re
comfortable, and I managed to keep up a fire of mallee roots all
night, for it was bitterly cold.

_Wednesday, June 8th._--I awoke at two, and as it proved impossible to
go to sleep again, I wrote and read until daybreak. At a little
before nine we went down to the bank to meet Mr. Macfarlane and his
daughters, who had come forty miles down the Murray in their pretty
little steam-launch to take us to their station lodge, eight miles
from Wellington. They had started before four this morning, Mr.
Macfarlane steering all the way. The launch is a Clyde-built boat, and
is very fast. We passed through pretty scenery on our way up the
river, and after a time came to a station to which many acres have
been added by reclaiming the swamps which lie on either side of the
river. There chanced to be two guns on board the launch, and as we
steamed along, the gentlemen amused themselves by occasional shots at
the numerous black swans, coots, and ducks.

We voyaged for some miles between banks fringed with willows, the
original cuttings of which had been brought by an old French settler
from Napoleon's grave in St. Helena. The trees have grown
marvellously; and I hear that this year the avenue, if it may be so
called, is to be extended some miles further up the stream.

At about one o'clock we arrived at the landing-pier, where we found
one of the capacious trading-boats, of which we have met many on the
river. It is a regular pedlar's store on a large scale, where one
might buy dresses of the latest fashion, cloaks and bonnets, besides
all sorts of medicines for man and beast, groceries, and stores of
every kind. A most useful institution it must be to isolated toilers
on the banks of the Murray.

On reaching Wellington Lodge we were first shown a shearing-house with
every convenience for folding the sheep in thousands. After the
shearing operations are completed the sheep are let out into little
pens, so that it can be at once seen whether a man has done his work
well or ill. We saw all the processes and modes of packing the wool,
of which Mr. Macfarlane is justly proud; for I believe his system has
been adopted in almost all the wool-producing countries of the world.
Leaving the wool-sheds, we went to the stables, which were full of
young horses; and here we were shown a 'buckboard'--a wonderful
Australian conveyance. It is as light as a feather, and is capable of
carrying a great deal of luggage or farm produce, besides th