Years ago the fabulously rich silver discovery at Broken Hill burst suddenly upon an unexpectant world.

Its stocks started at shillings, and went by leaps and bounds to the most fanciful figures.

It was one of those cases where the cook puts a month's wages into shares, and comes next mouth and buys your house at your own price, and moves into it herself; where the coachman takes a few shares, and next month sets up a bank; and where the common sailor invests the price of a spree, and next month buys out the steamship company and goes into business on his own hook.

In a word, it was one of those excitements which bring multitudes of people to a common center with a rush, and whose needs must be supplied, and at once.

Adelaide was close by, Sydney was far away.