Thamanampalli Surekha

the musical reed. Upon inquiry we found that this flock of sheep belonged to the settler to whose station we were then proceeding; and the shepherd himself was one of his oldest servants, who had remained with him in spite of the great attractions of the diggings. He was a married man, his wife actin as hut-keeper. He had charge of a large flock of 3000 sheep which had formerly been tow flocks, but his mate had left and gone to the diggings. As an inducement for him to remain, his master had doubled his wages, and he was then receiving fifty pounds a year, besides rations for himself, his wife, and four children. He was very civil, and in directing us towards the head station, advised un to call at his hut, which was on the way, and get a bit of damper and a pot of tea. This we were nothing loath to do, as our breakfast off the gritty chops and damper at the diggings had been sparing. Half an hour's jog-trat brought us to the out-station, which was delightfully situated on the margin of a brook. We were kindly received by the shepherd's wife, who was just getting ready the mid-day meal, at her invitation we dismounted and entered the hut. Here we found every thing snug and tidy, and the cheerful faces of four happy children. As we partook of the wholesome bush-fare of mutton, tea, and damper, with some smiling potatoes and cabbage added, we could not help recurring again to our comparison of the two occupations of the shepherd and the gold-digger; and we decided once more in favour of the former. Of course, we were biassed in the decision, because at the time we were hungry. At the same time, good master emigrant, take our word for it, if you are a married man, you will find pastoral employment not only more congenial to your habits, but probably in the end find the certain wages of the one more than equal the chances of the other. And if you value social and domestic felicity, the shepherd has always a quiet home for his wife and children, besides an ample supply of house-comforts and necessaries; whereas the gold-digger with all his chances of fortune, finds a subsistence precarious and uncomfortable, and the pleasures of the domestic circle cannot be nurtured on the rugged mountain side, where his labour lies. After our meal was finished we took a strolll round this out-station, to have some nation of the manner in which sheep-farming is conducted in Australia. And as we afterwards found that such a station was a type of all others throughout these colonies, and the whole system of sheep-farming was merely a multiplication of the same, we shall here note our observations for the information of the reader. An out-station is simply a hut build at a convenient distance from the homestead, or from any other out - station on the " run" or sheep-walk, so as to allow ample feeding-ground for two flocks of sheep. A flock of sheep averages 1500 head; and three acres of pasture - land are allowed to each sheep. On out-station, therefore, commands 9000 acres more or less of pasture-land. To each flock there is a shepherd, and to every two shepherds a hut-keeper, all of whom find accommodation in the hut; while the sheep are yarded every night in hurdle yards close to the hut; the entire arrangement and conduct of the station being distinct within itself, and having no connexion with any other out - station. The business of the shepherd is to proceed with his flock every day, Sundays not excepted, soon after sunrise, to the feeding-ground pointed out to him by the overseer, with strict injunctions not to encroach upon a neighbour's rim, or to pass the bounds of his out- station, and to see that they feed at their leisure, and be well spread over the ground while feeding. By noon they travel in this manner a distance of four or five miles, when they are brought to rest under the shade of some trees, to shelter them as much as possible from the mid-day sun, which they feel oppressive in consequence of their heavy fleeces. This nest give the shepherd on opportunity of eating his dinner, which he carries with him, besides his pots to make tea in, the universal beverage of the bushmen, A few minutes suffice to light a fire and boil the water; tea is soon made, four or five chops are spitted on cleft sticks and grilled before the fire, a piece of damper is take out of his wallet, and the shepherd has his, fill of good bush fare, mutton, damper, and tea. This finished, he winds up his repost with a pipe of tobacco, by way of dessert. After an hour or so has elapsed he resumes his task, rouses the sheep, and returns to the hut by a different route, so that they may have fresh pasture on their way back to the yards. He reaches the out-station about sun-down, where he meets his fellow-shepherd returning with his flock from an opposite direction. Each then drives his flock into a separate yard, formed by hurdles; and if they are careful men, they count the sheep as they to in, to see if any are missing, for which they are responsible. the labours of the day are now over for the shepherd, and he sits down to a hearty supper, ready prepared for him by the hut-keeper. This latter personge takes charge of the sheep during the night, when he acts in the capacity of watchman, to guard them from the attacks of the native dogs. For this purpose he is armed with a musket, and sleeps in a movable watch-box, which is carried about by hand-spokes, like a sedan-chair, and placed close beside the sheep-yards. When the morning sun peeps out, he awakes the shepherds, to whom he resigns his charge for the day. He then lights the fire and makes breakfast ready. After the shepherds depart he sweeps out the yards, if they are fixed, or shifts the hurdles if they are movable. This over, he puts on his meat to boil, and