s sadly lacked the native beauty of New Zealand. The
countries present very different aspects to the new-comer; while New
Zealand can boast of some of the wildest and grandest scenery in the
world, that of New South Wales is almost the reverse, being homely and
of a natural park-like appearance, which, although beautiful in a
certain sense, is monotonous after the wild contrasts of plains and
mountain, forests and rivers of New Zealand.

Melbourne proper lay some five miles from the port, which then possessed
a fine wooden pier, alongside of which and in the adjacent roadstead,
lay many fine merchant vessels and steamers awaiting their cargoes of
wool, etc. The port and city were connected by a railway, the first
constructed in Australia, and almost parallel with it wound the River
Yarrow, so named from its usually muddy or yellow colour.

We proceeded to Melbourne by rail and put up at one of the principal
hotels. Here we discovered that our accident had caused us to miss the
China mail boat which was to have conveyed us to Point de Galle, and I
would now have almost a whole month to remain at Melbourne. This news
was I fear more welcome than otherwise. I wished to see something of
Melbourne, and here was the opportunity forced upon me, so I decided to
make the very most of my time.

Melbourne, even at this period, was a considerable city, handsome and
well laid out on the most approved modern principles, with straight and
spacious streets and squares, and possessing throughout architecture
equal to that of the best modern English towns, in addition to some
really magnificent public buildings. A considerable portion of the city
stood on a gentle slope, and along many of the streets between the
roadway and the footpaths, ran continuous streams of pure spring water,
over which, when in flood, foot passengers were taken by carriage.

Along the banks of the Yarrow were lovely gardens and extensive parks,
and many a pleasant row I had under the shade of the huge pine and gum
trees. The river frequently overflowed its banks and submerged the
low-lying country between the city and the port, at which times I have
travelled by train while the rails were under water. Some of the suburbs
and watering places around Melbourne, such as St. Kilda, were
exceedingly picturesque.

A railway was just then opened from Melbourne to Ballarat, the scene of
the famous gold diggings to which Melbourne is primarily indebted for
her present