The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-11-06
THE WATERS ARE OUT.

terror of New South Wales. 1t is situated
on the banks of the Murrumbidgee, one of
the feeders of the Great Murry River; and
the high road from Sidney to Melbourne
passes through it. The surrounding eoun-
try consists, for the most part, Of valleys,
80 broad that they may almost be designat-
ed plains, dotted with occasional isolated
mounds of small elevation.
When first settled there, my residence
was little verandah cottage, built Of wood.
At the rear was large garden devoted to
kitchen produce, and in front was wider
ness, which we liked to call flower garden.
Flowers were there, truly; but so utterly me-
elected that they looked more like over
grown weeds. There were thicketsof gera-
NUNS, tangled masses of pinks and carna-
tions, and struggling hedges of rosebushes.
The cottage ltselfconsisted OF four rooms
all on the ground floor; and it seemed lit
tie singular that it should have been built on
piles, raised three feet above the level of the
gardens; but subsequent experience showed
me the necessity of this arrangement.
Altogether, the place wore such a thor
oughly wretched aspect, that l almost fear
ed TO bring my wife from Sidney up to 1t
When she came, however, | was agreeably
disappointed. Esther was an ardent fori-
culturist, and the task of reducing the flow
er-beds to order, was to her delightful
prospective employment. Under her skill
full supervision, the flower borders were
trimmed, the overgrown plants thlnned out,
and the rose trees carefully pruned and
trained. Many new varieties were also in
troduced, and soon manifest Improvement
was perceptible. Roses and honeysnckies,
dolichus, and native ivy, in sweet profusion,
shaded the varandah; and young mlmosa
trees formed an impenetrable screen around
our little homestead. The luxurlant Austria
lian climate facilitated these results. have
known rose trees to send out shoots exceed
ing fifteen feet in length in single season,
and the indigenous accacias will grow from
the seed to the height of eight or ten feet IN
the same period.
One morning-I remember the day we'll,
it was the last day of March, left my
pleasant home to visit settler on the lar
cutta Creek, about thirty miles distant. l
had several calls to make on the road, so 1t
was midday before arrived at my destna-
ton. Business over, was not averse to ac-
cept the proffered hospitality Of my host;
and more readily because myself and horse
were sorely in need of refreshment. Agree
able conversation caused the time to pass
unheeded, and when at length l rose to de-
part, the declining sun indicated the near
approach of darkness.
The morning had been somewhat warm,
yet, not unpleasantly so, for-as often hap
pens towards the end of the Australian sum-
mer-a soft westerly breeze mltlgated the
ferceness of the unclouded sun. But the
evening was the reverse of oil this. The
wind had quite died away, and the atmos-
phere was very close and sitting, so that it
seemed dificuitto breathe; and, without ex-
ertion, the perSplration oozed from every
pore. All nature was ominously still. Not
Il blade of grass stirred, not leaf waved on
the trees: vet ever aud anon low sullen
sound, which could only be likened to the
hoarse roar of distant breakers surging
round rocky shore-issued from the neigh
boring forests. In the west the blood. red
sun was rapidly setting in mass of swollen
purple clouds, which came rolling up with
equal velocity, and soon submerged the orb
of light in their gloomy folds. As hisrays
departed, a lurid shadow seemed to creep
over the earth, covering it with pail. An
tremor, such as | have often
experienced when the atmosphere has been
highly charged with electricity, pervaded my
frame, and knew that thunderstorm
was at hand.
Putting spurs to my horse, thought to
fly before the coming tempest. The clouds
accumulated in the solemn piles, dense dark
ness overspread the earth; and now and then
the thunder muttered threateningly.' Yet
rode on over the hard road in safety and
quietness until within few miles Of Gun
dagai.
Suddenly the intense gloom was dispelled
by vivid flash of lightning, and a terrible
peal of thunder awoke the slumbering ech
oes of the valley. My frightened horse
snorted, and plunged violently, then stood
in the road. Another binding
flash, another loud peal followed, and the
terrible animal started toward in full gal
lop.
And now the ram came down in such
force and volume, that it was as if the flood
gates of the deep had been opened. The
wind howled among the tall gums, and swept
in swift gusts athwart the plain, levelling
many q goodly tree, and denuding many
others Of their branches. The lightning
flashed with scarcely moments intermis-
sion; now in broad sheets Of lvid flame,
and now in red and jagged darts. And the
awful thunder! .
Bowiug my head nearly to the horses
neck, gave him the rein. He needed no
other bidding than that Of fear to hurry
him onwards. With straining eyeballs, and
ears laid back, he sprang onwards at the top
Of his speed, and in a few minutes stood
painting at the stable door in Gundagai.
l found Esther anxiously awaiting me,
and much agitated. 1t was the greatest
thunder storm she had witnessed since our
arrival in New South Wales; and think
that nothing in my subsequent experience at
all equals it. For myself, will candidly
admit that was appalled,, and nv efforts to
smile were such miserable and transparent
failures that abandoned the attempt, and
could only reply to my wife's whispered
fears by silently pressing her to my breast.
That storm, as is usual in Australia, trav-
ened in circle, passing from West to North
thence East, and round again. Sometimes
it would nearly die away in the distance;
then suddenly the dark clouds would wheel
up again with wonderous rapidity, and over