Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/72

and dry. Some persons are of opinion that the ignition is spontaneous; but there are quite enough of known causes to account for their occurrence, without resorting to this obscure explanation of their origin founded on a fact which is by no means established. Travellers or shepherds lighting fires (a very frequent circumstance,) the natives carrying about fire-sticks from place to place, their leaving their numerous fires burning when they abandon their encampment, as also settlers setting fire to part of their runs in order to bum off the old grass, are amongst these. The fire when first kindled may burn but slowly for a time, but when a high wind rises it rages with great fury and spreads with terrific rapidity; and if no precautions have been taken against it, or if some natural circumstances do not occur to favour the efforts of the settler to extinguish it, it bums down every thing before it. There have been some instances, though they are rare, of men losing their huts, stores, woo], woolshed, and even flocks of sheep by this means. The most usual precaution taken to prevent his is, to burn a line round the homestead or whateve place you wish to preserve. This operation is not always unattended with risk: one of the most troublesome fires which I remember, was caused by one of our men attempting injudiciously to bum a line between us and a neighbour, during the prevalence of a hot wind; for although he was assisted by three others, the fire overcame all their efforts to extinguish it, and it was not until every man at the station turned out that it was finally got under after three days' fighting with it. This fighting with fire is the most trying work in which a