334 



In some parts there is a good deal of 

 cultivation, but for miles and miles there 

 is nothing but bush. A cutting or em- 

 bankment on the railway is quite un 

 exception. 



In some places where the land has 

 been well cleared and a few of the best 

 trees left, it makes it very pretty and 

 park-like. I kept thinkinp how was it 

 that this country, which to my mind did 

 not look nearly so good as our own, 

 seemed to prosper. It may be that our 

 summer rains make too much grass of 

 too rank growth. Here there seem to be 

 few diseases, ticks or blights ; and what 

 they have to contend with is drought. 

 In some districts they have had little or no 

 rain for five years, and, roughly speaking, 

 half the live stock of the country must 

 have died. I had the good fortune to met't 

 three well known men in New South 

 Wales who probably know that Colony 

 as well as most men, Mr. Richards, of the 

 Riverstone Meat Company, the largest 

 stock buyer in that part, Mr. Badgery, 

 one of "the largest stock auctioneers, 

 and Mr. Aitkin, who travels for the 

 " Hercules " Ice Machines. I had long' 

 and interesting conversations with each 

 of them, and was able to obtain a good 

 ileal of information about places I had 

 no opportunity of seeing. 



In the Bourke district the drought has 

 • l)een very severe, nearly all stock has 

 either died or been removed. Quite 

 recently there ware over 200 empty 

 houses in Bourke. One man had sent 

 away 10,000 sheep by rail to save their 

 lives. When it does rain in this country 

 stock fatten very quickly ; much less rain 

 is required in most parts of Australia 

 than with us, the country l^eing so flat it 

 does not run off. One of the best dairy- 

 ing districts, I was told, was Clarence, 

 north of Newcastle. This is also their 

 sugar district, but the industry is not a 

 very paying one, and much of the sugar- 

 growing land had been converted into 

 dairy farms, with the result that, instead 

 of being poor, the people were becoming 

 rich. The average return per cow is 

 about £1 per month. 



The distance from Mel))ournc to Sydney 

 by rail is 57C) miles, which takes by ex- 

 press 17^ hours, al)out 33 miles an hour, 

 including all stoppages. The Victorian 

 railways are wide gauge, and the New 



South Wales narrow, necessitating an 

 unpleasant change at .-Vlbany, late at night 

 and early in the morning. Meals are not 

 supplied on the train, but very fair meals, 

 at reasonal)le charges, are to be had at 

 Seymour, Albany, and Moss Vale. The 

 district from Albany to near Moss Vale 

 is passed through both ways at night. 

 About the Murray River all kinds of farm- 

 ing go on, vines and other crops, sheep 

 and cattle, all seem to do well. 



The scenery, early in the morning, near 

 Moss Vale, in New South Wales, is much 

 more interesting, as there are large trees 

 with a good deal of undergrowth. After 

 passing Moss Vale the country has been 

 juuch more cleared, and resembles part of 

 Gloucestershire only gum trees. Here we 

 see patches of mealies and sorghum. 



SYDNEY. 



Sydney is another fine city, almost the 

 same size as Melbourne, but the streets 

 are narrow and crooked. There are 

 hansom cabs and omnibusses, just as in 

 the Strand in London, and also electric 

 and cable trams. There is a very objec- 

 tionable steam tramway right through 

 the city. The l)aildings are very fine, the 

 Post Otfici-niid soini' others especially so. 

 The streets in plaros are very steep, and, 

 as my wife remarked, the hills in Aus- 

 tralia seem to be all in the towns. 



The people of Sydney are justly proud 

 of their Harbour. There is deep water 

 up to almost the centre of the city. 12,000 

 ton vessels were lying at the bottom of 

 Pitt Street, and paddle steamers by the 

 score run to all parts. We took a run out 

 to Manly and back, half-an-hour each 

 way, sixpence return fare This place is 

 near the gates to the Bay, and is a pleas- 

 ant resort. The gates or entrance is about 

 a mile across, with rocky cliffs on both 

 sides. The Harbour itself might be a 

 hundred Durban Bays all placed together. 

 The main bay has dozens of smaller bays 

 otf it, all woody hills with rocky beaches, 

 something like the sides of the Umkomaas 

 River in Natal. The suburbs and sur- 

 roundings of Sydney are beautiful. I met 

 Mr. See, the Premier, Mr. John Kidd, the 

 Minister of Agriculture, and other promi- 

 nent men. I also had an opportunity _ of 

 seeing the Naval contingent from i hina 

 return to Sydney. 



I visited the stock market near Sydney, 

 and saw about 20,000 sheep and about 



