're homely. Will you 
 drink tea with your meat ?" 
 
 " Have you nothing but tea, Dick, for the gentlemen," 
 said Sanders, making a wry foce, which was reflected by 
 Scroggs, " in these parts ? There used to be better stuff 
 to be had not lonn ago." 
 
 Dick pointed with his hand to the magistrate, and 
 shook his head. 
 
 I understood the meaning of these masonic signs very 
 well ; so as I wished to please the constables, whom it 
 was important for us to keep in good humour, without 
 compromising my friend's official dignity, I displayed 
 two five dollar notes to Sanders, who thereupon gave a 
 significant nod, and disappeared with Scroggs/' 
 
400 The Magistrate Winks at It. 
 
 " Good water, hereabouts ?" said the magistrate. 
 
 " There's not much water for stock till you get to the 
 river, but there's a spring handy by, that serves for our 
 own use." 
 
 " It doesn't taste well out of a pannikin. Bah ! it's 
 like a mineral spring. You haven't got a glass tumbler, 
 Richard ?" 
 
 " We had one, sir, but it's broke, and we can't be 
 very nice at first ; but there's a teacup if you like it 
 better. It's done enough now," said he to his wife, who 
 had been frying a cake in the pan, and her own face at 
 the same time, while we were discussing our dish of 
 mutton-chops and damper. "There's a real settler's 
 cake for you, gentlemen, made nice and light, like a 
 pancake, only it wants eggs and milk." 
 
 " A glass of grog, now, would be no bad thing," said 
 my friend; ''but I suppose that's not easy to be got 
 here. How far are we from any public house ? Rum 
 is better than nothing, at a pinch, though it's sad stuff 
 generally — new and rank — the common rum from Ben- 
 gal, one of the most unwholesome of all spirits ; but as 
 a medicine, now and then " 
 
 The worthy magistrate's dissertation on the qualities 
 of Bengal rum was cut short by Sanders, who appeared 
 with a bottle of that popular liquor, the same having 
 been only half-watered, in deference to the distinguished 
 company, for whose especial refection Sanders had en- 
 joined the sly-shop, it was on this occasion particularly 
 dedicated. 
 
 "Where does this come from ?" asked the magistrate, 
 in a little absence of mind, and pouring into the panni- 
 kin a decent portion of the liquid. 
 
Liquor Disappears. 401 
 
 " Out of the bottle," said I. 
 
 " I take it as a medicine," rejoined my friend, taking 
 the hint at the same time — " only as a medicine (San- 
 ders and Scroggs shook their heads doubtfully); for, 
 after all, it only spoils the water — but this water is 
 brackish." 
 
 With this my excellent friend imbibed, with consider- 
 able relish, as it seemed to me, a tolerable dose of the 
 medicine, and knocking the table with the edge of the 
 tin pannikin, which made a ringing sound, as if com- 
 plaining of being empty, he laid his hand promiscuous- 
 like on the neck of the bottle, and tilting it over, directed 
 its muzzle, in a sort of fit of abstraction; towards the 
 capacious mouth of the pannikin. 
 
 "Any sugar, Richard?" 
 
 "Only brown, sir; we never have anything but brown j 
 white is too expensive for new settlers." 
 
 "True, Richard, true; — this is brown sugar, but it 
 tempers the spirit. I think I'll try it this time with hot 
 water. Bale out a little from the tripod with the other 
 pannikin. In cold weather, it's well to keep up the 
 yital heat, Dick." 
 
 My friend sipped his boiling grog with a philosophic 
 cheerfulness, and a readiness in accommodating himself 
 to circumstances extremely gratifying to an intelligent 
 mind, and when he had got half through his second 
 pannikin, he condescended, with much complacency, to 
 observe, that " after all, it was a tipple not to be despised, 
 if taken now and then, and in moderation !" 
 
 Sanders and Scroggs, however, did not view the alarm- 
 ing deficit, which was increasing, in the solitary bottle, 
 with the same composure, their minds, I presume, not 
 2G 
 
402 Australian Boomahs. 
 
 being so philosophically constituted ; and it was with the 
 most lively apprehensions, therefore, that they saw the 
 magistrate raise his hand for the third time in a threat- 
 ening way to the neck of the bottle, which stood handy 
 to his reach. The intellects of the latter functionary 
 being sharpened by the pressing nature of the danger, 
 he forgot, in his agony, the deep respect due to the offi- 
 cial dignity of his worship, and being unable to repress 
 his feelings, he vociferated a tremendous '^Oh I" 
 
 "What's the matter?" said the magistrate; "have 
 you done your supper ? You had better have a glass 
 of grog. Here, Sanders, take the bottle. And now 
 for a turn in. Eichard, how can you manage for us ?" 
 
 " If it wasn't for my wife, sir, you should have our 
 little room, but we'll make you up a shake-down in 
 this corner by the fire, and you'll lie soft enough on the 
 wool." 
 
 "Wool! No boomahs! I hope — eh! Dick?" begin- 
 ning to scratch himself instinctively at the sight of the 
 wool. 
 
 "Pretty well for that, sir, but they will come where- 
 ever there's a house. It's the dogs, I suppose, that har- 
 bour them ; but they don't meddle with us much ; or 
 else we are used to them." 
 
 " Used to them ! Bless ye !" said Sanders, "all the 
 settlers' houses in this district are full of 'em; they're 
 'digenous to the place. You may see 'em in summer 
 time going down to the Coal-River to water quite regu- 
 lar, and hopping back again, like Christians. Lively 
 little creturs they are, and love company. They're a 
 sort of kangaroo in minaturc; and I dare say if you 
 took the trouble to examine 'em, you would find 'em 
 
Liveliness of the Boomahs. 403 
 
 with tails and false bellies, all complete. There's one : 
 and there's another ! he's a regular boomah ! Ah ! my 
 fine fellow ! I can see you are grinning at me, and ex- 
 pecting an elegant supper on my unfortunate person, 
 but (here we heard a peculiar sort of crack) I'll disap- 
 point you, you blackguard ! And you too (another 
 crack), and — confound them! here's a regular colony 1 
 Well, bite away, my hearties, it's of no use trying to 
 get rid of you, I see ! "What must be, must ! I'm a 
 doomed victim !" 
 
 The night passed away in similar complaints from the 
 whole party, each individual waging unsuccessful war 
 against hosts of assailants, and seasoning his maledic- 
 tions, according to his quality, with such oaths and 
 curses as came most readily to hand. As soon as the 
 first gleam of the morning light appeared, we were on 
 our legs ; and, after the usual preliminaries of fried mut- 
 ton chops and hot tea, without milk, and damper without 
 butter, we prepared for our march. 
 
 " Well, Richard," said the magistrate, "much obliged 
 to you for your night's lodging. But we must not eat 
 you out of house and home. You will just give this to 
 your wife (proffering a four-dollar bank note) to make 
 the pot boil." 
 
 "Not I, sir," said our host; "you don't think I'd 
 take money from you, sir, after all your goodness to me. 
 You are welcome to all I can offer you; but you don't 
 think, sir, I would be paid for seeing my" — friends, he 
 was about to say, but he checked himself — " for being 
 hospitable." 
 
 "Very well, Dick, just as you like." 
 
 But as I did not like to consume the man's provisions 
 
404 Try to Find the Lost Track. 
 
 without recompensing him for it, I pressed a two-dollar 
 note on the lady of the mansion; and as my friend told 
 me that he had contrived to convey the rejected four- 
 dollar note to the same quarter, we had the satisfaction 
 of feeling that our visit would not put the family to any 
 inconvenience. 
 
 There had been a heavy fall of snow during the night, 
 and it lay some inches thick on the ground. The clouds 
 threatened more ; and we resumed our pursuit with no 
 very agreeable anticipations. 
 
 "Now, Sanders," said the magistrate, "let me see 
 what you are worth in a difficulty. Which is our way ? 
 and how are we to find the track of the runaways ? for 
 this snow will have covered up all traces of their footsteps 
 — the horses' and all." 
 
 " Never fear," said the constable, " the same snow that 
 has hid one track will show another. If a snow-track 
 is bad for following, it's worse for hiding; they can't get 
 away from us ; and if I don't find 'em, as sure as ever 
 Scroggs would nose a bottle of rum in a plant, I'll for- 
 feit my ticket of leave." 
 
 With this professional encouragement, we set our- 
 selves diligently to work to discover the lost track. 
 
The Chase — Scroggs's Pathos — Confirmation of the Fugitive — Un- 
 expected Information — A Sailor on Horseback — A new Arrival. 
 
 We Tvere now in the most fertile part of Van Die- 
 men's Land, the agricultural district in which the 
 greatest part of the wheat grown in the colony was then 
 raised, and which, from its fertility and its propinquity 
 to water-carriage, is particularly adapted for tillage- 
 farms. The soil in this district is above the average 
 quality of the land in the island; some of the wheat 
 lands having yielded good crops for more than fifteen 
 years without manure or artificial irrigation; but it is 
 not suited for sheep and cattle, the unlocated gra zing- 
 ground being too limited in extent. From the desirable 
 nature of the locality — the facility of water-carriage be- 
 incf such a prodigious advantage for the transport of 
 grain in a young colony — small farms soon became nu- 
 merous in this neighbourhood, but, from their close 
 proximity, there can be, of course, but few opportunities 
 for back runs. 
 
 Our direction lay on one side of these settlements, 
 and as it was early morning, we did not meet with a 
 single person on our route, nor did we think it worth 
 while to go out of our way to seek for information, as it 
 would have been a certain loss of time, which was very 
 precious, for a very uncertain benefit ; besides, we could 
 not ten whether wc might not do more mischief than 
 
 (405) 
 
406 Soroqg's Pathos. 
 
 good by entnisting our object to promiscuous persons. 
 We kept steadily on, therefore, for five or six miles, and 
 then we crossed the line on which we calculated the pur- 
 sued party would pass, hoping to hit on their track, but 
 without success, and it was not until we got near 
 Brighton Plains, to the right, that we came on their 
 footsteps. 
 
 " You see, sir," said Sanders, " we have 'em ; they 
 can't escape us now; but by the sinking of the marks, 
 they must have made good use of their time in the 
 night." 
 
 " The poor little girl must have suffered terribly from 
 the cold of last night," observed the magistrate; '4t 
 was brutal to expose a child of such tender years to the 
 inclemency of a winter's frost and snow." 
 
 " Poor little thing !" the passive Scroggs ventured to 
 remark ; " poor little thing ! you don't think they cut 
 her throat then, sir, do you ? The sight of that blood 
 has been worrying me ever since. I remember once, 
 before I came to this country, I had to slaughter a lamb 
 for my master, and, by mistake, I killed the pet-lamb of 
 my young Missis. She came up just as I was a-doing 
 of it, and I never shall forget the look she gave me. I 
 was standing with the lamb's head between my legs and 
 my knife " 
 
 " Weil — well, my man," said I, for the picture that 
 he had conjured up made me feel sick — " that will do. 
 We can't be sure whether the child is alive or not, but 
 it is likely that she is, by their taking the horse; I wish 
 we could find some sign that would relieve us from our 
 suspense. Keep your eyes open, and there's a bottle of 
 rum for you, if you can discover anything to help us in 
 our search." 
 
Two Tracks. 407 
 
 "Ay, aj, sir, I'll keep a sharp look-out; not that I 
 care about the rum ; it's the child, poor little thing. I 
 fancy I am always seeing her with her poor little head 
 hangiuc;; down, and her throat " 
 
 DO ' 
 
 " There — there, say no more about it, but get on 
 ahead, and try if you can make any discovery. An 
 hour — nay, a few minutes — may make the difference of 
 life or death." 
 
 Thus urged, the obedient Scroggs moved forward in 
 advance with some appearance of alacrity, and, stimu- 
 lated partly by the present danger of the child, whose 
 fate I believe he sincerely commiserated, and partly by 
 the bottle of rum in prospective, he cast his eyes vigi- 
 lantly about on all sides, and it was not long before he 
 had the satisfaction of detecting a digression in the path 
 of the pursued. 
 
 " There's been something new going on here," said he ; 
 " the small-footed man has gone away to the left, and 
 the other man and the horse have gone on." 
 
 " It's the small foot, " said Sanders, " that's plain 
 enough ; and he has gone off to the left, and I don't 
 .see the sign of his having come back. What's to be 
 done now ? There is some dodge in this that's certain." 
 
 " Do you three," said the magistrate, " go on till you 
 get to the rise with the big gum-tree on the top of it, 
 and wait there till I join you. I will follow this track 
 for a mile or so, and then we can consult on the best 
 mode of proceeding, should it appear that the parties we 
 are in pursuit of have separated." 
 
 He cantered off, accordingly, and we presently lost 
 sight of him behind a little hill, but before we reached 
 the big gum-tree, he passed us at an angle, and waited 
 
408 Satisfactory News. 
 
 for our coming up, wlien he communicated the result of 
 his visit. 
 
 Behind the hill there was a stock-keeper's hut, which we 
 could not see from the spot where we were, and there 
 the magistrate learned that before dawn of day a new 
 settler had called at the hut, and asked for refreshment, 
 saying that he had a companion whom he had left at a 
 little distance, and for whom, as well as for himself, he 
 wanted a supply of provisions. 
 
 " It was easy to tell he was a new settler," said the 
 stock-keeper, " because he had on a black coat and waist- 
 coat, and a new hat in the bush, and didn't mind show- 
 ing his money to strangers !" 
 
 The stock-keeper gave him what he had ready, which 
 consisted of some cold mutton-chops, and nearly a whole 
 damper, with about ten pounds of uncooked meat, for 
 which the stranger gave him a four-dollar note. My 
 friend asked to see the note, and, pretending that he 
 wanted a note of that particular signature, the stock- 
 keeper readily exchanged it for other small notes. 
 
 " This note," observed the magistrate, "may help to 
 trace our man." 
 
 My friend did not think it necessary to tell the inha- 
 bitant of the hut that we were in pursuit of this new 
 settler, '' as it was better," he said, " not to be making 
 confidants without necessity." As the track of the 
 small foot in the snow was easily seen on leaving the 
 hut, he followed it up to the point where we rejoined 
 him. 
 
 This was so far satisfactory ; we were on the track of 
 this John Wolsey, or John Shirley, and we could not 
 be very far from him, but still there was no trace of the 
 
Hungry! 409 
 
 little girl ; but the manner of his obtaining provisions, 
 in going alone to the hut, seemed to show that he had 
 left the child with his companion, from the fear of being 
 traced the more easily if she was seen with him. This 
 consideration gave us a hope, so that we continued the 
 pursuit with renewed spirit. 
 
 We were beginning to feel the want of food ourselves, 
 however, and we were at a loss where to obtain it with- 
 out considerable delay; and it was necessary that we 
 
 • should not neglect to procure a supply while we were 
 within a reasonable distance of the settled part of the 
 country, for our route was leading us more and more 
 into the bush ; the parties whom we were pursuing being 
 obviously desirous of keeping away from the inhabited 
 parts of the district through which they fled. 
 
 We did not allow these thoughts to slacken our pace, 
 and leaving Bagdad on our left, we continued our way 
 through a very difficult country, still with the track in 
 view, till we came to a point which we calculated was 
 abreast of the Green Ponds. It was now considerably 
 past noon, and we were desperately hungry, but we did 
 not like to relax in our pursuit, for we expected every 
 minute to come up with the fugitives, when the track 
 made a sudden bend to the left, and we observed the 
 same divergence as before, but this time it was the broad- 
 footed man. Not caring for him, we did not stop to 
 examine into his movements, but the reason of his ab- 
 sence was presently explained, for about three miles far- 
 ther we found the track of a second horse joining the 
 track which we were pursuing ; and from the appearance 
 of the strides of the two horses, and the marks of the 
 
 . Bnov that was kicked up, it was plain that they had con- 
 
410 Rapid Pursuit. 
 
 trived to get possession of a second horse, and that WqI- 
 sey, not being detained by his companion being on foot, 
 ■was pushing forward with all speed. 
 
 On this the magistrate immediately decided what to do. 
 He wrote on a leaf of his pocket-book, in pencil, a re- 
 quest addressed to any one who might read it, that, for 
 the purpose of furthering the ends of justice, the con- 
 stables might be supplied with horses, for the hire, or 
 the purchase of which, if necessary, he would be respon- 
 sible. 
 
 " Now Sanders," said he, " there's not a moment to be 
 lost ; I and Mr. Thornley will follow them up on horse- 
 back, and take the chance of what comes ; get up with 
 them we must, or we may be too late. Try to procure 
 horses and follow us with all speed, for we may want 
 your assistance. And now do your best. You will not 
 leave me at this push, I suppose, Thornley?" said he; 
 " but if it does not suit you to stay away from your 
 farm, I will go alone." 
 
 " I will not leave you," said I ; — " if you have duty 
 to prompt you, I have inclination." 
 
 " I have both duty and inclination," said he, and off we 
 set at a smart canter. The party whom we pursued was 
 evidently guided by some one who had an accurate know- 
 ledge of the country, for their track proceeded in a 
 straight line across the island, so far as was consistent 
 with their keeping clear of the various small settlements 
 and farms in their route. In this way we passed through 
 a country much less hilly than before, skirting on our 
 left the fat flat of the " Cross Marsh," and a few miles 
 farther the beautiful district of " The Lovely Banks/' 
 till we came to the base of the Tier over which the road 
 
The Pursuit Grows "Warm. 411 
 
 had been cut by a steep hill to Jericho, which is about 
 forty miles from Hobart Town. Having got over Spring- 
 Hill Tier, which winded our horses a bit, we had a strong 
 inclination to make a tour to our left, to Jericho, to set 
 some refreshment ; but the sight of the fresh track pro- 
 voked and incited us, and we pushed on after them 
 through Fourteen-Tree Plain, and past Lemon Springs, 
 till we got to Oatlands, the neighbourhood in which 
 the notorious bush-ranger Howe, performed many of his 
 exploits. It was in this part of the country that he made 
 the remarkable escape which is still remembered in the 
 colony, and related to new-comers over a bush fire and a 
 kangaroo steamer. He had been taken, and his arms 
 bound behind him ; one soldier with a loaded musket 
 went before him, and another behind. By some means 
 never discovered he contrived to get possession of a knife, 
 with which he quietly cut the bands that fastened him. 
 Watching his opportunity, as they passed round the 
 narrow base of a high hill, and before the soldier behind 
 had come into sight, he sprung on the one before, and 
 stabbing him in the back laid him prostrate. Seizing 
 his musket he fired at the soldier behind, who was has- 
 tening up, and shot him dead. He then escaped into 
 the bush. 
 
 But we met with no living thing, and we still kept 
 on, angry at not being able to overtake the black-coated 
 gentleman and his victim, and we passed, with longing 
 eyes and ravenous appetites, Albany Vale and St. Peter's 
 Pass. We had now a fine level country, but thinly cov- 
 vered with trees, to the neighbourhood of AntilFs Ponds. 
 By this time our horses were nearly exhausted, but the 
 tracks now appeared fresher and fresher as we gained 
 
412 Salt-Pa N Plain s. 
 
 upon the fugitives; Ave were tempted to make another 
 effort, and we presently reached Salt-Pan Plains. At 
 any other time we should have taken time to admire the 
 magnificent view of these extensive plains^ where the eye 
 can range for many miles without obstruction ; for in 
 a country where timber abounds, which forms one of the 
 most serious obstacles to the increase of a settler's tillage, 
 the sight of a large expanse of country clear of trees 
 never fails to excite in a colonist of Van Diemen's Land 
 the most pleasurable contemplations. We could not 
 help pulling up our tired horses for one minute to ad- 
 mire the sinking of the setting sun behind the lofty 
 mountains to our left, causing their cloud-capped tops 
 to glow with a peculiar light of serene and placid bril- 
 liancy. 
 
 To the east of these plains are extensive ponds satu- 
 rated with salt, from which the settlers within reach ob- 
 tain their supplies in the summer season by evaporation, 
 by means of the sun's heat. In front of us was the 
 superb mountain of Ben Lomond, the outlines of which, 
 though the dusk was coming on, were still distinct in 
 the white line of snow which covered its towering summit. 
 
 '' One effort more," said the magistrate, " and we shall 
 come up with them." 
 
 But our horses were sadly fagged, and in want of food, 
 as well as ourselves. We alighted, took off their sad- 
 dles, and rubbed down their backs with our handker- 
 chiefs. 
 
 "Don't let our horses get stiff," said my friend; "as 
 long as they're warm, they will keep on, but if they get 
 stiffened in the cold they will knock up. One effort 
 more." 
 
Our Horses Exhausted. 413 
 
 But our horses, good as they were, and fitted, like most 
 of the horses on the ishiud, to bear long and continued 
 fatigue with but scanty refreshment, soon showed une- 
 quivocal symptoms of exhaustion. We turned to the 
 left, therefore, towards Blackmau's Bridge, near which 
 we knew we could obtain food and shelter. 
 
 With that sort of instinct which I have often observed 
 in the animal, our wearied horses pricked up their ears 
 as we turned them in the direction of the inn; and snort- 
 ing with visible signs of gladness, their strength appeared 
 to revive, and they bore us gaily to our place of rest. 
 Our first care was to sec them properly tended. We gave 
 them a warm mash of siftings, and let them pick a little 
 at some barley in the straw, till they had recovered from 
 the excitement of their travel. In the meanwhile, we 
 put some barley in soak in boiling water, for there were 
 no oats to be had, which we mixed with a small portion 
 of siftings, and fed them well, taking care not to give too 
 much at a time. We took particular pains to have them 
 well rubbed down, particularly their legs and heels, for 
 a good dressing is as good as meat and drink to a tired 
 horse. 
 
 " You've given them a warming," said the ostler, who, 
 from a weaver in England, had become the tender of 
 horses in Van Diemen's Land ; they seem to be made of 
 a good sort of stuff, these beasts, but they look a little 
 mottled now with sweat, like shot silk by a side light. 
 Where are you come from 2" 
 
 " We have come some distance," said we, " but we 
 have ridden very fast, which has blown the horses a 
 bit." I did not choose to tell him that we had come 
 nearly seventy miles without pulling up, although, for 
 
414 A Sailor on Horseback. 
 
 the honour of colonial horse-flcsli, I had a strong inclina- 
 tion to brag of it. 
 
 Having seen our horses' feet steeped with a cooling 
 application, and our minds being at ease about their com- 
 fort, we entered the public room of the inn. 
 
 I need scarcely say, that while we were looking to our 
 horses, the usual meal of the country, the eternal mutton- 
 chops, were prepared for our entertainment by the peo- 
 ple of the house, to which were added some kangaroo-tail 
 soup, and the unusual luxury of pancakes made with 
 eggs. Some capital bottled stout, Barclay's, of course, 
 added a zest to our supper, and by the aid of some excel- 
 lent brandy, we soon found ourselves restored to our 
 usual spirits. 
 
 We were discussing the propriety of a second tumbler, 
 when the clattering of a horse's hoofs, which suddenly 
 stopped at the door of our hostel, and the slight bustle 
 usual on such occasions, announced the arrival of a new 
 guest. As there was only one room for travellers in the 
 inn, which had been hastily built of weather-boards on 
 speculation, the landlord ushered in the new-comer to 
 the apartment where we were sitting, and he entered the 
 room without ceremony, shaking from his rough great 
 coat a plentiful shower of snow. 
 
 " Servant, gentlemen, hope I don't intrude. Land- 
 lord — steward — landlord — d' — , that is, bless my eyes, 
 get us something to eat. Here have I been riding on 
 that rickety old craft; d' — him — that is, bless him — 
 he's as crank as a Norway timber-ship — for I don't know 
 how long, and the cold has made me so sharp set, I'm 
 ready to eat the purser !" 
 
 The stranger, whom we had regarded with some cu- 
 
Sailor or Landsman? 415 
 
 riosity, as he gave vent to his nautical effusions, was a 
 seafaring man, by his dress, which his language seemed to 
 corroborate ; but as I had recently attempted the per- 
 sonation of that character myself, I was not disposed 
 to give him credit for the reality without further exami- 
 nation. 
 
 Thought I to myself, '' It's all very well to call a horse 
 a * craft,' and to sport your ' starboard,' and ' larboard/ 
 but who knows that this is not another would-be sailor?" 
 
 I gave a glance at the magistrate, as I revolved these 
 thoughts, and 1 saw by the gleg of his eye that he had 
 the 'same suspicion as myself ; so by a sort of tacit con- 
 federacy, we began to sift our new acquaintance. 
 
 ''You don't seem to have enjoyed your ride, sir?" 
 said my friend. 
 
 " Enjoy it ! Lots of enjoyment in riding an old brute 
 like that in a snow-storm. I thought it never snowed 
 iu this country ?" 
 
 "Sometimes," I said, " but not often, and snow does 
 not remain long on the ground. You seem, sir, to have 
 had a feathering ?" 
 
 " Feathering, do you call it? It wasn't much like a 
 feather bed, I can tell you. Three times have I been 
 capsized coming from that last place — Antill Ponds, I 
 think they call it; they have the queerest names for 
 places in this country. Oh ! here's my supper ; mutton- 
 chops ! of course — I'm d' — that is, I'm blessed if I've 
 ate anything but mutton-chops since I've been in the 
 country; the sheep in these parts are all chops, from 
 head to starn, I think !" 
 
 '' There's some capital kangaroo-tail soup," suggested 
 the landlord. 
 
il6 Not used to Horseback. 
 
 " Kangaroo-tail soup ! Ah! there it is again. I'm 
 blessed if I've heard about anything but kangaroo-tail 
 soup all the while I was at Launceston. They souped 
 me there night and day. It was a regular caulking. 
 If I'd gone on with it, I do believe I should have been 
 quite transmogrified, for I felt a tail a-growing, and was 
 beginning to hop already ! But d' — " 
 
 '* What's the matter ?" said I, for our facetious friend 
 suddenly stopped, and with knife and fork outstretched, 
 seemed to be taken with a fit. I got up instantly, with 
 visible signs of alarm, to assist him; but he held up the 
 hand that had the fork in it. 
 
 ''Avast there!" said he, "I was only counting 
 twenty." 
 
 "Counting twenty! what on earth do you count 
 twenty for ?" 
 
 " Oh, you see, my wife made me promise, whenever I 
 was going to swear, to count twenty, to stop it's coming 
 out; so I always do it, 'cept in a gale of wind or so, 
 when one can't be particular; and that's why I say 
 ' bless me,' because, as my wife says, if I must say 
 something to relieve myself, better say something good 
 than the other. Ay, ay, she's the one to keep a good 
 look-out ahead; there's nothing in the voyage of life 
 like having a consort. She was like to lose me though, 
 once, for my craft gave a tremendous lurch just before I 
 got here. I held hard on by the leather tackle, but it 
 was of no use ; down I came by the run." 
 
 '' You are not used to riding on horseback, I sup- 
 pose ?" said my friend. 
 
 " Used to it ! no — nor never shall be. I started off 
 to see tlie interior of the country, ten days ago, and 
 
TuE Sailor's Destixation. 
 
 managed very well while I trusted to my own legs, 
 though it's not so pleasant walking on shore as at sea — 
 there's no motion to steady you. But when I was at 
 Jericho — there's a rum name for a place ! — I got a letter 
 from my skipper to tell me I must come back with all 
 sail. So what did I do, but I hired that horse, that 
 somebody wanted to send back to Launceston." 
 
 '' But that enabled you to get on quicker ?" 
 
 '' Slower, by four knots ! for such a pitching about I 
 never had before ! It wasn't easy to get steerage-way 
 at all, the thing was so slow and lumbersome ; and when 
 you did, it wasn't much better, for somehow the cantan- 
 kerous brute never would answer the helm the right 
 way, let alone the awkwardness of the tiller- ropes coming 
 aft instead of for'ard, which kept confusing me ; at last 
 I clapped my hand to his tail, and then the brute stopped 
 and gave a heave up with his starn legs, but I contrived, 
 by twisting his tail hard to starboard or larboard, as I 
 wanted it, to make him steer this side and that; for I 
 tried to keep him in the middle of the road, to have the 
 force of the tide, and he kept sheering to the side, as if 
 he was in a back eddy. It was a rare sight to see, I 
 fancy ! But here I am, safe at last I" 
 
 " Starboard and larboard \" said I to myself, " it's all 
 very well, but it won't do !" " And pray, sir," said I, 
 aloud, " how was it that you happened to get aboard 
 that clumsy craft that has occasioned these mishaps ?" 
 
 '' Eh ?" said he, inquiringly, and suspending his 
 draught of rum-and-water ; " and pray, mate," said he, 
 with an incredulous grin, " what ship do you belong to?" 
 
 " Me :" 
 
 " Ay — look at your rig ! Oh, oh 1 — I seo ! — Yes, 
 2^ 
 
418 News from Yorkshire. 
 
 yes," putting his finger on his nose ; "false colours! 
 Want to steal off! — Blue jacket better than a yellow- 
 one — eh ?" 
 
 '' Why," said I, " what do you take me for ?" 
 " Not for a sailor ! But, never fear, never tell tales ! 
 No business of mine ! Wish you well out of it, and 
 better luck another time, that's all I can say." 
 
 Thought I, to myself, " the tables are turned drolly 
 enough," for I had on the sailor's d/sss in which I had 
 disguised myself in Hobart Town, with the exception of 
 the little tarpaulin hat, which I had replaced by my own 
 black beaver, and I was exposed to the very suspicion 
 which I had rather too hastily formed of our new ac- 
 quaintance. This was provoking, especially as the real 
 sailor obstinately persisted in mistaking me for a pris- 
 oner in disguise, trying to escape from justice. 
 
 " And pray," said I, "how do you know I am not a 
 sailor?" 
 
 " How do I know ? Lord love ye ! D'ye think one 
 sailor can't tell another, and know a landsman from a 
 blue-jacket ? Did you ever see a sailor sit with his back 
 against a chair, and one leg crossed over another that 
 fashion ? what would become of his sea-legs ? But nevei 
 mind ; I'm as mute as a stock-fish ; a Yorkshireman. 
 you know, can see through an inch-board, but he never 
 tells what's behind it." 
 
 " A Yorkshireman, are you ?" said I eagerly; " from 
 what part ?" 
 
 "From Whitby; that is, I served my time at Whitby, 
 but I was born on Squire Shirley's estate, near Lime- 
 dale, close by Heron Abbey — everybody knows it in 
 Yorkshire. My father was a tenant of Squire Shirley's, 
 but I would go to sea, as boys will sometimes." 
 
A Consultation. 419 
 
 '' Then you know this Squire Shirley ?" 
 
 " To be sure I did — ^William Shirley ; but he's dead 
 now." 
 
 " How long ago V 
 
 '' It's about two years since." 
 
 " Had he any children?" 
 
 *'No children, but he had two brothers." 
 
 "And what is become of them ?" 
 
 " The eldest, George, went away somewhere, nobody 
 knew whither. He was a wild chap in his youth, was 
 George; but the youngest, John, is at the Abbey, be- 
 cause, as there was no account of George, of course John 
 was next heir to the estates." 
 
 " What are the estates worth ?" asked I. 
 
 " I don't know that, but it is one of the prettiest es- 
 tates in the county." 
 
 "Did William leave any will?" asked the magistrate. 
 
 " There was a talk about some will, but I never 
 knew the rights of it. It was said George died years 
 ago, but some people thought there was some mystery 
 about it." 
 
 I exchanged looks with my friend the magistrate at 
 this information, which had come on us thus unexpect- 
 edly, and in so strange a way, but we did not think it 
 necessary to communicate to our new acquaintance the 
 deep interest which we took in these inquiries ; and, un- 
 der the pretext of our seeing our horses well littered 
 down for the night, we left the room, and had a short 
 private conversation together on our way to the stable. 
 
 *' Can we make any use of our new acquaintance?" 
 said I. 
 
 " I don't see that he would be of any use at present," 
 
420 ANeav Arrival. 
 
 said the magistrate ; '' he would Lo ratlier in the way than 
 otherwise. But we shall see when we get to Lauuceston, 
 and then we can act accordingly." 
 
 The snow lay two or three inches deep on the ground, 
 but the night was clear and bright, and we regretted the 
 time that we were losing, but it was unavoidable; for the 
 darkness of the night, which aids a man to escape, is an 
 effectual bar to his pursuit in a country where he can 
 be followed only by the foot-marks that he leaves behind 
 him. We were obliged, therefore, to put up with the 
 delay, and, indeed, our horses would not have been in a 
 condition to travel before the morning ; so, bidding our 
 new acquaintance good night, and leaving him to the 
 enjoyment of a large tumbler of grog, in which we had 
 induced the landlord to join him, we retired to our beds, 
 having made arrangements for resuming our journey at 
 the first dawn of day on the morrow. 
 
 But the course of events did not allow us to enjoy our 
 rest unbroken. A little after midnight we were waked 
 up by a vigorous knocking at the door from the butt-end 
 of a heavy whip, and we heard a voice outside demand- 
 ing admittance. 
 
CijEjiti^r '(ivljirti[-ngjjt Ij. 
 
 The Van Diemen's Land Jockey — Swopping— The Chase Renewed 
 — Retributive Justice — The Natives — New Dangers. 
 
 " You need'ut knock the door in with your hammer- 
 ing," called out a voice, which I recognised as that of 
 the landlord of the Emu — " can't you wait till people 
 put a bit of clothes on ? Who are you ? and what do 
 you want at this time of night?" 
 
 ''Who am I, and what do I want? Well, that's a 
 good one ! Don't you know Charley Chaflfem ?" 
 
 "The Sandy Bay Jockey ! By George ! here's a spree ! 
 Why, what has brought you to this side of the island ? 
 — and snow on the ground too." 
 
 "Why, a horse has brought me; that is, two horses; 
 one that I'm on, and one that I'm off; and there's a 
 riddle for you, Master Jemmy." 
 
 " And where have you come from V 
 
 " I only left the Coal Eiver this morning. What do 
 you think ? Some busy gentleman has walked oflF with 
 my bay horse ! He didn't come home last night for his 
 corn, and I knew there was something wrong, but I could 
 do nothing till daylight, and then I tracked him right 
 across the country, with two other blackguards with him, 
 for there were three horses in aU, and afterwards a fourth 
 — so there's a lot of them in for it — till the dark came, 
 and then I cut across to the high road. But don't stand 
 
 (421) 
 
422 The Jockey's Arrival. 
 
 talking there ; open the door, and be alive ; I want to 
 come in and get a snack of something." 
 
 As I guessed that this visit from the owner of the 
 stolen horse would render some explanation necessary, I 
 thought it best to meet the difficulty at once, so I got up 
 and dressed myself. By the time that I had entered the 
 public room, which was next to my bedroom, the inqui- 
 sitive Charley ChaiFem had visited the stable, which I 
 expected, where he had examined the magistrate's horse 
 and mine, which were comfortably reposing themselves 
 on luxurious beds of straw. 
 
 " He can't be far off," said he to the landlord, alluding 
 to the thief, in continuation of some comments in which 
 he had been pleased to indulge in the stable, " for here 
 are two of the blackguards safely housed with you. I 
 know them by the shoeing of their horses ; they're Nick 
 Naylor's shoes, of Frog-street, in Camp. You may al- 
 ways swear to his shoes when they're new. I tracked 
 them all the way, and I could pick 'em out among a 
 hundred. A pretty pass the country is come to, when 
 people take to stealing of horses ! but I'll make the 
 rascals swing for it, if there's law to be had in the 
 colony." 
 
 '' A very pleasing compliment," thought I, "to me 
 and my friend. My good sir," I said, " I am the owner 
 of one of those horses, and my friend is the owner of 
 the other. I could not help overhearing what you said 
 as you entered the room, but I assure you you are mis- 
 taken, as I could easily explain to you if I was at lib- 
 erty to do so." 
 
 " Hear him !" cried out our acquaintance of the night 
 before, who had risen from his wooden sofa with the ha^ 
 
His Accusation. 423 
 
 bitual readiness of a seaman — "bear him! be was a 
 sailor last nigbt, and now be's jawing away like a sea- 
 lawyer ! I say my friend." said be to me, " no go ! eb ? 
 grabbed ! rather unlucky ; but sailors shouldn't meddle 
 with horses; always come to mischief when they try 
 to show off like the long-tails." 
 
 " The devil's in it," thought I, " I shall be in another 
 mfes if I don't take care I" 
 
 " The long and the short of it is," said I aloud, ''I 
 know no more where your horse is than you do, except 
 that I have been following it all day as well as yourself." 
 ■" The long and the short of it is," said the angry 
 jockey, ''that you must answer for this before a magis- 
 trate, and then, I think, my hearty, it won't be long be- 
 fore they make short work of you," giving a significant 
 chuck under his left ear. . 
 
 " Why, what's all this about ?" said the magistrate, 
 who now entered the room, with a silk handkerchief 
 round his head, and a blanket by way of dressing-gown. 
 "What ! Charley Chaffem ! what brings you here ?" 
 
 "Hurrah!" cried Charley; "here's the Clyde magis- 
 trate. Now, my beauty, you're booked, and no mistake; 
 You needn't laugh — you'll laugh on the wrong side of 
 your mouth presently. I charge this fellow with steal- 
 ing my horse," pointing to me viciously; "and I give 
 him into custody." 
 
 " What, my friend Thornley ! why, what have you got 
 int^ your head, Charley ? Oh ! — I see — I see — it wag 
 your horse that the rascals stole last night — or I suppose 
 I must call it the night before last, for it's two o'clock 
 in the morning now. We have had a rare hunt after 
 him all day." 
 
424 His Suspicions Removed. 
 
 " Indeed !" said the jockey, piizzled to understand the 
 meaning of what he heard — " thou what t'other chap — 
 > beg his pardon, Mr. Thornley — said was true, and you 
 and he have been in pursuit all day of the rascal who 
 made oflF with my horse ? Well ! that beats everything ! 
 But you might as well have run after the wind as after 
 Roderick ! if the rascal knew how to ride him. I think 
 the magistrate knows there's not a faster horse nor 
 sounder bottom in the colony !" 
 
 " The riddle's out !" said my friend ; " I wondered we 
 could not overtake the runaways ; we have been hunting 
 the Sandy Bay racer all day ! But with your assistance, 
 Charley, I think we may do it now. Do you know this 
 part of the country ?" 
 
 " Every inch — all over the country, wherever cattle 
 have strayed, or wild horses run. I'll be bound I know 
 every pass and every ford in the country wherever the 
 foot of white man has been, and more too, for the matter 
 of that. But what's to be done, sir ? Of course, now 
 we are with you, it's all right; and if you're taking 
 the matter in hand, we shall be sure to get well out 
 of it?" 
 
 " Can we make any progress at night, Charley ? "What 
 do you think ?" 
 
 "No use in life, sir, to try to follow tracks in the 
 night ; better go at it fresh in the morning." 
 
 "That is my opinion. It is now half-past two; when 
 will there be light enough to follow the track?" 
 
 "Not before six o'clock, after breakfast," said the 
 landlord; "but it's hardly worth while for you to go to 
 bed again. Shall I get some supper for you all round ? 
 There's capital brandy, and rum, and bottled stout — so 
 that you may pass an hour pleasantly before you start." 
 
A Social Party. 425 
 
 " Do so," said the magistrate ; " and we can talk jyer 
 the matter leisurely. It will take us half an hour to 
 trot to the point of the track from which we broke off, 
 so that we must start at five to be ready to take advantage 
 of the first light." 
 
 Upon this we formed a social party round the table, 
 and discussed the likelihood of the fugitives crossing the 
 Macquarie Eiver by the bridge, or by a ford, which whs 
 passable, about twelve miles up the stream. 
 
 "Bless your heart," said the jockey, "that horse — 
 Koderick— that's his name, sir (to me), Roderick would 
 as easy swim the Macquarie as walk from here to that 
 stable — his rider may go with him anywhere and over 
 anything in nature I" 
 
 "1 have reasons to think that they would not attempt 
 to swim the Macquarie," said the magistrate, " so that 
 we must make for the ford, if we don't find the trace of 
 him towards the bridge. But I think he can't escape 
 us now, with you, Charley, to help us." 
 
 " You know him, then ?" said the jockey. 
 
 " We think we do, but we are not sure; but there is 
 reason to believe that his object is to get over the coun- 
 try to Launceston as quickly as possible." 
 
 " Then his mark is to go by the Jupiter," said the 
 sailor ; "she is to sail to-morrow morning, my skipper 
 writes me, and that's why I'm wanted back in such a 
 hurry. I say, master," said he to the jockey, "as you 
 are so knowing about horses, couldn't you do something 
 to my brute ? for I'm blessed if I can make anything 
 of him ; he steers so wild, I defy the best hand that 
 ever held a tiller to keep him on a wind — one tack or 
 t'other — and when you let him go free, he stands with 
 
426 Jockey Intormation. 
 
 ais head between his legs, and backs all sail, so that he 
 gets starn-v?ay ; how I'm to get to Launceston on him 
 IS more than I can tell !" 
 
 " I'll tell you how to manage him," said the jockey; 
 "I know him well; he's a Sydney horse, and near 
 twenty years old, and as cunning as a fox. He was bred 
 out of a mare that McCarthy reared at Parramatta ; 
 Captain Firebrace brought him over to Hobart Town, 
 and then Parker bought him, and "Weston had him after- 
 wards, and Bullfield kept him as a stock-horse, but no- 
 body could make anything of him, and Bullfield 
 swopped him with Spring for thirty ewes ' heavy with 
 lamb ; and he thought he had done Spring nicely ; but 
 the biter was bit, for the ewes were all old 'uns, and past 
 their time, and the devil a lamb did they ever have 
 again, for they hadn't got a tooth in the heads of 'em 
 all ; and then Spring exchanged him for a pair of work- 
 ing bullocks, and of course they ran into the bush next 
 day, for they were young ones, only put into the yoke 
 for the swop, and it's supposed they are somewhere 
 beyond the lakes towards the Western Coast; and how 
 many hands old Slyboots has been in since then is more 
 than I can say, but I'll tell you how to be up with 
 him." 
 
 The receipt for a vicious horse was for that time lost to 
 posterity, for the rapid clattering of hoofs suddenly called 
 off the attention of the jockey, and in half a minute after 
 two horsemen rode up to the door of the inn, whom we 
 immediately recognised as the ingenious Sanders and the 
 phlegmatic Scroggs. 
 
 " Ha ! Sanders, my buck !" said the jockey, " are you 
 come to join us? And Scroggs I — why, what brings 
 you so far from home, old boy ?" 
 
Start Again. 427 
 
 "We are on a secret expedition," said Sanders, with 
 as much dignity as he could assume on a sudden, with a 
 very red face and a very blue nose. ''And I see I am 
 eome to the right place, taking off his hat to the magis- 
 trate, and entering the house. I have been lucky enough 
 eir," he added, " to get horses, as you see, and right 
 good ones they are." 
 
 "So they are," chimed in the jockey; ''that roan is 
 as good a horse as ever put one leg before the other. 
 Mr. Fallowfield, of the Green Ponds, gave sixty guineas 
 for him, and cheap too. That white horse, that Scroggs 
 was on, has been a racer in his time ; and I've seen a 
 hundred and twenty guineas, dollars down, given for 
 him within these eight years; he is getting aged now. 
 Young Oakley gave two pair of working bullocks and a 
 cow heavy with calf for him — and that's as good as forty 
 pounds — the autumn before last; and he's worth all the 
 money, for there's half a dozen years' work in him yet, 
 I'll go and look after them for you. Better give 'em a 
 mash of siftings, for horses are apt to feed greedy at 
 first, and corn does 'em no good, if they arn't cool when 
 they eat it." 
 
 " You must make haste with your preparations," said 
 the magistrate, "for it is past three o'clock, and at five 
 we must start." 
 
 "It's pushing the horses rather too hard," said the 
 jockey, "but what's the use of them if they can't help 
 you at a pinch ? Ah ! if I only had Roderick under me, 
 I should like to see the heels of the horse that I couldn't 
 pass in no time !" 
 
 At five o'clock we set off, the jockey leading the way. 
 The sailor thought it best to make a start at the same 
 
428 The Sailor's Awkwardness. 
 
 time, but as his destination was the high road, which he 
 called, "keeping in the stream," we did not wait for 
 him to accomplish the difl&cult feat of getting aboard his 
 " craft," and we left him, therefore, with one foot in the 
 stirrup and the other hopping on the ground in chase 
 of his cranky steed, which performed an unceasing gyra- 
 tion in resistance to the attempt to mount him. The 
 last words that we heard of the enraged sailor were 
 '^ D' — , that is, bless — no, I won't be balked this time 
 — I say, damn him !" 
 
 " You followed 'em to the valley between the two 
 banks of mimosas, by a sugar-loaf hill, didn't you say?" 
 said the jockey, after we had gone about four miles. 
 ''Then this must be near the spot where you turned off. 
 Let us walk leisurely, if you please, sir ;. no need to go 
 over more ground than necessary. About here, was it ? 
 You are right; here are your tracks, see ! There's the 
 track of Mr. Thornley's horse — he throws out the right 
 fore-leg as he trots, a leetle more than the left; and there's 
 the track of Roderick. Look at his stride; any one 
 may tell that stride from a hundred; and there's the 
 print of the jackass shoe that I was obliged to put on 
 him, poor fellow, for I had no other at hand ; but I little 
 thought anybody could be such a brute as to make him 
 gallop in it. You see he don't like it, for he just fa- 
 vours that leg the least bit in the world. No one else 
 would observe it, but I know bis ways. Now, gentle- 
 men, if you are of a mind to push on, I'll engage to 
 keep on Roderick's track. Pretty country this, for a 
 pack of hounds. What a glorious run you may give a 
 horse on Salt-pan Plains. There's nothing to stop you 
 one way for twenty miles." 
 
Fresh Tracks. 429 
 
 The track now led us over Blackman's Bridge. 
 
 " Oh, ho I" said the jockey ; " I see the rascal shies the 
 water; he prefers the bridge; now, I think, we shall 
 have him." 
 
 But, contrary to our expectation, the track led us some 
 miles to the left, to a ruined hut, where it seemed the 
 fugitives had passed the night; for there were marks of 
 a fire having been kindled the night before, and the 
 hearth still retained some heat. 
 
 " Stole away !" said Chaffem; " but the form is still 
 warm, and puss can't be far off. The rascal has got the 
 start though, and Roderick is not the horse to lose his 
 ground." 
 
 "We left the hut, and followed the track in the direc- 
 tion of Ross Bridge, on the Macquarie River; but here 
 it seemed the fugitives had misgivings of the prudence 
 of proceeding on the highway, for within half a mile of 
 the bridge they crossed the road, and made a circuit to 
 the right. 
 
 ''They don't like to chance the bridge," said the con- 
 stable. *'Now, if their point is Launceston, they must 
 either swim the river or make for the ford. There is 
 one higher up the stream, but it's a long round ; do you 
 know it, Charley ?" 
 
 "Know it! ay, and many's the time I've crossed it; 
 and Roderick knows it, too; but they'll never go all 
 that way round; they'll take to the water, you'll see, 
 when we come to the bend." 
 
 But in this the jockey was mistaken, for we passed 
 the bend, and the tracks continued to a spot about half 
 a mile from the ford, near which there was a clump of 
 mimosas standing apart on the plaia, and at a short dis- 
 
430 Marks op the Natives. 
 
 tance from a forest of thickly-growing trees. At this 
 place they had evidently made a halt, for the ground 
 was trampled down within a small circumscribed space, 
 as if they had been hiding there for a time. We did 
 not wait to examine it further, but pushed on in the 
 direction of the ford. But here a sight met our eyes 
 that explained the cause of the halt, and the hiding of 
 the fugitives. The quick-eyed Sanders was the first to 
 detect the traces of numerous naked feet. 
 
 " Pull up I" he cried out — " pull up for a minute. 
 Look, sir, the natives have been prowling about here. 
 Look to the right there. Don't press the marks — let us 
 see how many of the black fellows have been together." 
 
 We drew up on the margin of the tracks of the na- 
 tives, which were in the direction of the ford, and it 
 seemed as if there had been about twenty of them, to 
 judge from the confused prints of their naked feet." 
 
 " I'll bet a guinea," said Sanders, " this is what made 
 'em hide up for awhile among those mimosas. They 
 saw the natives between them and the ford, and they 
 feared to face them." 
 
 "Keep on," said the magistrate, 'Uheir tracks lead 
 to the ford — and I think I see some object on the bank 
 of the river." 
 
 He was right ; a few minutes' trot brought us to the 
 ford, and by the side of the stream was lying a man in 
 a fustian dress, whose countenance I thought I remem- 
 bered. On examining him more closely, I recognised 
 the face of the man in the yellow jacket whom I had 
 met on the jetty in Hobart Town, and who was one of 
 those who attacked and overpowered me in the red- 
 bouse. In two words I told this to the magistrate. 
 
The Murdered Man. 431 
 
 The poor wretch was still alive, but his appearance 
 told the tale of his miserable fate. His skull was 
 pounded in by the waddies of the natives, and his body 
 was pierced in many places by their thin and pointed 
 spears. 
 
 " If we could only get him to speak now," said the 
 constable, " he might give us some useful information. 
 Scroggs, where's your bottle ?" 
 
 Upon this the provident Scroggs produced a pint 
 bottle of rum — a sovereign remedy, in his opinion, for 
 all disorders. 
 
 " What's the use of giving him rum, if he's dead ?" 
 remonstrated Scroggs; " it's only wasting it that way." 
 
 " He's not dead," said Sanders, " though it won't be 
 long first, seemingly. Let us try to make him speak; 
 he may be able to tell us of the oth«r one. It's Bill 
 Simmons, one of the biggest rascals in the whole colony, 
 but that's no matter now. Give us the bottle." 
 
 He raised up the expiring wretch, and Sanders poured 
 down his throat a portion of the rum, while the magis- 
 trate dashed some cold water from the river over his 
 head and face. For a considerable time the man gave no 
 other signs of life than a faint breathing, and it was not 
 until after the lapse of two hours, which seemed to us 
 two ages, that he was able to articulate. 
 
 '' We are losing time sadly," exclaimed the impatient 
 jockey, " and what has become of poor Roderick all this 
 time? Entangled, perhaps, with the reins, and his 
 head kept aown, and drowned in the river ! That's 
 dreadful !" 
 
 '' Hush !" said the magistrate, " the man is going to 
 speak." 
 
432 He gives Us News. 
 
 " They have got the child/' murmured out the dying 
 man. 
 
 " Who have got the child V • 
 
 " The natives — they — attacked — me in — the ford." 
 
 " And your companion, where is he ?" 
 
 *'I saw him swimming in the river — but — in his 
 haste — he abandoned — the child — to save himself — and 
 the natives took the child — the Gypsey — the G-ypsey — 
 the Gypsey's child ?" 
 
 "Did the natives kill the child?" asked I, full of 
 anxious horror at the probable fate of the poor gii-1. 
 
 " They — have — killed — me. Their waddies — my 
 head — spears — child carried off. " 
 
 " How long ago is it," asked the magistrate, "since 
 they attacked you ?" 
 
 ^'I don't know — it — was — just — at — daybreak. I — 
 didn't — like to pass the bridge — so — I made for the 
 ford — and the natives — attacked us — and they have 
 taken the— child. . . ." 
 
 " What's o'clock ?" asked Sanders. 
 
 " Half past ten," said I. 
 
 " Then the natives have got the start of us by about 
 four hours and a half," resumed the constable ; " and if 
 they have taken to the hills, it will be a difficult job to 
 follow them on horseback." 
 
 "We can easily track them in the snow," observed the 
 magistrate. 
 
 "While the snow lasts," replied the constable ; " but, 
 by the look of Ben Lomond, we shall have a change of 
 weather, and there's a northerly wind this morning, and 
 that, with the sun, will soon melt this snow. Following 
 the natives in the bush is no easy matter. A white 
 
MUSQUEETO WITH TUE NATIVES. 133 
 
 man might as well try to track a bird as a native in the 
 
 bush I" 
 
 " I shall go after them," said the magistrate; '^what 
 do you say, Thornley — shall we leave this little girl to 
 the mercy of the savages ?" 
 
 "I'm ready to go with you," said I, "but let us go 
 prepared ; this is a bad time of the year for bushing it. 
 Is there no place near here, Sanders, where we could 
 borrow some kangaroo-rugs, and get a supply of provi- 
 sions V 
 
 "I have it!" said Sanders; "Mark's sheep-run is not 
 more than two miles from the ford, and if he will let one 
 of his shepherds. Black Tom, go with us — he's a Syd- 
 ney native — we'll set a black fellow to hunt black fel- 
 lows, and come over them that way." 
 
 "Come on, then," said the magistrate, "and lose no 
 time. I will go with you to remove any objection. Stay ! 
 the dying man is going to speak again. I think he un- 
 derstood what we were saying. What is it, my man ?" 
 he added, in a soothing tone to the dying man ; " what 
 have you got to say?" 
 
 " Mus — quee - - to !" said the man, with his last 
 breath. 
 
 " Musqueeto !" said Sanders, "then there's no time 
 to be lost; that's the cruelest savage that ever tormented 
 a colony ; he kills for killing sake, without reason." 
 
 " I have had a taste of him," said the magistrate. 
 
 " And so have I," said I. 
 
 " There's no time to be lost, if we are to save the 
 child." 
 
 The magistrate, guided by Sanders, immediately gal- 
 loped off; and in less time than we expected, they re- 
 28 
 
434 The Girl Carried OFF BY Natives. 
 
 turned at a brisk pace, laden with kangaroo-rugs/ and 
 various necessaries for a bush expedition, and followed 
 by Tom, a fine tall native of the continental island of 
 Australia, dressed with much neatness, in a cloth jacket 
 and trousers of good texture ; the civilized natives soon 
 catching the colonial predilection for cloth of a superior 
 quality. 
 
 " And what's to become of me ?" said the disconsolate 
 jockey; " and what has become of Roderick? I say, 
 friend, didn't you say your rascally companion crossed 
 the ford ? He's as dead as a door nail ! There's no 
 getting any more out of him; it serves him right for 
 making off with poor Roderick ! I never knew a horse- 
 stealer to come to a good end ! But I'll be after him ! 
 Good day, gentlemen ; I wish you luck. Take care of 
 your horses, and let them take their time up those terri- 
 ble hills. I'll go after Roderick !" 
 
 And so saying, the jockey plunged his horse into the 
 stream, and we turned our attention to the object of our 
 expedition. 
 
 "Will not the native, being on foot, retard us?" 
 inquired I; "he can never keep up with our horses." 
 
 " Never fear," said Sanders; " if our horses can keep 
 up with him we shall do very well. Now, Tom, my boy, 
 are you ready ?" 
 
 Tom nodded his head. 
 
 " Which way are you going to take us ?" Tom looked 
 at the tracks, among which the prints of tiny feet were 
 plainly discernible, and pointed to the hills. 
 
 "Now," said the magistrate, "for another adven- 
 ture. I never had a hunt after natives before. Not 
 the best of weather for lying out at night's; — but it 
 
We Pursue Them. 435 
 
 would never do to leave that little girl to bo butcliered by 
 Musqueeto !" 
 
 We moved on at a good pace, Tom, with his long legs, 
 keeping our horses just beyond a quick walk, and we 
 were soon buried in the deep recesses of the woods. 
 
Winter in Van Diemen's Land — The Pursuit of the Black Fellows 
 
 — Native Habitations — News of the Child. 
 
 The dense mass of spreading branches, with their win- 
 ter leaves of sombre green, which formed a canopy high 
 above our heads, had allowed but little snow to fall on 
 the forest ground; but there were ample signs of the 
 natives to enable the sagacious Sydney black to guide us 
 through the intricacies of the tall straight stems of the 
 stringy-bark trees, with their ragged, shreddy coats, 
 without hesitation. Ever and anon he would turn round 
 to us, without discontinuing his course, and displaying, 
 with a self-satisfied grin, his formidable rows of ivory 
 teeth, he would point to the track, and seek, with his 
 piercing and restless black eyes, deep set in his woolly 
 head, for our approbation of his sagacity. 
 
 It occupied us nearly two hours to pass through the 
 forest, and we then emerged into an ample plain nearly 
 clear of trees, resembling a vast park. The noonday sun 
 had melted nearly all the snow, and it was only here and 
 there, under the shade of some gigantic gum-tree, or 
 umbrageous mimosa, that any signs of it were visible. 
 Wc were glad to get rid of the snow, as, under the gui- 
 dance of the black, we had no fear of losing the tracks 
 of the natives, and we pushed on without stopping for 
 nearly twenty miles, in a south-easterly direction, over a 
 
 (436) 
 
Winter in Australia. 437 
 
 fine country of undulating hill and plain, till we came to 
 tte foot of a tier of low hills, on which were scattered a 
 few of the trees of the she oak. These trees present a 
 scraggy appearance to the eye, but their wood is much 
 prized as fuel, from its pleasing fragrance and good qua- 
 lities for burning. It is not easy to get a plank from 
 these trees of more than six or eight inches in width, but, 
 when polished, it is admirably adapted for ornamental 
 furniture. Here we made a pause,, to rest our horses, 
 which we tethered out by the hide ropes, which we car- 
 ried with us on the front of our saddles, giving them the 
 range of a circle of about eighty feet in diameter, to feed 
 on the native grass, shifting them occasionally as their 
 food grew scanty. The constables kindled a fire, and 
 proceeded with the usual arrangements for a bush meal. 
 They put a handful of black tea into the kettle, which 
 Scroggs bore in his portion of the luggage, and set it on 
 to boil — tea forming the favourite beverage of settlers of 
 every degree in their bush expeditions. The dexterous 
 black, who carried a long-shanked, narrow axe, quickly 
 sliced from an adjacent gum-tree some pieces of bark, 
 which formed extempore plates and dishes, and some 
 steaks of young beef being duly broiled, aided by one of 
 the dampers, which formed part of our provisions, we 
 made, with the relish of hunger, a satisfactory repast. 
 The constables then got up a second edition of the feast, 
 with some additional supplies, for Black Tom, not liking 
 to remain idle during our banquet, had contrived to catch 
 three kangaroo-rats and a bandicoot, which he disem- 
 bowelled with much delicacy, and threw them in their 
 furry coats on some clear embers of the fire. Scroggs 
 produced from the recesses of a mysterious garment a 
 
438 Coldness of the Nights. 
 
 bottle of rum, but it was unanimously decided that this 
 luxury should be reserved as a medicine for special occa- 
 sions. Much to the disappointment of the thirsty indi- 
 vidual, therefore, the cork remained undrawn, and the 
 disconsolate Scroggs was obliged to solace himself with a 
 pannikin of hot tea from the boiling kettle. Our rough 
 repast ended, we proceeded on our way, till the sinking of 
 the sun behind the snow-topped mountains to the west, 
 warned us to turn our attention to the means of passing 
 the night; for the nights in the winter season in Van 
 Diemen's Land are too cold to allow of their being passed 
 with impunity in the open air. As we felt the fullest 
 confidence of coming up with the natives, we did not push 
 our horses to the extreme, for we knew that Musqueeto 
 and his mob would not travel many days without making 
 a stop in some locality favourable for the collection of 
 gum, and the resort of opossums. We had but one axe 
 among us, but there were more than one who knew well 
 how to use it, the cleverest of whom was the Sydney 
 black ; so that, in a short time, they managed to erect 
 two bush-huts well covered in with heavy branches. The 
 opening of the huts being next to the fire, which was 
 kept up all night, we contrived, with the aid of our 
 warm kangaroo-rugs, to pass the night without incon- 
 venience. 
 
 Towards the early morning, the air became frosty, and 
 the next day, under a clear sky and a brilliant sun, we 
 continued our pursuit of the natives. At noon the air 
 became mild and warm, and if it had not been for our 
 apprehensions of the calamitous fate of the child to whose 
 rescue we were hastening, we should have enjoyed the 
 beautiful scenery of the almost unexplored country 
 
Several Days Elapse. 439 
 
 through which we travelled ; but a second day and night 
 having passed without coming up with the natives, our 
 uneasiness increased to a pitch of painful anxiety. We 
 could discover no trace of the little foot, nor indeed could 
 our less acute sense of sight detect any marks of the 
 retiring natives, although, to the black's stronger and more 
 sensitive organs, the marks were so plain as to cause him 
 no apparent trouble to pursue. We consoled ourselves, 
 however, with the reflection, that the absence of any mark 
 of the child's foot which Tom could not trace, might be 
 accounted for by her having been carried in the arms of 
 the natives, though what could be their object, or the 
 object of Musqueeto in bearing her away, we were at a 
 loss to conjecture, and we feared the worst. 
 
 With these doubts and fears, we passed an uneasy 
 night; the more so as our provisions being nearly ex- 
 hausted, we could not keep up the animal strength to 
 counteract the depression of the spirits. Under cir- 
 cumstances so favourable for the opening of the grog- 
 bottle, the longing Scroggs made several insinuating at- 
 tempts to get our assent to that measure, but it was 
 steadily resisted, and with a stoicism on the part of his 
 reflecting coadjutor which I particularly admired. 
 
 "Cold work this!" said Scroggs to Sanders; "and 
 cold water is poor stuff to put heart into a man. A fire 
 is very well to warm the outside, but the inside is the 
 place to keep up the heat ; then it spreads all over one 
 in a glow ! It's surprising how small a quantity of spi- 
 rit — a single glass or so — I've often tried it — wiU warm 
 a man's whole body, to the very tips of one's fingers !" 
 
 " To the tip of your nose, you ought to say, old buck," 
 rejoined his mate, " for you have put that sponge of 
 
440 We Get Depressed. 
 
 yours into such a glow some time, that it has never got 
 cool again." 
 
 "None of your nonsense; — it's all owing to smoking 
 out of a short pipe ; I went to sleep with it one night in 
 my mouth, and I slept so sound, though I had drunk 
 nothing to speak of, that the end of my nose got briled 
 on the bowl of the pipe before I woke up." 
 
 '^ I wish you had thought to bring two bottles, instead 
 of one," said Sanders, '* then you might have soaked your 
 nose in one and kept the other. But you don't know 
 what may happen in the bush, and a sup of rum may 
 save a man's life. Better keep it till it's wanted." 
 
 " But it is wanted," persisted the persevering Scroggs; 
 " I declare I feel so queer I don't know what to make of 
 it ; and that bit of opossum that I was fool enough to eat 
 makes me smell all turpentine. What harm could it do," 
 he added, in a melancholy tone, " if I took only the least 
 sip in the world — just a taste — only a smell at the 
 bottle ?" 
 
 But Sanders was firm, and as Scroggs stood too much 
 in awe of the magistrate to venture on so flagrant a 
 breach of duty as a burglary on the rum-bottle, he be- 
 took himself sadly to bed, and covering himself up in his 
 kangaroo-rug, after a few dolorous moanings, the sounds 
 which proceeded from his fiery nose proclaimed that he 
 was sound asleep. 
 
 The next morning found us much less fresh than the 
 preceding one, and no one seemed inclin^jd for conversa- 
 tion, our spirits being damped by the unsuccessful pur- 
 suit, and by the contemplation of the uncertain distance 
 to which we might be led in our chase, and of the un- 
 certain time which might be consumed in it. We had 
 
Discover the Natives. 441 
 
 bivouacked at the base of a tier of hills, and it was not 
 without anxiety that we shared the remainder of our 
 provisions, and prepared for the steep ascent before us. 
 
 We had not proceeded far, however, when, on some 
 moist ground beneath a spring, which trickled down the 
 hill, Black Tom pointed out to us the fresh mark of a 
 native foot. We were leading our horses up the ascent, 
 and it was with lively curiosity that we regarded the 
 sign of the probable propinquity of the natives. We 
 immediately looked to our arms, wiped our flints, re- 
 newed our primings, and examined our barrels, to see 
 that the charges had not become loosened in the journey. 
 The prospect of danger spread animation among the party, 
 mixed with some anxiety, for we had by this time pene- 
 trated into a part of the country never, perhaps, trodden 
 before by a white man's foot, and far removed from all 
 assistance. We advanced, therefore, with great precau- 
 tion till we got close to the summit of the hill, when the 
 magistrate directed us to stand still, and motioned the 
 black to reconnoitre. 
 
 Tom advanced cautiously and silently upwards, crawl- 
 ing on his belly, and winding his way like a snake over 
 the tufts of grass, till he was enabled to project his 
 black poll — hardly to be distinguished from the rough 
 logs of charred timber that lay -about over the ridge of the 
 hiU. For some seconds he remained motionless, and 
 then withdrawing himself by imperceptible degrees from 
 his place of observation, he communicated to us the re- 
 sult of his discovery. 
 
 " Bkck fellows in bottom," said Tom, softly ; " Mus- 
 queeto with 'em." 
 
 <♦ What are they doing ?" asked the constable. 
 
442 We Reconnoitre. 
 
 " Make fire — and eat." 
 
 " Is the piccaninny with them ?" said I. 
 
 " Can't see. Go behind trees, there/' continued Tom, 
 pointing to the right, " then you see all." 
 
 On the right was a clump of bushes, to which we bent 
 our steps. 
 
 Leaving our horses under the charge of the constables, 
 we edged round the declivity of the hill and crept up to the 
 top, where we stationed ourselves behind the bushes. 
 From this position we observed the natives in the hollow 
 below. They had evidently arrived at a spot at which 
 they proposed to sojourn for a while, for they had raised 
 up in two or three places, and with more than usual 
 care, break-winds formed of branches of trees, and lined 
 with wide strips of bark. These rude protections from 
 the wind were about four feet high, and we remarked 
 that one apart from the rest had the distinction of an 
 attempt at a roof, but of dimensions not more than suf- 
 ficient to contain a single person. Large fires were 
 lighted before the break-winds, at which some of the na- 
 tives reclined ; others were standing listlessly here and 
 there, and some of the women were engaged in tending 
 their children. Almost the whole party was naked; 
 but one man, whom by his stature and bearing we re- 
 cognised as Musqueeto, was distinguished by a black 
 hat, with waistcoat and trousers, and one or two of the 
 women had something which looked like old and dirty 
 blankets thrown over their shoulders. "We remained 
 for some time watching them from oiu* hiding-place, but 
 we could observe no signs of the child whom we had 
 come so far to rescue ; and we had sad misgivings of her 
 safety. Having made all the observations in our power, 
 
Are the Natives Cannibals? 448 
 
 we retreated back to the brow of the hill, and consulted 
 together as to the best course to pursue. 
 
 " If you would be pleased to take my advice, sir/' 
 said Sanders, " I would wait till night, when the natives 
 are afraid to move about, and then, by advancing two 
 together, we might take them by surprise, and the first 
 thing would be to shoot down Musqueeto, and the men 
 of the party, and then if they run away with the child — 
 that is, if they haven't murdered it already, which I think 
 most likely — we can pursue them with our horses, for 
 they're terribly afraid of a horse ; they think it bites, 
 and fights with its fore-legs." 
 
 " I confess," said the magistrate, '^ I am very much 
 disappointed not to see the little girl ; our object is to 
 release her, not to slaughter these naked savages. Did 
 you ever know them to eat a white person ? Let us 
 find out from Tom ; do you speak to him, Sanders ; he 
 knows you, and would tell you perhaps more freely than 
 us." 
 
 '' Tom," said Sanders, " black fellow eat white picca- 
 niany ?" 
 
 Tom looked suspiciously at the constable with his 
 deep-set, restless eyes, one of the characteristics of the 
 natives of Australia, and seemed unwilling to reply ; for 
 the Sydney blacks, as well as the few who have commu- 
 nication with the settlements of Van Diemen's Land, 
 are well aware of the horror of the whites at the prac- 
 tice of eating human flesh. 
 
 " Tom never eat man," said Sanders, coaxingly, 
 " no — never ; but bad black fellow eat man, and eat 
 piccaninny, sometimes ?" 
 
 "Bad black fellow eat man, sometimes," replied 
 
444 Black Tom's Testimony. 
 
 Tom, " while be very angry, and figlit ; — me never eat 
 man." 
 
 "No, not you; but black man eat wbite man, some- 
 times V 
 
 " Yees." 
 
 ''And eat wbite piccaninny, sometimes; bad black 
 fellow ?" 
 
 a Yees— bad black fellow." 
 
 '' The nasty inhuman savages !" exclaimed Scroggs, 
 who was within hearing, holding the horses. "To 
 think of that poor little gal being eat by those black 
 devils, just as if she was mutton or beef ! Here, Sanders, 
 come and put your hand in my pocket, and take out the 
 bottle of i-um ; — take it, I say ! I, for one, will give it 
 up, and let the natives' have it for the child. I should 
 like just to have one sup of it before it goes; but never 
 mind, Til give it all, rather than the child should be eat 
 up by those black rascals I" 
 
 "Well done, Scroggs," said the magistrate; "depend 
 upon it this generous instance of self-denial shall not be 
 forgotten, for I know the effort which it must have cost 
 you ; but I think we can manage without putting your 
 virtue to so severe a trial. Tom," said he to our guide, 
 "will you go and try if you can see a little white pic- 
 caninny among the black fellows ? Piccaninny so high," 
 describing the height of a child of six or seven years of 
 age. 
 
 Tom understood what was said to him in English much 
 more easily than he could find words to reply. He com- 
 prehended the magistrate in a moment, and looking on 
 the ground for a while in a thoughtful attitude, — 
 
 " Me go," said he. 
 
Tom makes an Explanation. 445 
 
 Without further talk, for the natives are remarkably 
 taciturn and sententious among themselves, as well as 
 among the whites, Tom proceeded to strip himself of the 
 encumbrance of his clothes, even to his shoes and stock- 
 ings, and displayed himself in the natural undisguise of 
 our great progenitor, Adam, about whose colour there is, 
 among many of the nations of the earth, a difference of 
 opinion; but as the subject is foreign to the nature of 
 these humble memoirs, I shall not enter into that vexa- 
 tious question. The disencumbered Tom formed his plan 
 on the instant, and taking a wide circuit to the left, he 
 was soon lost to view, leaving us in a state of anxious 
 and nervous expectation. 
 
 After the lapse of an hour he returned, and in the 
 cold apathetic manner of the natives, he communicated 
 his information with his usual sententious brevity : — 
 
 " White piccaninny with black fellows." 
 
 " That's capital," said the magistrate; " the poor little 
 thing is alive, at any rate. How does she look, Tom ?" 
 
 But Tom did not understand this question, and seeing 
 that an answer was expected, he replied, — 
 
 '' Piccaninny in little house," — describing by gesture 
 the single break-wind which we had observed from be- 
 hind the bushes. 
 
 "What are they going to do with the piccaninny ?" 
 said I. 
 
 " Eat her, I'll be bound," said Scroggs; " that's what 
 they are going to do with her ; and they are fattening 
 her up in that pen as we do a lamb, till she's in good 
 condition. The black villains ! Let us march right at 
 'em and shoot 'em down, every one. I'm ready for it !" 
 
 " There is something in this," observed the magistrate. 
 
446 P R E P A R A T I N S . 
 
 '' which I cannot understand. It is difficult sometimes 
 to penetrate into the motives of savages ; but as they seem 
 at present to be in a peaceful humour, I think our best 
 plan is to send on Tom a little in advance to parley with 
 them, and to assure them that we have no hostile inten- 
 tions. We can follow immediately behind him on horse- 
 back, with our arms ready, in case of their showing 
 fight; but as we shall take them by surprise, I think it 
 very likely that they will not attempt any resistance. 
 You all know that it is the particular desire of the Colo- 
 nial Government, which is conformable, indeed, with 
 sound policy and with humanity, never to commit an ag- 
 gression on the natives uselessly and without the most 
 pressing necessity; but on all occasions to treat them 
 with benevolence and tenderness, and to endeavour to 
 win them over by acts of kindness, instead of alienating 
 them by the wanton or thoughtless exercise of superior 
 power." 
 
 "If you please, sir," said Sanders, " Musqueeto has 
 committed more than one murder, and he's a Sydney 
 black, and ought to know better. We have orders from 
 Camp to endeavour to take him if we should have the 
 opportunity." 
 
 "We shall act according to circumstances," replied 
 the magistrate. " At present, our object is to rescue the 
 child from the clutches of the savages ; and, in doing 
 that, we must endeavour to avoid shedding blood." 
 
 I agreed with the magistrate in the propriety of his 
 mode of action, and although I had a strong presenti- 
 ment that there would be a murderous conflict, I relied 
 on the superioi-ity of our amis and our horses, and had 
 little doubt of the result. 
 
Approach the N^,tives. 447 
 
 "We descended the hill, therefore, and forming our- 
 selves into the order laid down by our leader, we moved 
 round the hill to the right, that we might reach the 
 level ground before we should be perceived by the na- 
 tives, and, advancing at a moderate pace, tve soon found 
 ourselves in front of their curious habitations 
 
Cimiitn /nrtiBtli 
 
 A Native Encampment — Conference with Musqueeto — A Savage has 
 a Soul — The lost Child recovered — How to catch an Opossum — A 
 Kangaroo hunt by the Natives — The Apparition of Spears and 
 AVaddies excites disagreeable suspicions. 
 
 The Sydney black preceded us about twenty yards in 
 advance, and as soon as he arrived within easy speaking 
 distance of the natives, we pulled up, and with much 
 anxiety waited for the issue of his conference. He had 
 previously resumed his clothes, but it was easy for the 
 natives to perceive by his colour and his features that he 
 was allied to their general race. To our extreme sur- 
 prise — although the aborigines of Van Diemen's Land 
 have a strong antipathy to the natives of the continental 
 island — our messenger was allowed to approach their 
 fires without exciting the slightest visible sensation. 
 Their simulated unconcern might have been produced, 
 perhaps, by the sight of our party on horseback ; but the 
 strangeness of this unexpected apathy, on the part of 
 Musqueeto and his companions, made us fear some 
 treachery, and we looked round to try if we could per- 
 ceive any appearance of an ambuscade ; but we could 
 detect nothing to excite suspicion. I have often had 
 occasion to observe the dull, listless, and almost idiotic 
 appearance of the natives of Van Diemen's Land, when 
 not excited by hunger or some passionate desire. It has 
 struck me that in this respect they much resemble the 
 (448) 
 
A Native Encampment. 449 
 
 nnthinkino; beasts of the fields, so inanimate and locr-like 
 in their usual manner. The women will sometimes 
 chatter a little, for it seems nature makes them all alike 
 as to that matter, but the men have the most reserved 
 ati taciturn habit of any race of savages that I have 
 known or read of. The strange contrast of their silence 
 and immobility, with the yells and wildness for which 
 we were prepared, filled us with a vague sort of super- 
 stitious fear, which was heightened by the chilly 
 stillness of the vast wilderness in which we were now 
 enclosed. 
 
 In the mean time a monosyllabic '^corrobara" had 
 taken place between our guide and the chief of the sable 
 community, the meaning of which Tom concentrated in 
 the following brief communication : — 
 
 "Musqueeto say, you come." 
 
 " Why, what is the meaning of this ?" said the magis- 
 trate. "They don't show any signs of fear, nor do they 
 look as if they thought of fighting ! Is there some strat- 
 agem in this ? what do you think of it, Thornley ?" 
 
 " Upon my word," I replied, " this takes me so much by 
 surprise, I don't know what to think of it. Sanders, 
 you know their ways, do you see any of their waddies 
 or spears about ?" 
 
 " One can never tell, sir," said Sanders, "what those 
 treacherous savages are at ; they're always hatching some 
 deviltry or other. You see, sir, I take it, we have come 
 on one of their places for encamping, if you can call 
 those bits of break-winds camps. But Musqueeto can 
 be civil enough, sometimes. Scroggs, you've often come 
 across Musqueeto, what is he after now ?" 
 
 "He's always after some wickedness," responded 
 29 
 
450 Precautions Against Treachery. 
 
 Scroggs ! ''but I think the natives are. going to have a 
 feast. Don't you see that string of opossums yonder, by 
 the blue gum-tree ? and there's something hanging up 
 inside the bushes ; — the Lord have mercy on us, it must 
 be the child I and the black devils are going to cook it 
 for their dinner !" 
 
 " The child !" exclaimed the magistrate; " no, impos- 
 sible ! — Tom saw the child alive a quarter of an hour 
 ago ! Gro, Tom, ask Musqueeto if he has got the white 
 man's piccaninny." 
 
 Tom made the inquiry, accordingly, and presently re- 
 turned with a reply. 
 
 "Musqueeto say, white man kill piccaninny; Mus- 
 queeto kill white man. Piccaninny in piccaninny house 
 —there." 
 
 "This is very extraordinary," said the magistrate; 
 " the most extraordinary thing that has occurred to me 
 in all my adventures in the colony. What can be 
 Musqueeto's object in this ? However, as they seem 
 quietly disposed, let us advance close to them, and try 
 to get possession of the poor child by peaceable means." 
 
 " Better let two of us stand on guard, in case of any 
 attack," suggested the constable; "no need, sir, for us 
 all to be sacrificed." 
 
 " That's a very prudent precaution, Sanders ; do you 
 and Scroggs remain here in charge of the horses, and I 
 and Mr. Thornley will go to them on foot — that is, if 
 Mr. Thornley has no objection." 
 
 "None in the least," said I; ^' the best way with 
 savages, and all animals in general, is to show that you 
 have no fear of them." 
 
 " Better take my bottle of rum," suggested Scroggs, 
 
The Savage in His Lair. 451 
 
 in the exuberance of his generosity ; "let Muiqueeto 
 have a sup at it, and perhaps that will put him in good 
 humour." 
 
 "Xo, no," said the magistrate, " keep the rum till 
 we want it. A savage is awkward enough to deal with 
 when he is sober, but, with a little rum in him he is 
 worse than a madman. Now, Thornley, let us go among 
 them boldly." 
 
 Accordingly we went up to Musqueeto, who was stand- 
 ing by one of the fires in front of the little wigwam in 
 which we had been given to understand the little girl 
 of whom we were in search, was secreted. He had, I 
 thought, the same stupid and sullen look which I had 
 remarked on other occasions, as he stood in the listless 
 and dozing attitude which was usual with him when not 
 engaged in any hunting or predatory expedition. A« 
 close investigation, however, might detect in his half- 
 shut, but ever restless eyes, a watchfulness that allowed 
 nothing to escape his observation. I confess it was not 
 without a little nervous apprehension, and some slight 
 bumping in the region of my leftside, that I approached 
 the formidable savage in his lair. He raised up hia 
 eyes and glanced at us, but gave no sign of recognition, 
 or of being affected by our presence. 
 
 We remained for a brief space in this unpleasant posi- 
 tion, with the awkward feeling of having intruded on a 
 gentleman's privacy without an invitation. Neither of 
 us spoke — my friend being under the same difficulty as 
 myself to hit upon an appropriate topic by which to 
 commence a conversation with this chief of a band of 
 savages, and the usual salutation of a " very fine day," 
 seeming to me, under the circumstances, inappropriate 
 
452 A Consultation Dinner. 
 
 to the individual and the occasion ; but I was relieved 
 by the magistrate breaking silence. 
 
 " Much kangaroo, Musqueeto, in this part of the 
 country ?" 
 
 " Boomah — there," replied Musqueeto, pointing out 
 an immense kangaroo in the bushes, which had attracted 
 the attention of the horrified Scroggs. 
 
 My excellent friend presuming, I suppose, that eating 
 and drinking among friends facilitated conversation, and 
 being stimulated besides by certain internal promptings 
 that his fast had continued for more than a reasonable 
 time, immediately intimated to his new acquaintance hia 
 inclination for a steak. 
 
 Musqueeto uttered a few words to one of his retinue, 
 and without further ceremony, some pieces of the kan- 
 ^ garoo were brought to us ; we motioned to them to put 
 the venison on the fire, which they did with a readiness 
 to oblige which inspired us with some confidence in their 
 present sincerity. 
 
 When the meat was cooked, we sat down on the 
 ground, on which Musqueeto also squatted down oppo- 
 site. Some of his companions stood at a little distance, 
 eyeing us with much curiosity, but without rudeness ; 
 and in this way, with a charming absence of all ceremony, 
 we partook of a sociable meal with our new acquaintance, 
 but in perfect silence. 
 
 Thinking the occasion favourable, I suggested to my 
 friend the expediency of propitiating our host by a glass 
 of rum, as an appropriate introduction to the object of 
 our journey. The magistrate agreed with me, and called 
 (juietly to Scroggs to bring the bottle and a pannikin. 
 
 I observed that Musqueeto gave a flash of his eye ai 
 
M USQUE ETo's Suspicion. 453 
 
 the magistrate's call, and gathered up his legs under 
 him, ready for a spring, upon which I instantly called 
 to Scroggs, 
 
 " Show the bottle of rum !" 
 
 Scroggs raised on high his long-cherished bottle, at 
 the view of which, I saw that Musqueeto's eyes resumed 
 their usual expression, and he quietly returned to his 
 former position of repose. Meanwhile the disappointed 
 Scroggs, with his mouth watering at the sight of a re- 
 past in which he did not share, and his eyes becoming 
 tearful at the prospect of the total consumption of his 
 beloved rum, approached with slow and reluctant steps 
 to resign his treasure. 
 
 " These savages, sir," said he, in an insinuating way, 
 to the magistrate, " are very suspicious — very. If you 
 like, sir, I wiU taste a little of the rum first — that he 
 may see it is all right, and that we mean no harm to 
 him. Allow me to take out the cork ?" 
 
 "Make haste back," said the magistrate, "and mount 
 your horse, that you may be ready to act in case of need. 
 This rum may be of service to us, and we don't want it 
 for our own drinking ; we can get plenty more when we 
 go home." 
 
 So saying, my friend took summary possession of the 
 bottle, which the disconsolate Scroggs relinquished with 
 a pitiable sigh, and the salt and savour of life having 
 now departed from him, he resumed his seat lugubriously 
 on the back of his horse with his hapless body, leaving 
 his soul behind him in the bottle. 
 
 The magistrate poured into the pannikin a portion of 
 the rum with the same seriousness with which it might 
 be supposed he would have oflfered a libation to the in- 
 
454 A Savage has a Soul! 
 
 fernal gods, and proffering it to the presiding deity of 
 the spot, that condescending personage turned it down 
 •with an off-handed dexterity which would have done 
 honour to an inhabitant of the far-famed St. Giles in 
 the mother country, and with gusto which overcame the 
 habitual reserve of a native. He evinced his delecta- 
 tion at the imbibing of the liquor by a grim smile, which 
 made me involuntarily grasp my fowling-piece a little 
 closer, and slapping his breast he held out the pan- 
 nikin for a fresh supply. But we thought this a fit 
 opportunity to enter into some sort of treaty for the re- 
 storation of the child. 
 
 " Musqueeto kill white man ?" said the magistrate; 
 " why Musqueeto kill white man ?" 
 
 " White man great rascal," replied Musqueeto, "try 
 kill piccaninny — Musqueeto kill him." 
 
 ''Why Musqueeto take piccaninny?" pursued my 
 friend; "Musqueeto want to keep piccaninny and make 
 her gin to black man ?" 
 
 Musqueeto shook his head, and it seemed to me if 
 he had known how he would have laughed at this in- 
 quiry. 
 
 " Piccaninny white !" said he; "not good for black 
 man." 
 
 " Why take piccaninny ?" persisted my friend ; " why 
 save her from bad white man ?" 
 
 It seemed that Musqueeto suddenly understood what 
 the magistrate was driving at, for his countenance as- 
 sumed an appearance almost of intelligence, and he im- 
 mediately replied : — 
 
 " Gypsey's piccaninny ; Gypsey die ; Gypsey good to 
 Musqueeto — he Musqueeto's brother ; Musqueeto not 
 let bad white man kill Gypse/s piccaninny." 
 
I MusQUEETo's Erotiier! 455 
 
 My friend and I gazed at each other with astonish- 
 ment at these words, and reading each other's thoughts, 
 "we could not but admire tlie strange concatenation of 
 events which had preserved the life of the bush-ranger's 
 daughter from such imminent perils ! But as I had been 
 constituted guardian of that deceased character's child, I 
 considered that there was a means of easy understanding 
 if I could make the native comprehend the nature of my 
 legal and social position in respect to his temporary 
 ward. 
 
 " Gypsey," said I, " Musquceto's brother." 
 
 " Grypsey, Musquecto's brother," repeated the black 
 chief 
 
 Thought I to myself the Gypsey's family would not 
 consider themselves very much flattered by this unex- 
 pected claim on their relationship by my black friend 
 here, but 'at any rate he has done one good action to 
 atone for his multitude of crimes, and so I will not flinch 
 from claiming my right to be considered as a member of 
 the family. 
 
 " Musqueeto," said I, " you know me ?" He had 
 been more than once at my house with his mob, and had 
 been regaled with damper and boiling hot tea plentifully 
 sweetened with brown sugar, not forgetting an occasional 
 glass of rum. 
 
 " You Mister Thornley V said Musqueeto. 
 
 * Yes," said I; " and I Gypsey's brother !" 
 
 Musqueeto gave me a quick look, which none but a 
 savage could give, in which was expressed the blended 
 wonder and suspicion which my assumption of relation- 
 ship with the Gypsey had excited, and I continued — 
 
 " Gypsey Musqueeto's brother; Gypsey Thornley's 
 brother ; Thornley Musqueeto's brother." 
 
456 An Australian Beauty. 
 
 1 wished to lead the savage, by this ingenious process 
 of ratiocination, as my friend the magistrate called it 
 in his jocose way, to consider me as an intimate friend 
 and relation, for my object was to get possession of the 
 child, with his concurrence, so as to avoid bloodshed. 
 Musqueeto mused, I observed, for a while, on these 
 words, and then, with the caution of the savage, he 
 asked — 
 
 " Why you Gypsey's brother?" 
 
 "The G-ypsey," said I, "when bad white man kill 
 him, say to me — ' Give bread and meat to my picca- 
 ninny — little, so big' " — said I, describing the size of a 
 child of six or seven years of age. ''I say to Gypsey, 
 Thornley Gypsey's brother." 
 
 Musqueeto rose from his sitting position when I had 
 said this, and spoke to one of his people, who disappeared, 
 and presently returned with a tall and slender young 
 lady of a bright black colour, who, from her air and 
 pretentions we immediately concluded was the favourite 
 gin of the grim Musqueeto. A soldier's old jacket, 
 without buttons, and which, with a graceful negligence 
 remained open in front, formed an airy spencer suitable 
 for summer or for winter wear, and a red cotton hand- 
 kerchief tied around her woolly black poll gave her a 
 superior air, which distinguished her from her less 
 favoured associates of the seraglio. No other article of 
 dress than that of which we have made modest mention, 
 prevented the free exercise of her supple and well-formed 
 limbs. As an honest historian I am obliged to record 
 that her nose was very broad and very flat, but her eyes 
 were large and bright. Various coquettish devices, 
 depicted in a mixture of resinous gum and red ochre, 
 
The Child Recovered! 457 
 
 formed a striking relief to the monotonous hue of her 
 sable skin, and a fish-bone, stuck through her nose, 
 added a finish to the splendour of her personal appear- 
 ance. 
 
 To this amiable divinity Musqueeto gave some brief 
 directions, and the lady, retiring, quickly re-appeared, 
 leading by the hand the timid and shrinking form of 
 the Gypsey's daughter. I have often thought that when 
 her fancy recals, in after life, the romantic scenes of her 
 early youth, the recollection of this memorable day must 
 form a curious contrast vrith her present fortunes. She 
 raised up her large black eyes, which instantly reminded 
 mfe of the last wild look of the Gypsey bushranger, and 
 sought among us for some familiar foce ; but meeting 
 only with the countenances of strangers, she cast them 
 down again in disappointment and sadness, as if doubt- 
 ful whether to regard the white strangers as friends or 
 foes. 
 
 <'Greorgiana," said I, softly. 
 
 The little thing started at the secret name, and clasp- 
 in"' her tiny hand, she stood with one foot advanced, 
 tremblino- and irresolute, while she searched me with 
 her lustrous eyes, to discover in me some trace of a 
 former friend. 
 
 I think I never saw so beautiful a child ; she was the 
 very picture of loveliness, and possessed that indefina- 
 ble and irresistible charm with which infancy and inno- 
 cence never fail to move the coldest human heart. 
 Struck with the desolate condition of the child, and 
 possessed with the sacred nature of the trust that I had 
 taken on me, I held out my arms, and said to her in 
 tones which touched her little heart — 
 
458 The Savages Affected. 
 
 " Come to ine,my poor little orphan girl ; you shall bfl 
 a daughter among my children, and I will be a friend 
 and a father to you." 
 
 The child screamed with sudden joy ; bursting into 
 tear? she bounded into my arms, and with passionate sobs 
 liid her little face in my bosom. 
 
 The very savages were affected by the scene. The 
 women gathered round us, gazing with earnest interest, 
 and the harsher lineaments of the faces of the men be- 
 came softened at the touch of nature, which makes the 
 whole world kin. 
 
 " Look out, sir !" cried Sanders, who with Scrogga 
 had approached in this moment of excitement close' to 
 the mingled group ; " Take care, they don't take you at 
 a disadvantage. You never know when to trust a na- 
 tive." 
 
 " You've dropped the bottle," whined Scroggs; " there 
 it is under your legs, and in another moment it will be 
 broken, and all the rum will be lost." 
 
 ''And now," said the magistrate to me, "let us get 
 back to some place of settlement without loss of time, 
 while we are all in good humour. We can easily carry 
 the child with us on horseback. Now, my men," he 
 continued to the constables, "keep your eyes about 
 you ; home's the word." 
 
 " I've had no dinner," said Scroggs, with a woeful 
 face. '' I declare I feel as if my two sides would come 
 together, I'm so empty. I've taken in my handker- 
 chief round my middle twice; the next tie I shall come 
 quite in two." 
 
 "It will not do," said I, "to attempt going back 
 without a supply of provisions; and we have no dogs 
 
How toCatch an Opossum. 459 
 
 with us to pull a kangaroo. That was a sad mistake ; 
 you should never go into the bush without kangaroo 
 dogs; they are at once sentinels and purveyors." 
 
 "Let us try the natives," said the magistrate; "per- 
 haps they can help us to some provisions." 
 
 " Musqueeto, can you get some kangaroo for us ?" 
 
 "Kangaroo? Tees." 
 
 He gave some directions to his followers, who entered 
 into the project with much alacrity, and they immedi- 
 ately commenced their preparations, sharpening up their 
 spears and getting ready their waddies. 
 
 It is remarkable that the natives of Van Diemen's 
 Land, like the natives of the Continental Island, have 
 not invented the bow and arrow, although they have 
 more than one sort of wood well adapted, from its tough- 
 ness and its straightness, for both purposes. The long 
 and tough sinews of the kangaroo are well fitted for 
 bow-strings, and the Van Diemen's Land natives have 
 contrived to fabricate from the fibres of the bark of a 
 tree, to which the name of stringy-bark tree has been given 
 by the settlers, a sort of rough net in which they deposit 
 the edible gum which they collect in their journeys; 
 but they have not applied the sinews of the kangaroo 
 to the uses which might easily be made of them. Their 
 only weapons are the spear and the waddy, and the cres- 
 cent-shaped womera which they hurl at their enemies 
 in battle, and at the kangaroo in hunting. 
 
 The women understanding that we wanted meat for 
 the piccaninny, one of them approached us with a small 
 axe made of sharpened stone, in her hand, and laughing 
 and smiling, and using an abundance of words, which 
 we could not understand, invited us by jestures, to wit- 
 
460 Extraordinary Feat. 
 
 ness her operations. "We accompanied her accordingly ; 
 the constables, to whom we had distributed the remainder 
 of our kangaroo dinner, still remaining on guard, with 
 the difference only, that we thought they might venture 
 to tether out our horses in a nook where there was a 
 tolerable show of native grass. 
 
 We followed the black woman to the margin of a 
 forest of stringy-bark trees at a little distance. After 
 snuiEng about for a short time, like a hungry spectator 
 at the window of a savom-y cook-shop, she fixed on a 
 tree in which, her olfactory organs informed her, opos- 
 sums dwelt. As she was unencumbered by any article 
 of apparel, she had no occasion to take off her clothes to 
 perform her dangerous exploit, which we presently un- 
 derstood was to ascend the naked stem of the tall tree 
 after an opossum. The woman first made an incision on 
 the bark of the tree not much more than sufficient to re- 
 ceive her great toe, at about two or three feet from the 
 ground. Placing her toe in the gap, she raised herself 
 up, sustaining her weight on that single member of her 
 foot, aided by a sort of clinging to the tree, which was 
 far too thick to be embraced with one hand and arm ; 
 with her other arm she made a second incision with her 
 native axe, and repeating her operation at the necessary 
 intervals, she rapidly ascended the tree to a height of at 
 least fifty feet, before she reached its spreading branches. 
 In the fork of the trunk, in a little hollow, was an opos- 
 sum, which she quickly pulled out and killed. Holding 
 the animal in one of her hands, she descended the tree 
 with an agility which excited our admiration, and with 
 a rapidity and apparent carelessness that made us tremble 
 I had often heard talk of the natives performing this 
 
Power of Finery. 461 
 
 feat, but I had never witnessed it before, and it was with 
 the most lively curiosity, therefore, that I watched the 
 operation. I felt quite relieved when she placed her 
 foot safe on the ground, although she did not seem aware 
 that she had done anything extraordinary'. Holding the 
 dead opossum by one ear, she gave it, laughing, to my 
 little charge, and, with nods and laughter, retired. I 
 was at a loss how to reward this act of unaffected kind- 
 ness, when luckily, recollecting that I had a purple silk 
 handkerchief in my pocket, I presented it to our sable 
 benefactor ; and I had the satisfaction to observe, from 
 the deference, mixed, I thought, with a little female 
 envy, which was paid to her by her less fortunate com- 
 panions, and from their eager examination and lively 
 admiration of the finery, that I had conferred on her a 
 gift of no trifling importance. She immediately tied it 
 round her waist, and casting a triumphant glance at the 
 sultana with the red cotton handkerchief, much in the 
 same way as a young lady in the old country, in the 
 conscious superiority of a new bonnet, of the latest 
 fashion, regards a humiliated rival in an old one, she 
 took a seat on the log of a fallen gum tree, in an atti- 
 tude of easy dignity — not courting, but submitting to 
 the admiration which she excited. 
 
 In the meantime, the preparations for the chase of the 
 kangaroo, after the fashion of the natives, were com- 
 pleted, and Musqueeto, summoning the united strength 
 of his establishment, male and female, old and young, 
 we sallied forth from the encampment, leaving the con- 
 stables to guard the horses. Holding the little Georgi- 
 ana by her hand, for she would not quit me for an in- 
 stant, I and the magistrate accompanied the mob, which 
 
462 A Kangaroo Ckase 
 
 consisted of five-and-twenty persons, two or three females 
 remaining behind to take care of the children, half a 
 dozen of which had emerged from some back recesses on 
 the occasion of this general activity. 
 
 I did not much like the distribution of a bundle of 
 spears among the men who all had waddies, which they 
 held in their hands with their spears. 
 
 "I hope/' said I to the magistrate, "■ that all will go 
 on well; if these savages should become excited by the 
 hunt, they might try a spear on us." 
 
 ''Especially," replied my friend, "if Musqueeto, or 
 one of his fellows should recognise you as the hero who 
 gave them those disagreeable doses of swan-shot from the 
 hut among the hills some time since." 
 
 " Oh \" said I, ''I had a beard of ten days' growth 
 then, and my dress was entirely different." 
 
 " That may be ; but these savages have sharp eyes, and 
 they never betray their emotions till the opportunity ar- 
 rives for action. Those spears and waddies make one 
 feel very disagreeable. Heaven grant that this hunting 
 may not prove as disastrous as the Chevy Chase in times 
 of yore." 
 
 With these doubts and fears we should have been glad 
 to back out of this t-icklish expedition, but it was too 
 late. 
 
Cjnijitrr /nrtij -first. 
 
 A Kangaroo Hunt by the Natives — Thoy recognise an old Enemy 
 —The Flight— The Skirmish— The Attack renewed— Scrogg's 
 generous Devotion — Return to the Clyde — Crab resolves to leave 
 the Country. 
 
 The usual torpidity of the natives was now changed 
 to the most lively activity, in which the women, and 
 even the youngest children, joined. The men jabbered 
 to one another, the women chattered all together, and 
 the children cut little savage capers, casting juvenile 
 spears at one another in sport and frolic. I made our 
 guide understand that we wished him to warn us of any 
 appearance of treachery, but he had no apprehension of 
 any hostile intentions. 
 
 " No want to fight now,'' said he; " hunt kangaroo." 
 
 We observed, however, that he did not mingle with 
 the natives in their proceedings, but with a sort of in- 
 stinct that he was safer in our immediate vicinity than 
 among the "black fellows," as he called them, he kept 
 close to our side. 
 
 The naked group made their way to the rear of the en- 
 campment, and, at the distance of about half a mile, 
 Musqueeto assumed the management of the hunt. He 
 directed half of his party to proceed, as Tom interpreted 
 to us, to a distance of about four miles from the spot 
 where we stood, and another party to extend themselves 
 
 (463) 
 
464 Native Kangaroo Hunt. 
 
 circularly to the right, while others made a similar cir- 
 cuit to the left. By these means it was intended to en- 
 close a circle, and to drive all the game to the centre. 
 In the dry season it is the practice of the natives to set 
 fire to the woods and so dislodge the game, which they 
 slaughter as it flies from the flames towards their am- 
 buscades. But, on the present occasion, as the grass will 
 not burn in the winter season, they were obliged to 
 pursue a more laborious expedient. 
 
 Musqueeto now sat down on the grass, and we followed 
 his example, stationing ourselves on the log of a tree, 
 and Tom informed us that we should have to wait till the 
 first detachment of natives reached their destination be- 
 fore it would be time for us to advance. 
 
 We endeavoured, in the meanwhile, to engage Mus- 
 queeto in conversation, but he was not inclined to talk, 
 and seemed to be engaged in some mental calculation. 
 
 '' This is a new scene," observed the magistrate; "1 
 little thought that you and I should be engaged in a hunt- 
 ing expedition with our equivocal acquaintance here." 
 
 " T hope it may all end well," said I. " Since you 
 have hinted about their recognising me, I have had very 
 disagreeable sensations. A fight with the savages would 
 be an awkward affair, encumbered as we should be with 
 our little charge impeding our motions." 
 
 The girl crept closer to me at the expression of these 
 fears, but said nothing. 
 
 "It was only a few days ago," said the magistrate 
 "that I was reading a specious argument of a French 
 writer in favour of natural over civilised life ; I am in- 
 clined to think that if the eloquent sophist had possessed 
 the experience which we have of these savages — whose 
 
Primitive state of Society. 465 
 
 condition may be considered as the very perfection and 
 model of the primitive state of society which the Gene- 
 vese philosopher extolled — he would have modified his 
 opinion." 
 
 " The natives of Van Diemen's Land," said I, " seem 
 to be but one degree removed from the animal creation — 
 a sort of connecting link between man and the brute. 
 Having only one idea above the brute, and that is — to 
 eat him ! But they have only one brute to eat — to 
 wit, the kangaroo. In my opinion, the degraded con- 
 dition of the natives of this island may be ascribed in a 
 great measure to the nature of the country itself. There 
 is no fruit, herb, or root indigenous to the soil which is 
 fit for the sustenance of man, and no animal, like an 
 ox, a sheep or a goat, capable of being domesticated so as 
 to furnish a regular supply of food. The only animal 
 fit to eat, apart from the opossum and such nasty things, 
 is the kangaroo, and to catch the kangaroo the natives 
 must be continually shifting their ground ; consequently 
 they are prevented from acquiring any fixed habitation, 
 and are deprived of the advantage of those domestic 
 habits which seem to form the first step in the progress 
 of civilization." 
 
 ''Could you ever find out," said I, "whether they 
 have any idea of a Divine Being ?" 
 
 " All that inquirers have been able to make out," re- 
 plied my friend, "is, that they have a belief in an evil 
 spirit, which seeks to do them harm, but they cannot 
 discover any notion among them of a good or creative 
 spirit. Cook and Flinders have described long ago the 
 religious, or rather the superstitious ceremonies of the 
 Sydney natives j but the aborigines of this island either 
 30 
 
466 Excitement of the Chase. 
 
 do not practise the same comicalities, or we have not 
 been able to witness tliem." 
 
 " Our ignorance of their language," I observed, "must 
 be an obstacle to our acquiring a correct knowledge of 
 their religious belief, or of their customs." 
 
 "No doubt; but their language, so far as we can un- 
 derstand it, seems capable of expressing only the most 
 simple ideas ; and indeed it is only the most simple ideas 
 that they want to express." 
 
 "They are good mimics," said I. 
 
 •'So are all savages; and many animals excel in the 
 same way; birds imitate sounds, and monkeys imitate 
 gestures. But our host is getting up ; I suppose the sport 
 is about to begin." 
 
 Musqueeto rose languidly from the ground, and ejacu- 
 lated an order right and left to the natives within hear- 
 ing, who repeated the word till it was lost in the dis- 
 tance. We then moved forward, Musqueeto taking, or 
 seeming to take little notice of us, and retaining his u.sual 
 sulky, stupid look. But as the shouts of his comrades 
 grew louder and louder, and the distant view of the game 
 occasionally met his eye, the passions of the savage were 
 roused up, and his listless demeanour rapidly changed to 
 that of intense animation, as he grew hot in the excite- 
 ment of the hunt. The spirit of the savage now began 
 to develope itself, and it was with hideous sounds and 
 frantic gestures, which I should in vain attempt to de- 
 scribe, that he performed his part towards frightening 
 the game into the centre of the circle, which at wide in- 
 tervals, was formed around the scared and terrified ani- 
 mals. But these intervals, as we continued our advance^ 
 gradually grew less and less, till we came within hearing 
 
MusQUEETO Kills nis Game. 4(57 
 
 of tliose who formed the farthest verge of the enclosure. 
 As the circle narrowed, and as we caught occasional 
 glimpses of a terrified kangaroo, the cries and antics of 
 Musqueeto, and the other natives to the right and left, 
 who were in sight, became more violent and furious, and 
 the black naked savages, rattling their spears and bran- 
 dishing their waddies, and screaming and dancing about 
 in the most raging state of excitement, resembled a band 
 of demons engaged in some infernal orgies. And now, 
 with immense strides, a monstrous kangaroo standing six 
 feet high, and with his gigantic tail heaving up and 
 down behind him, hopped past us to the left. Mus- 
 queeto saluted him with a spear, which stuck in his 
 shoulder, but broke off among the bushes; he was met 
 by the natives at their post, who drove him back again 
 by their shouts. Musqueeto darted out to meet him, and 
 before the animal could stop itself in its career, he struck 
 it sharply on the crown with his waddy. The creature 
 shook its beautiful head and ears a little, stunned by the 
 stroke, and Musqueeto, taking advantage of its confu- 
 sion, repeated his blows, nimbly avoiding the dashes 
 which the kangaroo made at him with the formidable 
 claws of its hind feet, till he brought him to the ground. 
 A yell of triumph proclaimed this first •success, and 
 Musqueeto, no longer the apathetic native which he so 
 lately appeared, now exhibited himself in all the ferocity 
 of the savage. His blood was up from his struggle with 
 the kangaroo, and his exertions had lashed him into a 
 state of almost ungovernable fury. Seeing him in this 
 state we repented having engaged in this perilous sport, 
 but to withdraw at such a moment would have excited 
 the suspicion, and perhaps the anger of the natives. We 
 
468 A Sportsman's Habits. 
 
 kept our fire-arms ready, therefore, and endeavoured to 
 preserve our coolness and presence of mind in the midst 
 of the general excitement. 
 
 The circle had now become narrowed as close as was 
 desired, and we saw five kangaroos — foresters — in the 
 middle, and one prodigious fellow, whom the natives 
 greeted with the title of boomah ! boomah ! Three of 
 the foresters wei-e quickly dispatched with spears and 
 waddies, but the boomah ! stood in the midst looking 
 with a sort of defiance on his enemies, who pressed upon 
 him. Several spears were soon fixed in his body. He 
 gave a bound as each sharp missile pierced his skin ; but 
 he still stood erect seeking for a passage through the ranks 
 of his assailants. At last, as a party of three or four 
 rushed at him from the point opposite to us, and tried to 
 reach his head with their waddies, he gave a sudden 
 plunge, and bounding towards the spot where the magis- 
 trate, with me and the little girl, were standing in silence, 
 he effected his escape beyond the circle. Musqueeto 
 stamped on the ground with riige and passion at the loss, 
 and at that moment, the habit of the old sportsman taking 
 possession of me, I raised up my piece and selecting the 
 right-hand barrel, which always contained a ball, I fired ; 
 I was lucky enough to hit the back of its head, the ball 
 passing through it. The animal made no cry, for the 
 kangaroo never utters any sound, and giving one last 
 tremendous bound into the air, fell dead. At the report 
 of my fowling-piece the cries of the natives instantly 
 ceased, and they became motionless as statutes, casting 
 rapid glances of suspicion and fear at me and at one 
 another. This sudden silence succeeding the furious 
 outcries of the preceding moment had a peculiar and 
 

The Constables Alarmed. 469 
 
 startling ofFoct. I imiuodiutely ran to the game, and first, 
 with the precaution of an old settler in the bush, I re- 
 loaded my piece, the natives gazing at me in silence. I 
 then beckoned to the nearest native to come to me, point- 
 ing to the kangaroo, and inviting him by gestures to take 
 the animal; he hesitated, and looked at the others. 
 Calling black Tom, I bade him explain to the natives 
 that I considered the game belonged to them, and as 
 soon as they understood my meaning they came forward, 
 but slowly and doubtingly. Musqueeto, however, came 
 up without ceremony, and, examining the venison with 
 the precision of a connoisseur, he evinced unqualified de- 
 light at the prize. Four natives, uniting their strength, 
 contrived to carry the kangaroo to their encampment, 
 which was at no great distance ; while the rest went for- 
 ward to make preparations for a feast. Before we ar- 
 rived at the fires we were met by the two constables, who 
 had been alarmed by the report of my piece. They had 
 lost no time in throwing the saddles on the horses, and 
 had started immediately to our assistance. 
 
 "We feared that you were in for it," said Sanders; 
 *' and Scroggs was all ready for a scrimmage, for he's no 
 flincher when it comes to business — and that's the use of 
 him." 
 
 "It's no use," said Scroggs, "to stand shilly-shall}-- 
 ing ; the best way is to shoot 'em down at once, and 
 then you're sure they can't do you any harm. Never 
 trust a native !" 
 
 "Better mount your horse, sir," advised Sanders; 
 "they've got their spears and their waddies ready in 
 their hands, and there's no knowing when they may be 
 inclined to use them. Look at those three black 
 
470 A Suspicious Confidence. 
 
 guards yonder jabbering together, and pointing to Mr 
 Thornley." 
 
 " They are talking about his capital shot/' replied 
 the magistrate, " and wondering, perhaps, how it was 
 done." 
 
 '' May-be, sir ; but I don't like the way they left off 
 when we looked at them. Better be on our guard, sir." 
 
 We had no apprehension of any violence being at- 
 tempted, but we thought it best to be ready, so we took 
 our horses from the constables and led them by the bri- 
 dle. I put the child on mine, telling her not to be 
 frightened, but to hold on fiist by the mane. In this 
 order we proceeded back to the fires, and the natives 
 distributed themselves about, the game being cast in the 
 middle of the open space. I saw two snakes lying by 
 the side of the kangaroos, and I asked Tom what they 
 were going to do with them. 
 
 " Eat 'em," said Tom ; " snake good — eat many snake 
 at Sydney." 
 
 As he spoke, a native took up the snakes, and, without 
 skinning them, or performing any other operation of 
 cleanliness, threw them on the fire; and after they had 
 been done to his mind, he and one or two others, who 
 seemed to have a right to partake, devoured them with 
 much apparent satisfaction. 
 
 They now proceeded to dismember the largest of the 
 kangaroos, and as the pieces of flint, which served as 
 knives, were but clumsy tools to work with, I took out 
 my bush-knife and presented it to Musqueeto. The 
 knife contained one powerful blade and a smaller one, 
 with a saw. I opened the saw, and explained its use to 
 the natives around, who were much struck with the con- 
 
N A T I V E s' Curiosity. 471 
 
 trivance ; but the large blade pleased them most. Mus- 
 queeto condescended, on this occasion, to make use of 
 his new acquisition, by cutting to pieces the kangaroo. 
 He first cut off the head, which he threw on one side, 
 and then separated the shoulders and body from the 
 loins, and with more politeness than I had given him 
 credit for, he pushed towards us the hind quarters — the 
 best part of the animal — inviting us to take it. Sanders, 
 dismounting, threw it over the pommel of his saddle, 
 and resuming his seat, urged us to lose no time in set- 
 ting out, as we were now supplied with sufficient pro- 
 vision jo last until we should reach some stock-hut, or 
 settler's farm. T\'e mounted accordingly, but the mag- 
 istrate and I lingered for a few moments to observe the 
 curiosity with which the natives examined the head of 
 the kangaroo, which had been pierced by the ball from 
 my fowling-piece. From the examination of the hole 
 throuo-h the head, they were led to the examination of the 
 instrument that effected it, and three or four of them 
 crowded around me, pointing eagerly to the ornamental 
 stock which was studded with bright silver nails, and 
 had a broad piece of silver plate on the bend" of the 
 stock, usually placed there to receive the engraving of 
 the name. As I had held the stock of my piece under 
 my right arm, the natives had not had the opportunity 
 of observing it before, but now they gazed on it with an 
 expression of eagerness and surprise as if they recognized 
 it as an old acc^uaintance. 
 
 '' Look out, sir," said Sanders, " the same three sav- 
 ages that we remarked jabbering together before, have 
 p^t their eyes on your fowling-piece." 
 
 "Thornley," said the magistrate, earnestly, "I am 
 
472 The Natives Attack Us. 
 
 sure you are recognized ; those natives remember your 
 piece ; we had better be off. Do you go first with the 
 child, and I with the two constables will bring up the 
 rear, three abreast. Can Tom run at a pinch 1" 
 
 " As fast as you can canter," said Sanders. 
 
 " Move on then, and let us lose no time." 
 
 I and the magistrate mounted our horses, when a yell 
 broke out from the clustering savages, which made the 
 woods ring again ; a yell so loud and thrilling, that it 
 made our horses start and champ their bits. Had any 
 other stimulus been wanting to hasten our movements, 
 it now appeared in the shape of a spear thrown by a 
 willing arm at me, but which missed and stuck in the 
 flank of Scroggs's horse. The animal did not wait for 
 a second spurring, nor Scroggs for a second hint, and 
 the sight of this open declaration of war operated on us 
 all.- With one accord we gallopped off round the base 
 of the hill, Tom preceding us, who, however, was 
 quickly left behind. Seeing this, the magistrate called 
 out to us to pull up, and he directed Sanders to let Tom 
 mount behind him as the ground was level, till we got 
 beyond the reach of the natives. The delay, however, 
 enabled the natives to intercept us at the turn of the 
 hill, and we encountered them standing on the bank on 
 our right. We sheered our horses off beyond the reach 
 of their spears, but a womera, cast by some vigorous 
 native, struck' Scroggs's horse on the hind leg, and 
 caused a temporary halt. 
 
 " Steady," cried the magistrate, '^ we have a clear field 
 and no trees." A shower of spears interrupted his speech. 
 
 " Sanders, pick off that native to the right, with the 
 bundle of spears in his left hand." 
 
The Fight Continued. 473 
 
 The constable fired, and the native fell. At this 
 check the rest retreated among the trees and bushes. 
 
 " Now, Scroggs, my man, you must make your horse 
 go ; man's life is worth more than a horse's. Keep up 
 for four-and-twenty hours, and we are safe." 
 
 But we could make but slow progress with the crip- 
 pled horse, and we would not leave the man behind. 
 We jogged on, therefore, for another hour, skirting a 
 thick wood to our right, till we came to the base of a 
 scrubby hill. 
 
 "Now, sir," said Sanders, "if the natives are deter- 
 mined to make a fight of it, this is the place where they'll 
 do it. They have found out that Mr. Thornley is the 
 same white man whom they fought with before, and no 
 doubt he killed some of their relations at that time, and 
 the survivors will have blood for blood ; it's always the 
 way with the natives." 
 
 "How was it," said I, "■ that Musqueeto was so quiet 
 then ? he must have known me." 
 
 " You see, sir, he's a Sydney native, and doesn't 
 rightly belong to any tribe in this island. If you had 
 hurt one of his gins, that would have been another mat- 
 ter, for the natives are like the whites in that — they 
 don't like our people to take their gins ; and that's what 
 gives rise to most of the quarrels between the natives 
 and the stock-keepers. The stock-keepers entice their 
 gins away by a tenpenny nail, or a bit of broken glass 
 bottle, or, best of all, a red handkerchief — there's no- 
 thing like a bit of red rag to come over a gal with, let 
 her be black or white, and then the natives don't like it, 
 and so they have to fight it out." 
 
 " And so must we fight it out," said the magistrate, 
 
474 The Native/s Challenge. 
 
 " for there are the natives coming forward in a body. I 
 am sorry for it, but if we must defend our lives, the best 
 way is to act decisively." 
 
 By this time we had reached the top of the hill, and 
 beneath us was a level plain of considerable extent, but 
 the descent of the hill was very steep and rugged. We 
 drew ourselves up on a clear space, and waited for the 
 attack. The natives also drew themselves up at a dis- 
 tance of about a hundred yards, and one of them, advanc- 
 ing towards us, with a waddy in his right hand, and a 
 bundle of spears in his left, began a speech in a loud 
 but calm voice, using abundant action, but without un- 
 seemly noise or passion. 
 
 " What does he say, Tom ?" said the magistrate. 
 
 " He say you all bad white men." 
 
 "And what more ? he must say more than that in that 
 long speech." 
 
 " He say you come take his country, and eat his kan- 
 garoo, and take his gins. He say you very bad white 
 men. And he say, this gentleman, jMitter Thornley, very 
 bad white man indeed ; he kill him brudder — brudder 
 of black fellow dere — and he say he want Mitter Thorn- 
 ley to go stand there for him to throw spear at him." 
 
 "He sends you a challenge to fight a duel, Thornley," 
 said the magistrate. '' As a gentleman and man of honour 
 you can't refuse, or Blackee will post you." 
 
 " Mitter Thornley go tand dere," said Tom, " black 
 fellow throw one, two, three, many spear at him j then 
 black fellow no want to fight ; only kill Mitter Thornley ; 
 then very good friends." 
 
 " Come, Thornley," said my friend, laughing, " it is 
 plain that you must perform the part of Quintus Curtius 
 on this occasion." 
 
A Parley. 475 
 
 " Please, sir," said Scroggs, " I don't know how Squint- 
 ing Curtis managed with the natives, but if we have 
 only to do with that one jawing away there, we might 
 buy him off, perhaps, with something that we have about 
 us. There's the remains of the bottle of rum; offer 
 him that." 
 
 Tom advanced accordingly, calling out "corrobara," 
 meaning thereby that he wished for a parley to talk the 
 matter over a bit with the aggrieved native. Tom pro- 
 posed that the half bottle of rum should end the affair 
 amicably, but the offer was indignantly rejected. Tom 
 reported progress, and the native continued his ha- 
 rangue, enumerating over and over again the injuries 
 •which he had received, and the vengeance which he 
 would take. 
 
 "Let us try him with something more," said the mag- 
 istrate, "it is something to get him to negotiate at all 
 for the price of his revenge; if it is only a question 
 of amount I think we may manage it. Let us consult 
 Tom; Tom, what shall we give him?" 
 
 "You give bottle of rum; Mitter Thornley's red 
 handkerchief for his gin; and give him buttons from 
 yoixr coat." 
 
 " My coat buttons !" said the magistrate. " Well, to 
 save my friend's valuable life, and to prevent a breach of 
 the peace — for I see Thornley is red hot to fight this duel 
 — I suppose I must let him have them." 
 
 Tom was accordingly despatched with these new 
 presents; but the native now took a fancy to Tom's 
 axe, and, after some chaffering, Tom surrendered it. 
 But there was still a hitch, and our ambassador returned 
 again. 
 
476 ScROoas for a Target. 
 
 "Black fellow say, that, 'cause Mitter Thornley hab 
 the piccaninny, he throw one little spear at that man 
 there instead." 
 
 " Throw a spear at me !" exclaimed Scroggs, " I won't 
 have any spears thrown at me ! Tell him to go and be 
 hanged I" 
 
 "Black fellow say," said Tom, "he must throw one 
 little spear at somebody, 'cause if he no throw spear all 
 the mob point finger at him. He say, he no hurt white 
 man, only stick spear in him a little bit." 
 
 " Stick a spear in me a little bit !" said Scroggs ; "I'll 
 stand no such thing ! Let him stick his spears into the 
 gum-trees, if he likes. What am I to have spears stuck 
 in me for, more than anybody else ?" 
 
 "My good fellow," said the magistrate, " if the sacri- 
 fice of yourself will have the efiiect of preventing a fight, 
 and of saving the efi"usion of blood, I should advise you 
 to consent ; but, of course I cannot order you in such a 
 matter ; it is entirely for your own consideration and 
 generosity to determine whether you will be the means, 
 for a trifling smart perhaps, to save many human lives. 
 Remember Quintus Curtius !" 
 
 '' Squinting Curtis ! He never stood up to have 
 
 spears shied at him I'll be bound." 
 
 "If you go through this part well," said the magis- 
 trate, "I shall certainly recommend you to the governor 
 for reward and promotion." 
 
 " It's very hard," whined Scroggs, "but I am always 
 to be the one to have the worst hand at the game. It 
 was my bottle of rum that those black rascals swallowed, 
 and now that it has got their pluck up, I am to be a 
 cockshy for that rampaging devil there, that keeps bran- 
 dishing his spears about." 
 
Money or Life? 477 
 
 "I'll tell jou what, my man," said I, " I don't think 
 any harm will come of it, or I would not consent to your 
 going ; but if you'll take the job off my hands, as I've 
 got the child to take care of, I'll give you a hundred 
 dollars I" 
 
 "Well, said Scroggs, "I'll go, but I dont like it. 
 You mean a hundred dollars in money, not property ?" 
 "Yes," said I, " a hundred silver dollars down." 
 " It's for the sake of the child I go, not the money. 
 But nobody can say I haven't a right to something for 
 making a target of myself for that black rascal to stick 
 his spears in." 
 
 " Why, he'll never hit you," said Sanders. " You 
 have a right to one spear to defend yourself with accord- 
 ing to the customs of the natives." 
 
 '' The desire to get the dollars outweighing his fears, 
 the doughty constable proceeded to the spot where this 
 novel sort of monomachia was to take place, and stand- 
 ing about forty yards from the native, waited with a 
 most rueful countenance for the commencement of the 
 ceremony. The native treated him in the first place 
 with an explanatory and expostulatory harangue, which 
 the miserable Scroggs received much in the same way as 
 a criminal listens to the congratulatory condolences of 
 the executioner before he is turned off. The native 
 then performed various mystic evolutions, which so pro- 
 tracted the proceedings, that the impatient Scroggs cried 
 out — 
 
 " D you, if you're going to throw a spear at me, 
 
 shy away, and don't keep me waiting in this manner !" 
 
 The only word which the black man understood was 
 
 the first, which almost all the natives had picked up from 
 
478 How ScROQGs Stands it. 
 
 the frequent use of that expletive by the stock-keepers, 
 with whom they mostly came in contact; but as he well 
 knew it was an epithet of vituperation, he took it as a 
 sign of heroic defiance from the magnanimous Scroggs, 
 and suddenly stopping short in his fantastic antics, he 
 cast a spear at the constable, which narrowly missed his 
 arm, and whirred rapidly past him for more than twenty 
 yards. 
 
 " Hulloa," cried Scroggs, " that's too close to be plea- 
 sant. Take it easy, will you, you ugly blackguard I" 
 
 The next spear struck him on his right side, but meet- 
 ing there with a tobacco-box, it was luckily stopped 
 from doing further mischief than stavino; in the lid of it. 
 But this was too much for Scroggs. Bestowing a hearty 
 curse on all the natives in'the island, and including him- 
 self in his general execration for being such a fool as to 
 stand there to be made a sieve of, he ignominiously turned 
 tail, and the next missile projected by the savage took 
 effect in his fleshy protuberance behind. Scroggs gave a 
 roar that might have done credit to a wild bull, and with- 
 out waiting for further compliments, ran back to us, 
 Sanders laughing heartily at his condition. 
 
 '' I say, Scroggs, my boy, you'll never be able to show 
 your wounds that way. Do you remember the sergeant 
 of the 40th showing us his wounds in front ? It will 
 never do to leave them behind. Go and let the black 
 fellow have another shy at your chest, that you may get 
 honourably marked and look respectable." 
 
 " A hundred dollars," said Scroggs, '' in dollars, not 
 property !" pleased to find himself without more hurts. 
 ''Well — I wouldn't mind standing another shy for the 
 same money." 
 
Arrive at Home. 479 
 
 The native, who had given a yell of triumph when he 
 saw his victim with the spear sticking in behind him. 
 now gathered up his spoils, and returning to his compan- 
 ions we saw no more of the natives for that time, and we 
 proceeded on our way. 
 
 We had to sleep one night in the bush, which we 
 managed as well as we could, and towards the night of 
 the next day we reached a stock-hut to the east of Salt- 
 Pan Plains. Here we parted with Tom, the magis- 
 trate giving him an order on a storekeeper at Launeeston, 
 to supply him with anything he pleased to the amount 
 of five pounds; and cutting across the country to Oat- 
 lands, we were glad to repose ourselves at a comfortable 
 inn. At this place we learnt that the Jupitei' had sailed 
 two days before, and as I was anxious to get home with my 
 charge, I begged the magistrate to proceed to Launeeston 
 and ascertain what had become of the uncle of Georgiana. 
 I may as well say here, that my friend found that he 
 had escaped from the island on board that vessel. 
 
 The subsequent difficulties which my charge had to 
 encounter, I shall have to relate in their proper place. 
 The constables, at my request, accompanied me to the 
 Clyde, striking across the country by a short cut from 
 Jericho. I rewarded them liberally for their activity 
 and good conduct, giving Scroggs an order on the bank 
 at Hobart Town, for the hundred dollars, according to 
 my promise. My wife <nd children received the stranger 
 with an aficctionate kindness and sympathy, which soon 
 reached her little heart, and in a short time she con- 
 sidered herself as a child of the family. After recount- 
 ing my adventures, and my escape from the cavern of 
 the red-house, my wife scolding me, of course, for my 
 
480 Crab comes Home. 
 
 rashness in running such a risk, I lost no time in turn- 
 ing my attention to the affairs of my farm, which had 
 been for so long a time interrupted by the various acci- 
 dents which had befallen me. On inquiring for Crab, I 
 was informed that he had set out for his sheep-run an 
 hour or two after I had started for Hobart Town, and 
 had not returned. His absence did not give me any un- 
 easiness at the time ; but another week having passed 
 away without his appearance, I became alarmed, and be- 
 can seriously to think of setting out in search of him. 
 As we were discussing the matter, towards the close of 
 the day, we observed our old friend proceeding across 
 the meadow, in the direction of the house. He seemed 
 faint and exhausted, and his clothes were dirtied and 
 stained with travel. He had a bundle on his shoulder, 
 the weight of which seemed to oppress him, and he 
 trudged along, leaning on a stick, in a manner unusual 
 to his vigorous habits. I immediately went out to meet 
 him, and to assist him into the house. He sat himself 
 down in the great chair with a deep sigh, casting his 
 load on the floor, which rattled on the ground with a 
 jingling crash. 
 
 ''Thank God!" he said, " Fm at home again. I 
 thought I should never have seen you any more. Such 
 a country as this is ! No stage-coach — no nothing ! 
 But it sarves me right; I ought to have left it long ago; 
 but now I have made up my mind. The next ship that 
 goes takes me. There's nothing but wretchedness here ; 
 you'll all be ruined and murdered, every one — that's my 
 opinion." 
 
 " Why, what has happened?" said I; " what on earth 
 is the matter with you V 
 
Crab's Narrative. 481 
 
 " What has happened ? why, everything has happened 
 that shouldn't happen. I'll tell ye if you'll give me 
 time; but, first I must have something to eat. Oh ! 
 there's the mutton-chops. Only let me get a little life 
 into my body, and then I'll tell ye." 
 
 But the adventures of Mr. Crab on this memorable 
 journey must form the commencement of a new chapter. 
 31 
 
How Crab sold his Sheep — The embarrassment of Riches — Crab'l 
 Misadyentures — He resolves to leave the Colony. 
 
 "It's all owing to that bit of land at Cherry-tree Bot- 
 tom," said Crab, striking the table with his horny hand, 
 to give greater emphasis to his position, and causing all 
 the tea-things to give a simultaneous jump at the con- 
 cussion. " It's all owing to hankering after that land 
 which I had no business with, and it sarves me right, 
 and it's a judgment on me ! What have I to do with 
 land in this outlandish place ? If I hadn't let 'em give 
 me that land I shouldn't have wanted to build a house 
 ou it ; and if I hadn't wanted to build a house on it, I 
 shouldn't have wanted to sell the sheep, and then I 
 shouldn't have been plagued with those confounded dol- 
 lars ! But I'll go by the next ship ! Betsy, my dear, 
 write a letter for me, there's a good gal." 
 
 "With pleasure," said Betsy, who was the old man's 
 favourite. " Who to ?" 
 
 " To the storekeeper at Hobart Town — Mr. Stikitinem." 
 
 " What an odd name !" 
 
 " He's a sort of Dutchman, my dear, that supplies me 
 with my things. I'd write myself, but living in this 
 wretched country has hurt my eyes, and I never could 
 see to read writing easy. I can make out big print vei'y 
 weU when I know what it's about, as a chapter in tne 
 (482) 
 
Crab Sells nis Sheep. 483 
 
 Bible or so. But I never did write much, because my 
 hand is hard with holding the plough, and a little thing 
 like a pen comes unnatural to it." 
 
 " What are you going to do with this handkerchief full 
 of dollars ?" interrupted my wife. " I hope, Mr. Crab, 
 you are not going to keep them here; it's a dangerous 
 temptation in the bush." 
 
 " That's just what I don't know," observed Crab, sor- 
 rowfully; "ever since I've had 'em, that's the very 
 question that every body has asked me, and the very one 
 I never could answer. But trouble enough have I had 
 to get 'em, and I do believe they're the last dollars left in 
 the colony ?" 
 
 "You have sold some sheep, I suppose/' said I; 
 " what did you get for 'em ?" 
 
 '' Nothing but mortification — and those dollars. One 
 chap wanted three years' credit, and he oflfered thirty 
 shillings a head — and then he offered forty shillings a 
 head ; but I said, ' Money down, that's my way of deal- 
 ing; that's the way I bought 'em, and that's the way I'll 
 sell 'em.' Then another Launceston chap, he offered to 
 give me I don't know how many head of cattle for 'em; 
 and, says I, '■ What are they, wild cattle ?' ' Of course,' 
 says he. ' And where may they be V says I. ' They're 
 somewhere near Circular Head,' says he. ' Then,' says 
 I, < they may stay at Circular Head tiU their heads grow 
 where their tails are; I'll have nothing to do with wild 
 cattle, that go scampering about all over the island, and 
 you never know where to find 'em when you want 
 'em.' At last a new settler, that had heard that mine 
 werefine-wooled sheep, came and said he'd buy four hun- 
 dred of 'em " 
 
484 Crab SELLS his Sheep. 
 
 " ' How do you mean to pay ?' said I. ' Bank notes/ 
 said he, ' of the Bank of Diemen's Land/ 
 
 "I dcn't know how it was — I was over-persuaded, for 
 he was a terrible talking chap, and if ever any one had 
 the gift of the gab, it was he. And so we went to my 
 sheep-run at the back of Norfolk Plains, and then the 
 dispute began. He wanted to pick the ewes, all the 
 young 'uns, and the best, though, for the matter of that, 
 they're all good ; but I said ' No ! that's a thing I won't 
 anyways permit. Take 'em as they run out of the 
 yard.' Then he talked at me I suppose for half an hour, 
 to convince me that the buyer had a right to pick 'em ; 
 but I wasn't going to be convinced by the likes of him, 
 and so I said, ' Take 'em or leave 'em, a pound a head's 
 my price, money down, as they run out of the yard.' 
 Then he proposed that we should each pick one till he 
 had taken his four hundred. Well, I thought that was 
 reasonable, and so we managed it that way. When 
 he had pitch marked 'em with his brand, and was going 
 to drive 'em away, says I — 'Where's the money?' 
 ' Give me a pen and ink,' said he, in an off-hand way, 
 ' and I'll give you a check.' ' A check,' says I, ' I 
 want none of your checks — it's the money I want.' 
 ' Then,' says he, ' you must come with me to Launces- 
 ton, for I'm not such a fool as to carry money about with 
 me, and there I'll get you the cash.' 'That's all very 
 well,' said I, ' but in this country we never let the sheep 
 go without the money. So, if you please, the four hun- 
 dred sheep that you've marked must stay here till I'm 
 paid for ''em.' ' Very well,' said he. 
 
 ** And he gave you the money at Launceston, I sup- 
 pose ?" said I. 
 
Is Paid in Notes. 485 
 
 "You shall see. Give me another cup of tea. Letm© 
 tell my story my own way, or else I shall never ha' done. 
 So I went with him to Launceston, and we had a quart 
 of port out of the cask at the inn there — it wasn't bad 
 stuff, but nothing like the beer one gets at a public- 
 house at home ; and then he wrote a check, as he called 
 it, and told the landlord to take it to a merchant of the 
 town, and sure enough he brought back four hundred 
 bank-notes of four dollars each, as he said, but I couldn't 
 make out the writing on them, the letters were so flou- 
 rished about, but I thought it must be all right, as the 
 landlord was there witnessing it. He wrote an order for 
 the sheep to my shepherd, and I signed it j he asked me 
 what my christian name was, and I said Samuel, and he 
 said he shouldn't have guessed it, but he dared say my 
 shepherd would understand it, and so there I sat with 
 the four hundred bits of paper before me. 
 
 " The landlord came in, and sat down by me, and talked 
 of the news, and says he, ' Have you heard of the great 
 failure in Hobart Town ? That flashy cove that was 
 flying his paper kites hasn't been able to raise the wind 
 any longer ?' ' Flying paper kites !' said I ; ' what on 
 earth can a man want to fly kites for ? I used to fly a 
 kite when I was a boy. . . .' 'I see,' said he, 'you don't 
 take. Flying kites means issuing these things,' point- 
 ing to the dollar-notes, ' and then when it comes to pay- 
 ing them, its ' no effects !' 
 
 " What the landlord said had a terible effect on me, 
 for all of a sudden it struck me I had parted with my 
 four hundred prime ewes for four hundred bits of paper 
 that wasn't good enough to light pipes with. I broke 
 out into a cold sweat directly. 
 
 '' 'Landlord,' said I, 'can you take me to the met- 
 
486 Has them Changed to Dollars. 
 
 chant that gave you these notes ?' ' To be sure I can/ 
 said he, ' it's only a step.' Says I to the merchant, * I 
 have a particular reason for wanting silver instead of 
 paper just now. Couldn't you give me dollars instead 
 of these notes V 'Certainly/ said he, very polite-like, 
 ' but I should have thought/ said he, ' you would find 
 dollars very inconvenient to carry about.' ' Not the 
 least in the world,' said I; so he counted 'em out, and 
 put 'em in an old gunny-bag, and then I put the gunny- 
 bag in my handkerchief, so as to look like a change of 
 clothes, and hoisting them on a stick over my shoulder 
 I marched back to the inn. 'That's a large sum of 
 money,' said the landlord, ' to have in cash; and it's a 
 great temptation to servants; I hope you are not a-going 
 to keep it at my inn.' This was the first of my troubles. 
 'No,' said I, 'I'm going to take myself ofi" home — 
 dollars and all.' ' I should advise you,' said he, ' not 
 to let anybody know you have that sum of money about 
 you; it might bring you to mischief.' 'Never fear/ 
 said I, ' I know how to take care of myself.' 
 
 " After I had had some dinner, I set out, but I found 
 the dollars a greater weight than I thought for, so I 
 stopped at a settler's hut about ten miles from Launces- 
 ton, and sat down, intending to stay the night there. 
 
 " ' What have you got here ?' said he, trying to lift 
 up my load, and wondering at the weight of it. ' Why, 
 they can't be dollars ? and yet they feel like 'em.' 'Dol- 
 lars,' said his wife, ' Oh, Lord ! we shall all be murdered 
 in our beds. Pray, Mr. Crab, don't let 'em be here ! 
 You're sure to have been watched, and the prisoners will 
 try to get 'em, and murder us all. How could you 
 think of bringing 'em here V ' If I have brought 'cm 
 
The Trouble of Riches. 487 
 
 here/ said I, a little hurt-like, ' I can take them away 
 again. I'll go on to Old Simon's, and he'll give me 
 lodging for the night, I dare say.' 
 
 " The husband didn't want me to go, and said it was 
 nonsense ; but I saw his wife wished me to be oflp, so I 
 shouldered up my dollars, and went on to Old Simon's, 
 which wasn't above two miles off, by the road side. 
 
 " ' Can you give me a night's lodging ?' said I. 
 ' With all my heart,' said he ; ' Jem, put on some mut- 
 ton-chops. What have you got here ?' said he. * I'll 
 tell you at once,' said I, ' because I know I can trust 
 you; I've been selling some sheep, and these are the 
 dollars I got for 'em.' ' Dollars !' said he ; ' how can 
 you think of going about with such a heap of dollars ? 
 You'll be robbed and murdered before you get home. 
 But let's put 'em out of sight.' 
 
 ''With that he clapped an empty tripod over 'em, just 
 in time, for his man came in a moment after with the meat. 
 
 " I had hardly finished eating a few chops, when who 
 should come in but three strange men ; one was a ticket- 
 of-leave man, and the other two were Government men 
 just arrived, and they were going on to Launceston to 
 the master that they had been assigned to. Simon gave 
 me a look as much as to say, ' here's a mess !' but there 
 was no help for it ; he couldn't well refuse shelter to 
 travellers on a winter night ; so they looked about to sit 
 themselves down, and says one, 
 
 " ' Any harm in moving this tripod, master, to let 
 this seat come nearer the fire ?' 
 
 "Simon gave me another look, and I saw he didn't 
 like it; so I got up, and said, ' Take my chair, I've been 
 Bitting by the fire all the evening, and I'm warm 
 
488 Crab's uneasy Night. 
 
 enough ;' so I sat myself down on the tripod. It wasn't 
 an easy seat, for the three prongs stuck up very awk- 
 kard, let alone its being so low ; but I thought that was 
 the best thing to do ; so I sat there very uncomfortable, 
 but trying to look easy. 
 
 " ' You seem to have rather a hard seat, master,' said 
 one of the prisoners — kind-like. 'Not a bit,' said I, 
 for a thought came across me that he had a suspicion of 
 what I sat there for; 'not a bit; I had rather stay 
 where I am.' 
 
 " Then the others offered me their seats, but the more 
 they wanted me to get up, the more I wouldn't. ' No — 
 no,' thought I; 'here I'll stick, my fine fellows, till I've 
 seen you safe out of the house.' 
 
 " Old Simon was very fidgety ; he had only one spare 
 bed, which the prisoners offered to me, seeing that I was 
 respectable-looking; but I wouldn't move from my tri- 
 pod, although the ends grieved me sorely ; and there I 
 was obliged to stay all night, for I didn't dare to move, 
 like a hen sitting on eggs ; and a more miserable night I 
 never passed." 
 
 "VVe all bm'st out a-laughing at this narrative, which 
 made Crab very indignant. 
 
 "It's all very well to laugh," said he, "but how 
 would you like to sit on a tripod all night yourself?" 
 
 " Well," said I, " and how did it end ?" 
 
 "End! I thought it never would end! But every 
 thing ends at last. In the morning the men went away ; 
 and then old Simon said directly, — 
 
 " ' For heaven's sake, Mr. Crab, make haste home I 
 haven't had a wink of sleep all night.' 
 
 "Says I, 'I won't trouble you long, you may depend 
 
Crab's Riches a Burthen. 489 
 
 on it;' and I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I was so 
 cramped with sitting, that I was quite stiff, and the tri- 
 pod seemed to have grown to me." 
 
 " No wonder/' said I, " but how did you manage to 
 get on ?" 
 
 " Old Simon was so wishful to get rid of me and my 
 load of dollars, that he lent me his bullock-cart to for- 
 ward me on a bit, and we put the bag of dollars in the 
 tripod, and covered it over with siftings, to make it look 
 natui'al-like. He helped me to lift it into the cart, and 
 his man drove the bullocks for about a dozen miles, and 
 then he stopped and looked at me, and then at the bul- 
 locks. I took that as a hint to get out, but I was sadly 
 puzzled to know what to do with my money, and the tri- 
 pod plagued me almost as bad. He took hold of one 
 side of the tripod and I of the other, and we se"!, it down 
 by the roadside. 
 
 " Bless me,' said he, ' how heavy the old pot has got ! 
 It can't be the siftings; it's like a pot of dollars.' 
 
 " This made me quake, and I looked in his face; but 
 r saw he said it quite innocent-like, and gave it no more 
 thought, and so he drove back, and I stood there for 
 some time, by the side of my money, musing a bit, for I 
 did'nt well know what to do. 
 
 " Presently I heard a precious noise of whips cracking, 
 and I saw a lot of cattle a scampering down the road, 
 that the stock-keepers were driving to the Government 
 Store at Launceston. There were thirty of 'em or more. 
 On they came helter-skelter, the stock-keepers after 
 them, cracking their whips, and hallooing to them to 
 keep on the road. Mj first thought was to sit on my 
 tripod to guard my dollars, but before I could well know 
 
490 Crab Overturned by Cattle. 
 
 what to doj on they came, and as I sat crouched up, they 
 did'nt see me till they were close upon me, and the 
 hindmost cattle pushed on the foremost, and the men 
 urging them on behind with their whips and shouts, be- 
 fore I could avoid them, they were on me, and x»ne 
 heifer, giving a snort at me with her nose, and a nuzzle 
 with her head, tumbled me over and over, tripod and 
 all, and the stock-keepers damned me as they dashed 
 by for putting their cattle out of the road, and there I 
 lay!" 
 
 " Upon my word," said my wife, at this pause — all of 
 us keeping very grave faces, for we did not dare to laugh 
 at the mishaps which he told with so much seriousness — 
 '' you have been very unfortunate, Mr. Crab ; but how 
 could you think of carrying such a load of dollars across 
 the country ?" 
 
 " How could I help it ?" said Crab, angrily; ^' I never 
 had to do so at home; but in this wretched country 
 there's no way to carry anything when you want it." 
 
 "But why didn't you take the bank-notes ? they would 
 have been lighter to carry." 
 
 '' Catch me taking their bank-notes, as they call 'em," 
 replied Crab; "do you think I never saw a bank-note 
 before ? Why, they're no more like real bank-notes than 
 chalk is like cheese ! No, no, nothing like the silver 
 dollars." 
 
 "Xhey seem to have been a sad inconvenience to you 
 on this occasion," said I, "these same dollars. But I 
 am anxious to know how you managed at last." 
 
 ''I couldn't manage 'em any how. So I was obliged 
 to take 'em out of the tripod, and put 'em over my 
 shoulder again, and then I did'nt know what to do with 
 
Surrounded by CoNvroTS. 491 
 
 the tripod. While I was thinking, I saw a gentleman 
 and lady coming along the road in a gig, with a roof to 
 it, and two horses, one before the other, the same as we 
 used to put 'em in a cart in Shropshire ; but they came 
 spanking along at a precious rate. When I called out 
 to them to stop, the gentleman pulled up sharp at this, 
 and says he, ' What's the matter, my man ?' Says I, 
 ' May I make so bold as to ask you, as you've got two 
 horses to your shay, and one to pull along the other, just 
 to leave this tripod at old Simon's, about a dozen miles 
 
 from here?' 'J) n your tripod,' says he, ' and you 
 
 too !' he did, upon my word, although he was a gentle- 
 man; and the lady laughed and said, 'Upon my lap, I 
 suppose !' and then the gentleman laughed louder, and 
 gave the fore-horse a twitch with his whip, and the horse 
 stood on his hind-legs just for a moment, turning round- 
 like, and the lady gave a little scream, and off they went. 
 ' Good luck to ye, and better manners,' said I, and I took 
 up the tripod with one hand, and with my bag of dollars 
 on my other shoulder, I walked on, but it was a weary 
 job, and before I had gone a couple of miles I was quite 
 knocked up. I sat down again by the road-side, and I 
 was so tired that I was almost tempted to leave the dol- 
 lars where they were, or to bury them in the bush. While 
 I was looking about for a convenient place, I saw a lot 
 of people coming along the road, and I soon perceived 
 it was a road-gang of yellow jackets going to wotk. I 
 was terribly troubled at this, for I 'thought they might 
 be tempted to make an attack on me, so I clapped my 
 bag into the tripod again, and sat down upon it, careless- 
 like, till they should pass by. But they stopped on the 
 road just where I was; and the overseer set them to work 
 
492 Crab gets a Lift. 
 
 round about me. They laughed and jeered at me for 
 sitting that fashion on the iron pot, but I sat firm j and 
 then the overseer came up and asked me if I was ill, but 
 I did'nt care to tell him my secret; when, luckily, there 
 came up a bullock-cart, drawn by four bullocks, and in it 
 was a fine buxom gal a-going to be married for a fancy in 
 the cburch at Hobart Town ; and the young man was with 
 her in the cart holding her, to keep her steady, because 
 the road was rough; and fine and merry they were. 
 There was her father and mother in another cart behind, 
 and seeing me sitting on my tripod, they stopped to look 
 at me, and tbe young gal laughed fit to split herself, 
 though what there was to laugh at I can't make out, for 
 I was miserable enough, not knowing what to do with 
 those confounded dollars, and the convicts all round me, 
 suspecting something, I'm sure. Well, seeing them so 
 jolly-like, I called out to them to give me a lift. ' I 
 won't have that tripod in my cart,' screamed the gal, 
 and then she laughed louder than ever. 'Whatever 
 have you got in it ?' said she. ' Hush,' said I, ' I'll tell 
 you by-and-by.' ' How heavy it is !' said the bullock- 
 driver. ' Its heavy with the damp,' said I, not knowing 
 what to say; 'from being on the ground;' and then 
 there was more laughing ; and the young man said I was 
 a wag !" 
 
 "And how did you get on with your new party?" 
 said Betsy, with her handkerchief over her mouth. 
 
 "I'll tell ye, but don't hurry me." 
 
 "I didn't like that such good-natured folks should 
 suppose I carried that tripod about for nothing ; so after 
 we had got about a dozen miles on our way, I told 'em 
 that I had been selling some sheep, and that I was car- 
 rying home the dollars. 
 
End of Crab's. Story. 493 
 
 " ' Dollars I' — shrieked the gal. ' Oh — heavenly gra- 
 cious ! we shall all be murdered, and that road-gang of 
 prisoners will be after us to get the money. Do, pray,' 
 said she, ' get out of our cart, and get into the other one;' 
 but the old lady was as afeared as the young one, and so 
 I was east adrift again with my dollars and my tripod, 
 and with a very heavy heart I saw the carts drive out of 
 sight ! 
 
 " At last I was obliged to leave old Simon's tripod be- 
 hind, and. I set out again, till I reached a settler's house 
 just before you come to Elizabeth River. I had much 
 ado to prevail on 'em to let me and my dollars rest there 
 for the night, and the man's wife was so frightened, that 
 we all three sat up all night watching the money, she 
 declaring every minute that she heard the sound of 
 men's feet coming to break into the house. 
 
 " They started me off in their bullock-cart next morn- 
 
 • ^°o' g^^^ ^° to^* ^''^^ °^ ^^^' ^^'^^ ^^^^ iodk me twenty 
 miles, and I walked the remainder, and got into Jericho 
 just at dark. There's a sergeant's party at that place, 
 and I went into the guard-room, and asked 'em to let 
 me sit there all night. And so there I sat, with my 
 bag in my lap, just nodding, and afraid to sleep, and 
 almost killed by the weight of the dollars all the long 
 night. Next morning I started again at daybreak. 1 
 thought I never should get up the Den Hill ; but here 
 I am at la.?t, and there are those confounded dollars. 
 But they'll serve to pay my passage home, for in this 
 abominable place I'll stay no longer. Now, Betsy, my 
 dear, have you got your pen ready ?" 
 
 " I've been waiting for you all the time," replied 
 Betsy, " what shall I say?" 
 
 " Do you write what I tell you," said Crab. 
 
494 Crab's Letter. 
 
 " Mr. Stiokitinem. 
 "Sir, 
 
 '' This comes, hoping you are well, as I am at this 
 present writing." 
 
 '' But you are not well," said Betsy, '*I never saw you 
 look so ill in my life." 
 
 " It's the way, my dear," said Crab, waving his handj 
 '^a letter must be begun some way, and that's the way 
 I always begin mine : it's like the coulter that's in front 
 of the plough. Now, go on and say, 
 
 " This wretched country has been the death of me — 
 and I mean to go home by the next ship. So please to 
 take a place for me, and tell the captain to be sure to 
 let it be somewhere near the axle-tree, where there's no 
 motion. 
 
 "Because I remember I was qualmish coming over," 
 added Crab, " but you needn't put that in the letter." 
 
 " And what else shall I say ?" said Betsy. 
 
 "You've said it all, thank' ee, my dear; but you may 
 just say that the last bag of sugar was wetted out of 
 all conscience, and as gritty as a gravel cart. And tell 
 him that I'll give forty shillings a bushel for all the 
 grass seed he's got left; and to try to get me some 
 strawberry plants from the nursery garden at Pitt- 
 Water; and to be sure to see that my bed place on 
 board the vessel is long enough, for I lost two inches in 
 height coming over, cramped up in the steerage; and 
 ask him to see if he can't get a couple of brick-makers 
 lent from the government ; I should like to see a tidy 
 house put up in the bottom yonder; nothing looka 
 neater than a nice red brick house, with a fish-pond in 
 front, and an arbour at the bottom of the garden. And 
 
Crab buries his Riches. 495 
 
 that reminds me that I shall want a shingle hammer 
 and a cask of shingle nails; and (this rum-and-water 
 makes one very sleepy) — and to see if the ship can take 
 home my last year's wool, and what's the price of lamb's 
 wool ; and I want a couple of sawyers, and a carpenter, 
 to saw the ship into planks — that is the logs — and — 
 this journey has so knocked me up that I can't write 
 any more — my dear, write the rest yourself — jow know 
 what I want to say — I'll just finish this tumbler, and 
 then I'll go to bed." 
 
 " But what will you do with these dollars ?" said my 
 wife. 
 
 " The dollars," said Crab, his intellects worn out by 
 the fatigue of his journey, and confused with the three 
 tumblers of rum-and-water which he had unconsciously 
 indulged in, ''put 'em — put 'em — in the tripod." 
 
 The next day Crab got up with the early light, and 
 to get rid of the anxiety of having these unfortunate 
 dollars in the house, he buried them with great care 
 and secrecy in the bush; but the very same day the 
 prisoner whom I have before mentioned as having been 
 sentenced to one hundred lashes, and pardoned, pitched 
 upon the plant, and observing that the ground had 
 lately been disturbed in an out-of-the-way place, he dug 
 up the loose earth with a stake, and finding the gunny- 
 bag containing the dollars, he carried it, just as it was, 
 to the magistrate's house. An inquiry having been 
 made, which set the whole district a-talking, the news 
 reached us, and the bag of dollars was duly restored to 
 Crab, who found the number of the dollars correct. 
 
 For this act of honesty the magistrate recommended 
 the prisoner for a free pardon, which in due course he 
 
496 Crab's Opinion or Currenot. 
 
 received, and he is now a flourisliing settler. But the 
 bag of dollars still remained to perplex the distracted 
 Crab ; and as the existence of this amount of silver bul- 
 lion was now the talk of the whole district, we were 
 obliged to send it to Hobart Town, escorted by Crab 
 and two constables. 
 
 " Silver dollars/' said Crab, "are a very fine thing to 
 talk about, and to wish for, but they're very troublesome 
 to carry about, and still more dangerous to keep by you. 
 If one could only trust those fellows at the Bank," said 
 he, " there's nothing like bank-notes after all." 
 
(IDliaiitBr /nrtij-tliirL 
 
 Fourtoen years pass by — The Emigrant's Wealtli — A Letter Srom 
 the Gypse/s daughter — Death of Crab. 
 
 It was fourteen years after the occurrences which I 
 have related in my preceding memoirs, that I was sit- 
 ting in my garden, under a splendid mimosa tree which 
 we had cherished for many years as a favourite spot — 
 enjoying the calm of a peaceful evening. 
 
 I had for several years past resigned the active manage- 
 ment of my farms, with my flocks and herds, to my eldest 
 son, who, with his wife and family, resided with me in 
 our large stone house, after the old patriarchal custom. 
 My daughter Betsy, who had married George Beresford 
 in 1827, had five children, and resided at Cherry-tree 
 Bottom, in a comfortable cottage, of which Crab, now 
 very far advanced in years, and who for some time past 
 had grown very feeble, was the dissatisfied owner. Be- 
 resford, the elder, had married Lucy Moss, in 1824, and 
 they now resided on the banks of the Shannon River, 
 surrounded by a numerous family. 
 
 It was the close of the summer season, in the month 
 of March, and the face of the country had for some 
 weeks assumed that brown autumnal tint which is the 
 prevailing hue of the fields and foliage for the greater 
 part of the year, in Van Diemen's Land. Two tiny 
 urchins, brother and sister, were playing near me on a 
 32 ( m ) 
 
498 Fourteen Years Later. 
 
 plot of English grass, whose lively green, and thick, 
 close sward, contrasted pleasingly with the brown, coarse 
 tufts of the native plains beyond. Eather too thickly 
 clustered, in a space that was covered with fruits and 
 flowers, were apple, pear, and peach trees; the former 
 bearing the ruddy tint of the English fruit, and the 
 latter in its full ripeness. A fine boy of eight years of 
 age was coaxing a young kangaroo with sugar, and a 
 white cockatoo, raising up his yellow-feathered tuft, 
 screamed and chattered on the walk, to attract the notice 
 of his playfellows. In the park-like plain below were 
 grazing some of the dairy cows, with two or three horses, 
 and a small pet flock of merino sheep. 
 
 I was attentively reading a volume of a work which I 
 had lately received from England, for being now able to 
 indulge in my early taste for books, I had accumulated 
 about twelve hundred volumes in a small library, which 
 formed a room, looking on the river, especially devoted 
 to my own serious contemplations ; but the gambols of 
 my grandchildren interrupted me continually. 
 
 The perusal of my book had produced in me that feel- 
 ing of melancholy which sometimes takes possession of 
 one's mind without any definable cause. Indeed, of all 
 men, I was one of those the least inclined to melancholy 
 thoughts, and God had been pleased to bless me with 
 such prosperity and increase, that if tears rose in my 
 eyes it must have been from the very fulness of my 
 satisfaction. 
 
 I laid down my book, and was revolving, as I sat, tho 
 many scenes of my busy and adventurous life, when my 
 dear wife, the companion of my labours and the sharer 
 of my prosperity, appeared at tlic end of the walk, with 
 
Gtpsey's Daughter. t99 
 
 a letter in her hand, and supporting on her arm her aged 
 mother, who, with the assistance of a staff, was still 
 able, though far advanced beyond the ordinary span of 
 human life, to take her accustomed walks in the garden. 
 My dear Mary was changed a little in her looks, but her 
 heart was still as warm and as affectionate as ever. She 
 wore her own gray hair, disdaining the artifice of con- 
 ventional disguise, and boasting that she was prouder 
 of being the grandmother of such a family than of all 
 the brown and clustering curls of her early youth. I 
 could tell by her countenance that she had some agree- 
 able news to communicate as she moved towards me. 
 She gave me the letter with a smile ; it bore the mark 
 of England, and on its seal was the single word " Geor- 
 giana." 
 
 I ought to say here, that after the G-ypsey's daughter 
 had been received in my family, immediate steps were 
 taken by me and the magistrate for securing her legal 
 rights in England. Various letters passed, and at the 
 end of four years an agent, duly empowered by her legal 
 guardians, arrived in the colony to take charge of her 
 on her passage home. Her uncle, John Shirley, he in- 
 formed us, had obtained possession of the estates as next 
 heir; but the elder brother, "William, had made a will, 
 by which he devised the whole of his estates and property 
 to trustees for the benefit of George Shirley, should he 
 ever return to England, or to his children. It was im- 
 possible to dispute the will, but the uncle denied the 
 marriage and the identity of the child. These points 
 were easily proved in the colony ; but, as the trustees in 
 England were desirous of her presence at home for their 
 greater satisfaction, and for the better prosecution of her 
 
500 She E-e turns to England. 
 
 cause, we took advantage of the opportunity of the return 
 of a fi-iend and his wife to the mother country to place 
 her under female care, and, accompanied by the agent, 
 she set sail in 1828. She was then eleven years of age, 
 and one of the most beautiful little girls I ever saw, and 
 beginning to be highly accomplished, for our governess 
 had done her duty well, and the child had amply replied 
 to the unmeasured attention which she bestowed on her. 
 
 I remember when I told my old friend, the magis- 
 trate, of her intended departure, and expressed my satis- 
 faction that she would meet with no troubles in Eng- 
 land, like those to which she had been exposed from the 
 machinations of her uncle, and from the caprice of the 
 savages in this country, my worthy and facetious friend 
 was pleased to observe that, 
 
 " Bad as that was she might be worse." 
 
 " Why, what can they do worse with her ?" said I. 
 
 ''■ Why," replied my friend, " they can put her in 
 Chancery I" 
 
 My children, wljo had become attached to their affec- 
 tionate playmate, were very sad, I remember, at this 
 sort of evil prognostication on the part of my friend, 
 thinking that to be put in Chancery was some terrible 
 disaster; and they conjured up all sorts of horrid ideas 
 about a prison, and looking through the bars ; but when 
 I explained to them that the Court of Chancery was a 
 place of refuge, curiously and ingeniously contrived for 
 the redress of wrongs, and for the protection of the or- 
 phan ; and that in twenty or thirty years, or, at least, in 
 the course of half a century, the rights of their young 
 friend would be in a fair progress of restoration, as 
 shortly after that period some succeeding Lord Chan- 
 
A Letter from H e r I 501 
 
 ccUor ^voulcl probfiblv intimate ■when her case might be 
 mentioned at some future time, with a view to its being 
 begun to be heard, they were silenced 3 although, I am 
 inclined to think, not quite satisfied with my well-meant 
 explanation. 
 
 We had received many letters from Miss Shirley 
 since her arrival in England, and the first news that we 
 had of her was that she was in Chancery, which spread 
 a gloom over my family, that was cleared up, however, 
 when we were informed that she did not snfier in her 
 health in consequence, and that in the meantime her 
 guardians supplied all her wants with a liberal hand ; 
 for her case was so plain that no human being had any 
 doubt of the success of her cause, excepting, of course, 
 the high functionary who had to decide on it. We were 
 very anxious, therefore, to hear of the progress of our 
 young friend, and it was with lively interest that I 
 opened the letter, and read aloud its contents. It was 
 addressed to my wife in the inside, and ran thus : — 
 
 " My dearest Mrs. Thorxley, 
 
 " My previous letters will have taught you to expect 
 that the most important event of my life would soon 
 take place, and that I should again change my name; 
 but the change, I assure you, has produced no altera- 
 tion in the heart, towards you and yours, of your grate- 
 ful Georgiana. I may now break through the reserve 
 which I have hitherto maintained in respect to some 
 points relating to my marriage. 
 
 " My first acquaintance with my husband began at 
 Milan, whither my guardian had taken me two years ago 
 in the course of our travels through Italy. We had 
 
602 The News in it. 
 
 gone to the opera on the evening of our arrival, without 
 being aware of the piece that was to be performed, or not 
 thinking of its application to myself The opera passed 
 off very well, but the next piece was the ' Gypsey.' The 
 scene brought back to my recollection my early sorrows 
 in Van Diemen's Land, and by one of those strange coin- 
 cidences which sometimes take place to our wonder in 
 real life, the dark Italian eyes of one of the performers 
 brought back so vivedly to my recollection the look of 
 my poor father when he caressed me shortly before his 
 melancholy fate, that I became troubled, and a tide of 
 painful thoughts rushing in upon me, I fainted. A 
 gentleman — young — and handsome, of course, assisted my 
 guardian to convey me to our carriage, and such assist- 
 ance accepted was a sufficient introduction for the next 
 day. Our intimacy increased, and although he was 
 eight years older than I, he became attached to me : but 
 1 struggled hard to prevent my heart from becoming en- 
 gaged, fearful that, from his rank and connections, he 
 might despise me when he came to learn the secret of 
 the Gypsey's daughter. This continued for the two 
 years that we remained abroad, when, having learned to 
 appreciate his generous character, I determined to re- 
 veal to him my terrible secret. He declared that he 
 did not love me less, and esteemed me more for my con- 
 fidence and sincerity. Shortly after this he quitted our 
 society under the plea of his affairs in England requir- 
 ing his presence ; and on our return home he presented 
 to me a packet of papers, and immediately retired. I 
 was alarmed at this conduct, and instantly opened the 
 packet, when I found documents completely exculpating 
 my dear father from any share in the death of the 
 
JsHE IS Married. 503 
 
 game-keeper, for his supposed participation in which 
 he had been condemned to banishment. That ob- 
 stacle — which indeed existed only on my part — being 
 removed — with the consent of my guardians, I resigned 
 my future destiny to his care, and I now write to you 
 as his happy wife. 
 
 " When I reflect on my present happiness, my dearest 
 second mother, I cannot but feel my large debt of grati- 
 tude for your fostering care of the forlorn Gypsey's 
 daughter; and how can I repay you for all your kind- 
 ness, and for the kindness of your children to me ? 
 Pray remember me to them all; to the grave William, 
 the merry Betsy, or rather I should call her Mrs. 
 George Beresford ; to the good-natured Edward, and is 
 he still called ' Sporting Ned ?' to Mary, and to Lucy, 
 and though last not least, to my dearest Ellen, who 
 used to romp with me; nor must I forget my dear old 
 governess, Mrs. Ramsay, who I hope continues in your 
 family, and who was so kind and good to the orphan 
 wanderer. I am almost tempted to wish that you were 
 very poor that I might have the delight of sharing with 
 you what we possess, for we are very rich ; but your 
 flocks and herds I hear almost cover the island, and 
 with your large estates, your carriages, and your horses, 
 and your baronial house, and all your patriarchal abun- 
 dance, I am at a loss to know what to send out to you. 
 I wish you could convey your fifteen thousand acres of 
 land to England. x\nd only think of that acre of land 
 which Mr. Thornley bought in Hobart-Town some years 
 ago turning out such a valuable property ; but of course 
 as land is wanted in a town for building houses on as 
 the inhabitants increase, every square foot, as my hiis- 
 band says, becomes valuable. 
 
504 And sends Presents. 
 
 '' jMy dear husband has sent out two beautiful horses 
 for Mr. Thornley, and some curious cattle and Saxon 
 sheep for William ; and I have sent a grand piano- 
 forte with the latest improvement for Mary, which will 
 stand very nicely at the end of your large room ; and a 
 harp for Ellen, with quantities of music. I have also to 
 request Edward to accept the choicest double-barrel 
 gun, with all sorts of apparatus which I don't understand, 
 that can be purchased in London, and my husband has 
 taken particular pains in selecting it. I was at a loss to 
 know what remembrance to send to Lucy, but I have 
 been fortunate enough to find a beautiful cabinet at a 
 curiosity shop, made at Vienna for the empress Maria 
 Louisa of France, with which I think she will be pleased, 
 as it accords with the splendour of her romantic dispo- 
 sition. I have sent also a self-acting organ for Betsy, 
 that she may have music, as she used to say she should 
 like, without the trouble of playing. Don't you rcmem.- 
 ber she used to say in her merry way, she would as soon 
 grind the old portable corn-mill as a hand-organ ? And 
 now, what have I to say more ? Oh ! it is to ask you 
 to send us another kangaroo, and some of the pretty 
 Rosina parrots that we made such pets of. 
 
 " Mr. John Shirley is living abroad, and my afiairs 
 are still in Chancery ; but as we are rich enough, we 
 have the satisfaction, my husband says, of considering 
 that the estates will some day come to our great grand- 
 children Mr. Shirley is inclined, I understand, to com- 
 promise the matter by his being allowed a small annuity 
 for life of three thousand a year, which would be nothing 
 for the property to pay, and our solicitors advise us to 
 accept it ; but my husband will not forgive him for en- 
 
Her Good Wishes. 505 
 
 deavouring to steal me away as he did, and exposing me 
 to the risk of being killed and eaten by the natives, in 
 order to marry me to his son. My husband says he 
 should have liked to know Musqueeto, for he was a fine 
 fellow for saving my life, and he says it was a shame to 
 hang him ; but the atrocities and murders that he com- 
 mitted are certainly very shocking. And now, my dear 
 Mrs. Thornley, and my dear friends, I bid you for the 
 present adieu; wishing you a continuance of your present 
 prosperity and happiness. And that you may long live 
 to enjoy the many delights of children, friends, fortune, 
 and independence, with which Providence has blessed 
 you, is the prayer of your ever affectionate and grateful 
 
 " Georgiana. 
 
 '' Postscript. — I declare I had forgotten to ask after 
 my old friend Mr. Ci'ab. He was very old, and getting 
 infirm, I thought, when I left the country. Is he still 
 alive ? and does he still go on grumbling and declaring 
 that he will leave the ' horrid, wretched country by the 
 very next ship V Again, 
 
 " Yours, 
 
 " Georgy.'* 
 
 " Kind, good-hearted old man !" said I. " He will 
 be glad to hear that the little girl, whom he was so fond 
 of, has not forgotten her old friend ; but I fear, from 
 the account we received of him last night, that he 
 will not be in this world long, to receive sucb remem- 
 brances." 
 
 As I spoke, George Beresford arrived on horseback, 
 and in haste, to inform us that the symptoms which had 
 
506 Appearance of Crab's Farm. 
 
 exhibited themselves the evening before, had become 
 more aLarming, and that Betsy wished me to come over 
 immediately. I desired a horse to be saddled instantly, 
 and leaving my wife to follow in the carriage, I made 
 the best of my way with my son-in-law to Cherry-tree 
 Bottom. 
 
 On our way we called at the surgeon's, and mounting 
 him on a led horse, which my groom had brought with 
 him for the purpose, he accompanied us to see if art 
 could do anything to prolong the life of my old friend. 
 
 " I fear," said the surgeon, " that all art is useless in 
 this case ; he is dying of sheer old age. How old really 
 is he ?" 
 
 " We don't exactly know," said I ; "he owns to eighty 
 two, but from his remembrance of past events in Eng- 
 land, we think he must be much older." 
 
 We soon arrived at Cherry-tree Bottom, which was 
 situated in a little hollow, embosomed among the sur- 
 rounding hills. Crab had made it the very model of an 
 English farm, and the rick-yard contained, in addition 
 to several imposing stacks of wheat thatched to a nicety, 
 and kept untouched, "because," as he said, "they made 
 a farm-house look warm and homelike," a tolerable stack 
 of hay made from native grass. The garden presented 
 the autumnal maturity of luxuriance, which is so strik- 
 ing in this country, and an ample orchard of cherry- 
 trees proclaimed that the name of the favoured spot was 
 now deservedly bestowed. 
 
 On a stubble-field, enclosed within a hawthorn-hedge, 
 two horses in a line were ploughing, with a Shropshire 
 plough ; Crab holding in abomination the colonial prac- 
 tice of employing bullocks in ploughs and carts. "'Vith- 
 
His Alarming Illness. 507 
 
 in sight of the house, a pond had with much labour been 
 excavated to receive the waters of a little rivulet that 
 took its source from a distant tier of hills. Indisputable 
 English geese and ducks disported themselves in this 
 capacious reservoir, gladdening the old man's eyes with 
 the picture of his early youth. But those eyes were 
 now about to close ; and with a heaviness of heart which 
 I did not attempt to suppress, I approached the door 
 of my ancient friend's dwelling. 
 
 We found the old man seated in an easy chair, his 
 silvery white hair hanging on his shoulders, by an open 
 window, having a view at the same time of his wheat- 
 stacks, his duck-pond, and his twelve-acre wheat field, 
 at which his servants were now at work. He had been com- 
 plaining, Betsy told us, of the mistiness of the atmos- 
 phere, although the air was clear and pure — I well knew 
 what this mistiness meant. 
 
 '' Here's father coming to see you," said Betsy, rais- 
 ing her voice a little, for a little deafness had been for 
 some time one of the old man's infirmities. 
 
 " Thornley, I'm glad to see you. Where are you ? 
 come closer ; the air is very dim : I suppose its the na- 
 tives that have fired the country, and it's all smoke — as 
 it always is in this place !" 
 
 " There are no natives now," said Betsy, '' to fire 
 the country ; they have all been removed this many 
 years." 
 
 " Have they ? Ah ! I remember something about 
 those sweeping expeditions, and what fun it was ! 
 making a line across the country, and the natives behind 
 us all the while wondering what we were after !" 
 
 " How do you feel, my dear friend ?" said I, sooth- 
 ingly. 
 
508 Crab's End Approaches. 
 
 '' Very weak — very weak indeed. You see, Thornley, 
 '.his wretched country has killed me at last. I always 
 said it would, but you never would believe me. But 
 it serves me right — ^yes, quite right ; I ought to have 
 left it long ago. It was those hops that deluded me 
 on." 
 
 " You have shown the colonists how to grow hops," 
 said I, wishing to please him by a little praise which 
 he well deserved. 
 
 " Ah ! haven't I ? And taught them how to make 
 beer too ! Betsy, my dear, tell them to get your father 
 a jug of that last tap. Let me taste it." They put the 
 cup to his lips. " How's this ? it tastes oddly ! Get 
 some more in another jug. Thornley musn't come to 
 my house, and not have a glass of ale ! But I shall grow 
 no more hops, and drink no more of my own home- 
 brewed ale !" 
 
 ''My dear friend," said I ''you have lived a longer 
 life than is ordinarily the lot of man ; and your latter 
 years have been passed in a state of prosperity far be- 
 yond your early expectations. Let us hope that the 
 Great Being who has blessed the latter part of your 
 career with so much wealth and ease, will regard all 
 your complainings in this life with an indulgent eye ; 
 and that your life hereafter may be such as he has 
 promised to those who keep his word, and trust in him." 
 
 '' I don't know," said Crab — in a slow and feeble 
 voice, his mind beginning to wander — " that I have done 
 much amiss — except the coming to this wretched coun- 
 try, and the staying in it, which is worse ; but I'll go 
 home by the next ship. Not a drop of beer to be had 
 in the country for love or money ! What's the use of a 
 
His Mind Wanders. 509 
 
 public-touse if there's no beer in it ? Half-a-guinea 
 for a bottle of stout ! It's sbanieful ! Did you ever see 
 a chap plough a field that way before ? Not know what 
 lying fallow means ! You're a cockney ! I don't wish 
 to be uncivil — but you're a cockney ! I say you're a 
 cockney?" 
 
 " His mind is wandering," said the benevolent clergy- 
 man attached to the Clyde church ; '' but his life has been 
 so innocent, and all his intentions so good, that if ever 
 spirit ascended to the presence of its Maker with hope 
 and trust, such may be the reliance of this single-hearted 
 old man ?" 
 
 My wife now arrived ; but it was with difficulty that 
 our dying friend could be made to recognise her; and 
 when he did, his waning intellects referred to times and 
 scenes foreign to the present. 
 
 " Mrs. Thornley," said he, in slow and feeble accents, 
 " your poor husband has been killed by the natives ; but 
 we must bear it — we must bear it. To roast him alive; 
 The savages ! But we'll all leave the country. I'm 
 going to leave the country. Where's Betsy ?" 
 
 Betsy took hold of the old man's hand, and spoke to 
 him. ****** 
 
 The clergyman now asked him if there was anything 
 that he wished to say, anything that he wished to have 
 done? 
 
 The questions of the divine roused the old man to a 
 consciousness of his present state, and recalled his mind 
 from its feeble wanderings. But his voice became 
 weaker and weaker, and his pulse grew more feeble in 
 its flutterings — and it was with difficulty that we could 
 make out the meaning of what he uttered. 
 
510 Cbab's Death. 
 
 "I know," he said, in a whisper scarcely articulate, — 
 ''that — we — must — all die I — but — I — wanted to see 
 how that wheat turned out — in — the — new — field. 
 George — never — plough with — oxen — and — don't — 
 shoot — the bull, as you did — the — other one. I — ■ 
 am — going — I — am — going. Betsy — hold — my — hand. 
 
 What do I feel ? Betsy — I am — stifling ! 1 — I — 
 
 I — can't breathe my breath Thornley — I am — 
 
 going — at last — out — of this — wretch — wretch-ed — 
 country — home — at — last." 
 
 And so he died. 
 
 There was not a dry eye in the room. For my own 
 part, I sobbed like a child ; although my dear old friend 
 had died full of years and prosperity, and in peace and 
 hope. But he was my ancient friend, my earliest com- 
 panion in the colony, and I loved him for the very whims 
 and failings for which others laughed at him. 
 
 '' That was one of the best hearts in one of the rough- 
 est husks that ever I had to deal with," said the surgeon. 
 And so thought we all, but for some time no one spoke, 
 and I retired with a sad heart to the banks of the Clyde. 
 
 We buried our old friend in the churchyard which 
 had been consecrated with the church by the Bishop of 
 Australia. Over his grave I placed a modest tablet, 
 with this simple inscription : — 
 
 HERE LIE THE MORTAL REMAINS 
 
 OF 
 
 SAMUEL CRAB 
 
 AN 
 
 ENGLISH FARMER, 
 
 AGES 86. 
 
Clia|itn /nrtii-fniirtli. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I HAVE but little more to add to these memoirs. 
 The recent events in the colony are too well known to 
 render it necessary for me to enter into a description of 
 them. 
 
 With respect to my own individual case, I may fairly 
 take it as an instance of what may be done by industry, 
 frugality, and perseverance; and of the advantages to 
 be derived from settling in a colony, in its early stage, 
 when its lands are unoccupied and almost worthless, and 
 easy, therefore, to be obtained ; but which, in the pro- 
 gress of years, and by increase of inhabitants, grow 
 into valuable estates. 
 
 I am now declining in years, but my health is strong 
 and firm, and I have never had a day's illness since I 
 have been in the colony. 
 
 My old friend, the magistrate, who is now grown very 
 rich and very fat, has been for some months past curiously 
 inquiring into the nature of my occupations, seeing me 
 always so busily employed in writing without any osten- 
 sible reason for such a labour. I showed the pile of 
 manuscript to him the other day, which had accumu- 
 lated to a formidable heap, and told him, in confidence, 
 what I had been about. 
 
 " And what are you a going to do with it ?" said he, 
 
 (511) 
 
512 Conclusion. 
 
 " why there is more than enough to make three volumes 
 in print." 
 
 '' If I thought the printing of it would be useful," said 
 I, " although I did not begin it with that intention, I 
 would not object to its being published." And there- 
 upon I offered to read to him the whole of the manu- 
 Bcript from the beginning to the end. I thought my 
 worthy friend changed countenance at this offer, and 
 not liking to give me so much trouble, I suppose, he 
 replied : — 
 
 " For Heaven's sake don't think of such a thing: — 
 I'll take it all for granted. But what is it all about ? 
 Have you been writing a history of the island ?" 
 
 "The island," I replied, " or rather the colony, is too 
 young as yet to have a history to write about. I have 
 been describing," I continued, " minutely, and from 
 my own experience, the individual process of emigration. 
 And I have endeavoured," I added, " to give such de- 
 scriptions of the colony, from my own observations, as 
 will enable those who may read them to form a olerably 
 correct idea of what Van Diemen's Land really is; and 
 to teach those who have a mind to emigrate, how to set 
 about it." 
 
 " Well," my excellent friend was pleased to say, '' you 
 have shut yourself up for a long time ; I hope you have 
 finished your task now ? You don't intend to write any 
 more of your adventures ?" 
 
 " No 1" said I ; — "Here ends The Settler's Jour- 
 nal." 
 
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