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A USTRALASIA ILL USTRA TED. 



town focalizes or passes by, much that is interesting and peculiar may be seen. The 

 larger hotels, after the old colonial style, are divided into two parts this the squatter's 

 side, that the bush-man's. There are of course characters of all sorts, and some are 

 steady and sober; but too many of the bush-men, stock-men, shearers, boundary-riders, 



MAIN STREET, BOURKE. 



drovers, steam-boat men, all drink together, 

 get drunk, lie upon the benches, get sober, 

 go down to the River for a swim, "get 

 broke" or, in more intelligible phrase, spend 

 all their earnings and clear out for work 

 again. The squatters lounge about the other 

 side. These master pastoralists are of two 

 kinds old fellows inured to bush-life and 

 lost to all desire of the city, and young 

 fellows only a year from the coast ; but all 

 of them having the fine coppery hue which a 

 year of the Darling sun puts on. The busi- 

 ness of the day seems to be to lounge, to drink at intervals, to yarn continuously, to 

 speculate on the prospects of the season, and without ceasing, though in their own 

 fashion, to pray for rain. The towns-folk go about their business leisurely enough. 



THE TRANSIT OF WOOL ON THE DAKLI.M;. 



