more. The cash received for one of these, if but 640., the Governor would place in the bank, and receive for it more than thirty pounds per annum. Yet the Governor has the impudence, if not in words by his actions, to declare that the money of these capitalists, the 6407., is only worth five pounds per annum !

Thousands of our countrymen have gone sixteen thousand miles to implicate themselves in the ruin of a state of affairs like this. They made investments in land, having faith in the honour of a government, which had by one steady line of conduct, however injudiciously, given a high rate of value to every kind of property. All investments were alike, all progressed together mutually dependent and all it was very evident must be ultimately advantageous or ruinous, as the government in its wisdom should sway them this way or that. Thousands and

:

tens of thousands by state fluctuations have been elevated a little, only to be cast down infinitely lower. What years of man's best season, what energy of our manhood, what patrimony of careful ancestors, what time wearily passed in expatriation by land and sea, what patient toil and sweat of industry, what wear and tear of heart and brain, have been cast away as nothing, through the weakness of a confiding and deluded people, and the blind experimental enactments of a distant and incapable government !

AUSTRALIAN NOTE-BOOK.

OUR FIRST NIGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

WE had passed our first Australian day in going up from the ship in the passengers' boat, oaring our way up the river, then strolling about the town streets, looking about us at everything new. We had stepped into the small police office, in which, for want of a larger place, the town sessions were being held, and had been much amused by the intolerably stupid, automaton-like counsellors,-wigged and gowned, as in English courts, but, as we thought, not men whose talents would much stead them at the British bar. Some bakers were taking their trials, and I think very justly, for a conspiracy to keep up the price of bread; and if Pharaoh had been recorder, he would have hung up the chief amongst them without doubt. We had witnessed the trials of other people, and ours were at hand; for on returning to our boat, it had been taken in tow by the Custom-House officers. They had suspected us, Heaven help us! of being

smugglers, and as our boat was unnamed, it was confiscated, for the time at least. So off towards the sea-beach we went on foot, a rather mutinous company,-and at the shore a new disappointment awaited us. Our comrades who had pushed on foremost filled the ferrymen's boats, so that four of us were left to pass away the night as we could on the beach-Dr. Howitt, poor Mr. Massey, who has now a grave in the country, my nephew, and myself. Mr. Massey, who had courteously carried a loaf belonging to Mr. Hall, was, by that gentleman's kindness, allowed to retain it, so that we were provided with bread. Wood we collected-selected a snug spot, as we thought-made our fire, and tried assiduously to persuade ourselves that the night might not, after all, be so very disagreeable. Water we found -rather brackish to be sure, but plenty-in a tub let down deep in the sand by some fishermen, whose two huts were in sight. Soon one of these fishermen came to us, to inform us that nobody was permitted to set fire to the whole country without a license from the Governor, on a penalty of £10. Moreover, he assured us, the bush once on fire, that if all the firemen in Inferno were to come to our assistance it would be of no use. We presumed that we were not inclined to call in to our help the firemen of that office, as we thought their services in such circumstances were rather to be doubted. Yes, yes; we might make light of it; but a whole country in a flame-huts, forests, houses and corn-was no joke. Well, we should do no harm; we were careful people were there any folk near us who could make us some tea? Yes, the fishermen. It was brought a large iron kettleful; the tea and sugar boiled in the water until it was as black as ink. It had a coarse sweetness and was bitter too; still, it was welcome, and well paid for. Night deepened about us; then we had another visitor. A tall, good-looking lady, attended by two children, stood, almost before we perceived them, at our fire. In one hand was a bottle of port wine, and in the other a wineglass. "Here," said she, "Hector, hand round the wine." He did so. The port was especially good; better for the unexpectedness and the courtesy. 66 Now, children," said the mother, "kindle a good fire on the beach to guide your father from William's Town." The father it seemed had a boat, and was three miles off, which distance he had to come over the water in darkness, and often in storms. With what alacrity did those children make an immense beacon-fire; waiting long silently, then shouting welcome as the father came. At our fire, too, the tall, well-made, military-looking father soon presented himself. These people had not been long in the colony, were evidently superior

persons, and were industriously supporting themselves and nine children. There needed little apology on their part, that want of room only prevented us from being in their hut comfortably accommodated. Well, we were soon left to ourselves and the night; the season Autumn-the last of its months, Aprilwaning into winter; and the cold night-breezes began to question us as to what defence we meant to make against them. A good shield of boughs, we thought, to be suree-then made one. On the fire we piled fuel abundantly, laid bushes and grass for a bed, and tried to sleep. Again the cold wind came round the fence to ask if we should not feel more comfortable with a blanket a-piece. It was a gross insult; and we roused ourselves to shut it out by considerably enlarging our fortification. Hour after hour we bestirred ourselves-liberally added to the fire -and shut out the wind, first in one quarter and then in another. All availed nothing; we could not defend ourselves from the raw air, although we could from sleep. Indeed, sleep only fluttered about us like a bird attracted by the fire-the dovepinioned and dove-footed sleep that never descended. dawn found us busily employed at our fortification, which was in itself a comfort as a means though not as an end, and helped, by the employment it gave us, to speed away the night. With the day-light seemed to visit us a kind of scorn: the clouds looked funnily at us; the light smiled, as we thought, rosily at our expense; and the laughing jackass had the ill-manners to burst out into a loud peal of mirth in our very faces. We could not hide our heads, so we bustled off to the ship.

The

This was not the last night by many a one spent by me out on the beach. If the Doctor ever repeated the dose, it was in the way of his profession, when urged by sudden indisposition amongst his far-away patients.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Melbourne, May 11, 1840. DEAR BROTHER, I wrote from this place a month ago, for which letter I had to pay the land postage, 1s. 6d. All letters go from hence to Sydney, although there are ships enough direct from London. The reason, I am told, is this-the postmaster has five per cent. on all the cash he can raise, and on that account they are sent round-about for the nearest. We are perpetually reminded of the old school chimes, "To be-to do-and to suffer." At every turn you take there is something to pay.

You get out of the ship into a boat, and pay 2s. 6d. to be set on shore. When you reach the shore, a person is ready with a onehorse cart to take you to the river Yarra for 3s., a distance of two miles and a half, and to go over the Yarra, 8d. You next bring your goods and luggage to the town-10s. per ton. You will find at the wharf a custom-house-the only sign of civilisation. Another sign of civilisation-they are ready again to be paid for wharfage where there is no wharf, the place being rather worse than God and nature made it-man having trampled into mud that which nature left smooth green sward. The first day I came to Melbourne along with my brother, and the other passengers, in their boat-a boat they had built in Portsmouth-in addition to our being as sharply looked after as so many thieves on the Custom-house quay, (God save the mark,) in our absence, to obtain clearances for goods at the other Custom-house in the town, the boat was seized by a busy-body of the said customs for not having a name on it. Belonging to six persons, how was it likely and how could persons, landing for the first time, know any thing of the bye-laws of Melbourne? We found the boat taken to the opposite side of the Yarra, marked with the government broad arrow. This was the first mark of the Melbournites' hospitality to us strangers, on our first touching their shores. I found my brother, and other owners of the boat, using all gentle words, and reasonable arguments, to obtain possession of the boat, and all of no avail-the Custom-house gents. condoling with them, and wishing it were in their power to give it up. Tired of such smooth blarney, I spoke plain English to them. I soon had their metal up: and then, that they might cool a little in our absence, I told them I should have a pretty statement to give of their gentlemanliness and hospitality and courtesy to emigrants, being come out myself to Port Phillip partly for the purpose. The day after, I found what I had said about the statement had had its effect. The boat was given up to us at once, and without even a fine, which the day before was confiscated to government sans remorse. Still they conceived they did us a great favour, taking into consideration the hard things I had said of them.

Above all things, it is the greatest folly for emigrants to bring out servants-men or women-with them; they leave almost immediately. Two families only on board the Lord Goderich brought servants, and both have left, or about to leave. Mr. Hall, a tent neighbour of ours-for we dwell in tents-brought out a servant with him, and he has left him in the space of a fortnight. Two vessels have come in from England since ours,

the Louisa Campbell and the China. The governess of a family on board the China was yesterday (Sunday) married to a rich settler here. So much for paying the passage of servants—others reaping the benefit of your money.

Alas! for Melbourne-Australia Felix is a portion of New South Wales. Would it were not! The money which goes from hence to Sydney keeps Melbourne poor. Thirty-nine thousand pounds and one hundred thousand pounds, sum after sum, sale after sale-the land proceeds, go to Sydney; and the government revenues are voted away; £70,000 at once to New Zealand, and other sums to other places; but what is expended at Port Phillip? We have no road; the town is knee-deep in mud, or in dry weather eclipsed in its own dust. There is no bridge over the Yarra. The place is left to itself, fine infant town as it is, as though it were a beggar's brat, to wallow in its own filth, and to be choked by its own dust. Nothing is expended on it by the government. The only evidence we have of the existence of a government, is the presence of half a dozen or a dozen soldiers, the Custom-house, and the government auctioneer. The Sydney government is a receiving government. Alas! for such paternity. I say, God help Melbourne! There is nothing else for it.

The land is a pleasant and desirable land enough; but until we have a governor of our own, direct from England, I could not conscientiously advise any person to emigrate here. Persons who come out to this place find themselves miserably deceived in the price of land. They read of its being obtained at 12s. per acre. They expect to have it at that price, or near it; to see it before it is sold; and being able to fix upon it immediately. They must wait a month or two for land sales. Perhaps they want country sections; and none are put up, or sections not worth having. Bad land, and without river frontage-consequently not worth a farthing-that land may be had for this sum; whilst good land, well watered, will fetch an immense price.

Melbourne, July 11, 1840.

DEAR BROTHER,-All our friends and fellow emigrants, sooner or later, have had letters from their relations in England, except us. Some of them also have had newspapers; a thing, however, of rare occurrence, the Post-offices of these and the parent country being distinct, a disadvantage, among many others, which this unfortunate country labours under. Newspapers could be forwarded to us if something were paid upon them, or if they were made up into a parcel. I should not write to you now,