OPALS AND AGATES ; OR, SCENES UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS AND THE MAGELHANS : BEING MEMORIES OF FIFTY YEARS OF AUSTRALIA AND POLYNESIA. Eiaitit eine Ellurtrationo. BY NEHEMIAH BARTLEY. PRICE FIFTEEN SHILLINGS. Alri4auf : GORDON AND GOTCH, MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, AND 1.,01•T7DOINT- 1892. BRISBANE : GORDON AND GOTCH, PRINTERS. THE AUTHOR DEDICATES THIS BOOK TO THE GIRL PATRIOTS, PAST AND PRESENT, OF AUSTRALASIA, WHO BELIEVE IN THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY, kVI T II ALL rrs FAULTS, FOR THE SAKE OF ITS MANY PERFECTIONS, AND WHO ARE PROUD, AND NOT ASHAMED, OF ITS POINTS OF DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER LANDS. SO, TO THEM ARE HEREBY INSCRIBED SUCH " OPALS AND AGATES " AS TILE WRITER HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND, BY THE WAYSIDE, IN HIS MANY WANDERINGS, IN THIS GREAT SOUTHERN WORLD. This is a blank page PREFACE. AT the suggestion of friends, I have herein collated, for publica- tion, some rambling recollections, drawn from a diary that was first started in 1846. I hold that, neither the era of Dampier (circa 1690), nor of Cook (in 1770), nor of Macquarie (in 1820), bears so deep an interest for posterity as those fateful, stirring years, during which, thanks to her gold, Australia rose, from being a mere convicts' wilderness, to become one of the most advanced and interesting countries in the world. And, besides this, not only is truth, at times, stranger, and more readable, than fiction, but a book, which is destitute, alike, of dialogue, plot, or hero, and in no way built upon the orthodox lines of the three-volume novel, may still—if it follows humbly in the wake of such guides as " Robinson Crusoe," or the " Essays of Elia "—hope to find some readers ; so, I venture. CONTENTS. Wyndomel, pages 1-3. Voyage Out, 4. Tasmania (1849), 5-6. Bagdad, 7. Mt. Wellington, 8-9. Off to California, 11. Tahiti and Eimeo, 13--17. Raiatea and Samoa, 19-20. Caroline Island, 21-27. Honolulu, 28-34. San Francisco (1850), 35-41. Norfolk Island, 42-43. Lakes of Tasmania, 44. Launceston Races (1831), 43. The Turf, 46-47. Melbourne (1851), 48-50. The Turon (1831), 31-55. Sydney Banking Life (1852), 36-57. Overlanding (1853), 58-60. Paika and the " Malice," 61-66. Riverina (1853), 67. From Melbourne to Sydney, 68-69. An Australian in London, 70-88. Site and Topography of Brisbane, 89-98. Early Journeys to the Burnett and Darling Downs, 99-121. General Reminiscences of Sydney, Melbourne, and Moreton Bay, 122-142. Holt's Election, and Other Events of 1856, 143-148. Other Reminiscences of Queensland, 149-163. " Forty Years Ago "-Memories of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Hobart, 164-174. The Delpard Family in Sydney, 175-180. With Cattle to Cape York Peninsula, 181-200. Sinbad's Valley, 201-204. Australian Folk Lore, 205. Aladdin's Opals, 206-207. What the " Wild Waves were Saying," 208-212. The Brisbane Botanic Gardens, 212-217. The Genius of Australia, 217-218. Australian Shells and Butterflies, 218-220. " Sun-Chips," 220-222. Australian -Gums, Oils, Timbers, &c., 222-224. The Cascade of the Barron River, 225- 227. About Clubs, 228-230. The Birth of Queensland, 231. Queensland Champion Race of 1861, 232-233. The Puke of Edinburgh in Brisbane, 235-236. " Yuletide " in Sydney, 236-243. Lord Harris in Sydney, 243-247. The " Garden Palace " in Sydney, 247-231. The Princes' Visit (1881), 231-232. International Cricket (Ivo Bligh) 1883, 252-257. Krakatoa Earthquake (1883), 257-260. Melbourne in 1888, 260-265. The Darling River 50 Years Ago, 266-268. A Chapter on Sentiment, 268-272. About Bullock-drivers, 272-274. Some Statistics of Nuggets, 275-277. Home- sickness, 277-279. Ode to a Piccaninny, 279-282. A Brisbane Reverie, 282-283. The Brisbane Cup, 285. White Waistcoats, 286. Mosquito Baiting, 287. Laycock and Beach, 289. Good Old Times, 200. Usury, 292. The Melbourne Cup, 293. " Gothenburg " Wreck, 294. On " Love," 295. On Education, 297. Our Boys, 298. Good and Evil, '299. Wholesale and Retail, 300. Feminine Prose, 301. Captain Clinch, of the " Swordfish," 301. Milton in 1875, 302. Petrie's Bight (1876), 304. " 1875," 304. " Fuimus," 306. South Sea Murder, 307. Brisbane in 1822, 308. " Bridget, - 309. The World's Climates, 311. INDEX. A " Auld Lang Syne," page 12—/Eolian Harp, 16--An " Atoll," 25—The- " Alcalde," 35—Australian Wines, 71—Australian Climate, 80—Dr. Armstrong, of Drayton, 120—Alboni, 124—Amity Point, and the " Sovereign," 147—The "Artemisia," 148—The Adsetts, 158—W. H. Aldis, 168--Abyssinian Hunt, 170 —Colonel Arthur, 172,-Archer, of " Woolmers," 173—"Anstey Barton," 173- Atheism, 197—Aladdin's Islands, 199—The Agate Valley, 200—Aladdin's Opals, 206—The Anthurium Flower, 214—Australian Patriots, 217—Art Gallery, Sydney, 250—" Attic" Wit, 282—Australian Scullers, 289. B Bagdad (V.D.L.), page 6—Bread Fruit, 19—Brooklyn and Buffalo, 32— Belknap and White, 33—Theodore Bartley, 44, 172—Ben Lomond, 45—Sam Blackwell, of Green Ponds (T.), 46, 169—" Bay Middleton," 46—" Black Thursday," 48—" Bowenfels," 51—F. N. Borne, 57, 116—Life in Borneo, 79— The " Bell " at Edmonton, 81—The Brisbane River, 89— William Barker, 95 — Balfour and Forbes, 100, 140—The Bottle Tree, 102—Henry Buckley, 104 —Joshua P. Bell, 104, 127, 229—Fred. Bracker, 105—Blyth, of Blyth_ dale, 105—Win. Anthony Brown, 110 —Burnett, the Surveyor, 111—Thomas Boyland, 111—" Bush " Inn, Fassifern, 118—Dr. George Bennett, 123— Thomas Bell, of Jimbour, 128—Beck, of the Moonie, 128—Balbi, of Fassifern. 133--John Bramston, 133, 228—Dr. Hugh Bell, 133 —Burns, Philp, and Co., 134—F. Bigge, 141--Rev. Thomas Binney, 141—" Billy " Bowman, 142 William Beit, 146—Balfour, of Colinton, 147—T. C. Breillat, 147, 148—The " Bunyip," 149--Martin Boulton, ]53—Bribie Island Murder, 157—J. E. Bicheno, 160—Noah Beal, 164—John Black (of the Bank of N. 8. Wales), 165 Gamaliel Butler, 169—Charles Bath, 169—Octavius Browne and Co., 172— The Bisdees, 17 2—Buck Jumping, 188—Ben Boyd, 15, 209—The Barron Falls, 227—Sir Geo. Bowen, 231 —Mr. and Mrs. Boucicault, '235—Braemar and Deeside, 236—Burwood and Petersham, 240—Brickfield Hill, 240—The Leichhardt Bean, 249—Ivo Bligh in Sydney, 252—Blackham a id Horan, 256 —The Bullock Driver, 272—The Brisbane Cup, 285 —Brisbane in 1822, 306-- "Bridget," 309. C Dr. W. L. Crowther, page 8, 170—The Calaboose, 17 —The Convict's Curfew. 18—Claret at Tahiti, 17—The " Caroline " Wrecked, 37—Convicts at Norfolk Island, -42—" Crucifix," 46—Thomas Winder Campbell, 52—Robert Cribb, 91, 109, 130—Captain R. J. Coley, 94, 147—Alpin Cameron, 100—Cressbrook and Colinton, 100 —Cribb and Foote. 103—John Crowder, of Weranga, 106, 160, 229—Curious Accident, 109—Captain Collins, of Telenion, 110 —Tim Corbett. 113—W. R. Campbell, 116, 132—Pollet Cardew, 119—" Chucks, the boat- swain," 119—Cunningham's Gap, 120 —John Croft, of Mount Adelaide, 123-- \rill INDEX. Covent Garden Opera, 124 --Sir Michael Costa, 124—H. C. E. Childers, 125— Clapperton, of Tarong, 130—Robert Cran, 132—J. H. Challis, 137—Rev. Robert Creyke, 143—H. M. Cockburn, 143—" Tinker " Campbell, 147—The "Conrad," 148—The " Chaseley," 148—Donald Cameron, of Tarampa, 154— Charles Coxen, 155—Coutts, of Toolburra, 160—Cleburne, of Hobart, 170--- The Carandinis, 172—Schoolmaster Cape, 172--The Crocodile (Queensland), 190—Cassiterite, 208—A. W. Compigne, 234—" Tertius " Campbell, 234— Prince de Conde, 233—Christmas Eve in Sydney, 238—Chirnside and Manifold, 263—Cockney Melbourne, 264—Christie, of Paika, 266—N. Chad- wick, of the Lachlan, 266—Captain Cadell, 266, 277, 278—Clinch, of the Swordfish," 301—The World's Climates, 311. Delpard Family, page 3-1)egraves's Brewery, 8—Colonel Delpard, 45 -- Robert Douglas, 95, 228—John Douglas, 105—Sylvester Diggles, 107—W. A. Duncan, 107—W. P. Douyere, 111—R. E. Dix, 118—Deuchar, of Glengallan, 118, 151, 229—Dr. Dorsey, 119, 146, 150 —Adele Dumilatre and Pauline Duvernay, 124—Stuart A. Donaldson, 123—Fred. Daveney, 1'29—James Sheen Dowling, 147, 164—Judge Dickenson, 157—Dr. Dobie, 164—Ernest Elphinstone Dalrymple, 165—Earl of Derby, 170 —Sir Wm. Denison, 170 —Tilmouth F. Dye, 172—Dalgety, Gore, and Co., 172—A Darling Point Ball, 177—The Game of Dambrod. 182—Maria Van Diemen, 210—Beevor Daveney, 229—The " Dunbar " Wreck, 247—The " Dandenong " Gale, 248—The Dust of Ages, 273—Double-banking with 30 Bullocks, 273. E Earl of Shaftesbury, page 7 -Einieo, 18— Ecuador and Bolivia, 34 —Esquimaux Dog, 41—Charles Hotson Ebden, 49, 69, 125, 266—Emu's Nest, 60—Hon. Emily Eden, 70—An Essex Village, 86—Ambrose Eldridge, 92, 106--George Edmonstone, 92—Geoffrey Eagar, 129 —Eton Vale, 153—John Eales, 164- E. S. Ebsworth, 228—Duke of Edinburgh, 235 —" Eerie " and Haunted, 278 — Education, 297—Early River Steamers, 305. " Peter Finn," page 43 —Thos. Howard Fellowes, 69—A Fishing Inn, 72— John Pascoe Fawkner, 91, 126—John Stephen Ferriter, 98, 146—Rudolph von Freudenthal, 100 —Albrecht Feez, 107, 131, 235—Sir Charles Fitzroy, 109— John Ferrett, 128, 229—Flat Top Island, 130—E. B. Forrest, 133—Peter Faucet, 139—Dr. George Fullerton, 141—F. A. Forbes, 144, 148—The "Fortitude," 118—George Faireloth, 153, 233—Folk Lore of Australia, 205— Charley Fattorini, 209—Floods and Droughts of a Century, 259—Feminine Prose, 301. Giant Clam Fish, page 25—Grizzly Bear, 38—Giant Trees at Tolosa, Tasmania, 47 —Glyn, Halifax and Co., 84—Grenier's Hotel, 91, 128, 129-- Goode's Inn, Nanango, 101—Walter Gray, 103, 229—Colonel Gray, 103— Matthew Goggs, 103, 160—A. C. Gregory, 108—H. C. Gregory, 108—Gillespie, of Canal Creek, 113—Gammie Brothers, 114—Robert J.