Australia Felix

yes. Letting his injured leg lie undisturbed, he drew up the other kn

dly built. He had large white teeth of a kind to crack nuts with, a

smoked and listened, in a gently ironic silence, to abuse of the

was a meal of cold chop and tea over than Purdy declared his intention of being present

frain from taking the lad to task for getting entangled in the politi

n burst out: “If only you weren’t

excitement, my boy — that

ever I knew a restless

ey and bravos rained upon him. “Golly for you, Purdy, old ‘oss!” “Showed ’em the diggers’ flag, ‘e did!” “What’ll you take, me buck? Come on in for a drop o’ the real strip-me-down-naked!” Even a weary old strumpet, propping herself against the doorway of a dancing-saloon, waved a tipsy hand and cried: “Arrah, an’ is it y

king and hobnobbing outside, began to push for the entrance. The bulk of them belonged to the race that is quickest to resent injustice — were Irish. After them

m. They followed, too, with composure, the rehearsal of their general grievances. As they were aware, said the speaker, the Legislative Council of Victoria was made up largely of Crown nominees; in the election of members the gold-seeking population had no voice whatsoever. This was a scandalous thing; for the digging constituent outnumbered all the rest of the population put together, thus forming what he would call the backbone and mainstay of the colony. The labour of THEIR hands had raised the colony to its present pitch of prosperity. And yet these same bold and hardy pioneers were held incapable of deciding jot or tittle in th

awdling over such high-flown notions as that population, not property, formed the basis of representative government, reaped him a harvest of boo

ressed without scruple. While from the back of the hal

Did he tackle it as an initial, on the other hand, his tongue seemed to cleave to his palate, and to yield only an “l.” This quaint defect caused some merriment at the start, but was soon eclipsed by a more striking oddity. The spea

e beside themse

rgot ‘is

slippy!— a ‘anke

e been “exbloded” long ago. What they needed, in this grand young country of theirs, was a “republic”; they must rid themselves of those shackles that had been forged in the days when men were slaves. It was his sound conviction that before many weeks had passed, the Union Jack would have been hauled down for ever, and the glorious Southern Cross would wave in its stead, over a free Australia. The day on which

ssert himself above the hum of agreement that mounted from the foreign contingent,

her Majesty who are present here, to join with me in giving three cheers for the British

he continued to make himself heard above the shouts

, that would allow people of all nations to flock into a gold-bearing colony on terms of perfect equality with its own subjects?— to flock in, take all they can get, and then make off with it?” a point of view that elicited forcible grunts of assent, which held their own against hoots and hisses. Unfortunately the speaker did not st

’em like that, Dick

ter-looking man, who might have been a Vandemonian in h

The foreigners, to

equently hear asserted, that there ar

g with his elbows on his knees, clutching

yer blat

monian fiercely. “But don’t come ’ere and interrupt our

not interrupt?— when I se

groaned Pu

be led by the nose, like the sheep you are, by a pack of for

s way along the bench he hobbled to the pl

aged, his cabbage-tree hat in his hand. And Mahony, still on his feet, angrily erect, thought he understood why the boy had re

ed his hand on the bell; its provoking tinkle ceased. Now he broke i

er dig

turned to him, still thorny and sulky it was true, but yet they

ut that he was unable to proceed. “Yes, I say it again,” he went on, when they would let him speak; “the instant repeal! When that’s been done, this curse taken off us, then it’ll be time enough to parlez-vous about the colour of the flag we mean to have, and about going shares in the Government. But let me make one thing clear to you. We’re neither traitors to the Crown, nor common rebels. We’re true-blue Britons, who have been goaded to rebellion by one of the vilest pieces of tyranny that ever saw the light. Spies and informers are everywhere about us. Mr. Commissioner Sleuth and his hounds may cry tally-ho every day, if ’tis their pleasure to! To put it shortly, boys, we’re living under semi-mart

neral howl of execration it passed unheard — and, pushing h