fine herd of cattle. I might have had fifty servants assigned to me,
but I accepted only six; and those I had the opportunity of selecting.
I determined with these and the assistance of our own party to bring
under cultivation as many acres of ground as I could manage.

A settler's life in a new country is not all plain sailing, as we were
to find--though in many instances it may be somewhat monotonous. We had
some expectation of meeting with an adventure, for we heard that several
bush-rangers were out, who were levying black-mail on all travellers.
We resolved at all events not to be taken unawares.

I felt pretty sure that we might trust our new men, and Dick Nailor was
a man not to be attacked with impunity even by the most daring of
robbers.

We found when we moved on that we had not more men than we required for
conducting the dray and driving the cattle. Had we possessed more
experience, half our number would have driven twenty times as many
cattle as we had, and more than that, with ease.

We made good about twelve miles in the day. At night we had enough to
do to keep our valuable cattle from straying. We found the simplest
plan was to light a number of fires in a circle, beyond which the
animals were seldom disposed to move. It, however, required constant
attention to keep up the fires, for as soon as the flames dropped, the
animals seemed no longer disposed to be restrained within the circle.

This occupied most of our party during the night, so that only two or
three at a time could get rest. We slept very fast when we did sleep,
to make up for lost time--as Mark observed. Either Dick Nailor or I was
always on the watch, as I did not think it prudent to trust the
convicts, though they had but little temptation to play us any tricks.
They were pretty well aware that they would have no prospect of setting
up for themselves, even if they should run away with our cattle.

We had got within three or four miles of our station, but as we could
not reach it before dark, we camped as usual, hoping that we might get
there the next morning.

Scarcely had we unyoked our oxen than several blacks appeared coming
towards us from a neighbouring bush. I was not aware at the time of the
dislike oxen have to the natives, and was astonished at the state of
excitement into which the animals were put as the blacks drew near. We
had the greatest difficulty, indeed, in restraining the animals from
breaking off in