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The present efficiency of the Young Men's Christian Association has been brought about in a great measure by the self-denying ministrations of one Cheok Cheong Hong, who figures on the list of the working committee of that institution.

I myself, having mastered words of such in-
frequent occurrence as "heresiarch," "pusil-
lanimity " and "borborygm" (which last
was objected to by reason of its being used
only in medical phraseology), was finally, to
quote from the comments of the morning
paper,
paper, "gracefully ricochetted' off the
platform.'

Rivalry in trade is carried to a great extreme in Melbourne. On a certain street, and immediately opposite each other, were Ballarat, the centre of the Gold Mining the shops of two pawnbrokers, who were region, is about one hundred miles from both Jews and happened to enjoy the same Melbourne and is very prettily situated. names. All connection with each other was The writer had an opportunity of ascertaindisclaimed and the individuality of each ing the condition in which this industry is maintained by the addition of the following at present. From various sources, and significant words to their respective signs: from personal observation, he found that the "Nothing in connection with the petty trader mining was in a very languishing state, little opposite.' Melbourne deserves high com- or no activity being visible; and he also mendation for the establishment of a Public heard that the indolence and indifference of Library when the colony was yet in its in- Europeans had resulted in throwing the enfancy. The existence of this institution is a tire working of the mines into the hands of great boon to those whose position in life the Chinese. During the month of Septemwill not allow them to indulge otherwise in ber of last year, however, some little excitea taste for reading. Every one, no matter ment was occasioned by the discovery of what his calling or how shabby his appear- the precious metal near the village of Stawell. ance, can participate in all the advantages Shares which had been bought as low as which the library affords, the only restric- 2s. 6d. soon reached a fabulous price, and tions being that perfect order and silence many fortunes were made in an hour. Events shall be preserved, and that no volume shall like this are now of rare occurrence, and the be removed from the building. Visitors are yield of gold is steadily decreasing. During only too glad to observe these reasonable my stay in Ballarat an election contest was rules, and a violation or evasion of them held, and there was, of course, the usual exhas never been known. There are nearly citement attendant upon struggles of this 100,000 volumes; works of fiction, however, kind. The Australians are certainly not being carefully excluded. In the establish- lacking in political ardour, and, although it ment of the institution instruction and im- has repeatedly been said that Canada conprovement were kept in view rather than tains more politics to the square acre than mere amusement. It is said that £40,000 any portion of the globe, she must now adhave been expended on the building and mit the existence of a formidable competi£30,000 for literature. The library is a The library is a tor to that enviable distinction. In three pleasant resort for mechanics and others in months' time, from July to October of last the evenings, and the good that has been year, no less than three Governments were done in this way can scarcely be overesti- overthrown, and the climax was finally mated. It is, at all events, an example reached by the Opposition taking the unwhich might well be followed by cities much usual and extreme course of refusing to vote larger and wealthier than Melbourne. the supplies necessary to conduct the ordinary affairs of the country. Journeying in the mining region is attended with much difficulty and requires no little caution, and the triumphant accomplishment of a journey of thirteen miles which the writer undertook in that locality, he will always consider as one of the most marvellous feats of his life. For the greater part of the road there was no guide but a succession of mute and blackened stumps, surrounded by awkward but imposing rocks, which greatly im

Spelling bees were very much the rage whilst I was in Melbourne. I had the pleasure of competing at one of these interesting gatherings, on which occasion the superiority of the Canadian over the Australian in the matter of spelling was well established. A friend of mine, a brother Canadian, whom I had met quite accidentally, and whose grounding was, by the way, received at the same institution as my own, carried off the palm after a spirited contest.

peded his progress. Ballarat has been recently made the see of a Bishop, and the Rev. Dr. Thornton, of Birmingham, proceeded there in that capacity last August. He has one parish which derives its support from the generous contributions of a baker and a grocer, but this circumstance does not discourage him.

In distinction to the tame aspect of the Victoria coast, the shores of Western Australia are very bold. It is here that the greater portion of the very few remnants of the aboriginal inhabitants are to be seen. It has been asserted by geographers and others, that these natives are the most degraded on the face of the earth, and those who have had the opportunity of a personal inspection cannot fail most heartily to endorse this none too forcible statement. They clothe themselves (if the very trifling amount of material with which they are encumbered may be called clothing), in some species of fur, and their striking personal appearance is enhanced by an elaborate bestowal of paint and an occasional device judiciously arranged. Like the Arabs, they seem to be versed sufficiently in the English language to be able to besiege travellers constantly with entreaties for money. At Swan River the country, though wild, is very beautiful, and wild flowers grow in magnificent profusion.

Having considered the climate and some of the physical aspects of Australia, it may not be inapt to say a word or two as to its advantages and disadvantages as a field for emigration. To the emigrant from England or Scotland, who is contemplating removing himself and his household gods to that distant land, a multitude of considerations must present themselves, and he should not hastily, or without mature reflection, decide upon taking a step which may well be deemed irrevocable. First of all, he must not lose sight of the many hardships and the great distress which attend the long sea voyage. None but the wealthier classes can afford to take passage by steamship in one of the vessels which double the Cape of Good Hope, or by the luxurious and expensive Peninsular and Oriental Line. The food which is served out on the sailing vessels, although the quantity is not stinted, is far from being unexceptionable in quality. The berths are small and ill ventilated, and,

in tropical weather,—that is, during one-third of the voyage,—almost unfit for occupancy. The vessel is either becalmed for days at a time, or else tossed and imperilled in some frightful storm. In the latter case, every avenue by which air can be admitted is carefully closed, and the blessing of light utterly denied to those, who, from considerations of safety, prefer to remain below. Again, the heat at times is so excessive as to cause the tar on the decks to boil, and one is not inclined to test the strength of, or cultivate any unnecessary intimacy with, a sun which has sufficient power to do this. All these considerations must make a man hesitate before taking a step which cannot well be recalled, and point towards a country less difficult to reach, and nearer home, as a more suitable land of adoption.

There is also the consideration of climate which has been spoken of in the beginning of this article, which should not be passed over without thought. Although much public building is going on in Melbourne and the other principal cities of Australia, the supply of labourers more than equals the demand. The railways in Victoria and New South Wales are for the most part small and insignificant, and a small staff only is requisite to keep them in efficient working order. There is, however, in contemplation, the building of a railway from Melbourne to Sydney, a distance of six hundred miles, which will be a work of great magnitude and will involve the necessity of an increased number of workmen in the country. There is one class of so-called labouring men, with which Australia, like all new countries, is completely overrun, and that is clerks. As those, moreover, who leave the old country with the intention of engaging themselves in Australia as clerks, are generally members of that class who have been cast adrift by their parents and guardians, they are not a desirable addition to a new colony. It is well known that the chief purpose to which Australian land is devoted is the raising of sheep, but, as any one who is desirous of embarking in an enterprise of this kind, must be provided with a fair amount of capital, a poor man can have no option in the matter. Altogether it would seem more desirable that emigrants should first carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a country like Canada, not so far removed from

home, before transferring themselves to so remote a portion of the globe as Australia.

THE VOYAGE HOME, VIA SUEZ.

A day or two before we reached the Sound, the tranquillity of the voyage was disturbed by a very tragic incident. Some trouble arose with the engines which prevented them from performing their office. properly, and the second engineer, a man not scrupulously temperate in his habits, took it into his head that the accident had been the result of some carelessness or negligence on his part, and promptly made away with himself. He was found hanging from a hook in his cabin, and it was generally supposed that he must have adjusted the rope while in his bunk, and suddenly sprung from it. An inquest was held at the Sound, and a most extraordinary verdict was rendered. The jury came to the conclusion that there was no evidence to show that the unfortunate man had destroyed his own life, and their decision was so worded as to admit of the belief that some outside influence had been used. Whether this verdict was given from conscientious conviction, or whether the jury were influenced by a desire to afford to the deceased the last rites of the

discussed, were not determined. The surgeon remarked that he felt somewhat surprised that this intelligent and far-seeing jury had not thought fit to express their doubts as to the actual decease of the man.

We left Melbourne by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's Steamship Pera, about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th of November. The ship was manned entirely by natives of the Straits Settlements, (which comprise the islands of Penang, Singapore and some others of minor importance,) commonly called Lascars; the officers of course being Europeans. These natives are lithe and active in their movements, seem intelligent, are quite amenable to discipline,and appear, on the whole, to make good sailors; but I believe the principal reason for employing them is economy. The tropical voyage from Melbourne to Ceylon being very trying, it is necessary to give greatly increased wages to seamen to induce them to enter a trade in which so many risks are run; and these Lascars are quite content with a mere pittance. It has also been found unneces-church, were questions which, though much sary to set before them any very carefully prepared dishes, their sustenance being derived principally from a liberal consumption of rice. This simple food is served up on bare and ungarnished boards, and is conveyed to the mouth without the aid of the modern luxuries of fork and spoon, so that the outlay for the means of imparting nourishment is not excessive. They are very regular in their devotions, but I was told by one of the stewards, that as soon as these are over, the men are ready to engage in any nefarious enterprise that may present itself. The stewards, however, do not entertain the warmest affection for the Lascars, so that probably this statement should not be accepted unhesitatingly. The city of Adelaide was reached on the third day out, it being distant from Melbourne about six hundred miles. This is the capital of South Australia, but is a place of comparative insignificance. King George's Sound, the extreme southerly point of Western Australia, was touched at, and many passengers took this opportunity of going on shore. The general appearance of the country here was extremely uncivilized, and it is in this district that the few Aborigines now remaining, whose appearance I have already attempted to describe, are met with.

After having taken on board the requisite amount of coal, we set sail for Galle, and nothing worthy of note happened until that point was reached. Ceylon is a beautiful country, and the prospect from the vessel was delightful. The change from the Australian to the European steamer only occupying two or three hours, no time was given for visiting the island. The moment we had dropped anchor, swarms of Cingalese clambered up the sides of the vessel, some with importunate offers of their services as a means of conveyance to the shore, and others desirous of selling native work. The beautiful lines of Bishop Heber at once came across my mind, and the truth of his words seemed very apparent :

"What though the spicy breezes blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle,

Though every prospect pleases, and only man is

vile;

In vain, with lavish kindness, the gifts of God are strewn,

The heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone."

The natives of this beautiful island are not encumbered with much clothing. The intensity of heat makes it very trying for Europeans, and, for this reason only, I was glad when more temperate regions were reached. The sight of the green foliage and the palm trees was delightful, and the open and airy dwellings were unlike anything that I had hitherto seen. The natives of Ceylon are greatly superior to the Hindoos or Lascars in personal appearance, many of them being very good-looking, and gifted with great muscular strength. I was rather surprised that none of them should have produced and offered to sell me a bottle of the "Cingalese Hair Renewer," a preparation, the remarkable effect of which we have heard so much of in Canada. It is singular that the marvellous powers of this article seem to be quite unknown in the locality from whence it is supposed to come. Great and very general regret was felt when this lovely spot was left, but the remembrance of Ceylon and its many attractions, will never fade from my recollection.

We left Point de Galle about one o'clock in the afternoon of the 27th of November, by the steamship Poonah, the largest ship owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Company. A capital run was made from Galle to Aden, the distance being about twentyone hundred miles, and the time taken in running it only seven days. Aden commands the entrance to the Red Sea, and has the appearance of being an almost impregnable fortress. It is in the hands of the British, and is of great value to them. The voyage up the Red Sea from Aden to Suez was very pleasant, and was accomplished in about six days. Several of the sailors attempted to show us the veritable spot where Pharoah and his host were drowned. We reached Suez on Friday the 10th of December, and were detained there until Saturday evening, which gave us ample time to see everything worthy of notice. Many demands were made upon us for "backsheesh," but I fear that the natives were not greatly enriched by our visit. A good deal of donkey-riding was done, but I preferred not to place myself at the mercy of these untrustworthy animals. I heard that I heard that very many of those who had recklessly allowed themselves to be stationed on the backs of these creatures were brought to overwhelming grief.

I forgot to mention that a glimpse was had of Mount Sinai. Great numbers of Egyptian and Arab soldiers were seen at Suez. They were on the point of embarking for Abyssinia, with which kingdom they were at that time not on the very best of terms. Judging from their appearance I should say that one Englishman could easily tackle four of these inexperienced warriors. Their struggle with Abyssinia has shown their incompetency, and they no doubt regret having entered into a contest with opponents so formidable as the inhabitants of that country are known to be. On the arrival of the steamer from Bombay on Saturday evening, we left Suez and crossed the desert by rail to Alexandria. As the journey was performed during the night, very little was seen, but, possibly, there was very little to see, except an occasional oasis here and there. I could not help being struck with the remarkable knowledge which the conductor of the train, who was an Egyptian, seemed to show of almost every living language. There were English, French, Italians, and many passengers of other nationalities, but he appeared perfectly equal to answering any inquiries which were addressed to him, irrespective of tongue.

When the day broke, Egypt burst upon us in all its novelty, the camels, especially, attracting considerable attention. There are no vehicles of any description in use here, and everything appears to be done by means of these camels, which are able to carry immense loads, and are very easily managed. The Egyptians themselves, and the country generally, would seem to have undergone no change since the infancy of the world, and the vivid pictures of Eastern life pourtrayed in the Bible are brought with renewed force to one's mind when passing through this interesting land. The Nile was crossed, but there is nothing at all remarkable in the appearance of this river, to discover the source of which has cost many a valuable life. Alexandria is the most desolate and dismallooking place it has ever been my lot to see ; it appears more like a collection of barns than a place where human beings are supposed to live. A very imperfect view was had of Pompey's pillar from the railway, but it is something to say that one has even seen this ancient monument. No time was given to visit the city, but no particular regret was felt, and the passengers were glad to know

that they were not to be delayed in such a miserable town.

The steamship Baroda left Alexandria about twelve o'clock on Saturday, the 12th of December, en route for Brindisi. A perceptible difference was noticed in the temperature, it being winter on this side of the line, and great changes of clothing were accordingly made. The sail up the Mediterranean was delightful, notwithstanding the chilliness of the weather, and great interest was felt when gazing upon the classic shores of Greece. We arrived at Brindisi on Wednesday, about nine o'clock in the evening, where the mails were transferred, and those passengers who were anxious to reach London without delay, left the ship and proceeded on their journey by rail. Brindisi is the ancient Brundusium, and is mainly interesting on account of its being a walled city. It is a wretched-looking place, but it has brightened up considerably of late, owing to its usefulness in respect of the present overland system of conveying the mails to and from India. I remained on the ship and proceeded as far as Ancona, where I took the railway for London, via Turin and Paris. At Ancona I found it extremely difficult to make myself intelligible, but after several fruitless attempts, I at length succeeded in convincing the official, who seized hold of me the moment I disembarked, that I wished to be taken to the office of the British Consul, where I knew that any information I might require would be cheerfully supplied. Leaving Ancona on Friday, the train stopped, among other places, at Bologna, renowned for its sausages, and I saw a magnificent display of that famous article of food at the refreshment room of the railway station. There is one undoubted disadvantage in travelling to London by rail, and that is the continued want of sleep. It would be a great boon to travellers if the American system of railway carriages, with sleeping cars attached, were introduced on the French and Italian railways, but they seem to have an undefined horror of such a thing, the French people being peculiarly obstinate on this point. There is no such thing in Italy as free conveyance of luggage, and I advise all who contemplate travelling in that country to bear this in mind, and cram as much as they possibly can into the railway carriage. Turin was reached on Saturday morning. This is the most modern of Italian cities,

and has no vestige of antiquity about it. I remained there until the evening, when I started for Paris, via The Mont Cenis Tunnel. On arriving at Macon, the border town between Italy and France, I was alarmed at a request to produce my passport. Not thinking that such a thing was necessary, I had failed to procure one, and dreaded either immediate confinement in the nearest police station, as a reward for my negligence, or indefinite detention at the railway station. A gentleman, who had been travelling in the same carriage with me, being provided with two passports, kindly relieved me of my anxiety by giving me the extra one. The Mont Cenis Tunnel was passed through during the night. I must bear my humble testimony to the excellent style in which omelettes are prepared at the French railway stations, and to the delicious manner in which the coffee is made. Paris was reached on Sunday evening, where I remained until Monday afternoon.

I had an opportunity of walking about the city, but had no time to see many of the beauties of this "Queen of cities." I had not much difficulty in making myself understood here, but I was greatly struck with the difference of accent in Paris, and that commonly heard in Lower Canada. It is delightful to hear a Parisian speak, even if you do not understand a word he is saying. A great many of the handsomest buildings bear marks of the Prussian bombardment, and of the fierceness of the Communists during the late war, and some are still in melancholy ruins.

Having occasion during my stay to ask for a certain street, I addressed the following question, mildly, to one of the passersby, "Pouvez-vous me diriger à la rue Tournon?" The answer was given in a very energetic voice, and for some moments the disturbance in my ears resembled that occasioned by the rumbling of an express train: "La rue Tour-r-r-non? Oui, monsieur, la deuxième rue." In future my attempts at French were less frequent. A story was told me here of an enthusiastic Englishman, who had been a strong supporter of the Napoleonic dynasty, and who was viewing from the outside of a 'bus, the many improvements made in this magnificent city, by the late Emperor. He could not restrain his enthusiasm, and, forgetful of the great revulsion of feeling that has so lately taken place in France, called out: Vive

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