we visited
the whalers and the head to which we rowed in the Captain's gig. The
whole scene arose before me afresh; where were we all scattered to? I
longed to do it all over again, and be with the old mates; and here I
was, a lonely wanderer once more, leaving all to go away to begin a new
life in a strange land. It was not easy, but I tried hard to think I was
doing right.

By the time we passed out of the Heads it had grown dark, and my reverie
was broken by the supper bell, and Burton (a friend who was going to
Australia on a pleasure trip) telling me to rouse up, have some food,
and make myself pleasant. How carefully I followed his advice during the
next six weeks!

We reached Dunedin the following evening and had to remain there for a
few days for the departure of the Melbourne mail boat. This time Burton
and I contrived to spend very pleasantly. He was a wealthy young
squatter, and I had a good sum of money with me, in fact, I was becoming
a bit reckless; but I could not have foreseen that an accident would
retain me far longer on the voyage to India than I supposed, and I saw
little harm in enjoying myself with the money I had earned and saved.
What kind of guardian angel was in charge of me from this time I cannot
say, but he must have been an excessively pleasant and jolly one, for
under his guidance I enjoyed a most delightful time.

Dunedin had improved marvellously since I had last seen it; it was
already a town of considerable pretensions and possessed a theatre and
several good hotels. On the fourth day we left for Melbourne in the s.s.
"Alhambra," and now I believed that I had done with New Zealand for good
and all, but I was mistaken.

After three days at sea we encountered south of Tasmania a terrific gale
during which the shaft of the screw was broken, and the Captain had no
resource but to return to Dunedin under sail, an operation which
occupied seven days, to the great disgust of all on board.

At Dunedin we were again delayed for three days till another boat
started which took us to Melbourne.

The voyage was pleasant and we steamed in nearly a calm sea close along
the Tasmanian coast and through the Bass Straits, sighting land all the
way from thence. Tasmania presented quite an English appearance after
New Zealand, and we could trace the neat towns and well-wooded country
dotted with homesteads and farms.

Melbourne possesses a very fine and well protected harbour, but the
surrounding