ot then a tenth stocked. Sheep-farming was decidedly the thing to go in
for whenever we could contrive to do so, but in the meantime what were
we to take up for a living. The answer should have been simple enough.
But, however, there is no need to dwell on our petty disappointments;
they were only what hundreds feel and have felt who have gone to the
Colonies with too sanguine expectations that it was an easy and pleasant
road to fortune. That it is a road to fortune is very true, if a young
man is content and determined to begin at the beginning and go steadily
on; but it is not always an easy road at first for the youngster who has
very little or nothing to commence upon, especially if he be a gentleman
born, and has only his hands to help him. He must put his pride in his
pocket and learn to be content to be taken at his present value. If he
does that he will find, that his birth and education will stand to him,
and that no matter what occupation he may be forced to take up, if his
life and conduct be manly and reliable he will command as much or more
respect from his (for the time being) fellow workers as he would do
under different circumstances. It is a huge mistake to suppose that the
gentleman lowers himself anywhere--and especially in the Colonies--by
undertaking any kind of manual labour. I have known the sons of
gentlemen of good family working as bullock-drivers, shepherds,
stockdrivers, bushmen, for a yearly wage, and nobody considered the
employment derogatory. On the contrary, these are the men who get on and
in time become wealthy.

A sad event occurred about this time, which, as it was in a way
connected with our ship, I will relate here. It was the custom of
Government at that time to send out to the Australian Colonies for
employment as domestic servants, possibly wives for young colonists
(women being much in the minority), a number of girls from the
Reformatory Schools in London; and in the "Mary Anne" some twenty or
thirty of them had arrived. While on board they were under the charge of
matrons, and on arrival were received in a house maintained at
Government expense, until they obtained service or were otherwise
disposed of. This house was under the superintendence of a medical man,
Dr. T----, whose acquaintance we had made on our first arrival. He was a
middle-aged man, a thorough gentleman, a bachelor, and a great favourite
in Christchurch society. Amongst the shipment of young women was a very