HATGARTH'S BUSH LIFE IN AUSTRALIA.

THAT wealth or costliness and power of entertainment do not always go together in real life, has been a subject for witty remark in all ages ; but in the matter of books one would think that the principle of " quid pro

quo" should obtain, and the more you give the more you should get, at least in " copyright publications. Mr. Murray, however, in his Home and Colonial Library seems resolved to overthrow so reasonable an ex-

pectation. Hay's Morocco, the Letters from the Baltic, Ruston's Adventures in Mexico, and several other books exhibiting travel or its

results, when contrasted with the cost of far worse works in larger

size, appear as if expressly designed to show that rich people are not only dull but the patrons of dulness. One of the most living pictures of Australia was Mrs. Meredith's New South Wales. The best book with.

out exception is the one now before us—Mr. Haygarth's Recollec- tions of Bush Life in Australia. Lively, graphic, descriptive of man,

animals, nature, and society such as society there is, and with sufficient incident to animate the narrative, it possesses the interest of romantic fic- tion. Moreover, it conveys more useful information to an intending settler than tables upon tables of statistics, or pages of historical and geographi. cal compilation, that will never affect him one jot, or general gazetteer- like accounts of profits and prospects, that from some ulterior purpose or sheer incompleteness are likely to mislead him to his loss.

Contrary to the majority of Colonial publications, Bush Life in Aus- tralia contains little or nothing that is not the result of personal ob-

servation. It is not, however, the narrative of a career, but merely of

some characteristic incidents, which are either remarkable in themselves or exhibit a general idea of Australian life. With these personal ad-

ventures is frequently mixed up generalized information ; but it is pic- tured, not merely described encycloptedic fashion. The accounts of sheep and cattle farming, of horse breeding, and other bush pursuits, do not seem an exact description of any one occurrence, but the general impres-

sion which many have left upon the mind ; often enlivened, however, by particular anecdotes. Bush Life in Australia is not a portrait, bat

what the painter would call a composition from nature ; Mr. Haygarth's sketch-book being his journal, which he determined to keep during his sojourn in Australia, not at the time with a view to publication, but in order to preserve the impressions made by new objects while they retained their freshness.

Of Mr. Haygarth's whereabout in the bush, or his successes there, the reader learns little or nothing, except that his residence was to the South of Sydney, that he arrived in 1840, and continued in the colony for

about eight years. He appears to possess the feelings mid ideas of good society, and its tolerance,for what-the force of circumstances imposes. He

has some Latin and Greek too, with the tastes and, perceptions of an edu-

cated man. What are better than either social advantages or opportuni- ties, he has an observing mind, a sound judgment, and a 'disposition to make the best of things. He, perceives in what comes 'before him the

points that are worth noting ; where they differ from his expectations, or from his ideas of what they ought to be, he inquirea,into the cause; and he sees under the darkest circumstances something alleviating in the circum- stances themselves, if they are not made worse by the supineness or mis- conduct of men.

Each chapter of the volume consists, for the, most part, of a leading topic relating-to bush life, which sufficiently if not exhaustively combines

a general account with anecdotes and individual adventure. The topics are not selected in a forced or formal manner, but seem to spring natu- rally out of the author's experience. The first, for example, begins with

Mr. Haygarth's journey from Sydney to his station ; and its subjects na-

turally are, Australian travelling and its accommodations, with the scenery of the country, its indwellers, and the external appearance of the "sta- tion." Information connected with- the buildings, extent, economy, com- forts, hardships, and management of this station, follow, with sketches of the manner in which new "runs " are obtained, at which time colonial wits come into keen encounter. Society in the inland districts is de- scribed at large, with incidental sketches of "characters," embracing a

very good account of bushrangers; to this succeeds an exposition of the various species of what is called farming, but which in reality is breed- ing sheep, cattle, or horses. The Aborigines, explorations in the bush, incidents of daily life, and similar topics, are handled in their turn; and the book closes with some judicious advice to colonists, and some sound remarks on the necessity for moral and religious example and in- struction to the scattered settlers. As matters stand, these are growing up without knowledge and without education save what they pick up from their elders, who are very often old convicts. New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land are perhaps the only colonies, certainly the only modern colonies, entirely founded by Government, and at an enormous cost ; and their habits and their language are probably without rival oa the face of the civilized earth.

Though many of the topics in Bush Life in Australia had been al- ready treated by various writers, that does not diminish the interest of

Mr. Haygarth's sketches : for it is not the subject, but the treatment, which attracts the reader. When the matter is drawn direct from na- ture under the guidance of a quick eye and a good taste, it is a point of little consequence that various other writers have been over the same

topic, if they have followed some common model both for their materials and their style. The three modes of stock-breeding, and the excitement of cattle-hunting, have often been described, but never with such fulness, spirit, and gusto. The characteristics of the animals in their half-wild state have been studied, and are painted by Mr. Haygarth with the pre- cision of a naturalist. The Aborigines are presented under a more truth- ful light than usual ; their defects and their abilities equally brought out. We have read before of the wonders of the boomering in Native hands, but the following facts surpass expectation : perhaps on the confines of the land the Blacks are more skilful, and exert themselves more freely among friends than before an exploring party.

" The most carious missile is the boomering, which may unquestionably be con- sidered the most extraordinary offensive weapon ever found in the possession of savages. It is a thin curved piece of wood, varying from two to three feet in length, and about two inches broad; one side is slightly rounded, the other is per- fectly flat. When thrown, it must be held by that end which brings the flat side

on the right hand, or outside. •

" It is only when thrown for amusement that the wonders of the boomering are folly developed. Whenever there was a camp of Blacks near our station, it used to be our great delight to assemble a few of the most promising of its inmates, and offer aprize, some tobacco or flour, to the one who acquitted himself the best with his boomering: thus fitted against each other in friendly strife, they would go to work in earnest, and fairly astonish the White men. Doubtful as it may seem to those who have never witnesseththa feat, an Australian Black can throw this whimsical weapon so as to cause it to describe a complete circle in the air; or, to give the reader a better idea of what is meant, he would stand in front of a tolerably large house, on the grass-plot before the door, and send his boomering completely round the building, from left to right; that is to say, it would, upon leaving his baud, vanish round the right corner, and, reappearing at the left, eventually fall at his feet. The whole circumference of the circle thus described is frequently not less than two hundred and fifty yards and upwards, when hurled by a strong arm; but the wonder lies wholly in its encircling properties, and not in the distance to which it may be sent. " When forcibly thrown, its course is very rapid, equalling the speed of an ar- row for about fifty yards, until it arrives at the point where it first begins to alter its course; thence it continues its career at about half speed, and so gradually flies with diminishing impetus, until, as usual, it returns to the spot whence it started. Its flight is not unlike that of a bird; and, occasionally, when great strength has been exerted, it hovers for a few moments before it falls to the ground, and, con- tinuing its rotatory motion, remains in other respects quite stationary, much in the same way as a humming-top when it goes to sleep on the ground. A deep hurtling sound accompanies its course; during the whole of which it revolves with such rapidity as to appear like a wheel in the air. " By holding it at the opposite extremity, so as to bring the flat side on the left hand, a circle may be described in the other direction, i.e. from left to right, for the flat mast always be the outer side. But the prettiest evolution it can be made to perform is the following:—It is thrown with a tendency downwards; upon which, after having gone some twenty yards, one point of it tips the ground, three times successively, at intervals of about the same distance, rebounding with a sound like the twang of a harp-string; meanwhile it still continues its circular course, until, as before, it returns to the thrower. This feat is more difficult to accomplish than that of sending it through the air, and requires all the thrower's skill: there is oneprwise distance, and no other, at which it should first strike

the ground; for if it does so too forcibly, its progress is wholly arrested; and if, on the other hand, it is not sufficiently depressed, and fails to come in contact with the ground, its course is then completely altered; for, shortly after passing the place where it ought to have rebounded, it begins to rise, and towers up in the air to the height of about fifty feet, whence it falls down almost perpendicularly."

One of the most interesting parts is the chapter relating to the Bush- rangers ; Who appear in Mr. Haygarth's pages less violent and brutal than in some.other accounts : there are more conscience and considera- tion about the best of. them, and a greater regard to the point of honour such as it is, than, we snspeet, many of the sharp men among the co- lonists would' display. After our author and his partner had been ha- rassed, in the expectation of a visit from a gang, for so long a time that they ceased to trouble themselves about it, they were one evening sur- prised by`-the celebrated chief " Buchan Charley.'

" He had lately been plundering a store, and was most bravely apparelled; better, in fact, than many of us whomhe came to rob. His dress consisted of a new moleskin shooting-coat, a gaudy waistcoat, with a profusion of watch-chain, cord trousers, and leather leggings; and he wore a cabbage-tree' hat, the ribanda of which streamed fantastically over his shoulders. A powder-flask was sus- pended at his side, two brace of pistols were stuck in his huge belt, and in his hand he carried a short and highly-finished double-barrelled rifle, probably the favourite hlanton or Nock of one of our neighbours. He was a tall lathy-looking Man, of about eight-and-twenty; and his countenance had an expression of calm determination, but of assumed recklessness rather than depravity.

" Well,' said the bushranger, as he stalked into our little abode, I suppose you all know pretty well who I sin? Buchan Charley, as they call me. Now I'm not going to hurt anybody, if you're civil; but we want the money, arms, and horses; and those,' he added emphatically, we'll have. A nice place you've got of it here,' said he, with a glance at our book-shelves; ' I could stay where I am all the rest of my life.' This seemed to remind him of the fearful uncertainty of its duration; for he looked grave, and for a minute or two laid aside his effrontery. In fact, all this volubility only betrayed the nervous excitement it was intended to conceal, or perhaps under which he unconsciously acted; for nervous he un- doubtedly was in spite of his assumed coolness. My leather hat-case attracted his notice; he cut asunder the band which fastened the top, evidently not in the quit of wanton mischief, but because in his agitation he did not see the key, which was standing in the lock. His talk was chiefly apologetical, and calcu- lated to regain as far as possible our good opinion. He rambled incessantly from one subject to another: the disjointed fragments of his conversation, when put together in a more connected form, gave us in substance the following history.

treatment, he said, had brought him to his present situation. Having worked hard and steadily for several years, he had been paid by an ' order; for which he could never get the cash, as the anise in Sydney, on which it was dawn, had stopped payment, and he had no redress. So, finding that, in his opinion, ' honesty was a fool,' as Iago says, he tried its opposite; which soon brought him to a ' road-party.' "

Taking advantage of a favourable opportunity, Charley made his es- cape, with a companion ; turned bushranger; and was soon at the head of a gang. Then arose a serious question.

"What sort of a life were they then leading? was it a change for the better, even after the horrors of the iron gang'? No; Charley confessed voluntarily that it was wretched beyond conception, and that, if he could have formed the least idea of what it was to be, he would rather have remained in his fetters. Lurking in caves and fastnesses of the bush, the very silence of which drove him to think—his greatest curse; hunted day and night by the mounted police; pre- vented from sleeping, or even taking a meal in security, by the knowledge that they were always on his track, with his hand against every man and every man's hand against him,' he was now more like a wild beast than a human being, and the never-ceasing strain upon his mind was, he said, almost insupportable; but it was then too late to retract. _ " Yet there was courtesy even among bushrangers. About two years before Charley had become what he was, I had met him on his way to a station where

he had been hired, and had put him upon the right road. This he remembered; and though he was now under what in a state of civilization would be called the ' disagreeable necessity' of taking one of my saddle-horses, he promised 'not to injure him, but to leave him where he might be afterwards recovered, all which he duly performed. Had I on the above-mentioned occasion ridden by without noticing him, he would probably have remembered that also, and instead of leap- ing my horse in a place of safety, would either have shot him, as he or his gang served many others, or put him in some inaccessible part of the country, when he might not have been found again. We never know, in this fluctuating sea of life, when or in what manner a civility may be repaid."