The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-06
Life in the Australian Bush.

already GndeaVOfed TO explain that near
ly every place beyond the influence of
the big towns is called bush," even
though there should not be a tree to be
seen around but, In reaching this
place, I journeyed for three days after
leaving the railway through continuous
woodland, doing about 40 miles day
in a buggy. The house stood on a
small creek, and was surrounded by in
terminable forest. Close around it was
the home-paddoek, rallied in, and con-
tanning about fifty acres. Such an en-
closure about a gentleman's house in
England is an appendage of great
value, and constitutes with some, who
are ambitious, almost little park. In
the bush it is little more thought of
than as so much waste ground round
the house. Two or three COWS may run
in it, or horse or two for immediate
use. 1t is generally found convenient
to have q horse near the house for the
sake of running in !" other horses.
One horse in the stable to catch two
horses in the home-paddock wherewith
four horses, when wanted, may be run
in from the horse-paddock, make to-
gether a combination which in the bush
is considered to be economical and con-
venient. At M--the home-paddock
was partially cleared of timber, and
was pretty enough. Outside it, meet
ing the creek both before and behind,
was the horse-paddock, containing about
two hundred and fifty acres. This was
supposed to be the domain appropriated
to the horses of the establishment need
ed for the working of it. At that me
there were about twenty, and I believe
that there was not one too many. My
young friend also had his rams here
during portion of the year. but hardly
expecting more from so small an en-
closure than food for the animals re-
quired for use. A public road, such as
bUsh-rOads are, ran through the horse
paddock-very inconvt nient in that it
caused the gates to be left open, and
brought travellers that way whose pres
ence was hardly desirable, but not with
out compensation, as a pestman with
the mails passed each way twice a week.
The postman was great blessing. If
he wanted food for himself or his horse
he got>it; and in return he complied
with all requests made to him, convey
ing letters, kilograms and messages with
wOndrous accuracy. A mailman COM
ing by-they are mail-men and not post
men in the bush-is a great addition to
the comforts of bush-life. At the back
of the horse-paddock was the wool-shed
paddock, containing about one thousand
two hundred acres, with the wool-shed
at one corner of it, distant about mile
from the house. There were three other
paddocks on the run, one containing
twelve thousand acres and the others
seven thousand acres each.
The house was built at right angles
to the creek, to the edge of which the
little garden ran. It was, of course,
only of one story. A squatter rarely
builds a two STORED house till he be a
very large squatter indeed, and then
his habitation loses most of the charac-
teristics of the bush. It was of one
story, and contained but three rooms
a sitting-room in the middle, and bed
room on each side but along the front
there ran a verada twelve feet wide, in
which everybody lived, using the sit
ting-room simply for meals Life in
the bush would be nothing without a
veranda. The men, of course, spend
their days mostly out of doors, but in
the evening the verandas are delightful.
Here are congregated lounging-chairs,
generally very rough, but always COM
Portable, with tables, sofas, and femin-
inc nick-nacks, if there be ladies, till
the place has the appearance of a. room
open to the heavens. A veranda, to be
perfect, should be curtained against the
sun, and should be sheltered also from
the heat by creepers. Behind the house,
about thirty yards distant from it, was
the kitchen, with a servants room at
tached to it, and behind that again an
other edifice called the cottage, consist
ing of two rooms, in which slept the
young men who were about the place,
for it must be remembered that there
always are young men about a squat
ter's station. Then there were other
buildings, forming a quadrangle, which,
however, was never as neat as such
homestead quadrangle should be.
There was a rough stable, and a rough
er coach-house, and that Indispensable
accessory, the store-room. The place
was altogether rough, and certainly not
well kept; but it was comfortable and
picturesque, and easily susceptible of
Improvement when increasing focks and
high prices for wool would justify the
expenditure.
Of social gatherings, such as we know
them, there are none in the bush.
Squatters do not go out to dine, or ask
each other to dinner. AS a rule, ]
think, they rarely invite each other for
country visiting. But they make freest
use of each others houses, so that So
ciety of certain kind is created. They
10 not make visits exclusively of plea
sure; but, when business calls them
from home, they make no scruple of
riding up to each others doors and de-
manding hospitality. A bush-hOuse is
never considered to be full. IL there
be not rooms apiece for the guests, the
men are put together and the women
together. If there be not bedsteads,
beds are made up ON the floors. If
room be still lacking, the young men
wrap themselves in blankets and stretch
themselves on the veranda. It is
point of honor that the house shall new
er be full, unless some one very odious
comes the way. But even for those
who are odious, shelter and food are
provided in some outside hut or bar
rack.
Those rides through the forest, either
when [ was alone, or when l could get
my host to go with me-which was rare
", unless on a Sunday afternoon-were
very pleasant. The melancholy note of
the magpie was almost the only sound
that was heard. Occasionally, kanga-
roos would be seen-two or three star
ing about them in half tame fashion,
as though they had not as yet made up
their mind whether it would be neces-
sary for them to run. When approach
ed, they would move, always in a line,
and i'll apparent leisure till pursued.
Then they would bound away, one here
and one there, at a pace which made. it
impossible for q single horseman to get
near them in n thickly-timbered coun-
try. It was all wood. There arose at
last feeling that, go where one might
through the forest, one was never going
anywhere. 1t was all picturesque, for
there was rocky ground here and there,
and hills In the distance, and the trees
were not too close for the making of
pretty vistas through them but it was
all the same. One might ride on, to
the right or to the left. or might tuIn
back. and there was ever the same view.
And there were no objects to reach, I'M
less it was the paddock-fence. And
when the paddock-fence was jumped,