Year: 1873

GAA0 auu4u mOre may go,

 And only the birds in their leafy nests

 Shall hark to the ripples' dreamy flow.

 

 A DASH THROUGH FIRE.

 It has just lately been completed, thai

 long line of railroad across the great

 island of Australia, but young as it is

 many wild scene has been witnessed

 there already, and many more will be

 ere long time elapses. For 1t must be

 borne in mind that the population ot

 that far-of land is an incongruous one,

 consisting of many races of people,

 strangely intermixed and mingled.

 had visited the mining districts,

 Botany Bay-that famous city of con-

 demned criminals-Melb and Sid

 ney. These are the centres of interest,

 and the only ones. All the rest are

 mere appendages, sauce for the pud-

 ding, or butter for the bread. I was

 done with my sightseeing, and now

 nothing remained but to while away a

 week or two, and then embark on the

 next ship which might be outward

 bound for America. I had not taken a

 trip over the new railroad, and deter

 mined to spend my leisure time by do-

 ing so at once. Accordingly I purchased

 my ticket, mounted the train, and seated

 myself for the journey.

 The iron horse snorted, and moved majestically off from the station, as if he considered it beneath his dignity to tarry longer at that point. The road lies through wild tract of land, though

 the years to come will probably see it

 1otted with neat villages and fine farms, for Australia is a growing land like our own great West, and emigrants are even now rapidly settling up the hitherto barren places. The scenery is such as would naturally charm the traveller with an eye to the beauties of nature. It is everchanging, panorama like, now showing the level and unbroken plain for miles upon miles, now displaying the gigantic mountains, with their crag- gy peaks reared upward until they seem to meet and kiss the sky, as the clouds hold them in fond embrace.

 On, on, on we thundered, over the narrow rails, seldom finding occasion to stop, but pushing forward, with an in- cessant rattle and jar, for the other ter minus of the iron road. We had just passed train that was madly dashine eastward, with it's burden of human be- ings, and were about to strike upon a portion of track which lay in the midst of long, level prairie. Far ahead we could see dense column of smoke rising heavenward, as if the whole island was on fire. I could not explain this strange thing, but kept my eye fixed on the cloud, as [ leaned far out of the window, that I might see for myself what was up. The conductor happen ing to pass, I stopped him, and called his attention to the matter After view ing the huge pillows, as they rose one above the other, for minute, he drew in his head, and remarked:

 "The train that had just passed us has evidently fired the dry prairie grass by spark from the locomotive. If that be the case, and I think it is, then we shall have lively time getting through the fire, but go through it I | will, for I'm bound this train shall not be the first one on the road to fall be- hind time for trife," and he went for ward to speak with the engineer.

 We reached the prairie, and found it as the conductor had predicted, but the fire was burning away from the track and not towards it. There appeared to be nothing in the way of our onward course, and the locomotive, jerking it's pistons in and out of the cylinders like and grinding it's huge drivers against the rails which guided them in their course, kept plunging ahead, and each moment nearing the sea of fire which lay to the right of the track. Kissing and leaping its tongues of fork ed flame licking up everything which came within their reach, that great furnace was blazing along the road for a distance of two miles or more, and making rapid advances in the direction of the wind. We had all crowded to the platforms of the train, eager to wit ness the magnificent spectacle Every eye was bent on the darting flames. Spreading in three different directions, the fire was some distance in front, be- hind, and to our right, and 1t seemed as if one end of the column was run ming race with our engine, for it gain ed on us every minute, and kept far in advance.

 Suddenly the wind changed to the north, and now, roaring like a tornado, the terrible sea of heat, and smoke, and The ends travelled faster than the cen Ire, seeming to be eager to clasp us in hot embrace, and like Q general mar AAo AOASCo uAOu1lu dlIOOD "u1Cu he desired to exterminate, so that col umn of flame now moved around us, until we were encircled by it as by belt. Far behind, it had crossed the track, and just ahead of us the black rails lay in its very bosom. There was but one chance for escape. Through it we must dash, and that quickly, else it should devour us in it's mad march.

 The engineer, assfellow accustomed to danger, and possessed of nerves like steel, gave 8 wild yell from the brazen throat of his iron charger, threw every thing wide open, and waved his hat from the cab window at us in the cars, as we darted like lightning towards the enemy which lay in our path. The drivers spun round with the speed of the wind, and the very earth itself trembled beneath the tread of our giant as it spurned the rails with it's iron reel, and swept forward on it's way. One moment and we were in the very midst of the fire. The ties were burning fierce y, bright tongues of flame shot up all around us, and kissed each other over the tops of our car, and the red hot rails bent under the weight of the train as 1t sped onward through the gaunt-