purpose, it is wasted to the extent of at least a quarter of each
load. We are unusually unfortunate in the matter of firing; most
stations have a bush near to the homestead, or greater facilities
for draying than we possess.

You tell me to describe my little house to you, so I must try to
make you see it, only prefacing my attempt by warning you not to be
disgusted or disappointed at any shortcomings. The house has not
been built in a pretty situation, as many other things had to be
considered before a picturesque site: first it was necessary to
build on a flat (as the valleys here are called), not too far off
the main track, on account of having to make the road to it
ourselves; the next thing to be thought of was shelter from the
north-west wind; then the soil must be fit for a garden, and a good
creek, or brook, which would not go dry in the summer, close at
hand. At present, everything out of doors is so unfinished that the
place looks rather desolate, and it will be some years before our
plantations can attain a respectable size, even allowing for the
rapid growth in this climate. The first step is to obtain shelter
from our enemy the "nor'-wester," and for this purpose we have
planted quantities of broom in all directions; even the large beds
for vegetables in the garden have a hedge of Cape broom on the
exposed side; fortunately, the broom grows very quickly in spite of
the wind, and attains to a luxuriant beauty rarely seen in England.
We have put in many other trees, such as oaks, maples, etc., but not
one is higher than this table, except a few poplars; the ground
immediately outside the house has been dug up, and is awaiting the
spring to be sown with English grass; we have no attempt at a
flower-garden yet, but have devoted our energies to the vegetable
one,--putting in fruit trees, preparing strawberry and asparagus