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ranter, w h o held forth, mounted on a barrel, in the old Market Square. His stock-in-trade was " Anti-Christ and the Papists," and one Sunday, in the beginning of 1844, a number of R o m a n Catholics determined upon testing h o w far immersion might operate in softening his abusive tongue towards the creed in which they were believers. Sunday afternoon arrived, and so did the preacher, with a barrel for a pulpit. H e was soon, in full lung, dilating upon the abominations of Anti-Christ, Popery, and the Scarlet Lady, when the rostrum was rushed, and the evangelist knocked off his perch. Half-a-dozen strong arms rolled him over, packed him into his o w n barrel, like a shelled snail, and were about to revolve him off to the Yarra, therein to sink or swim, when, luckily for his earthly salvation, some police came up and rescued him. His narrow escape had as cooling an effect upon him as an actual sousing in the river. T h e first elopement occurred in March, 1844. M r . and Mrs. Hemingsley carried on business in Collins Street, and as an attraction his wife added a cigar divan, over which the lady presided in person, dispensing smiles with cheroots. She was a paragon of politeness to customers, and a very attractive w o m a n , with rosy cheeks and ebony locks. She accordingly m a d e an impression upon a black-haired, close-shaved, tallow-faced young settler named Quinan, who, beginning with the purchase of a bundle of cigars, ended by bargaining for the lady herself, w h o decamped with him on a Wednesday evening. They stayed for two or three days at the house of a friend in Lonsdale Street, and thence found their way to a place appropriately known as " Sugarloaf Creek," on the overland route to Sydney, where they found comfortable quarters at Young's Hotel, and were never after seen in Melbourne. T h e gentleman cleverly contrived to procure " free passes," for throughout the journey he paid his way liberally by cheques drawn on the Union Bank, all of which turned out valueless. Hemingsley and the police professed to m a k e a mighty fuss after the lady's exit, but to no purpose. T h e deserted Hemingsley grew inconsolable, and the Melbourne Magistrates sympathized with him so far as to appoint him poundkeeper at Deep Creek; but he so " pounded " away at the public-houses that he very soon became poundless as well as wifeless. In May, 1844, Messrs. Riddell and Stephens consigned 1100 sheep to the establishment of Watson and White in Melbourne; and the average yield of tallow was 53 lbs., giving 5s. n d . each sheep, and only ten days elapsed between the delivery of the sheep and the delivery of the cash. A Mr. David Y kept a grocer's shop in Collins Street, and was a thrifty thriving, well-to-do man. Coming from the " land of green heath and shaggy wood," few of his countrymen n e w better h o w to transmute a bawbee into a " canary," and his bank pass-book was a pleasant one to look at—at least for himself. H e owned some land at the Merri Creek, which was sublet to one James M ' M a h o n , and as the latter's farming operations did not pay as expected he fell into arrears with his rent. H e was under a landlord w h o would stand no nonsense, and to stave off the bailiffs he resorted—as was believed at the instance of his creditor—to illicit distillation. Accordingly an excavation was m a d e in the scrub near M'Mahon's hut, the plant was procured—also, as was believed, by the landlord's help—and M ' M a h o n having learned potheen brewing in Ireland was soon making a handsome thing of it. Information of the goings on being communicated to the authorities, on the night of 22nd M a y , 1844, Major St. John, Inspector of Distilleries, with the Chief-Constable and a couple of troopers, surprised M ' M a h o n and an an assistant " worming" away in the hut, and pouncing on the workshop found therein a complete still, two large casks of wash, twelve gallons of strong whisky, and other accompaniments, all of which, and the two men, they transferred to town. A few days after the Collins Street establishment was searched, and a seizure m a d e of two demijohns of 13 o.p. whisky. T h e Derwent wine vaults, a tavern at N e w t o w n (Fitzroy), rented from Y by Joseph Coulstock, was also overhauled, and some un-customed liquors unearthed there. M ' M a h o n was brought before the Police Court, pleaded guilty to the possession of an illicit still, and was fined ,£100 or twelve months' imprisonment. Y was prosecuted for defrauding the revenue, and was also fined £ 1 0 0 or a year in gaol, but he paid the money. A second conviction followed for a second offence with a similar penalty, but Y , sooner than pay a second fine went to prison. W h e n the police found he would not " bleed " freely other informations were withdrawn. Landlord and tenant were n o w " caged birds " together, and though each served his full time gross favouritism was said to