it would take us to effect them.

Moreover, Old Colonial is a bush-philosopher, and delivers himself of
moral orations in the shanty of nights. His views on some subjects are
peculiar, and they are always hurled at our heads with the utmost scorn
and contempt for all who may differ from them. This is his theory on
repairing--

"We are pioneers; it is our special duty and purpose to make, to begin,
to originate. We inherit nothing; we are ourselves the commencement of a
future society, just as Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. Our
whole time and labour must be given to the one purpose of hewing out
the new path. We cannot stop to repair our faults and failures. For _us_
that would be a waste of energy and of time. It is for those who inherit
the commencement we have made to do that; not for us, the pioneers. They
will improve our beginnings; we must continue onward. _Never mend
anything_, except your manners, boys! Put up with discomforts and
hardships, as pioneers should!"

The furniture and internal arrangements of our shanty are more simple in
construction than elegant in appearance. We go in for utility, and not
for show. As a central feature is the table. It is our pride and glory,
that table, for it was made in Auckland, and imported by us from
Helensville. It is the one piece of furniture we possess that displays
an art superior to our own. Solid, strong and large, made of stout kauri
wood, it has borne a great deal of rough usage, and is capable of
bearing a great deal more.

Besides all the customary uses to which a table may be put, this article
of ours fulfils even another purpose. It comes in very handy sometimes
as a bedstead. I have known two men to sleep upon it on occasions; its
breadth being considerable. For a long time it went by the name of
O'Gaygun's four-poster, that gentleman having a predilection for
sleeping on it. He is a huge, bony Irishman, and somewhat restless in
his sleep. Accordingly, it was no unusual thing for him to roll off the
table in the night, and descend upon the floor with considerable uproar.
This was got over by inverting the table at night, and making him
recline on the inside of it, with the legs sticking up around him. He
does not like this position, though, for he says the rats run across him
all night.

Chairs we have none, except two curious contrivances belonging to the
Saint and the Little'un. We use empty kegs and boxes, sawn logs set up
on end, and the si