12 6 AROUND THE WORLD VIA INDIA. 



protecting its citizens, so far as possible, against disease 

 and in making ample provisions for its indigent sick. 

 Australia has met these two duties in a. most creditable 

 manner, as is so well shown by its well-organized effec- 

 tive Boards of Health, the many excellent hospitals and 

 other numerous charitable institutions. The public hos- 

 pitals are managed and supported nearly in the same 

 manner as the hospitals in England. It is an inflexible 

 rule that none of these hospitals should provide for pri- 

 vate patients. They are supported by donations, life 

 and annual subscribers, by government appropriations 

 and pay patients. The medical men give their serv- 

 ices gratuitously; the internes and nurses receive small 

 salaries. The churches of different, denominations, so- 

 cieties and individuals in all the states contribute liber- 

 ally toward the building and maintenance of hospitals. 

 Protestant denominational hospitals are unknown. 



Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria. It 

 is a beautiful city, built on the undulating hills on both 

 sides of Yarra river, with a population of nearly half a 

 million. Its streets are well paved, clean and well 

 lighted with electricity, and its system of cable trains 

 affords an easy and rapid means of reaching all parts of 

 the city and almost every public institution. The many 

 well-kept public parks, botanical and zoological gardens, 

 museum and library furnish ample proof of the public 

 spirit of its citizens. Nearly all of the business build- 

 ings and residences are either solid stone or brick struc- 

 tures. There is no private residence without its garden 

 ornamented with subtropical trees, flowering shrubs and 

 flowers. The Australian takes as much pride in his 

 garden as he does in his house, and this applies equally 

 to rich and poor, large residences and small houses. 

 The city in its general aspects bears a close resemblance 

 to Belfast, Ireland. The water supply and sewerage 

 are now in a satisfactory condition and have contributed 

 much in reducing the former frequency of typhoid. 



