The most delightful thing in the life of Northern Australia is its care-free appearance. Existence is literally out of doors， and people live as if burglars were unknown. I have ridden past houses in the early morning， and have seen the verandas littered with books， bric-à-brac， walking-sticks， hats， lamps， and other articles-and the door wide open. Night after night things are left so， and they are not stolen. Stealing is punished in Queensland with the greatest rigour. A man might be guilty of manslaughter， and stand in better odour with the authorities than the thief.
I have ridden to a plantation late at night， turned my horse into the horse-paddock， entered the house， struck a match， found a sofa， lain down， and awakened in the morning to find life bustling about me， my breakfast ready on the table； and I an utter stranger.
Such is the freedom of life. I was a traveller. I suppose I did not look like a vagabond； they appreciated the desire on my part not to disturb their rest， and they apologized for the hardness of the sofa.
Gilbert Parker， in Round the Compass in AustraliaAuthor.-Sir Gilbert Parker was born in Canada in 1862. He became a world traveller and a prolific author of novels and travel notes as well as of a few poems. His best-known romances are The Seats of the Mighty， When Valmond Came to Pontiac， and The Right of Way. Round the Compass in Australia was published in 1892.
General.-What are the two chief virtues of the Queenslanders， according to the author？ Do you think this applies to all Australia？ Give instances to support your view. Bric-a-brac is a French word for curios.
Lesson 41
THE JOURNEY ONWARDS
As slow our ship her foamy track Against the wind was cleaving，Her trembling pennant still looked back To that dear isle "twas leaving.
So loth we part from all we love， From all the links that bind us；So turn our hearts， as on we rove， To those we"ve left behind us ！
When， round the bowl， of vanished years We talk with joyous seeming-With smiles that might as well be tears， So faint， so sad their beaming；While memory brings us back again Each early tie that twined us，Oh， sweet"s the cup that circles then To those we"ve left behind us！
And， when in other climes we meet Some isle or vale enchanting，Where all looks flowery， wild， and sweet，
And naught but love is wanting，
We think how great had been our bliss If Heaven had but assigned usTo live and die in scenes like this， With some we"ve left behind us！
As travellers oft look back at eve When eastward darkly going，To gaze upon that light they leave Still faint behind them glowing-So， when the close of pleasure"s day To gloom hath near consigned us，We turn to catch one fading ray Of joy that"s left behind us.
Thomas Moore
General.-Another sad poem of scenes and days departed. To what other climes have Irishmen gone？ Mention some that have won to prominence in Australia and elsewhere. What is most missed by the emigrant？ Dwell on the last stanza， where a lifetime and a day are compared.
Lesson 42
ZADIG THE WISE
One day， when Zadig was walking near a little wood， he saw the Queen"s attendants and several officers running towards him. He noticed that they were in great anxiety， for they ran about as if they were quite bewildered， looking for something of great value which they had lost.
When they came up to him， the Chief Attendant said， "Have you seen the Queen"s pet dog？ "Zadig replied， "It is a very small spaniel； it has a limp of the left forefoot， and it has very long ears. ""You have seen it， then？ " exclaimed the Chief Attendant， joyfully.
"No， " replied Zadig. "I have never seen it. I did not know that the Queen had such a dog. "Precisely at the same time， the most beautiful horse in the King"s stable had escaped from the hands of the stable attendants and galloped out on the plains of Babylon. The Grand Vizier and all the other officers ran after it with as much anxiety as the Chief Attendant ran after the spaniel.
The Grand Vizier addressed himself to Zadig， and asked him if he had seen the King"s horse pass. Zadig replied ： " It is a horse which gallops to perfection； it is five feet high， with verysmall hoofs. It has a tail three and a half feet long； the bit of its bridle is of gold； its shoes are of silver. ""Which road has it taken？ Where is it？ " demanded the Vizier.
"I have never seen it， " replied Zadig， "and I have never before heard it spoken of. "The Grand Vizier and the Chief Attendant did not doubt that Zadig had stolen the King"s horse and the Queen"s dog. They had him convoyed before the judges， who condemned him to be flogged and to pass the rest of his days in exile.
The judgment had scarcely been pronounced when the horse and the dog were found. The judges were under the sad necessity of reversing their judgment， but they condemned Zadig to pay four hundred ounces of gold for having said that he had never seen what he had seen. He was first obliged to pay this fine； after which he was permitted to plead his cause before the Council.
He spoke in these terms：-
"This is what happened to me. I was walking towards the little wood， where I lately encountered the venerable Chief Attendant and the most illustrious Grand Vizier. I had seen on the sand the traces of an animal， and I had easily judged that they were those of a little dog.
"Other traces which appeared to have continually raised the surface of the sand by the side of the front feet told me that it had long ears. As I remarked that the sand was always lesscrushed by one foot than by the three others， I understood thatthe dog of our august Queen was， if I may dare say so， a little lame.