Personal Recollections of Early Melbourne and Victoria | Page 2

to mark with astonishment all that had been done in that
comparatively brief time. I am thankful to Mr. Froude, whose
delightful work, "Oceana," I could read to all full enjoyment during the
leisure and quiet of the voyage, for somewhat preparing me for what I
have to see, for I must infer from his graphic accounts, especially of
interior progress--while already three more years have since
elapsed--that even my most sanguine anticipations will be exceeded.
Our great Scottish poet and novelist has finely said:--
"Lives there a man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said--
This is my own, my native land?"
But is there not a formidable rival to the force of this sentiment in that
with which one clings to the land where so many of the most vigorous
years of life have been actively spent? And a land, besides, of
surpassing sunny beauty and of rare romance. Business calls are usually
held to be imperative, even if they send us, willing or unwilling, to
"Ultima Thule or the Pole." Accordingly, my later lot has been to return
to the older, and not to continue in the newer, part of the common
empire. But, at any rate, that rather enhances the enjoyment of this
re-visit.
According to the usual custom, I now write my introduction last of all.
I have most pleasantly occupied several hours of the complete leisure
of each day in writing these "Recollections," and now, as we get within
almost hours of our destination, I am putting this last hand to my
labours. I cannot hope that their light sketchiness can go for much, save
with those who, familiar with the great Melbourne and Victoria of
to-day, may enjoy the comparison of the small things of a retrospect
extending to almost half a century, and all but to the birth of the colony.
The voyage has been extremely pleasant, with a good and well-found
vessel, fairly fast as the briskly competitive speed of these days goes,
and above all with a head in Captain Burton who has proved first-class
in every requirement. He has just complimented us by saying that we
are the best behaved lot of passengers he ever took. That was due very
greatly to himself; and I think that all of us are well able to reciprocate
his compliment by regarding him as the best of captains. Officers and
crew also have been, to our view at least, faultless; but then, again, all
that so much depends upon the captain.
Touching the important matter of speed, let me say a little. All

important it is, indeed, in this age of fast progress. When I first sailed
for Australia, in 1840, we were, I think, 141 days on the way. Nor was
that a very inordinate passage then. This time I expect, within that
interval, to go and return, besides having nearly two and a half months
to spare--a space of time which now, with rails and fast steamers
everywhere, will enable me to visit all South-Eastern Australasia,
including even New Zealand. Of course, that means hardly more than
"to see," but still that is better than not to see at all, those wonderful
parts of our empire.
But yet again, on this point of speed, our "Coptic's" daily run averaged
rather under 300 nautical miles. In justice to the good ship, we should
credit her with rather more, for during the latter half of the voyage she
was meeting or anticipating the sun by six or seven degrees of
longitude daily, and thus clipping about half an hour off each day. But
turn now to the latest like exploit between Liverpool and New
York--the case, I think, of the s.s. "Umbria", whose unprecedented
record is of 455 to 503 miles daily. Granting this to be subject to
abatement for running this time away from the sun, and thus prolonging
the day, there is enough of difference to give us, at this speed, the hope
of a three weeks' Australian service by the straightest available line. It
has already been effected to Adelaide in 29 days. We Australians must
hope that ere long Melbourne and Sydney, together with all about them,
will weigh, with ourselves at least, as heavily as New York. The coal
question is, of course, an awful difficulty for three weeks instead of
five to six days, but not, we hope, insuperable. Our "Coptic" burns but
fifty tons a day, but the New York liners require three hundred.
When a man has passed seventy-three, as I have done, he may be
excused in doubting his chance of yet another Australian visit. But
while he has been waiting these many years, he has seen such vast
improvement in inter-communication facilities of every kind, as to
establish, he might