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Updated: May 7, 2025
We were now close beside Mount Alexander, which is nearly covered with timber, chiefly white gum, wattle and stringy bark. A lovely morning; we proceeded in excellent spirits, passing some beautiful scenery, though rather monotonous. During the first few miles, we went across many little creeks, in the neighbourhood of which were indications that the diggers had been at work.
The Church was very small wattle and daub. It had done three years' service. 'No value, pronounced Julian. He was rather angry with such a mere shed for wasting his valuable time. 'That grass wants burning, he muttered. 'If you set a light to it and the Church catches, I shouldn't think there'll be any harm done. 'Right, said the bailiff. Julian stepped inside the building.
The place swarmed with soldiers; sentries were pacing to and fro on the parapets, gunners furbishing up their pieces, and squads of native auxiliaries being drilled on a broad savanna outside the walls. Many of the houses were mere huts roofs on stilts; others, "wattle and dab;" a few, brown-stone. To the most imposing of these we were conducted by our escort.
This is of a pale buff-orange, while there is a row of similar marks over the eye, and others scattered about the neck. The wattle hanging from the neck is of a light orange at the tip. The greater wing-coverts are of a rich chestnut, the feet and legs being of a lake colour. It is somewhat smaller than the wild turkey of the States.
"What has the wattle to do with the fire anyway?" "Why, don't you see?" I cried. "Without the fire there wouldn't have been any wattle here. The seed'll lie dormant in the ground for years sometimes; it takes great heat to germinate them. That's why wattle always springs up in profusion after there's been a bush fire.
'I am going down to Ballarat to the Wattle Tree Hotel to see my friend Pierre, he said, in a preoccupied manner, 'and will have something to eat there. Then I will come up again about eight o'clock, in time to see Madame off. 'Aren't you going back with her? asked Kitty, in surprise, as they rose to their feet.
As the little bay with its fringe of palms and its cluster of wattle huts opened up to view, Mainwaring discovered a vessel lying at anchor in the little harbor. It was a large and well-rigged schooner of two hundred and fifty or three hundred tons burden.
Little we knew of Philipstown; and like my friend the adjutant there, when he laid siege to Deny, we made our entrée with all the pomp we could muster, and though we had no band, our drums and fifes did duty for it; and we brushed along through turf-creels and wicker-baskets of new brogues that obstructed the street till we reached the barrack, the only testimony of admiration we met with being, I feel bound to admit, from a ragged urchin of ten years, who, with a wattle in his hand, imitated me as I marched along, and when I cried halt, took his leave of us by dexterously fixing his thumb to the side of his nose and outstretching his fingers, as if thus to convey a very strong hint that we were not half so fine fellows as we thought ourselves.
The Wattle Tree was such a quiet haven of rest, and kept such good liquor, that once a man discovered it he always came back again; so Mr Twexby did a very comfortable trade.
I found my friend in good health and spirits, strictly guarded in a small thatched hut, of bamboo wattle and clay: the situation was pretty, and commanded a view of the Ryott valley and the snowy mountains; there were some picturesque chaits hard by, and a blacksmith's forge. Our walks were confined to a few steps in front of the hut, and included a puddle and a spring of water.
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