le farther in were seen two bright balls of fire,
the mother cat's eyes. The mother cat had run off with Bob's money to
make a nest for her young ones.

Maggie accepted the ten-pound note but refused the silk dress, telling
the lad that she had no use for such finery.

Soon after the English settled in Australia they introduced merino
sheep, and during the last quarter of a century the breed has been
constantly improved.

It is estimated that now there are not less than seventy-five million
sheep in Australia. The two great drawbacks to this thriving industry
are drought and disease. Some years, owing to the scanty rainfall,
millions of sheep have starved for lack of food.

Two seasons prevail, the dry and the rainy, the climatic conditions
being similar to those of California.

The eastern section of this continental island is the only part that is
adapted both to grazing and to agriculture. New South Wales outranks all
the other Australian colonies in sheep raising, and Queensland in cattle
raising.

Almost the entire eastern shore section is well adapted to the
production of lemons, oranges, and figs, while in the southeastern part
all kinds of temperate-zone fruits flourish. The production of wheat
also deserves important attention.

The development of cold-storage transportation has given a great impetus
to the exportation of frozen mutton and beef to England.

Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, situated on Port Philip Bay, near
the mouth of the Yarra River, is the largest city of Australia and
contains nearly half a million people. It is built chiefly upon two
hills and the intervening valley. The streets are broad and cross each
other at right angles. Many of the squares are devoted to public parks
and gardens. There are splendid public and private buildings, including
an excellent library and an art gallery, both of which are free to all.
Although less than sixty years old, this young city will compare
favorably in regard to its buildings and general management with the
largest cities in both Europe and America.

The oldest city in Australia, Sydney, is the capital of New South Wales
and has a population of four hundred thousand. It is situated on Port
Jackson and is said to have the finest harbor in the world. This is a
completely landlocked sheet of deep water which can be entered only
through a narrow passage, thus affording protection to the shipping,
even during the most violent storms, and so l