nacted the part of auctioneer, which he did in a manner most
satisfactory to himself, and amusing to his audience; but the things
sold very badly, so many were doing the same. The tents fetched only a
few shillings each, and the tools, cradles, &c., EN MASSE, were knocked
down for half a sovereign.

The morning was rather cloudy, which made our pedestrian mode of
travelling not so fatiguing as it might have been, had the sun in true
colonial strength been shining upon us. This was very fortunately not
the case, for we more than once mistook our way, and made a long walk
out of a short one--quite a work of supererogation--for the roads were
heavy and tiring enough without adding an extra quantity of them.

We passed in the close neighbourhood of Sailor's, Californian,
American, Long, and Piccaninny Gullies before reaching our destination.
Most of these gullies are considered ransacked, but a very fair amount
of gold-dust may be obtained in either by the new comer by tin-dish
fossicking in deserted holes. These deserted gullies, as they are
called, contained in each no trifling population, and looked full
enough for comfortable working. What must they have resembled the
summer previous, when some hundreds of people leaving a flat or gully
was but as a handful of sand from the sea-shore!

Before evening we arrived at the Iron Bark. This gully takes its name
from the splendid trees with which it abounds; and their immense
height, their fluted trunks and massive branches gave them a most
majestic appearance. We paused beneath one in a more secluded part, and
there determined to fix our quarters for the night. The heavy "swags"
were flung upon the ground, and the construction of something
resembling a tent gave them plenty to do; the tomahawks, which they
carried in their belts, were put into immediate requisition, and some
branches of the trees were soon formed into rough tent-poles. The tent,
however, though perhaps as good as could be expected, was
nothing very wonderful after all, being made only of some of the
blankets which our party had brought in their swags. Beneath it I
reposed very comfortably; and, thanks to my fatiguing walk, slept as
soundly as I could possibly have done beneath the roof of a palace. The
four gentlemen wrapped themselves in their blankets, and laid down to
rest upon the ground beside the fire; their only shelter was the
foliage of the friendly tree which spread its branches high above our
hea