_VICTORIA._
_Sunday, June 12th._--The Government House of the colony of Victoria
is an enormous building, surrounded by an extensive park, situated on
the top of a small hill, which commands a fine view over Melbourne and
its suburbs. There is a complete suite of private apartments in the
house, besides rooms for many guests, and splendid reception,
banqueting, and ball rooms.
_Monday, June 13th._--My cold is still bad; and although Tom is also
far from well, he went to the town-hall this morning to receive a
deputation from the Victorian Branch of the Imperial Federation
League. The morning was a busy one until it became time to go down to
the yacht to lunch and to receive the officers of the naval forces and
Naval Brigade. Miss Cornwall and her father came later, bringing the
nugget with them which had been found on Friday not more than two feet
from the place where I was scratching. It is to be named after me. It
is looked upon as the forerunner of other and larger ones. Miss
Romilly also arrived, and we all returned to Melbourne in the evening.
_Tuesday, June 14th._--After a bad night I had to receive many
interviewers. Amongst those who called was a gentleman from the
Woman's Suffrage Society, who wished to elicit some expression of my
opinion, as he understood that I was strongly in favour of woman's
suffrage. He seemed disappointed when I told him he was mistaken, and
that I thought women already did govern the world more or less,
whereas if we had votes we should probably not have nearly as much
power as we now possess without any undue fuss being made about it.
Mabelle went down with Miss Romilly to see her off to England by the
'Bengal.' Tom took the children for a walk, but it was still too wet
for me to venture out, except in a close carriage. In the afternoon I
went with the Governor to the fine public library, where we were met
by Sir George Verdon and some other gentlemen. It is a splendid
building, and the arrangements are most excellent. A student can get
any book he requires, on almost every subject, without the least
trouble. From the library we drove to the picture-gallery, which
contains a small but excellent collection, partly selected and sent
out by Sir Frederick Leighton. Then we went to the museum, where we
found many New Guinea and Fijian curiosities. Ugly objects are here
arranged so as to look pretty, and I gathered many hints for the
future arrangement of my own museum at home.
Tom and Mabelle had not intended starting for Mount Gambier until
to-morrow, but they found to-day that it was absolutely necessary to
leave by the 4.5 train if they wished to arrive in time for the
opening of the new railway from Mount Gambier to Narracoorte.
_Wednesday, June 15th._--I spent a busy morning reading, writing,
receiving interviewers, and trying on my fancy dress for the Jubilee
Ball. Lunch was early in consequence of Sir Henry and Lady Loch having
to lay the foundation-stone of the Genevieve Ward of the hospital. I
did not go to the ceremony, although I discovered afterward that I had
been expected. The ladies of the committee sent me a lovely bouquet
which they had intended to present, ornamented with a little stuffed
bird bearing a tiny model of the 'Sunbeam' on its back. I had a hard
afternoon's work until tea-time, when my friend Mrs. Fairfax, the
Admiral's wife, arrived with Miss Dundas.
[Illustration: Victoria Defence Fleet]
_Thursday, June 16th._--Sir Henry Loch, Mrs. Fairfax, and Miss Dundas
went to the Mint this morning to see the first of the new sovereigns
struck, but I was not able to accompany them. Everyone seems to agree
that the likeness of her Majesty which is to appear upon the coins is
not at all good. The weather was showery all day, and bitterly cold in
the afternoon when we went to assist at the stone-laying of the
Wesleyan College, where many speeches were made, Sir Henry Loch's
being a really brilliant oration. There was again an early dinner
to-night, to allow of our all going afterwards to the Bijou Theatre to
see Madame Majeroni in 'Wanda.'
_Saturday, June 18th._--Tom, Tab, and Mabelle returned to-day from
Mount Gambier. I must use Tom's description of the expedition.
'We made another excursion from Melbourne on June 14th, to attend the
opening of the railway connecting the district of Mount Gambier, in
South Australia, with the direct line from Adelaide to Melbourne. We
travelled to Wolseley by the ordinary train, the journey occupying
from 4 P.M. on June 14 until an early hour on the following morning.
There we waited several hours for the special train from Adelaide; and
Mount Gambier was not reached until a late hour in the evening.
'Mount Gambier is a pleasing town of 5,000 inhabitants, in the centre
of a district of rich volcanic soil, thrown up over a sandstone
formation by the eruptions of a former period, when the surrounding
mountains were active volcanoes. The two principal craters are now
filled with lakes of great depth, appropriately named, from their
beautiful colouring, the Blue Lake and the Green Lake. Looking
outwards from the craters, a vast and fertile plain expands on all
sides, bounded by the ocean on the south, and by distant chains of
hills on the north. Here and there the plain is studded with other
cones, as distinctly defined as those of Mount Gambier, but on a
smaller scale.
'I will not enter in detail upon all the incidents of the opening of
the railway. We were greeted by the school children with a stirring
rendering of the National Anthem. We travelled a short distance on the
line, and were banqueted in the evening. I replied for the visitors,
and preached federation. In the interval between the opening of the
railway and the banquet we went out to see a run with the Mount
Gambier drags. The timber fencing would be thought desperate riding in
an ordinary English hunting-field. The doubles in and out of a road
are decidedly formidable.
'We visited the Wesleyan Chapel at Mount Gambier. The minister
described the excellent organisation which enables him to give
effective spiritual supervision over a wide district. In the afternoon
travelled by special train to Narracoorte. Had some interesting
conversation on the land question. From the railway traffic point of
view monopolies in land were severely criticised. Where tracts of
100,000 or 200,000 acres are in the hands of a single proprietor, the
district does not progress as in cases where the land is subdivided
into smaller holdings. The large proprietor concentrates his energies
on sheep. The owner of a small tract finds it pays to give a larger
proportion of his land to arable cultivation. Subdivision of land
encourages population. Monopoly in land has the contrary effect. If
the increase of numbers, under good conditions as to standard of
living, be one of the aims of government, it follows that
concentration of ownership and occupation is contrary to public
policy. The objection disappears where satisfactory arrangements are
made for letting the land on liberal terms. In this case the large
proprietor is a provider of capital, for which he receives interest,
in the form of rent, readily accepting a lower rate than a labourer,
with slender security to offer, would be compelled to pay if he were
the borrower of money instead of the hirer of land.'
The party from Mount Gambier, though rather tired, were able to come
on board the yacht with us about one o'clock. We had quite a large and
pleasant lunch on board, and an 'At home' in the afternoon, when
upwards of two hundred people came to tea.
The yacht was berthed alongside the graving-dock pier at Williamstown,
which made it easy of access. In spite of the agonising pain which
Tom was suffering from an inflamed eye, he insisted on going to the
Seamen's Meeting, and actually managed to make a good speech, though
he scarcely knew what he was saying at the time. The party at dinner
this evening included several members of the Government, among whom
was Mr. Deakin, who has just returned from attending the Colonial
Conference in London.
[Illustration: Lancers and Soudan Contingent]
_Monday, June 20th._--The day of the grand volunteer review (the
beginning of the festivities in Jubilee week) dawned bitterly cold, as
indeed one must expect in midwinter. I got leave from the Doctor, with
great difficulty, for Tom to go to it in a closed carriage; for he was
still suffering much from his eyes. Lady Loch drove with me to the
ground in an open carriage, and of course we had an excellent place
close to the saluting-flag, and were able to admire the march past of
the troops. They seemed an excellent and well-drilled body of men. The
Lancers and the Royal Naval Brigade especially attracted attention.
All the party went to the military tournament in the evening except
Tom and I, who stayed at home with Lady Loch. The wind was very high
and keen to-day, and seemed to increase in violence towards evening.
_Tuesday, June 21st._--During the night it blew half a gale, and the
wind incessantly shook all the little lamps which are to be used at
the Jubilee illuminations to outline the frames of the windows,
producing discordant and sleep-dispelling noises.
At half-past ten the day's celebration began with the Governor's
_levee_, which was tremendously crowded by all sorts and conditions of
men. There were two black chiefs from Fernshaw. Lady Loch first
presented her address to the Governor from the ladies of Victoria, and
then hundreds of other loyal addresses followed from all parts of the
colony. There was considerable confusion, and the scene, as we looked
down from the gallery at the end of the ball-room, was very animated
and amusing. Directly after the _levee_ came a grand lunch given by
the Mayor. I went for a long drive, first to St. Kilda, and then on to
the Convent of the Good Shepherd, which enabled me to form a very fair
idea of the suburbs of Melbourne. I was particularly struck with the
enormous width of the roads. Such space appears to us unnecessary, but
I am told it is needed for the occasional passage of mobs of cattle.
We met one large mob of, I should think, more than five hundred head,
driven by half a dozen men with long stock whips. The stock-men
appeared to travel comfortably, for some buggies followed laden with
their simple camp equipment.
_Wednesday, June 22nd._--At twelve to-day the children and I paid a
visit to the law courts, where we were met by Mr. Justice Kernford,
who, being engaged in court himself, deputed Mr. Sheriff Read to show
us round. The courts seem well arranged, and the rooms are much more
handsomely furnished than similar places in England. The library
attached to the courts was filled with books of reference. There are
smaller rooms for consultations with clients. There were also one or
two large reception-rooms, in which hung some portraits of former
Governors and Judges.
We had an early dinner, and then all dressed for the ball; assembling
first in the large private hall a little before nine, where we formed
ourselves into a procession. The costumes were so rich and correct in
their details that the sight must have been very pretty as we passed
through the crowds of spectators (who had been arriving for hours, and
had filled the public reception-rooms), and took up our positions on
the dais.
For the first few minutes the crowding was tremendous, as everybody
wished to shake hands with the Governor and Lady Loch. In course of
time, however, the throng began to clear away, and for the rest of the
evening it was possible not only to walk about but to dance in perfect
comfort. It was a magnificent spectacle, and the arrangements seemed
admirably conceived and carried out, the Fountain Court, covered in by
a temporary structure, being perhaps the prettiest of all. At one
o'clock the doors of the supper-room were thrown open. Not long after
supper Sir Henry and Lady Loch and I retired; but I believe that many
of the people did not get away until five o'clock. The illuminations
were beautiful, especially among the shipping, both at Williamstown
and Port Melbourne, and the little 'Sunbeam' made herself as gay as
she could with red and blue lights.
_Thursday, June 23rd._--The event of to-day was the christening of the
central hall of the Parliament Houses, to be henceforward known as the
'Queen's Hall.' An immense number of people had assembled. The dais,
to which the Governor, Lady Loch, and we ourselves were led, had been
placed at the foot of Mr. Marshall Wood's fine statue of her Majesty,
and everything was arranged to ensure a splendid _coup d'oeil_; but
all the details of the ceremony have been so fully described in the
newspapers that I need not repeat them here. It was worth coming all
the thousands of miles we have traversed by sea and land to have the
opportunity of witnessing such loyal enthusiasm.
Directly after we left the hall I hurried on board the 'Sunbeam' to
receive a couple of hundred guests, and had only just time to get back
to Government House to dine and dress for the State Concert at the
Exhibition building, which was densely crowded. The combined musical
societies, under the skilful leadership of Mr. Herz, opened the
proceedings by singing the 'Old Hundredth,' in which the audience
joined with great heartiness. This was followed by a grand Jubilee
Ode, composed by Dr. Mackenzie, and by several excellently rendered
solos, among the performers being Mr. Beaumont, the tenor, whose
'Death of Nelson' brought the house down, and Miss Amy Sherwin, 'the
Australian nightingale,' whose rendering of 'The Harp that once,'
'Within a Mile of Edinboro' Town,' and 'Home, Sweet Home' was simply
perfect.
_Friday, June 24th._--To-day a demonstration of schoolchildren, said
to be the largest gathering of the kind ever held in the colony, took
place in the Exhibition building. Twenty thousand children must have
been there; and as they each wore a rosette and carried a little flag,
the scene looked gay as a summer garden. Of course there were the
usual loyal anthems; and besides the cheers in the programme the
children did a good deal of happy shouting on their own account. The
Bishop of Melbourne gave them an excellent address, and all the
arrangements were admirably and carefully carried out.
_Saturday, June 25th._--Awoke early after a fairly good night, and
set to work at once on my correspondence, which accumulates terribly
in spite of my efforts to answer every letter as it arrives. I made
many futile attempts to write up my journal, but was interrupted by
numerous interviewers, especially by secretaries of charitable
societies, anxious to get some share of the proceeds derived from
showing the 'Sunbeam.'
[Illustration: Selectors]
Precisely at twelve o'clock we started for the races at Caulfield. The
road lay for several miles through prosperous-looking suburbs
consisting of villas and a multitude of small wooden houses with
corrugated iron verandahs and roofs. However convenient this material
may be for such purposes, it does not add to the beauty of the
landscape. Bungalows in India, and indeed all over the East, look
picturesque and pretty, with their deep wooden verandahs, which must
surely be much cooler than these corrugated iron houses, said to be
hot in summer and cold in winter.
We arrived at the racecourse at about a quarter to one. The heavy rain
of last night had swamped the place, and though luckily the course was
not flooded, it was very heavy going, and a great deal of the ground
close to the course seemed quite under water. I heard a story of a
lady having to _swim_ her horse over a field during this morning's
run! It was bitterly cold, and we all felt glad of the excitement
caused by the appearance of the jockeys, mounted on nice-looking
horses. I fixed my mind on horse number twelve on the card, and
thought he looked extremely well as he cantered past the stand. The
poor animal kept up bravely till near the end, when he caught his foot
in a hurdle, while going at a fearful pace, and fell, breaking his
off-leg so badly that he had to be shot on the spot. His jockey
escaped with only a severe shaking. I had no idea until I came here
what steeplechase riding was like in Australia. To-day, just before
the first race came off, an ambulance-carriage was driven into the
centre of the ground and took up a central position so as to be able
to quickly reach any part of the course. I was assured that it was not
at all unusual for two or three jockeys to be injured in one race.
Another significant and permanent adjunct of the Caulfield racecourse
is the neat little hospital, provided with every possible medical and
surgical appliance for remedying injuries to the human frame. There
are eight beds in the hospital, and I was told that they had at times
been all filled with serious cases. Such a state of things degrades
the good old national sport of steeplechasing to the level of Spanish
bullfights, where the _toreadors_ hear Mass before going into the
ring. It is not wonderful that these dreadful accidents happen, for
some of the fences are truly fearful, consisting of a big tree cut
into four or five pieces, nailed firmly one on top of the other to a
height of four feet six inches. This arrangement precludes all
possibility of the fence yielding if the horse touches it. The
argument in favour of this fence is that it represents the real fence
of the country, and that horses are accustomed to jump it. The
accidents, which are nearly as frequent and as bad in the flat races,
occur generally from the tremendous number of starters. To-day there
were thirty-two in one race and forty-seven in another, and some of
the worst casualties were caused by one horse falling and others
tumbling over him.
At half-past two we left, for the Governor had to open the bazaar in
aid of the Convalescent Home in the place of Lady Loch, who was unable
to leave her room. We drove to the Exhibition building, which did not
look half so pretty as yesterday when it was filled by the children.
However, everything went off well according to the programme, and
after one or two short speeches, and a few pieces on the organ, we
made the tour of the bazaar, and tried to find amid the quantities of
pretty things something to buy, which is always a difficult matter.
From the Exhibition building Mr. des Graz and I proceeded to the yacht
at Williamstown, whither she had been obliged to return on account of
the rough weather off Sandridge. My telegram had not been received,
and I had to wait at the station, until a civil greengrocer
volunteered to drive me down to the pier alongside of which the yacht
was berthed. After the spacious rooms of Government House the
'Sunbeam' cabins looked very small, but they are snug and bright. When
one is so many thousands of miles away from England the various little
treasures scattered about them remind me of home and its happy
associations, and I feel not utterly cut off from the scenes I love so
well.
We were packed up ready to go to Sir W. Clarke's charming place at
Sudbury, when we received a telegram saying that in consequence of a
death in his household he could not receive us; so all our plans have
to be changed. Tom joined me on board the yacht shortly before
midnight, after a pleasant evening at the banquet given by the
Melbourne branch of the Imperial Federation League.[4]
[Footnote 4: See Appendix.]
_Tuesday, June 28th._--I was awakened early by the pattering of rain
on the deck, and on looking through the portholes I could not see
three yards ahead for the curtain of wet mist which seemed to hang
before them. Tom was anxious that we should give up our projected
journey, for he was much afraid of the risk I should run from the cold
and damp. But, just as I always in England go to a meet on a fine day
because it _is_ fine, and on a wet day because I hope it will clear
up, I determined to start now. I was already dressed by ten o'clock,
when the Governor, and a few others whom Tom had invited to accompany
him as far as the Heads, arrived. The fog was still so dense that the
deputy harbour-master would not allow the yacht to be unmoored; and
after waiting some time, the Governor returned to Melbourne, whither I
also went by the 10.45 train. Tom--who had settled to take the yacht
round to Sydney--had to postpone his departure, as it was impossible
to move out; and we afterwards learned that many accidents happened
during the fog. From Spencer Street Station we drove across to Princes
Bridge Station, and thence proceeded at a snail's pace--still on
account of the fog--out of the city, till we got to Mitcham, when it
began to clear. A few minutes afterwards the sun came out brilliantly
like an English summer's day, and when we reached Lilydale it really
felt quite hot.
Messrs. Cobb & Co. had sent a Tom Thumb sort of coach and a buggy,
into which our numerous party could by no means squeeze. However, we
packed both vehicles as full as possible, and sent for another
conveyance, familiarly known as a 'Tip-up,' its narrow wheels making
it liable to upset except on good roads.
About three o'clock we reached St. Hubert's, a pretty house, the owner
of which is now in England with his family. One of his sons remains to
manage the estate. We were soon comfortably established in pleasant
rooms looking on to a sunny verandah. The view from our windows was
perfectly enchanting, stretching away over the distant mountains, now
covered with snow. A tremendous swamp lies between the house and the
foot of the range, which accounts for the heavy mist that rises at
sunset. My room was delicious with a blazing fire, and after lunch we
went round the cellars with our kind host, and saw all the interesting
and various processes of wine-making. Mr. de Castella has introduced
the best methods of preparation, as practised in Europe, and has
succeeded in producing wines of a quality equal to the finest supplied
from the French and German vineyards. By the time we had finished our
tour of inspection it was cold and dark, and after dinner we all went
early to bed.
_Wednesday, June 29th._--We were called at half-past six, and soon
after nine made a start, in two coaches, on a cold and wintry morning,
for Black Spur. Our way first lay through the vineyards, which were
not in their best looks, having only just been scarified, as the
process is called. It means cutting off the branches and reducing the
vines to small and ugly bushes, destitute of leaves at this season. On
our way we passed a large 'selection' belonging to Mr. McNabb, who is
a great judge of prize cattle and stock of all kind, and who, like
many other Scotchmen in the colony, seems to have prospered in
everything he puts his hand to. Further on we came to Koordal, a
'reserve' for the aboriginals. It has a nice house, and the land is
good. The aboriginals are rapidly dying out as a pure race, and most
of the younger ones are half-breeds. Even in this inclement weather it
was sad to notice how little protection these wretched beings had
against its severity. We passed a miserable shanty by the side of the
road, scarcely to be called a hut, consisting merely of a few slabs of
bark propped against a pole. In this roadside hovel two natives and
their women and piccaninnies were encamped, preferring this frail
shelter to the comfortable quarters provided for them at Koordal. The
condition of the men of the party contrasted very unfavourably with
their appearance when they presented themselves under the charge of
Captain Traill, the Governor's A.D.C., at his Excellency's Jubilee
_levee_ last week. To-day they looked like the veriest tramps, and
were most grateful for a bit of butterscotch for the baby and the
shilling apiece which we gave them after an attempt at conversation.
From Healesville we rattled merrily over an excellent road, the
scenery improving every mile, till we reached the picturesque little
village of Fernshaw, a tiny township on the river Watt. Important as
an absolutely pure water supply is to a city like Melbourne, where the
present provision is anything but satisfactory, we could not help
regretting that this hamlet and several others must be cleared away in
the course of the next two years, in order to provide space for the
gathering-ground of the city's drinking water. The increased
facilities for travel afforded by the railway, now nearly completed to
Healesville, will, however, enable people to make new settlements on
the other line of hills further from Black Spur. The memory of
Fernshaw will always linger pleasantly, and I rejoice that I have seen
it before it is swept off the face of the earth by the requirements of
the big city near it.
[Illustration: Ferns]
From Fernshaw up the Black Spur must be a perfectly ideal drive on a
hot summer's day, and even in midwinter it was enchanting. The road is
cut through a forest of high eucalyptus-trees, varying from 100 to 450
feet in height, and from twenty to fifty, and even seventy, feet in
girth. At intervals roaring torrents rush down gullies overgrown with
tree-ferns, and full of dicksonia-antarcticas and alsophilas. To-day
they looked very curious; for, instead of growing as usual, with their
fronds erect or nearly level, all were bent down by the weight of the
late heavy fall of snow, so that they resembled graceful umbrellas and
parasols. So fairy-like was the sylvan scene that I half expected to
see the curved branches open softly and disclose naiads or
wood-nymphs. I had always been told that these fern-gullies were
charming, but I never thought anything could be half so lovely as this
romantic ravine. If only the sunlight could have glanced through the
trees and thrown some shimmering sunbeams on the bright green leaves,
it would have been even more delightful. After climbing up the hill
by a steep but good road we arrived at Myrtle Gully, called after the
trees which grow there. They are quite different from our idea of
myrtles, though their dark and glossy leaves contrast finely with the
lighter green of the young tree-ferns and the blue-green of the
eucalypti. My botanical ideas are getting quite confused and upset in
Australia, and I must study the new forms with the assistance of some
kind director of gardens. It is necessary to understand the
classification of these plants, for the common names are entirely
deceptive and utterly opposed to one's preconceived ideas of the
species to which they belong.
We climbed up to the summit of the hill, and on our way saw some
rail-splitters at work. These men are peculiar to Australia, and I
cannot but think they do harm to the country. On payment of a fee of
1_l._ a year they are allowed to go into the forests and kill the
finest trees by 'ringing' them. Often the trees thus dealt with are
left to die as they stand and disfigure the forest. In this way an
enormous quantity of valuable timber seems to be uselessly destroyed.
The rail-splitters remind me of squirrels, who nibble off nuts before
they are ripe, and then take a dozen away to their winter's nests; or
of a vixen, who will bite the heads off twenty chickens and only carry
one back to her cubs.
On our return to the comfortable inn at Fernshaw we found cheerful
fires ready to welcome us. This inn is very prettily situated. At the
back runs the river Watt, brawling over its stones like the veriest
Scotch salmon-trout stream. It is full of excellent imported trout,
which flourish well in these antipodean waters and attain a weight of
six or seven pounds. Across the river is thrown a primitive bridge,
consisting of the trunk of a big tree cut in halves. Very slippery and
slimy it looked, and I did not feel inclined to attempt the perilous
passage. Near the inn were some extremely nice gardens with the
trunks of old tree-ferns filled with flowers, producing a pretty
effect as rustic flower-pots.
[Illustration: A Forest Bridge]
Precisely at half-past two we started on our homeward journey, and
with the exception of a few minutes' stay at Healesville to water the
horses, and at the blacks' camp to have a little more chat with them,
we did not stop anywhere on the way. Since morning the blacks had
turned their huts right round, for the wind had shifted and they
wanted shelter from its severity.
At 5.15 we reached St. Hubert's, just saving the daylight over the
last seven miles of bad road. We all felt better for our pleasant
expedition, though the violent joltings of the road and the bumpings
of the coach were decidedly fatiguing.
_Thursday, June 30th._--We were called at half-past six, and hastily
got up to pack off the luggage before setting off at eight, on a fine
though misty morning. We had a delightful drive to the station at
Lilydale, after bidding a regretful adieu to picturesque St. Hubert's.
Once in the suburbs of Melbourne, it was necessary to crawl along at a
snail's pace on account of the numerous express trains running into
the city at this early hour. We did not reach the terminus until
nearly eleven o'clock, and were glad to drive quickly to Menzie's
Hotel for breakfast. A large mail arrived for us from Wellington, as
well as heaps of letters and telegrams. At half-past twelve Mabelle
and I went to the Botanical Gardens, where Mr. Guilfoyle, the
superintendent, met us, and was good enough to allow me to drive all
round the gardens. He kindly explained the arrangement of the plants,
clearing away many botanical difficulties which have puzzled me ever
since I landed in Western Australia. I do not think I ever saw so
well-arranged and beautiful a garden as this, and never have I had so
intelligent and kind a _cicerone_ as Mr. Guilfoyle. There is a
beautiful lake in the gardens, well stocked with different species of
wild-fowl. We drove all over the exquisitely kept lawn, yet the
carriage-wheels appeared to make no impression. The grass grows from a
mixture of buffalo and other kinds of grass-seeds--a combination which
produces a velvet-like sward about three inches in depth, and
apparently incapable of injury. At one part of the gardens where the
carriage could not possibly penetrate, Mr. Guilfoyle had thoughtfully
provided a chair and two men to carry me through the fern-gully. This
rivals what we saw at Fernshaw yesterday, and I was able to observe
what I could not well see there--the undergrowth of smaller ferns and
the parasitic ferns growing on the trunks of others. I was quite sorry
to leave. Mr. Guilfoyle sent us away laden with interesting botanical
specimens, and gave Mabelle and me each a sweet-smelling bouquet of
daphnes and white camellias.
We lunched at Government House. After bidding good-bye to H.E. and
Lady Loch, from whom we have received so much kindness, we went to
Menzie's Hotel, calling on our way at Cole's Book Arcade, which is one
of the sights of Melbourne. A most curious place it is; consisting of
a large arcade three stories high, about the length of the Burlington
Arcade in London, though perhaps rather wider. The whole place from
top to bottom is one mass of books, arranged in different styles, some
according to price and some according to subject. It was crowded with
intending purchasers, as well as with readers who apparently had not
the slightest intention of purchasing, and who had only gone there to
while away a leisure hour, and to listen to the band, which discoursed
sweet music to them whilst they read.
After strolling through this wonderful arcade, we collected the
luggage from the hotel and sent it off to the station, following
ourselves in time to catch the 4.55 train to Seymour.
_Friday, July 1st._--We left by the 9.30 train for Shepparton, in
pouring rain, passing through a flat rich grazing country, which
seemed well stocked with sheep. The grass looked luxuriant, and must
be excellent for dairy produce. The fences were different from any we
had seen before, made of felled trees laid lengthwise all round the
paddocks. As may easily be imagined, they form a formidable obstacle
for young horses, many of which were running in the paddocks. All this
was interesting, but the beauties of the distant landscape were quite
blotted out by the rain and mist. However, when we crossed the
Goulbourn, the sun began to try and peep through the clouds, which had
hitherto hidden everything from our view. Shepparton is a rapidly
growing township, with 2,000 inhabitants. A few years ago there was
not a single house in the place.
[Illustration: NORTH HEAD, SYDNEY HARBOUR]
[Illustration: Sydney Harbour]
The township of Shepparton, like all Australian settlements, is
arranged in square blocks, the houses consisting chiefly of four- or
six-roomed cottages of one story, built of wood or corrugated iron. At
present the whole place appears to be under water, but its inhabitants
say that in summer it is beautiful, and the pasturage certainly looks
excellent. In the course of our drives we went to Mr. and Mrs.
Robinson's house. There I met some ladies and gentlemen interested in
ambulance work, to whom I said a few words and gave some papers. I
hope they will communicate with the head-centre at Melbourne, and
obtain permission to establish a branch-centre here. Everybody seems
to agree that it would be most useful, as the doctors are few and far
between, and there are only five medical men to an area of 1,000
square miles! We left by the 4.30 train for Seymour, Mr. Rose driving
me to the station in his carriage with his pretty pair of ponies. They
are said to be perfectly quiet, and I suppose they are, according to
Australian ideas; but they did not come up to my notion of docility.
Besides sundry kicks and buck-jumps, they had both legs over the
splinter-bar once, one leg over the pole twice, and another leg over
the traces, which fortunately came unfastened, or in the regular
kicking match which ensued some mischief would have been done. I
expected every minute that the little carriage would have been broken
to pieces, and that we should have been landed at the bottom of the
quagmire over which the road appeared to run.
Seymour was reached at 6.30, just in time to change into the express,
and at Albury we were again transferred, at 10.30 P.M., into Lord
Carrington's carriage, sent up from Sydney for us.
[Illustration: Banksias, &c., New South Wales]