New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-07-19
A SKETCH OF I1rR m gax 1usx

A writer who contributes 10 g Household
| Words" !" recently met, at social party IN Eng
land, a man who had spent eleven years in AUS
tralia, and who gave . narratiss Of his advsn-
lures in 8. the bush in nearly the following
language; ~ 81, es4.'ts iS44
| In another ten years. said he, " # things
continue on their present footings sAae1 nf blacks
and bush rangers will exist only asnurssry ato-
ries in Australia: but when Arsf want out TO
the colony, the case was very dihsrsnt indAed.
Black tribes, fourishing BY hundreds, wsrs like
bands of angry wolves, where they now limp
! about like Lame faxes by nnas and twos As for
the bush-rangers. they were Fsnsrslly ySeonyict
servants, too lazy to work, or drissa cut BY the
cruelty of unjust masters, had fea into the bush
to avoid repeated fogging, and Lived by plum
! dering the stations or by lifting cattle. When
| heifers used to be worth 1--WE poznds to ten
pounds, it was worth while to be gullyraker--
that is, cattle stsaer but when they fell to forty
shillings, the profit on robbing speculation was
not worth the risk. ~ ;e,s7 la
ss AT that time, some Of them made little par-
ties to go out and stop the drays on any unfre-
quented roads, or rob passengers near towns
while others, who desired to have the exclusive
privilege of pocketing the booty and were des-
perate enough for the adventure, went alone.
But good horse formed an essential part OF the
bush rangers equipment, whether he was
thief in his own right, or q member Of troop Of
sable banditti. s 3s
ss DESIRE to save my property from reckless
plunder, caused me to pay q sort Of black mail
to these fellows. When my drays were about to
travel nearly two hundred miles over q very bad
road, used to remind the bullock drivers that
if they should meet with any one upon The road
in very urgent want Of tea or -four they had
better be good natured, and supply them
with q little. In this way my stores travelled
safely. when those Of my neighbors were r1fled,
and when even their drays were otteA wontonly
backed over the edge Of some precipice This
no doubt, was chiefly due to the black mail
paid; but had managed to get the good will Of
these fellows, by earning character for hui
manity. 55gsgs ( s5ts..tls aBsS@
ssDuring the assignment times was never q
fogging master. II a man was saucy to me
might perhaps knock him down. but that was q
proceeding taken in good part. The convict
looked upon it as very different thing to bsing
taken before magistrate ana forfaiting I year
of liberty. 9sg@ss
'.One evening, when returning from 4 three
days journey, / found myself within City miles
of my station-at that time recently establishsd
--on the extreme borders Of known land
My horse was exhausted, for We had heen trav-
cling since daybreak. ] had dismonnted, and
was steering by the Southern Cross, until no.
ticed the reflection of a fire, and heard an echo
of rude laughter in the neighborhood. Here,
thought, are some bullock drays encamped;
shall light my pipe and get quart of tea l
passed the shadows of the trees, and STOPPING
down impatiently to light my pipe with well
mates, how goes it;' was Welcomed by the point
ed muskets Of couple of shaggy men, in gar
ments wonderfully patched. Four others at the
same time ran to their arms, but seeing that
puffed away at the lighted brand apparently
concerned about no greater matter than the
lighting of my pipe, and noticing, perhaps, that
my horse was exhausted, they exchanged their
proposed warm reception with their muskets for
q sHallo, stranger, where do you come from,
Have you any tobaccos i am going,' said,
sto my station on Pelican Greek, and / have
| been up to the Crownland Commissioners, to see
| about the boundaries Of my new run. have
plenty Of tobacco, hut not 4 skerrick of tea or
sugar. So saying, I pulled out my tobacco
pouch, which had taken care to supply we'll
for it is the best purse to carry on o journey In
| the bush; and then, unbuckling my horse's
| girths, threw my saddle down before the f,s.
To have quilted my new friends upon tired
horse would have been quite impossible; my
safety lay therefore in treating them with con-
| tidenee. - @
'.The first thing to which they attended wasthe
| filing of their pipes from my pouch the next to
which they attended was ths lighting them
They then inhaled and puffed the smoke with an
eagerness that can compare only to the ssst
with which men swalloWwatsr after long jour-
ney in Il drought.
i Presently they consulted apart While /.
preparing for the night, hobbled the @fN1eg OF
NV horse, rubbed his ears dry, and shock out
my blanket. After few minutes. having made
an end of whispering, one OF the men handed 70
me quart pot Of tea--there we're thfee anch
pots boiling at the fre-and, sursYing back the