ON AND OFF THE TURF. 



CHAPTER I. 



A PRELIMINARY CANTER. 



Au unpretending book. Writers on Australia. First im- 

 pressions. The sort of men wanted. Prospects. 

 Living. 



Before settling down into my stride, and writing* 

 an account of more than ten years On and Off the 

 Tarf in Australia, it will be better, by way of intro- 

 duction, to take a preliminary canter. 



This is an unpretending book, and I hope will be 

 accepted as such by critics and readers alike. The 

 frequent use of the personal pronoun is not egotism, 

 but merely a matter of convenience. Many books 

 have beeu written about Australia and the Austra- 

 lians. Some of these works show that the authors 

 have endeavoured to find the bad, not the good, 

 in both country and people. Tliere is a tendency 



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