not been
sufficiently wary in this respect, have had cause to regret their want
of caution. The tide of emigration is now bringing numerous highly
respectable families to Australia, as well as thousands of hard-working,
honest labourers, while the importation of felons has ceased. This state
of things will, in time, do away with the necessity for such extreme
caution and mistrust. It will, however, take a number of years to clear
the Colony of the half-reformed villain who still hankers after his old
ways,--of the _emancipist_, whom the law looks upon as a reformed
character, but whom experience has taught the world to look upon with a
very different eye,--and of the convicts for life, who still amount to
thousands. Until the Colony is pretty well weeded of such characters,
society will not, and cannot, dismiss the suspicion with which it is now
rendered necessary, by circumstances, to regard the unintroduced
stranger.

I found no lack of agreeable society, both male and female, in any part
of New South Wales that I visited. In many instances, the conversation
certainly turned rather too much upon sheep and cattle; but this ought
to be excused, where ninety-nine hundredths earn their daily bread by
means of those animals. In Sydney, we found the dinner and evening
parties highly agreeable, and composed of elegant, accomplished, and
intelligent persons of both sexes. What more can be said of any
community? During the government of Sir Richard Bourke, an attempt was
made by him to introduce into his own parties some emancipist families;
and on one occasion, the grand-daughter of a late Sydney hangman
actually made her appearance at a ball at Government-house. This fact
being found out by the heads of families present, a representation was
made to His Excellency through his aide-de-camp, and, after some show of
opposition on the part of the Governor, a stop was put to it. I do not
mean to say that, among the class called emancipists, consisting of
persons who have been convicts, there may not be found men and women who
have become thoroughly reformed and fit to adorn society. This, however,
is the exception, not the rule. A large majority of the class in
question are quite unfit for any company but that of a low pot-house.

Some of the most stylish equipages in Sydney are the property of men who
came to the Colony with fetters on their legs. In them may be seen, any
and every day, gayly-dressed women, driving about the t