No. IV.—Jan. 21st 1869.

Proceeding from Moolert plains towards Majorca, I passed through Rodborough. All the best land in this parish was purchased long ago by Messrs. Donald Campbell and Bucknall, the latter alone having some 17,000 acres. There was still, however, some very fair land left, of which the forty-seconders speedily availed themselves, and consequently fifty-eight selectors are settled here, whose holdings average some sixty acres each. All this land has been improved—fenced in and partly cultivated—but the farms scarcely present so flourishing an appearance as these in Moolert. On Bucknall's plains, in this parish, some of the crops have given very poor yields, and here again I found many of the settlers ascribe the falling-off quite as much to sowing machine-thrashed wheat as to the drought. The early sown oats in this district, however, did very well, some averaging as much as forty bushels to the acre; but unfortunately there was very little land placed under that crop, the settlers being induced by the high price of wheat about sowing time to depend principally upon that cereal. Here again I met with an instance of the mischief which arises from extraneous influences being allowed to interfere with the working of the Lands department. From some cause, which I was unable satisfactorily to determine, one man had been improperly and unjustly deprived of the original selection made by him. In order to compensate for this wrong, he appears to have had a roving commission to select where ho liked, and very good use he made of the opportunity. He took up eighty acres of the choicest page 16 portion of a reserve on Bucknall's run, which includes a spring powerful enough to turn a small Hour-mill, and which, in the earlier days of the colony, actually did turn a mill for the Messrs. Bucknall. The Government had previously refused all applications for this land, very properly reserving it for the public, in consequence of the admirable water supply. Besides this, the land is of magnificent quality, and I was credibly informed that the owners of the run on which it is situated would have been happy to give £20 an acre for it. There is such an abundance of feed all the year round that it is almost impossible for the cattle to eat it down; and it has always been a favourite camping-place for teamsters.

Leaving Rodborough I passed on through Majorca to Talbot, and visited the holdings around Mount Greenock and Mount Glasgow. There is here a large amount of settlement under the clause. In the Talbot division, including portions of the parishes of Amherst, Lillicur, Caralulup, and Eglinton, the greater portion of Craigie, and a small part of Bung Bong, there are no less than 470 holdings, averaging about sixty acres each. Nearly all these are fenced-in, on some of them very comfortable dwellings are erected, and nearly all the land that was granted the year before last—about 1,500 acres—is under cultivation, the principal crop being wheat. The average yield is from twelve to fourteen bushels to the acre, although in some few localities as much as thirty bushels to the acre have been obtained. In Bandy Creek Flat, in the parish of Craigie, I saw a portion of land which certainly looked of the most uninviting description. It is situated immediately between Majorca and Deep Creek. The man who first took up a holding here some two years ago was laughed at for his pains. His crops, however, turned out well, and as the natural result he soon had a number of neighbours, every available acre being speedily occupied. This season the yield on this flat has been superior to that of nearly every other part of the district, the general average being over thirty bushels. It is, however, an incident worthy the attention of our agriculturists that this year the light sandy soil has given far better yields than the black or rich chocolate coloured varieties. The drought appears to have had far more effect on this last description of land. It seems to have been entirely dried up, and large fissures varying from three to six inches in width and from three to five feet in depth have formed, rendering it in some instances absolutely unsafe for the horses in the reaping or stripping machines to go over it. The whole of the available land from Majorca to Chines has been taken up under the clause, but some of it is very poor, and appears to have been selected by carters and bullock drivers more as a home for themselves and an enclosure in which to keep their teams, than for any other purpose. It has, however, been all fenced, nine out of every ten selectors have erected dwellings of some—many of a superior—description, and in not a few instances some small portions have been brought under cultivation. In this district a strange complication has arisen. The Climes reefs are supposed to run all through this land, and consequent upon the excitement in quartz mining which has recently taken place in the locality, the whole of the country has been marked out for mining leases, and the applications have, I believe, been duly lodged in the office of the department of Mines. No less than 2,900 acres have recently been marked out for this purpose by the mining surveyor of the district. In all leases issued under the 42nd section of the Land Act ample power of entrance for mining purposes is reserved, but it is rather page 17 singular to see land that for so many years has lain idle thus suddenly acquire a double value. In many places the surveyed line of the reefs runs through well-cultivated and flourishing farms, and if the expectations of some sanguine individuals are realised, this must become one of the most flourishing districts in the colony. Mining and agriculture will be alike successful? and the locality will be as celebrated for its grain as for its gold.

In this district I met with two of the most flagrant cases of evasion of the Land Act, and of the spirit and intention of the 42nd clause, which up to that time had come under my notice, and both of these were attributable to the political influence of members of Parliament. In the remarks I am about to make nothing is farther from my intention than to charge either the political head or the officers of the Land Department with anything approaching corrupt conduct. All that can feasibly be attributed to them is the fault of crediting too readily the representations made by members of Parliament and the friends whom they introduce. It would be well for the country if in the Land office no private interviews relative to the disposal of land were granted at all. I am satisfied that were many of the statements with which Mr. Grant's ear is too frequently abused made public, their accuracy would be indignantly denied by all acquainted with the facts. As a rule, when, to serve their constituents, members of Parliament go to the Land office, they appear as the briefed advocates of their clients. Whether they receive fees with their briefs or not I do not pretend to determine, but I have seen quite enough to convince me that if the representations made by them are not absolutely incorrect, they are framed in such a manner, and are of such a partial character, as to produce a very incorrect impression, and an unfair decision follows as a matter of course—that is if the representations be attended to. In one of the cases of evasion of the act to which I have referred, several allotments were marked out by the proprietors of the run on which the land was situated—Messrs. Macdonald and Grant, of Clunes—in the names of their shepherds or other employés. The surveyor's fees, advertising charges, and all other necessary expenses, were paid by Mr. Grant, and the men in whose names the land was taken up did not even know where it was situated. All these facts, I was informed on good authority, were proved at the commission, and the selections were at first cancelled. Yet, notwithstanding such unblushing dummyism and the reports of the Crown lands bailiff condemnatory of the whole affair, sufficient political influence was brought to bear on the department to cause the applications to be granted, and eventually the land was transferred to either Mr. Grant or Mr. Macdonald. I may, perhaps, be wrong in the names, as there are more than two persons interested in the station, but with this exception the facts are as I have stated them. To show the value of this land, I may state that land of a similar character has recently been sold by the proprietors of this same run at £8 per acre, the purchaser having seven years to pay it in, and the purchase-money bearing bank interest.

The other case of evasion is in the immediate vicinity of Talbot. Here Mr. Samuels, a gold-broker, has managed to obtain under the 42nd clause a section of 570 acres. This was done by means of a judiciously-arranged system of transfers. This land, judging from surface indications, must be highly auriferous. On the one side are situated the rich leads of Mount Greenock, and on the other, distant but a few hundred yards, is a mine which is now yielding from 200oz. to 300oz of gold a fortnight. The page 18 section of land to which I refer is situated immediately between the two leads—if there be two; but whatever leads there are they must, apparently, run through it. It was originally occupied under mining leases, and Mr. Samuels, by some means, obtained the assent of the licensees to the land being transferred to him under the 42nd clause; but as these persons—with one exception—had done nothing at all to test the ground, their assent or dissent, in a public point of view, was of but small value. The land for agricultural purposes is worth but little, and has evidently been taken up for speculative objects. I admit that Mr. Samuels has a house and garden in one corner of the section, and that the whole has been surrounded by a low stone wall, constructed of stones picked from off the land; but there has been no other attempt at improvement, and it is attributing no crime to Mr. Samuels to say that his evident object is to obtain the fee-simple of the estate. Of course, so long as it remains under the 42nd clause no great harm is done, as the land may at any time be entered upon for mining purposes. But, whilst mining is dull in the district, it is quite possible that the land may be offered for sale, and sold without public attention being actively directed to the circumstance. Were anything of the sort to be permitted, a monstrous wrong would be perpetrated, not only on the district, but on the colony at large, for should the leads now trending towards the land run through it, it will be worth scores of thousands of pounds.

The Maryborough division of the district, under the charge of the Maryborough Crown lands bailiff, includes portions of the parishes of Eddington, Bet Bet, Wareek, Bung Bong, the whole of Carisbrook, and part of Craigie. Within this circle there are 380 selectors under the clause, and their holdings average from forty-five to fifty acres each. In the immediate vicinity of the township of Maryborough most of the selections are small, and the ground poor. They are principally occupied by miners and others who have other avocations, and who, like these in the neighbourhood of Castlemaine, are not solely dependent upon the land for their livelihood. At some distance from the township, however, the selections are larger, the land is of a better quality, and cultivation has taken place to a greater extent. It is worthy of remark that all through this district the residents are entirely dependent for their supply of vegetables on the Chinese, notwithstanding the very large amount of settlement which exists and the extensive area which is under cultivation. The care and labour requisite to grow vegetables to perfection in this district appear to be too severe a tax upon the industry of Europeans, and were it not for the plodding perseverance of the immigrants from the flowery land, the inhabitants of the locality would have to go without these highly necessary articles of food altogether, or would have to pay a far higher price for them. All along the Bet Bet the whole country is under settlement, the land is of an average quality; and although this year the crops have been poor, yet in a more favourable season the selectors would doubtless obtain good returns. The land around Carisbrook is patchy, but it is generally more level and of a richer description than that in Craigie. There are here forty-five holdings, averaging forty acres each. All are substantially fenced in; on many of them comfortable residences have been erected, and a considerable portion is under cultivation. A large quantity of the richest land in this locality—on the Charlotte Plains—is owned by Messrs. M'Culloch, Sellar, and Co., who are believed to be the real holders of the run.

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In the Avoca division of this district, including the parishes of Avoca and Rathscar, part of the parish of Glenlogie going of the Pyrenees, Lainplough, Yalong, a small portion of Bung Bong and a part of Lexton, the settlement is not of so important a character as in the other two divisions. The greater portion of it was taken up m the year 1868, so that as yet there is but little under cultivation The land also is generally of a poor description, with the exception of a few fertile spots in the immediate neighbourhood of the Pyrenees. About 257 selections, averaging some forty acres each, have, however, been made in this district, and notwithstanding the short time that has elapsed nearly all of them have been fenced in. There are not more than some 250 acres under crop, and the average yield of wheat from this will be about ten bushels to the acre. This certainly is not very cheering, but the selectors have not lost heart. They cling to their homes, and hope for better times; and if manly hearts and resolute perseverance can command them, better times will come.

Returning from Carisbrook towards Castlemaine, I passed through the parish of Kddington, which lies on each side of the Deep Creek, and extends to the Loddon. This parish has been nearly all taken up under the 42nd clause, and the few small portions left have been pegged out preparatory to application being made for them at the next commission. There have already been issued here 178 licences, the average area of the holdings being fifty acres, so that in this parish alone some 9,000 acres are held under the clause. Nearly the whole of this has been fenced in, more than one half of it is under cultivation, and a large number of the selectors are resident upon their lots, some of them having erected substantial and comfortable houses. This settlement is one of the most flourishing through which I passed. All the settlers with whom I conversed expressed great confidence in their prospects, and appeared well contented with their position. Throughout the greater portion of the parish the soil is of a rich, dark chocolate colour, tolerably level, and admirably adapted for wheat-growing purposes. The general average this season has been about fifteen bushels to the acre, and this, taking into consideration the long drought, is very fair. A few of the selectors here have formed gardens and planted vineyards, and I tasted some very fair wine which I was told was made in the district, but this was the produce of a vineyard planted on land purchased some years ago. Many of these who occupy land in this locality under the 42nd clause are extremely anxious to purchase their holdings, and in one or two instances their improvements have been valued, and the land is advertised for sale, the upset price being fixed at 25s. per acre. This is a very low figure for such land as is to be found in this locality, and unless a very liberal valuation has been placed upon the improvements, I should not be Surprised to see a remarkably brisk competition for some of the allotments.

From Eddington I proceeded through Neerewan, Bradford, Walmer, Ravenswood, Harcourt, and a portion of Muckleford, into Castlemaine. In Neerewan the soil is of an inferior nature, and much more heavily timbered than in Eddington. There consequently has not been so much demand for the land. Only fifteen holdings, averaging about thirty acres each, have been selected. These, however, have all been fenced in, and partly cultivated, the average yield this season being about twelve bushels to the acre, in Bradford the soil is very poor, of a hard sandy nature, and a great portion of the country consists of ranges covered with a miserable scrub. There page 20 is hardly any feed for cattle, and only one holding of forty acres has been taken up. The land in Walmer is better than at Bradford, although even here it is very poor. Still, it appears to have been in requisition. Forty-nine allotments, averaging thirty acres each, have been selected. These have been fenced in, a fair proportion is under cultivation, and the selectors are living either on or adjacent to their respective holdings. The settlement under the clause in Ravenswood and Harcourt demands but little notice. In the former only one holding of forty acres has been taken up; and in the latter only fourteen, averaging twenty-five acres each. These, however, have all been fenced in, and are being cultivated. In Muckleford the land is of a very different character, consisting of a rich dark loamy soil. Most of it, however, was purchased long ago by small settlers, who have taken advantage of the clause to increase the size of their original farms. It is almost needless to say that these have all carried out the conditions of improvement. The number of licences issued in this locality is twenty-eight, and the average size of the holdings thirty-five acres. A constant supply of excellent water flows through the townships of North and South Muckleford, and a general air of substantial prosperity pervades the whole district.