became so outrageous that gentlemen from the East Indies gave them the cut direct, and owing to their influence they had the fares raised to that extent as to make the passage as expensive as possible to these "superior butchers."

The privilege of paying £160 for 45 days' passage Overland to England and the felicity of sitting in a snubbed state at the bottom of the table must even affect the delicate nerves of a South Australian

Butcher, Usurer or Landowner. On the news arriving of the elevation of the fares to shut out the Australian Passengers; Jeames, of our Local Papers, became excessively indignant and poetically exasperated at the conduct displayed by our Elite. "The Peninsular and Oriental Company and the Australian Colonies. The nabobs of the East who have acquired a competency in the easy service of the East Indian Company refuse to amalgamate in the Peninsular and Oriental Steamers with the millionaires of Australia, who have gained their wealth through the process of hard and honourable toil. The delicate palms of the valetudinarian are two fragile to bear the squeeze of the hardy and open-hearted sons of the forest. The smell of the field and the sheep-yard mixes strangely with the redolency of Agra and of Delhi."

CHAPTER XIV.

COLONIAL NATIONAL GALLERY.

IT has been regretted by the press of the colony that there is no "National Gallery," where the portraits of the old colonists could be deposited for the benefit of an admiring and grateful posterity. It has also been deplored that they are gradually dying off without a step being taken to realize the hope that this will ever take place, for the people, it must be confessed, take so little interest in the realities that they will not be very enthusiastic after their pictorial representations on canvass. A gallery of these worthies would be like one of nature's nobility at a discount; and a copy of an eminent work on physiognomy should be furnished for the benefit of the public, who would be induced to compare the countenances with those classic contours expressive of certain refined tendencies of human nature. It would excite a virtuous emulation in the colonial juveniles to have the glorious career of old Scrooge displayed to their wondering eyes by a gentleman engaged for the purpose, who could point out the portraits, and give a biographical sketch at the same time. He could relate the heroic impulse which induced a liberal and enlightened Christian philanthropist to endeavour to increase his large fortune by a higher rate of interest than could possibly be obtained in England; how he bought land without having seen it, and paid handsomely towards a catch-penny publication, praising everything and everybody, by one who had never seen the colony; how he has eminently succeeded in his

noble efforts; how he has been able to sell land at five pounds an acre, which cost him one; how liberally he lends money at ten per cent. on first-class securities by perpetual inquiries in all directions, that there may not be the remotest chance of losing anything; how he has never expended a penny that could tend to the social advancement, recreation, or elevation of the various classes of society; how an independent man is a thorn in his side, while he encourages sycophants, yet secretly sees through their motives; combined with a few other amiable idiosyncrasies; would encourage the precocious colonial youth to go and do likewise. As a rule, of course, liable to a few exceptions, the old colonist is a person with whom you must be circumspect in your dealings, for those who have had many years colonial experience, and profited thereby, are supposed to have some talent in attracting both the brains and cash of innocent arrivals. He understands everything, perhaps with the trifling exception of the elements of morality. Every mining swindle he knows by heart, and would like to revive a few more if the bait would only take. His precedents are peculiar. He may have been an adventurer-a policeman-a huckster-a barman-a publican-a usurer-and, if able to write and read well, and cast accounts, with volubility of tongue, he may look for success in the Senate. What a magnificent instance of self-denial and enterprise is illustrated by the case of Grasps, who came out with twenty thousand pounds, simply on the patriotic motive that interest was twenty per cent. at the time; and though, to the great grief of an afflicted people, he has been denuded of a great part of his cash, and got initiated into the mysteries of the South Australian Insolvent Court; it is possible he will

retrieve his shattered condition by some mining bubble or other eminent scheme for getting hold of the savings of the hard-working.

How a talented lecturer could descant on the merits of a Blubber, another eminent instance what effrontery and limited capital can produce in the commercial circles of South Australia, which was revealed to the public through a slight inadvertency in speculation which caused Blubber to make his appearance on the boards of the Insolvent Court, where it was openly revealed that the enlightened Blubber commenced business with the sum of two hundred pounds borrowed from his aunt or grandmother in England, and during three years his expenditure averaged from seven to eight hundred pounds a year; all plundered from the public for the real profits of his business were almost nominal. Blubber would have liked the two hundred pounds refunded from the estate, being as he alleged trust money, but this was too much for even the composure of an Australian Commissioner of Insolvency, who if he had given him his deserts would have sent him to ornament one of the reproductive works of the colony in the shape of Her Majesty's gaol. Blubber was only one of a class who infest and deprave a colonial commercial community. Without any legitimate capital and unblushing effrontery, he was willing to undertake any business and purchase to any extent, if he could find gullible people insane enough to take his acceptances.

If a really respectable tone of commercial and public morality ever predominates in South Australia, it is to be hoped that persons of this class will be banished to the Bush, where many honest men have been compelled to resort to, not being possessed of the chicanery, trickery, and effrontery of the tribe.

F

This estimable adornment of a future South Australian National Portrait Gallery was once in Melbourne in a state of semi-destitution, when he heard of a vacant situation at a commercial house, which he considered he was quite competent to fill. On making his request known, he was informed it was only an engagement in the posting department on which announcement Blubber ejaculated that was just his line, as he was accustomed to book-keeping.

ment.

That is not exactly what we mean, said his informant, by posting, we engage a person to go about the city with a paste-pot and affix shipping bills and other announcements on all the prominent localities of the town and neighbourhood. Blubber who was supposed to be a distant relative of a live Baronet, whose ancestor had attained to that distinction by bowing lower than any other man of his time, and filling the king's tobacco box with perfect devotion, could not demean his aristocratic descent by accepting any honest employment, and made a rapid exit on hearing the above ominous announceA numerous list of equally eminent colonial celebrities could be illustrated in the same didactic strain, and as the conductors of the press have intimated that they should like to receive some hints for carrying out their ideas in the foundation of such an institution, I offer them these suggestions towards the practical illustration of a work which should meet with due appreciation from the present colonists, who in fact have no time to lose if they wish to perpetuate the noble countenances of some of their older and enterprising friends who are each year throwing off the mortal coil after the labours of their long lives being consecrated to the noble pursuits I have otherwise enumerated.