Litchfield enquirer., 1856-06-05

Scenes in Australia.
In that wild region of the mountains in Van
Dieman's Land, called the Western Tier, which
stretches North and South, over large Dor.
ton Of that side of the Island, and terminates
only on the Western coast, in high black pre-.
cipices dashed by the booming pillows of the
ocean, two young men were travelling in the
month of May, and lamenting that the Fall of
the year was about to put an end to their de-
lightful wanderings. Through the long, light
Summer they had lived the life of nature and
Of freedom, which is the heaven of the hunter /;
and hunters they were, being naturalists hun
tiers OF plants and OF animals, not for the mere
pleasure Of destroying or devouring them, but
20 widen the realm and enrich the life of science.
The spirit Of the chase was their soul and their
LIES blood. To pursue their object over sea
and moor and mountain /; to seek out, discover
and make prize of something new and curious,
was the dream Of their existence To rush i'm
petuous!y upon some unknown thing, as the
hunter rushcs upon the noblest game, and to
stand on mountain peak or In forest glen with
waving caps, and exulting "juchhe p as they
stood before some beautiful object that never
before giaddened the eye Of naturalist, which
yet had never found ITS name or its place
in the books of the learncd-that was their
glory and their reward Young us they were,
they had traverscd many lands in the frozen
North. in the aowcry South, in the vast and
woadcr-fraught realms of America they had
sailed on the Mississippi. the Amazon, and the
Platte, and rcycllcd in the exhaustlcss forests
Of Brazil. But here, at the antipodes, u Flora
and n Fauna existed, exhibiting singular laws
and modes Of being, hitherto unknown to them
They had visited every quarter of the island,
climbed the mountains, traced its shores, divcd
into the dcnscst obscurty of its forests, and
stretched themselves, when wearied, on the
green banks OF its streams, counting up and
putting in order their acquisitions
Frcan day to day they drove their faithful
pack-horse before them, burdencd with bundles
Of their gatherings aud their supplies, or left
him in some luxurious nook, while they ascend
ed hills. or explored woods With the lower
ing sun, they 1T their fire ut the front of some
tree or crag. raised a screen Of boughs from the
night-dew and the wind, and over their homey
supper sung the songs of the Fatherland-
they were Tcutons-and slept. From time
tS time, they found war.nest welcome in coun-
try homes, where manly men aud fair women
had brought the refined tastes and intelligence
OF European life to blend them with the peace
and freshness of gracious Southland nature.
These happy and hospitahle people almost il-
variably became their guides to new discoveries.
With cagerest enthusiasm, men and women
mounted their horses, and led the way to dis
taut rock, river, mountain or morass where
were TO he found the peculiar predictions of the
district. Aud, for many long year ysf, will
come back on their memories, snatches OF ro-
mantic country, bits Of solitary forest, the sound.
ing shores OF the ocean, the scalp Of the naked
hill overlooking worlds of woods, and illimi-
table sea, where the feathered hat and flying
we'd led the way-or some bewitching face flash
ed IKE rose at the presentation Of some glori-
Gus new thing ; or the manly form of the Tas-
manian gentleman on his surc-footcd stced, pio-
nccrcd the track down the shelving declivity or
across the rushing stream
Bat now their travel drew to close for the
year drew to its close The myriad flowers had
disappeared, except the crimson epacris, aud a
few other natives Of sheltered glades and they
were on their way homewartis, warned by rains,
and winds. and sharp nights.
The scene in which they found themselves,
vas wild and remote from life. They had made
their way up profoundly silent and spectral for
ests. along the banks Of the Mersey, rank rocks,
and through the grimmest outlets Of preeipi.
tous rasincs. and to the lofty table-lands of the
Tier.
Their way was still through dreary forests in
the gladcs Of which already lay patches of snow
where stringy bark-trecs Of such bulk and alti
tade still met their view as even. after oil they
had seen, awoke fresh establishment. They
were In search, rs the evening came on wili
aud stormy, Of resting place which they hat
occupied On q former occasion. IL was tn,
rude hut erected Of boughs and bark, probably
BY bashrangers or convicts who had fed hithe
at some time when government was keen in ii
pursuit. at them. II was raised against the fac
OF rock IN . little green glen which bortiercd
mosntain lake. whose dark deep waters in
srea.sd The aweinspiring gloom # the scene
Having reached 4. they turned cut their tires
horse. and proceeded 70 kindle IRE In thei
huk Fritz the yonngcF, obtained . hrigh
hlnse of dead leaves ard tvigs IN the chimney
which daxxied their eyes by its sudden lnstre
and then fpfrhed the tear fnfo than, NV 6ll;,,.