turned out to be an
officer of the Salvation Army. "Ah, sir!" he said, "We don't believe
in theatres, we're booked for Heaven"--a most comfortable conviction
to carry through this life, whatever may be the ultimate issue.
Lying as it does in the midst of such beautiful scenery, Hobart is
a good centre from which to make excursions. A favourite place for
picnics is Brown's River, about 10 miles away, the road following
the water edge along "Sandy Bay." An Antipodean picnic is nothing
without tea. In fact the tea-pot is the centre round which
everything revolves. The first thing to be done is to collect wood
for a fire. The "billy" is then filled with water and set to boil.
Meantime those not connected with these preliminaries wander through
the woods or along the shore. At a picnic to Brown's River I saw the
famous cherries with the stones growing outside. It certainly is a
kind of fruit with the stone outside, but bears no resemblance
whatever to the cherry. Near Brown's River is the Blow Hole. This is
an opening at the bottom of a rock, through which at certain states
of the tide the water rushes, I presume, with much noise and
violence, but when I saw it all was quiet. For a two days excursion
from Hobart, none can be better than to take the coach along the
Huon Road to Victoria, at the head of the Huon River, sleep there,
and the next morning take the steamer from Victoria down the small
river, along the D'Entrecasteaux channel between the island of Bruni
and the mainland, and so back to Hobart. I had arranged for this
trip with a friend, and had gone so far as to consult the "Captain
of the Pinafore," (the tiny craft above alluded to), as to the time
of starting from Victoria, for she does not start every day, but an
accident at the last moment prevented us. Subsequently, however, I
had in a drive a good opportunity of seeing the best of the scenery
along the Huon Road. Along the Huon River I am told there are
hermits. At any rate there is one man who has not been seen for nine
years. He brings any fruit he has to sell to a certain spot and
lights a fire. This is seen, and in exchange for his commodities
food is left for him.

Another beautiful trip from Hobart is a journey of 20 miles up the
river Derwent to New Norfolk. The steamer takes about three hours.
About halfway the river is crossed by the main line railway at
Bridgewater, and up to this point is of a considerable width. On the
North the river skirts the