int of hyperbolical marvel, of the wonderful utterance of Tom Connor's
cat, in the plain Anglo-Saxon vernacular. Though we do not intend either
to support or refute the sophistry of these men, it is only just to say,
that considering every bullock has a name, upon the utterance of which
it is made to feel an application of the whip, it is not to be wondered
at that the animals are soon taught to recognise their appellations, and
in the expectation of chastisement, to brighten up when they hear them.

The reader may imagine we have drawn too depraved a picture of this
neglected class of men; but we solemnly affirm we have not. There
are, of course, exceptions to this, as to every rule; for we have
known many industrious, and even respectable well-conducted men, as
bullock-drivers; but unfortunately they were only the exceptions:
the general mass are as corrupt and vicious as it is possible for
human beings to be. Why this is so, we are at a loss rightly to
understand; though we imagine the primary cause is this: Attendant on
bullock-driving are many discomforts; more, possibly, than in any other
occupation in the bush. Hence it is an employment which industrious or
enterprising individuals generally shun; and in the successive scales of
advancement, in which the steady immigrant effects his rise, it is left
to members of the lowest scum; who prefer the freedom of this erratic
life, to the more settled conformities of order and society.

We left John Ferguson on the bank of the river, gazing on the dray
safely (or rather unsafely) fixed in the bed of the river. The
bullock-drivers had lashed, frantically shouted, and swore; while they
performed sundry manoeuvres, and excited evolutions; to induce the
bullocks to strain an extra nerve, to extricate the vehicle: but all to
no purpose; the efforts of the beasts were unavailing, while the delay
only rendered the case more hopeless. In this state of things, the men
perceived the only course open to them, was to lighten the load as much
as possible, by partially unloading the dray, and carrying the goods
over the river themselves. With this determination they set earnestly to
work, and succeeded in removing the greater portion of the goods; when
they made another attempt, happily with better success than previously;
and brought the dray from its miry adherence to a position on the bank.
It was then reladen with the goods; while the men, barely recovered from
the chagrin caused