^98 



TeM AGttlCV LftfUAL JOUltNAL. 



MELBOURNE. 



On our arrival at Melbourne we were 

 again inspected by the Health Officer on 

 account of the plague. 



The Sophocles is one of the largest boats 

 which conies up the Yarra River, the 

 longer ones discharge at St. Kilda, and 

 other places in the bay. We were brought 

 about five miles up the river, which was 

 very much in flood. The river is not 

 wide, and more like a canal, with flat 

 banks all the way up. The approach to 

 Melbourne is by no means pretty. 



Shortly after our arrival we were met 

 by the Chairman of the Festivities Com- 

 mittee and brought to the Grand Hotel, 

 just opposite the House of Parliament. 

 All our surroundings were so much like 

 a first-class London Hotel, that it was 

 difficult to realise that we were not there. 

 Melbourne is undoubtedly a fine city ; in- 

 cluding the suburbs and other towns 

 which it has absorbed it has a popula 

 tion of nearly half-a-million. The streets 

 are very fine, straight, and wide. The 

 pavements are twenty feet wide on each 

 side. It West Street in Durban had fine 

 buildings, four to seven storeys high, all 

 the way along, it would resemble Bourke 

 Street here. The town is built on hills 

 something like Rome, and the cable tram 

 service is splendid, running up nearly 

 every street and along cross streets, so as 

 to quite confuse one. A policeman regu- 

 lates the trams as he does the London 

 omnibuses at each crossing. There must 

 be hundreds of cars, they run everywhere, 

 and every few minutes. There are always 

 two cars, the first one open, in which the 

 man who works the levers stands, and the 

 others are ordinary closed cars. Fares 

 are l^d. in the city, and 3d. anywhere 

 else. I have been four miles along one 

 suburban line. 



One sees a black man sometimes, as in 

 London, and a few Chinese, but all the 

 rough labour is done by white men. 

 White men and women will not work 

 with us in Natal as they do here. I am 

 inclined to think they are better off with 

 us. Here there are many very roughly 

 dressed poor looking whites, such as one 

 does not see with us, and a good many 

 beggars; but, then, Melbourne is a big 

 place. 



I spent an afternoon in the Denton Hat 

 Factory, which is complete in every way 



They employ about 300 men, women, boys 

 and girls, and manufacture both wool and 

 fur into hats. It was very interesting. All 

 labour is by piece-work. The men earn 

 about £3 a week, and the women from £1 

 to 30s. I enquired what it cost men to 

 live, and was told single men could board 

 at about 15s. a week. There is at present 

 a very high protective tariff of about 3s. a 

 hat. There are quite a number of 

 factories of all kinds here, but still they 

 do not seem to be able to compete with 

 European manufactures. 



The Zoological Gardens here are very 

 nice. The kangaroos are most amusing. 

 When going slowly they put their short 

 front legs on the ground, but when fast 

 they just jump along on their hind legs 

 and great strong tail. 



The Botanic Gardens are very pretty, 

 and well kept, bat I saw nothing out of 

 the way there. 



Government House is situated across 

 the river from here, on a hill. They are 

 completing one of the finest parades in 

 the world, I should think, all along the 

 north bank of the Yarra, five rows of 

 trees. There is an iron bridge about 

 thirty feet wide, and a carriage drive 

 about fifty feet, then a bicycle track about 

 twenty feet, and a walk about twenty 

 feet wide. When the trees are grown u]> it 

 will be lovely. Government; House and 

 grounds, and the Botanic Gardens over- 

 look it, and the river on the other side. 

 Stands, arches, and illumination poles are 

 being erected everywhere. There is to 

 be a great time here, decorations going up 

 all round, and some buildings already 

 illuminated. 



The one thing quite behind the times 

 is the postal rate, 2d. to adjoining Col- 

 onies, and 2^d. abroad. 



I am also disappointed with the horses, 

 having haidly seen a decent pair yet, 

 while the traps and horses do not look 

 smart and well groomed. There are a 

 great many American spiders used. Have 

 not seen a bullock in the yoke yet. The 

 gum trees about here are also small and 



stunted. ,r. • . c 



Mr. Barton, the Prime Mmister of the 

 Federation, and Mr. Peacock, the Premier 

 of Victoria, are both staying here. They 

 are distinguished as Prime Minister and 

 Premier. I got a bit mixed with these 

 titles at first. 



