Cultivation, Manuring,. Measuring, etc. 151 



tough enough, it would hurt it too much, and, then, 

 his muscular power is, as a rule, not sufficient to en- 

 able him to use it with anything like as much effect 

 as a European could. It is difficult to imagine to 

 what use a native could or would put a spade if sup- 

 plied to him ; probably he would utilize it in some 

 way of his own undreamt of by its owner or giver, 

 as some coolies did when supplied by an energetic 

 railway contractor with wheelbarrows to accelerate 

 the throwing up of some earthwork. They proceed- 

 ed to carry them loaded with earth on their heads 

 instead of the light baskets they had been using, 

 thus considerably retarding instead of forwarding 

 the work in hand. The only use a native could 

 make of an English spade would be, perhaps, to 

 denude it of its wooden handle, using the same for 

 fuel, and bake chapattees, or unleavened cakes, on the 

 flat of it, as the Australians used to fry bacon in the 

 first rush to the diggings. 



The tumnee or digging ended, the ploughing next 

 begins, which partly stirs up and breaks the clods. 

 The ploughs are mostly of native construction, and 

 made of wood, with an iron ploughshare let in, though 

 sometimes iron ploughs of an English pattern, adapt- 

 ed to bullock-draught, are used. The ploughs gener- 

 ally go in a string of five, six, or more, following one 

 another at short distances, and each a little to the 



