Dr. Johnson is reported to have said that the best way to travel is to sit by one's own fireside and read how others have done it; but though this may be the safest mode it certainly is not the pleasantest. This any travelled writer knows; and he also knows that could he succeed in adequately inspiring the reader with his accounts of the delights of foreign experiences, especially those of the grand, beautiful, and marvellous exhibitions of Nature, he would surely induce him to add to his own en

Journey across the American Continent.—The Giant City of the West.—A Chinese Community.—Embarking for a Long Sea-voyage.—About Ocean Birds.—Navigating the Pacific.—Peculiarities of Life at Sea.—Curiosities of the Deep.—Ambergris.—City of Honolulu.—An Island Paradise.—Early Paganism at Hawaii.—Wholesale Human Sacrifices.—Royalty at the Race-course.—Not a Kingly Monarch. When the author resolved upon a journey to the Antipodes he was in London, just returned from Norway, Sweden, and Russia, and co

Ladies Riding Astride.—Passion for Flower Decorations.—A Sailor on a Bucking Horse.—A Weekly Gala-day.—Hawaiian Ladies' Costume.—A Famous Battle-ground.—The Native's Staff of Life.—Ubiquitous John Chinaman.—Largest Apple-orchard in the World.—Hawaiians as Cannibals.—An Active Volcano.—Colony of Lepers.—Unwelcome Visitors.—Our Political Relations with the Sandwich Islands. There are not infrequently substantial reasons for customs which appear to us absurd at first blush. It was observed at the r

The Samoan Islands.—A Unique Race of Savages.—Diving for Money.—A Genuine Samoan Mermaid.—German Aggressiveness.—A South-Sea Nunnery.—A Terrible Disease.—Christianity vs. Paganism.—Under the Southern Cross.—Grandeur of the Heavens at Sea.—Landing at Auckland.—A Stormy Ocean.—The Famous Harbor of Sydney.—England and her Australian Colony.—The Modern Eldorado.—Early Settlers. In our course southward we made the islands known as the Samoan, or Navigator's group, and stopped to land the American and

Interesting Statistical Facts.—Emigration.—Heavy Indebtedness.—Curious Contrasts.—New South Wales.—A Populous City.—A Splendid Harbor.—The Yacht "Sunbeam."—Street Scenes.—Gin Palaces.—Public Gardens of Sydney.—A Noble Institution of Learning.—Art Gallery.—Public Libraries.—Pleasure Trip to Parametta.—Attractive Drives.—A Sad Catastrophe in Sydney Harbor. Before proceeding to take the reader from city to city, and to depict their several peculiarities, a few statistics gathered by the author on t

A Zigzag Railway.—Wonderful Series of Caves.—Immense Sheep-Runs.—Sheep-Shearing.—Central Australia.—City Characteristics.—Fine Architectural Development.—Steam Tramways.—Labor Unions.—Colonial Federation.—The Tariff.—Loyalty to England.—Spirit of Local Rivalry.—The St. Giles of Sydney.—City Clubs.—The Laughing Jackass.—Public Parks.—Gold Mines. There is one special excursion which should not be neglected by travellers to Sydney; namely, a visit to what are called the Fish River Caves at Tarana.

The Capital of Queensland.—Public Gardens.—Gold Mines and Gold Mining.—Pleasant Excursion.—Inducements to Emigrants.—Coolie Principle of Labor.—Agricultural Products.—Sugar Plantations.—Australian Aborigines.—Cannibalism.—Civil Wars.—Indian Legends.—Fire-arms and Fire-water.—Missionary Efforts.—A Brief Romance.—The Boomerang.—The Various Tribes.—Antiquity of these Lands. Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, which was originally known as Moreton Bay District, lies about five hundred miles north o

Morning in the Forest.—Flying Foxes.—A Startling Snake-story.—Geographical.—Want of Irrigation.—Droughts.—Immense Sheep-Runs.—Seeking a Shepherd Life.—Wonderful Gold Nuggets.—A "Welcome" Discovery.—Wool is King in Queensland.—The Chinese Population.—Education in Australia.—Peculiar Banking Business.—Waging War upon Kangaroos.—Journalism in Australia.—Proposed New Colony. A drive of a few miles inland from Brisbane carries one through pleasant villages and among farms, plantations of sugar-cane,

An Inland Journey.—The Capital of Victoria.—Grand Public Buildings.—Water-Supply of the City.—Public Parks and Gardens.—Street Scenes.—Dashing Liveries.—Tramways.—Extremes.—Melbourne Ladies.—Street Beggars.—Saturday Half-Holiday.—Public Arcades.—The City Free Library.—The Public Markets.—China-Town, Melbourne.—Victims of the Opium Habit. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, lies nearly six hundred miles southwest of Sydney. The journey from one city to the other by rail is rather a tedious one, a

A Melbourne Half-Holiday.—Inconsistency of Laborers.—Vice-Royal Residence.—Special Gold-Fields of Victoria.—Ballarat.—Great Depths in Mines.—Agricultural Interests.—Sandhurst.—The Giant Trees of Australia.—The Kangaroo.—In Victorian Forests.—Peculiar Salt Lakes.—The Bower-bird's Retreat.—The Wild Dog.—Desirable and Undesirable Emigrants.—No Place for the Intemperate. Saturday afternoon is made a weekly carnival in Melbourne, though it does not by any means assume so picturesque an aspect as in H

From Melbourne to Adelaide.—Capital of South Australia.—New Gold-Fields.—Agricultural Interests.—City Institutions.—Inducements to Immigrants.—Public Buildings.—A City of Churches.—Australian Ladies.—Interior of the Country.—Irrigation.—German Settlers.—The Botanical Gardens.—West Australia.—Perth the Capital.—The Pearl Fisheries.—Commercial Advantages Considered. We shall now leave Victoria and take the reader into another colony, by no means less interesting than those already visited. The dis

From Australia to Tasmania.—The River Tamar.—Bird Life.—City of Launceston.— Aborigines of the Island.—Tattooing.—Van Diemen's Land.—A Beautiful Country.—Rich Mines.—Mount Bischoff.—Down in a Gold Mine.—From Launceston to Hobart.—Rural Aspects.—Capital of Tasmania.—Street Scenes.—A Former Penal Depot.—Mount Wellington.—Personal Beauty.—An Unbecoming Fashion. From Adelaide and Perth let us turn our steps toward another of this group of British colonies in the South Sea. To reach Tasmania one take

Lake District of Tasmania.—Mount Wellington.—Kangaroos.—The Big Trees.—A Serenade.—The Albatross.—Marksmanship at Sea.—Dust of the Ocean.—A Storm.—Franklin's Proposition.—A Feathered Captive.—Bluff Oysters.—Most Southerly Hotel in the World.—Invercargill.—Historical Matters.—Geographical.—The Climate of New Zealand.—Colonial Hospitality. The river Derwent, which rises far inland where the beautiful lakes St. Clair and Sorell are embosomed, itself broadens into an inland lake six miles wide, wher

The City of Dunedin.—Scotch Residents.—The Enchanter's Wand.—Chain-Cable Tramways.—Volcanic Effects.—The Salvation Army.—Local Gold-Fields.—Enormous Aggregate Product.—Trees and Flowers.—The Rabbit Pest.—Port Littleton.—Market Day in Christchurch.—An Interesting City.—Wonderful Extinct Bird.—Strange Record of an Unknown Race.—The New Zealand Forests. We sailed from the Bluff at sunset on our return from Invercargill, having a boisterous voyage of fourteen hours to Dunedin, the chief city of Otag

Capital of New Zealand.—About the Native Race.—A City of Shops.—Local Earthquakes.—Large Glaciers.—McNab's Gardens.—A Public Nuisance.—Napier.—Maori Peculiarities.—Native Language.—Mythology.—Christianizing Savages.—Gisborne.—Cruelty to Dumb Animals.—Shag Island.—Sir George Gray's Pleasant Home.—Oysters Growing on New Zealand Trees! Wellington is situated on the north side of Cook's Strait, and is the capital of New Zealand. It is less than two hundred miles from Christchurch. Auckland was origi

Historical Glance at Auckland.—A Remarkable Volcanic Region.—City Institutions.—Queen Street and Its Belongings.—Mount Eden.—Comprehensive View.—Labor Unions.—The Public Debt.—Kauri Forests.—Production of Kauri Gum.—Environs of Auckland.—The Native Flora.—An Admirable Climate.—A Rich Mineral District.—Agricultural Development. Auckland is the northern metropolis of New Zealand, and to us seemed to be its most representative city. As we have before mentioned, it was formerly the capital of the co

A Journey to the King's Country.—An Experienced "Whip."—Volcanic Hills.—A New Zealand Forest.—A Strangely Afflicted Boy.—Lake Rotorua.—Ohinemutu.—Funeral of a Maori Chief.—Wailing and Weeping.—Moonlight on the Lake.—Wonderland.—Spouting Geysers and Boiling Pools.—Savage Mode of Slaughter.—Maori Houses.—Chivalry and Cannibalism.—Savage and Civilized Life. Here in Auckland we were also in the vicinity of the Hot Lake District of North New Zealand, and a week was devoted to a visit to the remarkabl

The Maori Dog.—A Romantic Island.—Sinking of a Maori Fort.—Volcanic Destruction.—A Country of Boiling Springs.—Idleness.—A Lazy Race of Savages.—Native Religion.—A Fitful Geyser.—Sophia, the Famous Guide.—A Funeral Dance.—The "Haka" Performance.—Maori Improvidence.—Rubbing Noses.—Native Babies.—Church-Going and Card-Playing.—The King's Country.—Eloquent Aborigines.—A Sanitarium.—Sulphur Point.—Future of New Zealand. The funeral wailings of the natives during the day were not sufficient to fill t