344 MONTHLY RE VI I', W OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



scene has no charms, and the future presents to their imaginations nothing 

 either pleasing or alarming. These sages have been consigned to the set- 

 tler, in preference to less experienced hands, who might probably have 

 been useless. Near them stands a waggon, containing a portion of the 

 furniture and provisions of the settler ; his sea-stores, implements of hus- 

 bandry, with useless and useful articles indiscriminately combined. The 

 implements have been purchased at the highest price, and contain likewise 

 many things which the settler could have done without ; besides which, 

 as he has to build a house, a number of instruments which are required for 

 that purpose, have afterwards to be thrown aside. 



" Feeding in the vicinity are the remains of a flock of sheep ; in the 

 purchase of which the settler has been jockied, both as to the price and 

 quality. His particular friend has, as a great favour, sold him some of 

 his first woolled ones, and only supplied him with the second sort, most of 

 whom are scabby old ewes, for whose fleece the owner protested he had 

 received three shillings per pound, by the latest return of sales. One-third 

 of these have gone astray with another flock, on the road, and it has been 

 deemed at length necessary to proceed without them. 



cf The children are now dressed, healthy, blooming and happy ; eagerly 

 pursuing, in company with the kangaroo bitch, some painted butterfly ; 

 true emblem of their future pursuits. 



" The mother is preparing the breakfast. On the ground are spread the 

 remnants of cups and saucers, eked out by tin jugs. A large damper of 

 unleavened bread, made of unsifted flour, has been baked on the previous 

 evening. The tea is boiling in the kettle, and a sufficient quantity of mut- 

 ton chops are grilling on the fire, too much, in the idea of the uninitiated, 

 for a party of twice their numbers ; but proving in the clearest terms, that 

 the cares of the emigrants have had no effect in diminishing tfPeir appe- 

 tites. One convict is assisting to get ready the breakfast, another has 

 gone to look after the bullocks, a third is milking the cows, and a fourth 

 is tending the sheep. So far all is well ; a fearful havoc has been made in 

 the mutton chops, with corresponding execution on the damper, ere the 

 man returns to acquaint them that a pair of the working bullocks are 

 missing. In these the settler has been equally fortunate, as with his 

 sheep. Having paid for them a proper price, he has found, on his depar- 

 ture, that two of them are newly broken-in steers, which have taken the 

 earliest opportunity of regaining their former liberty, and of rejoining their 

 companions, the free rangers of the forest. 



" A settler on the road has, however, taken pity on the destitute situa- 

 tion of the new comer, and has generously supplied him with another pair, 

 for only double their proper value. These last, however, probably not 

 understanding this arrangement, have, as in duty bound, returned to their 

 former homes, after their first day's journey. 



" While, however, the man is gone in pursuit of the deserters, the prin- 

 cipal hand of the set of convicts approaches the settler, twisting his cap in 

 his hand, symptomatic of something wrong. He comes to inquire whether 

 master has last night taken out any backa or sugar, because the cases seem, 

 som't curious and disordered. On examination, it is found that a portion of 

 those articles have indeed been purloined, evidently by a combination of 

 the four, and that, most probably, the man despatched for the bullocks, 

 has gone likewise to convert the proceeds of this into liquor. The settler 

 is seen blustering, threatening, and abusing, while the convicts are acting 

 with stoical indifference, and inwardly enjoying the scene. The settler's 

 anger, however, gives place to prudence, because he well knows he pos- 

 sesses no power to punish them himself, and should he complain to a ma- 

 gistrate, he would run the chance of losing his whole property, since, were 

 they confined on suspicion, he would have no one to attend to his flock, his 

 herd, his team ; he would, in short, be left destitute." 



