to introduce
me personally to the Premier, Mr. Graham Berry, who advised me to send in
a written application for an appointment and promised General Scratchley
to give it his favourable consideration when the opportunity arose. Just
about this time I received a letter from my old friend, Sir Frederick
Weld, at Singapore, stating that he was reorganizing the Native Police
Force in that colony and wanted to appoint a few British officers to it.
He offered me the position of second in command. This offer was most
alluring to me, but General Scratchley simply ridiculed it. He told me he
knew Singapore only too well, and that if I went I would probably die in
a few years--if I lived as long, and at any rate that I would become an
old man before my time. Far better, he said, stay in a glorious country
like Australia than go and work in a country only fit for niggers, and
poor at that. Taking his advice I declined Sir Frederick Weld's kind
offer. I wrote to him, thanking him, and pointed out that I was somewhat
afraid to go and live in such a hot and moist climate after my sad
experiences during my voyage out in the tropical regions, specially as
since my landing in New Zealand I had not felt a twinge of rheumatism.

So I made up my mind to wait in Melbourne until I obtained my military
appointment. I could not, however, afford to live in idleness, so I
looked round for some suitable occupation which would bring in grist to
the mill. I had always been, as you know, very fond of sport, and horse
racing is the leading sport in Australia. I had been attending the
meetings in and near Melbourne regularly and had become acquainted with a
good many sporting men and the principal bookmakers and trainers. It
struck me that it was a pity that a large city, the capital of a most
thriving colony, where all kind of sport was rife, possessed no daily
sporting paper. The one evening paper in Melbourne, _The Herald_, usually
devoted some space to sport, but it was not published till too late in
the day to be of any value to race-goers and punters. I determined to
start a "sporting news-sheet," to be published for the ten days covering
the forthcoming Melbourne Cup Meeting. This news-sheet would be on sale
at 10 A.M. in the morning, and give the latest information even up to the
last morning's gallops--if any--the scratchings, and latest betting
prices. I at once set to work and got two reliable sporting men
possessing good all-round racing i