3G6 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



was my intention to make a short voyage to the South Seas, 

 in order to visit a portion of the islands comprised in that 

 vast and interesting archipelago, I was on the look-out for 

 an opportunity to put my views into execution. This I was 

 not long in effecting, having formed an acquaintance with a 

 Mr. John Williams, son of the famous missionary of that 

 name who was killed at Erromanga, in the New Hebrides, 

 by the savages. 



This gentleman was about to make a trading- voyage 

 through several of the above-mentioned groups of islands in 

 search of cocoa-nut oil, which article had risen to a very high 

 price in the market at the period I allude to (1855), owing 

 to the war with Russia ; and, as he had spent a great part of 

 his youth in many of them with his father, and could 

 speak several of the native languages, he was not only 

 admirably calculated to carry out such a speculation, but the 

 most useful and agreeable person I could possibly have hit 

 . upon as a companion and cicerone. 



Before my departure, however, I determined, if possible, 

 to make a short trip up the country, as far as Bathurst, the 

 nearest gold-field in New South Wales to the capital, or 

 rather the township nearest to the Turon diggings. There 

 were two methods of travelling there. One was to buy or 

 hire a horse, and ride ; the other, to take one of the two 

 coaches which ply daily between Sydney and Bathurst. I 

 was informed that the former plan was by far the most 

 comfortable, and on every account, from my own experience 

 in Victoria, I should have preferred it, but that it was con- 

 nected with too much expense, and took up too much time. 

 So I engaged my place to Bathurst in the mail-coach, paying 

 two pounds ten shillings for the box-seat, which I was par- 

 ticularly advised to secure. It started from the Post-office 

 at half-past four, p.m., and I met it there at the time 

 appointed. Seeing the front boot left open to receive the 



