BUCK-JUMPING. 357 



tlie diggings, mounted on an animal just driven into his 

 stock-yard from the bush. The forest, here and everywhere 

 else in Australia, is covered with the blackened trunks of 

 trees of every size that have fallen victims to fire, and it is a 

 very usual thing for men well mounted to take a straight 

 line across it, leaping over such logs as are practicable. We 

 were amusing ourselves in this manner when we came to one 

 of the prostrate giants of the forest, which, although my 

 horse was a very good one, I should never have attempted to 



jump, and did not imagine F , on the little ill-conditioned 



iveed he was riding, would think of doing. I was astonished, 

 however, to observe him dig his spurs into the beast's sides, 

 rush him at it, and, as I anticipated, make a clean sommer 

 sault over the trunk of a tree about four feet high and fully 

 as many broad horse and man absolutely turning in the air. 



F was accustomed to this kind of practice (as he broke 



in his own horses), and knew exactly how to throw him- 

 self off on one side ; and, in this instance, without quitting 

 his hold of the bridle, was on his horse's back again in an 

 instant, and with whip and spur urging him to the charge 

 again, The same result occurred a second time, and now I 

 thought it really was time to interfere, and not allow my 

 friend to break his neck without some remonstrance on my 

 part. Pie merely waved his hand, and said that he could 

 not afford to spoil his horses by sacrificing to my philan- 

 thropy, and ramming him at the leap a third time, cleared it 

 like a buck, observing, that had he not persisted in making 

 him jump the log, he would have been spoilt for ever, and of 

 no use as a stock-horse, but that now he would in all pro- 

 bability turn out well. This was a young animal, between 

 three and four years old. Nothing can equal a confirmed 

 buck-jumper in equine depravity, and he is rarely or ever 

 thoroughly cured of this vice. After the most quiet and 

 docile behaviour for perhaps weeks and even months, and 



