"I can dwell no longer upon this dark period of my life, but hasten
onward to the close of my story. I continued to follow the life of a
sailor for some years after my bereavement. The hurry and bustle
attendant upon my calling served in some measure to drive away thoughts
of the past; but, after a time I even grew weary of the sea; and when I
heard of the famous gold regions discovered in Australia, I felt a
strong desire to visit the place. The desire of making money had less to
do with my decision of going there than had the wish for change and
excitement of some kind. Accordingly, I abandoned my sailor life, and
made my way among the hundreds who were crowding to the gold regions of
Australia.
"At that time I was poor, for I had never possessed the faculty for
saving money. I was unaccustomed to the labors of mining, and in many
instances, the knowing ones took me in, and for a long time I realized
but little from my labors. But, as I persevered, against many
discouragements, year after year, I at length began to be successful. I
finally bought a claim, which, quite unexpectedly to me, yielded a
golden harvest, and I soon found myself rich beyond my most sanguine
expectations.
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