Thamanampalli Surekha

where it is found in immense blocks. The gold found amongst the ironstone in and near the greek is often in large pieces, and much water - worn. Specimens of gold and iron-stone have been found completely amalgamated (a small one of which sort we possess). The scarcity of water towards the latter end of the summer is much felt (the dirt which is take to the creek in large quantities for washing absorbs it); and as water fails in the upper part of the creek, the diggers move down towards the river Loddon. "The season for digging is about October to January, when the water will fail until May, the beginning of winter, or rainy season. The diggers, as a body of men, were remarkably healthy, the only disease at all prevalent was the blight, or disease of the eye caused by the flies, which in all parts of Australia, are a complete nuisance. "All the gold I have seen - and I have seen a great deal-has the appearance (colour excepted) that lead would have, if it was spilt or scattered in a molten state. Some few, grains are found quite globular or round, some in very fine dust, some in thin scales, and much in partially flattened pieces of all shapes and sizes, all, except the first, having the rough appearance which new-cost metals have that have been cast in sand. The gold found in the watercourses, or in those places where water-courses formerly were, is, of courses, more or less smooth or water-worn, and that found on the sides of the hills, in what they call the surface-diggings, is invariably the roughest, as having been least exposed to friction, never having been in the water - courses. "The colour of the gold is of different appearance in different localities. All the gold procured in Victoria is of a beautiful pale yellow, thought not so pale as the Californian gold, having no silver in it." From what we gathered from other sources during our rambles about these prolific golden creeks, we consider the foregoing description and statements to be faithful and accurate. In fact, however small a quantity was collected by those termed unlucky, there was no man said to have left Mount Alexander, out of the tens of thousands who had congregated there, without having some gold in his pocket over and above paying expenses. So that although we have considered the pursuit of gold-digging as having much of a lottery in its nature, still it is not a lottery with few prizes and many blanks. It may be compared with more justice to an Art-union raffle, where, besides the chances of a valuable prize-picture, every member is entitled to a print worth the value of his subscription. In like manner, the gold - labourers at Mount Alexander, besides the chances of a hundredweight of prize-nuggets, may obtain by dint of perseverance an equivalent for the time and labour expended on the employment. What a hopeful country this Australia is for the able - bodied and industrious man! On every side labour is rewarded beyond all calculations in the Old World. Here there is no figurative speaking, but the literal fact stares us in the face, that gold may be had for the gathering. This is no Dick - Whittington story, for the stripling of fifteen we have seen pickling it up in handfuls, while the rude labourer with his brawny arms and ten fingers has gathered it in heaps as no man hath done before. Start upon our mission-The bush of Australia-Australian forest scenery-Birds and insects - An Australian shepherd-The shepherd versus the gold-digger-Description of an out-station- Duties of a shepherd and hut - keeper - System of sheep-forming in Australia-Bush tracks and roads-A Squatter's homestead-Character of the Squatters-Effect of the gold discovery upon the pastoral interests- Early struggles of a Squatter - His apprenticeship-Progress of a sheep-station-Difference between English and Australian sheep-forming-Advice to intending Squatters-Advantages of a cattle-station-Sheep-shearing - Wool-packing-Reflections. Now that we had witnessed to our satisfaction the great fact of the gold-discovery in Australia, by seeing the colonists digging up and washing the particles of gold from the earth before our eyes, we bade our friends in the valley good-bye, wishing them every success in their burrowings for the coveted metal. Nor was it with feelings of regret that we turned our horse's head away from the noise and dust of that canvass Babel on the golden mount, and directed his steps towards the verdant pastures of the surrounding country. At the some time we confess that, had we been free to act, we most assuredly would have entered into the speculation in a methodical manner, but we had a duty to perform which rendered that out of the question. And as that duty led us subsequently to examine carefully some of the largest pastoral and agricultural farms in both of these gold-yielding colonies, besides enabling us to visit the diggings in New South Wales, we had opportunities of forming an impartial opinion of the condition of the country, and judging of the conduct of its inhabitants, which rarely falls to the lot of travellers in a newly-settled country like Australia. In undertaking the journey we were no stranger to the exigencies of a bush life, having experienced its, roughings many years previous to our leaving England upon this occasion, in the colonies of Western Australia and Van Diemen's Land, South Australia and New Zealand, Under the circumstances, therefore, we may be considered to have re-visited Australia, which we trust, will give additional weight to our judgment of passing scenes and events. So, with perfect confidence in our old acquired skill as "bushmen," we struck off the main road as soon as we got out of the Forest Greek valley, and plunged into the wide-spreading bush of Australia, our immediate purpose