Show wroten tor for this paper OUR australasian LETTER HOBART TASMANIA february 1895 after a series of cottage meetings n g ain in one of the suburbs of sydney toe journey sejourney southward was continued audon and on the deck of the S S buninyong Buni Bunin nyong vong eld elders rs separated with many good wishes for each others welfare and pleasurable anticipations of meeting again in zion sydney harbor with its numerous attractive sights and innumerable bays and inlets dispels all feelings of loneliness alter after a pleasant two days sail along the broken and rugged coast for about five hundred miles the vessel entered the narrow channel leading into port philip during the night shortly afterwards the lights of melbourne and its suburbs were in sight and the banks of cheaver the river yarra were illuminated with the electric lights for many miles early the following morning elders G W lewis and J stevenson were on the wharf to meet their visiting brother and the little party were soon wending their way dav ta to footscray Foot a small suburb about five miles distant melbourne is acknowledged to be the largest larges t and most beautiful city in the australasian wide feet crossing at right angles ana and splendid 90 99 system of electric cable cars reminds the etonian very forcibly of the beautiful city of the saints in zions vales sixty years ago the present site oj at this magnificent city was densely covered w with th giana bant forest trees the e shaded i glens echoed echoed and re echoed with the cheery music of innumerable feathered songsters song whose varied and bright colored plumage added to the beauty of the scene numerous small streams trickled over their rocky beds almost almost hidden by the tall trunks of the eucalyptus and other native trees and black wattle ferns and vines rendered the thicket almost impenetrable undoubtedly the ab originals were as proud of their forest home in its primitive grandeur as colonials now are of the modern metropolis with its numerous attractions in the year 1835 the southern coast of australia was explored by stockmen stoc kmen from tasmania w who no were desirous of obtaining extensive ranges for their cattle and sheep A year later their sanguine reports attracted many home seekers to that locality the population increased so rapidly that the government we was Ls compelled to recognize the importance of the growing district and numerous settlers flocked in from new south wales and tasmania the banks of the yarra and the shores of port philip were soon studded with the hornes homes of hardy settlers and in march 1837 the colonial governor paid an official 1 visit to the enterprising founders and named the new city melbourne in honor of the then premier of great britain lord melbourne in 1850 the population of port fort philip district numbered of whom three fourths were from england and a large proportion of the rest from tasmania after a prolonged struggle the settlers were granted colonial inan independence dence and the ae new district was formally sep abated iu in 1851 from new south wales and named victoria about the same time the news of the gold discovery at Sut lers fort california reached melbourne and the young colony furnished its share of eager fortune hunters who flocked thither many of them however returned disappointed and un successful and they immediately commenced to search for the precious metal in various parts of victoria government offered a thousand dollars for the discovery of gold which resulted in in the finding of the yellow mineral at bathurst ballarat ballaran Ball arat bendigo and castlemaine in each of which places cities were almost born in a day melbourne became the great business center and the chief distributing point for supplies to all these districts and it has retained the position ever since it is is now I 1 the capital ot of the smallest but most important of the australasian colonies for the area of victoria is only square miles the metropolitan area contains a population of inhabitants the growth of the city has been almost phenomenal and the massive and stately structures indicate the enterprising enterprising character of the victorians many any ot of the banks and mercantile houses are veritable palaces and it would be difficult to eclipse vany many of odthe the architectural designs it is a pleasure indeed to ride in front of the cable cars which run to all parts of the city and suburbs among the nu berous public institutions may be named the public library art gallery and museum all of which are located in one of the finest stone edifices in in the city countless thousands of books in all languages and treating on all ima imaginable 9 i topics may be found classified on mites of shelving arranged around the various rooms and corridors passing through the museum and art galleries the visitor is almost bewildered by the numerous exhibits and he feels that life is too short to study satisfactorily all the various objects of interest the botanical gardens zoological gardens aquarium and many public parks also contain attractive features and offer unexcelled opportunities for recreation and pleasure the city claims to have within its limits 2600 factories in which over forty thousand hands obtain employment in connection with the various industries produce of all kinds is very low at present wool has fallen to sixpence per pound wheat two shillings oats one and hay thirty shillings per ton beef is is selling from one cent and a half to three cents per pound and mutton from a penny to three and halt hall pence per pound it is reported that during last season about five hundred tons of butter per week were exported from victoria to london and the ruling prices are from six to the frozen meat trade also receives con sid erable attention and colonials are in various ways contributing largely to the food supply of the mother country the victorians lead the colonies with their sporting proclivities and a sketch of melbourne would not be complete without reference to its contiguous race courses on cup day business enter arises must yield to the interest centered in in the great race the chief topic in the hotels trains cars and on the die streets are the prospective winners of the c cup flemington racecourse is cl claimed aime to b be e one of the chief attractions of melbourne it is situated on saltwater river a few miles from the city and is surrounded by a grassy plateau and each year the green slopes and enclosures are black with a mass ot excited humanity over a hundred thousand persons will assemble to see the best thoroughbred horses in the world compete lor for the richest prize in the world amounting to fifty thousand dollars the grand stands are always crowded with the aristocracy of the colonies and earls dukes baronets baranets baro nets and at times royalty with their fair dames are often present and the rich and costly toilets of the ladies and their enthusiasm in the sport reminds the spectator ot of sir walter scotts description of the old english tournaments of course betting is rife and book makers and speculators in the ring fatten on the ignorance ot of the excited multitude in all the colonies gambling is a fashionable vice a talented australian writer frankly admits that gamblers undoubtedly cold colonial nial men are but they have been cradled so to speak peak in a bed of excitement connected d with the gold rushes and landblom land boom speculations which have fostered the instinct for gambling racing without gambling would cease to exist and this fact must be faced and not hypocritically ignored no wonder therefore that colonials are like fish out of water without some exciting sport hence in their respective seasons football and cricket are absorbing topics it is no unusual thing for ten thousand persons to pay a shilling each to witness a match and numerous bulletin boards in the cities announce the progress of the game to eager multitudes on the streets an english cricket team is now touring the colonies and all classes are arc saidi said to be interested in the sports prince and pauper parson and publican priest and people and it is rumored that some of the ecclesiastics lay the greatest odds even royalty has caught the lever and the loyalty of british subjects was strengthened recently when a cable message announced that her mai majesty esty the queen displayed great interest in the matches played by darts team in australia who would not sing god save the queen A critical observer of the condition of the people is apt to think that her maje interest is misplaced the colonials cannot afford this prodigality but it is evident that t he mass masses are lovers ot of pleasure more than lovers of god crime depravity and poverty abound in all the cities and an army of earnest philanthropists are battling against the evils and endeavoring to rescue the multitude of victims from the haunts of shame the drink fiend is slaying its thousands shameless pimps parade the streets day and night and a serious discussion is now going on how to prevent unfortunate young girls from flocking into the opium dens there to become the paramours par oar amours of almond eyed celestials celesti als rescue homes foundling asylums childrens refuges etc eaf etc are very numerous and many sincere christian workers are striving to mitigate the evils nero played while rome burned I 1 and Melbour ians revel in ia I 1 sports while thousands are crying for bread and pauperism and vice are rampant A lew few years ago melbourne was booming boswith banks Bk with their hundreds of br branches anglies throughout the colonies caught the speculative spirit inflated flatea in land values prevailed fancy prices were placed on desirable spots some in in melbourne being quoted at as foot through the block massive buildings twelve and thirteen stories high were erected without prospects of tenants at last the crash came values escame came down shareholders were reduced from luxury to beggary be gary and the country was strewn with financial wrecks the cry of retrenchment was heard in every department part ment of government public works were suspended and the whole country suffered from the evil effects of speculation it was recently asserted in parliament that there are over empty houses in the metropolitan area notwithstanding all these disasters melbourne is steadily endeavoring to regain its former prestige colossal structures are still being built in the city aul american capital is being invested in them it is feared however that if the citizens continue to sow to the wind they will surely reap the whirlwind during a few weeks stay in victoria a visit was paid to the town ot of bendigo about one hundred miles northwest of melbourne lor for the purpose of obtain obtaining ong genealogical information and visiting kindred over thirty five years ago a beloved uncle with a numerous family left old england in order to seek a home in the colonies and very little had been heard of them in the meantime though it was known that some were lost at sea after a wearisome ride of four hours in uncomfortable railway carriages passing through many towns and villages en town of bendigo was reached and stepping from the train to the platform the stranger waited for recognition A lady hesitatingly enquired if he was mr G and the prompt answer was yes and this is cousin annie A strange meeting indeed they parted as children and only remembered the games of childhood and now meet surrounded by y numerous children whose presence indicate the lapse of time reminiscences of days of yore were exchanged and memories of dear departed ones were revived visits were paid to many bamily connections whose existence was almost forgotten but alas the abode of the best remembered loved ones had to be sought in the city of the dead in the cemetery were pointed out the last resting places of uncle aunt and cousins and small tokens were plucked from the tb e graves in in lo 10 loving ong remembrance of the oe departed while e reflecting on the glorious work of redemption the epitaphs were copied and earnest hopes were entertained that these dear ones may come forth with the redeemed of israel in the resurrection ot of the just bendigo is a town of inhabitants and possesses many attractive features iea tures it flourished greatly in the golden days of victoria when mother earth yielded so bounteously its shining treasures to the thousands of hardy diggers who sought wealth in all its ita hills bills and gullies mining is still the chief industry and one of the busiest spots in the town is the stock exchange A i number of pleasant resorts and parks provide ample recreation ground for the citizens christmas eve was spent in rambling through the streets listening to the numerous bands of carol singers who were heralding the glad tidings of a saviors birth in the city of david alter after the christmas celebration the return trip was made to melbourne and an urgent request was received to visit a branch of the church at harrow a remote village about miles distant alter after a monotonous allday all day ride through an unattractive country the little town of horsham was reached where a halt had to be maue till the following day the journey was then continued till the village of noradjuha Norad juha was reached the elders anticipated friends meeting them but were disappointed and it was subs subsequently bently learned that letters had been delayed A conveyance was hired and before night the travelers arrived at salt lake the name was so familiar that it almost made the Elders homesick but there was no other resemblance to the beautiful city of zion the surrounding country is very sparely settled and much of the land is unfit for anything but grazing purposes and very poor even tor for that the locality receives its name from the salt water lakes in the vicinity near which are a number of scattered houses settlers havin having located on all the desirable land in th the e neighborhood at salt lakes brother wm win brooksby extended a cheerful welcome to the elders and the following day sunday drove them over to harrow about fourteen miles distant to the hospital home of brother eli cox and family who were delighted to have the privilege ot ol entertaining the servants of god in the afternoon a sacrament meeting was held and encouraging addresses were delivered and counsel given to the members remarking on the singularity ot of saints residing in such a remote and sparsely settled region good old sister cox sen promptly explained that she and her husband joined the church in england and that she had been a member since 1849 in the early fiffi fifties es the british government offered great inducements to settlers in the colonie sand brother and sister cox availed themselves of the opportunity of bettering their condition believing that it would assist them in in ga gathering therin with the saints her dear husband hus husband bany however was not privileged to enjoy his australian home long and passed away to the great beyond without at the great desire of his heart A few years ago sister cox learned of the presence of the elders in melbourne and finally corresponded with them resulting in in a visit to harrow when brother eli cox and family quickly obeyed the laws of the gospel the whole fahily are now anxious to gather with the great body of the church and expect to go with a company of returning elders in may brother brooksby became interested in the gospel by meeting a lone travel seated er on the side odthe of the road reading his bible on inquiry he learned that the weary stranger was an elder of the church of jesus christ ot of latter day saints engaged in preaching the gospel in the same manner as the apostles of 0 old he invited him into his cart and they traveled along as did philip and the eunuch of old with the same result as the scriptures were explained |