unication with the railway and with food-supplies. When the waters
fell, the mud left on these black-soil plains was just as formidable a
barrier. Attempt after attempt to send flour through by horse and
bullock teams failed. It was impossible for thirty horses to get through
with one ton of flour! The siege was only raised when the population of
the little town was on the very verge of starvation.

After crossing the Murray the train passes through what is known as "the
desert"--a stretch of country covered with mallee scrub (the mallee is a
kind of small gum-tree); but nowadays they are finding out that this
mallee scrub is not hopeless country at all. The scrub is beaten down by
having great rollers drawn over it by horses; that in time kills it.
Then the roots are dug up for firewood, and the land is sown with wheat.
Quite good crops are now being got from the mallee when the rains are
favourable, but in dry seasons the wheat scorches off, and the farmer's
labour is wasted. It is proposed now to carry irrigation channels
through this and similar country. When that is done there will be no
more talk of desert in most parts of Australia. It will be conquered for
the use of man just as the American alkali desert is being conquered.

Leaving the mallee, the train comes in time to Ballarat, which used to
be the great centre of the gold-mining industry. Round here gold was
discovered in great lumps lying on the ground or just below the roots of
the grass. People rushed from all parts of the world to pick up fortunes
when this was heard of. The road from Melbourne was covered with
waggons, with horsemen, with diggers on foot. Most of them knew nothing
at all about digging, and also lacked the knowledge of how to get along
comfortably under "camping-out" conditions, when every man has to be his
own cook, his own washer-up, his own laundryman, as well as his own
mining labourer. But the best of the men learned quickly how to look
after themselves, to pitch a tent, to cook a meal, to drive a shaft, and
to do without food for long spells when on the search for new
goldfields. Thus they became resourceful and adventurous, and were of
great value afterwards in the community. There is nowadays rather a
tendency in civilized countries to bring children up too softly, to
guard them too much against the little roughnesses of life. Such
experiences as those of the Australian goldfields show how good it is
for men to be taught how to