George Henry Haydon

“ We rigged up the sail with the mast and oars, and were soon on the broad of our backs, with the Southern Cross overhead, smoking and making light of our mischances. Oh, for the buoyant heart again of one-and-twenty, when there was no such word as hardship in our dictionary, and enough afforded us more satisfaction than all the superfluities of after years.
"Man never is, but always to be blessed." ”

“ One after another they leisurely stretched their legs and wings alternately, and a sound as of subdued laughter fell on our ears, repeated again and again at short intervals, for all the world like a party of old gentlemen enjoying a racy joke over their wine. ”

“ We determined to take advantage of the first practicable opening in the mangroves and to land at once. Fortunately it was high water, and finding a convenient spot, with a little careful piloting and a few hearty strokes of the oars, we were soon high and dry on the muddy beach. After securing the boat, we set to work and gathered a pile of drift wood and withered grass. A cheerful blaze soon lighted up the landscape. We were only too glad to dry ourselves, "all standing," becoming for the time animated clothes-horses. ”

“ They all headed up the bay, and we let them go, for powder and shot was to us as gold and silver.
And now we heard in the gum-tree forest hard by, the first chuckling notes of a bird, sometimes called "The Settler's Clock," but more appropriately the Laughing Jackass. The early bird of Australia does not catch the worm, but turns his attention to snakes. ”

“ There, of all the feathered tribes, the Laughing Jackass is the first abroad, if we except a few dissipated varieties which turn night into day, and go to roost when all decent, well-conducted birds are thinking of turning out to look after their breakfasts. ”

“ I never had a red hot darning needle thrust into my flesh, but I imagine it must be very like a sting from one of these pests. The pain for the moment is intense, but happily it soon wears off, and is seldom followed by any ill effects. ”

“ A million or so to two, however, is rather long odds; so holding discretion to be the better part of valour, we fairly ran away, lit another fire, destroyed the dozen or two of ants which still clung pertinaciously to our clothes, and after giving our enemies time to return to their quarters, formed ourselves into a foraging party, advanced, seized the several delicacies comprising our supper, and retired in good order, dragging with us the temporary shelter we had erected, first making a breach in the citadel with one of the oars. ”

“ The most notable of its natural productions were aquatic birds, snakes, rats, mosquitos, and sand-flies.
It was to this uninviting locality that my friend S—— and I betook ourselves for the modest purpose of making our fortunes by the manufacture of barilla, an article then largely used and of considerable commercial value. [2]
The modus operandi was primitive enough. The mangrove is a tree growing from eight to twelve feet high, with clumsy branches protruding at irregular intervals from a thick, crooked, gnarled stock. When burnt, the ashes of these trees become the barilla of commerce. ”

“ Having first protected our goods from all accidents likely to befal, we set to work well-sinking. The base of a sand-hill, about four hundred yards from the stores, appeared the most promising spot, and at about six feet from the surface a small puddle of water appeared. ”