GENTLEMEN DIGGERS. 451 



He had once been a private in the llth Hussars, and 

 few better or kinder hearts ever beat under a shell- 

 jacket or wore a sabre. 



But in alluding to soldiers, I would say a word or 

 two about them. I believe there is no place an the 

 world where such splendid specimens of the Briton are 

 to be found as at the Diamond Fields. The majority 

 are not only the sons of gentlemen, but gentlemen 

 by education. The reason that such a high type of 

 emigrant should be found there doubtlessly is, that it 

 is a very expensive journey from England. If I had 

 to raise a couple of cavalry regiments, there I would 

 certainly go for recruits. Look across the way towards 

 the Post Office and note that group, all young, all good- 

 looking ; and you can safely feel assured that the grass 

 country of the Midland Counties knows them well, 

 that its hedges, woods, and copses have echoed with 

 their stirring, soul-inspiring " Tally-ho ! " That broad- 

 shouldered man with the heavy moustache and good- 

 natured expression of countenance, what a splendid 

 heavy dragoon he would make ! The other conversing 

 so animatedly with him, light enough still to ride under 

 eleven stone, would he not make the most perfect of 

 Hussars or Lancers ? There is the material such as no 

 other land can produce, there is the quality, yet we do 

 not know how to make use of it. Although many of 

 these splendid specimens of the genus homo have now 

 to work hard, to toil with hands that never previously 

 were acquainted with anything harder than a kid glove, 

 still they look in no way dispirited, but laugh at the 

 last don mot, or narrate their latest escapade with as 

 much gusto as a year or two before they may probably 

 have done on the porch of their club in Pall Mall, or 

 D D 2 



