" WAIFS AND STEATS." 257 



treatment I received, not only at the hands of Mr, 

 McDonald, the owner of the station, but of every one 

 else connected with it. I certainly was more at home 

 there than in any other of my camping-places : for it is 

 very rarely that a station-master out here will conde- 

 scend to notice (otherwise than as a parish-beadle regards 

 a vagrant in the old country) a vagabond shooter who 

 camps upon his run. 



A few years ago many a man earned good wages by 

 picking up "waifs and strays," washed ashore on the 

 coasts of this bay ; and I remember, when the Ontario 

 was wrecked on the Heads, in 1853, some thousands of 

 pounds' worth of property came ashore, and the beach 

 was strewed for days with valuable articles of every 

 description. Unfortunately, her cargo was not a dry 

 one ; and I saw a fatal accident, which resulted in the 

 death of one of our party, arise from the reckless man- 

 ner in which the spirits were served out upon that occa- 

 sion. Formerly every ship discharged her lumber in the 

 bay ; and owing to the heavy rates of storage in Mel- 

 bourne, emigrants would cast many things overboard 

 rather than bring them ashore: now, however, people 

 are more careful ; and this beach is so regularly 

 " combed," that one rarely sees anything worth pick- 

 ing up. 



