esh volcanic slopes of the southern
continent, and that the princes of the earth send their wealth, that
their hearts may get glad from the juice of the Australian grapes.

"Beyond I see fat black ridges grow yellow with a thousand cornfields.
I see a hundred happy homesteads, half-hidden by clustering
wheatstacks. What do they want with all that corn? say you; where is
their market?

"There is their market! Away there on the barren forest ranges. See,
the timber is gone, and a city stands there instead. What is that on
the crest of the hill? A steam-engine; nay, see, there are five of
them, working night and day, fast and busy. Their cranks gleam and
flash under the same moon that grew red and lurid when old Mirngish
vomited fire and smoke twenty thousand years ago. As I listen I can
hear the grinding of the busy quartz-mill. What are they doing? you
ask. They are gold-mining.

"They have found gold here, and gold in abundance, and hither have
come, by ship and steamship, all the unfortunate of the earth. The
English factory labourer and the farmer-ridden peasant; the Irish
pauper; the starved Scotch Highlander. I hear a grand swelling chorus
rising above the murmur of the evening breeze; that is sung by German
peasants revelling in such plenty as they never knew before, yet still
regretting fatherland, and then I hear a burst of Italian melody
replying. Hungarians are not wanting, for all the oppressed of the
earth have taken refuge here, glorying to live under the free
government of Britain; for she, warned by American experience, has
granted to all her colonies such rights as the British boast of
possessing."

I did not understand him then. But, since I have seen the living wonder
of Ballarat, I understand him well enough.

He ceased. But the Major cried out, "Go on, Doctor, go on. Look farther
yet, and tell us what you see. Give us a bit more poetry while your
hand is in."

He faced round, and I fancied I could detect a latent smile about his
mouth.

"I see," said he, "a vision of a nation, the colony of the greatest
race on the earth, who began their career with more advantages than
ever fell to the lot of a young nation yet. War never looked on them.
Not theirs was the lot to fight, like the Americans, through bankruptcy
and inexperience towards freedom and honour. No. Freedom came to them,
Heavensent, red-tape-bound, straight from Downing-street. Millions of
fertile acres, gold in bushels were theirs,