From Chart House to Bush Hut Being the Record of a Sailor's 7 Years in the Queensland Bush   By: Charles W. L. Bryde

Being the Record of a Sailor's 7 years in the Queensland Bush

by

C. W. BRYDE

H. H. Champion Australasian Authors' Agency Melbourne

DEDICATION.

To those sturdy battlers, among whom I have lived for seven years, I doff my hat in respect; and dedicate My Book

PREFACE.

The idea in mind is to present, as far as possible, a true picture of life in the Scrub, as I had experienced it. With this end in view, I have neither glossed over the difficulties and disabilities, nor enlarged on the advantages, of selection life in the Scrublands. I have tried to make the book a fairly reliable and interesting guide to anyone thinking of tackling the life. With what success I leave the reader to determine.

THE AUTHOR.

"Up North."

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The Dreary Monotony of Grey Sea and Greyer Sky Frontispiece

I went with them to where they were chopping 49

I had some 20 acres brushed, and two or three felled 66

We had a really decent comfortable little house up 143

CONTENTS.

Chapter. Page.

I. Newcastle (N.S.W.) Chile Coal Run 9

II. One night in Port Jackson 15

III. Good bye to the Sea 20

IV. I Become a Land lubber 26

V. Northward Ho! 33

VI. The Promised Land 38

VII. My Selection 44

VIII. I start as a Land holder 55

IX. Camp Life 61

X. Colonial Experience 68

XI. Home Again! 75

XII. Scrub Life 79

XIII. The Cyclone 86

XIV. Effecting Improvements 92

XV. More Improvements Bullockies 101

XVI. An Accident 108

XVII. Social Amenities 113

XVIII. Burning Off 119

XIX. Wardsman and Deckhand 125

XX. Married 134

XXI. Starting Housekeeping 138

XXII. Struggling Along 142

XXIII. Joyful Experiences of Cow Cockying 149

L'Envoi 156

From Chart House to Bush Hut

CHAPTER I.

THE NEWCASTLE (N.S.W.) CHILE COAL RUN.

The trans Pacific run is the most god forsaken, monotonous trade in the world, I think. Our steamer was fairly fast for a tramp, and we were twenty four days on the Eastbound trip and twenty seven back to Newcastle coal one way and ballast back. Not a solitary sail nor point of land to break the dreary monotony of grey sea and greyer sky, clear across to Valparaiso 5000 miles. Following the Great Circle track, you get down to 53 degrees or 54 degrees south latitude. In winter it's cold blowing a gale pretty well all the time and your ship's like a half tide rock. In summer pretty much the same conditions prevail, with fog added. Occasionally there is a day when it's not blowing then it rains. And there's ice to be looked out for at this time of the year, too, which is an added pleasantry.