BY THE HON. A. NORTON, M.L.C. 87 



ness was to keep within hail of the dray, in case I should be 

 wanted. And so during the three days we spent between the 

 station and Armidale I wandered about after the fashion of boys 

 amongst the magpies and gillbirds, rosella and lory parrots, 

 poked up ringtail possums in their snug bark nests, and 

 kangaroo rats in their warm grass-made snuggeries. We boilfd 

 our quart-pots at a rippling stream at midday, and drank 

 our green hysonskin tea, sweetened with the brownest of 

 brown sugar, and thoroughly enjoyed it, as we also enjoyed 

 our cold boiled beef and damper made in the old fashion — 

 flour mixed with water and a flavouring of salt, and 

 baked in the ashes where the fire had been hottest. We 

 passed Emu Creek station, where lived the sons of Queensland's 

 first Speaker, six miles from our starting point, and Mihi Creek, 

 •owned by Starr, about a dozen miles further on, but we made 

 our camp at night far from these the only inhabited spots on the 

 journey. At break of day I caught the old nag and went off for 

 the bullocks whose bells generally indicated their whereabouts, 

 and brought them in to the camp ; then, a splash in the creek, 

 a hearty breakfast, and once more we started on our journey. 

 We brought up in front of the mill on the third day in time to 

 unload the dray ; then drawing away forty or fifty yards, we 

 formed our camp between Kirkman's mill and John Trim's store. 

 Armidale was a funny little place at that time. John Trim was 

 an institution, the first storekeeper there, I think. Allingham 

 ran another flourmill ; Gilchrist, Danger and Co. another store. 

 I can call to mind a couple of hotels and a limited number of 

 other small business places and dwellings. Dr. Markham was 

 the resident doctor. It was the Armidale of to-day in its child- 

 hood. On the afternoon of the second day we loaded up the 

 flour and bran in time to get clear of the township before camp- 

 ing. We were anxiously looked for at the station, and the 

 bullock-driver intended that there should be no unnecessary delay. 

 He was a fine fellow, standing 6ft. 2in. in his boots, and straight 

 as an arrow ; an old gipsy, it was said, who had done some poach- 

 ing and came to New South Wales in consequence. Be that as it 

 may, he was a splendid servant and honest in every respect. 



I did not become further acquainted with the Northern part 

 of New England until 1858. Early in that year I had gone 

 from Sydney to Grafton in the s.s. Grafton, having arranged 

 to travel from the Clarence River with cattle to Victoria. I may 

 here perhaps digress briefly from the subject of this paper, as so 



