heart good to see the children--such sturdy limbs, bright fearless
eyes, and glowing faces. They have abundance of excellent food.
Each cottager has one or two cows, and the little ones take these
out to pasture on the hills, so they are in the open air nearly all
day: but their ignorance is appalling! Many of them had never even
been christened; there was no school or church within thirty miles
or more, and although the parents seemed all tidy, decent people,
and deplored the state of things, they were powerless to help it.
The father and elder sons work hard all day; the mother has to do
everything, even to making the candles, for the family; there is no
time or possibility of teaching the children. The neighbouring
squatters do not like to encourage settlers to buy up their land,
therefore they carefully avoid making things pleasant for a new
"nest," and the Cockatoos are "nobody's business;" so, as far as
educational advantages go, they are perfectly destitute.

When I mentioned my discovery of this hamlet, and my dismay at the
state of neglect in which so many fine intelligent-looking children
were growing up, every one warned me not to interfere, assuring me
the Cockatoo was a very independent bird, that he considered he had
left all the Ladies Bountiful and blanket and coal charities behind
him in the old country; that, in short, as it is generally put,
"Jack is as good as his master" out here, and any attempt at
patronage would be deeply resented. But I determined to try the
effect of a little visiting among the cottages, and was most
agreeably surprised at the kind and cordial welcome I received. The
women liked to have some one to chat to about their domestic
affairs, and were most hospitable in offers of tea, etc., and
everywhere invitations to "come again" were given; so the next week
I ventured to invite the men over to our Sunday services. Those who