Thamanampalli Surekha

fresh water, they entirely overlooked the main stream, and reported the harbour to be unfit for the occupation of settlers, or even for ships to water at. The river at this junction, and up both branches, assumes that peculiar character so frequently met with amongst the Australian streams. Passing through the blackest alluvial sail we ever saw, and imparting to its waters a strange inky hue, it flows between such soft, abrupt banks, covered with dense brushwood to the margin, that it looks, mare like a canal than a natural current of water; you can see no bottom, not within a foot of the edge, and we were informed that it was as deep there as in the middle. It has not the shelving bed or pebbly beach which we find enclosing the streams of Europe,-those pleasant sloping banks which lend such a charm to the scenery on the murmuring streams of our motherland. As we ascended the river we saw, the carcass of a bullock floating past, which no doubt had fallen in while endeavouring to drink. Many are thus last annually, as it is impossible for the poor creatures to climb, with their heavy bodies, up the steep soft banks of the river. Emerging from these brushwood reaches, which form the tortuous part of the stream, you open up to view an extensive swamp on the left bank, the land around it being hilly and open. Upon its eastern margin you can discern some houses of substantial structure on the rising ground, and on the flat below a few scattered cottages of mean appearance, with sheep and cattle pens near them: this is the west-end of the city of Melbourne. The approach, therefore, by the river gives to the stranger rather an unfavourable impression of the town. Further on, tall chimneys begin to appear; then a goodly forest of masts belonging to small coasting vessels, which are enabled to cross the bar at Hobson Bay. Through these the steamer cautiously threads her way, as they line the banks of the river, beisides a few which pass in a small but snug wet dock, behind which are seen several steam flour-mills, with many large and substantially built warehouses, close to which, and facing the river, is an ordinary-looking street, with shops and taverns of similar character to those seen in the sea-part towns of England, with all its attendant noise and bustle of drays loaded with goods from the shipping. As the vessel nears the Queen's Wharf, where you land, the market-square, situated upon rising ground, and closed in by substantial rows of houses, gives a more favourable aspect to the town; still the site does not appear one of the most convenient for the cartage of merchandise from the wharfs. At this paint the river expands into a basin, the tide rises no higher, and navigation ceases; here the water is salt, above it is fresh: a dam built across the river upon a natural rock divides the two waters. The town is situated on the north bank of the river, above the paint of navigation principally, extending in this direction upwards of two miles. Facing the dam is the custom-house, a compact ornamental building, built of a dark reddish sandstone. To this office we directed our steps immediately we landed, to pass the necessary entries for our luggage; after which we strolled into the town, and took up our quarters at the Royal Hotel, Collins Street. As it is necessary to jag one's memory often regarding the correct geographical position and denomination of these new cities at the antipodes, we note for the information of the reader, that Melbourne is the capital city of the province of Victoria, situated on the Yarra- Yarra river, which flows into Port Philip harbour at Hobson Bay. By the last general census in 1851,it contained 23,143 inhabitants. As we shall devote a chapter to the further description of this rapidly increasing town and its environs, after we have given our narrative of a visit to the gold-diggings, the reader will excuse our giving any detailed account of it in this place. The gold-digger in town-Equipment for the journey-State of the road-Bush-flies-The inn at Deep Greek- Classes of travellers on the road-A party Gipps' Land-The exodus to the Mount-A literary digger-Bivouac with sailor-diggers-Black forest-Protection of travellers-Five-mile Greek-Carlsruhe-Kyneton-An old calonist digger-Campaspie river-Columbine river-View of the Mount. The christmas holidays were now drawing to a close, so we resolved upon visiting the for-famed gold-fields of Victoria without further loss of time; our first visit being directed towards Mount Alexander, whither multitudes were now wending their way, that we might not only gratify our curiosity, but also satisfy ourselves of the truth or otherwise of their prodigious yield; and also as near as possible, the actual state and disposition of the diggers. During our short journeys out of Melbourne and our visits to the townships in its environs, we had had opportunities of seeing much of these men en route to the diggings, and those who had just returned. Among them were men of all classes: the hard-handed able-bodied labourer and the slender soft-fingered man from the desk; those who had been successful, and those whom fortune had not yet favoured. We soon became accustomed to their rough exterior, and in our communications with them experienced great civility; and as the mass of those who had left their occupation for a short time to enjoy themselves during the holidays were not different from other men, and not particularly formidable in their