CHAPTER XX.

A FEW DEFINITIONS.

THERE are many expressions applied to, and used by the colonists of South Australia, which I may have used in this volume, that I think a short explanation of some, will be satisfactory to those who are interested in colonies in general, and South Australia in particular. On the appearance of a Colonial Dictionary of the English Language, many words will be included which have not yet found a place in our classical lexicons. I have mentioned the Squatters who form an influential body in all parts of Australia, and who in fact have reaped the real benefit of gold seeking, by obtaining a high price for their cattle which before the advent of the Gold Fields had a comparatively nominal value; and they seem to be perfectly unanimous on the point, that it is highly undesirable to allow the people ever to obtain it at a cheap rate again. Amongst the Squatters are to be found representatives of all classes of society, from the scion of aristocracy down to the liberated convict. The tendency of their pursuits is not refining, and when the Squatter has not originally been a man of education, the probability is that on emerging from his solitude, and entering society his manners and appearance would create a little sensation in an English drawing-room, and perhaps be about as agreeable as the unexpected arrival of the bull in the crockery shop. There are also to be found real gentlemen in this class, liberal and hospitable when

met with, but unfortunately they live so far from the busy haunts of men, that gentlemen in the towns have very few opportunities of seeing the gentlemen of the interior of the country.

THE BUSH.-This word is extensively used in Australia. It applies to the country where squatters have their runs or sheep or cattle stations, and in a general sense to the whole land of the colony, excepting what is used for Agricultural purposes and that situated a few miles round the small towns and villages of the province.

HUTKEEPERS AND SHEPHERDS.-These words give an idea of the respective duties of these gentlemen. The Hutkeeper stops in his hut during the absence of the shepherd, and is the Soyer of the establishment, and his talent consists in making savoury meals out of the rations per head of 9lb. flour, 10lb. meat, 2oz. tea, and 141b. sugar weekly. As Mrs. Chisholm observes, the great art of bushcookery, consists in giving a variety out of salt beef and flour, minus mustard, pepper and potatoes. His duties are not exactly limited to the day time, as he has to sleep near the flocks at night to guard them from the dingoes, or Australian wild dogs.

The Australian Shepherd is quite dissimilar to that interesting character described in pastoral poetry. No gentleman with a cocked hat, and symmetrical knee breeches awakes the evening echoes on his plaintive pipe, and with pensive countenance contemplates an interesting female with a red gown, in the distance; whilst two or three innocent and sympathetic sheep gaze in the face of the player, with great admiration. The duties of the Australian Shepherd are considered monotonous, but not laborious. They are not required to understand shear

ing, as this work is generally done by parties of men who come round to the stations at certain seasons and perform it by contract. Amongst these shepherds are also to be found men of every rank and occupation in life.

One person stated that in his district there were employed in this capacity, "an apothecary, a lawyer's clerk, three sailors, a counting-house clerk, a tailor, a Jew, a Portuguese sailor, a Cingalese, a barman, a gentleman's son, a broken-down merchant, a former lieutenant in the East India Company's service, a gipsy, a black fiddler, and a dancing master." To this motley group might be added "medical men and attorneys with a few gentlemen originally intended for the church, but who ultimately have been compelled to look after a flock in a manner very different from their former intentions.

STOCKMAN is a person who has to herd a number of cattle, and who has to ride about always on the alert, as the cattle are sometimes very anxious to taste complete freedom, being in a half-tame state, and are often inclined to make a rush for liberty.

There is a great difference between a Stockman and a Stockholder, as the latter is the proprietor of the cattle and the former his servant; and I have known cases where young gentlemen, writing to their friends at home, confounded these two words (of course quite innocently), leaving the impression that they actually possessed cattle, while in reality they as Stockmen had only the privilege of following other people's, and performing the operation with great dignity on a very limited salary.

NOBBLER. This is a most important colonial word. It signifies a small measure of brandy, or

other spirituous liquors. The Colonists are so partial to this word that they have introduced many others from this root. A gentleman, who is constantly taking small potations of eau de vie, is called a Nobblerizer. In polite society an invitation to take a little refreshment at a neighbouring Public House is couched in the elegant phraseology,"Will you Nobblerize this morning?"

STOCKADE. This is the name given to the largest prison of the colony where the prisoners reside who are condemned to penal servitude.

SCRUB. This word applies to sandy and stony tracts of land, entirely or partially covered with a kind of brushwood.

CHAPTER XXI.

A FEW FACTS.

"Facts, facts, facts"!!!

CRIMINAL STATISTICS.

IN the first place it may be interesting for a stranger to know what amount it requires annually, to keep a virtuous and orderly population in the bounds of decency, and although the ponderous Government Statistics leave that information partially in the dark, a gentleman of the name of Fiat Justitia has afforded me the requisite particulars under date Feb. 21, 1860, when he addressed the Adelaide papers on the Cost of Crime. This cost was discovered to be about £55,000 annually for Sheriff, Gaols, Convicts, Law Officers and Magistrates, being at the moderate rate of 10s. per head for each man, woman and child resident in the colony at that period.

The total population of the colony was estimated at 124,000 at the end of 1860.

The total number of cases heard and determined in the magistrates' courts (criminal side) during 1860 was as follows:

Miscellaneous cases

Drunkenness in streets

2461

903

Total............... 3364

And the total number of cases preliminarily investigated in the magistrates' courts (criminal jurisdiction), and committed to the supreme court of the province, amounted to 145.