s he could, furnishing, a comfortable cabin.
His wood he gathered and regularly piled in a straight line and
perpendicular by the door, convenient as though the old lady had been
within to provide his meals. He acted upon the adage, "Never to start
till you are ready." Now our hero was ready to commence working his
"claim;" and this he did, as he did everything else, steadily and
systematically.
'He may yet be seen at his work, with the prospect--if he lives to be
an old man--of being rich; for in the last two years he has
accumulated 10,000 dollars.'
Need we add a word? This is decidedly the kind of man for
emigrating--or, indeed, for remaining at home. We, being of his own
character, can conceive his delicious nights of camping out, his head
under his wheel-barrow, until he arrived at the dignity of a wagon;
his principal luggage being perhaps a coverlet, to preserve him from
the cold in sleep, and a gun that unscrewed, and its appendages, to
provide him a fresh bird or beef. It is very probable that he sought
neither of these, but was contented with something concentrated and
preserved, and thus feasted; and with a drink from some delicious
spring, or from a bottle--that could not be broken--supplied at the
last spring he had passed, lay down conscious of his progress, well
satisfied with the past, and hopeful of the future.
On his arrival at his destination, his conduct is equally exemplary.
Every one should provide for the preservation of life and health as
first measures; and if not done at a rate which future exertions are
likely to render profitable, why make the expenditure? Now, many
are in all these new adventures expending on inevitable
necessities--having made no previous provision for them--such sums as
render all their exertions hopeless; while at the same time they are
sacrificing health and strength.
The government of Australia has certainly been very successful in
preserving order at the gold placers there, and has given its sanction
upon moderate terms; for here, we believe, gold and silver mines are
_inter regalia_, and could have been entirely seized by the crown. We
sincerely trust it will appropriate the great and unexpected revenue
thence arising in improving the roads through this magnificent
country, and providing shelter for the traveller; for at this moment,
many of the roads being over the steepest mountains, and the gradients
unmitigated by cuttings, or any other act of engineering
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