on their honeymoon trip, as I have already
related. They now had quite a large family, and made me very welcome. I
arrived at Winton driving four grey horses, the two Arabs Mr. Casey
broke in for me being splendid leaders.

A few evenings after my arrival I was the guest at a smoke concert given
by the Dramatic Club in Steele's hall in my honour. Mr. Dodd,
postmaster, the president of the club, was in the chair. There was some
fine speeches, and a splendid display of wit and repartee. On entering
the room, my attention was attracted by the drop-scene on the stage
representing the Catskill Mountains in America. The members had given a
rendering of "Rip Van Winkle," previous to my leaving for England. The
scene was a daub of colours with a hole cut in the sky, to which a piece
of calico had been affixed at the back to represent either the sun or
the moon, I forget which. On returning thanks to the toast of my health,
I related many of my experiences since I left them in 1885, but
apparently I made a hit when I described my sailing up the Hudson River
from New York. Seeing a mountain in the distance, with numerous houses
here and there, the afternoon sun shining and throwing different shades
over mountain and river, I inquired from a fellow passenger if he could
tell me the name of that beautiful mountain? He replied the "Catskill
Mountains." I said, "Are you sure?" "Sure enough," he said. "Why?"
"Well, because I have seen a painting of it in Steele's Hall at Winton,
and it's not a bit like that." The laughter that followed easily made me
feel at home with the company during the remainder of a very pleasant
evening. Dr. Hawthorne made a great hit in his speech in explaining the
anomaly of a bashful Irishman.

I found many changes had taken place during my seventeen months'
absence. The Schollicks' had left Oondooroo, which had become the
property of Messrs. Ramsay Brothers and Hodgson, with Mr. M. F. Ramsay
as manager.

Winton also had grown quickly. The _Winton Herald_ newspaper, with Mr.
Maxwell as proprietor, was issued as a weekly.

Roller skating was the rage. I remember one afternoon when passing the
Court House, I went over to see what was causing a noise there. Looking
through the window I saw all the benches stacked on one side, and the
police magistrate practising on skates. He had a pillow strapped at the
back of his neck, and another on a lower portion of his body for
buffers. He stumbled, and I saw the us