and many a very comfortable bush residence is so constructed. They are easily kept water-tight, and young hands take to mud mixing more naturally than to the far more laborious work of splitting slabs. A dozen sheets of bark stripped from the white gum trees at the back of our location, and kept in their places with heavy logs laid on the top, formed an excellent roof.
Our mansion was complete, not that it must be understood to have had four closed sides. It had but three, for we considered it advisable to leave one end entirely open to the weather. I forget now what ostensible reason we had for so doing, but I am inclined to think it was from an ardent desire to lose no more time in setting to work about that important matter of the 100,000l. Such as it was, we had made a home for ourselves, and though it had only three sides, we could boast of having a window, made of wood, in one, and a door, made of basket-work, in another-both of which were capable of being closed and opened, although we had no such thing as a proper hinge within sixty miles of us. To hang the door, we had recourse to two common black bottles, fixing one in the ground with the neck downwards, and the other upright in the beam over the doorway. Into the hollows of the bottoms we inserted the ends of a post, to which was fastened the wickerwork door, and these novel hinges acted admirably. How many times, I wonder, during the progress of the works did we give utterance to the trite saying that "necessity was the mother of invention," but it had a meaning for us!
Of course, so far as our ever turning the window or door to any use was concerned, they might just as well not have existed, for one end of the hut being wall-less, it followed that we neither wanted to open the window for air, nor the door for entrance or exit. But still, as we said, what would society have thought of our house without either door or window?
The legal maxim holds as good in Australia as in the old country, "an Englishman's house is his castle." It may be asked, what on earth there was in our poor but to excite cupidity, and who was there to commit the sin of covetousness, supposing there had been? The value of everything is of course to be measured relatively, and a pair of blankets, a few rusty nails, a double-barrelled gun, or a pound of tea or tobacco, would present as great temptations to the solitary rover in the bush, or to a boat's crew of sealers, as would the contents of a plate-chest in a more settled country. Our hut was visited more than once during our absences; for when it became known we had fresh water, boats used to put in for a supply at long intervals, but we never missed anything more than the good old bush customs warranted. If those who came wanted a pannikin of tea, they made it from our stock, and were as welcome to it as we should have been to theirs under the like circumstances. The hospitality of the Australian bush is a sacred memory to me. How many services have I received and rendered there, thinking little about them at the time, but practically learning the lesson how dependent the good God makes us upon each other, and how much the pleasure of living is enhanced through the practice of small kindnesses, and the thousand gentle amenities which clothe common life with dignity and beauty! In the bush, the first question asked a stranger was not "Who are you?" but "Do you want anything!" or "What can I do for you?" Because I can never hope to experience the like again, I cherish these memories very fondly; and whilst thoroughly appreciating the blessings of English civilisation, I am foolish enough to indulge in the futile wish that we could unite with it more of the heartiness and sincerity which are usually developed by a life in the back-woods.
To proceed with my narrative. When an army of 20,000 men, or two persons only, embark in an adventure—never mind of what description—success is not probable, nay scarcely possible, without a recognised leader, whose plans require to be carried out with heartiness and alacrity. Now, in this case of S and me, whose name should stand first in the firm? Who was to be A 1? I had seen considerably more of bush life generally, and knew more of the island and the bay, than S; but, naturally enough, he was not disposed to fall in with my views invariably. What was to be done? Over our pipes one quiet Sunday morning we talked over the matter, and settled it before it could even assume the form of a difficulty, and this is how we did it. He was to take command for one month, and I the next. But which of us was to have the first spell? We could not toss up for it, neither having a solitary coin, for our fortunes, it will be remembered, were yet to be made-this all occurring shortly after we had finished our building operations. As we wanted fresh meat badly, we decided to shoot for it, and whichever brought home the first black swan was thereupon to assume the sovereignty of the island, whilst the other inhabitant would of course become his loyal and dutiful subject. We drew lots for choice of weapons, and the double-barrel fell to S.
"Before we set out," I said, "let us quite understand each other. Whoever wins there is to he no grumbling, and we'll endeavour in any case to carry out each other's wishes with all our hearts."
So we shook hands upon it, and parted, repeating the words "no grumbling," and moved off in opposite directions. In a short time I heard the report of S's gun followed by a "cooey,"—a call peculiar to the bush of Australia. Presently seven or eight swans flew over my head. I blazed away at them, producing no effect but the wagging of a tail or two. Turning back towards the hut, I saw S advancing with a fine bird over his shoulder.
"Long live the King!" I shouted. S for ever!"
"You forget," he replied, "not for over, only for a month."
He was not long in issuing his first command—which was to return and cook the dinner.
"Well, Rex," I said, on commencing operations, "how does your majesty like your taters done?"
His majesty ordered me to bake them as well as the swan. Cutting off the neck close to the