"The fossickers sluiced and cradled with wonderful cradles of their own building."
<hw>Four-o'clock</hw>, <i>n.</i> another name for the <i>Friar-bird</i> (q.v.).
<hw>Free-select</hw>, <i>v</i>. to take up land under the Land Laws. See <i>Free-selector</i>. This composite verb, derived from the noun, is very unusual. The word generally used is <i>to select</i>.
1884. Rolf Boldrewood, `Melbourne Memories,' c. xix. p. 134:
"Everything which he could have needed had he proceeded to free-select an uninhabited island."
<hw>Free-selection</hw>, <i>n.</i> (1) The process of selecting or choosing land under the Land Laws, or the right to choose. Abbreviated often into <i>Selection</i>. See <i>Free-selector</i>.
1865. `Ararat Advertiser' [exact date lost]:
"He was told that the areas open for selection were not on the Geelong side, and one of the obliging officials placed a plan before him, showing the lands on which he was free to choose a future home. The selector looked vacantly at the map, but at length became attracted by a bright green allotment, which at once won his capricious fancy, indicating as it did such luxurious herbage; but, much to his disgust, he found that `the green lot' had already been selected. At length he fixed on a yellow section, and declared his intention of resting satisfied with the choice. The description and area of land chosen were called out, and he was requested t0 move further over and pay his money. `Pay?' queried the fuddled but startled <i>bona fide</i>, `I got no money (hic), old `un, thought it was free selection, you know.'"
1870. T. H. Braim, `New Homes,' ii. 87:
"A man can now go and make his free selection before survey of any quantity of land not less than 40 nor more than 320 acres, at twenty shillings an acre."