or The Army only, of a General with his office at the other
side of the world.

And then we go on to the journey during which he was hoping "to get some
extra sleep"!

"At twelve, left for Bendigo, arriving about four o'clock. Was very
weary on the journey, and had to turn out two or three times to
address the crowds waiting to listen to me on station platforms.

"Bendigo is a town of some 30,000 people, entirely made and
sustained by the gold-digging industry. An immense amount of the
precious metal has been taken here, and sufficient is being secured
still to make it a paying concern, although the miners have to go
to a considerable depth in order to secure the quartz.

"We had a public reception, and they had made a general holiday of
it in the place. People must have come in from miles around to help
make up such a crowd. They pulled up at a splendid fountain in the
centre of the town, intending to separate with three cheers for The
General; but I could not withstand the temptation, and made quite a
little sermon about saving their souls, and serving God."

It is this interest both in the everyday occupations and resources of
the people, and of the tours they made which, joined with all his
intense concern about the soul, constituted The General and all who
truly follow him, the true brethren of all mankind. It must ever be
remembered, to the credit of Australia, that its leading men were the
first to recognise this characteristic of our Officers, and to lend them
all the influence of their public as well as private countenance and
sympathy. It is this fact which makes it a permanent pleasure to record
their kindnesses to The General.

"Came on to Melbourne, on my way to Sydney. Met a body of
representative men to lunch, amongst them Sir James McBain,
President of the Upper Chamber, Mr. Deakin, an ex-Cabinet
Minister, a very nice fellow indeed, a man who appears to me to
have more capacity than any one I have yet met in the Colonies. He
made a speech, and at the close drew me on one side, and said he
wanted to do something for us, and if I could only tell him what it
should be on my return to Melbourne, he would be very glad to do
it.

"I am sure he is prepared to be a good friend. He is a coming Prime
Minister, I should think."

(The General had no idea then that all Australasia woul