An Australian Ramble; Or, A Summer in Australia

by J. Ewing Ritchie

Transcribed from the 1890 T. Fisher Unwin edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

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AN
AUSTRALIAN RAMBLE

OR

A SUMMER IN AUSTRALIA

BY
J. EWING RITCHIE
(CHRISTOPHER CRAYON)

LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
1890

TO
THE HONOURABLE EDMUND WEBB,
BATHURST, NEW SOUTH WALES,
THE FOLLOWING PAGES, MANY OF THEM WRITTEN
UNDER HIS HOSPITABLE ROOF, ARE
GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED
BY
THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. OFF TO AUSTRALIA.
	PAGE
The Orizaba—Reasons for Travelling—TheBishop—Soda and Whisky—The Spanish Coast—HeroicMemories—Gibraltar—Wickedness of Naples—PortSaid	[1]–28
CHAPTER II. EGYPT TO COLOMBO.
Coaling in Port Said—The Suez Canal—Englandthe Main Support—Donkey-drivers—The ElectricLight—Ismailia—Suez—Aden—The Red Sea	[29]–49
CHAPTER III. COLOMBO TO ALBANY.
Prosperity of Colombo—NativeExtortioners—Buddhist Temple—Life in theStreets—On the Indian Ocean—Stormy Seas guardAustralia—English Coolness—Western Australia	[50]–65
CHAPTERIV. IN THE COLONY OF VICTORIA.
Melbourne Gleanings—Dr. Bevan—Night at aBungalow—Cole’s Book-shop—A Day atSorrento—White Cruelty to the Aborigines—CoffeePalaces—Dr. Strong—The Presbyterian Church in CollinsStreet—The Late Peter Lalor—Ballarat—Romance ofGold Mining—Sydney and Melbourne compared—AustralianRogues—Suburban Melbourne—VictorianM.P.’s—Victorian Politics	[66]–108
CHAPTER V. A LITTLE ABOUT NEW SOUTH WALES.
Sunny Sydney—Public Buildings—EducationalEstablishments—Sanitary State—ItsClimate—Bathurst—The Blue Mountains—RomishAggression—Botany Bay—Old Days—A WonderfulChange—New South Wales Scenery	[109]–138
CHAPTER VI. AMONGST THE BANANA BOYS.
Collision in SydneyHarbour—Brisbane—Queensland—The BananaBoys—Sir Samuel Griffith	[139]–146
CHAPTER VII. SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
Holy Adelaide—Its Situation—Its PublicBuildings—Its Mining-market—Dr.Arnold—Australian Plagues—Fleas and Mosquitoes andSerpents—Sunday Observance—The MacleayMission—Number of Churches	[147]–165
CHAPTERVIII. LIFE AT A STATION.
Mr. Dooleete’sStation—Sheep-shearing—Patriarchal LifeImproved—Snakes—Drought	[166]–172
CHAPTER IX. THE HEATHEN CHINEE.
His Persecution—His Usefulness—HisIntellectual Ability	[173]–183
CHAPTER X. THE LARRIKIN IN AUSTRALIA.
What the Larrikin is—A Social, Moral, and PoliticalDanger—A Natural Foe of the Chinaman	[184]–191
CHAPTER XI. IN AN AUSTRALIAN VINEYARD.
Fruit Supply—Tintarra Wine—Mr. ThomasHardy—The Temperance Question	[192]–205
CHAPTER XII. AN AUSTRALIAN MILLIONAIRE.
Mr. James Tyson	[206]–211
CHAPTER XIII. AUSTRALIAN FACTS AND FIGURES.
Increase of the Colonies—Further Emigrationrequired—New South Wales and Free Trade—TheAustralian Type	[212]–223
CHAPTER XIV. COMING HOME.
The Sea—Colombo—Arabi—CeylonTea—Stoppage in the Canal—Tilbury Docks—TheFuture of Australia—Australia as a Field for Emigration	[224]–235