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The tide of emigration coming in from the older colonies is a certain sign of rapid success; those who arrive from these places are men who have done well in the first country of their adoption; but to this they had repaired when it was thinly inhabited, when land was of very low value and to be procured near the capital; there they have realized largely, but it appears to them that nearly all the good things have now been picked up; property has attained such a value that it rises but slowly, indeed is almost stationary in price; and the country is so largely stocked that they are driven to establish their sheep-stations at such a distance from the sea coast that the expense of the transport of their wool thither greatly detracts from its value.
'The Pastoralist Executive at Tunumburra have asked us cattle-owners who are more likely to be let alone than the sheep-men, to help in garrisoning the sheep-stations; and I've promised to ride over to Breeza Downs to-morrow and do my share in protecting the place. Harris and I are going together. Lady Bridge seemed more interested in blowing smoke-rings than in her husband's news.
Everything had gone like clockwork in port, but, for the first few days at sea, these practical sons of the bush and the sheep-stations were for the moment put out of their stride. Hefty men lay huddled helplessly on their bunks and others moped about searching for the drier, warmer corners. But the horses had to be fed, though many of them, too, hung their heads in the deepest dejection.
Their great delight was riding after stray cattle and horses, which afforded them constant occupation. Occasionally they visited the sheep-stations, to see that all was right, or to give directions to the shepherds. Sometimes they drove one of the drays carrying provisions and stores, a task which was not so pleasant as galloping over the country.
The wound inflicted bled so freely that Captain Fyans was obliged to pull up, and the native made his escape. He was not only a fine fellow in conduct, but in person, having a chest, as Captain Fyans expressed it, like a bullock's. I afterwards learned that he displayed the sword-cuts upon his shield in triumph at some of the sheep-stations.
Before the white man came, in fact, the kea was a mild-mannered fruit-eating or honey-sucking bird. But as soon as sheep-stations were established in the island these degenerate parrots began to acquire a distinct taste for raw mutton.
A considerable number of labourers will find employment about the towns, at the stores, on the wharfs, &c. at about 24s. weekly. Country work on the sheep-stations as shepherds, drivers of bullock-drays, sheep-washing and shearing, cooking for the men, &c. is remunerated by about L.25 and food.
As the horses were quite fresh, and the saddles had been saved, they agreed to start immediately; though they would have to trust to their guns for provisions, except when they could fall in with any sheep-stations, where beef and mutton could be procured. Everywhere as they rode along were signs of the destruction caused by the flood.
The same boat that brought up the specials brought a hundred or more free labourers, and they're on their way up to the different sheep-stations along the river a lot of them for Breeza Downs, where Windeatt has begun shearing.
What astonished me was to think that eighty years ago not a white man was living in all that vast country, and now there are large towns in all directions, and villages, and farms, and sheep-stations, and thousands upon thousands of sheep, some of the wool from whose backs we were now carrying home to be made up into all sorts of woollen goods in our factories.
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