Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/484

460 "When we got back to the hotel and met the Doctor, it was time to sit down to breakfast. He had already received two invitations to dinner from gentlemen to whom he brought letters; they had heard of our arrival, and knowing we had been hospitably received in Sydney, were determined that we should be initiated at once into the courtesies of Melbourne, and start off with a favorable impression of the place.

"A few minutes after we were through with breakfast a gentleman called for us and gave us a carriage-drive, in which we saw more than we can begin to describe. We visited the Botanical Gardens, which are about a mile from the city, and on the south bank of the Yarra; they cover an area of not far from a hundred acres, and do great credit to the gentlemen who designed and perfected them. The collection of plants and trees is very large, and everything is labelled, so that the scientific student can know at once its history and character. We strolled along a winding walk among the ferns, and could easily imagine ourselves in the heart of a tropical forest. We also visited the Fitzroy, Carlton, Treasury, and other gardens and parks, of which Melbourne has an abundant supply.

"On many of the streets trees have been planted, and they add much to the attractions of the city. The water-supply of Melbourne comes from an artificial lake nineteen miles from the city, and is brought in