n it comes rushing down, swollen by numberless little streams from
the hills, it will carry almost everything before it. Bridges, and
strong ones too, it has swept away, and you may judge both of its
violence and of the height to which it rises at such times, when I tell
you that, when a flood has subsided, you may sometimes look up and see a
dead horse sticking in the fork of a tree which had for a time been
nearly under water. And I've often thought that the drink is like this
stream; people will scarce credit at first that it can do so much
mischief--it's only a little drop, or a glass or two, but the drop
becomes a stream, and the glass a mighty river, and down goes all before
it, money, home, love, character, peace, everything. But see, that's
the jail on our left now. If there were more total abstainers, we
shouldn't want such a costly building, nor so many policemen, as we do
now. Here, as in the old country, the drink is at the bottom of nine-
tenths of the crime. And now we're just coming up to the top of Hindley
Street. Look down it; it's a busy street; you can see right away
through Rundle Street, which is a continuation of it, to the Park Lands
beyond. Now, just take a fact about the drinking habits of this colony.
You'll suppose, of course, that this street wants lighting at night.
Well; how is this done? We have no gas as yet; no doubt we shall have
it by-and-by. Well, then, look along each side of the street, and
you'll see ordinary lamps projecting from houses at tolerably regular
intervals. These houses are all public-houses. Every publican is bound
by law to keep a lamp burning outside his house every dark night; and
these lamps light the street very creditably. I use the word
`creditably' simply in reference to the lighting; doesn't that speak
volumes?"

"Yes, indeed," said Hubert; "I fear it tells of abundant crime and
misery."

"It does. But we mustn't dwell on the dark side now, for I want this to
be a bright day for us all. You see we've some nice shops in Hindley
Street."

"Yes," said Frank; "but what a remarkable variety of style in the
houses; there are no two of them, scarcely, alike in size, shape, or
height. They remind me rather of a class of boys in our dame school at
home, where big and little boys, tidy and ragged, stand side by side in
one long row."

"You are rather severe upon us," said Mr Oliphant laughing; "but we are
gradually improving; there is, however, plen