, 1885-11-06
IN KANGAROO LAND.
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY FROM sgd.
NEY TO MELBOURNE.
sig Hundred and Seventy Mile. on Al
Australian Limited Expre-sf-A
Di-agresabIe CIimats-Fscs
Of the Country.

I, provide against extreme heat This is
evident from the construction OF The
hotels with open courts. like those pi
Spain. The railway carriages too have
double tops. AS they have in India so
WI try to keep comfortable by congratl
lating ourselves that we arc not sweltering
10 NJ Australian summer. But Il amuscs
lis IL hear these people talk of the severe
American winter with a shudder' A.
though snow is very rare with thcm-ey
cept on the muuntnins-and ihc puddle
in tie streets seldom freeze over. their
houses. churches. hotels and railroads
are so entirely untitled for even their mode
raicly cold weather thai we suffered more
than we would at home in tho seyerest
Chicago blizzard.
EJARD TIE TRAIN.
Australian railways are patterned after
those of tngland. so that the overland
journey from sydney to Melbourne is
somewhat of m ordeal to an American.
We went on the limited express. ' which
covers the $40 miles in eighteen hours.
We found the train TO consist of an ny
lish locomotive. II Luggage and a mail
van. " one compartment carriage. - and
two s~leeping-cars. The latter bore n far
away resemblance to au American sleeper.
They were mounted on trucks like ours.
and were entered from tic end. but were
lower and narrower 10 conform to the
other carriages Large panels in tie
sides swing out like doors between the
sections. and the upper berths were hung
on TO them something like rigid hammers
One section had to be devoted to mat
tresses and blankets, even during the day.
for lack Of room. and all the arrange
ments are SO clumsy that it took the con
ductor an hour TO make up -four sections
for the night. the whole car being strewn
with nH1a and pn1Q nf lumh ar AND haI.
ding meanwhile. and the passengers try
ing 10 keep out of the way the best they
could. a number Of sections were
divided from the rest of the car By n port.
able door or p%ortiere. and assigned 10
the ladies. They entered one end of The
car and the gentlemen the other As
there is no occasion for any one to walk
through the train. as with us. the lady
passengers are quite secluded. and can
make their preparations for the night
without embarrassment
The train ran furiously all night lay
in my narrow shelf in a cold perspirati0n.
and grabbed fraulically at the edges OF
the Junk TO keep from being thrown Out
as the car struck sharp curves on the
down grades 1t seemed every instant as
If We should be swung over by the %centrif.
ugal force. like the end boy in the game
of crack The whip. " 1t was wretched,y
cold. too. in spite Of all the blankets in
which we were rolled.
rHN INCONVENIENCE.
was just getting to sleep when we
were all awakened and ordered up ut 20.
We breakfasted at ! in the cold. frosty.
morning air. in a room without heat. II
most careless proceeding. Then we rode
three miles further and had TO turn out
again. However, rs it was Just Us warm
outside the car as in II. we rather enjoyed
the exercise We were at the frontier.
and as ictoria goes in for protection.
while New South Wales believes In free
trade. we had TO have our luggage exam.
med Then, as the New South Wales
engineers favor one gauge for their rail.
roads and the \ ictorians another, ii is i'm
possible 10 run u train through intact
from sydney to Melbourne. The two
colonies arc intensely jealous Of each
other in every way, and so they make
many things rs inconvenient for them
selves as they can. We therefore had to
transfer ourselves and our goods and
chattelsH TO another train of ordinary con
tinental compartment carriages.
We sat wrapped in shawls and blankets.
in our hack style of conveyance, trying to
keep partially comfortable. The colonials
alight at every station and brace" To
keep warm so. rs The government derives
revenue from the importation of liquors.
it may be good policy not to heat the
cars There is a great deal of drinking
in the colonies | think more whisky is
consumed per capita than in the United
States. although the absorption of corn
juice is generally thought to be a specially
Of Americans. us far AS quantity Is con
cerned.
The country through which we passed
looks like portions of many of our western
states. II is thickly wooded with
eucalyptus and box trees except where
cleared for farming. We passed many
small villages. whence departure is made
for the gold fields in the distant noun
tains They resemble in size and appear
ance the towns in our western mining dis
tricts or the stations along the Central
Pacific ia Nevada The cabins Of
~sclrcters are seen at Intervals. and occa.
sional wheat fields are noticed. hut most of
the country is devoted to sheep and cattle
raising 10th mutton ard beef ARE largely
exported to England. and horses are bred
aud sent TO India