WILKINSON'S SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
Ms. WILKINSON resided for seven years in South Australia, and has thrown the results of his own and some other experiences into the volume before ns. Like the generality of writers on colonies, he does not give a narrative of his personal adventures,—which, properly done, would be the most attractive and useful kind of book; but treats of the colony generally and in its various aspects. Unlike the majority of such books, however, Mr. Wilkinson's volume is more than a compilation. His mind is charged with original knowledge, and he has a conception of his un- dertaking as a whole; so that he digests the statistics and information which he draws from other sources, making them a part of his own knowledge and applying them to his own purposes, instead of presenting them without more immediate relation to the reader than tables of weights and measures or an article in a gazetteer. By this means life and reality are imparted to the book; although per- haps, as "a description of the colony and a manual of information for emi- grants," it tells us little that is properly new : the freshness is in the precise and detailed directions. They have also a value for the intending emigrant, not so much for the advice they give as for their tendency to render him more cautious. For example, in the common estimates of the profit of sheep-farming, we hear nothing of losses from the attacks of the wild-dog, which seems as mischievous to the flock as the wolf, if less dangerous to its keepers. Equally mum are colonial writers on the trouble that is caused to the respectable cattle-breeder by the nuisance of poor people, " who have one or two cows of their own, keeping a bull calf, even though it be the most ill-bred miserable creature that can be imagined." "Such young bulls roam about from herd to herd, fighting with each other, teasing the cows, and doing all possible damage to those desirous of improving their stock. As all the different herds feed in the open unfenced country, there is no remedy for this, except perhaps shooting the bulls, and standing the damage for the act: even this must be better than having stunted ill-formed young bulls running riot amongst your choicest cattle."
In the directions to the distant settler, to carry home with him from the rarely visited capital every article he can by possibility want for the next six or twelve months, we are reminded of that old English state of society when every farm-house was provisioned like a fortress, before rail- roads, or even light waggons and good roads, brought the remotest places within reach of the luxuries of the shop. In Mr. Wilkinson's strenuous advice to emigrants to buy colony-made agricultural implements, since those from England are seldom suitable and often inferior,—even manu- factured of cast iron, which snapping at the moment when most wanted leaves the farmer in distress,—we seem to get a hint that our boasted machinery and manufacturing cheapness has reached its meridian, and that a brammagem article is only fitted for places within reach of the maker. In like manner, almost every topic that Mr. Wilkinson touches exhibits the exactness of knowledge, with some of the freshness of origi- nal observation ; while his incidental descriptions often suggest more o. the country and its characteristics than laboured and artistical attempts. What does the reader think of sweet-briar, native myrtle, or acacia hedges, proposed by our author to succeed the present ugly wooden fences to the fields ; or geranium hedges, which are actually in use for gardens ? a Geraniums grow wild near the sea-shore, and in other sandy places; but they are generally small, and have only little flowers, without much scent- The cud- 'aged geraniums, however, grow most luxuriantly, and make good hedges for :lardens, rising six or eight feet high, and during the season covered with their dessoms, presenting .a most splendid appearance. They are evergreens in those parts ; and as there is no frost to hurt them, they stand from year to year, in- creasing in size, and require constant trimming, like the most luxuriant English
s." hedge
The habits and manners of the settlers in the bush are also brought out, sometimes incidentally, sometimes more directly, but always convey- ing a good idea of the thing described, if not very vigorously done, and
occasionally with a little aiming at smart writing; as in this passage on prevalence of smoking.
" Whoever comes to your hut, whether a stranger or not, drinks with you, not wine, but tea; for which the kettle is always on the bob, to be ready for any new arrival. Tea-drinking and tobacco-smoking are in vogue among all classes, and serve to while away many a dull hour. If in the bash you are hungry and with- out the means of obtaining food, then the advice is—' Light your pipe and smoke'; so also, if thirsty—' A smoke will relieve you'; if tired, there is nothing like smoking; and if particularly lively and happy—smoke; if you have made a good bargain—smoke; if a bad one—still smoke. But if you despise the weed, do not smoke, but be miserable and churlish with yourself and querulous at every trifle. Some of my readers, and those not of the fair sex, will hardly admire this indis- criminate use of the pipe; and will hold that, if at any time, it is only at dusk, after the day's work is over, that the pipe should be brought out. Such is the rule of English propriety; but it is out of its latitude in the colony, where you feel that something is wanting every couple of hours, and the only fill-up of that want is—smoking,"
The subjects handled by Mr. Wilkinson are numerous, but not so vaguely treated as by many writers. The demand for labour in South Australia, especially for mining labour, with advice to intending emi- grants, occupies one chapter ; another is devoted to information touching
the passage out, whether it be paid by the individual or he sail under the emigration-fund. Agricultural sheep and cattle-farming each oc- cupies a section; and there is the usual account of the climate and pro- ductions of the colony. Of course a part of the book is given to the great feature of South Australia, its minerals and mines ; but on this point Mr. Wilkinson does not seem so much at home. He has to rely upon second-band information, probably not of a very trustworthy kind, as it emanates from the circulars, &c. of persons engaged in the speculations : nor, it may be observed, have we any statistics to a day sufficiently late to enable one to hazard an opinion upon the effects of this mineral mania in diverting industry from agriculture. Among the chapters on miscel- laneous topics, part of one on the natives is contributed by Mr. James, a friend of the author, and contains some curious anecdotes : the follow- ing are specimens. 'A native was brought to gaol for stealing a settler's sheep; and being asked by the policeman why he had done so, replied—' What for ?—why, long time no White fellow, plenty kangaroo; now White fellow, no kangaroo!' What better reasoning could the policeman himself have given under similar circumstances? The natives discover the 'differences of intelligence and conduct between the different classes of the settlers, and in their remarks upon it recognize the su- perior excellence of truth and honesty. A European treating a native capri- ciously, and breaking faith with him; is immediatly taunted with—' You no good; you no gentleman; you plenty working-man.' The coarse and inferior classes of our countrymen, in roughly showing their contempt for the native, are fre- quently met with the rebuke, What for? what for? me no working-man, me plenty gentleman'; at the same time suiting the action to the word, in assuming a really dignified attitude. How very mailed is the independence of this native savage, and how superior to the broken-spirited Negro slave!
"A native having visited England in company with his master, and travelled by railway while here, on returning to his native country told his fellow country- men that in England horse no good, bullocky no good; plenty whiff,'—at the same time drawing his hand quickly before him to indicate the velocity of the railway carriage His lubra (wife) hearing of his return, hastened to embrace him: he, not lately used to the hug of a wild beast, coolly extended his hand l'Anglais, and said, 'How d' ye do ?' She, not understanding this extraordinary conduct of her spouse, sank down on the ground, and sobbed aloud."
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