covered with neat fitting
gloves, and at an opera, ladies might have thought they were small.

These two men, one of whom was reading a newspaper, while the other was
trying to take a _siesta_, were Frederick Button, and his faithful
companion, the writer of these adventures, whom we will distinguish by
the name of Jack, as it is both familiar and common, and has the merit
of being short.

As I was reading the paper, the contents of which interested me, I paid
but little attention to my friend, until I suddenly laid it down, and
said,--

"Fred, let's go to Australia."

"Go to the d----l," he replied, turning on his side, his back towards
me, and uttering a long w-h-e-w, as though he had found it difficult to
catch his breath, it was so hot.

"We should find it hotter in the regions of his Satanic Majesty than
here; but that is something that concerns you alone, as no doubt you are
fully aware."

Fred uttered a grunt--he was too warm to laugh, and I again returned to
the charge.

"Gold mines have been discovered in Australia, and ships are up at San
Francisco for Melbourne. A party of twenty left there last week, and
more are to follow."

There was no reply, and I continued:--

"It is stated in this paper that a man took out a lump of gold weighing
one hundred and twenty pounds, and that he had been but ten days in the
mines when he found it."

"What?" cried Fred, suddenly sitting up, and wiping the perspiration
from his brow.

I repeated the statement.

"It's a d----d lie," cried Fred.

"Then let's go and prove it so."

"How's the climate in that part of the world--hot or cold?"

"About the same as here."

Fred meditated for a few minutes, lighted his pipe, and smoked on in
silence; and as there was nothing better to do. I joined him.

"We are not making a fortune here in California, and if we don't do any
thing in Australia, we shall see the country, and that will be worth
something," I said.

"Then let's go," cried Fred, refilling his pipe; and that very evening
we commenced selling our stock of superfluous articles to our numerous
neighbors, saving nothing but tent, revolvers, rifles, and a few other
articles that would stand us in need when we reached Australia.

A week from the day that we made up our mind to try what luck there was
in store for us in Australia, we were on board of a clipper ship, and
with some two dozen other steerage passengers (for Fred and myself were
determined to be