along from Batman's Hill to Richmond. A large gully ran across the thoroughfare from the corner of William Street to the basin. In winter time this was a veritable creek, and was known as "the River Enscoe," from the n a m e of the firm that occupied premises on the corner of William and Flinders Streets, Messrs. T h o m a s Enscoe and James. T h e ti-tree swamp, thickly overgrown with jungle, reached up to the place where the "Governor Arthur" lay at the entrance to the basin, and, taking advantage of the fine breeze and high tide, a large brig, named the " Jewess," from Sydney, had run up the river and anchored in the basin. A boat was sent in from the vessel and a hawser tied to a large tree on the bank, when the sailors commenced singing merrily at an old sea song (now out of date) " O h row, and up she rises early in the morning." While walking along, the boys, having a piece of string, pulled a switch out of the swamp and fastened a hook on. A float was soon procured in the form of a cork from an adjacent public-house, and a piece of meat having been obtained from the cook of the steamer, the line was thrown in under a large tree which projected from the river's bank. Very soon the cork bobbed down, and one boy called on the other to assist him, and a splendid schnapper weighing 4 or 5 lbs. was landed. T h e boys returned h o m e very m u c h pleased with their morning's work, and thus ended thefirstday's fishing. T h e other day's fishing in the Yarra was in the early part of the summer of 1848. It was a delightful day, with a cool southerly breeze blowing, and every n o w and then clouds passing over the sun, tempering his ardent rays. M u c h improvement had been effected since 1840, for a comparatively commodious wharf n o w bounded the north side of the basin, whilst lower down were Cole's D o c k and Raleigh's Wharf. T h e n e w dock trade had evidently increased, for there were five vessels of no inconsiderable size discharging cargo, including the "Velocity," a large schooner, belonging to the once well-known Benjamin Boyd, in which he had just brought to the colony a cargo of Fiji Islanders, as a sample of labour for the squattocracy. T h e Fijians of that day were cannibals, and looked as if they could eat anything. S o m e of the savage lot remained in Melbourne, and turned out to be very good servants. Slaughterhouses were, at this time, just below Batman's Hill, and here was the best fishing ground, and it was always well patronized by the amateur anglers, w h o lined the bank, and often secured some rare takes of fine large mullet. T h e writer had only the ordinary bait, and could not get as m u c h as a bite, for those w h o were the most successful had baited with large maggots from a neighbouring boiling down establishment. At last, irritated by his failure, he overcame his repugnance to the successful bait, and determining to do in R o m e as the R o m a n s do, took a handful of the crawlers from a sheepskin, and threading half-a-dozen of the wriggling creatures on his hook, soon succeeded in obtaining a large number of the beautiful mullett, which were then easily obtainable in the Upper Yarra ; but now, owing to the impure state of the river, and the constant navigation by the steamers, no such luck is possible. T h e largest fish captured was lost in rather a strange manner. There were a number of rat-holes on the bank of the river, and a rat, taking advantage of thefisher'sexcitement, popped out of his den, and seizing the largest fish, pulled it away with him, the last seen of it being the head disappearing. A n d thus ended a very pleasant day's amusement. The business rows in some of the Attorney partnerships were often laughable, and though I could produce a host, I content myself with one ex. gra. T w o of them once c h u m m e d in business and went on harmoniously for a while, doing a roaring trade, and making a heavy purse. O n e of' them was considerably the senior of the other, and they were both married to ladies of ages presenting a difference of years which might comparatively assimilate to those of their husbandsT h e elder of the fair sex, as became the proprietress of the head of the firm, was disposed to be somewhat exacting and dictatorial towards her junior friend, w h o rebelled against what she conceived to be an unauthorized exercise of social authority, and so one day it ended in aflare-up,and the ladies mutually severed all connexion with each other. But the quarrel did not end here, as it o~u<mt for the elder matron appealed to what she conceived to be a higher court, and laid her grievance- before her husband. Though a good lawyer, and a shrewd man, he was the unresisting subject of a gynarchy, and the next day the spiteful little comedy of the ladies was reproduced in
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THE CHRONICLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.
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