"Winter, why, Mother!" cried Fergus. "This is June!" "Yes, I know that," said his mother. "But don't you know that in the Southern Hemisphere, winter and summer change places? In Victoria, midwinter comes in July." "Will it be cold?" asked Jean. "No, dear, winter here is not like our nipping Scotch frost. It is not very cold here, and it rains in winter instead of snowing." "I don't think that is nice at all," said Fergus. "We'll have no sleighing." "There are many things we will miss here," said his mother sadly, but his father said cheerfully, "There are many things here we can't have at home, also. When I get to the Gold Fields you shall have all the gold you want, and that is something you never had in Scotland. Now, our fine drive is over and here we are at the hotel, where we shall have some luncheon. How have you enjoyed your first drive in an Australian city?" "Very much," cried both of the children. "It will be some time before you take another one, for I believe after all that we shall go by boat to Sydney. I understand that the sea trip is very pleasant and it is less expensive." "I am glad," said Fergus. "A boat sails this afternoon and there is nothing for us to do but have our luggage transferred from one boat to the other," said Mr. Hume, as they all went in to luncheon. CHAPTER II SAILING TO SYDNEY THE travellers set sail for Sydney in a calm and beautiful afternoon when earth and sea seemed at peace. The sea sparkled in the sunlight as if set in diamonds and the vessel fairly danced over the waters as it sailed out of Bass Strait into the dark waters of the blue Pacific. The afternoon passed quietly and toward evening all gathered on deck to see the sunset, for Australia is noted as the land of wonderful sunsets, and from the sea these can be viewed in all their splendour. Gold, crimson, yellow, pink, from brilliant to soft, from light to dark, the clouds changed in countless colour schemes, bewilderingly beautiful. The whole sky was a dome of softest rose, then a flaming crimson, then pearly-tinted heliotrope; the sea, too, shone in varying shades of beauty, until all melted and blended into one exquisitely soft shade of deep-toned purple, and into this the smiling stars stole one by one, the countless stars of the southern night, and above all shone the glory of the Southern Cross. "Oh, Father," whispered Jean, "I have never seen anything so beautiful! Is the sunset always like this in Australia?" "This was a particularly fine one, daughter, but whenever the sun sets it is a thing worth looking at." "How quickly it has grown dark after all that splendour," said Mrs. Hume, looking at the sky over which the clouds were passing. "I don't like the look of the sky," said Mr. Hume. "I'm afraid there is a squall coming." "Worse than a squall, sir," said a sailor, hurrying by. "It looks to me like a hurricane."