to one who had been reared amongst evergreen trees, and in the clear atmosphere of Australia. It is to this elasticity and purity of the air that the climate of Swan River owes its healthfulness and its charm—no matter how hot the sun has been, nor, how wearisome its fierce beams have made the labours of the day, it has no sooner sunk below the horizon than the spirits at once revive, and a fresh buoyant feeling replaces all sensation of languor; in the words of Marcellus, though in a different sense to that in which he spoke them, "the nights are wholesome," many persons making a practice of sleeping in their verandahs during the summer months, while teamsters habitually pass the night out of doors with impunity all the year round.
Whatever might be the deficiencies of the colony we could at least say of it as the Roman girl said of her country, "Thou hast thy skies!" No words will better convey the idea of the excessive beauty of the sunset clouds and the great variety of tints than those of Binnahan, who said, as she stood beside me one evening watching the west, "My cousin and me used to choose our frocks out of the sky." Poor little things! the "baseless fabric" on which they exercised their taste was perhaps not more unsubstantial than the clothing on them at the time. Often on summer nights we used to spread out an opossum rug in the garden, and sitting upon it watch the stars, the clear air giving them a size and brilliancy which Michael Lambourne, in 'Kenilworth' did not exaggerate when he said that our "northern blinkers are but farthing candles" compared with those that sparkle in the south.
