Book excerpt: THE SWAGMAN SAGA is an Australian colonial myth of the vagrant archetype traveling through time and over the landscapes of the Great South Land. From the convict settlement in Port Jaxson, to an epic trek across the continent with his magic swag and The Old Grey Mare, to the founding of Freemanport in Western New Holland. Counterpointing his story is that of Matilda, born of a line of Cornish witches who bear the magic trunk which binds the destiny of all the characters. The Swagman, Tai Foon the Golem Chinese Warrior, Biddi and Yanda their Aboriginal friends, and the antagonist - a terrible agent of Law and Order, The Nemesis of Witches, Captain Sharman, a shape-changer riding a carnivorous black steed. The Swagman and the Witch create a new life together, founding a nation that embraces people from all the lands on earth.