SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Tnavms,

Notes and Sketches of New South Wales, during a Residence In that Colony from

1839 to 1844. By Mrs. Charles Meredith Murray.

HISTORY,

Memoirs of the House of Commons, from the Convention Parliansent of 1688-9 to the Passing of the Reform Bill in 1832. By W. Charles Townsend, Esq., A.M., Re- corder of Macclesfield. Volume II Culburn.

STATISTIal,

Tables showing the Progress of the Shipping Interest of the British Empire, United States, and France; compiled from Parliamentary Papers and other sources. By George Bayley. Surveyor to Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping. FronoN, Smith and Elder. Lucy Hardiuge; a Second Series of Afloat and Ashore. By the Author of " The " Jack o' Lantern," " Red Rover" &c. &c. In three volumes. .Bent ley.

MR8. MEREDITH'S SKETCHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

IN 1839, Mrs. MEREDITH accompanied her husband, an experi- enced Australian colonist, to what used to be called Botany Bay. From the capital they made an excursion to Bathurst, where the lady remained some time ; whilst her husband went on to his sheep- stations on the Murrumbidgee. On their return to the vicinity of Sydney, they settled at a place named Home Bush, and remained there till the (English) autumn of 1840; when, tired of the cli- mate, the insects, the reptiles, the dust, and the drought of New South Wales, Mrs. MEREDITH gladly accompanied her husband to Van Diemen's Land.

The book before us appears to have been originally written for the information of the writer's English friends, and has much of the naïveté and character which such unrestrained communication would tend to produce. On the other hand, it has less choice of subjects than might have been the case had Mrs. MEREDITH applied herself to formal composition, with the idea ever present to her mind, " what is it that the public would best like to learn about ?" Her outward voyage is pleasant enough, because she is a pleasant un- affected writer ; the feminine character is clearly impressed upon her descriptions, and she presents the occurrences and disagreeables of sea-life in a new light ; but the thing has been done so often that any substantial novelty is now impossible. There is more general freshness in the sketches in. New South Wales, but not always of the kind that a large portion of the public would chiefly have desired. Mrs. MEREDITH seems an amateur artist, and if not a scientific naturalist has a strong taste for natural history. Hence her descriptions of scenery, plants, and animated nature, are in excess compared with her accounts of the social and domestic economy of Colonial life, which are what the public would have been most interested about from a well-educated woman. Her Notes and Sketches are not, indeed, without many indications of what these things are ; but they are done in passing rather than directly. Many of them turn, too, upon natural rather than moral features,—the discomfort induced by dust and insects; or the plea- sures afforded by the peculiarities of the vegetable world, by the gorgeousness of the feathered creation, and the magnificent wild- ness of the mountainous landscape; although this last is asso- ciated with discomfort, especially to travellers. The book, however, is an agreeable and even a valuable ad- dition to our Colonial publications. It resembles HOOD'S Aus- tralia and the East in bringing a different kind of character to the examination of a colony front what had hitherto been the case; and if Mrs. MEREDITH does not possess the vigorous mind, the powerful style, and the tolerant habit of the Scotch laird, she has qualities as marked, and more agreeable as being more feminine. Independently of any literary merit, the book derives an interest from being a lady's view of New South Wales. Many things are noticed that altogether escape the attention of the lords of the creation, and those things that men and women observe in common are noticed in a different way. The result is to impress the domestic discomforts of Colonial life, or at least of Australian life, more distinctly upon the mind of the reader. The climate would seem to combine in pretty full perfection the discomfort of the Tropics with annoyances of its own. The heat at certain times is said to be more oppressive than in India; not, Mrs. MEREDITH thinks, that the climate is really hotter, but that the Australians have not the appliances that enable the Anglo-Indians to keep their houses cool : in Sydney they have built English houses for an unEnglish climate. Mosquitoes would seem to be as plentiful and as painful as in many other places, with the addition of numerous kinds of insects as bad as the plague of Egypt, or worse—for the Egyptians were only afflicted by one species, whereas in Australia their name is legion. And as for the dust, let Mrs. MEREDITH herself describe it.

THE DUST OF NEW SOUTH WALES.

The dust is one main source of annoyance in Sydney. Unless after very heavy rain, it is always dusty ; and sometimes, when the wind is in one par- ticular point, the whirlwinds of thick fine powder that fill every street and house are positive miseries. These dust-winds are locally named "brick- fielders," from the direction in which they come ; and no sooner is the approach of one perceived, than the streets are instantly deserted, windows and doors closely shut, and every one who can remains within till the plague has passed over ; when you ring for the servant with a duster, and collect enough fine earth for a small garden off your chairs and tables.

This is in the capital: at Bathurst, in the interior, things are worse.

THE HOT WIND.

I found the climate of Bathurst still less pleasant than that of Sydney, as in the latter place, however oppressive he the heat, the mid-day sea-breeze mode- rates it in some degree ; but the plains of Bathurst, although considerably ele- vated, being shut in on all sides by lofty ranges of mountains, must endure without any relief their own oven-like atmosphere; the temperature of which is frequently increased tenfold by a "hot wind," when it seems as if a fiery blast from a huge furnace pervaded all space around, rushing into the house through every opening with the force of a hurricane. My English habit of flinging wide open all doors and windows in warm weather, I here found (as a matter of course, so near the Antipodes) a most imprudent course to pursue; as the only chance of preserving a moderately-endurable existence during the continuance of the sirocco is, immediately on its approach to shut every door and window, and with closely-drawn blinds to await, as patiently and move- lessly as half-suffocated mortals may be expected to do, the abatement of the terrible visitation. With us, however, a few hours of faintness, thirst, and misery, generally comprise the whole evil, (though sometimes the hot winds blow almost without intermission for several days); but the luckless fields and gardens escape not so easily. Every green thing looks as if a salamander had been held over it, either drooping and dying, or dried up like half-burnt paper. I have seen large tracts of cultivated land, covered with luxuriant green crops of wheat, barley, or oats, just going into ear, scorched, shrivelled, absolutely blackened by the heat, and fit for nothing but to cut as bad litter. Less im- portant, though extremely vexatious, is the destruction caused in gardens, where the most delicate and beautiful flowers are ever the first to wither under the burning breath of this fervid air-king.

THE WHIRL-DUST.

I several times observed at Bathurst a pheenomenon by no means unusual on the large plains of New South Wales in dry weather, being a procession across them of tall columns of dust—whirlwinds in fact, which preserve a nearly uniform diameter throughout their whole length, the upper end seeming to vanish off or puff away like light smoke, and the lower apparently touching the earth. They move in a perpendicular position, quietly and majestically- gliding along one after another; seeming, at the distance I saw them, to be from seventy to a hundred feet high, and about twenty broad. Thus viewed, they do not appear to travel particularly fast ; but Mr. Meredith tells me he has vainly endeavoured to keep pace with them for a short time, even when mounted on a fleet horse. When they arc crossing a brook or river, the lower portion of theiiclust is lost sight of, and a considerable agitation disturbs the water; but immediately on landing the same appearance is resumed. As some vanish, others imperceptibly arise and join the giant-waltz ; and when I first observed this most singular display, I amused myself by fancying them a new species of genii relaxing from their more laborious avocations and having a sedate and stately dance all to themselves. When the dance ends, these dusty performers always appear to sit down among the neighbouring hills.

These natural drawbacks do not seem to be counterbalanced by social attractions.

AUSTRALIAN CONVERSATION.

Neither were we by any means deficient in society : but, with a few memorable exceptions, I soon found that Colonial ladies seldom speak of aught besides dress and domestic events and troubles, " bad servants " being the staple topic. And most gentlemen have their whole souls so felted up in wools, fleeces, flocks, and stock, that I have often sat through a weary dinner and evening of incessant talking, without hearing a single syllable on any other subject. Some of our friends had been among the early adventurers who made the perilous over-land journeys to Adelaide, with large herds of cattle and sheep ; and their narratives were always highly interesting, seeming like a romance—often a most sad one too—after the dull wool-gatherings of more every-day people. Far be it from me, in these slight remarks, to imply want of respect for the worthy enthusiasts in wool; still there are times and places for everything. In English society, the lawyer does not carry his briefs and special pleadings into the drawing-room ; the physician dreams not of occupying the attention of a dinner-party with his last wonderful cure ; even the anther refrains from volunteering a recitation of his new book ; and surely, according to our old- world notions of propriety, the wool-merchant also should sometimes dived himself of the " shop," and not be always encompassed and engrossed by his bales and fleeces. However fascinating may be the company of his "fine woolled sheep " and peerless breed of Merinos, be should not insist on taking them out to dinner. I had to endure a perpetuity of mutton in the wool; whilst choice " samples," tied and labelled with moat fond accuracy, were passed from hand to hand, and contemplated with the profound and critical air of a connoisseur passing judgment on a masterpiece of art. So long as the conversation conveyed intelligence respecting different parts of the Colony as connected with sheep-farming or other occupations, I could derive amusement and knowledge from it; but the eternity of wool, wool, wool, wearied my very soul.

BOTANY BAY SOCIETY.

Of course a large proportion of the population are Emancipiste, (convicts who have served their allotted years of transportation,) and their families or descendants ; and a strong line of demarcation is in most instances observed between them and the free emigrants and settlers. Wealth, all-powerful though it be—and many of these Emancipists are the richest men in the Colony—cannot wholly overcome the prejudice against them, though policy, in some instances, greatly modifies it. Their want of education is an effectual barrier to many; and these so wrap themselves in the love of wealth, and the palpable though misplaced importance it gives, that their descendants will pro- bably improve but little on the parental model. You may often see a man of immense property, whose wife and daughters dress in the extreme of fashion and finery, rolling home in his gay carriage from his daily avocations, with face, hands, and apparel, as dirty and slovenly as any common mechanic. And the son of a similar character has been seen, with a dozen costly rings on his coarse fingers, and chains, and shirt-pins glistening with gems, buying yet more expensive jewellery, yet without sock or stocking to his feet ; the shoes, to which his spurs were attached, leaving a debatable ground between them and his trousers Spurs and shoes are, I imagine, a fashion peculiar to this stamp of exquisites, but among them very popular.

THE NASAL ENIGMA.

The children are mostly pale and slight, though healthy-, with very light hair and eyes : at least such is their general appearance, with of course many exceptions. They grow up tall ; the girls often very pretty and delicate- looking whilst young, although very often disfigured by bad teeth ; but I have seen women of twenty-five or thirty whose age 1 should have guessed to be fifty at least. They marry very young, and the consequent "olive-branches" are extremely numerous. The boys grow up long, and often lanky, seldom showing the strong athletic build so common at home ; or, if they do, it is spoiled by round shoulders and a narrow chest : and what puzzles me exceed- ingly to account for, a very large proportion of both male and female natives snuffle dreadfully—just the same nasal twang as many Americans have. In some cases English parents have come out here with English-born children : these all speak clearly and well, and continue to do so, whilst those born after the parents arrive in the Colony have the detestable snuffle. This is an enigma which passes my sagacity to solve.

A FIELD FOR FATHER MATHEW.

How different would be the state of almost everything in this Colony, were that greatest curse man ever created out of God's good gifts, intoxicating liquor, less easily obtained by those who ought to be the industrious and prosperous, but, alas I too generally are the idle and worthless part of the community. Time, money, character, decency, feeling, principle, ambition, and honesty—all are sacrificed to the demoralizing passion for rum, when once it gains the ascendancy ; and to know how often that is, we need only observe sad 'listen to the sad evidence so continually passing around us. I perhaps praise the tidy appearance and good cookery of a friend's servant—" Ah t yes, she is an excellent cook, but we can so seldom keep her sober." The coachman of another seems stake a model for his class, till you hear he is so confirmed a drunkard that his mistress dares not trust him to drive her home alone from a party. Another family have an honest old " major-domo," faithful and good an every other point ; may be trusted with " untold gold," but not with a bottle of rum. It is a universal failing ; and a really sober servant or mechanic may consequently be held as a pearl of great price. Age and sex make no difference ; your dainty lady's maid or pretty young nurse-girl is just as likely to be over-liberal in her libations to Bacchus as your groom or shoeblack ; and seo threats, no bribes, no punishments, avail to keep the besotted creatures from the dram-bottle, if it be by any means or in any shape accessible. I have known a female servant drink camphorated spirits of wine, and suspect the same in- dividual of consuming a pint of hartshorn which mysteriously disappeared about the same time from my room ; its evident strength being no doubt too tempting. Eau de Cologne and lavender-water, I know, they drink whenever they are left about, or anything else believed to contain spirit. The universality of this vice is most dreadful to contemplate, and far worse to witness and endure. Almost the only exceptions among the lower classes are the families of English emi- grants; who, accustomed to poor living and hard work at home, continue sober and industrious, thankful for the many hitherto unknown comforts and luxuries they can enjoy, and carefully and fearfully abstaining from all excess. Of this class I have known excellent examples, both old and young, male and female ; and can only hope that in time their better and wiser course may be appreciated and emulated by other portions of this now numerous population.

FORETHOUGHT.

I remember the wife of a turnpike-keeper near our house, who was scarcely ever seen sober, and as rarely without a broken head or a black eye. One day Mr. Meredith was driving a friend to the races at Parramatta, and on reaching the turnpike, this engaging female was discovered seated at a table by the door, with a cup and a half-gallon bottle of rum beside her, the effect of which.was already evident. She offered Mr. Meredith a ticket, which he told her was not required, as she knew him so well from his passing constantly—" Oh, Sir, you'd better take it, for I shan't know anybody by the time you come back!"

COLONIAL VIEW OF CHAIN-GANGS.

r Very erroneous opinions relative to the state of convicts in these Colonies exist at home as to the degree of hardship they endure. I think I can, in the course of these pages, relate enough from my own observation to prove how much very many humane persons are misled in their ideas on the subject. Even the chain-gangs, the lowest grade of this class, do not perform on an average the third part of the labour which any English mechanic or labourer does gladly and cheerfully. Their rations of food are wholesome and abun- dant, and their huts or barracks provided with every necessary. When sick, they have the best medical care, and whatever additional luxuries their state may require; and when I apply to them the term "miserable wretches," I would be understood as applying it to their crimes and social degradation, not to their corporal sufferings. They work under the superintendence of overseers, and sentinels with loaded muskets, who would shoot any one attempting to escape.

We might extend these extracts without any kind of stint ; but as the book is published in Mr. MURRAY'S Colonial Library, it would be hardly fair to overdo extracts from a publication so cheaply procurable.