in search of the castaways-第62章

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rian　voice　roused　him。　The　luggage　was　already　conveyed　to　the　farm；　thanks　to　John　Mangles；　and　a　boat　was　waiting　to　take　the　passengers。　They　were　soon　seated；　and　the　young　captain　gave　his　final　orders　to　Tom　Austin；　his　chief　officer。　　He　impressed　upon　him　that　he　was　to　wait　at　Melbourne　for　Lord　Glenarvan's　commands；　and　to　obey　them　scrupulously；　whatever　they　might　be。　The　old　sailor　told　John　he　might　rely　on　him；　and；　in　the　name　of　the　men；　begged　to　offer　his　Lordship　their　best　wishes　for　the　success　of　this　new　expedition。　A　storm　of　hurrahs　burst　forth　from　the　yacht　as　the　boat　rowed　off。　　In　ten　minutes　the　shore　was　reached；　and　a　quarter　of　an　hour　afterward　the　Irishman's　farm。　All　was　ready。　　Lady　Helena　was　enchanted　with　her　installation。　The　huge　chariot；　with　its　primitive　wheels　and　massive　planks；　pleased　her　particularly。　　The　six　bullocks；　yoked　in　pairs；　had　a　patriarchal　air　about　them　which　took　her　fancy。　Ayrton；　goad　in　hand；　stood　waiting　the　orders　of　this　new　master。　〃My　word；〃　said　Paganel；　〃this　is　a　famous　vehicle；　it　beats　all　the　mail…coaches　in　the　world。　　I　don't　know　a　better　fashion　of　traveling　than　in　a　mountebank's　caravan　a　movable　house；　which　goes　or　stops　wherever　you　please。　What　can　one　wish　better？　　The　Samaratians　understood　that；　and　never　traveled　in　any　other　way。〃　〃Monsieur　Paganel；〃　said　Lady　Helena；　〃I　hope　I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　in　my　SALONS。〃　〃Assuredly；　madam；　I　should　count　it　an　honor。　　Have　you　fixed　the　day？〃　〃I　shall　be　at　home　every　day　to　my　friends；〃　replied　Lady　Helena；　〃and　you　are〃　〃The　most　devoted　among　them　all；〃　interrupted　Paganel；　gaily。　These　mutual　compliments　were　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　the　seven　horses；　saddled　and　ready。　　They　were　brought　by　Paddy's　sons；　and　Lord　Glenarvan　paid　the　sum　stipulated　for　his　various　purchases；　adding　his　cordial　thanks；　which　the　worthy　Irishman　valued　at　least　as　much　as　his　golden　guineas。　The　signal　was　given　to　start；　and　Lady　Helena　and　Mary　took　their　places　in　the　reserved　compartment。　　Ayrton　seated　himself　in　front；　and　Olbinett　scrambled　in　among　the　luggage。　　The　rest　of　the　party；　well　armed　with　carbines　and　revolvers；　mounted　their　horses。　Ayrton　gave　a　peculiar　cry；　and　his　team　set　off。　　The　wagon　shook　and　the　planks　creaked；　and　the　axles　grated　in　the　naves　of　the　wheels；　and　before　long　the　hospitable　farm　of　the　Irishman　was　out　of　sight。

CHAPTER　IX　A　COUNTRY　OF　PARADOXES

IT　was　the　23d　of　December；　1864；　a　dull；　damp；　dreary　month　in　the　northern　hemisphere；　but　on　the　Australian　continent　it　might　be　called　June。　　The　hottest　season　of　the　year　had　already　commenced；　and　the　sun's　rays　were　almost　tropical；　when　Lord　Glenarvan　started　on　his　new　expedition。　Most　fortunately　the　37th　parallel　did　not　cross　the　immense　deserts；　inaccessible　regions；　which　have　cost　many　martyrs　to　science　already。　Glenarvan　could　never　have　encountered　them。　　He　had　only　to　do　with　the　southern　part　of　Australiaviz。；　with　a　narrow　portion　of　the　province　of　Adelaide；　with　the　whole　of　Victoria；　and　with　the　top　of　the　reversed　triangle　which　forms　New　South　Wales。　It　is　scarcely　sixty…two　miles　from　Cape　Bernouilli　to　the　frontiers　of　Victoria。　　It　was　not　above　a　two　days'　march；　and　Ayrton　reckoned　on　their　sleeping　next　night　at　Apsley；　the　most　westerly　town　of　Victoria。　The　commencement　of　a　journey　is　always　marked　by　ardor；　both　in　the　horses　and　the　horsemen。　　This　is　well　enough　in　the　horsemen；　but　if　the　horses　are　to　go　far；　their　speed　must　be　moderated　and　their　strength　husbanded。　It　was；　therefore；　fixed　that　the　average　journey　every　day　should　not　be　more　than　from　twenty…five　to　thirty　miles。　Besides；　the　pace　of　the　horses　must　be　regulated　by　the　slower　pace　of　the　bullocks；　truly　mechanical　engines　which　lose　in　time　what　they　gain　in　power。　　The　wagon；　with　its　passengers　and　provisions；　was　the　very　center　of　the　caravan；　the　moving　fortress。　The　horsemen　might　act　as　scouts；　but　must　never　be　far　away　from　it。　As　no　special　marching　order　had　been　agreed　upon；　everybody　was　at　liberty　to　follow　his　inclinations　within　certain　limits。　The　hunters　could　scour　the　plain；　amiable　folks　could　talk　to　the　fair　occupants　of　the　wagon；　and　philosophers　could　philosophize。　　Paganel；　who　was　all　three　combined；　had　to　be　and　was　everywhere　at　once。　The　march　across　Adelaide　presented　nothing　of　any　particular　interest。　A　succession　of　low　hills　rich　in　dust；　a　long　stretch　of　what　they　call　in　Australia　〃bush；〃　several　prairies　covered　with　a　small　prickly　bush；　considered　a　great　dainty　by　the　ovine　tribe；　embraced　many　miles。　Here　and　there　they　noticed　a　species　of　sheep　peculiar　to　New　Holland　sheep　with　pig's　heads；　feeding　between　the　posts　of　the　telegraph　line　recently　made　between　Adelaide　and　the　coast。　Up　to　this　time　there　had　been　a　singular　resemblance　in　the　country　to　the　monotonous　plains　of　the　Argentine　Pampas。　　There　was　the　same　grassy　flat　soil；　the　same　sharply…defined　horizon　against　the　sky。　　McNabbs　declared　they　had　never　changed　countries；　but　Paganel　told　him　to　wait；　and　he　would　soon　see　a　difference。　And　on　the　faith　of　this　assurance　marvelous　things　were　expected　by　the　whole　party。　In　this　fashion；　after　a　march　of　sixty　miles　in　two　days；　the　caravan　reached　the　parish　of　Apsley；　the　first　town　in　the　Province　of　Victoria　in　the　Wimerra　district。　The　wagon　was　put　up　at　the　Crown　Inn。　　Supper　was　soon　smoking　on　the　table。　　It　consisted　solely　of　mutton　served　up　in　various　ways。　They　all　ate　heartily；　but　talked　more　than　they　ate；　eagerly　asking　Paganel　questions　about　the　wonders　of　the　country　they　were　just　beginning　to　traverse。　　The　amiable　geographer　needed　no　pressing；　and　told　them　first　that　this　part　of　it　was　called　Australia　Felix。　〃Wrongly　named！〃　he　continued。　　〃It　had　better　have　been　called　rich；　for　it　is　true　of　countries；　as　individuals；　that　riches　do　not　make　happiness。　　Thanks　to　her　gold　mines；　Australia　has　been　abandoned　to　wild　devastating　adventurers。　You　will　come　across　them　when　we　reach　the　gold　fields。〃　〃Is　not　the　colony　of　Victoria　of　but　a　recent　origin？〃　asked　Lady　Glenarvan。　〃Yes；　madam；　it　only　numbers　thirty　years　of　existence。　It　was　on　the　6th　of　June；　1835；　on　a　Tuesday〃　〃At　a　quarter　past　seven　in　the　evening；〃　put　in　the　Major；　who　delighted　in　teasing　the　Frenchman　about　his　precise　dates。　〃No；　at　ten　minutes　past　seven；〃　replied　the　geographer；　gravely；　〃that　Batman　and　Falckner　first　began　a　settlement　at　Port　Phillip；　the　bay　on　which　the　large　city　of　Melbourne　now　stands。　For　fifteen　years　the　colony　was　part　of　New　South　Wales；　and　recognized　Sydney　as　the　capital；　but　in　1851；　she　was　declared　independent；　and　took　the　name　of　Victoria。〃　〃And　has　greatly　increased　in　prosperity　since　then；　I　believe；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃Judge　for　yourself；　my　noble　friend；〃　replied　Paganel。　　〃Here　are　the　numbers　given　by　the　last　statistics；　and　let　McNabbs　say　as　he　likes；　I　know　nothing　more　eloquent　than　statistics。〃　〃Go　on；〃　said　the　Major。　〃Well；　then；　in　1836；　the　colony　of　Port　Phillip　had　224　inhabitants。　To…day　the　province　of　Victoria　numbers　550；000。　Seven　millions　of　vines　produc