e long put up a verandah, almost a
necessary appendage to a house in that hot climate. There was thus
always shade and shelter on one side of the house or the other, and here
my wife and daughters could sit and work, and carry on all sorts of
operations.

Our very first work, I should have said, was to make a pen for the
sheep, where they would be secure from the natives or dingoes at night.
In the daytime, when out feeding, they could be easily kept together,
and they were so tame that they would follow us about like dogs. Their
offspring learnt the same custom; and so instead of the sheep being
driven, as in England, they throughout the whole of the country follow
the shepherd wherever he leads, and know his voice. Often have I
thought of the parable of the Good Shepherd when I have heard a
shepherd, in a slightly undulating or hilly country, calling to his
sheep, and seen the flock come trooping over the ridges from afar, and
gradually drawing round him, not one being missing.

As soon as we could, also, we got a garden fenced in and dug up, and a
paddock for wheat. We had no wish to starve, and at that time
provisions were often very scarce and enormously dear in the colony. At
one time, indeed, in consequence of the non-arrival of store-ships from
England, the settlers were nearly starved.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

A SETTLER'S LIFE.

The number of people who knew anything about farming or gardening was
very small, and continued so long after the colony was settled. At
first, indeed, there were none, and they actually did not know what to
do with the seeds which had been sent out with them.

At the time of our arrival a change for the better had taken place, and
a large proportion of free settlers were agriculturists, who soon taught
the labourers they employed, and several farms were established.

We little thought at that time of the vast power of production possessed
by Australia. Day after day we worked on, cutting down trees, splitting
them with wedges, building huts, putting up fences, and digging and
planting. The latter operations were very important; from the number of
mouths we should soon have to feed, the expense of providing food would
be very great unless we could produce some on the estate.

As soon as Arthur Wells had recovered his strength he willingly set to
work, and no man could have laboured harder than he did. He knew more
than any of us did about farming, though we had some boo