'Swan River,' is quite equal, if not superior, in natural advantages, to other portions of that continent about which much more has been said and written. The climate is most salubrious, and proves wonderfully restorative to constitutions weakened by diseases of either the respiratory or the digestive organs. The soil is, in general, as throughout Australia, rather indifferent; some districts, however, are tolerably fertile, and others are well adapted for pasturage. Provisions are cheap, indeed too cheap for the cultivator's interest; while manual labour is scarce and dear. To a really poor man, who is willing to work, and desirous of emigrating, Western Australia would seem to offer many inducements. Its great disadvantage, in the author's opinion-and one which, as he considers, it shares in a greater or less degree with all colonies-is its poverty. The colonist has either no market, or at best a very uncertain one, for his surplus produce. He may have a substantial dwelling, abundant crops, numerous flocks and herds, and plenty of good homespun clothing; but while he wants those elegancies and luxuries which can only be procured from abroad, he is, and must remain, From this account, it will be seen that the author's ideas of poverty are those of a class, and that not the class to which the majority of emigrants belong.

a poor man.

The following picture, however, of 'country life' at Swan River, among the class of settlers especially re

ferred to, does not by any means convey an impression of very severe privations to be endured by such emigrants. It is a description of the fireside of a half-pay officer or gentleman farmer,' who, though occasionally driving his own cart, or sowing the seed which he has purchased in the market, 'is not thought less qualified to act as a magistrate, nor is less respected by the great and small in his neighbourhood.' 'Happy family!' exclaims the author, 'how pleasantly the evenings pass in your society! Gladly would I ride many miles to spend such pleasant hours, and witness happiness so unpretending and real. How cheerful looks that large room, with its glorious fire of jarra-wood and "black-boys" (for it is the winter season), and how lightly those young girls move about, arranging the tea-table, and preparing for the evening meal! The kind-hearted mother, relieved of all duties but that of superintendence, sits by the fire, chatting cheerfully with the guest, whose eyes, nevertheless, wander round the room after a certain light and dancing shape; the host, a man of eld, but stalwart in appearance, full of hospitality and noble courtesy, appears in his easy slippers and an old and well-worn coat, which formerly had seen service in London ball-rooms. He discourses not only of the crops, and colonial politics, but of literature, and the last news from England; for, like many other colonists, he receives the English papers, and patronises the quarterly reviews.

With what alacrity the old gentleman rises up and welcomes a traveller, who has unexpectedly arrived, and has just stabled his horse, and seen him fed before he made his appearance in the parlour. There is no beating about the bush for a bed, or an invitation to supper. Of the latter he is certain, and indifferent about the former; for having slept the last night under a tree, he feels sure of making himself comfortable on the sofa, or on the hearthrug before the fire. During the evening, the girls sing, and happily they sing well; and they take most pleasure in those songs which papa likes best to hear: and the poor bachelor guest, who looks on, feels his heart melting within him, and reviles himself for the destitution in which he lives at home. Suddenly, perhaps, horses at a gallop are heard to enter the yard; and soon afterwards two young fellows, fresh from the capital, come dashing into the room, full of

spirits, and vowing they have gallopped over on purpose to ascertain whether the ladies were still living. Here is authority of undoubted value for everything relating to the last ball at Government House; and the merits and appearance of every person who attended are soon brought under discussion. This naturally inspires the young people with a desire to dance; so the table is pushed aside, and papa being squeezed nearly into the fire, mamma takes her place at the piano, and bursts off with the "Annen Polka."

There are some entertaining chapters descriptive of the exciting pleasures of wild-cattle hunting, the chase of the kangaroo, and similar sports. Other portions of the work afford useful information respecting the climate and productions of the colony, the local government, the aborigines, and various other subjects of interest to emigrants. We prefer, however, as more closely bearing upon the avowed object of the work, the account of a visit which Mr Landor paid to his younger brother, the Shepherd Melibaeus, at a "squatting station" on the Hotham, some sixty or seven miles south of York.' In the afternoon of the second day after leaving York,' continues the author, we descended into a broad valley, abounding with grass and scattered gum-trees. A large flock of sheep were being driven towards the bottom of the valley, where we could discern signs of human habitation. On arriving, we found a hut built of piles or stakes, interwoven with boughs, before the door of which was a fire, with a large pot upon it, from which a powerful steam arose, that was evidently very grateful to a group of natives seated around. On descending from the vehicle, and looking in at the hut door, we perceived, lying in his shirt sleeves, on a couch composed of grass-tree tops covered with blankets and a rug made of opossum skins, the illustrious Melibus himself, with a short black pipe in his mouth, and a handsome edition of "Lalla Rookh" in his hand. Perceiving us, he jumped up, and expressing his loud surprise, welcomed us to this rustic "Castle of Indo

lence."

'When a large flock of sheep is sent into the bush, and a squatting station is formed, the shepherds take the sheep out to pasture every morning, and bring them home at night, whilst one of the party always remains at the station to protect the provisions from being stolen by the natives; this person is called the hut-keeper. His duty is to boil the pork or kangaroo-flesh, and provide supper, &c. for the shepherds on their return at night. Melibus, who superintended this station, undertook the duties of cooking and guarding the hut whenever he did not feel disposed to go out kangaroo-hunting, or shooting wild turkeys or cockatoos. In all things, sports or labours, the natives were his daily assistants, and in return for their services were rewarded with the fore-quarters of the kangaroos killed, and occasionally with a pound or two of flour. There were some noble dogs at this station, descendants of Jezebel and Nero; and my brother had a young kangaroo, which hopped in and out with the utmost confidence, coming up to any one who happened to be eating, and insisting upon having pieces of bread given to it. Full of fun and spirits, it would sport about as playfully as a kitten; and it was very amusing to see how it would tease the dogs, pulling them about with its sharp claws, and trying to roll them over on the ground. The dogs, who were in the daily habit of killing kangaroos, never attempted to bite Minny, which sometimes teased them so heartily, that they would put their tails between their legs and fairly run away.'

It will be sufficiently apparent that The Bushman' is not exactly a work in which a really poor emigrant, taking that term in its usual sense, will find the information best suited to his circumstances; there is, however, a large class of 'poor genteel' individuals, who are painfully struggling, with insufficient means, to maintain themselves in the sphere to which they have been accustomed, and whose poverty, if not as real, is as keenly felt as that of many with much smaller incomes

and humbler pretensions. To such, The Bushman,' notwithstanding its somewhat ambitious and overlaboured passages, will be found to contain matters both of instruction and entertainment.

THE LABOURING CLASSES.

PERHAPS few of the readers of the Journal are aware of the existence of the society whose name is written at the head of this paper. It has, however, been in active operation for the last two or three years, having its head-quarters in London, and numbering among its most vigilant promoters Lord Ashley, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rev. Sir Henry Dukinfield, rector of St Martins; the Hon. and Rev. Montagu Villiers, and several other noblemen and gentlemen. With the laudable object in view which its title imports, we purpose now to state what the society proposed to do at its outset, what it has been able to do, and what it has failed to do. The writer of this paper had the opportunity of gathering this information at a late anniversary meeting of the society, held at the new model lodging-house in St Giles's (to which we shall shortly advert), and which was attended by the several gentlemen whose names we have enumerated, and many others interested in the society and the object for which it was instituted. The acting committee of the society arranged their operations under three heads; namely, to aid the labouring classes in three important particulars-those of money, land, and dwellings. With regard to the first point, the committee had seen and lamented from the Commencement that in either the borrowing or saving of money, the poor man had scarcely any of those facilities which were so abundantly within the reach of the middle classes. He had to pay 15, 20, and 25 per cent. for loans of money; and the benefit societies of which he was a member too often dissolved themselves before he could reap any advantage from the sums he had deposited with them.' With the view of obviating these inconveniences, the committee set on foot a loan-fund, which failed, however, to answer the end intended by its formation. They thus explain the cause of its miscarriage. In their institution of a loan-fund, they have seen it to be as yet impossible to overcome the difficulties peculiarly incidental to the metropolis. In a village or a small town, where the real character, habits, and probable means of every poor inhabitant can be easily and quickly ascertained, there is little difficulty in the management of such an institution; but in London-where every office for granting pecuniary aid is sure to be instantly thronged by a crowd of persons of doubtful character, and whose real objects cannot be easily penetrated, and who, in this vast metropolis, find no difficulty in concealing themselves from their creditors whenever their claims begin to prove inconvenient -such an institution is beset with serious difficulties.' The committee, unwilling to give up this part of their purpose, turned their attention to the institution of what they call a model benefit society; but here again an unexpected difficulty arrested their progress. They consulted several eminent actuaries as to the scale of payment which might safely be adopted, but those actuaries differed greatly from each other on this important point. Under all these circumstances, the society has not yet been able to determine on any distinct and eligible course of action in this matter.' 'Nevertheless,' said Lord Ashley, who acted as chairman, we shall continue our efforts on this point, in the full hope that we shall be able, before our next anniversary, to state something satisfactory on the subject.'

It occurred to us that, so far as the saving of money among the poor was concerned, instead of the society

tion that we know of, especially in the unexceptionable security which they give to depositors for the safety of their savings.

With respect to providing the labouring classes with allotments of land, this is an object to which the society attributes much importance, and they have been at On this great expense and trouble in promoting it. subject Lord Ashley observed, that he believed the society had brought the public mind throughout the country to the conviction, that few things could so well conduce to the welfare of the agricultural population as the allotting to them portions of land to cultivate in their hours of leisure. The society itself, he added, had a very considerable portion of land allotted in that way; and they would continue that system of things, not only because it was part of the foundation of their sotion that it was most conducive to the welfare of the ciety, but because it would be a proof of their conviclabouring classes. The Bishop of London added his testimony to the importance of this subject. He said the question of allotments was one in which he took a very deep interest, and the meeting would readily believe him when he said he was one of the first, if not the first person, to introduce the system into an agricultural community more than thirty years ago. allotted certain portions of land to a number of labourers, and the only fault which he committed was in allotting to each labourer too large a portion of land. The good effects, however, of such a system, he was of opinion, could not be extensively felt throughout the country unless it was taken up by the proprietors of land; at the same time the society had done wisely in fixing at different parts of the country model allotments, in order that the success which would infallibly attend them might stimulate others in the same practice. The Bishop of Norwich also stated that twentyfive or thirty years ago he endeavoured in every possible way to introduce the allotment system. When he went to Norwich, he tried it there; and he was happy to say the system was answering perfectly well in that great and populous town.

He

On this subject we would only observe, that allotments of land are valuable merely when intended for cultivation, as Lord Ashley observes, at leisure hours. If the people are induced to depend solely upon such allotments, the result, as all experience demonstrates, will be deterioration and pauperism.

A few words as to the localities in which the society are endeavouring to carry out the allotment system. Previous to the annual meeting of 1846, they were in possession of land for that purpose at Yetminster in Dorsetshire, at Talworth and Long-Dilton in Surrey, at Herne Bay in Kent, at Winchmore Hill and Edgeware in Middlesex; and at that time the society was in treaty for the purchase of ten acres of a charity estate situate at Cholesbury, near Tring. This latter piece of ground has since been put under the superintendence of the Rev. H. P. Jeston, and at Michaelmas 1846 sixteen tenants were admitted to allotments, to their great gratification (as the committee observe), and with every prospect of permanent benefit.' The society has also taken possession of twenty acres of land at West Malling, the whole of which has been divided into allotments. Upon this estate the committee contemplate the building of two model cottages for labourers. They have also obtained a piece of land, part of a charity estate, at Denton in Northamptonshire, which has been divided among sixty-four tenants. They have likewise purchased a piece of land at Chatham, consisting of eleven acres, but they had not, at the time of the meeting, obtained possession of it.

Model Lodging-House, planted as it is in the very heart of the dense and squalid population congregated in the district about St Giles's.

A SCOTTISH MUSICAL GENIUS. In a late number of the Inverness Courier' we find an interesting notice of one of the more fertile composers of our national airs-the late Mr William Marshall, a farmer in the north of Scotland. Any notice of this kind should not be suffered to pass without attracting a proper share of attention. It is the misfortune of Scottish music that absolutely nothing is known of the authors of the most beautiful and popular airs: of the origin of many tunes, which are the delight of every domestic circle, there does not appear to exist the slightest tradition. They have sprung up in the course of ages, and been incorporated in the national music, without exciting any remark at the time, and afterwards the authorship has silently passed into oblivion. In numerous instances, we believe, the composers have been persons moving in no high sphere of life-not finished musicians, in the proper sense of the term, but geniuses inspired with an ardent love of melody, whose name and merits have scarcely travelled beyond the bounds of a limited rural range.

The subject of the notice in question was one of these geniuses. William Marshall, proceeds the narrative, was born in Fochabers, Banffshire, in 1748, and was the third son of a large family in humble circumstances. While a boy, he evinced considerable musical talent, which, if cultivated, might have shone out with lustre; but this was not possible, and all the education of any kind he received was six months at school, and a few extra lessons he received from a gentleman at Gordon Castle. 'At twelve years of age he entered the service of the Duke of Gordon, and in a few years was elevated to the post of house steward and butler. In this situation he remained for thirty years, accompanying the family wherever they went. Marshall also displayed a taste for architecture, astronomy, mathematics, and mechanics, and in all these sciences he made astonishing progress. Land-surveying was a favourite amusement; and in later years he laid down meridian lines upon which he built the houses of Keithmore and Newfield. Of his mechanical skill he has left a wonderful evidence-a clock he constructed and presented to the Duke of Gordon, which indicates the months and days of the year, the moon's age, the sun's declination and time of rising and setting daily, with many other astronomical phenomena. This curious clock is preserved at Gordon Castle.

'Marshall was above the middle size, compactly built, and handsome in his youth. He was, as we may easily believe, an excellent dancer. He understood the craft of falconry, was an excellent angler, could throw the hammer, leap, and run with a dexterity, agility, and speed, against which few could successfully cope; and, to add to his extraordinary doings, in his age he made roads, constructed bridges, and administered the law of the land. It is as a musician, however, that we have more immediately to deal with him. At Gordon Castle he employed his leisure in the practice of his favourite art, and among his earlier compositions were "The Duke of Gordon's Birthday," "The Bog of Gight," "Miss Admiral Gordon," and "Johnie Pringle." To the last, the facetious author of "John o' Badenyon" set the song "Tune your Fiddles;" and to "Miss Admiral Gordon," Burns wrote the words "Of a' the airts the wind can blaw." The air is one of the sweetest in the whole range of Scottish melody; and it is united to one of the tenderest of lyrics: both became at once, and have ever continued, universal favourites. Like the songs of Burns, Marshall's airs were all the result of mere momentary whim or fitful inspiration. They cost him no labour; and when once he had mastered the rhythm, it is said he seldom retouched it. He did not trust wholly to his own partial judgment. At the age of twenty-five he had married a winsome wee thing," by name Jane Giles-who, although no musician, possessed a fine natural taste. That taste was the ordeal he chose for his airs. In the evenings he would take his fiddle, and while she listened, he would go over with a delicate hand the air he had composed during the day. If she disapproved of it, the piece was rejected; what she admired, he instantly committed to

paper. In this way Marshall selected and preserved upwards of three hundred airs. Latterly, however, and when a very old man, we find him throwing off melodies so rapidly, that we can scarcely think he was as fastidious as in his younger days. As a performer on the violin, Marshall was a master. His correctness of ear was extreme; his management of the bow perfect; his style at once former, he became even earlier known than as a composer. As a perprecise and full; and his execution brilliant. He was on one occasion dining with a party of friends, when a blind minstrel-probably more a lover than a master of his instrument-came under the dining-room windows and began to play. By way of a joke, one of the company told him that one of the party was a learner; right that the "loon" should give him a bar in return, and as he (the blind man) had delighted them, it was although it might neither be sweet nor tender. The old man handed up his instrument; Marshall good-naturedly took it, and played several strathspeys in his own perfect way. When asked what he thought of the learner's " quality," the old man earnestly replied, "Na, na! that's no a loon's' playing; I'll wager a groat that's Mr Marshall o' Keithmore, for there's naebody hereabouts that could play the inclination to dance was as irresistible as if the listener like that but him!" When Marshall played strathspeys, had been inoculated by the Tarantula. In his compositions-no matter by whom performed-there was a cliarm almost equally powerful. Writing from India in 1822 to Mr Marshall, Mr John Stewart of Belladrum humorously remarked, that "though he thought his dancing days were over," yet, in the house of a lady, both he and Mrs Stewart had danced to some of his strathspeys "with the thermometer at 85 degrees."

At

Marshall left Gordon Castle in 1790 for a farm near Fochabers. Shortly afterwards, he removed to a larger, Keithmore, and was appointed factor by the Duke of Gordon, from whom the farm was held. The situation of factor he filled until 1817. From his earliest connection with the Gordon family, Marshall was held in the highest estimation. Similarity of taste led to an early friendship betwixt him and his Grace; and time, as it went, revealed so much and so varied talent, with such private worth, that Marshall advanced higher and higher in the esteem of his patron the duke. His personal merit procured him respect-his musical powers constant admiration. Gordon Castle, the fruits of his genius were always first displayed and appreciated; and from the hall they rapidly spread into every corner of the district, and latterly over the land. With the extension of his works his popularity increased, until it reached London itself, where, in the Opera House, several tunes of his became favourites. It was no longer left to him to give the name of some imaginary gentle one, or fanciful title to his compositions. He ran no hazard in coupling with his strains the names of the noblest of the land; for the fair sex of the higher classes paid the composer considerable attention, and were emulous of having their names united to his melodies. As his years increased, so did his popularity; and in his later correspondence, scarcely a tune is embodied for the name of which he had not been solicited long before. In the collection of his hitherto unpublished airs, for example, only three out of upwards of eighty tunes occur to which the name of some fair creature or noble personage is not attached. Frequently, and long after Marshall left Gordon Castle, his music was heard in its halls. The duke still acknowledged the charm of his compositions; and frequently Marshall's successor (Daniel Macdonald, also a composer and performer), and the musical retainers, were called upon to perform his music to his Grace's guests. The duke, of all Marshall's tunes, had one particular favourite "The Marchioness of Cornwallis;" and he showed his partiality for it on such occasions by calling specially for it as the wind-up of the entertainment.'

Marshall was repeatedly urged by his noble patron to collect his compositions for publication, but without effect. Unlike the common herd of composers, whose notions are everlastingly of copyright, and who tremble at the idea of one of their airs being played in public without a consideration, Marshall-as Burns had done with his lyrics-threw off his airs without a thought as to personal remuneration, and could with difficulty be persuaded to give them to the world in a regular collected form. At length, when many of them had become known and admired, his reluctance was overcome by the duchess, to whom all lovers of Scottish melody must feel indebted. The first volume ap