VISIT YORK. 231 



man," after the assurance that he is a '* very pretty 

 gentleman," must perforce yield to the solicitation 

 " tickpence give it um me." 



There was one amongst them, who from some 

 accident had lost several of his toes. When in conver- 

 sation, if he fancied any person was observing his 

 foot, he would immediately endeavour to conceal the 

 part that was thus disfigured by burying it in the 

 sand. Another instance, exemplifying how prevalent 

 is the frailty of vanity in the heart of man in his 

 primitive condition. 



As a little time was required to give the ship a 

 slight refit and the crew some relaxation, it affbrded 

 an opportunity of visiting York, situated about sixty 

 miles east from Perth, and at that extremity of the 

 colony. Accordingly, one murky afternoon a small 

 party of us were wending our way over the Darling- 

 Range. Long after dark the welcome bark of dogs 

 rang through the forest in the still dark night, assur- 

 ing us that shelter was at hand, and we soon found 

 ourselves before a large fire in the only house on the 

 road, enjoying, after a dreary wet ride, the usual fare 

 at that time at the out-stations — fried pork and 

 kangaroo. About this tenement was the only spot 

 of land alonff the whole line of road that could at 

 all lay claim to anything like fertility ; at which I 

 was the more surprised, as our route intercepted the 

 direction in which patches of good land are gene- 

 rally found in this part of the continent. The soil 

 of this little piece was of a rich black mould and 



