KAILROAD TRAVELLING 57 



The country round about, in many places, was so 

 rough and covered with lava that vegetation was very 

 meagre, while in others it was very luxuriant. Forests 

 of cowrie pine covered the distant hills ; and the Aus- 

 tralian gums, where introduced, seemed to flourish. The 

 means of subsistence of the people were a mystery to 

 me, as they had no manufactures, and scarcely any 

 farms or gardens. 



Nearing a railroad, while on one of my walks, I 

 heard a train coming; so I sat down to compare the 

 Englishman's train with our own. 



Picture my disgust when a little black engine, with- 

 out cowcatcher, bell, whistle, head-light, or cab, ap- 

 peared, drawing five or six square boxes, each having 

 two windows and a door on each side, and a spoked 

 wheel under each corner. 



Altogether, it reminded me of the little dummy 

 engines that carry mud in dump-carts to fill up Boston 

 Back Bay. "Well, well," I asked of myself, "is this 

 the one-horse way of travelling in this land ? " The 

 train stopped at a stingy, ten-by-twelve station ; an 

 important-looking man going round with a large key 

 to unlock the doors, and let out the miserable wretches, 

 who looked as if they were glad to have escaped with 

 their lives. Then, strutting about the platform (a 

 raised gravel bank), this individual with the key 

 shouted, " Take your seats, please ! " and after the 

 guilty-looking passengers had entered, he relocked the 



