The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-29
FROM THE ANTIpODEs.

ter to one of our friends who kindly permits
us to extract some items of interest for tn,
readers of the STAR, especially to those witt
may have known the writer years ago wher
he was professor at Mt. St. Mary's College ir
Maryland:
| "QUEANBEyAN N. s. W., March 1873.
Dear B.-Your welcome letter of October
reached me at last, and I need not tell you
how regretted my inability to answer it by
the last mail from Sydney. You know
the California mail route has been discon-
tinued, SO you will receive this by the Suez
| ronte.
am SO little accustomed in this remote
spot, to receive communications from old
friends, that have almost grown ont of the
as to events cgtss
when your timely letter came to give me the
pleasant satisfaction that was not entirely
forgotten and that few still remembered me.
The coming of your letter seemed SO like old
times, that the wide gulf of years which has
separated us, seemed to disappear, and your
self with the old clarionetD and your good
wife and the group of little children, rose be-
fore me with the same vividness as when I
saw you last. can imagine no change in you
and yours
When wrote to you last, was clerk in the
Department of Public Education, and expect
ed TO remain; but about six months after, on
the plea that the staff was to he reduced, MY
services were dispensed Without now have
reason to know that as was the only Catho-
lie in the service, my religion was the sole
cause of my removal. The staff was doubled
almost Immediately after, but no Catholic was
admitted! Sectarian bigotry was, and still is,
rampant in this country both in public and
private affairs.
After many vicissitudes, was at length APP
pointed to school in Sydney, where I remain-
of young vagabonds we'll learned with rascal
ity. Then was sent to the puplic school here,
where am at present anchored, moro comfort
ably than have been since am in this coun-
try.
I have charge of some seventy youngsters,
the respectable part of the community, and re-
as house-rent, food and clothing are very
cheap, manage to live very we'll. The best
beef and mutton cost five to six cents per
pound, pork and bacon the same. Flour four
dollars per Genital, vegetables a mere nothing
very good tea fifty cents per pound. Cloth
ing of all kinds more than fifty per cent
cheaper than in the States. I live short dis
three rooms with detached kitchen and out
buildings, q two-stall stable and large garden,
for all of which pay rental of six dollars
per month. At any time can purchase horse
from FIVE to ten dollars.
My garden affords profusion of flowers and
fruits; as write, my trees are breaking down
with late peaches, and my hives are loaded
with honey. This is truly land flowing with
The people amongst whom am now living
are the best have met with since coming to
friends as our old MARYLAND land producesNfr ends
toward whom, in this remote corner of the
world, my thoughts continually turn.
Queeanbeyan, may tell YOU is about the
the colony. 1t is sufficiently large to contain
all the conveniences of civilized life, although
it is not SO large as Emmitsburg. 1t is built
on the bank of the Queanbeyan river, q tribu-
tary of the Murrumbtdzee, and surrounded by
mountains.
The climate is magnificent and the land good
for agriculture. There is abundance of game,
of 1arn wild fnrl
ducks, pigeons, and various other birds; a
great variety of parrots and cockatoos-hor-
rid nuisances to farmers-kangaroos, walabies
and native bears. Opossums too are extremely
abundant and troublesome, and occasionally
take up their quarters under the roofs; they
resemble the racoon rather than our possum,
and have prehensile tails.
The greatest nuisance we have just now is
an enormous bat that plays the mischief. with
the rpenins fruit. They are called the
flying fox, probably from their color and
the frowsy, fusty odor they give out. Their
rel, with q stretch of wing of three or
four feet. In some localities they are found
in countless numbers. They have n hor-
while the sound of their great leathery wings,
rs they fit around you in the dark, has some
thing in it very wierd and diabolical, which
Z. A. Poe would have rejoced at exceedingly.
The aboriginal population is rapidly passing
away; aud whole tribes that were numerous
twenty years ago, have disappeared entirely
or are represented by only one or two poor
wretches who crawl about the settlement.
They are generally very harmless, and are en-
ployed on the stations as shepherds in va
rious odd occupations. The Auglo-Saxon race |
here, as everywhere, have determination fol- |
lowing in their train. AS with our own In |
dams, rum is the destroying angel.
The native language is sngularly melodious; |
a. you may judge by the native names which |
the English have had the good taste to pre-
serve in every locality.
Queanbeyan is q native term and in our
immediate neighborhood such names Barrum-
la, Canberrs, Yuggaranong, Molongbo, Jerra-
bomberra Uriarra, Lanyon, Cooma, Bunguu-
lore, all as sonorous as any of our Indian |
names.
You have, doubtless, noticed the newspaper
accounts of the great start in gold mining here
within the past year or two. The country is
enjoying large amount of prosperity-money
Is plentiful-trade is very brisk, and specula-
lion going ahead very fast-too fast fear.
have nothing to do with gold-mining in any
shape; l have two good reasons to keep clear
Of it. By long and bitter experience, have
learnt that, had 1 not been seduced by the
cursed excitement that took me to California
years ago, 1 should have been in far better cir
,umstances to-day. But must say my home
las all the material comforts man could re-
luire. The climate is delightful, and Quean-
began is a yeritable Sleepy Hollow where a
nan might dream away his life unvexed by