Those whose convictions are different, are none the less bound in honour to cling to them, because they involve (as far as can be foreseen) inevitable and perpetual political ostracism. It is indeed said, that whether an unmixed democracy be a blessing or not matters little; for it is ordained for us—as is plain enough—sooner or later, and all efforts can but stave it off for a time. It may be so. And it _may_ be, at the same time, that it is coming because we have brought it down upon ourselves, invoked our own wholesome punishment, as the Jews did when they asked for a king to reign over them. It may be thus, and thus only, that the _vox populi_ which demands democracy, and the _vox Dei_ which grants and ordains it, are in harmony.[3] If Samuel was not ashamed to be so far ‘behind the age’ as to tremble at the decree, and to shudder at the thought of the sons and daughters of Israel becoming slaves to an oriental despot, may not some of us be justified in seeking at least to stave off some of the changes that seem to be in store for us, and in shrinking with abhorrence from the Nessus-robe of corruption which seems to be a prominent characteristic of ultra-democracy? CONTENTS. PAGE I. A VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA 1 II. MELBOURNE 13 III. BALLARAT 26 IV. SQUATTING IN VICTORIA 35 V. POLITICS IN VICTORIA 50 VI. TASMANIA 59 VII. TASMANIA (_continued_) 71 VIII. TASMANIA (_continued_) 85 IX. SYDNEY AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD 101 X. AN INSTITUTION OF NEW SOUTH WALES 115 XI. POLITICAL DIFFICULTIES OF NEW SOUTH WALES 121 XII. ARISTOCRACY AND KAKISTOCRACY 132 XIII. MOTHER AND DAUGHTER 149 XIV. HOME AGAIN 162 XV. CHANGE OF AIR 180 XVI. A PLEA FOR AUSTRALIAN LOYALTY 192 XVII. LOYALTY AND CYNICISM 200 I. A VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA.