THE DANDENONG RANGES. 325 



A very near relation of one of the first British dukes was 

 exhibiting his talents as a conjurer and magician, but I fear 

 with no very magical results, as his next investment and 

 speculation was in a gigantic wheelbarrow, which he em- 

 ployed in the service of his patroness, " the washerwoman," 

 at so much a load, of either dirty or clean linen, to their 

 respective destinations. Fortune, however, did not smile 

 upon his efforts, and I caught a last glimpse of him, before 

 going up the country, quietly smoking his pipe before a 

 stationary apple and orange stall at the corner of Burke- 

 street, and yet looking as little like a vendor of those deli- 

 cacies as it was possible to conceive. 



I am, however, losing sight of my original theme, " sport- 

 ing," whilst relating some of the many and extraordinary 

 freaks of fortune that have been, and no doubt still are, 

 witnessed in this extraordinary country. My friend the 

 doctor, who well knew all the resources of the interior for 

 many miles round, was a good sportsman himself, and kept 

 some excellent dogs, invited me shortly after this to join a 

 shooting-party to the Dandenong hills or ranges, a district 

 some thirty miles from Melbourne, on the southern side of 

 Port Philip heads. Snipe and wild-fowl were- the chief 

 objects of our pursuit, but it was possible we might meet 

 with kangaroo and wallaby, and there was just a chance 

 of finding that extraordinary and beautiful specimen of 

 Australian ornithology, the lyre-bird. The scenery was also 

 said to be of the most beautiful and romantic description, 

 and being most anxious to get some insight into the sporting 

 capabilities of the country, I was delighted to accept the 

 invitation. It was true it was not exactly the best time of 

 year ; but an Australian forest is composed of evergreens, and 

 is always beautiful. Our creature comforts were to be pro- 

 vided for at the cottage of a squatter, whose station was 

 situated in that district. The doctor sent on a cart-load of 



