24 Voijarje of the Novara. 



served for private consumption, that lias stood in tlie way of their 

 being much more extensively dealt in in European markets. 

 The entire product of wine in 1858 was 60,000 gallons, but tlie 

 reason why the quantity is so limited is not in the unsuitability 

 of the land devoted to it, but the great difficulty of procuring 

 labour, and of getting it at the precise moment when it is 

 most wanted. As often as the journals launch forth upon the 

 discovery of some fresh gold-field, the field hands forthwith 

 strike work, and make off to the '' diggings." On such oc- 

 casions many thousand men. are suddenly smitten with the 

 gold fever, and their ordinary avocations are at once aban- 

 doned. We saw on one occasion a number of half-finished 

 houses, which had been left in that incomplete state by the 

 thirst for gold of the labourers, who are omnipotent here. 

 " There are no greater tyrants than the labom^ers of this 

 country," was Sir William's pithy remark, as he looked sadly 

 on their work, abandoned unfinished, and the half-cultivated 

 fields around. 



Our host made us taste various descriptions of wine, which 

 in every respect greatly resembled sherry, while a redder 

 sort strongly reminded us of Muscat. Even in Australia, the 

 grape has already been attacked by that mysterious disease 

 which has done such mischief in various parts of Europe, and 

 especially in Madeira, but its noxious effects have as yet 

 been confined to a few species only. Much damage is 

 occasionally done by a species of worm, for the extirpation of 

 which boys are engaged at from \s. to 25. per diem. The 



