THE OLD COUNTET AND THE BTTSH. 265 



■wLat it may, who has not at times felt a longing desire 

 once again to see the land of his birth ? But old Time 

 works his revolutions as steadily at home as abroad ; and 

 when he does return after a few years' absence, he will 

 most probably find so many changes, so many ties will 

 have been severed, that bound him to the home of his 

 youth, so many old friends dead, others so changed, 

 that in nine cases out of ten he will feel himself an alien 

 in the land of his fathers, and experience far more re- 

 gret than pleasure when he once again sets his foot on 

 his native shore. Such was my fate ; I trust i\, may not 

 be the lot of all. Of one thing, however, I am certain, 

 that the man who has led a wild bush-life for any length 

 of time will hardly ever again settle down to the staid 

 customs and formalities of the old country. He will 

 miss the jolly freedom and independence of the bush ; and 

 this is the reason why so many who do go home with the 

 intention of remaining, are sure to return again to the 

 colony after a short absence. But, above all things, let 

 no working man think of going home unless he " has 

 made his pill;" for if he has to get his living by hard 

 work, he will find it far easier to do so abroad than at 

 home ; and if be should chance to want a supper or a bed 

 on this side of the equator, he will have something more 

 to do to get it than to walk up to the first bush hut or 

 tent that he comes across, and throwing down " his 

 swag," by the simple passwords " Good evening, mates," 

 obtain a hearty welcome for the night. 



