THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



mi 



going strong. It is a very pretty drive 

 down from Sheffield to Railton. Here 

 we also saw bullocks being used, gener- 

 ally four or six, never more than one man 

 to a team, all American yokes as we call 

 them, and no reim or rope on their heads. 

 They tell me one man can easily yoke 

 and travel about with six pairs, putting 

 them all in the yoke single handed. 

 They seem to go along very quietly. 



The country is much more mountainous 

 than Australia generally, having high 

 ranges on all sides. There was snow on 

 the Black Bluff when we were there. 



The trains in Tasmania are much like 

 ours, but the stations are not nearly so 

 good. Bellair Station would eclipse any- 

 thing we saw, although Hobart and 

 Launcestown have populations of over 

 20,000 each. 



We arrived at Launceston in the 

 evening, and were very comfortable at 

 the Brisbane Hotel. The next morning, 

 Mr. Sutton, the acting Mayor, drove us to 

 the PJlectric Lighting Station. The River 

 Esk has been utilised, and about 800 

 horse power obtained. The generating 

 station seemed all that could be desired, 

 and the whole scheme a success. 



We then drove roun 1 the town and up 

 to the Gorge, the beauty spot of Launces- 

 ton. The River Esk runs between two 

 precipices. A footpath has l)een con- 

 structed at a cost of about £(;,000 up the 

 shady side, and ferns, etc., are planted in 

 every nook. It is very pretty. The walk 

 is about two miles long, with tea gardens 

 and pleasure grounds at the end. A toll 

 ot one penny each is charged for admis- 

 sion to this walk and grounds. The popu- 

 lation of Launceston is 28,000. 



We left there at '6 o'clock, and arrived 

 at Hobart at 9 p.m. The weather was 

 perfect. When I looked out from our 

 bedroom window next morning, I re- 

 marked that it I'eminded me very much 

 of Capetown, Mount Wellington being in 

 the back ground. Unfortunately we also 

 had a regular Cape south-easter, the dust 

 and pebbles were flying about everywhere. 

 We drove up the river about six miles, a 

 wonderfully pretty drive, and lunched 

 with some friends of our travels. We had 

 to leave Hobart early next morning, 8 

 o'clock, to catch our boat jat Launceston 

 at 2 p.m. The country about Ross is very 

 open and pretty, but the grass is very 



short everywhere ; nowhere could one 

 h.ive cut a sackFul. Nearly everj'one we 

 met was complaining that farming did 

 not pay. Tliey were hoping for good 

 markets when the high protective duties 

 of the Australian Colonies were removed. 

 The farmers are the free traders over here, 

 and the labouring classes the protec- 

 tionists. 



tlobart Harbour is one of the finest in 

 the world, with deep water and fine 

 shelter. From Launceston we ran down 

 the T;^mar, about 40 miles to the sea. All 

 arouud the coast of Tasmania there are 

 good harbours. I was surprised to find 

 such a large proportion of Tasmania quite 

 unocctipied, there still being almost ua 

 explored forests. There are some very 

 fine inland lakes full of trout. 



We enjoyed our trip to Tasmania very 

 much, all except the going and coming. 

 The people were all very kind and we 

 could have enjoyed a month there. 



We did not see much of the orchard 

 country, it lies mostly along the iHuon 

 River ; we saw a good deal up the Uerwent. 

 They keep the trees young and cultivate 

 very carefully. In fact they have to work 

 hard and spend a lot of money to get any- 

 thing. The rainfall is fairly good and 

 diseases few. Fluke and sheep tick trouble 

 them in places. 



MELBOURNE TO NATAL. 



We left Melbourne on May 22nd, and 

 had another very rough passage across the 

 Bright, had to lie-to altogether one day. 

 We hardly had the fiddles off the table 

 for the krst fortnight. The only decent 

 weather we had was the last week of our 

 voyage. We reached Albany, a very snug 

 harbour, and pretty little town on the 

 south coast of Western Australia, on the 

 28th, and stayed there coaling all day. 

 The coal is kept in hulks in the Bay. I 

 was told it cost 30s. per ton. This coal is 

 brought round from New South Wales. 



We had a drive out into the country, 

 which is almost all thick bush. They 

 grow very little in Western A.ustralia, 

 mostly timber. The meat in the shops 

 had been brought from South Australia, 

 and was selling at lOd, per pound. For- 

 merly the mail stemers all called at 

 Albany, now they mostly call at Free- 

 mantle. We resumed our voyage that 

 evening, and had another very rough time 



