Victoria:

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 611, 18 June 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

Victoria:

A LECTURE BY MR. W. H. ASH, delivered in several of theOtagoGoldflelds Towns in (lie mbntfi ofMarcli, 1881. INTRODUCTORY. The Lecture I propose to deliver this evening consists' of an account of a visit I recently made to Victoria, and it embodies not only an expression of my opinions as to what I saw, but a quantity of facts and comparative figures. I thought, as I was travelling through the country on business, the residents of the towns through' which I.passed might be glad to hear such a Lecture, and the gatherings that would be caused would give an opportunity for the ejection of a few shillings to be devoted to a charitable object Many of you have been in Victoria, and are well acquainted with it., In going there now, you would look forward to find the old place in all its native excellencies, but artificially improved to a surprising degree Half of the wonders of the country are known to you ;'• but I knew nothing but what I had read or heard,,and everj'thing was fresh and interesting/ I think the first glimpse of a country entirely strange causes' one of the most pleasant feelings one over experiences; Victoria was; as I have said, perfectly unknovnrto nie, and as everyone spoke of it as one of tho mo3t favored spots on" earth; and Melbourne as'one of the most wonderful cities, considering all things, it is scarcelyto be wandered at that I looked' forward to my journey with 1 expecta-' tions and hopes such as one lean' but sbldbnr allow' himself to entertain:

.... , THE START. . , I was unfortunate to leave Naseby' in' very' cold' weather, and my thin apparel, which I took to suit, as I thought, the Victonan : cliniate,was' : anythingbut agreeable. I travelled by rail to Invercargill, and on' the way I saw some magnificent stretches of the best agricultural land in New Zealand. "With the recbllec-' tion of this fresh in my memory I was able to compare witlr confidence New Zealand's land with that of Victoria.; I sailed fronr the Blufi in the Itotomahana —a capital boat and well-fitted up. The particulars of the Journey across the water would not interest yon. I.donbfc know that there was anything unusual in it. il waSjhbrribly sea-sick, of course, and only began to recover Just as our journey was drawing to aclose. THE APPROACH TO MELBOURNE.:

It was about 8 aim. on a Monday morning, that we entered Port Philip Heads—the gate of the Laud of Promise, as it were. Queenscliffe is situated on the bank on the left hand—the west. It is perched up in a very pretty position. The entrance to the harbour is guarded by a strong masked battery. Whether it would'prevent an enemy from coming in or" not, nobody seems to know. The captain of the Cerberus, the Victorian turret war-ship, asked' to be allowed to run his vessel in, and let the battery do its worst, to see—lst,' whether the battery was of any use; and 2nd ,'Whether'the Cerberus 1 could withstand the effect of a cannonade,' as she was supposed to be able to do. Tho authorities;' however, whold not consent, and the question'willprobably never be settled. If there is a doubt of the' efficiency of a complete battery, in such a position'as that at Port Philip Heads, of what use will our solitary big guns be, one of which we have at each of our principal ports ? There is a marked' difference .betweeh the water inside the Heads and outside. It maybe rough outside,but it is always' comparatively smooth in, at least so I was told, audi certainly never saw it rough. The bay is of great extent.;. It takes a considerable time to steam'up to Sandridge, and occasionally on each side the shore is Very indistinct. At Sandrige you get your'first idea of the importance of the Colony. Forests of masts are to be seen on either hand—tiny'sailing-boats, smart excursion steamers, merchant vessels, war-ships of several countries, and. the great mail steamers, all middled together. The Orient steamer, the largest vessel that has ever enfcereil Melbourne Port, was lymg close to where we passed at Sandridge. You get view of Melbourne from here. The city lies stretched out before you—houses' and spires, and trees, mingled together, of vast extent: a beautiful panorama, indeed. The passengers who are acquainted with the city point out to you and explain rts distinctive features. The dome of the Exhibition Buildings, and the' Governor's House, are the most prominent. To reach Melbourne by water yon have to ascend the Tarra "River. As nurs was ah unusually large steamer, and as the river is very sinuous; a little steamer, which could have rested comfortably on our deck, came to our assistance. "While the river was. t straight we steamed ahead, but as soon as we came to a turn we "slowed down," and our'diminutive consort attached herself to our bows, and steamed towards the bank with all her might, puffing and' grunting laboriously the while, and thus got us' round the corners. The river is very deep,' but it has not much current. Dredging operations are still going on. Sometimes we were so close to the bank tnat we could have jumped ashore. The water is fouled byallthe refuse of Melbourne, and byfilth from tneiiide-dressing manufactories which" are situated on its banks. Mark Twain, in travelling in Germanv, says that he met with stenches 1000 years old. Were it not for. che fact .that history reveals that there was ; no such place as Melbourne even a thousand years ago should have imagined that the stenches that greet the olfactory senses when travelling up the Tarra had been growing since the time of tin flood, and that tney had now about reached their maturity. AURIVED.

. At 3 o clock we were lying at Queen's Wharf, and our Journey was at an end. Then ensued a regular stampede, of passengers, and a hunting for friends. As soon as one put his foot on the wharf he was com-' pelled to, defend himself,from the cabbies. They ourrounded one, and made it almost' impossible for one to move either backwardor forward. Ona would seize your trunk, andther your hat-case, another youivstick, and another) wiser than his brethren, would almost drag you; nolenswlens, into his cab, knowing that where a man's body is, there will his luggage ultimately be also. My first exploit was to Kive a ragged boy two coppers that bothered me. ihrough living mostly on goldflelds, I am: unaccustomed to coppers. The "little urchin had probably left his boots* and hat around the corner, making .mmself wretched and forlorn. for the occasion, steamer. I got into the wrong 'bus, and travelled "for some time in exactly. Hie opposite direction to. that which I intended. One can travel' ior nearly five miles in a '"bus-" for'3d. This mistake was remedied in time, and I engaged a cab.attherateof 3s per hour to bring my luggage from the steamer. This occupied about three-quarters Oi. an hour; but, true to the traditions of his craft, cabby, wanted to extort. This,' of cburse, I could not s.and.; I was a.stranger'in- a foreign land, and I had iii.ade_up.-my. mind that I was to be " had," but not by a cabby. From my experience'of the class in Meloourne and elsewhere I have n6t formed a vsry good ■opinion of them.' . I have ofton' wondered if there ever/was a Christian cabman,' and! if so, whether he was honest. I shall make mention'in my will of the first honest cabman I meet. One of the first things fcuat strikes the traveller about Melbourne is the magnificent width'and keeping of the streets, and the great number of vehicles'that crowd them Pourwueeled cabs, hansoms; •'■ 'busses," private carriages ao iches, and carts so closely follow one another in the main streets, that, as'is the case in large towns in Europe, one has a difficulty in:passing over them. ±ne want of tramwuys immediately suggests itsalf and one is surprised that MeldourhS, which is so so-afc_-ad.ni .most things, sh6uld ba so behind hand in' tiiia,- for tramways would n6t only ba a convenience ro the citizens, but would materially help to clear the streets. For several days I was quite giddy, and was m the habit of walking about with one foot ready poised, to meet theroll of tho vessel, and I was a little iiiraia that going around,as it were, on one les.l should pitch into, someplate-glass window, but I fortunately avoided the danger. The first night I spent doing the block, as itis called. The city presanted an exciting, lively, and bustling appearance. The double ateractions of the Exhibition and the Races had drawn an enormous nmnbar of people together. Tho sidewalks were so crowded that one could not make much progress. Oiitside Jem Mace's Hotel, in Bourke street, the batting-men were congregated, and I thought them anything but ornamental or desirable .MtjanotS'-to thecity. Late at night I retired, com-

pletely exhausted with my first instalment of aightseeing. I may say here that sight-seeing is very wearying, though one may be interested and delighted with what he sees. After a day's goodfoiuy when things of interest have claimed one's minute' attention in quick succession, one goes home with' aching limbs, a parched throat, and bewildered senses—in a high state of fever, in fact. I have inva-' riably found that pleasure needs to be taken with moderation, like everything else. Many of those with', whom I have travelled have seemed to think that if. they retired to rest on any occasion before 12, or did not drink at least every half-hour while they were awake, they were not enjoying themselves. This is, I consider, a great mistake. . THE MELBOURNE CUP. . The day after my arrival I went to see the great Racing the Australasian year—viz., the contest for the Melbourne Cap. I am not very enthusiastic in the way of races, but there is quite enough to interestoneonthe Melbourne Course on the Cup Day without even looking at the horses. The weather was fortunately pleasant—that is, it was a little too hot for an Otagan, but not uncomfortably so—and consequently everybody came out," got up'to kill," as per'-, sons who use slang might say. It is said that people were on the course—such' a number as was never known before. I may mention, to give an idea of the population of the city, that there were also more people on that day at' every other place of public resort than was ever known. The.Flemington Course extends to the north of a hillock, at the foot of which is the grand-stand, and the lawn or promenade, to which ihe.elite resprt, the charge of admission being 10s. Here you may Join in. £l, £5. or £2O sweeps—perhaps,some.,of greater sums. On the hillock, which overlooks the stand, and which affords' view of the courseware stationed the mechanics'and small tradespeople. Tho right of entrance to this part of the.groundis ss. Here one shilling, and even sixpenny sweeps are common. The people that congregate are respectable and orderly. Adjoin-' ing the lawn, on the left, is the place where the Aunt Sally and under-and-over men, arid such like, ■ble. Nurubsrs of the vilest characters this- side of the line are to be found there. I walked through this place, as a matter of duty, for I felt that I ought not to confine my attention to the pleasant side, and I "Was greatly shocked with what I saw. Fights bey tween men were occurring here' and there, and the crowd was rushing to and fro, from point to point, according to the magnitude of the different squabbles; There was a strong force of mounted police at hand, and while I was looking around one abject-looking creature was dragged off, who had been detected in an act of theft. On every side pictures of vice and depravity were to be seen. There were, of course, msn in all stages of intoxication, and women also, who mi.fi vuse of'horrible language. Numbers of children we ■■'■ snioking pipes, and one boy I saw sitting against a f -iice, holding in his lap the head of another, apparently his brother, about ton years of age, who was dead drank. Other children—some of them girls, scarcely in their teens—were reeling, about the place, apparently inured to all its vices. I was glad to turn away and go back to the lawn, though there the spectacle, grand and dazzling as it was, was not entirely satisfactory. The people of Victoria are essentially pleasure-loving—mnch more so than' New Zea-' latfders'are, and the Cup D.iy'is their day of d>ys. Oh this day om sees the extreme'of pleasure's externals. It has been said that nowhere'out of Paris is such a gorgeous display of dress to'be seen. And I must j frankly saySfliat the sight on thelawn : was one of the most interesting thiat I saw during my'travels. The gentlemen, as a rule, were attired very simply—many of them appearing in tweeds. The ladies appear to lack the healthy robustness'.and fine complexions'of our sisters, cousins, and' aHnts. They know how to dressi however;' Once seen on a Cup Day; their appearance, will never he forgotten. lam told tljat', if we could' look below the suaface, things' would not wear in every such'a coleur deroae. It is said that if one were to follow some of the most handsomely-dressed woinpn on the course to their homes; many of them would he found to reside in back alleys, and .miserable, unhealthy tenements. Some of thenvpinclfand starve themselves, and keep perhaps a family in'want, so as tb'be able to shine at the races. „ "When' the races have passed, they consign themselves to penury and semi-starvation for another year, living the while probably on the com-' mbnest.and most insufficient food. It has been truly said, that there is no.povertv like the poverty that apes gentility. I looked at ,; the hill,' - as it is called, and at the stand, while the Cup was being run.,. There was nothing to be seen but a compact mass of' heads, several acres in extent. The sight was grand; No doubt many of the things I have referred to are. common to all large race-courses, bus I believe that in Melbourne, some of the features are of an exagge-' rated type. Like many other New Zealanders, I was of course disgusted that New Zealand's representative did not win the Cup, and our disgust was not lessened by the strong doubt we entertained as to whether he was allowed to do his be3t.

THE BAH/WAYS. I was struck with the admirable arrangements made by the railway authorities for deporting the visitors to the com-se back to Melbourne. There is a double lino of rails to the,course, and trains followed one another at intervals of only a few minutes. The, platform was fencad off, and just sufficient people were admitted to fill one train, when a bell was rung, and the gate closed. As soon as they were safely away another batch was admitted. There was a gate on the opposite side, of the line, marked " casualty gate," which % considered vory suggestive. If you were unfortunate' enough to have your leg taken off, or your head broken, in the bustle, you wore " shunted out" here, so to speak. It was greatly to'the credit of the authorities that there was no occasion to nsa the gate. Not.a single accident occurred. The Victorians are ahead of ns in this ■ particular. Not that Victoria has more miles of line than wo have, for we have a greater length of line ■than any, other colony—having 1070 miles, in 1878, as against Victoria's 1052—but the general workmg in Victoria is' superior. Victoria has 174 miles of. double lines, and if this is counted, as it should be, Victoria occupies the premier position. Her carriages are not snpnrior to ours, Gxcopt the second-class ones. There are no carriages there to equal the Pullman cars in use oh the Southland and Christchurch lines,nor arc their carriages so convenient in shape, as the seats are arranged.across.them, instead of lengthwise, as in New Zealand. The lines are better laid, however, and their rate of travelling is much higher than ours. They have night trains, and Sunday trains also, and the sleeping cars on the Intercolonial line, which is now complote, are excellent contrivances for comfort. They run the trains abont 25 milus an hour, including stoppages. On the Ballarat line I suppose we were travelling for a. short time at the rate of 60 miles. This is said to be one of the best laid lines in the world. The Viciorians had spent, to the end of 1879, £17,73'.>,016 on their railways, considerably more than their public debt. The total cost of the construction of 951 miles was £15,426,374, or an avearge of £13,709 per mile. The Williamstown Hue, six miles long, cost £68,814 pei-raile. and the Ballarat line, 53 J miles from Geelong, £32,179 per mile. I was told one viaduct over a small gully, cost £150.000. In New Zealand the total cost of the construction of 1089 miles was £7,466,121, or £6.855 per mile, about half of the cost in Victoria. In Victoria the roceipts'from tho railways in 1879. were £1,383,050, and the working ex- r ponses £742,617. In New Zealand, for the sam 9 period, the receipts were £656,132, or one-half, arid expanses," £503,760, or a saving of about one-third. The net profit per mile in Victoria, in 1879, was £533, and in New Zealand £129.' The New Zealand railways pay 2i per cent, on the cost of their construction—l speak of 1879—while we have to pay 5 per corit. for'tha money that built them, being an ostensible loss of 2} percent. Victoria's 'rail ways return 4J iper cent.; and supposing they pay tho same rate of interest as we do, they 1033. f per cent, or 2 percent, less than we lose. In Victori'i the gauge is broad—sft. 3in.—while in. most of the colonies it is only 3ft. 6in. .The faro in Victoria is.on country lines—lst-class,2d par mile; 2nd-class, 1 Jd par mile. On tho suburban lines—lstclass, ijd per mile; 2nd class, l£d par'mile. la New Zealand the rates on all the lines aire—lst-class, 3d per mile; 2nd T class, 2d par mile, and the officials won't take less than 6d, or a two-mile fare. In Vijto-* ria I don't know what is the smallest amount they will tak?, but I know that I have tendered Od at the

window for a first-class ticket, and have received 4d change. Notwithstanding the high fares in New Zealand our lines do not pay so well as the Victorian, as the figures just given you will show. Perhaps bad management has something to do with this, but no doubt the circumstances of the two countries have something to do with it also. Victoria has a large city population, and the trains connect these cities. In New Zealand the railways do not benefit so much from large towns—for we have no really large towns —although' they are mainly constructed for their benefit. The interior gets but little assistance from them, though' everyone is taxed to pay for them. Every man'in New Zealand is liable for about £2 for their construction.. As there is a much larger proportion of the population in New Zealand resident in the country than in Victoria, the system of connecting the centres at any cost works even worse here than in Victoria.' Many of you have seen railway maps of New Zealand, and you will have noticed how all the lines hug the coast, notwithstanding that we have every facility for water carriage, having, a comparatively enormous seaboard, with ports every few miles. I liava a railway map of Victoria, and by looking at it you will see that the lines start froma port, and are then extended in different directions right into the heart of the country, which is the policy that should, I think; in common with most of you, have bean pursued in New Zealand. The coastal vessel trade, which is always profitable for both individuals' and the interior would not then have been interfered with, and the country would have been opened upi. It may interest you to know that the Victorians find it nesessary to come all the way to Grevmouth, on the West Coast of New Zealand, for coal to burn in their engine furnaces. They think that there is none so easily available that is suitable. As I have given you some information, for purposes of comparison, about New Zealand and Victoria, I will add a few more facts about other countries. The working expenses in Great Britain — 55 per cent.—are slightly more than inVictoria; In New Zealand, in 1878 they were 90 per cent.; and in 1879, about 80 per cent. The length of lines in Great Britain—l7,33s miles—is over four times that of those in the whole of Australasia. The only two countries in the world that have a greater length of line than Great Britain are the German Empire—lß,9lß miles—and the United States. The latter has 79,208 miles, which are worked at a cost of between 60 and 65 per cent. , .

BELLICOSE. In going about Melbourne I was fortunate in having excellent chaperoning. I was staying with friends—residents of Melbourne—and I used frequently to occupy a seat in their buggy. By this means I soon learnt to distinguish and remember the names of the principal thoroughfares, and to know the localities of the remarkable public buildings, and there are a good number of them. I was sooh able to distinguish when I was in Melbourne and when in the suburbs. One needs a lot of teaching to enable him' to do that. Hotham, Carlton, Fitzrov, Collingwood, South Melbourne, Eichruond, South Yarra, Prahrau, Windsor, St. Kilda, and even Emerald Hill and Sandridge are so connected with Melbourne that a stranger would never know he was out of the city. In-moving round in Melbourne and oirthe shdreß of the bay, one thing particularly struck'me. Going out on the St. Kilda road' one passes the Military Barracks, where there is a force of regulars. A sentry is continually pacing up and down in f rdht of the barracks. On one occasion I was talking to' a gentle-" man about some improvements he was making inhis' property—to obtain a view of the bay from-the windows of his countryhouse a portion'df the bush had to be cut, and I remarked that I supposed he had to obtain permission from the' authorities, as'they would preserve-the bush for ornamental and climatic purposes. He said he had to obtain permission, but not for the reason I supposed—the fringe of bush on the shore was kept for strategetic ends/ He added—'YoU ; see, if an enemy were approaching, our'men could remain in this bush, and they would have a great advantage." I was amazed, and remarked that we never thought of such things in' New Zealand. Hb then pointed out to me a roa'd that was' being made "for military, purposes." As a matter of fact, on' looking round,-it was sufficiently apparent that Victoria had been making great preparations for war. It does not appear what country it is goinfe- to' fight. My friend was quite surprised whenl told him that wo seldom troubled our heads'in New Zealand about such matters as the invasion'of the country by an' enemy. On looking up statistics' I- find that there is ; in Victoria a paid force of 174-Artillerymen-(but it was said the other day that' they were to be disbanded) ; 214 of a Naval force; and a Naval reserve of 225 men, who receiveda small yearly fee as' a retainer. There are three ships of war—the Cerberus (turret ship), carrying six guns, or .1602 pohnds in all; the Nelson ( frigate); 31 gun«, 1768 pounds; Victoria (sloop of war), 5' guns, 112 pounds, and a Naval reserve of 16 guns, 512 pounds, making a total of 3406 pounds, or about a ton and a half. There is a large force of Volunteers, and they have a lot of big guns in their possession—l4l in' all—With a total poundage of 6916 pounds, or about two - and' a half tons. Thus, if all the artillery in Victoria' were fired at once, something over four and a half tons of metal would be shot away. The total outlay on the " army and navy," exclusive of Volunteers', for the year ending 1879 was £98,785, or about 2s/2dper,head of the population. With the cost of the Volunteers it amounts to £118,121, or 2s 7d per head. The salaries dione of the officers of the three war-ships amount to £30,750, and contingencies to'£io;o6s more. Since 1854, Victoria has spent on defences, including Volunteers, £2,445,516, or about one-eighth'of herptiblic debt. It seems to me that Victoria's hyper-sensitive-ness about invasion might be well' ridiculed.' But Victorians, I can tell you, don't like to be laughed at. On consideration, though; -I- don't know that they are peculiar in that respect. ■ PUBLIC 'iNStITdTIONS:'

One of the most remarkable features about Melbourne is the number of large reserves that havo been made for gardeni.'parks, and plantations. There are hundreds of acres*devoted to this purpose, beautifully laid off, and really delightful to walk in, being cool, green, and shady 1 , and 'they are situated in such positions that the laud mu.st be enormously valuable. The gardens in'which'the Exhibition Building is situated are sixty acres in'extent. In many other ways the Melbourne, peoplo provide for pleasure for mind and body, and : fqr comfort and convenience. Most of the public buildings are good, and the same may bo said of the houses of business. The theatres are good, and were well supplied while 1 was there. The waxworks, ■ about which many people talk so, I did not like. I think such perpetuation—imaior utilisation, as It were—of the names and fame of the greatest criminals;' and ; criminal scenes is likely to have anything but a good effect. I was very much disgusted,-1 may say, to Bee several females leanin? over, and'examining with apparent interest and gratification,' some of the most horrible representation's there—one,' a cast of a missionary who had his skull. cut open'by a savage ; and another, a recently added cast of the body of one of the Kelly gang, as it was found after the burning-of the hotel at Glonrowan. The Royal Park contains a good collection'of animals, in meadows and cages—lions, tigers, leopards," bears, dingoes, snakes, many different kinds of kangaroos, m6nkeys, and opossums, and hundreds of various species of birds; The Museum'is also a grand place. I'couldhave speut weeks there with pleasure and profit. Its contents are nicely arranged and well preserved; • In addition to the collection of stuSecl animals, it contains some good models. One,' in particular attracted my attention a cleverlyexecuted model of the Clunes mine. The machinery, shafts, stopes; barrows, tools, horses, and drays, and oven men, were there in miniature. The Public Library is a magnificent place, and I cannot too highly praise the wisdom' of its conception, and the liberality of the people who consonted to its being made what it now is. I think the suggestion made by Mr Macandrew the other day, inxounection with New Zealand, was w rthy of more consideration than it received: The building includes a hall, in which there is a lot of statuary; a large room containing :i splendid collection of metallurgical specimens; a grand library ; and a capital art gallery. The statuary is fairly good,' and the metallurgical collection is worthy the attention of a lifetime. The Library had the greatest attraction for me, however. It is a large room; having recesses on each side, in which books of

only one class are kept. In each recess is a table and several comfortablo chairs. To reach the top-shelf, one has to avail himself of the aid of a ladder, one of which is to be found in every recess. There are over 108,000 books in the library, and one can remain in it from 10 a.m.to 10 p.m. without any charge whatever. The whole of the buildings are open and free to the public. The Art Gallery is well worth visiting. There are some beautiful paintings in it. "EBther" is the one that attracts most attention. The subject is taken from the Book of Esther. Esther is queen, and she wishes to petition the king in person in a good cause, but she knows that unless the king holds out tho sceptre to her on her entrance, being unbidden to his presence, she must die.' Tho attitude is conceived at tho time when she is. giving expression to her thoughts in the following words (chapter 4, verse 16) —'• And so I will go in unto the king; which is not according to law, and if I perish, I perish." There' are many other paintings of .merit—one or two of about equal worth to' Esther:' one especially, called "Anguish"—a representation of a sheep guarding tho body of her dead'lamb from'rooks. Victoria has spent a great deal in'cultivating the arts, and jt is highly creditable to her that so much effort and treasure' have been expended' in endeavouring to encourage the acquirement .of knowledge,' and to engender its' natural concomitant—"the.,love of the beautiful.' Melbourne is. well . supplied with Hospitals and Asylums of every kind. One of the finest is tho Lunatic Asylum'at Kew." It cost about £200,000, and was intended to supply the wants of the Colony for many years, but it is now" full.. One of the oddest business speculapiohs I mat with is the Doncastor Tower, erected,a.short;distance from'Melbburne. It was put up for the benefit of sight-seers. The entrance fee is Is; It is 200 feet high, has been blown down several times, and is made entirely of wood. It simply consists of stairs.landings, and railings. From'tne top' I believe there is a grand view. X never was at 4he' top myself. I went about two-thirds of the way up. It was blowing hard at the time, and I was afraid I' should loso my hat. Therefore I came down—not for any other reason—oh; dear no I When Mark Twain' was travelling by rail over a horrible apology for a bridgein'tho Alps, he said—"One has no difficulty m remembering his sins while tho train is crebping <lowu this bridge. He ropbnts of thorn, too, though ho sees whgn he gets to the bottom' that honeod not have done it—tho bridge was perfectly safe." I dbii't think that remark is inappropriate for reproduction in connection with thcDoncaster Tower.

s66ial: Tile people of Melbourne and of Victoria 1 are plea-' sant and sociable. I can quite endorse the opinion of the unthor.Mr Anthony Trollope, that anyone going to Victoria ou a visit, in ordinarily favorable circumstances—and. I may say I did—will liavo a very plea-' sant time. l\ have already oxprsssed a favorable opinion of the Victorian ladies, But I do not know' that the majority of them; amiable and intelligent us' they are, would quite fall in withthe sentiment ox-' presssed by Longfellow in one of his poems. In ex-' tolling the virtues of Evangoline, the heroine of the' piece, the poet says, first speaking of her chamber :—' "Simple tlidf chamber Was; with' its curtains of •white, and its clothes press Ample and high, on' whoso spacious Bholves' were' carefully folded Linen and woollen stuffs, by the hand'of Evangeline' woven. Thiswas the precious dower she would bring to her' husband in marriage; . Better than facte and herds; being proofs of Iter sleiU as apausewife." Speaking in this connection lam reminded of a sub-' ject which agitates the Victorian moralists very much, I refer to the lowness of the marriage rate.' If we look to figures We see that the, marriage rate has not increased at all in proportion' to the rate of increase of the population, in fact it has declined, In the year of, the rush the number of marriages was' 1023; the next year it increased to 1968; in 1857 if was 4524; and from that, time to the present, it has raneed from 4500 to 5000. Now, the population was just about double in 1879 to what it was in 1837, and yet the marriage rate did not increase to any apparent extent. For the purpose of comparison I may Btate that the number of marriages in New Zealand in 1870 was 1856, out of a population of 218,400 ; in' 1879. 3352,0ut of 463,729.- In 1879, in NowZaaland,' one person out of every 138 was married; in Victoria, one person out of ev'jry 180. Victoria sta uds at the bottom of the list of all the.Colonies. The marriage rate in the Colonies, as a whole, is only slightly below that of Europe. Th 6 aborigines of Victoria arc now married according t ) spine rite. Prom 1866 to 1879,' 241 Chinese were married to European women, 217 of whom were of British'extraction. The proportion of marriages by registrars is increasing year by year. I spent a veay pleasant week—one of the pleasa'ntost of my life—down on' -the east coast of Port Philip' Bay. In this locality, Brighton, St. Kilda, and the most pleasant, watering places are situated. Bush abounds—principally consisting of the tee-tee scrub, with here and there, a large tree, A delightful quiet reigns. Wandering about on the shore, and in the woods, with my friends, inhaling the invigorating sea breezes, the following lines, in the poem from which I just quoted, descriptive of a forest in America near the ocean, wero frequently recurring to me:— " This is the forest primeval: the murmuring pines and the hemlocks Bearded with.moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight; Stand like Druids of old, with voices sad and prophetic. Stand, like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms, Loud, from its rocky caverns the deep-voiced neighbouring ocean ; Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail , .. of. the forest." The merchant princes arid capitalists of Melbourne send their families down in this direction to obtain' health, but you must not suppose from this that the country is naturaliy unhealthy. (To be concluded, in next issue.)