said
he had made a mistake. The proper course would have been to hoist
the flag at half-mast, and to fire minute guns, in token of the grief
of the pioneers for the death of freedom.

Mr. Tyers rode away with a guide, found his troopers at the head of
the Glengarry, and returned with them over Tom's Cap. He camped on
the Tarra, near the present Brewery Bridge, and his black men at
night caught a number of blackfish, which were found to be most
excellent.

Next day the commissioner entered on his official duties, and began
to put down irregularities. He rode to the Old Port, and halted his
men in front of the company's store. All the inhabitants soon
gathered around him. He said to the storekeeper:

"My name is Tyers. I am the Commissioner of Crown Lands. I want to
see your license for this store."

"This store belongs to the Port Albert Company," replied John
Campbell. "We have no license, and never knew one was required in
such a place as this."

"You are, then, in illegal occupation of Crown lands, and unless you
pay me twenty pounds for a license I am sorry to say it will be my
duty to destroy your store," said Mr. Tyers.

There were two other stores, and a similar demand was made at each of
them for the 20 pounds license fee, which was paid after some demur,
and the licenses were signed and handed to the storekeepers.

Davy's hut was the next visited.

"Who owns this building?" asked Mr. Tyers.

"I do," said Davy. "I put it up myself."

"Have you a license?"

"No, I have not. Never was asked for one since I came here, and I
don't see why I should be asked for one now."

"Well, I ask you now. You are in illegal occupation of Crown lands,
and you must pay me twenty pounds, or I shall have to destroy your
hut."

"I hav'nt got the twenty pounds," Davy said: "never had as much
money in my life; and I wouldn't pay it to you if I had it. I would
like to know what right the Government, or anybody else, has to ask
me for twenty pounds for putting up a hut on this sandbank? I have
been here with my family pretty nigh on to three years; sometimes
nearly starved to death, living a good deal of the time on birds, and
'possums, and roast flathead; and what right, in the name of common
sense, has the Government to send you here to make me pay twenty
pounds? What has the Government done for me or anybody else in
Gippsland? They have already taken every penny they could get out of
the settlers, and