through his suavity and skill, and few m e n were so fortunate as to number more private friends than he. W h e n he died, m a n y years ago, he was widely regretted; and some of the old colonists of the present day, when his n a m e is mentioned, have always a good word for his memory. E. C. HOBSON was a native of Parramatta, in New South Wales. He rapidly got into practice amongst the most respectable of the community, and when he died, in his thirty-fourth year, Anno 1848, a public subscription was raised to erect a handsome m o n u m e n t over his remains. H e and Dr. Godfrey Howitt (many years dead) held foremost rank in their branch of the profession, and Hobson's death was regarded as little short of a public loss. DR.
W. B. WILMOT, the first Coroner of the County of Bourke, including the town of Melbourne, was a portly, middle-aged individual, of cultivated manner, and a smooth imperturbable placidity of temper which m a d e it almost an impossibility to get up a row with him. In manner and style of march through the streets, he was a counter-part of Pohlman the Barrister, except that he was more sprucely got up, dressed better, and most decidedly wore a superior conditioned hat. Wilmot first lived in Little Flinders Street, afterwards moving to Brighton, and as there was not for years a metalled road between the sea-side location and town, inconvenience would be sometimes caused in wet weather, for the highway would be water-logged, and if a sudden death happened in or about town, the necessary inquisition would have to wait upon the convenience and dry travelling of the Coroner. Practical jokes would sometimes be played off on him by leaving false alarms of unexpected deaths at his office, and his being " sold" in this waggish way was always productive of merriment at his expense. But he took such trifling in good part, or if he winced at the trickery he did not show it. O n e fine morning a sailor was found dead drunk in some scrub near the Doctor's place at Brighton, and it was reported to Wilmot that there was a subject for an inquest. Without waiting for any police intervention the Doctor directed his servant to get a jury together as soon as possible; and, as to moving the body there was no necessity, for the inquest could be held at his house, and it was only twenty or thirty yards to go and "view the corpse." T h e flunkey mounted the Doctor's cob, beat up some neighbouring houses, and in a couple of hours had the required levy of jurymen in attendance. After the opening formalities and swearing in had been gone through, the Coroner blandly informed the gentlemen of the jury that he would accompany them to where the corpse was lying, and away they went on their melancholy duty. O n arriving at the locality and forcing a passage through a dense clustering of scrub they found the object of their search sitting bolt upright before them, lively enough, too, at least in the tongue. Wilmot when reminded of this faux pas, said that the "detested topic" completely upset him. Here is another amusing incident, the m e m o r y of which exists to this day amongst the skeleton traditions of the dead-house of the Melbourne Hospital. Before Wilmot parted with his Coronership, it was a rule in that Institution, that if within twelve months after sustaining an accident a patient died there, an inquest was to be held. A m a n did die once there and the Resident Surgeon, after making a post mortem, was satisfied that no inquiry was necessary, and the corpse was buried. This fact was not reported to the Coroner, w h o heard of the death, and away went Wilmot, puffing and blowing, having previously ordered his constable to forthwith s u m m o n a jury. This was done, the jurors were empannelled, and when they went in search of the body, nothing of the kind was to be found. T h e matter was explained • to the Coroner, w h o worked himself into a gentle excitement, and for a time rejected all overtures of placation. At length, as if stricken by a sudden bright thought, he turned to the Resident Surgeon, and coolly said, "But, M r . , it does not so m u c h matter about the particular body; if there is any other body at present in the Hospital, it will serve just as well." But there was no " b o d y " just then available, and the jury dispersed, enjoying the fun. Years after Melbourne had attained to the position of a City, a separate Coroner was appointed for the district, and Wilmot retained possession of the Metropolis for a considerable time, and close to the period of his death. Professionally and privately, he was m u c h esteemed, and the interest he
DR.
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