Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/422

 596 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY Mr. Samuel Braund WERE many of the singular experiences of veteran colonists recorded in print, they would have the appearance of unreality. A book of representative biography can deal in generalities only. It must be left to other classes of works to combine in a single narrative a connected history of typical episodes in the lives of the pioneers of South Australia. In the lite of Mr. Samuel Braund have occurred episodes that would well bear recounting at full length were space available. He was born in Devonshire in 1826, and came of a family of English farmers. Employed in the Government service at home, he eventually made up his mind to come to Australia and engage in the bucolic occupation of his fathers. Leaving the old country in 1853, he arrived in South Australia in Eebruary, 1854, and became manager, for Mr. E. J. F. Crawford, of a large farming property at Hindmarsh. The crops near Adelaide in those days were generally large, and the prices were such as would delight the present - day farmer in the Province. After four years had passed, Mr Braund began farm- ing on his own account in the Hundreds of Grace and Port Gawler ; but at first he had to put up with a severe drought, reaping Bond i^ Co., Photo Igc5j5 th-j,-, ]-,g actually sowed, and having to pay 1 is. 6d. per bushel for the seed. Pasture was so scarce that he had for months to fell the sheaoak trees to secure feed for his cattle. He soon, however, became one of the largest producers in the Province at that time ; and his returns were generally sufficient to handsomely recompense him for difficulties with which every husbandman had then to contend. In the outer districts there were few macadamised roads, so cartage was an imi)ortant item in the expenditure of the farmers. Mr. Braund can tell many stories of hardships in those early days. The knowledge obtained in agriculture in the old country was very serviceable to him in the Province, and after the initial expense of clearing and breaking the soil, he obtained a large annual yield from his tillage. For many