in the quality of his food, finds himself worse off than in London.  Meat of the same quality as he gets at his club in Pall Mall is not to be got in Collins Street for love or money.  The flour is the best in the world, and the bread wholesome and sweet; but the toothsomeness of German and French bakers is not to be had, and the finest qualities of flour are all shipped to England instead of being used here.  The dearness of labour makes it impossible to give the same care to the cultivation of fruit and vegetables; and though these are cheap enough, the delicate flavour of Convent Garden is hardly compensated by their superior freshness.  In short, our food is somewhat coarse, albeit wholesome enough.

Up-country the meat is excellent; but in the towns it is not, as a rule, so good as in England, as the sheep and cattle have often to be driven long distances before they are slaughtered.  Prices vary according to the different towns, seasons, and qualities from 6d. to 21/2d. a lb. for beef, and from 4d. to l1/2d. for mutton.  Pork is from 9d. to 7d.; veal from 8d. to 4d.  All kinds of fruit and vegetables, except Brussels sprouts, are cheap and plentiful.  I will quote one or two prices at random from a market-book:  artichokes, l1/2d. a lb.; tomatoes, 2d. a lb.; beetroot and cabbages, 1s. 6d. a dozen; potatoes, 6s. a cwt.  During the season fruit is very cheap.  Splendid Muscatel grapes can be bought in Adelaide from ld. to 2d. a lb.; peaches, 3d. a dozen; apricots, 2d. a dozen; raspberries, 5d. a lb.; cherries, 2d. a lb.; strawberries, 4d.; plums almost for nothing; but by far the best is the passion-fruit.  Neither vegetables nor fruit, as sold in the markets and shops, are as good as those you buy in England.  The inferior quality is due to the grow-as-you-please manner in which the fruit is cultivated, pruning and even the most ordinary care being neglected; but you can get as fine-flavoured fruit here as anywhere, and to taste grapes in perfection you must certainly go to Adelaide.

Of course meat is the staple of Australian life.  A working-man whose whole family did not eat meat three times a day would indeed be a phenomenon.  High and low rich and poor, all eat meat to an incredible extent, even in the hottest weather.  Not that they know how to prepare it in any delicate way, for to the working and middle, as well as to most of the wealthy classes, cooking is an unknown art.  The meat is roast or boiled, hot or cold, sometimes fried or hashed.  It is not helped in mere slices, but in good substantial hunks.  In everything the colonist likes quantity.  You can hardly realize the delight of ‘tucking in’ to a dish of fruit at a dinner-party.  I once heard a colonist say, ’I don’t like your nasty little English slices of meat:  we want something that we can put our teeth into.’  Imagine the man’s misery when dessert came on the table, and he was asked whether he would take a slice of pear!  Vegetables are for the most part despised, though the thoroughly old English dish of greens remains in favour, and potatoes are largely eaten.