The rain did follow at night to the full as predicted.  I had engaged to accompany a young friend that evening to spend the next day, Sunday, at his “country seat” on Richmond Flat, where he had constructed, mostly with his own hands, a sort of hut or wigwam, under an unchallenged squattage.  Being engaged in a store for long hours on Saturday night, it was past eleven ere we started.  The rain had begun to pour, and the night was pitch dark.  We got into Collins-street, but had much difficulty in keeping its lines where there were not post-and-rail fences round the vacant allotments.  Only three years had elapsed since Melbourne had been named and officially laid out, and, excepting the very centre, there were still wide intervals between the houses on either side even of Collins-street.  After floundering helplessly about in the foundation-cutting of a new house, which was already full of water, but happily only a few inches deep, we at length emerged upon the open of the present Fitzroy Gardens, where for a little time we could keep to the bush track only by trying the ground with our feet or our fingers.  But in spite of all care we soon lost the road, and wandered about in the pouring rain for the rest of the night.  We were young and strong, and as the rain did not chill us, we were in but little discomfort.  A beauteous sunny morning broke upon us, with a delicious fragrance from the refreshed ground.  We found ourselves near the Yarra, between the present busy Hawthorn and Studley Park.  Solitude and quiet reigned around us, excepting the enchanting “ting ting” of the bell bird.  We stripped ourselves, wrung our drenched clothes, and spread them to dry in the sun, and then plunged into the dark, deep still Yarra for our morning bath, afterwards duly reaching my friend’s country seat.

INDIGENOUS FEATURES AROUND MELBOURNE.

“There are more things in heaven and earth
Than are dreamt of in our philosophy.” 
—­Hamlet

These features form an interesting retrospect of early Melbourne.  They have nearly all disappeared since with the growth of town and population.  Some who preceded me saw the kangaroo sporting over the site of Melbourne—­a pleasure I never enjoyed, as the timid creatures fled almost at once with the first colonizing inroad.  I have spoken of the little bell bird, which, piping its pretty monotone, flitted in those earlier years amongst the acacias on the banks of the Yarra close to Melbourne, but which has taken its departure to far distances many a year ago.  The gorgeous black cockatoo was another of our early company, now also long since departed.  For a very few years after my arrival they still hovered about Melbourne, and I recollect gazing in admiration at a cluster of six of them perched upon a large gum-tree near the town, upon the Flemington-road.  The platypus, also, was quite plentiful, especially in the Merri Creek.  Visiting, about 1843, my friend Dr. Drummond, who had a house and garden at the nearest angle of the creek, about two miles from town, we adjourned to a “waterhole” at the foot of the garden, on the chance of seeing a platypus, and sure enough, after a very few minutes, one rose before us in the middle of the pool.