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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.08.01*END** +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + + + + + +This etext was produced by Col Choat colc@gutenberg.org.au + + + + + +The Eureka Stockade + + + + + +NOTA BENE + +In Person I solicit no subscription--in writing I hereby +ask no favour from my reader. A book must stand or fall +by the truth contained in it. + +What I wish to note is this: I was taught the English +language by the Very Reverend W. Vincent Eyre, Vice Rector +of the English College, Rome. It has cost me immense +pains to rear my English up to the mark; but I could never +master the language to perfection. Hence, now and then, +probably to the annoyance of my Readers, I could not help +the foreign idiom. Of course, a proper edition, +in Italian, will be published in Turin. + +I have nothing further to say. + +Carboni Raffaello. + +Prince Albert Hotel, Bakery Hill,, Ballaarat, +Anniversary of the Burning of Bentley's Eureka Hotel, 1855. + + + + +Chapter I. + + + +Favete Linguis. + + +Mendacium sibi, sicut turbinis, viam augustam in urbe et orbe terrarum aperuit. +Stultus dicit in corde suo, "non est Deus." +Veritas vero lente passu passu sicut puer, tandem aliquando janunculat + ad lucem. +Tunc justus ut palma florescit.* + + +[*Listen to me-- +The lie, like the whirlwind, clears itself a royal road, either in town + or country, through the whole face of the earth. +The fool in his heart says, "There is no God." +The truth, however slow, step by step, like a little child, someday, at last, + finds a footpath to light. +Then the righteous flourish like a palm tree.] + + +I undertake to do what an honest man should do, let it thunder or rain. +He who buys this book to lull himself to sleep had better spend his money +in grog. He who reads this book to smoke a pipe over it, let him provide +himself with Plenty of tobacco--he will have to blow hard. A lover of truth-- +that's the man I want--and he will have in this book the truth, +and nothing but the truth. + +Facts, from the "stubborn-things" store, are here retailed and related-- +contradiction is challenged from friend or foe. The observation on, +and induction from the facts, are here stamped with sincerity: I ask for no +other credit. I may be mistaken: I will not acknowledge the mistake +unless the contrary be proved. + +When two boys are see-sawing on a plank, balanced on its centre, whilst +the world around them is "up" with the one it is "down" with the other. +The centre, however, is stationary. I was in the centre. I was an actor, +and therefore an eye-witness. The events I relate, I did see them pass +before me. The persons I speak of, I know them face to face. The words +I quote, I did hear them with my own ears. Others may know more or less +than I; I mean to tell all that I know, and nothing more. + +Two reasons counsel me to undertake the task of publishing this work; +but a third reason is at the bottom of it, as the potent lever; and they are-- + +1st. An honourable ambition urging me to have my name remembered among +the illustrious of Rome. I have, on reaching the fortieth year of my age, +to publish a work at which I have been plodding the past eighteen years. +An ocean of grief would overwhelm me if then I had to vindicate my character: +how, under the hospitality of the British flag, I was put in the felon's dock +of a British Supreme Court to be tried for high treason. + +2nd. I have the moral courage to show the truth of my text above, +because I believe in the resurrection of life. + +3rd. Brave comrades in arms who fell on that disgraced Sabbath morning, +December 3rd, worthy of a better fate, and most certainly of a longer +remembrance, it is in my power to drag your names from an ignoble oblivion, +and vindicate the unrewarded bravery of one of yourselves! He was once +my mate, the bearer of our standard, the "Southern Cross." Shot down by +a murderous hand, he fell and died struggling like a man in the cause +of the diggers. But he was soon forgotten. That he was buried is known +by the tears of a few true friends! the place of his burial is little known, +and less cared for. + +'Sunt tempora nostra; non mutabimur nec mutamur in illis; jam perdidi spem.' + +The work will be published on the 1st of December next, and given to each +subscriber by the Author's own hand, on the site of the Eureka Stockade, +from the rising to the setting of the sun, on the memorable third. + + + + +Chapter II. + + + +A Jove Principum. + + +"Wanted a governor. Apply to the People of Victoria:" that was the +extraordinary advertisement, a new chum in want of employment, did meet +in the usual column of 'The Argus', December 1852. Many could afford to laugh +at it, the intelligent however, who had immigrated here, permanently to better +his condition, was forced to rip up in his memory a certain fable of Aesop. +Who would have dared then to warn the fatted Melbourne frogs weltering in grog, +their colonial glory, against their contempt for King Log? Behold King Stork +is your reward. 'Tout comme chez nous.' + +One remark before I start for the gold-fields. As an old European traveller +I had set apart a few coppers for the poor at my landing. I had no opportunity +for them. "We shall do well in this land;" was my motto. Who is going to be +the first beggar? Not I! My care for the poor would have less disappointed +me, if I had prepared myself against falling in the unsparing clutches +of a shoal of land-sharks, who swarmed at that time the Yarra Yarra wharfs. +Five pounds for landing my luggage, was the A, followed by the old colonial C, +preceded by the double D. Rapacity in Australia is the alpha and omega. +Yet there were no poor! a grand reflection for the serious. Adam Smith, +settled the question of "the wealth of nations." The source of pauperism +will be settled in Victoria by any quill-driver, who has the pluck to write +the history of public-houses in the towns, and sly-grog sellers +on the gold-fields. + +Let us start for Ballaarat, Christmas, December 1852.--'Vide'--'tempore suo'-- +'Julii Caesaris junioris. De Campis Aureis, Australia Felix Commentaria.' + +For the purpose, it is now sufficient to say that I had joined a party; +fixed our tent on the Canadian Flat; went up to the Camp to get our gold +licence; for one pound ten shilling sterling a head we were duly licensed +for one month to dig, search for, and remove gold, etc.--We wanted to drink +a glass of porter to our future success, but there was no Bath Hotel +at the time.--Proceeded to inspect the famous Golden Point (a sketch of which +I had seen in London in the 'Illustrated News'). The holes all around, +three feet in diameter, and five to eight feet in depth, had been abandoned! +we jumped into one, and one of my mates gave me the first lesson +in "fossiking,"--In less than five minutes I pounced on a little pouch-- +the yellow boy was all there,--my eyes were sparkling,--I felt a sensation +identical to a first declaration of love in by-gone times.--"Great works," +at last was my bursting exclamation. In old Europe I had to take off my hat +half a dozen times, and walk from east to west before I could earn one pound +in the capacity of sworn interpreter, and translator of languages in the city +of London. Here, I had earned double the amount in a few minutes, +without crouching or crawling to Jew or Christian. Had my good angel +prevailed on me to stick to that blessed Golden Point, I should have now +to relate a very different story: the gold fever, however, got the best of +my usual judgment, and I dreamt of, and pretended nothing else, than a hole +choked with gold, sunk with my darling pick, and on virgin ground.--I started +the hill right-hand side, ascending Canadian Gully, and safe as the +Bank of England I pounced on gold--seventeen and a half ounces, depth ten feet. + + + + +Chapter III. + + + +Jupiter Tonans. + + +One fine morning (Epiphany week), I was hard at work (excuse old chum, +if I said hard: though my hand had been scores of times compelled in London +to drop the quill through sheer fatigue, yet I never before handled a pick +and shovel), I hear a rattling noise among the brush. My faithful dog, +Bonaparte, would not keep under my control. "What's up?" "Your licence, +mate." was the peremptory question from a six-foot fellow in blue shirt, +thick boots, the face of a ruffian armed with a carbine and fixed bayonet. +The old "all right" being exchanged, I lost sight of that specimen of colonial +brutedom and his similars, called, as I then learned, "traps" and "troopers." +I left off work, and was unable to do a stroke more that day. + +"I came, then, 16,000 miles in vain to get away from the law of the sword!" +was my sad reflection. My sorrow was not mitigated by my mates and neighbours +informing me, that Australia was a penal settlement. Inveterate murderers, +audacious burglars, bloodthirsty bushrangers, were the ruling triumvirate, +the scour of old Europe, called Vandemonians, in this bullock-drivers' land. +Of course I felt tamed, and felt less angry, at the following search +for licence. At the latter end of the month, one hundred and seventy +seven pounds troy, in two superb masses of gold, were discovered at the depth +of sixty feet, on the hill opposite where I was working. The talk was soon +Vulcanish through the land. Canadian Gully was as rich in lumps as other +gold-fields are in dust. Diggers, whom the gold fever had rendered +stark blind, so as to desert Ballaarat for Mount Alexander and Bendigo, +now returned as ravens to the old spot; and towards the end of February, '53, +Canadian Gully was in its full glory. + + + + +Chapter IV. + + + +Incipit Lamentatio. + + +The search for licences, or "the traps are out to-day"--their name at the +time--happened once a month. The strong population now on this gold-field had +perhaps rendered it necessary twice a month. Only in October, I recollect +they had come out three times. Yet, "the traps are out" was annoying, +but not exasperating. Not exasperating, because John Bull, 'ab initio et +ante secula', was born for law, order, and safe money-making on land and sea. +They were annoying, because, said John, not that he likes his money more +than his belly, but he hates the bayonet: I mean, of course, he does not want +to be bullied with the bayonet. To this honest grumbling of John, +the drunkard, that is the lazy, which make the incapables, joined their cant, +and the Vandemonians pulled up with wonted audacity. In a word, the +thirty shillings a month for the gold licence became a nuisance. + +A public meeting was announced on Bakery-hill. It was in November, 1853. +Four hundred diggers were present. I recollect I heard a "Doctor Carr" +poking about among the heaps of empty bottles all round the Camp, and asked +who paid for the good stuff that was in them, and whither was it gone. +Of course, Doctor Carr did not mention, that one of those bottles, corked +and sealed with the "Crown," was forced open with Mr. Hetherington's corkscrew; +and that said Dr. Carr had then to confess that the bottle aforesaid contained +a nobbler some 250 pounds worth for himself. Great works already at Toorak. +'Tout cela soit dit en passant.' Mr. Hetherington, then a storekeeper +on the Ballaarat Flat, and now of the Cladendon Hotel, Ballaarat Township, +is a living witness. For the fun of the thing, I spoke a few words +which merited me a compliment from the practitioner, who also honoured me +with a private precious piece of information--"'Nous allons bientot avoir +la Republique Australienne! Signore.'" "'Quelle farce! repondis je.'" The +specimen of man before me impressed me with such a decided opinion +of his ability for destroying sugarsticks, that at once I gave him credit +as the founder of a republic for babies to suck their thumbs. + +In short, here dates the Victorian system of 'memorialising.' The diggers +of Ballaarat sympathised with those of Bendigo in their common grievances, +and prayed the governor that the gold licence be reduced to thirty shillings +a month. There was further a great waste of yabber-yabber about the diggers +not being represented in the Legislative Council, and a deal of fustian +was spun against the squatters. I understood very little of those matters +at the time: the shoe had not pinched my toe yet. + +Every one returned to his work; some perhaps not very peacefully, on account +of a nobbler or two over the usual allowance. + + + + +Chapter V. + + + +Risum Teneatis Amici. + + +I recollect towards this time I followed the mob to Magpie Gully. It was +a digger's life. Hard work by day, blazing fire in the evening, and sound +sleep by night at the music of drunken quarrels all around, far and near. +I had marked my claim in accordance with the run of the ranges, and safe +as the Bank of England I bottomed on gold. No search for licence ever +took place. What's the matter? Oh, the diggers of Bendigo, by sheer +moral force, in the shape of some ten thousand in a mob, had inspired +with better sense the red-tape there and somewhere else, so I took out +my licence at the reasonable rate of two pounds for three months, +my contribution for the support of gold-lace. So far so good. I had no fault +to find with our governor Joseph Latrobe, Esquire; nor do I believe +that the diggers cared about anything else from him. Was it then his being +an esquire that brought his administration into contempt? The fact is, +a clap of "The Thunder" from Printing House-square boomed on the tympanum +of my ear. We diggers got the gracious title of "vagabonds," and our massa +"Joe," for his pains to keep friends with us, was put down "an incapable;" +all for the honour of British rule, of course. + +"Wanted a Governor," was now no longer a dummy in 'The Argus'; but, unhappily, +no application was made to the people of Victoria. + +Give a dog a bad name--and the old proverb holds good even at the antipodes. +My trampings are now transcribed from my diary. + +With the hot winds whirled in the Vandemonian rush to the Ballaarat Flat. +My hole was next to the one which was jumped by the Eureka mob, and where +one man was murdered in the row. At sixty-five feet we got on a blasted log +of a gum-tree that had been mouldering there under a curse, since the times +of Noah! The whole flat turned out an imperial shicer. (You do not sink +deep enough, Signore Editor.) Slabs that had cost us some eight pounds +a hundred would not fetch, afterwards, one pound. We left them to sweat +freely in the hole; and all the mob got on the fuddle. My mate and myself +thought we had been long enough together, and got asunder for a change. +I was soon on the tramp again. Bryant's Ranges was the go of the day, +and I started thither accordingly. December, 1853. Oh, Lord! what a pack +of ragamuffins over that way! I got acquainted with the German party +who found out the Tarrangower den; shaped my hole like a bathing tub, +and dropped "on it" right smart. Paid two pounds to cart one load down +the Loddon, and left two more loads of washing stuff, snug and wet +with the sweat of my brow over the hole. Got twenty-eight pennyweights +out of the load. Went back the third day, brisk and healthy, to cart down +the other two loads. Washing stuff! gone: hole! gone: the gully itself! +gone: the whole face of it had been clean shaved. Never mind, go ahead again. +Got another claim on the surface-hill. No search for licence: thank God, +had none. Nasty, sneaky, cheeky little things of flies got into my eyes: +could see no more, no ways. Mud water one shilling a bucket! Got the +dysentery; very bad. Thought, one night, to reef the yards and drop +the anchor. Got on a better tack though. Promenaded up to the famous Bendigo. +Had no particular objection to Celestials there, but had no particular taste +for their tartaric water. Made up my mind to remember my days of innocence, +and turned shepherd. Fine landscape this run on the Loddon: almost a match +for Bella Italia, but there are too many mosquitoes. Dreamt, one day, +I was drinking a tumbler of Loddon wine; and asserted that Providence +was the same also in the south. It was a dream. The lands lay waste +and desolate: not by nature; oh no; by hand of man. Bathing in these +Loddon water-holes, superb. Tea out of this Loddon water magnificent. +In spite of these horrible hot winds, this water is always fresh and delicious: +how kind is Providence! One night lost the whole blessed lot of my flock. +Myself, the shepherd, did not know, in the name of heavens, which way to turn. +Got among the blacks, the whole Tarrang tribe in corrobory. Lord, +what a rum sight for an old European traveller. Found natives very humane, +though. My sheep right again, only the wild dogs had given them a good shake. +Was satisfied that the Messiah the Jews are looking for will not be born +in this bullock-drivers' land; any how, the angels won't announce the happy +event of his birth to the shepherds. No more truck with sheep, and went +to live with the blacks for a variation. Picked up, pretty soon, bits +of their yabber-yabber. For a couple of years had tasted no fish; +now I pounced on a couple of frogs, every couple of minutes. Thought +their 'lubras' ugly enough; not so, however, the slender arms and small hands +of their young girls, though the fingers be rather too long. + +That will do now, in as much as the end of the story is this: That portion +in my brains called "acquisitiveness" got the gold-fever again, and I started +for old Ballaarat. + + + + +Chapter VI. + + + +Sua Cuique Voluntas. + + +I was really delighted to see the old spot once more; Easter, 1854. +I do not mean any offence to my fellow-diggers elsewhere; it struck me +very forcibly, however, that our Ballaarat men look by far more decent, and +our storekeepers, or grog-sellers if you like, undoubtedly more respectable. + +Of a constitution not necessarily savage, I did not fail to observe +that the fair ones had ventured now on a large scale to trust their virtue +among us vagabonds, and on a hot-wind day, I patronized of course some +refreshment room. + +I met my old mate, and we determined to try the old game; but this time +on the old principle of 'labor omnia vincit'--I pitched my tent right in +the bush, and prophesied, that from my door I would see the golden hole +in the gully below. + +I spoke the truth, and such is the case this very day. Feast of the +Assumption, 1855:--What sad events, however, were destined to pass exactly +before the very door of my tent! Who could have told me on that Easter Sunday, +that the unknown hill which I had chosen for my rest, would soon be called +the Massacre Hill! That next Christmas, my mate would lie in the grave, +somewhere forgotten: and I in the gaol! the rope round my neck!! + +Let us keep in good spirits, good reader, we shall soon have to weep +together enough. + +Gravel Pits, famous for its strong muster of golden holes, and blasting +shicers, was too deep for me. The old Eureka was itself again. The jewellers +shops, which threatened to exhaust themselves in Canadian Gully, were again +the talk of the day: and the Eureka gold dust was finer, purer, brighter, +immensely darling. The unfaithful truants who had rushed to Bryant's Ranges, +to knock their heads against blocks of granite, now hastened for the third time +to the old spot, Ballaarat, determined to stick to it for life or death. +English, German, and Scotch diggers, worked generally on the Gravel Pits, +the Irish had their stronghold on the Eureka. The Americans fraternised +with all the wide-awake, 'ubi caro ibi vultures.' + +Here begins as a profession the precious game of 'shepherding,' or keeping +claims in reserve; that is the digger turning squatter. And, as this happened +under the reign of a gracious gold commissioner, so I am brought to speak of +the gold licence again. First I will place the man before my reader, though. + +Get a tolerable young pig, make it stand on his hind legs, put on its head +a cap trimmed with gold-lace, whitewash its snout, and there you have the ass +in the form of a pig; I mean to say a "man," with this privilege, that he +possesses in his head the brains of both the above-mentioned brutes. + + + + +Chapter VII. + + + +Ludi Ballaaratenses. + + +Eureka was advancing fast to glory. Each day, and not seldom twice a day, +the gutter gammoned and humbugged all us 'vagabonds' so deucedly, that the rush +to secure a claim "dead on it" rose to the standard of 'Eureka style,' that is, +'Ring, ring,' was the yell from some hundred human dogs, and soon hill and flat +poured out all spare hands to thicken the "ring." + + +By this time, two covies--one of them generally an Irishman had stripped +to their middle, and were "shaping" for a round or two. A broken nose, +with the desired accomplishment of a pair of black eyes, and in all cases, +when manageable, a good smash in the regions either of the teeth, or of +the ribs--both, if possible, preferred--was supposed to improve the transaction +so much, that, what with the tooth dropping, or the rib cracking, or both, +as aforesaid, it was considered 'settled.' Thus originated the special title +of 'rowdy mob,' or Tipperary, in reference to the Irish. Let us have the +title clear. + +The 'shepherding,' that is the squatting by one man women and children +had not got hold of this 'Dolce far niente' yet--the ground allotted by law +to four men; and the astuteness of our primitive shepherds having found it +cheap and profitable to have each claim visibly separated from the other +by some twenty-feet wall, which was mutually agreed upon by themselves alone, +to call it 'spare ground,' was now a grown-up institution. Hence, whenever +the gutter, 120 feet below, took it into its head to bestir and hook it, +the faithful shepherds would not rest until they were sure to snore in peace +a foot and a half under ground from the surface, and six score feet +from 'bang on the gutter.' + +This Ballaarat dodge would have been innocent enough, were it not for +'Young Ireland,' who, having fixed headquarters on the Eureka, was therefore +accused of monopolising the concern. Now, suppose Paddy wanted to relish +a 'tip,' that is, a drop of gin on the sly, then Scotty, who had just +gulped down his 'toddy,' which was a drop of auld whisky, would take upon +himself the selfish trouble to sink six inches more in Paddy's hole, +which feat was called 'jumping;' and thus, broken noses, and other +accomplishments, as aforesaid, grew in proportion to tips, and 'toddy' +drunk on the sly. + +I frequently saw horrid scenes of blood; but I was now an old chum and +therefore knew what was what in colonial life. + +I had a Cameleon for a neighbour, who, in the garb of an Irishman, +flung his three half-shovels out of a hole on the hill punctually every +morning, and that was his work before breakfast. Then, a red shirt +on his back, and a red cap on his head, he would, in the subsequent hour, +give evidence of his scorning to be lazy by putting down some three inches +deeper another hole below in the gully. 'Full stop;' he must have a 'blow,' +but the d----d things--his matches--had got damp, and so in a rage he must +hasten to his tent to light the pipe; that is, to put on the Yankee garb +and complete his forenoon work in a third hole of his, whose depth and shape +recommended him as a first rate grave-digger. + +And what has all this bosh to do with the Eureka Stockade? + + + + +Chapter VIII. + + + +Fiat Fustitia, Ruat Coelum. + + +As an old Ballaarat hand, I hereby assert, that much of the odium of the mining +community against red-tape, arose from the accursed practice of jumping. + +One fact from the 'stubborn-things' store. The Eureka gutter was fast +progressing down hill towards the Eureka gully. A party of Britishers +had two claims; the one, on the slope of the hill, was bottomed on heavy gold; +the other, some four claims from it, and parallel with the range, was some +ninety feet deep, and was worked by day only, by three men: a fourth man +would now and then bring a set of trimmed slabs from the first hole aforesaid, +where he was the principal 'chips.' There was a Judas Iscariot among the party. +One fine morning, a hole was bottomed down the gully, and proved a scheisser. +A rush, Eureka style, was the conseqence; and it was pretended now that +the gutter would keep with the ranges, towards the Catholic church. + +A party of Yankees, with revolvers and Mexican knives--the garb of 'bouncers' +in those days--jumped the second hole of the Britishers, dismantled +the windlass, and Godamn'd as fast as the Britishers cursed in the colonial +style. The excitement was awful. Commissioner Rede was fetched to settle +the dispute. An absurd and unjust regulation was then the law; no party +was allowed to have an interest in two claims at one and the same time, +which was called 'owning two claims.' The Yankees carried the day. +I, a living witness, do assert that, from that day, there was a 'down' +on the name of Rede. + +For the commissioners, this jumping business was by no means an agreeable job. +They were fetched to the spot: a mob would soon collect round the disputed +claim; and for 'fair play,' it required the wisdom of Solomon, because +the parties concerned set the same price on their dispute, as the two harlots +on the living child. + +I. The conflicting evidence, in consequence of hard swearing, prompted by +gold-thirst, the most horrible demon that depraves the human heart, +even a naturally honest heart.--II. The incomprehensible, unsettled, +impracticable ordinances for the abominable management of the gold-fields; +which ordinances, left to the discretion--that is, the caprice; and +to the good sense--that is, the motto, 'odi profanum vulgus et arceo;' +and to the best judgment--that is the proverbial incapability of all +aristocractical red-tape, HOW TO RULE US VAGABONDS. Both those reasons, +I say, must make even the most hardened bibber of Toorak small-beer acknowledge +and confess, that the perfidious mistake at head-quarters was, their persisting +to make the following Belgravian 'billet-doux' the 'sine qua non' +recommendation for gold-lace on Ballaarat (at the time):-- + + +(ADDRESS) + +"To the Victorian Board of Small Beer, + +"Toorak (somewhere in Australasia, i.e., Australia Felix--inquire from +the natives, reported to be of blackskin, at the southern end of the globe.) + +"Belgravia, First year of the royal projecting the Great Exhibition, Hyde Park. + +"LADY STARVESEMPSTRESS, great-grand-niece of His Grace the +Duke Of CURRY-POWDER, begs to introduce to FORTYSHILLING TAKEHIMAWAY, Esquire, +of Toorak, see address, her brother-in-law, POLLIPUSS, WATERLOOBOLTER, +tenth son of the venerable Prebendary of North and South Palaver, Canon of +St. Sebastopol in the east, and Rector of Allblessedfools, West End--URGENT." + + +In justice, however, to Master Waterloobolter, candidate for gold-lace, +it must not be omitted that he is a Piccadilly young sprat, and so at Julien's +giant 'bal-masque', was ever gracious to the lady of his love. + +"Miss Smartdeuce, may I beg the honour of your hand for the next waltz? surely +after a round or two you will relish your champagne." + +"Yes," with a smothered "dear," was the sigh-drawn reply. + +Who has the power to roar the command, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no +further," to the flood of tears from forlorn Smartdeuce, when her soft +Waterloobolter bolted for the gold-fields of Australia Felix. + +To be serious. How could any candid mind otherwise explain the honest +boldness of eight out of nine members of the first Local Court, Ballaarat, +who, one and all, I do not say dared, but I say called upon their fellow miners +to come forward to a public meeting on the old spot, Bakery-hill. September, +Saturday, 30th, 1855. Said members had already settled at that time +201 disputes, and given their judgement, involving some half a million sterling +altogether, for all what they knew, and yet not one miner rose one finger +against them, when they imperatively desired to know whether they had done +their duty and still possessed the confidence of their fellow diggers! +They (said members) are practical men, of our own adopted class, +elected by ourselves from among ourselves, to sit as arbitrators of our +disputes, and our representatives at the Local Court. That's the key, for any +future Brougham, for the history of the Local Courts on the gold-fields. + +It has fallen to my lot, however, to put the Eureka Stockade on record; +and, from the following 'Joe' chapter must begin any proper history +of that disgracefully memorable event. + + + + +Chapter IX. + + + +Abyssus, Abyssum Invocat. + + +"Joe, Joe!" No one in the world can properly understand and describe this +shouting of "Joe," unless he were on this El Dorado of Ballaarat at the time. + +It was a horrible day, plagued by the hot winds. A blast of the hurricane +winding through gravel pits whirled towards the Eureka this shouting of "Joe." +It was the howl of a wolf for the shepherds, who bolted at once towards +the bush: it was the yell of bull-dogs for the fossikers who floundered +among the deep holes, and thus dodged the hounds: it was a scarecrow +for the miners, who now scrambled down to the deep, and left a licensed mate +or two at the windlass. By this time, a regiment of troopers, in full gallop, +had besieged the whole Eureka, and the traps under their protection ventured +among the holes. An attempt to give an idea of such disgusting and +contemptible campaigns for the search of licences is really odious to an honest +man. Some of the traps were civil enough; aye, they felt the shame +of their duty; but there were among them devils at heart, who enjoyed the fun, +because their cupidity could not bear the sight of the zig-zag uninterrupted +muster of piles of rich-looking washing stuff, and the envy which blinded +their eyes prevented them from taking into account the overwhelming number +of shicers close by, round about, all along. Hence they looked upon +the ragged muddy blue shirt as an object of their contempt. + +Are diggers dogs or savages, that they are to be hunted on the diggings, +commanded, in Pellissier's African style, to come out of their holes, +and summoned from their tents by these hounds of the executive? Is the garb +of a digger a mark of inferiority? 'In sudore vultus lue vesceris panem'* +is then an infamy now-a-days! + +[* In the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat bread.] + +Give us facts, and spare us your bosh, says my good reader.--Very well. + +I, CARBONII RAFFAELLO, da Roma, and late of No. 4, Castle-court, Cornhill, +City of London, had my rattling 'Jenny Lind' (the cradle) at a water-hole +down the Eureka Gully. Must stop my work to show my licence. 'All right.' + +I had then to go a quarter of a mile up the hill to my hole, and fetch +the washing stuff. There again--"Got your licence?" "All serene, governor." +On crossing the holes, up to the knees in mullock, and loaded like a dromedary, +"Got your licence?" was again the cheer-up from a third trooper or trap. +Now, what answer would you have given, sir? + +I assert, as a matter of fact, that I was often compelled to produce my licence +twice at each and the same licence hunt. Any one who knows me personally, +will readily believe that the accursed game worried me to death. + + + + +Chapter X. + + + +Jam Non Estis Hospites Et Advenoe + + +It is to the purpose to say a few words more on the licence-hunting, +and have done with it. Light your pipe, good reader, you have to blow hard. + +Our red-tape, generally obtuse and arrogant, this once got rid of the usual +conceit in all things, and had to acknowledge that the digger who remained +quietly at his work, always possessed his licence. Hence the troopers +were despatched like bloodhounds, in all directions, to beat the bush; +and the traps who had a more confined scent, creeped and crawled among +the holes, and sneaked into the sly-grog tents round about, in search of +the swarming unlicensed game. In a word, it was a regular hunt. Any one +who in Old England went fox-hunting, can understand pretty well, +the detestable sport we had then on the goldfields of Victoria. +Did any trooper succeed in catching any of the 'vagabonds' in the bush, +he would by the threat of his sword, confine him round a big gum-tree; +and when all the successful troopers had done the same feat, they took +their prisoners down the gully, where was the grand depot, because the traps +were generally more successful. The commissioner would then pick up one pound, +two pounds, or five pounds, in the way of bail, from any digger that could +afford it, or had friends to do so, and then order the whole pack +of the penniless and friendless to the lock-up in the camp. I am a living +eye-witness, and challenge contradiction. + +This job of explaining a licence-hunt is really so disgusting to me, +that I prefer to close it with the following document from my subsequently +gaol-bird mate, then reporter of the 'Ballaarat Times':-- + + +Police Court, Tuesday, October 24th. + +HUNTING THE DIGGER.--Five of these fellows were fined in the mitigated trifle +of 5 pounds, for being without licences. The nicest thing imaginable is to see +one of these clumsy fellows with great beards, shaggy hair, and oh! such nasty +rough hands, stand before a fine gentleman on the bench with hands +of shiny whiteness, and the colour of whose cambric rivals the Alpine snow. +There the clumsy fellow stands, faltering out an awkward apology, "my licence +is only just expired, sir--I've only been one day from town, sir--I have +no money, sir, for I had to borrow half a bag of flour the other day, +for my wife and children." Ahem, says his worship, the law makes +no distinctions--fined 5 pounds. Now our reporter enjoys this exceedingly, +for he is sometimes scarce of news; and from a strange aberration of intellect, +with which, poor fellow, he is afflicted, has sometimes, no news at all for us; +but he is sure of not being dead beat at any time, for digger-hunting +is a standing case at the police office, and our reporter is growing +so precocious with long practice, that he can tell the number of diggers fined +every morning, without going to that sanctuary at all.--'Ballaarat Times', +Saturday, October 28, 1854. + + + + +Chapter XI. + + + +Salvum Fac Populum Tuum Domine. + + +The more the pity--I have not done yet with the accursed gold licence. +I must prevail on myself to keep cooler and in good temper. + +Two questions will certainly be put to me:- + +1st. Did the camp officials give out the licence to the digger at the place +of his work, whenever required, without compelling him to leave off work, +and renew his licence at the camp? + +2nd. It was only one day in each month that there was a search for licences, +was it not? Why therefore did not the diggers make it a half-holiday +on the old ground, that "all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy." + +The first question is a foolish one, from any fellow-colonist who knows +our silver and gold lace; and is a wicked one, from any digger who was +on Ballaarat at the time. + +'Fellah' gave the proper answer through the 'Ballaarat Times', +October 14th;--here it is:-- + + +To the Editor of the 'Ballaarat Times', October 14, 1854. + +Sir, + +Permit me to call your attention to the miserable accommodation +provided for the miner, who may have occasion to go to the Camp +to take out a licence. Surely, with the thousands of pounds +that have been expended in government buildings, a little better +accommodation might be afforded to the well disposed digger, +who is willing to pay the odious tax demanded of him by government, +and not be compelled to stand in the rain or sun, or treated as if +the 'distinguished government official' feared that the digger +was a thing that would contaminate him by a closer proximity; +so the 'fellah' is kept by a wooden rail from approaching within +a couple of yards of the tent. In consequence, many persons +mistaking the licence-office for the commissioner's water-closet, +a placard has been placed over the door. + +I am, Sir, yours &c., + +FELLAH DIGGER, + +Who had to walk a few miles to pay away the money he had worked +hard for, and was kept a few hours standing by a rail--not sitting +on a rail, Mary. + + +Now I mean to tackle in right earnest with the second question, provided I can +keep in sufficiently good temper. + +On the morning of Thursday, the 22nd June, in the year of Grace, +One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, +His Excellency SIR CHARLES HOTHAM, +Knight Commander of the Most Noble Military Order of the Bath, landed on +the shores of this fair province, as its Lieutenant-Governor, the chosen +and commissioned representative of Her Most Gracious Majesty, the QUEEN! +Never (writes the Melbourne historian of that day) never in the history +of public ovations, was welcome more hearty, never did stranger meet with +warmer welcome, on the threshold of a new home: + +VICTORIA WELCOMES VICTORIA'S CHOICE, was the Melbourne proclamation. + +The following is transcribed from my diary:- + + +"Saturday, August 26th, 1854: His Excellency dashed in among us 'vagabonds' +on a sudden, at about five o'clock p.m., and inspected a shaft immediately +behind the Ballaarat Dining Rooms, Gravel-pits. A mob soon collected +round the hole; we were respectful, and there was no 'joeing.' +On His Excellency's return to the camp, the miners busily employed themselves +in laying down slabs to facilitate his progress. I was among the zealous ones +who improvised this shabby foot-path. What a lack! we were all of us +as cheerful as fighting-cocks.--A crab-hole being in the way, our Big-Larry +actually pounced on Lady Hotham, and lifting her up in his arms, eloped +with her ladyship safely across, amid hearty peals of laughter, however +colonial they may have been.--Now Big Larry kept the crowd from annoying +the couple, by properly laying about him with a switch all along the road. + +"His Excellency was hailed with three-times-three, and was proclaimed on the +Camp, now invaded by some five hundred blue shirts, the 'Diggers' Charley.' + +"His Excellency addressed us miners as follows:- + +"Diggers I feel delighted with your reception--I shall not neglect your +interests and welfare--again I thank you. + +"It was a short but smart speech we had heard elsewhere, he was not fond +of 'twaddle,' which I suppose meant 'bosh.' After giving three hearty cheers, +old Briton's style to 'Charley,' the crowd dispersed to drink a nobbler +to his health and success. I do so this very moment. Eureka, under my +snug tent on the hill, August 26, 1854. C.R." + + +Within six short months, five thousand citizens of Melbourne, receive the name +of this applauded ruler with a loud and prolonged outburst of indignation! + +Some twenty Ballaarat miners lie in the grave, weltering in their gore! +double that number are bleeding from bayonet wounds; thirteen more +have the rope round their necks, and two more of their leading men are priced +four hundred pounds for their body or carcase. + +'Tout cela, n'est pas precisement comme chez nous, pas vrai?' + +Please, give me a dozen puffs at my black-stump, and then I will proceed +to the next chapter. + + + + +Chapter XII. + + + +Sufficit Diei Sua Vexatio. + + +Either this chapter must be very short, or I had better give it up +without starting it at all. + +Up to the middle of September, 1854, the search for licences happened +once a month; at most twice: perhaps once a week on the Gravel Pits, +owing to the near neighbourhood of the Camp. Now, licence-hunting became +the order of the day. Twice a week on every line; and the more the diggers +felt annoyed at it, the more our Camp officials persisted in goading us, +to render our yoke palatable by habit. I assert, as an eye-witness +and a sufferer, that both in October and November, when the weather allowed it, +the Camp rode out for the hunt every alternate day. True, one day they would +hunt their game on Gravel-pits, another day, they pounced on the foxes +of the Eureka; and a third day, on the Red-hill: but, though working +on different leads, are we not all fellow diggers? Did not several of us +meet again in the evening, under the same tent, belonging to the same party? +It is useless to ask further questions. + +Towards the latter end of October and the beginning of November we had such +a set of scoundrels camped among us, in the shape of troopers and traps, +that I had better shut up this chapter at once, or else whirl the whole +manuscript bang down a shicer. + +"Hold hard, though, take your time, old man: don't let your Roman blood +hurry you off like the hurricane, and thus damage the merits of your case. +Answer this question first," says my good reader. + +"If it be a fair one, I will." + +"Was, then, the obnoxious mode of collecting the tax the sole cause +of discontent: or was the tax itself (two pounds for three months) +objected to at the same time?" + +"I think the practical miner, who had been hard at work night and day, +for the last four or six months, and, after all, had just bottomed a shicer, +objected to the tax itself, because he could not possibly afford to pay it. +And was it not atrocious to confine this man in the lousy lock-up at the Camp, +because he had no luck?" + +Allow me, now, in return, to put a very important question, of the old +Roman stamp, 'Cui bono?' that is, Where did our licence money go to? +That's a nut which will be positively cracked by-and-bye. + + + + +Chapter XIII. + + + +Ubi Caro, Ibi Vultures. + + +One morning, I woke all on a sudden.--What's up? A troop of horse galloping +exactly towards my tent, and I could hear the tramping of a band of traps. +I got out of the stretcher, and hastened out of my tent. All the neighbours, +in night-caps and unmentionables, were groping round the tents, to inquire +what was the matter. It was not yet day-light. There was a sly-grog seller +at the top of the hill; close to his store he had a small tent, crammed with +brandy cases and other grog, newly come up from town. There must have been +a spy, who had scented such valuable game. + +The Commissioner asked the storekeeper, who by this time was at the door +of his store: "Whose tent is that?" indicating the small one in question. + +"I don't know," was the answer. + +"Who lives in it? who owns it? is anybody in?" asked the Commissioner. + +"An old man owns it, but he is gone to town on business, and left it +to the care of his mate who is on the nightshift," replied the storekeeper. + +"I won't peck up that chaff of yours, sir. Halloo! who is in? Open the tent;" +shouted the Commissioner. + +No answer. + +"I say, cut down this tent, and we'll see who is in;" was the order +of the Commissioner to two ruffianly looking troopers. + +No sooner said than done; and the little tent was ripped up by their swords. +A government cart was, of course, ready in the gully below, and in less than +five minutes the whole stock of grog, some two hundred pounds sterling worth, +or five hundred pounds worth in nobblers, was carted up to the Camp, +before the teeth of some hundreds of diggers, who had now collected +round about. We cried "Shame! shame!" sulkily enough, but we did not +interfere; first, because the store had already annoyed us often enough +during the long winter nights; second, because the plunderers were such +Vandemonian-looking traps and troopers, that we were not encouraged +to say much, because it would have been of no use. + +As soon, however, as the sun was up, and all hands were going to work, +the occurrence not only increased the discontent that had been brewing +fast enough already, but it rose to excitement; and such a state of +exasperated feelings, however vented in the shouting of 'Joe,' did certainly +not prepare the Eureka boys to submit with patience to a licence-hunt +in the course of the day. + +First and foremost: it is impossible to prevent the sale of spirits +on the diggings; and not any laws, fines, or punishment the government +may impose on the dealers or consumers can have an effect towards putting +a stop to sly-grog selling. A miner working, as during the past winter, +in wet and cold, must and will have his nobbler occasionally; and very +necessary, too, I think. No matter what the cost, he will have it; +and it cannot be dispensed with, if he wish to preserve his health: he won't +go to the Charley Napier Hotel, when he can get his nobbler near-handy, +and thereby give a lift to Pat or Scotty. + +Secondly: I hereby assert that the breed of spies in this colony prospered +by this sly-grog selling. "We want money," says some of the 'paternals' +at Toorak. + +"Oh! well, then," replies another at Ballaarat, "come down on a few +storekeepers and unlicensed miners and raise the wind. We can manage a +thousand or two that way. Let the blood-hounds on the scent, and it is done." + +And so a scoundrel, in the disguise of an honest man, takes with him +another worse devil than himself, and goes round like a roaring lion, +seeking what he may devour. + +If I had half the fifty pounds fine inflicted on sly-grog sellers, +and five pounds fine on unlicensed diggers, raised on Ballaarat at this time, +I think my fellow-colonists would bow their heads before me. Great works! + +Thirdly: An act of silver and gold lace humanity was going the rounds +of our holes, above and below. + +A person is found in an insensible state, caused by loss of blood, +having fallen, by accident, on a broken bottle and cut an artery in his head. +He is conveyed to the Camp hospital. + +After some few hours, because he raves from loss of blood, and at a time +when he requires the closest attention, he is unceremoniously carried +into the common lock-up, and there left, it is said, for ten hours, +lying on the floor, without any attention being paid to his condition +by the hospital authorities, and then it was only by repeated representations +of his sinking state, to other officials, that he was conveyed to the hospital, +where he expired in two hours afterwards! + +"Below!" + +"Haloo!" + +"Jim; the miners of Ballaarat demand an investigation." + +"And they must have it, Joe." + +Such was the scene in those days, performed at every shaft, in Gravel-pits, +as well as on the Eureka. + + + + +Chapter XIV. + + + +Flagitur Vulcano Si Fulmina Parata. + + +Here is a short resume of events which led to the popular demonstration +on Tuesday, October 17th, 1854. + +Two men, old friends, named Scobie and Martin, after many years separation, +happened to meet each other in Ballaarat. Joy at the meeting, led them +to indulge in a wee drop for 'Auld lang Syne.' In this state of happy feeling, +they call at the Eureka Hotel, on their way home, intending to have +a finishing glass. They knock at the door, and are refused admittance, +very properly, on account of their drunkenness. They leave, and proceed +on their way, not, perhaps without the usual colonial salutations. +At about fifty yards from the hotel, they hear a noise behind them, +and retrace their steps. They are met by persons, unknown, who inflict blows +on them, which render one insensible and the other lifeless. + +A coroner's inquest was held on the body, the verdict of which was, +"that deceased had died from injuries inflicted by persons unknown;" +but public feeling seemed to point to Mr. Bentley, the proprietor of the +Eureka Hotel; who, together with his wife and another party, +were charged with the murder, tried at the police court, and acquitted. + +The friends of deceased, considering that both the inquest and the trial +were unfairly conducted, agreed to meet on Tuesday, October 17th, on the spot +where the man was murdered, and devise measures to discover the guilty parties, +and to bring them to justice. + +Accordingly, at an early hour, the hill on which is situated the Eureka Hotel +was thronged by thousands; so great was the excitement. + +THOMAS KENNEDY, was naturally enough the lion of the day. A thick head, bold, +but bald, the consequence perhaps not of his dissipation; but of his worry +in by gone days. His merit consists in the possession of the chartist slang; +hence his cleverness in spinning, a yarn never to the purpose, but blathered +with long phrases and bubbling with cant. He took up the cause of the diggers, +not so much for the evaporation of his gaseous heroism, as eternally to hammer +on the unfortunate death of his country-man Scobie, for the sake of +'auld lang syne.' + +When pressed by the example of others to burn his license, at the subsequent +monster meeting, he had none to burn, because he had a wife and four children +dependent on him for support, and therefore I do not know what to say further. + +These and other resolutions were carried unanimously:- + +"That this meeting, not being satisfied with the manner in which the +proceedings connected with the death of the late James Scobie, have been +conducted, either by the magistrates or by the coroner, pledges itself to use +every lawful means to have the case brought before other, and more competent +authorities. + +"That this meeting deems it necessary to collect subscriptions for the purpose +of offering a reward for the conviction of the murderers, and defraying +all other expenses connected with the prosecution of the case." + + + + +Chapter XV. + + + +Nam Tua Res Agitur, Paries Cum Proximus Ardet. + + +The one pervading opinion among the multitude of miners and others who had been +attracted thither, appeared to be that Bentley was the murderer; and loud +were the cries, the hooting, and groans against him. It would appear +that the Camp authorities contemplated some little disturbance, +and consequently all the available force of police and mounted troopers +were on guard at the hotel and made a very injudicious display of their +strength. Not only did they follow, but ride through, the crowd of people +at the meeting; and it is to this display of their strength that must be +attributed the fire, and other outbursts of indignation. Miners who have stood +the working of a Canadian or Gravel-pit shicer, scorn danger in any form. + +The crowd, excessively irritated on seeing the large display of the hated +police force began to shout and yell. Presently, a stone came from +the mass, and passing near the head of one of the officials, broke a pane +of glass in one of the windows of the hotel. The sound of the falling glass +appeared to act like magic on the multitude; and bottles, stones, sticks, +and other missiles, were speedily put in requisition to demolish the windows, +until not a single pane was left entire, while every one that was broken +drew a cheer from the crowd. The police, all this time, were riding round +and round the hotel, but did not take any vigorous measures to deter the people +from the sport they appeared to enjoy so much. The crowd advance nearer--near +enough to use sticks to beat in the casements. They make an entrance, +and, in a moment, furniture, wearing apparel, bedding, drapery, are tossed out +of the windows; curtains, sheets, etc., are thrown in the air, frightening +the horses of the troopers, who have enough to do to keep their saddles; +the weather-boards are ripped off the side of the house, and sent spinning +in the air. A real Californian takes particular care of, and delights in +smashing the crockery. + +Mr. Rede, the resident Commissioner, arrives, and endeavours to pacify +the people by speechifying, but it will not do. He mounts the sill of where +was once a window, and gesticulates to the crowd to hear him. An egg is thrown +from behind a tent opposite, and narrowly misses his face, but breaks +on the wall of the house close to him. The Commissioner becomes excited, +and orders the troopers to take the man in charge; but no trooper appears +to relish the business. + +A cry of "Fire!" is raised; a horse shies and causes commotion. Smoke is seen +to issue from one of the rooms of the ground-floor. The police extinguish it; +and an attempt is made to form a cordon round the building. But it is +too late. Whilst the front of the hotel occupies the attention of the majority +of the crowd, a few are pulling down the back premises. + +Mr. Rede sends for the detachment of the gallant 40th now stationed +on Ballaarat. + +A shout is raised:--"The 40th are coming." + +"Don't illuminate till they come." + +"They shall see the sight." + +"Wait till they come." + +Smash go the large lamps in front of the hotel. The troopers ride round +and caracole their horses. + +"Where's the red-coats?" + +"There they come, yonder up the hill!" + +"Hurrah! three cheers." + +The 40th arrive; they form into line in front of the hotel, swords drawn. +"Hurrah! boys! no use waiting any longer."--"Down she comes." The bowling alley +is on fire.--Police try to extinguish the flames--rather too warm.--It's +too late.--The hotel is on fire at the back corner; nothing can save it.--"Hip, +hip hurrah!" is the universal shout. + +I had opportunities enough to observe in London, that a characteristic +of the British race is to make fun of the calamity of fire, hence I did not +wonder, how they enjoyed this, their real sport on the occasion. + +A gale of wind, which blowed at this exact time, announcing the hurricane +that soon followed, was the principal helper to the devouring of the building, +by blowing in the direction most favourable to the purpose. + +The red-coats wheel about, and return to the Camp. Look out! the roof +of the back part of the hotel, falls in! "Hurrah! boys, here's the porter +and ale with the chill off." + +Bottles are handed out burning hot--the necks of two bottles are knocked +together!--Contents drunk in colonial style.--Look out! the roof, +sides and all fall in!--An enormous mass of flame and smoke arises +with a roaring sound.--Sparks are carried far, far into the air, +and what was once the Eureka Hotel, is now a mass of burning embers! + +The entire diggings, in a state of extreme excitement.--The diggers are lords +and masters of Ballaarat; and the prestige of the Camp is gone for ever. + + + + +Chapter XVI. + + + +Loquar In Amaritudine Animoe. Meoe + + +Now my peace of mind being destroyed, I had recourse to the free British press, +for information, wishing to hear what they said in Melbourne. At this time +the Morning Herald was in good demand; but the 'Geelong Advertiser' had +the swayn on the goldfields. Geelong had a rattling correspondent on +Ballaarat, who helped to hasten the movement fast enough. As I did not +know this correspondent of the 'Geelong Advertiser' personally, so I can +only guess at his frame of mind. I should say the following ingredients +entered into the factory of his ideas:- + +1st. The land is the Lord's and all therein; but man must earn his bread +by the sweat of his brow. Therefore, in the battle of life, every man +must fight his way on the old ground, "help yourself and God will help you." + +2nd. In olden times, wherever there was a Roman there was life. In our times, +wherever there is a Britain there is trade, and trade is life. But with +the lazy,--who, either proud or mean, is always an incapable, because +generally he is a drunkard, and therefore a beggar, there is no possible +barter; and, inasmuch as man does not live on bread alone, for a fried sole +is a nice thing for breakfast, so also it must be confessed that the loaves +and fishes do not condescend to jump into one's mouth all dressed +as they ought to be. Therefore--and this is the zenith of the +'Geelong Advertiser's' practical correspondent--be not perplexed, if the loaves +and fishes wont pop fast enough into your mouth particularly; let Mahomed's +example be instantly followed: go yourself to the loaves and fishes, +and you will actually find that they are subject to the same laws of matter +and motion as everything else on earth. + +3rd. The application. For what did any one emigrate to this colony? +To sweat more? Well, times were hard enough for the poor in old Europe. +Let him sweat more, but for whom? For himself of course, and good luck to him. +Is there not plenty of Victoria land for every white man or black man +that intends to grow his potatoes? Oh! leave the greens-growing to the +well-disposed, to the well affected, ye sturdy sons who pant after +the yellow-boy. "Take your chance, out of a score of shicers, there is one +'dead on it,'" says old Mother Earth from the deep. + +Sum total.--With the hard-working gold-digger, there is a solid barter +possible. Hurrah! for the diggers. + +'The Argus' persisting in 'our own conceit,' and misrepresenting, perverting, +and slandering the cause of the diggers, ran foul, and went fast to leeward. +Experience having instructed me at my own costs, that there cannot possibly +exist much sympathy between flunkies and blueshirts, I can only guess +at the compound materials hammered in the mortar of 'The Argus' reporter +on Ballaarat:-- + +lst. The land is the Queen's, and the inheritance of the Crown. + +2nd. Who dares to teach the golden-lace the idea how to shoot? + +3rd. Let learning, commerce, even manners die, But leave us our old nobility. + +4th. 'Sotto voce':--In this colony, however, make money; honestly if possible, +of course, but make money; or else the 'vagabonds' here would humble down +a gentleman to curry-powder diet. + +5th. To put on a blue shirt, and rush in with the Eureka mob! fudge: +'odi profanum vulgus et arceo.' There are millions of tons of gold dug out +already, as much anyhow, as anyone can carry to Old England, and live +as a lord, with an occasional trip to Paris and Naples, to make up for +the time wasted in this colony. + +Sum total.--Screw out of the diggers as much as circumstances will admit; +they have plenty of money for getting drunk, and making beasts of themselves, +the brutes! + +To be serious; should a copy of this book be forgotten somewhere, and thereby +be spared for the use of some southern Tacitus, let him bewail the perfidious +mendacity of our times, whose characteristic is SLANDER, which proceeds +from devil GROG; and the pair generate THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED. +Here is a sample:- + +On Saturday, September 29th, 1854, the members of the Local Court, Ballaarat, +held a public meeting on the usual spot, Bakery-hill, for the purpose of +taking the sense of their fellow miners, respecting the admittance +or nonadmittance of the legal profession to advise or plead in said court.-- +See report in The Star, a new local paper, No. V, Tuesday, October 2nd. + +Messrs. Ryce and Wall having addressed the meeting in their usual honest, +matter-of-fact way:- + + +"Great Works" was shouted and immediately appeared +C. Raffaello, member of the Local Court. He hoped, +that if there were any Goodenough present that they +would see and not mislay their notes while he briefly +brought three things before the meeting; the first +concerned the meeting and himself, the second concerned +himself, and the third concerned those present. The +first was easily disposed of--have I, as I promised, +done my duty as member of the Local Court to your +satisfaction? (Yes, and cheers.) Very well, the second +matter concerns myself--personally he was under no +obligations to the lawyers--the services he received +at the trial was done to him as a state prisoner, +and not to Carboni Raffaello individually; when +individually, he requested to be supplied with six +pennyworth of snuff by Mr. Dunne, it was promised, +but it never came to him. It would not have cost much +to have supplied him, and it would have greatly obliged +him, as habit had rendered snuff-taking necessary to him. +With the permission of those present he would take +a pinch now. (He took a pinch amidst laughter and cheers.) + +The admission of lawyers into the Local Court would give +rise to endless feuds, where valuable interests were +concerned, and so much time would be lost in useless +litigation. As he had no wish through any personal +obligation to see the lawyers in the Local Court, +and as he considered that it was for the advantage of +the miners that they should not be admitted, he opposed +their entrance. + +The third matter concerned those present. What did they +come to Australia for? Why, to improve their prospects +in reality, though on shipboard they might say it was to +get rid of the 'governor,' or to get clear of an ugly wife, +and now that you are here are you to allow the Ballaarat +lawyers to fleece you of your hard earnings? Not being +fond of yabber-yabber he would simply ask: are you fairly +represented by us? (Yes, yes.) If so then support us, +and if we do not represent you we will resign. Don't say +yes if you don't mean it, for I do not like yabber-yabber. + + +I beg to assert, that the above report is correct, as far as it goes. Some +five hundred diggers were present. Now for the perversion from the reporter +of 'The Argus', Melbourne, Tuesday, October 2. + +"Carboni Raffaello, a foreigner [a foreign anarchist, if you please, +Mr. Editor], then spoke in his usual style [that is, sedition, revolution, +and rebellion, that's it], the principal (sic) points of his remarks being, +that while incarcerated in the Melbourne gaol [was it for common felony, +or high treason?] he was not supplied with snuff, though he had entreated +his learned counsel, Mr. J. H. Dunne, for sixpenny worth. He [Please, +Raffaello or Dunne? fine pair together] did not consider himself under +any obligation to the lawyers: he [but who? Dunne or Raffaello?] was not fond +of yabber-yabber." + +Thus an honest man is brayed at by asses in this colony! The fun is odious +and ridiculous enough. + +When such reporters of the British press prostitute British ink, the only ink +that dares to register black on white the name, word and deed of any tyrant +through the whole face of the earth, and for the sake of a pair of +Yankee boots, lower themselves to the level of a scribbler, thus affording +to be audacious because anonymous, the British press in the southern hemisphere +will be brought to shame, and Victoria cannot possibly derive any benefit +from it. + +Let the above observation stand good, I proceed with my work. + +'The Age' was then just budding, and was considered, on the diggings the organ +of the new chum Governor. 'The Age' soon mustered a Roman courage in the cause +of the diggers, and jumped the claims both of The Herald and 'The Argus'; +and though the 'own correspondent,' under the head of Ballaarat, be such a dry, +soapy concern that will neither blubber nor blather, yet 'The Age' remained +the diggers' paper. + +The 'Ballaarat Times' was all the go, on the whole extent of the diggings. +Soon enough the reporter, aye, the editor himself, will both appear +'in propria persona'. + + + + +Chapter XVII. + + + +Arcane, Impenetrabili, Profunde, +Son Le Vie Di Chi Die L'Esser Al Niente. + + +When our southern sky is overloaded with huge, thick, dark masses, and claps +of thunder warn us of the pending storm, then a gale of wind is roaring +in space, doing battle with the bush, cowing down man and beast, sweeping away +all manner of rottenness. This fury spares not, and desolation is the threat +of the thunder. + +A kind Providence must be blessed even in the whirlwind. Big, big drops +of rain fight their way through the gale; soon the drops muster in legions, +and the stronger the storm, the stronger those legions. At last they conquer; +then it pours down--that is, the flood is made up of legions of torrents. + +Is the end of the world now at hand? Look at the victorious rainbow! +it reminds man of the covenant of our God with Noah, not far from this +southern land. The sun restores confidence that all is right again as before, +and nature, refreshed and bolder, returns again to her work. + +Hence, the storm is life. + +Not so is the case with fire. Devouring everything, devouring itself, +fire seems to leave off its frenzy, only to devour the sooner any mortal thing +that comes in the way to retard destruction. A few embers, then a handful +of ashes, are the sole evidence of what was once kingly or beggarly. + +Fire may destroy, consume, devour, but has no power to reduce to 'nothing.' + +Hence the calamity of fire is death. + +The handful of ashes lie lifeless until a storm forces them into the living +order of nature, which, when refreshed, has the power to ingraft those +ashes to, and make them prosper with, the grain of mustard seed. + +Hence death is life. + +Such is the order of Providence. Now, good reader, watch the handful of ashes +of what was once Bentley's Eureka Hotel. + + + + +Chapter XVIII. + + + +Pecunia Omnia Vincit. + + +In the dead of the night after the burning of the Eureka Hotel, three men +had been taken into custody, charged with riot, and subsequently committed +to take their trial in Melbourne. + +I think the diggers at this time seriously contemplated to burn down the Camp, +and thus get rid in a blaze of all their grievances. + +A committee for the defence of these men, met at the Star Hotel, and sent round +to all the tents on Ballaarat for subscriptions. I contributed my mite, +and then learned that VERN, KENNEDY, and HUMFFRAY were the triumvirate +of said committee. + +The following placard was posted throughout the goldfields:- + + +500 POUNDS REWARD + +for the discovery, apprehension and conviction +of the murderer of James Scobie, found dead near +the late Eureka Hotel, etc., etc. + + +At one and at the same time, also, the following placards were posted +at each prominent gum-tree on the goldfield:- + + +500 POUNDS REWARD + +increased by Government to + +1,600 POUNDS!! + +for the apprehension and conviction of the robbers +of the Bank of Victoria. + + +A desperate deed was committed in broad mid-day; Monday, October 16th, +in the Ballaarat township. + +Four men in the garb of diggers, wearing sou'-wester hats, and having +crepe over their faces, entered the Bank of Victoria, and succeeded +in carrying off property in notes and gold, to the amount +of about 15,000 pounds. + +Who would have told me then, that soon I should be messmate to those +unknown audacious robbers, in the same gaol!! + +Let's go to the public meeting in the next chapter. + + + + +Chapter XIX. + + + +Una Scintilla, Sparasi La Bomba, +Spalanca A Multitudini La Tomba. + + +The following story was going the rounds of the Eureka. There was a +licence-hunt; the servant of the Rev. P. Smyth, the priest of the Catholic +church, Bakery-hill, went to a neighbouring tent to visit a sick man. +While inside, a trooper comes galloping up at the tent-door, and shouts out, +"Come out here, you d----d wretches! there's a good many like you on the +diggings." The man came outside, and was asked if "he's got a licence?" +The servant, who is a native of Armenia, answers, in imperfect English, +that he is a servant to the priest. The trooper says, "Damn you and +the priest," and forthwith dismounts for the purpose of dragging +Johannes M'Gregorius, the servant, along with him. The servant remonstrates +by saying he is a disabled man, unable to walk over the diggings. +This infuriates the trooper, he strikes and knocks down the poor disabled +foreigner, drags him about, tears his shirt--in short, inflicting such injuries +on the poor fellow, that all the diggers present cried out "shame! shame!" + +Commissioner Johnson rides up, and says to the crowd about him, that he should +not be interrupted in the execution of his 'dooty.' The priest hears +of his servant's predicament, comes to the spot, hands a five-pound note to +Johnson as bail for his servant's appearance the next day at the police-office. + +The following morning, Johannes M`Gregorius is charged with being on +the gold-fields without a licence. The poor foreigner tries to make a defence, +but was fined five pounds. Commissioner Johnson now comes in and says, +M`Gregorius is not charged with being without a licence, but with assaulting +the trooper Lord--ridiculous! This alters the case. The trooper is called, +and says the old story about the execution of 'dooty,' that is, +licence-hunting. + +A respectable witness takes his oath that he saw the trooper strike +the foreigner with his clenched fist, and knock him down. + +The end of the story is in the Ballaarat tune, then in vogue: "Fined 5 pounds; +take him away." + + + + +Chapter XX. + + + +Public Meeting +Held at the Catholic Chapel, Bakery-hill, Wednesday, October 25th. + + +After a good deal of pretty intelligible talk about the 'helpless Armenian,' +the trooper Lord, and our respected priest; Thomas Kennedy, pouncing on +the thing of the day proposed:-- + +"That it is the opinion of this meeting that the conduct of Mr. Commissioner +Johnson towards the Rev. Mr. Smyth has been calculated to awaken the highest +feeling of indignation on the part of his devoted flock: and to call upon +the government to institute an inquiry into his (gold-lace) character, +and to desire to have him at once removed from Ballaarat." + +Carried unanimously. + +The priest was requested to address the meeting. + +Father Patricius Smyth, a native of Mayo, looks some thirty-five years old, +and belongs to the unadulterated Irish caste--half-curled hair, not abundant, +anxious semicircular forehead, keen and fiery eyes, altogether a lively +interesting head. He is a Latin and Celtic scholar; and that excuses him +for his moderate proficiency in modern languages. He was educated at Maynooth, +the eye-sore of Sabbatarians, and therefore believes it incontestable +that the authority conferred on him by the Bishop must needs be derived +from God; because the Bishop had been consecrated by the Pope, who--inasmuch +as a second branch of the Prince of the Apostles never was heard of at the time +of St. Augustin--is the successor of St. Peter, the corner stone on which +OUR LORD did build the Christian church, and our Lord's warrant is written +in St. John, chapter xiv, 24: 'Sermo quem auditis non est meus, +sed ejus qui misit me, nempe Patris.' And so Father Smyth feels himself +entitled to adopt what was said of the Divine Master, 'Docebat enim eos +ut habens auctoritatem, non autem ut scribae.' St. Matthew, chap. vii, 29. +Hence his preaching, though not remarkable for much eloquence, +does not lull to sleep. There is no cant, and strange as it may appear, +there is little argument in his short-framed sentences, because they are +the decided opinion of his mind and the warm expression of his heart, +anxious for the salvation of his flock, as he believes he will be called +to account if any be lost. He, out of civility, may not object to hear +what Paley or Butler has to say, but he scorns any conversation with Voltaire, +and would see the fellow burnt, as in the times of old. His character +was never impeached, because his conduct is an example to all of the strength +of his faith. Either at the altar or at the table he forgets not +that he belongs to the priesthood of Ireland, the 'proved gold' of the Catholic +church. His song is, 'Erin, my country,' and 'I love thy green bowers,' +is the end of his story, which is a hint to me that this is not the place +to say more for the peace of John Bull. Hence Ireland produced a +Daniel O'Connell, but has not yet got the repeal. + +Father Smyth, in addressing the meeting, spoke with coolness and forbearance, +yet commendatory of the constitutional manner in which his congregation sought +redress from the government, for the insult offered them, through his person, +in the abuse of his servant by the trooper Lord. On concluding his address, +he was warmly cheered, when the reverend gentleman and his friends adjourned +to the parsonage, to partake of some refreshments. + + + + +Chapter XXI. + + + +Public Meeting +Held on Bakery-hill, November llth. + + +Political changes contemplated by THE REFORM LEAGUE. + +1. A full and fair representation.--Don't you wish you may get it? + +2. Manhood suffrage.--Thanks to the Eureka-boys, it costs now one pound. +Cheap! + +3. No property qualification of members for the Legislative Council.--The +identical thing for 'starring' on stumps to a fellow's heart's content. + +4. Payment of members.--That's the accommodation! + +5. Short duration of Parliament.--Increase the chances of accommodation, +that's it. + +What was the freight per ton, of this sort of worn out twaddle imported +from old England? + +How much does this new chum's bosh fetch in the southern markets, +and in the Victorian market particularly? + +For my part I decline to answer, because I want to attend at the meeting. +J. B. Humffray, is the Secretary of the League; his name is going now +the round of the diggings; I wish to see the man in person; is he a great, +grand, or big man? that's the question. + +When you seen JOHN BASSON HUMFFRAY, you have at once before you a gentleman, +born of a good old family; his manners confirm it, and his words indicate +an honest benevolent heart, directed by a liberal mind, entangled perhaps +by too much reading of all sorts, perplexed at the prosperity of the vicious, +and the disappointment of the virtuous in this mysterious world of ours, +but could never turn wicked, because he believes in the resurrection of life. +He is looking some thirty five years old, his person is well proportioned, +but inclining to John Bull's. His prepossessing countenance is made up of +a fine forehead, denoting astuteness, not so much as shrewdness, how, +when and whither to shift his pegs in the battle of life; of a pair of eyes +which work the spell; of a Grecian nose; of a mouth remarkable for the +elasticity of the lips, that make him a model in the pronunciation +of the English language. His voice, that of a tenor, undulating and clear, +never obstreperous, enables his tongue to work the intended charm, +when his head puts that member into motion; but the semi-earnestness +of his address, his cool sort of John Bull smile, betray that his heart +does not go always with his head. Hence he has many enemies, and yet not one +ever dared to substantiate a charge against his character; he has as many +friends, but not one friend, because it is his policy ever to keep friendly, +with redcoats and gold-lace, at one and the same time as with blueshirts +and sou'-westers. + +As I cannot possibly mean any thing dishonourable to our old mate, +John Basson Humffray, I may here relate what his foes do say of him. + +Suppose any given square and the four pegs to be: + + +C-------D +| | +| W | +| | +B-------E + +C., that is, the Camp; E., that is, the Eureka; D., that is, the doodledom +of red-tape., and B., that is, blue-shirts. + +Let W., that is work, be the central point at C, E, and D, B. Now: John is +sinking at Eureka with the red cap; and Basson cracks some yabber-yabber at D, +that is, getting a sip of Toorak small-beer, as aforesaid. Again: when +Basson puts on a sou'-wester to go through the main-drift with blue-shirts, +then John feels entitled to tramp up to Camp, and there, somewhere not far off, +toast on the fourth of July a Doctor Kenworthy; soon after, however, +said Johnny bends his way to shake hands with Signor Raffaello, at the old peg +Eureka, and helps him to rock the cradle. Further, to give evidence +of his consistency, Humffray himself will express his sorrow to Peter Lalor +for his loss of the left arm at the same peg Eureka; and, to atone for +past transgressions, he will soon after call in both the prodigal John +and yabbering Basson, and with his whole heart and voice, strike up, +'God Save the Queen,' at peg Camp. As for bottoming his shaft at the central +point Work, that's a different thing altogether; and yet it must be admitted +that he is 'all there' in his claim, when the hole is bottomed, especially +if a drive is to be put in with his quill. Sum total:--He was, is, and +ever will be, John Basson Humffray, Esquire, of Ballaarat; +'Honi soi qui mal y pense', because his friends want him in St. Patrick's Hall. + + + + +Chapter XXII. + + + +Strike Off A Medal In Commemoration. + + +We are on Bakery-hill, though, attention. Immediate objects of +the Reform League. + +I. An immediate change in the management of the goldfields, by disbanding +the Commissioners (undoubtedly the unanimous demand, or 'desire'--if the word +suit better the well-affected--of all blue-shirts). Three cheers for Vern! +Go it hearty! Fine fellow! Legs rather too long! Never mind. + +II. The total abolition of the diggers' and storekeeper's licence tax. +(Ah! ah! prick John Bull at his pounds, shillings and pence, +that's the dodge to make him stir.) + +Three cheers for Humffray! Hurrah! + +The whole of the grand talk of these Bakery reformers leagued together on its +hill, can properly be framed in, on a 'copper;' thus doing justice to all. + +Image. +LET +a course of +action be decided on +and carried out unswervingly +until the heel of our oppressors +be removed from our necks. +DON'T LET THE THING DROP THROUGH, +for want of co-operation and support +NOTA BENE. +2s. 6d. gentleman's ticket. +No admission for ladies at present. 'Durum sed levius fit Patientia.' +REMEMBER! +GOD HELPS HIM WHO HELPS HIMSELF (to the 2s. 6d.) +DO NOT LET +the word 'British' become a bye-word. +AND ABOVE ALL LEAVE OFF SINGING +'Britons never, never shall be slaves,' +until you leave fondling +the chains which +prove the song +a lie, +a mockery, +a delusion, +a snare. +---- +Great works! + + + + +Chapter XXIII. + + + +Ortica ensis: Prima. + + +Here is a plant of Cayenne pepper, growing in those days on Ballaarat: +it withered some three months in limbo, but...oh yes, butt at it again. + + +'Ballaarat Times', November 18, 1854. + +"THE REFORM LEAGUE. + +"There is something strange, and to the government of this country, +something not quite comprehensible, in this League. For the first time +in the southern hemisphere, a Reform League is to be inaugurated. +There is something ominous in this; the word 'League,' in a time of such +feverish excitement as the present, is big with immense purport (indeed!) +Indeed, it would ill become 'The Times' to mince in matter of such weighty +importance. This League is not more or less that the germ of Australian +independence (sic). The die is cast, and fate has stamped upon the movement +its indelible signature. No power on earth can restrain the united might +and headlong strides for freedom of the people of this country, and we are +lost in amazement while contemplating the dazzling panorama of the Australian +future (Great works). We salute the League [but not the trio, Vern, Kennedy, +Humffray], and tender our hopes and prayers for its prosperity [in the shape +of a goodly pile of half-crowns]. The League has undertaken a mighty task +[the trio'll shirk it though], fit only for a great people--that of changing +the dynasty of the country (Great works). The League does not exactly +propose, nor adopt such a scheme, but we know what it means, the principles +it would inculcate, and that eventually it will resolve itself into +an Australian Congress." (Great Works!!) + + +Vote for +HUMFFRAY to be Auctioneer, +KENNEDY to be Bellman, +VERN to be Runner, +of the 'Starring league.' + + + + +Chapter XXIV. + + + +Ortica ensis: Secunda. + + +Out came the 'Ballaarat Times', Saturday, November 25, 1854. Work was stopped +at every hole: the miners left the deep and mobbed together round any reader +of the full report of the-- + + +Trial of +MR. AND MRS. BENTLEY, +Hanse, and Farrel, +FOR THE MURDER OF +JAMES SCOBIE. +---- +Supreme Court, Melbourne. +---- +GUILTY! of Manslaughter. +Mrs. Bentley scot-free. + +His Honour considered their conduct +was wanton and reckless. He should +mark his sense of the outrage of which +they have been found guilty, by passing +on each of them a sentence of +THREE (!) YEARS' IMPRISONMENT +WITH HARD LABOUR ON THE ROADS. + +Great Works! + + +Trial of +Fletcher, M`Intyre and Westerby, +for BURNING THE EUREKA HOTEL. +---- +Supreme Court, Melbourne. +Criminal Sittings. +---- +GUILTY, with a recommendation +to mercy!! + +The Foreman of the Jury appended +the following rider to the verdict:-- + +"The jury feel, in giving their verdict +against the prisoners at the bar, +that in all probability, they (the jury) +should never have had that painful +duty to Perform, if those entrusted +with the government offices at Ballaarat +had done theirs properly." + +His Honour said: THE SENTENCE +of the Court is, that you, +M`Intyre be confined in H.M. gaol, +at Melbourne, for THREE MONTHS, +but I shall not subject you to labour. +(Great works!) You, Fletcher, to four +months; and you, Westerby, to six +months confinement... +...The Executive was sufficiently +strong to punish those who outrage +the law! (Great works at Toorak!) + + +------------- + +La vita in grammatica, +Facil declinazione; +La vita poi in pratica, +Storta congiugazione: +Della vita lo spello dal mondo sciolto, +Al mondo vivi, poiche non sei sepolto. + + + + +Chapter XXV. + + + +Epistolam Hanc Misi, Tunc Bene, Nunc Valde Ad Opus. + + +Prepaid. +To W. H. ARCHER, Esq. +Acting Registrar General, +Melbourne. +Ballaarat Gold-fields, +Eureka, November 30, 1854. + + +My dear Mr. Archer, + +I was in some anxiety about you; not receiving any answer to my letter +of the 17th October, and especially to that of the 22nd ditto. I was +at Creswick's Creek, when I was informed that Father Smyth had a letter for me, +and last Monday I returned to Ballaarat, where I received, through +Messrs. Muir Brothers, your letter of the 20th October. I am heartily glad +to learn that you are well, and now I suppose a few lines from me are +as welcome to you as ever. + +Somehow or other, verging towards the fortieth year of my age, having +witnessed strange scenes in this strange world, very, very different from +my dream of youth, I feel now more disposed to the sober reality of the things +of this life. + +However desponding and humiliating may be, as it really is, the sad +reflection, that at the enormous distance of sixteen thousand miles +from dear homes and dearer friends, people should be called upon to assemble, +NOT to thank God Almighty for any special mercy, or rejoice over the first +good harvest or vintage on this golden land; but melancholy is it to say, +for the old purpose, as in olden times in the old country, +'FOR THE REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES;' and so yesterday we had a monster meeting +on Bakery-hill, and I was the delegate of upwards of one thousand foreigners, +or 'aliens,' according to the superlative wisdom of your Legislative Council. + +The Camp was prepared to stand for the Colonial Secretary Foster! Yes; +you may judge of the conduct of some officers sent to protect the Camp +by the following:-- + +On Tuesday Evening (November 28th), about eight o'clock, the Twelfth Regiment +arrived from Melbourne. The expert cleverness of the officer in command, +made the soldiers, riding in carts drawn by three horses each, cross the line +exactly at the going-a-head end of the Eureka. An injudicious triumphant +riding, that by God's mercy alone, was not turned into a vast funeral. + +From my tent, I soon heard the distant cries of 'Joe!' increasing in vehemence +at each second. The poor soldiers were pelted with mud, stones, old stumps, +and broken bottles. The hubbub was going on pretty desperate westward +of the Hill and WE had hard work to preserve the peace; but at the upper end +of the Hill, the game was going on upon a far more desperate scale. It appears +that a party of Gravel-pits men had been in the bush for the purpose. +They stopped a cart, pulled the soldiers out, robbed them of their ammunition +and bayonets; in short, it was a hell of a row. All of us camping on the Hill +were talking about this cowardly attack, when a detachment of said soldiers +came up again, and the officer, a regular incapable, that is, a bully, +with drawn sword began to swear at us, and called all of us a pack +of scoundrels. He was, however, soon put to rights, by the whole of us +then present offering ourselves to look out for the missing soldiers; +and eventually, one of them was discovered in a deserted tent, another +was found in a hole lower down the Warrenheip Gully, and so on. +This disgraceful occurrence, coupled with the firing of guns and pistols, kept +up the whole of the night, did not give us cheering hopes for the next day. + + + + +Chapter XXVI. + + + +The Monster Meeting. + + +Bakery-hill, Wednesday, November 29th. + + +(Letter continued.) + +"All the diggings round about were deserted, and swelled the meeting, +the greatest I ever witnessed in this Colony. At two o'clock there were +about ten thousand men present! The Report of the Deputation appointed +by the League to wait upon his Excellency, relative to the release +of the three prisoners, M`Intyre, Fletcher, and Yorkie, was listened to +with great anxiety." + + +George Black was the man of the day, and was received by the people +with three hearty cheers. + +From his outward appearance, one would take him for a parson, a Christian one, +I mean; not a prebendary or a bishop. His English is elegant, and conscious +of having received an education, and being born a gentleman, he never +prostitutes his tongue to colonial phraseology. His reading must have been +sober from his youth, for in conversation he indulges in neither cant +nor romance; though, in addressing the people, he may use a touch +of declamation stronger than argument. From the paleness of his cheeks, +and the dryness of his lips, you might see that the spirit was indeed willing, +though the flesh was weak. The clearness of his eyes, the sharpness +of his nose, the liveliness of his forehead, lend to his countenance +a decided expression of his belief in the resurrection of life. +His principles are settled, not so much because that is required +for the happiness of a good conscience, but because the old serpent +has crammed the ways of man with so many deceits in this world of vanity +and vexation of spirit, that a heart of the honesty of George Black, +cannot possibly have any sympathy with the crooked ways of rogues +and vagabonds; and so he is afflicted at their number and audacity, +especially in this Colony. His disposition of mind makes him enthusiastic +for the virtuous, his benevolent heart prevents him from proceeding +to extremities with the vicious. Hence the Diggers' Advocate, of which +he was the editor, though conducted with ability, failed, because he thought +that gold-diggers interested themselves with true religion, as laid down +in Saint James' Catholic Epistle; but he made a greater mistake in not taking +into consideration that men, though digging for gold, do still pretend +to some religious denomination or other. However, let him now address +the Monster Meeting. + + + + +Chapter XXVII. + + + +Divide Et Impera. + + + + +(Letter continued,) + +"Mr. Black explained the results of his mission by stating, that +the Deputation was received by the Governor with much courtesy and urbanity, +and that personally his Excellency had no objection to grant the public prayer. +He further stated, that so far as he had an opportunity of judging +of the Governor's disposition, his Excellency was in favour of the people, +but that he was so surrounded by injudicious advisers, as to leave him +entirely impotent in state matters. The great objection his Excellency +seemed to entertain against the Deputation's claim, was what is termed +want of courtesy in wording--for it must be understood that the Committee sent, +not to petition and pray, but demand the release of the state prisoners; +and the word demand was said to operate more against the Deputation +than the very object of their mission. Upon hearing all these reasons, +it was proposed to adopt the form of a memorial, and petition the Governor; +but this proposition was furiously scouted, on the ground that it did not +comport with the dignity of the League, first to demand and afterwards to pray. + +"Kennedy, along with the music of his rubbing the nails of the right hand +against those of the left, blathered away in a masterly style for the benefit +of the League. + +"It was evident that there was a 'split' among the three Delegates; +yet Mr. Humffray, who had been received by His Excellency, in an interview +as a private digger, found favour among the assembly. J. B. Humffray plainly +explained, and calmly made us understand, that Sir Charles was with us, +and was determined to put an end to our grievances; and that he had appointed +to this effect, a Commission of Inquiry, of popular men well known to us, +and His Excellency had made up his mind to 'act accordingly.' The feverish +excitement was subdued, and three hearty cheers were given for the +New Chum Governor, amid the discharging of several guns and pistols." + + +I must here interrupt the meeting, drop the letter, and hereby assert:- + +lst. Peter Lalor and myself, had never addressed any of the meetings, +before this monster one. + +2nd. Having made up my mind to return to Rome, the following Christmas, +in accordance with my brother's desire; I had to attend to my work; hence, +I had never taken any part in the agitation and to my knowledge, +Peter Lalor neither. + +3rd. I never was present at the Star Hotel and therefore, personally I know +nothing of the boisterous Committee of the vaunting Reform League held there. + +Corolarium.--I am not dead yet! + + + + +Chapter XXVIII. + + + +L'Union Fait La Force. + + +We had better proceed with the meeting first, and with the letter afterwards. + +Peter Lalor proposed the following resolution:- + +"That a meeting of the members of the Reform League be called at the +Adelphi Theatre, on next Sunday, at 2 o'clock, to elect a Central Committee; +and that each forty members have the power to elect one member for +the Central Committee." + +Being an old acquaintance of Peter, I supported the above resolution. +He gave me his hand and pulled me up on the platform, from among the multitude. +The whole of that Wednesday morning, my tent on the Eureka had been +a regular Babel. Foreigners from all quarters of the globe and of +the diggings, came to inquire from me what was the matter concerning +so much excitement as then prevailed on Ballaarat. I translated for them +the news from our 'Ballaarat Times', or from The 'Geelong Advertiser's' clever +correspondent. Thus, and thus alone, I became honourably their delegate, +and subsequently interpreter to Lalor, the Commander-in-Chief; and I hereby +express the hope that in time, Peter Lalor, though mutilated, may find +at Toorak, a little more credit for his testimony than did that infernal spy, +Goodenough. Anyhow, for the present, 'Le Pere Duprat', a well-known old hand, +and respected French miner on Ballaarat, who was with me within the +Eureka Stockade, and whose proposed plan for the defence, I interpreted +to Lalor, is a living witness to the above. We must, however, attend to +our Monster Meeting. + + + + +Chapter XXIX. + + + +Heu Mihi! Sermo Meus, Veritas. + + +My friends had requested me to come forward at the meeting, and here is +my speech according to notes I had previously taken in my tent. + +Gold-laced Webster, I challenge contradiction. + +I came from old Europe, 16,000 miles across two oceans, and I thought +it a respectable distance from the hated Austrian rule. Why, then, +this monster meeting to-day, at the antipodes? We wrote petitions, +signed memorials, made remonstrances by dozens; no go: we are compelled +to demand, and must prepare for the consequences. + +The old style: oppressors and oppressed. A sad reflection, very sad +reflection, for any educated and honest man. + +For what did we come into this colony? 'Chi sta bene non si move,' +is an old Roman proverb. If then in old Europe, we had a bird in hand, +what silly fools we were to venture across two oceans, and try to catch +two jackasses in the bush of Australia! + +I had a dream, a happy dream, I dreamed that we had met here together +to render thanks unto our Father in heaven for a plentiful harvest, +such that for the first time in this, our adopted land, we had our own food +for the year; and so each of us holding in our hands a tumbler of Victorian +wine, you called on me for a song. My harp was tuned and in good order: +cheerfully struck up, + +'Oh, let us be happy together.' + +Not so, Britons, not so! We must meet as in old Europe--old style--improved +by far in the south--for the redress of grievances inflicted on us, +not by crowned heads, but blockheads, aristocratical incapables, +who never did a day's work in their life. I hate the oppressor, let him wear +a red, blue, white, or black coat.--And here certainly, I tackled +in right earnest with our silver and gold lace on Ballaarat, and called on all +my fellow-diggers, irrespective of nationality, religion, and colour, +to salute the 'Southern Cross' as the refuge of all the oppressed +from all countries on earth.--The applause was universal, and accordingly +I received my full reward: + +Prison and Chains! Old style. + + + + +Chapter XXX. + + + +The Reform League, Grappling With The Right 'Stars'. + + +Monster Meeting continued:-- + +Proposed and seconded by blather reformers; of course, Vern had his go:-- + + +"That this meeting being convinced that the obnoxious +licence-fee is an imposition and an unjustifiable tax +on free labour, pledges itself to take immediate steps +to abolish the same by at once burning all their licences; +that in the event of any party being arrested for having +no licence, that the united people will, under all +circumstances, defend and protect them." + +"That this meeting will not feel bound to protect any +man after the 15th of December who shall not be a member +of the Reform League by that day." + + +The Rev. Mr. Downing proposed as an amendment, that the licences should not +be burned. Although the rev. gentleman was heard with patience and respect, +a sullen excitement pervaded the whole assemblage while he spoke. +Those even of his most devoted followers were of the opinion that +his sentiments did not accord with the spirit of the times, and the result was +that the rev. gentleman's amendment fell to the ground. + +Here must not be forgotten a peculiar colonial habit. There was on the +platform a sly-grog seller, who plied with the black-bottle all the folks +there, and the day was very hot, the sun was almost burning. + + + + +Chapter XXXI. + + + +Si Cessi Il Pianto, L'Ira Si Gusti. +Lo Schiavo Che Vuol Finir Le Sue Pene, +Vendetta Gridando Al Dio De Giusti, +Deve Schiantar Le Proprie Catene. +Cuore! Si Vada, Vedasi, Si Vinca. (bis.) + + +In Spite of all that, however, Timothy Hayes, the chairman--who by-the-bye, +discharged the duties of the chair in that vast assemblage, with ability +and tact, spoke like a man, as follows:-- + +"Gentlemen, many a time I have seen large public meetings pass resolutions +with as much earnestness and unanimity as you show this day; and yet, +when the time came to test the sincerity, and prove the determination +necessary for carrying out those resolutions, it was found then that +'the spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak.' Now, then, +before I put this resolution from the chair, let me point out to you +the responsibility it will lay upon you (hear, hear). And so I feel bound +to ask you, gentlemen, to speak out your mind. Should any member of the League +be dragged to the lock-up for not having the licence, will a thousand of you +volunteer to liberate the man?" + +"Yes! Yes!" + +"Will two thousand of you come forward?" + +"Yes! Yes! Yes!" + +"Will four thousand of you volunteer to march up to the Camp, and open +the lock-up to liberate the man?" + +"Yes! yes!" (the clamour was really deafening.) + +"Are you ready to die?" shouted out our worthy chairman, stretching forth +his right hand, clenched all the while; "Are you ready to die?" + +"Yes, Yes! Hurrah!" + +This general decided clamour put out Tim in such good spirits, that, +in spite of the heat of the sun and the excitement of the day, he launched +in the realm of crowned poets, and bawled as loud as if he wanted +the head-butler at Toorak to take him a quart-pot of smallbeer-- + +"On to the field, our doom is sealed, +To conquer or be slaves; +The sun shall see our country free. +Or set upon our graves." + +(Great works!) + +No one who was not present at that monster meeting, or never saw any +Chartist meeting in Copenhagen-fields, London, can possibly form an idea +of the enthusiasm of the miners of Ballaarat on that 29th of November. +A regular volley of revolvers and other pistols now took place, and a good +blazing up of gold-licences. When the original resolutions had +all been passed, Mr. Humffray moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Ireland, +for his free advocacy of the state prisoners. The meeting then dissolved, +many of them having previously burned their licences, and thus virtually +pledging themselves to the resolution adopted, which might be said to have been +the business of the day. Nothing could exceed the order and regularity +with which the people, some fifteen thousand in number, retired. + + + + +Chapter XXXII. + + + +Ecco Troncato Il Canto Per Ritornare Al Pianto. + + +My letter to Mr. Archer continued:- + +Thanks be to God, the day passed 'unstained,' a glorious day for Victoria +when the SOUTHERN CROSS was first unfolded on Ballaarat; gathering round +itself all the oppressed of the world. + +The whole purpose of the meeting was, that a Reform League be formed +and fully organised to carry out the clearance of all our grievances, +on the old style of the Corn Law League in Great Britain. + +Next Sunday, we leaguers--( I took out a ticket of membership from Reynolds, +one of the treasurers, and paid my 2s. 6d. on that very day, November 29th, +precisely, on the platform of the meeting)--have a meeting at two o'clock +at the Adelphi to organise the people and appoint a responsible +executive committee. I am the old delegate to it, and therefore I shall +be able to give you, Mr. Archer, a full answer to your letter of the +24th instant. + +Mark this, good reader! + +1. Meanwhile, privately, as an old Ballaarat hand, I beg respectfully +to convey to you, to employ your influence and reach the ears of +the Lieutenant Governor. The licence-fee, as a tax, is perhaps a cause +of growling like any other tax in Great Britain or elsewhere in the world; +but, on the gold-fields, has become an 'abomination.' The inconvenience +in the Camp-insolence at our getting it, the annoyance and bore +for showing it, when asked by some 'pup' of a trap whilst at our work; +the imbecility and arrogance of so many commissioners and troopers +uselessly employed for the purpose, etc., etc.; make the gold-licence +an abomination to the honest digger. The Vandemonian, you know, never dreamt +of taking out a licence, of course not. + +Paramount is this grand consideration: John Bull, rather of a doggish nature, +will growl to himself if left alone picking his bone: the passport system +is a bone that he will not pick; no, no ways and under no shape whatever-- +I know it by experience. + +2. A memorial to his Excellency for the release of the three prisoners +under sentence for burning the Eureka Hotel, is, through Humffray, +in course of signature. It is our earnest desire that his Excellency +may show mercy; though it may appear, that he would do thus an act of justice +to the diggers, considering how rightly they guessed the Bentley affair. + +3. The whole pack, commissioners, troopers and traps on the Ballaarat Camp, +with the exception of magistrate Hackett, are detested by the diggers: +there will be eternal discontent as long as Rede and fraternity are +lodging over that way. The whole Camp had better be changed at once, +and entrusted to good experienced hands and honest men. Perhaps Sir Charles +may turn into a Diogenes in vain--'nil desperandum.' There are now and then +honest men to be found even in this colony. + +Good reader, listen to me: I shall tell you no lie: do not lose sight +of the above letter: I intend to give the end in the next chapter: +meanwhile, fill the pipe, let's have a 'blow' together. + + + + +Chapter XXXIII. + + + +Mistero! S'Apre Mendacia, Violente +Strada Maestra In Citta E Campagna: +La Verita, Se Docile, Quadagna +A Passo Lo Stradello Lentamente. + + +(Translated in the text of my first chapter.) + +On Thursday morning, November 30th, at sunrise, I was at my work, as usual. + +I assert, as an eye-witness, that most of the hands on the Eureka came +to their work, and worked as usual. + +Whilst having a 'blow,' we would talk over again about the monster meeting +of yesterday, thus spinning a yarn in the usual colonial style. + +The general impression was, that as soon as government knew in Melbourne +the real state of the excited feelings of the diggers, the licence-hunt +would be put a stop to. + +Towards ten o'clock was my hour for a working-man's breakfast. +I used to retire to my tent from the heat of the mid-day, and on that same +Thursday I set about, at once, to end my letter to Mr. Archer, +because I was anxious to forward it immediately to Melbourne. + +Good reader, I copy now, word for word, the scrawl then penned, +in great haste and excitement. + + +Thursday, November 30th, 1854. + +Just on my preparing to go and post this letter, we are worried by the usual +Irish cry, to run to Gravel-pits. The traps are out for licences, +and playing hell with the diggers. If that be the case, I am not inclined +to give half-a-crown for the whole fixtures at the Camp. + +I must go and see 'what's up. + +Always your affectionate, +(Signed) CARBONI RAFFAELLO. +(To) W. H. ARCHER, Esq., Acting Registrar-General, Melbourne. + +----- + +Why this identical letter of mine--now in the hands of James Macpherson Grant, +M.L.C., Solicitor, Collins-street, where it will remain till Christmas +for inspection, to be then returned to the owner--was not produced +at my STATE TRIAL, was, and is still, a MYSTERY to me! + +Let's run to Bakery-hill. + + + + +Chapter XXXIV. + + + +Quos Vult Perdere Deus Dementat. + + +What's up? a licence hunt; old game. What's to be done? Peter Lalor was +on the stump, his rifle in his hand, calling on volunteers to 'fall in' +into ranks as fast as they rushed to Bakery-hill, from all quarters, +with arms in their hands, just fetched from their tents. Alfred, +George Black's brother, was taking down in a book the names of divisions +in course of formation, and of their captains. + +I went up to Lalor, and the moment he saw me, he took me by the hand saying, +"I want you, Signore: tell these gentlemen, (pointing to old acquaintances +of ours, who were foreigners) that, if they cannot provide themselves +with fire-arms, let each of them procure a piece of steel, five or six inches +long, attached to a pole, and that will pierce the tyrants' hearts." +Peter of course spoke thus in his friendly way as usual towards me. +He was in earnest though. The few words of French he knows, he can pronounce +them tolerably well, but Peter is no scholar in modern languages; therefore +he then appointed me his aide-de-camp, or better to say his interpreter, +and now I am proud to be his historian. + +Very soon after this, all the diggers 'fell in' in file of two-a-breast, +and marched to the Eureka. + +Captain Ross of Toronto, was our standard-bearer. He hoisted down the +Southern Cross from the flag-staff and headed the march. + +Patrick Curtain, the chosen captain of the pikemen, gave me his iron pike, +and took my sword to head his division; I 'fell in' with John Manning who also +had a pike, and all of us marched in order to the Eureka. + +I assert as an eye-witness, that we were within one thousand in the rank +with all sort of arms, down to the pick and shovel. + +We turned by the Catholic church, and went across the gully. Of this I have +perfect recollection: when the 'Southern Cross' reached the road leading to +the Eureka on the opposite hill, the file of two-a-breast crossing the gully, +extended backwards up to the hill where the Catholic church stands. +I took notice of the circumstance at the time. + +We reached the hill where was my tent. How little did we know that some +of the best among us had reached the place of their grave! Lalor gave +the proper orders to defend ourselves among the holes in case the hunt +should be attempted in our quarters. + +The red-tape was by far too cunning this time; redcoats, traps and troopers +had retired to the Ballaarat Camp, and wanted a 'spell.' + +We determined, however, to put an end to their accursed licence-hunting, +mock riot-act chopping, Vandemonian shooting down our mates in Gravel-pits. + + + + +Chapter XXXV. + + + +Ad Opus Concilium Statutum. + + +Peter Lalor, at our request, called in all the captains of division, +then present, and the chief persons who had taken part in the movement. +We entered a room some twelve feet square, in Diamond's store. An old +European fox for such occasions, I took the right sort of precautions, +that no spy might creep in among us. Black bottles and tumblers were placed on +the table, as a blind to any intruder; 'et nunc satis, profani vulgus causa,' +we proceeded to business. + +Present-- + +1. There was one, whom it is not prudent to mention just now. + +2. Near him was a thick, short-necked, burly individual; his phisiog +indicated at once that he was a priest-ridden. I won't trouble myself +about his name. + +3. I'll begin with TIMOTHY HAYES. He was born in Ireland, but his outward +appearance is that of a noble fellow--tall, stout, healthy-looking man, +giving himself the airs of a high-born gentleman, fit to rule, direct, +superintend, not to work; that's quite another thing. Of a liberal mind, +however, and, above all, of a kind heart, and that covers a multitude of sins. + +4. EDWARD THONEN, a native of Elbertfeld, Prussia, five feet high, +some thirty years old, thin, but robust, of vigorous health, used no razor. +His eyes spoke determination and independence of character. One day +in November, 1853, he called with his lemonade kegs at my hole in +Sailor's Gully. A mate was served with a glass of lemonade--halloo! +he must help at the windlass just at the moment he was tendering payment, +and the shilling fell to the ground. Some words passed to the effect +that six-pence a glass should be enough for lemonade. Thonen asked +for his shilling; my mate directed him where the shilling lay; Thonen +would see him d----d first before picking up his money like a dustman, +and went away. I sent that identical shilling (stamped 1844), along with +my little gold, to Rome; most astonishing! I had the presentiment at the time +that I should have had occasion to relate the story. There was no mate +on the gold-fields to match Thonen at chess-playing. He would turn his head, +allow his opponent the move, and then he would give such a glance +on the chess board, that the right piece would jump to the right place, +as it were of its own accord. Shrewd, yet honest; benevolent, but scorning +the knave; of deep thought, though prompt in action; Thonen possessed the head +belonging to that cast of men whose word is their bond. + +5. JOHN MANNING, born in Ireland, and an Irishman to the back-bone, +appeared above forty years of age. His head was bald, perhaps from thinking +three times more than he ought; his forehead showed intelligence, but care +was there with the plough--the plough of dreaming too much of virtue, +believing the knaves are not the majority on earth. He had come young +to this colony, had passed hard days, and so he had got the colonial habit, +now and then, 'Divo jucundo Baccho cultum prestare;' hence his hair was +fast turning grey. He was a self-educated man, but wanted judgment +to discipline his fermenting brain, for the control of his heart, +which was good, honest, always warm, affectionate to man, woman, and child. +When he took his quill he was 'all there,' but soon manifested the sort +of reading of his youth; and experience, however hard, had not yet taught him +the sober reality of the things of the world--that is, he had remained +an Irishman, not John Bullised. + +6. Oh! you long-legged VERN! with the eyes of an opossum, a common nose, +healthy-looking cheeks, not very small mouth, no beard, long neck +for Jack Ketch, broad shoulders, never broken down by too much work, +splendid chest, long arms--the whole of your appearance makes you a lion +amongst the fair sex, in spite of your bad English, worse German, +abominable French. They say you come from Hanover, but your friends have seen +too much in you of the Mexico-Peruvian. You belong to the school of the +'Illuminated Cosmopolitans;' you have not a dishonest heart, but you believe +in nothing except the gratification of your silly vanity, or ambition, +as you call it. + +7. The next was a skinny bouncing curl who affected the tone and manners +of a Californian; he acted throughout the part of a coward, I scorn to mention +his name. + +8. Thank God there is among us a man; not so tall as thick, of a strong frame, +some thirty five years old, honest countenance, sober forehead, penetrating +look, fine dark whiskers. His mouth and complexion denote the Irish, +and he is the earnest, well-meaning, no-two-ways, non-John-Bullised Irishman, +PETER LALOR, in whose eyes, the gaseous heroism of demagogues, or the knavery +of peg-shifters is an abomination, because his height of impudence consisted +in giving the diggers his hand, and leaving with them his arm in pawn, +for to jump the Ballaarat claim in St. Patrick's Hall. More power to you +Peter! Old chummy, smother the knaves! they breed too fast in this colony. + +9. Myself, CARBONI RAFFAELLO, DA ROMA; Member of the College of Preceptors +(1850), Bloomsbury-square, professor, interpreter and translator of +the Italian, French, Spanish and German Language into English or vice versa +late of 4, Castle-court, Birchin-lane, Cornhill, London; now, gold-digger +of Ballaarat, was present. + +10. PATRICK CURTAIN, an old digger, well known among us; at the time +a storekeeper; husband and father of a beloved family. His caste is that +of the Irishman-Johnbull; tall, robust, some forty years old; he is no friend +to much yabber-yabber; of deep thinking, though very few can guess what +he is thinking of. He smiles but never laughs to his heart's content. +Curtain was captain, and subsequently lieutenant of the pikemen division, +when they chose HANRAHAN for their captain. Said pikemen division was among +the first that took up arms on Thursday, November 30th, immediately after +the licence-hunt. It was formed on Bakery-hill, and received Lalor +on the stump with acclamation. It increased hourly and permanently; +was the strongest division in the Eureka stockade; in comparison to others, +it stood the most true to the 'Southern Cross,' and consequently suffered +the greatest loss on the morning of the massacre. Now, to explain how both +its gallant leaders escaped unhurt, safe as the Bank, so that a few weeks +afterwards, both were working happy and jolly in broad day-light +on Gravel-pits, within a rifle shot from the Camp, that would be a job +of a quite different kind just at present: sufficient the trouble to mention; +that when I came out of gaol, I met them both in a remunerative hole +in Gravel-pits, as aforesaid. + +11. 12. There were two other individuals of the John-bull caste, +perhaps cross-breed, who had taken up arms in the cause of the diggers, +because their sly-trade was flagging; but, as a rotten case abides no handling, +I will let them pass. + +Manning, handed over to Lalor the motion drawn up in my tent. Here it is:- + +Proposed by John Manning, + +Seconded by Carboni Raffaello, + +I. That Peter Lalor has acted worthy of the miners of Ballaarat, +in organizing the armed men on Bakeryhill, against the wanton aggression +from the Camp this morning. + +II. That he be desired to call in all captains of division now present +on the spot, as well as other persons of importance, well-known good-wishers +to the cause of the diggers. + +III. That said parties constitute the council-of-war for the defence. + +IV. Lalor to be the president pro. tem. + +V. That he proceed at once to the election of the Commander-in-Chief, +by the majority of votes. + +Lalor tore up immediately the slip of paper containing the above motion, +because he did not think it prudent to leave written things about in a +public store. I transcribe it from the scrap left among the papers in my tent. + + + + +Chapter XXXVI. + + + +Quousque Tandem Abutere, Toorak, Patientia Nostra? + + +Lalor rose, and said: + +"Gentlemen, I find myself in the responsible position I now occupy, +for this reason. The diggers, outraged at the unaccountable conduct +of the Camp officials in such a wicked licence-hunt at the point +of the bayonet, as the one of this morning, took it as an insult +to their manhood, and a challenge to the determination come to at +the monster meeting of yesterday. The diggers rushed to their tents for arms, +and crowded on Bakery-hill. They wanted a leader. No one came forward, +and confusion was the consequence. I mounted the stump, where you saw me, +and called on the people to 'fall in' into divisions, according to +the fire-arms they had got, and to chose their own captains out of the best men +they had among themselves. My call was answered with unanimous acclamation, +and complied to with willing obedience. The result, is, that I have been +able to bring about that order, without which it would be folly to face +the pending struggle like men. I make no pretensions to military knowledge. +I have not the presumption to assume the chief command, no more than any other +man who means well in the cause of the diggers. I shall be glad to see +the best among us take the lead. In fact, gentlemen, I expected some one +who is really well known (J. B. Humffray?) to come forward and direct +our movement! However, if you appoint me your commander-in-chief, I shall not +shrink; I mean to do my duty as a man. I tell you, gentlemen, if once I pledge +my hand to the diggers, I will neither defile it with treachery, nor render it +contemptible by cowardice." + + +Brave Peter, you gave us your hand on the Eureka, and left there your arm: +an incontestable evidence of Lalor's Pledge. + +Manning then proposed Raffaello, and pointed at his scars as an evidence +of his tiger-pluck against the hated Austrian rule, which was now attempted, +in defiance of God and man, to be transplanted into this colony. + +I declined, because, during the past winter, I had over-tasked my physical +strength, and did not possess that vigour essential to such an emergency. +Confidence is the bond necessary between the soldier and his officer. +It was my decided opinion, however much a foreigner may be respected +on the gold-fields, that the right man should be taken from among Britons. + +Vern here began a portentous lecture on military science, military discipline, +military tactics, and other sorts of militaryism, but his English was +so wretched, his ideas so sky-blathering, his martial ardour so knocking down, +that no one could make anything out of his blabberdom. + +Of this I have perfect recollection. He was boasting eternally of his German +rifle-brigade! 500 strong. That he had this brigade he urgently asserted; +but where it was, that's the rub! + +No possible inquiry from Lalor could get at the bottom of Vern's prodigal +brigade. Is, then, the grand secret buried within Vern's splendid chest? +No; I mean to reveal it at four o'clock, Saturday, December 2nd. + +Carboni Raffaello, who had heard heaps of cant in old Europe, did count +for nothing the oceanic military knowledge of Vern, in spite of his big +trail-sword, that made more jingling than enough. + +I commended, in high terms, the conduct of Lalor during the morning, +and it was my impression that he possessed the confidence of the diggers +and should be their Commander-in-chief. + +Thonen seconded the motion. The first 'unnamed,' shewed approbation, +and the appointment was carried by a majority of eleven to one. + +Peter Lalor thanked the council for the honour conferred on him, +assured the members that he was determined to prepare the diggers +to resist force by force. + +It was perfectly understood, and openly declared, in this first council-of-war, +that we meant to organise for defence, and that we had taken up arms +for no other purpose. + +The council adjourned to five o'clock in the evening. + + + + +Chapter XXXVII. + + + +Lalor Stump, Bakery-Hill. + + +Brave LALOR-- +Was found 'all there,' +With dauntless dare, +His men inspiring; +To wolf or bear, +Defiance bidding, +He made us swear, +Be faithful to the Standard, ) +For Victory or Death! ) (bis) + +----- + +On that Thursday, November 30th, more memorable than the disgraced Sunday, +December 3rd, the SUN was on its way towards the west: in vain some scattered +clouds would hamper its splendour--the god in the firmament generously +ornamented them with golden fringes, and thus patches of blue sky far off +were allowed to the sight, through the gilded openings among the clouds. + +The 'SOUTHERN CROSS' was hoisted up the flagstaff--a very splendid pole, +eighty feet in length, and straight as an arrow. This maiden appearance +of our standard, in the midst of armed men, sturdy, self-overworking +gold-diggers of all languages and colours, was a fascinating object to behold. +There is no flag in old Europe half so beautiful as the 'Southern Cross' +of the Ballaarat miners, first hoisted on the old spot, Bakery-hill. +The flag is silk, blue ground, with a large silver cross, similar to the one +in our southern firmament; no device or arms, but all exceedingly chaste +and natural. + +Captain Ross, of Toronto, was the bridegroom of our flag, and sword in hand, +he had posted himself at the foot of the flag-staff, surrounded by +his rifle division. + +Peter Lalor, our Commander-in-chief, was on the stump, holding with his +left hand the muzzle of his rifle, whose butt-end rested on his foot. +A gesture of his right hand, signified what he meant when he said, +"It is my duty now to swear you in, and to take with you the oath +to be faithful to the Southern Cross. Hear me with attention. The man who, +after this solemn oath does not stand by our standard, is a coward in heart. + +"I order all persons who do not intend to take the oath, +to leave the meeting at once. + +"Let all divisions under arms 'fall in' in their order +round the flag-staff." + +The movement was made accordingly. Some five hundred armed diggers advanced +in real sober earnestness, the captains of each division making the military +salute to Lalor, who now knelt down, the head uncovered, and with the +right hand pointing to the standard exclaimed a firm measured tone: + +"WE SWEAR BY THE SOUTHERN CROSS TO STAND TRULY BY EACH OTHER, +AND FIGHT TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES." + +An universal well rounded AMEN, was the determined reply; some five hundred +right hands stretched towards our flag. + +The earnestness of so many faces of all kinds of shape and colour; +the motley heads of all sorts of size and hair; the shagginess of so many +beards of all lengths and thicknesses; the vividness of double the number +of eyes electrified by the magnetism of the southern cross; was one of those +grand sights, such as are recorded only in the history of +'the Crusaders in Palestine.' + + + + +Chapter XXXVIII. + + + +Un Bon Calcio, E La Canaglia, +Stronga Va Come La Paglia. + + +The drill afterwards was gone through with eagerness. + +Another scene, though of a different kind all together, was going on +at a corner of the above picture. + +Judas Iscariot, 'Goodenough,' was among us, in the garb of a fossiker; +he appeared to me, then, to be under the influence of drink; +so Vandemonian-like were his shouts about standing up and fighting for rights +and liberties; and burning down the camp in a blaze like the late Eureka Hotel. + +Mind good reader, I tell you no joke, I am not in humour just now to spin +a yarn.--I wished to shame the fellow for his villainy on such a solemn +occasion. The fellow persisted in his drunken shouts. I lost my temper, +and gave the scoundrel such a respectable kick, in a less respectable region, +with a most respectable boot of mine, that it served me right when both +my new watertight boots were robbed from my shins by Goodenough's satellites +on the subsequent Sunday, at the Ballaarat Camp. + +The Thursday's sun is setting: we returned to the Eureka. I had to attend +the 'Council for the Defence.' + + + + +Chapter XXXIX. + + + +Disciplina, Suprema Lex In Bello. + + +In the afternoon, our camp on the Eureka was enclosed in by slabs, +near-handy thrown down at random. All diggers who had been able to procure +fire-arms kept coming in, in right earnest, and formed new divisions. +The pikemen grew stronger and stronger. Drilling was tolerably progressing. +We were of all nations and colours. Lalor gave me his consent and order +to direct all foreigners in their respective language, however little +they knew of the English, to fall in in divisions according to the arms +they had got; and here I solemnly declare, to whomsoever it may concern, +that up to four o'clock of Saturday there was not one single division +distinguished by nationality or religion. + +The armed men numbered now (six o'clock) about five hundred. + +Vern's gall was fermenting, but on PETER LALOR being proclaimed +Commander-in-chief, the appointment was ratified by hurrah! from the diggers. + +There was such a decided intention to do 'something' with the strong arm, +and at once, that I was called on the stump. I requested the diggers +to give us time for deliberation, and pledged my word that I would inform them +of the result. 'Go a-head! Great works!' was the shout. + + + + +Chapter XL. + + + +Beati Qui Sunt Pacifici, Quoniam Filii Dei Vocabuntur. + + +It was dark: myself took the light in the council room. + +Father P. Smyth and Mr. George Black were present; both looking serious +and anxious. + +All of us were much concerned, and felt the responsibility of our position. +By this time the diggers from all parts had swelled to the number of +eight hundred. They were not clamorous, they wanted to know what +was determined on by the leaders. + +Proposed by Black, seconded by Manning...That a deputation from +the armed diggers, should be forthwith sent to the Camp-- + +1. To demand--that was our temper in those days--the immediate release +of those diggers who had been dragged to the lock-up in the morning hunt, +for want of the licence. + +2. To demand from Commissioner Rede a pledge not to come out any more +for licence-hunting. + +Two of us were to form the deputation, and proceed at once. + +Father Smyth proposed Mr. Black, Lalor proposed Signor Raffaello: +agreed to unanimously. This news, being made public to the diggers, +was well received by all; and the council kept sitting until our return. + +The deputation was accompanied by Father Smyth. It was a starry night, +and rather cold; the moon shone in all its southern splendour. +On approaching the main road, the noisy band of Row's Circus, and the colonial +cursing and shouting from inveterate grog-bibbers, forced into my mind +the meditation, 'Unde bella et pugna infer vos?' etc.--James, chap. iv. + +We met here and there several groups, who were anxiously discussing the events +of the day, and the probable consequences. Mr. Black kindly and plainly +informed them of our mission. On reaching the bridge, we found it guarded +by the police. Father Smyth had an easy pass, and went by himself to speak +first at head-quarters, for the safety of our persons. + + + + +Chapter XLI. + + + +The Eureka Stockade. +The Consequence Of Some Pirates Wanting On Quarter-Deck A Rebellion. + + + +At last the deputation was before King Rede, whose shadow by moonshine, +as he held his arm a la Napoleon, actually inspired me with reverence; +but behold! only a marionette was before us. Each of his words, +each of his movements, was the vibration of the telegraphic wires directed +from Toorak. He had not a wicked heart; some knew him for his benevolence, +and he helped many an honest digger out of trouble. Once I had seen him +with my mate, Paul Brentani, about manufacturing bricks from the splendid clay +of Gravel-pits. Mr. Rede received us as a gentleman, and, by way of +encouragement, said to Paul, 'Je veux bien vous aider, car tout est encore +a batir a Ballaarat, et il nous faut des briques--revenez me voir.' +And yet, on the gold-field, this man was feared by the few who could not +help it, respected by the many--detested by all, because he was the +Resident Commissioner--that is, all the iniquities of officialdom at the time +were indiscriminately visited on his gold-lace cap, which fact so infatuated +his otherwise not ordinary brains, that they protruded through his eyes, +whenever he was sure he had to perform a dooty. I would willingly +turn burglar to get hold of the whole of the correspondence between him +and Toorak. I feel satisfied I would therein unravel the mystery +of the Eureka massacre. + +Rede, after all, was neither the right man, nor in the right place, +for Sir Charles Hotham. + +Sub-inspector Taylor, with his silver-lace cap, blue frock, and jingling sword, +so precise in his movement, so Frenchman-like in his manners, +such a puss-in-boots, after introducing the deputation, placed himself +at the right of the Commissioner, and never spoke; though, on accompanying us +from the bridge, having recognised me, he said, "We have been always +on good terms with the diggers, and I hope we may keep friends still;"-- +and gave me a smile of sincerity. He, perhaps, was ignorant, as well as +the deputation, that, on quarter-deck, some pirates wanted a rebellion. + +At the left of Mr. Rede, there was a gentleman who inspired us with confidence. +His amiable countenance is of the cast that commands respect, not fear. +The ugliness of his eyes prejudices you against him at first; let him, +however, turn them upon you in his own benevolent way, you are sure +they mean no harm: within a pair of splendid whiskers, of the finest blond, +there is such a genteel nose and mouth, such a fine semi-serious forehead, +that the whole is the expression of his good sound heart, that loves truth, +even from devils. It was Charles Henry Hackett, police magistrate. + +The place of our palaver was exactly one yard down hill, near the old gum tree, +in front of the present Local Court. + +Mr. Rede asked our names, and cautioned us that our message would be reported +at head-quarters. He who had a gang of the vilest spies at his bidding, +perhaps, indeed, forced upon him, now suspected us as such, and told us +pretty plainly, that he thought it not prudent to take us to his residence, +the camp being prepared against a supposed attack from the diggers. + + + + +Chapter XLII. + + + +Invanum Laboravimus. + + +Mr. Black began, in plain and straightforward language, to make +a truthful statement of the exasperated feelings of the diggers, courageously +censuring the conduct of the Commissioner in his licence-hunt of the morning, +reminding him of the determination with which the diggers had passed +the resolutions at the monster meeting of yesterday. "To say the least, +it was very imprudent of you, Mr. Rede, to challenge the diggers at the point +of the bayonet. Englishmen will not put up with your shooting down +any of our mates, because he has not got a licence." + +Mr. Rede: "Now Mr. Black, how can you say that I ever gave such an order +as to shoot down any digger for his not having a licence?" and he proceeded +to give his version of the occurrence. Master Johnson wanted a little play, +and rode licence-hunting; was met with impertinent shouts of "Joe, Joe," +and reported a riot. Daddy Rede must share in the favourite game, +and rode to crack the riot act. The red-coats turned out. The diggers +mobbed together among the holes, and several shots were fired at the traps. +The conclusion: Three of the ring-leaders of the mob had been pounced upon, +and were safe in chokey. + +Mr. Black manfully vindicated the diggers, by observing how they had been +insulted; that Britons hated to be bullied by the soldiery, and concluded +by stating our first 'demand.' + +Mr. Rede, startled at our presumption, breathed out "Demand!--First of all, +I object to the word, because, myself, I am only responsible to government, +and must obey them only: and secondly, were those men taken prisoners +because they had not licences? Not at all. This is the way in which +the honest among the diggers are misled. Any bad character gets up +a false report: t soon finds it way in certain newspapers, and the +Camp officials are held up as the cause of all the mischief." + +Mr. Black would not swallow such a perfidious insinuation. + +Mr. Rede continued: "Now, Mr. Black, look at the case how it really stands. +Those men are charged with rioting; they will be brought before the magistrate, +and it is out of my power to interfere with the course of justice." + +Mr. Hackett spoke his approbation to the Commissioner. + +Mr. Black: "Will you accept bail for them to any amount you please +to mention?" + +A consultation ensued between Rede and Hackett. Bail would be accepted +for two of the prisoners. Father Smyth would bring the required sureties +tomorrow morning. + +Mr. Black proceeded to our second demand. + +Mr. Rede took that for a full stop; and launched into declamation: +"What do you think, gentlemen, Sir Charles Hotham would say to me, +if I were to give such a pledge? Why Sir Charles Hotham would have at once +to appoint another Resident Commissioner in my place!" and concluded +with the eternal cant of all silver and gold lace, "I have a dooty to perform, +I know my duty, I must 'nolens volens' adhere to it." + +In vain Mr. Black entered the pathetic; and expostulated with the Commissioner, +who had it in his power to prevent bloodshed. + +Mr. Rede: "It is all nonsense to make me believe that the present agitation +is intended solely to abolish the licence. Do you really wish +to make me believe that the diggers of Ballaarat won't pay any longer +two pounds for three months? The licence is a mere cloak to cover +a democratic revolution." + +Mr. Black acknowledged that the licence fee, and especially the disreputable +mode of collecting it at the point of the bayonet, were not the only grievances +the diggers complained of. They wanted to be represented in the +Legislative Council; they wanted to 'unlock the lands.' + +Carboni Raffaello, who had yet not opened his mouth, said: "Mr. Rede, +I beg you would allow me to state, that the immediate object of the diggers +taking up arms, was to resist any further licence-hunting. I speak +for the foreign diggers whom I here represent. We object to the Austrian rule +under the British flag. If you would pledge yourself not to come out +any more for the licence, until you have communicated with Son Excellence, +I would give you my pledge...--(I meant to say, that I was willing +to pledge myself, and try if possible to assuage the excitement, +and wait till 'our Charley' had sent up a decided answer...")--but I was +instantly interrupted by Father Smyth who addressed me imperatively: +"Give no pledge: sir, you have no power to do so." + +This interruption, which I perfectly recollect, and the circumstance that +on our going and returning, the said Father Smyth continually kept on a 'sotto +voce' conversation with Mr. Black only, were, and are still, mysteries to me. + +Mr. Rede, who had not failed to remark the abruptness with which +Father Smyth had cut me short; joined both his hands, and with the stretched +forefinger tapping me on both hands, which were clenched as in prayer, +addressed to me these identical remarkable words, "My dear fellow, +the licence is a mere watchword of the day, and they make a cat's-paw of you." + +Mr. Black undertook my defence: the words above stuck in my throat, though. + +Mr. Hackett, on being consulted, assented that Mr. Rede could promise us +to take into consideration the present excited feelings of the diggers, +and use his best judgment as to a further search for licences on the morrow. + +Mr. Rede: "Yes, yes; but, understand me, gentlemen. I give no pledge." + +The usual ceremonies being over, Sub-inspector Taylor kindly escorted us +to the bridge, gave the pass-word, and to go--just as any one else will go +in this land, who puts his confidence in red-tape--disappointed. + + + + +Chapter XLIII. + + + +La Volpe Cambia Il Pelo, Ma Non La Pelle; +Cambia La Pelle Il Serpe, Non Il Veleno: +Il Cane Non Abbaia Col Ventre Pieno; +Vestesi Il Lupo In Pecora Tra Liagnelle. +Antica Storia; +Ma Senza Gloria. + + +By this time, the main road was crowded. The men were anxiously waiting +to know our success. Mr. Black calmed their excitement as kindly +as circumstances admitted. We returned to our camp at the Eureka. Mr. Black +rendered an account of our mission with that candour which characterises him +as a gentleman. I wished to correct him in one point only, and said, +my impression was, that the Camp, choked with red-coats, would quash +Mr. Rede's 'good judgment,' get the better of his sense, if he had any +of either, and that he would come out licence-hunting on an improved style. + +Peter Lalor adjourned the meeting to five o'clock in the morning. + + + + +Chapter XLIV. + + + +Accingere Gladio Tuo Super Femur Tuum. + + +On Friday, December 1st, the sun rose as usual. The diggers came in armed, +voluntarily, and from all directions: and soon they were under drill, +as the day before. So far as I know, not one digger had turned to work. +It may have happened, that certain Cornishmen, well known for their +peculiar propensity, of which they make a boast to themselves, to pounce +within an inch of their neighbour's shaft, were not allowed to indulge in +'encroaching.' This, however, I assert as a matter of fact, that the Council +of the Eureka Stockade never gave or hinted at any order to stop the +usual work on the gold-field. + +Towards ten o'clock, news reached our camp that the red coats were under arms, +and there would be another licence-hunting. + +The flames did not devour the Eureka Hotel with the same impetuosity +as we got up our stockade. Peter Lalor gave the order: Vern had the charge, +and was all there with his tremendous sword. "Wo ist der Raffaello! +Du, Baricaden bauen," and all heaps of slabs, all available timber +was soon higgledy-piggledy thrown all round our camp. Lalor then gave +directions as to the position each division should take round the holes, +and soon all was on the 'qui vive.' + +Had Commissioner Rede dared to rehearse the farce of the riot-act +cracking as on Gravel-pits, he would have met with a warm reception +from the Eureka boys. It was all the go that morning. + +No blue or red coat appeared.--It was past one o'clock: John Bull +must have his dinner. Lalor spoke of the want of arms and ammunition, +requested that every one should endeavour to procure of both as much +as possible, but did certainly not counsel or even hint that stores +should be pressed for it. + +A German blacksmith, within the stockade was blazing, hammering and pointing +pikes as fast as his thick strong arms allowed him: praising the while +his past valour in the wars of Mexico, and swearing that his pikes would fix +red-toads and blue pissants especially. He was making money as fast +any Yankee is apt on such occasions, and it was a wonder to look at +his coarse workmanship, that would hardly stick an opossum, though his pikes +were meant for kangaroos and wild dogs. + + + + +Chapter XLV. + + + +Populus Ex Terra Crescit: Multitudo Hominum Est Populus; +Ergo, Multitudo Hominum Ex Terra Crescit. + + +Between four and five o'clock of same afternoon, we became aware of +the silly blunder, which proved fatal to our cause. Some three or four hundred +diggers arrived from Creswick-creek, a gold-field famous for its pennyweight +fortunes--grubbed up through hard work, and squandered in dissipation +among the swarm of sly-grog sellers in the district. + +We learned from this Creswick legion that two demagogues had been stumping +at Creswick, and called the diggers there to arms to help their brothers +on Ballaarat, who were worried by scores, by the perfidious hounds of the Camp. +They were assured that on Ballaarat there was plenty of arms, ammunitions, +forage, and provisions, and that preparations on a grand scale were making +to redress once for all the whole string of grievances. They had only +to march to Ballaarat, and would find there plenty of work, honour, and glory. + +I wonder how honest Mr. Black could sanction with his presence, +such suicidal rant, such absurd bosh of that pair of demagogues, +who hurried down these four hundred diggers from Creswick, helpless, grog-worn, +that is, more or less dirty and ragged, and proved the greatest nuisance. +One of them, MICHAEL TUEHY, behaved valiantly and so I shall say no more. + +Of course something must be done. Thonen was the purveyor. The Eureka butcher +on the hill gave plenty of meat, and plenty of bread was got from all +the neighbouring stores, and paid for. A large fire was lit in the middle +of the stockade, and thus some were made as comfortable as circumstances +admitted; others were quartered at the tents of friends; the greater part, +soon guessing how they had been humbugged, returned to their old quarters. + +Arms and ammunition were our want. Men were there enough; each and all ready +to fight: such was the present excitement; but blue and red coats cannot +be driven off with fists alone. Lalor gave all his attention to the subject, +but would not consent yet to press stores for it. + +Vern was perpetually expecting every moment his German Rifle Brigade. +Have patience till to-morrow. + +In the evening a report was made to the Council, that a reinforcement +of soldiers from Melbourne was on the road. Captains Ross and Nealson +hastened with their divisions across the bush to intercept the expected troops, +so as to get at their arms and ammunition. All proved in vain. + +When a revolution explodes as conspired and planned by able leaders, +it is usually seen that it was their care from the very beginning, +that arms and ammunition should be at hand when and wherever required; +while usury, ambition, or vengeance lavishly provide the money to render +the revolution popular: but we had never dreamed of making any preparation, +because we diggers had taken up arms solely in self-defence; and as up to +Saturday the Council of the Eureka Stockade counted in the majority honest men, +themselves hard-working diggers, they would not turn burglars +or permit anybody to do so in their name. + +Truly, I heard from Manning, that a certain committee kept on their +hallucinated yabber-yabber at the Star Hotel. I never was there, +and know nothing about Star blabs. They, with the exception of Vern, +were not with us, thank God; up to Saturday four o'clock any how. + + + + +Chapter XLVI. + + + +Non Irascimini. + + +Saturday morning. The night had been very cold, we had kept watch for fear +of being surprised; every hour the cry, was "The military are coming." + +Vern had enlarged the stockade across the Melbourne road, +and down the Warrenheip Gully. + +Suppose, even that all diggers who had fire arms had been present and plucky, +yet no man in his right senses will ever give Vern the credit +for military tactics, if that gallant officer had thought that an acre +of ground on the surface of a hill accessible with the greatest ease +on every side, simply fenced in by a few slabs placed at random, +could be defended by a handful of men, for the most part totally destitute +of military knowledge, against a disciplined soldiery, backed by swarms +of traps and troopers. + +Such, however, was our infatuation, that now we considered the stockade +stronger, because it looked more higgledy-piggledy. + + + + +Chapter XLVII. + + + +Non Nobis, Non Nobis, Sed Pax Vobiscum. + + +It was eight o'clock. Drilling was going on as on the previous day. +Father Smyth came inside the stockade: it was my watch. He looked +very earnest, a deep anxiety about the hopelessness of our struggle, +must have grieved his Irish heart. He obtained permission from Lalor +to speak to those under arms, who belonged to his Congregation. +Vern consented, and Manning announced it to the men. Father Smyth told them, +that the government Camp was under arms, some seven or eight hundred strong; +that he had received positive information, that government had sent +other reinforcements from Melbourne, which would soon reach Ballaarat; +warned them against useless bloodshed; reminded them that they were Christians; +and expressed his earnest desire to see all of them at Mass +on the following (Sunday) morning. + +Father Smyth, your advice was kindly received; if it did not thrive, +was it because you sowed it on barren ground? + +The following document may in time help to bring forth truth to light:- + + +Colonial Secretary's Office, +Melbourne, lst December, 1854. +Rev. Sir, + +In acknowledging the receipt of your letter of +yesterday's date, I am desired by his Excellency +to thank you for the earnest efforts which, in your +professional calling, you are making to allay the +disturbances. Unless the government enforce the +laws which may be in operation, disorder and +licentiousness must prevail. + +You know a commission is issued for the purpose +of inquiring into the state and condition of the +digging population: until they make their report, +the laws his Excellency found in force must be +obeyed. + +I have the honour to be, Rev. Sir, +Your most obedient servant, +J. MOORE, A.C.S. +The Rev. Patrick Smyth, +Catholic Priest, Ballaarat. + + + + +Chapter XLVIII. + + +The Things We Ardently Wish For In This Life, Either Never Come To Pass, +Or If They Do It Is Too Late. Hence, 'Better Late Than Never.' + + +The whole of the morning passed off as quietly as any well wisher to our cause +could desire. Towards twelve o'clock it was our decision that licence-hunting +was over, for the day any how, since no digger recollected a search for licence +taking place on a Saturday afternoon. Our talk was of the coming meeting +of the reform league at two o'clock on Sunday, at the Adelphi, as announced +at the monster meeting on Wednesday. + +The impression was almost general, that 'Charley' would soon dismiss +the hated brood of our commissioners, and things would then be 'all right.' +'Off to get a bite,' was the pass-word. + +I assert as a matter of fact, and a living eye-witness, that between +one and two o'clock on Saturday, December 2nd, 1854, the Eureka stockade +was comparatively deserted. Those who remained (some one hundred) were such, +as either had a long distance to go to reach their tents, and the day +was very hot, or such as had no tent or friend on Ballaarat. I took notice +of this very circumstance from my tent, the second from the stockade, +on the hill, west, whilst frying a bit of steak on the fire of my tent chimney, +facing said stockade: Manning was peeling an onion. I transcribe the above +from the identical note I had taken down on my diary, at the identical hour +aforesaid, and can afford to challenge contradiction. + + + + +Chapter XLVIX. + + + +Taedet Animam Meam Vitae Meae. + + +The news of our private, though never acknowledged, disbandment +must soon have reached the Camp. + +THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY. + +What a nonsense of mine to endeavour to swell up the Eureka stockade +to the level of a Sebastopol!! + +Good reader, I have to relate the story of a shocking murder, a disgrace +to the Christian name. + +I am a Catholic, and believe in the life everlasting. On the day of judgment +it will go milder with the Emperor Nicholas, than with the man +whoever he may be, that prompted and counted on the Eureka massacre +on the Sunday morning, December 3rd, 1854. + +At four o'clock, the diggers crowded again towards the stockade. +The divisions of Ross and Nealson had returned from their excursions +and were under arms. The scene became soon animated, and the usual drilling +was pushed on with more ardour than ever. + +John Basson Humffray, of whom nothing was seen or heard since the previous +Wednesday, now introduced, through a letter in his own handwriting; +addressed 'To the Commander-in-Chief of the armed diggers, Eureka,' +a Doctor Kenworthy, as surgeon, because he (Humffray) feared that a collision +between the diggers and the military would soon take place. + +Peters, the spy, was at the same time within the stockade. + +The 'surgeon' had his Yankee face under a bell-top (French hat): he entered +into conversation with me in person. I had my sword in hand, and was on watch. +We began to talk about MAZZINI and Captain FORBES: this latter, +a brave American officer, fought in the late struggle at Rome (1848). +I perfectly recollect, that, pointing with a smile to our barricade, +I told this Kenworthy, we had thrown them up for our defence against +licence-hunting. There is a living witness to the above circumstance, +a countryman of mine, whose name I do not remember just now, but he wore +at the time a red shirt, with picks and shovels all over it. + +Previous to this, Vern, whose silly vanity would by no means allow him +to put up with his not having been elected Commander-in-Chief, all on a sudden +cried out in his sort of bombast, "Here they are coming, boys: now I will +lead you to death or victory!"--actually a band of men was tramping +full speed towards the stockade. + + + + +Chapter L + + + +Narravere Patres Nostri +Et Nos Narravimus Omnes. + + +Was it then the long, long-looked for German Rifle Brigade? Here is +it's four-horned name--I copy from a slip of paper I wrote in pencil +on that very Saturday, as the name was too long and difficult for me +to remember--'The Independent Californian Rangers' Revolver Brigade.' + +I should say they numbered a couple of hundred, looking Californian enough, +armed with a Colt's revolver of large size, and many had a Mexican knife +at the hip. + +Here is the very circumstance when M`Gill made his appearance for the first +time within the stockade; I recollect perfectly well the circumstance +when a Mr. Smith, of the American Adams's Express, was holding the bridle +of the horse, from which said M`Gill dismounted. + +James M`Gill is of the breed on the other side of the Pacific. He is thought +to have been educated in a military academy, and certainly, he has the manners +of a young gentleman of our days. He is rather short, not so much +healthy-looking as wide awake. 'What's up?' is his motto. This colony +will sober him down, and then he will attend more to 'what's to be done.' +His complexion bears the stamp of one born of a good family, but you can read +in the white of his eyes, in the colouring of his cheeks, in the paleness +of his lips, that his heart is for violence. When he gets a pair +of solid whiskers, he may pass for a Scotchman, for he has already a nose +as if moulded in Scotland. He speaks the English language correctly, +and when not prompted by the audacity of his heart, shows good sense, +delicate feelings, a pleasing way of conversation. His honour was impeached +by Vern, who never came up to the scratch, though; witness, Mr. John Campbell, +of 'The Age' office. + +When a man is dead, there and then he is himself the horrible evidence +of corruption; but, as long as he lives there is hopes for fair play, +and hear his evidence on the resurrection of life: hence the moral courage +to assert the truth, shuts out the physical strength for blather to shampoo +the lie; and an honest upright man of education and a Christian leaves +'duelering' to fools. + +M`Gill is not wicked in heart, though he may not yet have settled-principles. +If this world be such a puzzle even for grey-heads, who have seen enough of it, +what then must it be for one, come out of College and learning life +on the gold-fields? Hence, if I say that he helped with others to draw +the chestnuts out of the Eureka Stockade, for some old Fox, I cannot +offend him.--Who was the accursed old Fox? Patience, there is a God.-- +When I was in gaol, I was not vexed at hearing him at liberty and happy: +I could not possibly wish my misery to any one; but his boast on Ballaarat +that his friend Dr. Kenworthy had procured him a 'written free pardon' +did smother me with bitterness. + + + + +Chapter LI. + + + +Tota Domus Duo Sunt, Iidem Parentque Jubentque! + + +A confusion ensued which baffles description; marching, counter-marching, +orders given by everybody, attended to by nobody. This blustering concern, +when brought forward on the stage at the State Trials, appeared so much +to the heart's content of his Honour, of his and my learned friend Mr. Ireland, +that I must offer it here, 'nolens volens', for the confirmation of the +Cracker-of-high-treason-indictments' approbation. + +Thomas Allen examined.--(See Report of the Nigger-Rebel State Trial, +in 'The Age', February 24th, 1855.) + +"This witness was so very deaf that the Attorney-General +had actually to bawl out (oh! pity the lungs!) the +questions necessary to his examination. He stated, +he kept the Waterloo coffee-house and store at the +Eureka. He had just returned from Melbourne on the +Saturday, December 2nd. He heard inside the stockade +the word to 'fall in' for drill. Saw them go through +several military evolutions. They did not exactly go +through them in a military manner, but in the way in +which what call an 'awkward squad' might do.-- +(I believe you, Old Waterloo; go a-head). He had been +at the battle of Waterloo, and knew what military +evolutions were. Saw one squad with pikes and another +with rifles. He heard one of them say, 'Shoulder poles,' +then he said, 'Order poles,' 'Ground arms,' +'Stand at ease,' 'Pick up poles,' 'Shoulder arms,' +'Right face,' 'Quick march,' 'Right counter march,' +and they were then marched for more than two hours. +After that he saw them 'fall in three deep,' and were +then told (by Captain Hanrahan) to prepare to +'receive cavalry,' and 'charge cavalry'--Poke your pike +into the guts of the horse, and draw it out from under +their tail. + +" After that, in the evening, he saw the man who was in +command again form his men around him, and he seemed to +be reading a general order for the night. After it got +night, one of them came up to him and said, 'Now, +Old Waterloo, you must come and join us,' and he threw +down a pike which he told him to take. He said, 'No; +it is such a d----d ugly one, I'll have nothing to do +with it.' Another came, and witness asked what bounty +he gave, saying 50 pounds was little enough for an old +Waterloo man. Because he would not join them he was +taken into custody by them, and was guarded by three +men with pikes at his door. (Great works!) All this +was on Saturday. His tent was the second inside the +stockade. His tent and all his property was destroyed +by fire, it all amounted to 200 pounds. He believed it +was set fire to by the police." (And so it was, old +Waterloo-no-bolter, good-hearted old man as ever lived +in the world. If you wish call for a copy of this +book; do.) + + +NOTICE + +GREAT WORKS!! + +This day, Saturday, November 10th, 1855. A glorious day for Ballaarat: +Peter Lalor, our late Commander-in-Chief, being elected by unanimous +acclamation, Member of the Legislative Council for this 'El Dorado.' +I spoke at the Camp face to face with James M`Gill. We shook hands +with mutual respect and friendship. + +M`Gill, at my request, looked full in my eyes, and assured me, that the order +old Waterloo speaks of, was to the effect of appointing officers for watch +at the stockade, for 'out-posts' to keep a sharp look-out, for march to +intercept reinforcements; in short, an order for military discipline, +very necessary under the prevailing excitement. Said order for the night +(Saturday, December 2nd) was drawn up by his command, and written black +on white by Alfred, the brother of George Black. + +M`Gill further stated that the supposed 'Declaration of Independence,' +on the model of the American one, is a gratuitous falsehood, which must have +originated from some well-disposed for, or well-affected to, Toorak small-beer. +Hence, + +James M`Gill hereby directs me to challenge the production of the document +in question, either the original or copy of it, of course with satisfactory +evidence of its being a genuine article. + +I express the hope that H. R. Nicholls, ex-member of the Local Court, +Ballaarat, will take notice of the above. + +Let us return to the Eureka stockade. + + + + +Chapter LII. + + + +Quadrupedante Putrem Sonitu Quatit Ungula Campum. + + +The excitement was of Satan. It was reported, the whole of the Melbourne road +was swarming with fresh reinforcements. The military would soon attack +the stockade, but Vern would lead the diggers to death or glory. + +I went out to get positive information, and I did see some two hundred +red-coats stationed under arms at the foot of Black hill. The general +impression spread like wild-fire that the diggers would now all be slaughtered. +I returned, and was anxious to communicate with Lalor. The council room +was guarded by Californian faces, perfect strangers to me. The 'pass-word' +had been changed, and I was refused admittance. + +Old colonial-looking fellows rode to and fro from all parts: some brought +canisters of gunpowder and bags of shot; others, fire-arms and boxes of caps. +They had been pressing stores. + +All at once burst out a clamorous shouting. Captain Ross was entering +the stockade in triumph with some old fire-arms and a splendid horse. +They had been sticking up some three or four tents, called the Eureka +government camp. Great Works! that could have been done long before, +without so much fuss about it; and, forsooth, what a benefit to mankind +in general, that Commissioner Amos, ever since, was so frightened as to get +his large eyes involuntary squinting after his mare!! + +Sly-grog sellers got also a little profit out of the Eureka Stockade. +A fellow was selling nobblers out of a keg of brandy hanging from his neck. +It required Peter Lalor in person to order this devil-send out of the stockade. + +'Press for,' was the order of the hour. Two men on horseback were crossing +the gully below. Young Black--the identical one with a red shirt and blue cap, +who took down the names round Lalor's stump, on Bakery-hill on +Thursday morning, and who, to the best of my knowledge never had yet been +within the stockade--came out of the committee-room, and hastened up to me +with the order to pick out some men and press those two horses in. + +I gave him a violent look, and made him understand that 'I won't do +the bushranger yet.' The order was however executed by fresh hands +entirely unknown to me, who rushed towards the horsemen, shouted to both +of them to stop, and with the threat of the revolver compelled them +to ride their horses within the stockade. I felt disgusted at the violence. + +The reign of terror will not strike root among Britons because the +Austrian rule does not thrive under the British flag; and so here is +a crab-hole that brave Lalor alone can properly log up. + +I asked in German from Vern the 'pass-word,' and on whispering 'Vinegar-hill' +to the sentinels, I was allowed to get out of the Stockade. + +"Nein, sagte ich mirselbst, nein, eine solche eckliche Wirthschaft +habe ich noch nie geseh'n. + +"Nom d'un nom! c'est affreux. Ces malheureuf sont-ils donc possedes? + +"Odi profanum vulgus et arceo. + +"Por vida deDios! por supuesto jo fuera el Duke de Alba, esos Gavachos, +carajo, yo los pegaria de bueno. + +"Che casa del diavolo, per Dio! Che ti pare! niente meno si spalanca +l'inferno. Alla larga! Sor Fattorone: Pronti denari, Fan patti chiari. +Minca coglione!" + +Such were more or less the expressions to give vent to my feelings +on my way to the Prince Albert Hotel, Bakery-hill, to meet there a friend +or two, especially my old mate, Adolphus Lessman, Lieutenant of the Rifle-men. + + + + +Chapter LIII. + + + +Turbatus Est A Furore Oculus Meus. + + +The following is the scene, so characteristic of the times, as it was +going on at the Prince Albert:-- + +"Who's the landlord here?" was the growl from a sulky ruffian, +some five feet high, with the head of a bull-dog, the eyes of a vulture, +sunken in a mass of bones, neglected beard, sun-burnt, grog-worn, +as dirty as a brute,--the known cast, as called here in this colony, +of a 'Vandemonian,' made up of low, vulgar manners and hard talk, +spiked at each word, with their characteristic B, and infamous B again; +whilst a vile oath begins and ends any of their foul conceits. Their glory +to stand oceans of grog, joined to their benevolence of 'shouting' +for all hands, and their boast of black-eye giving, nose-smashing, +knocking in of teeth, are the three marks of their aristocracy. +Naturally cowards, they have learned the secret that 'Pluck,' does just as well +for their foul jobs. Grog is pluck, and the more grog they swallow, +the more they count on success. Hence their frame, however robust by nature, +wears out through hard drink, and goes the way of all flesh, rarely with +grey hairs. It is dangerous to approach them; they know the dodge +how to pick up a quarrel for the sake of gratifying their appetite +for fighting. You cannot avoid them in this colony; they are too numerous. +I saw hundreds of these Vandemonians, during my four months in gaol. +Their heart must be of the same stuff as that of vultures, because they are +of the same trade. In a word, they are the living witnesses among us, +of the terrible saying of Isaiah, 'The heart of man is desperately wicked.' + +Through such did Satan plant his standard to rule this southern land, +before Christ could show his Cross; hence, before famous Ballaarat could point +at a barn, and call it a church, on the township, old Satan had three palaces +to boast of, the first of which--a match for any in the world--has made +the landlord as wealthy and proud as a merchant-prince of the City of London. +'Non ex illis Mecoenates,'--that's the secret how this land has produced +so many first-rate bullock-drivers. + +The scene at the Prince Albert is now more interesting. + + + + +Chapter LIV. + + + +In Vino Veritas. + + +The Vandemonian was, of course, accompanied by nine more of his pals, +all of them armed to the teeth with revolvers, swords, pikes, and knives. + +Carl Wiesenhavern, a man of noble character, and, therefore a man who hates +knavery, and has no fear of a knave, answered with his peculiar +German coolness, "Here I am, what do you want?" + +"Nobblers round," was the eager reply. + +"If that's what you want," replied Wiesenhavern, "you shall have it +with pleasure." + +"We got no money." + +"I did not ask for any: understand me well, though;" pointing at each of them +with the forefinger of his clenched right hand, "you will have a nobbler +a-piece, and no more: afterwards you will go your way. Are you satisfied +with my conditions?" + +"Yes, yes! we agree to that: go on you b----." + +Wiesenhavern scorned to notice the fellow, and, according to the old custom +of the house, placed two decanters of brandy, together with the tumblers, +on the bar, saying, "Help yourselves, gentlemen." + +They fell at once upon the brandy, and their mean rascality was shown +by some seizing the glass and covering it with the full hand to conceal +their greediness. Nobbler-drinking is an old colonial habit; it gives pluck +to the coward when he is 'up to something;' so happened it with these fellows. + +"Well, landlord, your brandy is d---d good--the real sort of stuff, +and no b----y mistake. You shouted nobblers round for all hands--that's +all right; it's no more than fair and square now for the boys to shout +for you:" and, with a horrible curse, "Fill up the bottles; let's have +another round." + +Wiesenhavern kept himself quiet. One of the ruffians showed his intention +to enter the bar, and play the landlord within. Wiesenhavern coolly +persuaded him back by the promise he would fetch from his room, +"something rowdy, the right old sort of stuff--Champagne Cognac, 'tres vieux'." +The fellows presumed their 'bouncing' was all the go now, and laughed +and cursed in old colonial style. + +Wiesenhavern fetched his pistols, and his partner, Johan Brandt, +a double-barrelled gun. Now Mr. Brandt is one of those short, +broad-shouldered, sound, dog-headed Germans, with such a determinate look +when his otherwise slow wrath is stirred up, that it is not advisable +to tackle with his fists, and much less with his rifle. Wiesenhavern, +with that precision of manners, which always gains the point on such occasions, +placed a decanter full of brandy on the bar, and, with cocked pistols +in both hands, said, "Touch it, if you dare; if any one among you got the pluck +to put in his tumbler one drop out of that bottle there, he is a dead man;" +and Mr. Brandt backed him by simply saying:- + +"I'll shoot the fellow, like a dog." + +What was the result? Of course the same, whenever you deal with knaves-- +and you make them understand what you mean. They were cowed; +and as by this time, the high words had called in several old customers +of the house who wished well to it, because they knew it deserved it, +so the ruffians had to cut for fear of their own dear lives. + +Then it was related with sorrow, that several similar bands were scouring +the gold-fields in all directions and in the name of the committee +of the Eureka stockade, under cover pressing for fire-arms and ammunition, +plundered the most respectable stores of all they could lay their hands upon. + +One instance, as reported there and then by parties who had just witnessed +the transaction. + +A similar gang, four strong, had entered the store of D. O'Conner, +on the Golden Point, and asked in the name of the committee, powder and shot, +but the vagabonds did not care so much for ammunition for their guns, +as for the stuff for their guts, what tempted them most was fine good +Yorkshire hams, and coffee to wash it down. In short, they ransacked +the whole store; and each took care of 'something,' the best of course, +and therefore the cash-box, worth some twenty pounds was not forgotten. + +The above are facts. I do not assert that such were the orders +of the committee, got up after four o'clock of same Saturday at the Eureka +stockade. I had no part or portion in the committee, and know nothing +of it personally. + + + + +Chapter LV. + + + +Non Sit Nobis Vanum, Mane Surgere Ante Lucem. + + +I ran up to the stockade to remonstrate with Peter Lalor, for whom I had +too much respect to think for one moment, that he had any hand, and much less +that he had sanctioned, such suicidal proceedings. + +Thanks to the password; I entered within the stockade. It must have been +not far from midnight. I found everything comparatively quiet; the majority +were either asleep of warming themselves round the big fire. I spoke +in German face to face, for the last time, with Thonen. M`Gill and two-thirds +of the Independent Californian Rangers' Rifle Brigade, in accordance with +the avocation expressed in the title, were out 'starring' to intercept +reinforcements reported on the road from Melbourne. Nealson and his division +were off for the same purpose. Was their lot that of Lot's wife? + +Sir Charles Hotham must have possessed the rod of Moses to convert the quartz +of Victoria into red coats, as numerous as the locusts that plagued +Pharaoh's land. The Local Court of Ballaarat should recommend His Excellency +to carry out the 'abolition of shepherding at Sebastopol.' + +I asked Thonen to see Lalor. I was answered that Peter, from sheer exhaustion, +must rest for an hour or two, and was asleep. + +Myself not having closed an eye since Thursday, I felt severely the want +of sleep. Is not sabbath-keeping our day's cant in the English language? +Anyhow it must be admitted, in justice to both silver and gold lace, +that they take it in good earnest: to keep the sabbath is a holy and wholesome +thing for them. I do not remember what was my frame of mind at the time +I wished Thonen good night; very probably, "Enough for the day, the morrow +will have its own troubles:" at any rate, Thonen gave word to the 'outposts,' +chiefly Californians to let me pass to my tent: and having thrown myself +on my stretcher, with every thing quiet round about, I soon fell asleep. + +On the afternoon of Sunday, the following notice was posted up:- + + +V. R. +NOTICE. +No light will be allowed to be kept burning in any +tent within musket-shot of the line of sentries after +8 o'clock p.m. No discharge of fire-arms in the +neighbourhood of the Camp will be permitted for any +purpose whatever. +The sentries have orders to fire upon any person +offending against these rules. +(By order), +T. BAILEY RICHARDS, +Lieut. 40th Regt., Garrison Adjutant. + + + + +Chapter LVI. + + + +Remember This Sabbath Day (December Third), To Keep It Holy. + + +I awoke. Sunday morning. It was full dawn, not daylight. A discharge +of musketry--then a round from the bugle--the command 'forward'--and another +discharge of musketry was sharply kept on by the red-coats (some 300 strong) +advancing on the gully west of the stockade, for a couple of minutes. + +The shots whizzed by my tent. I jumped out of the stretcher and rushed +to my chimney facing the stockade. The forces within could not muster +above 150 diggers. + +The shepherds' holes inside the lower part of the stockade had been turned +into rifle-pits, and were now occupied by Californians of the +I.C. Rangers' Brigade, some twenty or thirty in all, who had kept watch +at the 'out-posts' during the night. + +Ross and his division northward, Thonen and his division southward, +and both in front of the gully, under cover of the slabs, answered +with such a smart fire, that the military who were now fully within range, +did unmistakably appear to me to swerve from their ground: anyhow the command +"forward" from Sergeant Harris was put a stop to. Here a lad was really +courageous with his bugle. He took up boldly his stand to the left +of the gully and in front: the red-coats 'fell in' in their ranks to the right +of this lad. The wounded on the ground behind must have numbered a dozen. + +Another scene was going on east of the stockade. Vern floundered across +the stockade eastward, and I lost sight of him. Curtain whilst making coolly +for the holes, appeared to me to give directions to shoot at Vern; +but a rush was instantly made in the same direction (Vern's) and a whole pack +cut for Warrenheip. + +There was, however, a brave American officer, who had the command +of the rifle-pit men; he fought like a tiger; was shot in his thigh +at the very onset, and yet, though hopping all the while, stuck to Captain Ross +like a man. Should this notice be the means to ascertain his name, +it should be written down in the margin at once. + +The dragoons from south, the troopers from north, were trotting in full speed +towards the stockade. + +Peter Lalor, was now on the top of the first logged-up hole within +the stockade, and by his decided gestures pointed to the men to retire +among the holes. He was shot down in his left shoulder at this identical +moment: it was a chance shot, I recollect it well. + +A full discharge of musketry from the military, now mowed down all +who had their heads above the barricades. Ross was shot in the groin. +Another shot struck Thonen exactly in the mouth, and felled him on the spot. + +Those who suffered the most were the score of pikemen, who stood their ground +from the time the whole division had been posted at the top, facing the +Melbourne road from Ballaarat, in double file under the slabs, +to stick the cavalry with their pikes. + +The old command, "Charge!" was distinctly heard, and the red-coats rushed +with fixed bayonets to storm the stockade. A few cuts, kicks and pulling down, +and the job was done too quickly for their wonted ardour, for they actually +thrust their bayonets on the body of the dead and wounded strewed about +on the ground. A wild "hurrah!" burst out and 'the Southern Cross' +was torn down, I should say, among their laughter, such as if it had been +a prize from a May-pole. + +Of the armed diggers, some made off the best way they could, others surrendered +themselves prisoners, and were collected in groups and marched down the gully. +The Indian dragoons, sword in hand, rifle-pistols cocked, took charge +of them all, and brought them in chains to the lock-up. + + + + +Chapter LVII. + + + +Dirigat Dominus Reginum Nostram. + + +The red-coats were now ordered to 'fall in;' their bloody work was over, +and were marched off, dragging with them the 'Southern Cross.' + +Their dead, as far as I did see, were four, and a dozen wounded, +including Captain Wise, the identical one, I think whom I speak of in relating +the events of Tuesday evening, November 28. + +Dead and wounded had been fetched up in carts, waiting on the road, and all +red-things hastened to Ballaarat. The following is for the edification of all +the well-affected and well-disposed of the present and future generation:- + + +V. R. +NOTICE. +Government Camp, +Ballaarat, Dec. 3rd, 1854. +Her Majesty's forces were this morning fired upon by a +large body of evil-disposed persons of various nations, +who had entrenched themselves in a stockade on the +Eureka, and some officers and men killed. + +Several of the rioters have paid the penalty of their +crime, and a large number are in custody. + +All well-disposed persons are earnestly requested to +return to their ordinary occupations, and to abstain +from assembling in large groups, and every protection +will be afforded to them by the authorities. +ROBT. REDE, +Resident Commissioner. +God save the Queen. + + + + +Chapter LVIII. + + + +Veritatem Dico Non Menitor. + + +Here begins a foul deed, worthy of devils, and devils they were. +The accursed troopers were now within the stockade. They dismounted, +and pounced on firebrands from the large fire on the middle of the stockade, +and deliberately set in a blaze all the tents round about. I did see +with both eyes one of those devils, a tall, thick-shouldered, long-legged, +fast Vandemonian-looking trooper, purposely striking a bundle of matches, +and setting fire at the corner end, north of the very store of Diamond, +where we had kept the council for the defence. The howling and yelling +was horrible. The wounded are now burnt to death; those who had laid down +their arms, and taken refuge within the tents, were kicked like brutes, +and made prisoners. + +At the burning of the Eureka Hotel, I expressed it to be my opinion that +a characteristic of the British race is to delight in the calamity of a fire. + +The troopers, enjoying the fun within the stockade, now spread it without. +The tent next to mine (Quinn's) was soon in a blaze. I collected in haste +my most important papers, and rushed out to remonstrate against such +a wanton cruelty. Sub-inspector Carter pointing with his pistol ordered me +to fall in with a batch of prisoners. There were no two ways: I obeyed. +In the middle of the gully, I expostulated with Captain Thomas, +he asked me whether I had been made a prisoner within the stockade. +"No, sir," was my answer. He noticed my frankness, my anxiety and grief. +After a few words more in explanation, he, giving me a gentle stroke +with his sword, told me "If you really are an honest digger, I do not want you, +sir; you may return to your tent." + +Mr. Gordon--of the store of Gordon and M`Callum, on the left of the gully, +near the stockade--who had been made prisoner, and was liberated in the same +way, and at the same time as myself, was and is a living witness to the above. + +On crossing the gully to return to my tent, an infernal trooper trotting +on the road to Ballaarat, took a deliberate aim at me, and fired +his Minie rifle pistol with such a tolerable precision, that the shot +whizzed and actually struck the brim of my cabbage-tree hat, and blew it +off my head. Mrs. Davis, who was outside her tent close by, +is a living witness to the above. + +At this juncture I was called by name from Doctor Carr, and Father Smyth, +directed me by signs to come and help the wounded within the stockade. + + + + +Chapter LIX. + + + +Quis Dabit Capiti Meo, Aquam Et Oculis Meis Fontem +Lacrymarum Et Plorabo Die Ac Nocte! + + +I hastened, and what a horrible sight! Old acquaintances crippled with shots, +the gore protruding from the bayonet wounds, their clothes and flesh burning +all the while. Poor Thonen had his mouth literally choked with bullets; +my neighbour and mate Teddy More, stretched on the ground, both his thighs +shot, asked me for a drop of water. Peter Lalor, who had been concealed +under a heap of slabs, was in the agony of death, a stream of blood +from under the slabs, heavily forcing its way down hill. + +The tears choke my eyes, I cannot write any further. + +Americans! your Doctor Kenworthy was not there, as he should have been, +according to Humffray's letter. + +Catholics! Father Smyth was performing his sacred duty to the dying, in spite +of the troopers who threatened his life, and forced him at last to desist. + +Protestants! spare us in future with your sabbath cant. Not one of your +ministers was there, helping the digger in the hour of need. + +John Bull! you wilfully bend your neck to any burden for palaver and war +to protect you in your universal shop-keeping, and maintain your sacred rights +of property; but human life is to you as it was to Napoleon: for him, +fodder for the cannon; for you, tools to make money. A dead man needs +no further care, and human kind breeds fast enough everywhere after all,-- +'Cetera quando rursum scribam'. + +On my reaching the stockade with a pannikin of water for Teddy, I was amazed +at the apathy showed by the diggers, who now crowded from all directions +round the dead and wounded. None would stir a finger. + +All on a sudden a fresh swarm of troopers cleared the stockade of all moving +things with the mere threat of their pistols. + +All the diggers scampered away and entered all available tents, crouching +within the chimneys or under stretchers. The valorous, who had given +such a proof of their ardour in smothering with stones, bats, and broken +bottles, the 12th Regiment on their orderly way from Melbourne on Tuesday, +November 28, at the same identical spot on the Eureka, now allowed themselves +to be chained by dozens, by a handful of hated traps, who, a few days before, +had been kept at bay on the whole of the diggings, by the mere shouting +of 'Joe!' A sad reflection, indeed; a very sad reflection. + +Myself and a few neighbours now procured some stretchers, and at the direction +of Doctor Carr, converted the London Hotel into an hospital, +and took there the wounded. + +Said Doctor Carr despatched me to fetch his box of surgical instruments +from Dr. Glendinning's hospital on Pennyweight-hill, a distance of a full mile. + +I hastened to return, with Dr. Glendinning himself, and I did my best +to assist the helpless, and dress their wounds. + +IMPORTANT--I must call the attention of my reader to the following fact:-- +When I entered the stockade with Dr. Carr's surgical box, Mr. Binney, +an old acquaintance since the times of Canadian Gully, took me warmly +by the hand, and said, "Old fellow, I am glad to see you alive! everybody +thinks (pointing to a dead digger among the heap) that's poor Great Works!" + +The state of mind in which I was, gave me no time to take much notice +of the circumstances, and must have answered, "Thank God, I am alive," +and proceeded to my duty. + +The identical Mr. Binney, of the firm of Binney and Gillot, now storekeepers +on the Ballaarat township, is a living witness to the above statement. + +Solicitor Lynn told me, 'in propria persona' in the Ballaarat prison, +that he would take care to bring forward evidence of the above, +as he had heard it himself, that such was the case; but I forgot to fee +this Lynn, and so he left me to the chance of being 'lynched.' + + + + +Chapter LX. + + + +The Southern Cross, In Digger's Gore Imbrued, +Was Torn Away, And Left The Digger Mourning. + + +The following Letter, from the able pen of the spirited correspondent +of the 'Geelong Advertiser' who most undoubtedly must be a digger--that is, +one of ourselves, from among ourselves,--is here transcribed as a document +confirming the truths of this book:- + + +THE EUREKA MASSACRE +[From a Correspondent.] +To the Editor of the 'Geelong Advertiser' and Intelligencer. +Bakery-hill, December 3rd, 1854. + +Friday you know all about; I will pass that over, and give you a faint outline +of what passed under my own eyes. During Saturday, there was a great deal +of gloom among the most orderly, who complained much of the parade of soldiery, +and the same cause excited a great deal of exasperation in the minds +of more enthusiastic persons, who declared that all parties ought to show +themselves, and declare whether they were for or against the diggers. +Then came a notice from the Camp, that all lights were to be extinguished +after eight o'clock, within half-a-mile from the Camp. At this time +it was reported that there were two thousand organised men at the Eureka +barricade. I was sitting in my tent, and several neighbours dropped in +to talk over affairs, and we sat down to tea, when a musket was heard +to go off, and the bullet whizzed close by us; I doused the light, +and we crept out on our hands and knees, and looked about. Between the Camp +and the barricade there was a fire we had not seen before, and occasionally +lights appeared to be hoisted, like signals, which attracted the attention +of a good many, some of whom said that they saw other lights like +return signals. It grew late. TO-MORROW, I FEAR ME, WILL PROVE A DAY +OF SORROW, IF THE AFFAIR BE NOT SETTLED BEFORE THEN. I and R---- lay down +in our clothes, according to our practice for a week past; and worn out +with perpetual alarms, excitement, and fatigue, fell fast asleep. +I didn't wake up till six o'clock on Sunday morning. The first thing +that I saw was a number of diggers enclosed in a sort of hollow square, +many of them were wounded, the blood dripping from them as they walked; +some were walking lame, pricked on by the bayonets of the soldiers +bringing up the rear. The soldiers were much excited, and the troopers +madly so, flourishing their swords, and shouting out--"We have waked up Joe!" +and others replied, "And sent Joe to sleep again!" The diggers' Standard +was carried by in triumph to the Camp, waved about in the air, +then pitched from one to another, thrown down and trampled on. +The scene was awful--twos and threes gathered together, and all felt stupefied. +I went with R---- to the barricade, the tents all around were in a blaze; +I was about to go inside, when a cry was raised that the troopers +were coming again. They did come with carts to take away the bodies, +I counted fifteen dead, one G----, a fine well-educated man, and a great +favourite. [Here, I think, the Correspondent alluded to me. My friends, +nick-named me--Carbonari Great works. ]--I recognised two others, +but the spectacle was so ghastly that I feel a loathing at the remembrance. +They all lay in a small space with their faces upwards, looking like lead, +several of them were still heaving, and at every rise of their breasts, +the blood spouted out of their wounds, or just bubbled out and trickled away. +One man, a stout-chested fine fellow, apparently about forty years old, +lay with a pike beside him: e had three contusions in the head, +three strokes across the brow, a bayonet wound in the throat under the ear, +and other wounds in the body--I counted fifteen wounds in that single carcase. +Some were bringing handkerchiefs, others bed furniture, and matting +to cover up the faces of the dead. O God! sir, it was a sight for +a sabbath morn that, I humbly implore Heaven, may never be seen again. +Poor women crying for absent husbands, and children frightened into quietness. +I, sir, write disinterestedly, and I hope my feelings arose from +a true principle; but when I looked at that scene, my soul revolted +at such means being so cruelly used by a government to sustain the law. +A little terrier sat on the, breast of the man I spoke of, and kept up +a continuous howl: it was removed, but always returned to the same spot; +and when his master's body was huddled, with the other corpses, into the cart, +the little dog jumped in after him, and lying again on his dead master's +breast, began howling again.----was dead there also, and----, who escaped, +had said, that when he offered his sword, he was shot in the side +by a trooper, as he was lying on the ground wounded. He expired +almost immediately. Another was lying dead just inside the barricade, +where he seemed to have crawled. Some of the bodies might have been removed-- +I counted fifteen. A poor woman and her children were standing outside a tent; +she said that the troopers had surrounded the tent and pierced it +with their swords. She, her husband, and children, were ordered out +by the troopers, and were inspected in their night-clothes outside, +whilst the troopers searched the tent. Mr. Haslam was roused from sleep +by a volley of bullets fired through his tent; he rushed out, and was shot down +by a trooper, and handcuffed. He lay there for two hours bleeding +from a wound in his breast, until his friends sent for a black-smith, +who forced off the handcuffs with a hammer and cold chisel. When I last heard +of Mr. Haslam, a surgeon was attending him, and probing for the ball. +R----, from Canada, [Captain Ross, of Toronto, once my mate] escaped +the carnage; but is dead since, from the wounds. R---- has effected +his escape. [ Johnny Robertson, who had a striking resemblance to me, +not so much in size as in complexion and colour of the beard especially: +Poor Johnny was shot down dead on the stockade; and was the identical body +which Mr. Binney mistook for me. Hence the belief by many, that I was dead.] +V---- is reported to be amongst the wounded [Oh! no his legs were too long +even for a Minie rifle ]. One man was seen yesterday trailing along the road: +he said he could not last much longer, and that his brother was shot +along-side of him. All whom I spoke to were of one opinion, that it was +a cowardly massacre. There were only about one hundred and seventy diggers, +and they were opposed to nearly six hundred military. I hope all is over; +but I fear not: or amongst many, the feeling is not of intimidation, +but a cry for vengeance, and an opportunity to meet the soldiers +with equal numbers. There is an awful list of casualties yet to come in; +and when uncertainty is made certain, and relatives and friends know the worst, +there will be gaps that cannot be filled up. I have little knowledge +of the gold-fields; but I fear that the massacre at Eureka is only a skirmish. +I bid farewell to the gold-fields, and if what I have seen is a specimen +of the government of Victoria, the sooner I am out of it the better for myself +and family. Sir, I am horrified at what I witnessed, and I did not see +the worst of it. I could not breathe the blood-tainted air of the diggings, +and I have left them for ever. + +You may rely upon this simple statement, and submit it if you approve of it, +to your readers. + +I am, Sir. + + + + +Chapter LXI. + + + +Ab Initio Usque Ad Finem Horribile Dictu. + +----- + +Avanit Il Tuo Cospetto, Dio Potente! Grida Vendetta Il Sangue Innocente. + + +I. Document. + +As I want to be believed, so I transcribed the following document +from 'The Argus' of Friday, December 15th, 1854.--Gordon Evans, +one of H.M. Captains in the Eureka massacre, now acts in the capacity +of magistrate!-- + +DEPOSITION OF HENRY POWELL. + +The deceased deposed to the following effect:--My name +is Henry Powell, I am a digger residing at Creswick-creek. +I left Creswick-creek about noon on Saturday, December 2nd. +I said to my mates, 'You'll get the slabs ready. I will +just go over to see Cox and his family at Ballaarat.' +I arrived at Ballaarat about half-past four, or thereabouts. +I saw armed men walking about in parties of twenty or +thirty; went to Cox's tent; put on another pair of +trousers, and walked down the diggings. Looked in the +ring (the stockade). After that, went home, went to bed +in the tent at the back of Cox's tent, about half-past +nine. On Sunday morning about four or half-past, +was awoke by the noise of firing. Got up soon after, +and walked about twenty yards, when some trooper rode +up to me. The foremost one was a young man whom I knew +as the Clerk of the Peace. He was of a light, fair +complexion, with reddish hair. He told me to "stand in +the Queen's name! You are my prisoner." I said "Very good, +Sir." Up came more troopers. I cannot say how many. +Believe about twenty or thirty. I said, "Very well, +gentlemen (!) don't be in a hurry, there are plenty of +you," and then the young man struck me on the head with +a crooked knife, about three feet and a half long, +in a sheath. I fell to the ground. They then fired +at me, and rode over me several times. I never had +any hand in the disturbance. There, that's all. + +Ballaarat, Dec. 11, 1854. + +----- + +FIRST CASE of an inquest which has taken place since +the massacre of the memorable 3rd. The evidence as to +the murder of Powell (writes 'The Argus' express +correspondent) is but a specimen of the recitals heard +on every hand of the reckless brutality of the troopers +that morning. + +VERDICT OF THE JURY. + +The death of deceased, Henry Powell, gold-digger, was +caused by sabre cuts and gun shot wounds, wilfully +and feloniously, and of their malice aforethought +inflicted and fired by ARTHUR PURCELL AKEHURST, Clerk +of the Peace, Ballaarat bench, and other persons unknown. + +The jury return a verdict of Wilful Murder against +A. P. Akehurst and other persons unknown. + +The jury express their condemnation of the conduct of +Captain Evans, in not swearing deceased at the time +of taking his statement after having been cautioned +by Dr. Wills of his immediate danger. The jury +view with extreme horror the brutal conduct of the +mounted police in firing at and cutting down unarmed +and innocent persons of both sexes, at a distance from +the scene of disturbance, on December 3rd, 1854. + +WILLIAMS, Coroner. + +----- + +Mind, good reader, the above is a legal document. + +After my trial, on my way to Ballaarat, I met in Geelong the identical +Akehurst, cracking some nuts with (I mean, speaking to) some young ladies. + +I DESPAIR OF THIS COLONY. + +May it please HER MAJESTY to cause inquiry to be made into the character +of such that have branded the miners of Ballaarat as disloyal to their QUEEN. + + + + +Chapter LXII. + + + +Tempora Nostra. + + +The following documents are put in here as evidence of 'our times.' + + +II. Document. + +BALLAARAT. +THE STATEMENT OF FRANK ARTHUR HASLEHAM. +(Now lying wounded at Ballaarat.) + +"Whereas I, Frank Arthur Hasleham, a native of the good town of Bedford, +and son of a military officer, to wit, William Gale Hasleham, who bore +His Majesty's commission in the 48th Foot at Talavera, and afterwards +retired from the 6th veteran battallion: + +"Whereas I, the aforesaid, having, in my capacity of newspaper correspondent +at Ballaarat, shown, on all proper occasions in general, so especially +during the late insurrectionary movement here, a strong instinctive leaning +to the side of law, authority, and loyalty, was, on the morning of the +3rd instant, fired at and wounded at a time when the affray was over, +and the forces with their prisoners were on the point of returning to the camp, +and in a place whence the scene of action was invisible, and when +no other bloodshed had taken place; + +"On these considerations I desire to make on oath the following statements +of facts as they occurred, and as witnessed by others:- + +"Shortly after daybreak in the morning mentioned, my three mates and myself +were aroused from sleep by the fire of musketry, a great proportion +of the balls whistling over our tents. The tent is pitched on a rising ground +about 500 yards south of the stockade; the tent and stockade, each situated +on an eminence, are separated by a large gully running east and west, +and comprising in its breadth nearly the whole of the distance above specified. +Considerably alarmed at the continuance of the firing, we at last got up +and went outside, thinking to find a place of shelter of comparative security. +After I had gone outside the firing gradually fell off, the stockade +was unoccupied, the insurgents' flag was struck, and whatever fighting +was then going on was confined to the further slope of the hill on which +the stockade was situated. As some desultory firing was still going on, +I advanced about fifty yards down the gully, in order to insure safety +by getting upon lower ground; by this time, with the exception of +an occasional cheer from the military or police, everything was perfectly +quiet, and from where I stood neither soldier nor trooper was to be seen. +A few minutes after a small detachment of mounted police made its appearance +on the hill, and drew up in a line on the either side of the stockade, +the officer in command appeared to be haranguing them. I was standing +about three hundred yards from them, several other people being near at hand. +I saw three troopers leave the ranks and advance towards me; when one of them +who rode considerably ahead of the other two arrived within hailing distance, +he hailed me as a friend. Having no reason to think otherwise of him, +I walked forward to meet him. After he had lured me within safe distance, +namely about four paces, he levelled his holster pistol at my breast +and shot me. Previous to this, and while advancing towards each other, +he asked me if I wished to join his force; I told him I was unarmed, +and in a weak state of health, which must have been plain to him at the time, +but added that I hoped this madness on the part of the diggers would soon +be over; upon that he fired." + +----- + +The trooper be d----d; but I congratulate poor Frank, of the good town +of Bedford, for 'this madness on the part of the diggers' procuring him 400 +pounds sterling from Toorak; so that he can afford to spare me the trouble +of encroaching any further into his 'statement.' Great works! + + +III. Document more important, by far. + +On the 28th November, when some military and ammunition came on the ground, +the detachment was set on at Eureka, near the site of the stockade, +and in the hubbub consequent the troops were somewhat at fault, +and the officer in command called at the London Hotel to inquire the way +to the Camp. The owner of the hotel, Mr. Hassall, on being asked, +came out of his establishment to point out the way to the officer in command +of the detachment, while so doing he received a ball in his leg, and was +for a while laid up by the wound. After a long time of suffering, +and a great loss of money directly and indirectly, he applied +for compensation--with what success may be seen from the following letter +just come to hand:- + +----- + +Colonial Secretary's Office, +Melbourne, 26th October, 1855. + +Gentlemen.--The memorial of the miners on behalf of Mr. B. S. Hassall, +wounded during the disturbances at Ballaarat, having been by the governor's +directions referred to the board appointed to investigate such claims, +the board reported, that from the evidence, it appears impossible Mr. Hassall +could have received his wound from the military, and that they could not see +anything to justify their recommending any compensation for him. +His Excellency cannot therefore entertain the petition as he has not power +to award compensation except on the recommendation of the board. + +I have the honour to be, gentlemen, +Your most obedient servant, +J. MOORE, A.C.S. +(To) SAMUEL IRWIN, and +A. C. BRUNNING, Esqrs. + + +----- + +'Great works' this time at Toorak, eh! oh! dear. + +So far so good, for the present; because spy 'Goodenough' wants me +in the next chapter. + + + + +Chapter LXIII. + + + +Et Scias Quia Nihil Impium Fecerim. + + +It was now between eight and nine o'clock. A patrol of troopers and traps +stopped before the London Hotel. + +Spy Goodenough, entered panting, a cocked pistol in his hand, looking as wild +as a raven. He instantly pounced on me as his prey, and poking the pistol +at my face, said in his rage, "I want you." + +"What for?" + +"None of your d----d nonsense, or I shoot you down like a rat." + +"My good fellow don't you see? I am assisting Dr. Carr to dress the wounds +of my friends!"--I was actually helping to bandage the thigh of an American +digger, whose name, if I recollected it, I should now write down with pleasure, +because he was a brave fellow. He had on his body at least half-a-dozen shots, +all in front, an evident proof, he had stood his ground like a man. + +Spy Goodenough would not listen to me. Dr. Carr. spoke not a word +in my behalf, though I naturally enough had appealed to him, who knew me +these two years, to do so. This circumstance, and his being the very first +to enter the stockade, after the military job was over, though he had +never before been on the Eureka during the agitation, his appointment +to attend the wounded diggers that were brought up to the Camp, and especially +his absence at my trial, were and are still a mystery to me. + +I was instantly dragged out, and hobbled to a dozen more of prisoners outside, +and we were marched to the Camp. The main road was clear, and the diggers +crawled among the holes at the simple bidding of any of the troopers +who rode at our side. + + + + +Chapter LXIV. + + + +Sic Sinuerunt Fata. + + +On reaching the Camp, I recognized there the identical American Kenworthy. +I gave him a fearful look. I suspected my doom to be sealed. + +The soldiers were drinking 'ad libitum' from a pannikin which they dipped +into a pail-bucket full of brandy. I shall not prostitute my hand, +and write down the vile exultations of a mob of drunkards. It was of the +ordinary colonial sort, whenever in a fight the 'ring' is over. + +Inspector Foster, commanded us to strip to the bare shirt. They did not +know how to spell my name. I pulled out a little bag containing some +Eureka gold-dust, and my licence; Mr. Foster took care of my bag, and just +as my name was copied from my licence; a fresh batch of prisoners +had arrived, and Mr. Foster was called outside the room where I was +stripping. Now, some accursed trooper pretended to recognize me as one +of the 'spouts' at the monster meeting. I wanted to keep my waistcoat +on account of some money, and papers I had in the breast pocket; +my clothes were literally torn into rags. I attempted to remonstrate, +but I was kicked for my pains, knocked down in the bargain, and thrown +naked and senseless into the lock-up. + +The prison was crammed to suffocation. We had not space enough to lie +down, and so it was taken in turns to stand or lie down. Some kind friend +sent me some clothes, and my good angel had directed him to bury +my hand-writings he had found in my tent, under a tent in Gravel-pits. + +Fleas, lice, horse-stealers, and low thieves soon introduced themselves +to my notice. This vermin, and the heat of the season, and the stench +of the place, and the horror at my situation, had rendered life +intolerable to me. Towards midnight of that Sunday I was delirious. +Our growls and howling reached Commissioner Rede, and about two o'clock +in the morning the doors were opened, and all the prisoners from +the Eureka stockade, were removed between two files of soldiers +to the Camp store-house a spacious room, well ventilated and clean. +Commissioner Rede came in person to visit us. Far from any air of +exultation, he appeared to me to feel for our situation. As he passed +before me, I addressed him in French, to call his attention to my misery. +He answered very kindly, and concluded thus:- + +"'Je ne manquerai pas de parler au Docteur Carr, et si ce que vous venez +de me dire e trouve vrai, je veux bien m'interesser pour vous.' + +"'Vous etez bien bon, Monsieur le Commissionaire, repondis-je.' + +"'Il faut donc que j'aie eu des ennemis bien cruels au Camp! Avaient-ils +soif de mon sang, ou etaient-ils de mercenaires? Voila bien un secret, +et je donnerai de coeur ma vie pour le percer. Dieu leur pardonne, moi, +je le voudrais bien! mais je ne saurai les pardonner jamais.'" + + + + +Chapter LXV. + + + +Ecce Homo. + + +On Monday morning, the fresh air had restored me a little strength. +We had an important arrival among us. It was the Editor of 'The Times' +newspaper, arrested for sedition. All silver and gold lace, blue and red +coats in the Camp rushed in to gaze on this wild elephant, whose trunk +it was supposed, had stirred up the hell on Ballaarat. + +Henry Seekamp is a short, thick, rare sort of man, of quick and precise +movements, sardonic countenance; and one look from his sharp round set +of eyes, tells you at once that you must not trifle with him. Of a temper +that must have cost him some pains to keep under control, he hates humbug +and all sort of yabber-yabber. His round head of tolerable size, +is of German mould, for the earnestness of his forehead is corrected +by the fullness of his cheeks, and a set of moustachios is the padlock +of his mouth, whose key is kept safe in his head, and his heart is the +turn-key. When his breast is full, and he must make it clean, its gall +will burn wherever it falls, and set the place a blazing. To keep friends +with such a cast of mind, whose motto is Nelson's, you must do your duty; +never mind if you sink a shicer, bottom your shaft any how. You are +his enemy if you are or play the flunky; he will call you a 'thing,' +and has a decided contempt for 'incapables.' Hence, his energy was never +abated, though the whole legion of Victorian red-tape wanted to dry +his inkstand, and smother his lamp in gaol. That there are too many fools +at large, he knows, because he has travelled half the world, what he can +not put up with, is their royal cant, religious bosh, Toorak small-beer, +and first and foremost, their money-grubbing expertness. Hence, now +and then, his ink turns sour, and thereby its vitriol burns stronger. +'The Times', of which he is the founder, is the Overseer of Ballaarat, +and the 'Dolce far niente' will not prosper. + +Our literary prisoner was literally insulted, and could not look with +enough contempt on all those accursed asses braying (at him) +'The Times!' 'The Times!' + +I felt for him very much, and joined conversation with him in French. +I state it as a matter of fact, that there and then I had the presentiment +that all the spies pointed me out there, and only there and then as his +accomplice. Towards ten o'clock we were ordered to fall in, in four rows. +Now the Camp officials and their myrmidons were in their glory. +They came to number their prey, and mark out a score of heads to make +an 'example' of, for the better conduct of future generations. +Unfortunately for my red hair, fizzing red beard, and fizzing red +moustachios, my name was taken down after the armed ruffian and the +anonymous scribbler, and followed by that of the nigger-rebel. + +It was odious to see honourable, honest, hard-working men made the gazing +stock of a parcel of pampered perverted fools, for the fun of `a change' +to gratify their contempt for the blue-shirt and thick boots who had +dared, mucky and muddy, to come out of their deep wet holes to hamper +these gods of the land in their dog's game of licence-hunting! + + + + +Chapter LXVI. + + + +Then the following document was shown for our edification:- + + +VICTORIA GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. +(Published by Authority.) +MARTIAL LAW +DECLARED IN THE DISTRICT OF BUNINYONG +PROCLAMATION +By his Excellency Sir Charles Hotham, Knight-Commander of the Most +Honourable Military Order of the Bath Lieutenant--Governor +of Victoria, &c., &c., &c. + +WHEREAS bodies of armed men have arrayed themselves against Her Majesty's +forces and the constituted authorities, and have committed acts of open +rebellion: and whereas, for the effectual suppression thereof it is +imperatively necessary that Martial Law should be administered and +executed within the limits hereinafter described; now I, +the Lieutenant-Governor of the said Colony with the advice of the +Executive Council thereof, do hereby command and Proclaim that +MARTIAL LAW from and after twelve of the clock at noon on Wednesday, +the sixth day of December instant, shall and may be administered against +every person and persons within the said limits, who shall at any time +after the said hour commit any act of rebellion, any treason, treasonable +or seditious practices, or other outrage or misdemeanor whatsoever within +the following limits, that is to say: arrowee...Lal Lal...Moorabool... +Ran Rip...Yarrowee aforesaid. And I do hereby, with the advice +aforesaid, order and authorize all officers commanding Her Majesty's +forces to employ them with the utmost vigour and decision for the +immediate suppression of the said rebellion and offences, and to proceed +against and punish every person and persons acting, aiding, or in any +manner assisting in the said rebellion and offences, according to +Martial Law, as to them shall seem expedient for the punishment of all +such persons: And I do hereby especially declare and proclaim, that no +sentence of death shall be carried into execution against any such person +without my express consent thereto: ['Great works!'] And I do hereby +with the advice aforesaid, notify this my Proclamation to all subjects +of Her Majesty in the Colony of Victoria. + +Given under my Hand and the Seal of the Colony, at Melbourne, this fourth +day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred +and fifty-four, and in the eighteenth year of Her Majesty's Reign. + +(L.S.) CHARLES HOTHAM, +By His Excellency's Command, +JOHN FOSTER. +God save the Queen! + +----- + +Great works! + + + + +Chapter LXVII. + + + +Ecce Amaritudo Mea Amarissima. + + +We were frightened by the report that a gang of red-coats were sinking +a large pit in the Camp. + +"Are they going to bury us alive without any flogging? That's not half +so merciful as Haynau's rule in Austria;" was my observation to a mate +prisoner--a shrewd Irishman. + +"Where did you read in history that the British Lion was ever merciful +to a fallen foe?" was his sorrowfully earnest reply. + +Oh! days and nights of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of December, 1854, +your remembrance will not end, no, not even in my grave. + +They were happy days in my youth, when I thought with Rousseau, that +the heart of man is from nature good. It was a sad fatality now that +compelled me to feel the truth from the prophet Isaiah, that the heart +of man is desperately wicked. + +I was really thunderstruck at the savage eagerness with which spies and +red-coats sprang out of their ranks to point me out. Though a British +soldier was not ashamed to swear and confess his cowardice of running away +from before my pike, which I never had on the stockade, where the fellow +never could have seen me; I shall not prostitute my intelligence and +comment on the 'evidence' against me from a gang of bloodthirsty mercenary +spies. The printer will copy my trial from the public newspaper, +'The Age'. + + + + +Chapter LXVIII. + + + +Condemn The Wicked, And Bring His Way Upon His Head, Oh, +Lord God Of Israel! + + +The first witness against me was such a rum sort of old colonial bird of +the jackass tribe, and made such a fool of himself for Her Majesty's dear +sake, about the monster meeting, where as it appeared, he had volunteered +as reporter of the Camp; that now God has given him his reward. He is a +gouty cripple, still on 'Her Majesty's fodder' at the Camp, Ballaarat. + +Who will sharpen my quill and poison my inkstand, that I may put to +confusion the horrible brood of red-tape that ruled on Ballaarat at the +time. To administer justice in the sacred name of Her Most Gracious +Majesty, they squandered the sweat of self-over-working diggers, on a set +of devils, such that they actually competed with one another, in vomiting +like sick dogs! Their multitude was taken as a test of their veracity, +on the Mosaical ground, that 'out of the mouth of two witnesses shall the +guilty be condemned;' and yet, with the exception of spy Goodenough, +and spy Peters, none other to my knowledge ever did see my face before. + +I assert and declare as an honest man and a Christian, that my eyes never +did see the witnesses against me, before I was under arrest at the Camp. +My soul was drowned in an ocean of bitterness when of that brood of Satan, +one did swear he had run from before my pike; another had fired at me, +but his pistol 'snapped;' a third made me prisoner within the stockade; +a fourth took me up chained to other prisoners who had surrendered, +from the stockade to the Camp. + +Such, then, is the perversity of the human heart! In vain did I point out +to the sitting magistrate the absurdness of their evidence, and the fact +that Sub-inspector Carter and Dr. Carr could prove the contradiction. +I was so embittered and broken-hearted at the wickedness of so many +infuriated mercenary rascals, that had made up their mind to sell the +blood of an honest man, in as much as I had repeatedly told each and all +of them, when they came to 'recognize' in our prison, that they must +mistake me for another as I was not within the stockade that Sunday +morning; that I...but it is too humiliating to say any more. + +Mr. Sturt, with an odious face, whose plumpness told me at once he was no +friend to fasting, strutted to the magisterial chair, and committeed me +and the nigger-rebel, to whom I was kindly hobbled, to take our trial +for high treason! + + + + +Chapter LXIX. + + + +Vox Populi, Vox Dei. + + +In the course of the day (December 7th), in spite of all the bayonets and +blunderbusses, the report reached us that the Melbourne people had had +a Monster Meeting of their own, equal to ours of November 29th, and that +Mr. Foster, the 'Jesuit,' had been dismissed from office. + +The tragical act on Ballaarat was over; the scenery changed; and the +comedy now proceeded to end in the farce of the State Trials in Melbourne. + +Between Wednesday and Thursday, all the 160 prisoners were liberated, +with the necessary exception of thirteen, reserved to confirm the title +of this book. + +I do not wish to omit one significant circumstance. On Tuesday night, +December 5th, I was hobbled for the night to young Fergusson, an American, +and shared with him his blankets. I felt very much for this young man, +for he suffered from consumption; and as I do respect him, so I shall not +disclose our private conversation. This, however, is to the purpose. +He was among us, and with us at four o'clock on Saturday, at one and the +same time when spy Peters was within the stockade. + +No spy, no trap, no trooper appeared against young Fergusson. Doctor +Kenworthy, his countryman, had the management of getting him off. I was +glad at his obtaining his liberty, because he was a brave, kind-hearted, +republican-minded young American, and I intend to keep his blue blankets +he left to me in prison for my comfort, in his remembrance. + + + + +Chapter LXX. + + + +Audi Alteram Partem. +'Fair Play'. + + +As I wish to be believed, so I transcribe the following from 'The Argus', +Friday, December 15, 1854; + +MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER. + +The Lieutenant-Governor received a deputation from, with an address signed +by, five hundred bankers, merchants, and other classes resident in +Melbourne, placing themselves, their services, and their influence +unreservedly at His Excellency's disposal, for the maintenance or order +and upholding of the paramount authority of existing (!) law. + +His Excellency listened with marked attention to the address, to which he +gave the following answer:-- + +"Gentlemen... + +"...It is necessary to look its (the Colony's) difficulty full in the face. + +"Here we have persons from all parts of the globe,--men who come to look +for gold and gold alone; men of adventurous spirit, of resolution, and of +firm purpose to carry out the principles which actuate them. If gold +fails, or the season is unfavourable, we must expect such outbreaks and +such dangers as have given rise to the most loyal and valuable address +which you present to me. ['Pardon, Monsiegneur, apres lecture des versets +28, 29, du chap. I., et versets 17, 18, 19, du chap. III., de la Genese, +favorisez s'il vous plait l'exploitation de l'activite de tous ces +gaillards la, par la Charrue: l n'y a pas mal de terres ici, et bien +pour tout le monde. Audaces fortuna juvat.'] + +"I desire to govern by the people, and through the people: and by the +people I mean through the intelligence of the people. ['Elle est fameuse, +Monseigneur l'intelligence de ceux, qui vous ont conseille l'affaire de +Ballaarat! surtout in farce odieuse de haute-trahison!'] + +"In Ballaarat it was not a particular law, against which objection was +raised, nor was there a particular complaint made. ['Oh, pardon, +Monseigneur: ou l'on vous a toujours mal informe; ou l'on vous a souvent +cache la verite: alheureusement, cela n'a pas beaucoup change meme +aujourd'hui'.' Vide 'The Times', Ballaarat, Saturday, September 29, 1855, +and Saturday, November 10th--Local Court.] + +"...It was not exactly the licence fee, that caused the outbreak, though +that was made the 'nom de guerre,' the 'cheval de bataille,' this was not +the real cause. I consider that the masses were urged on by designing men +who had ulterior views, and who hoped to profit by anarchy and confusion. +['Comment se fait il Monseigneur que vous mettez le prix de 500 pounds +sur la tete du chef de ces blagueurs du Star Hotel, a Ballaarat; et puis +vous lassiez courir le malin a son aise! Avez-vous, oui ou non, +Monseigneur, accorde votre pardon a M`Gill? et les autres Americains +donc?'] + +"Then we have active, designing, intriguing foreigners, who also desire +to bring about disorder and confusion." ['Cependant, moi, bon garcon apres +tout, et d'une ancienne famille Romaine, j'ai ete VOLE sous arret au +Camp de Ballaarat par VOS gens et avec impunite, Monseigneur. Vous me +faites l'honneur d'avouer par votre lettre la chose, mais vous n'avez +point fait de restitution. Ce n'est pas comme cela que j'entends le vieux +mot Anglais, Fair-play.']" + +Hence, I had better address myself to the five hundred gentlemen, who +belong to the brave Melbourne people after all. + +Gentlemen, + +Five hundred copies of this work, which costs me an immense labour, +for the sake of the cause of truth, will be left with + +MESSRS. MUIR, BROTHERS AND CO., +Merchants, Flinders-lane, Melbourne-- + +of the same firm much respected on Ballaarat, to whom I am personally +known long ago, having been their neighbour on the Massacre-hill, Eureka. +Ten shillings is my price for each copy: and, as Messrs. Muir render this +service to me gratuitously, so I hereby authorise them to keep +half-a-crown from each ten shillings, and in the spirit of St. Matthew, +verses 1, 2, 3, 4, chap. vi.,share said halfcrowns in the following +proportion: one shilling to the Benevolent Asylum; one shilling to the +Melbourne Hospital, and sixpence to the Miners' Hospital, Ballaarat. + +I hope thus to understand 'Fair-play' better than Toorak. + +I have not yet done with His Excellency's answer. + +"The part which the bankers, merchants, tradesmen and others in Melbourne +and in Geelong ['pas a Ballaarat, Monseigneur'], have taken in coming +forward to support me, I shall be careful to represent properly at home, +where perhaps these occurrences may attract more attention than they +deserve. ['Pour votre bonheur, Monseigneur, Sebastopol leur donne assez +d'occupation pour le moment.'] + +"I shall declare my opinion that the mass of the community does not +sympathise with these violators of the law." ['Est-ce donc un reve, +Monseigneur, que votre gouvernment en voulait a ma tete, aussi, bien +qu'a celle de douze autres prisonnier, d'etat, et que le peuple nous +a acquitte glorieusement par' +SEVEN BRITISH JURIES!] + +'Mon ardent desir, mon tourment presque, c'est d'avoir vite l'honneur +de parler, encore une fois sur la terre, a SA MAJESTE LA REINE VICTORIA.' + +'AINSI-SOIT-IL.' + + + + +Chapter LXXI. + + + +The State Prisoners. + + +I Beg to say at once, that with the exception of Hayes and Manning, of the +remaining ten, seven were perfect strangers to me; three I had simply met +at work on the gold-fields; and I won't say anything further. + +Yes, though, MICHAEL TUHEY was the stoutest heart among us, an Irishman +in word and deed, young, healthy, good-hearted chap, that hates all the +ways of John Bull, he had been misled by honest George Black countenancing +the two demagogues at Creswick-creek, and had hastened with his +double-barrelled guns to Ballaarat, and stood his ground like an Irishman, +against the red-coats. He never was sorry for it. His brother paid some +forty pounds to a certain solicitor for his defence, but when Mic was +tried for his neck, the Hog was not there. GOD SAVE THE PEOPLE! + +THOMAS DIGNAM, a serious-looking, short, tight-built young chap, a native +of Sydney, who hated all sort of rogues, because he was honest in heart. +He brunted courageously the mob fury on Tuesday evening, November 28th, +on the Eureka, and actually saved at the risk of his own life, the life +of a soldier of the 12th regiment on its way to Ballaarat; he took up +arms in the cause of the diggers in Thursday's licence-hunt, was +subsequently under drill at the stockade; fought like a tiger on Sunday +morning; repented not of having put on stretchers a couple of red-coats; +was always cheerful, contented and kind-hearted during the four months +in gaol; paid his last farthing out of the honest sweat of his brow, +to Stephens his solicitor for the defence (above thirty pounds) and when +put in the dock to take his trial for high-treason, lo! there was no +charge against him; the prosecution was dropped. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! + +We are however still in chokey at Ballaarat. We were put under the +officious care of Sergeant Harris, who condescended to show some affection +for Joseph, to prove that his Christian love could extend even to niggers; +but the red-coat wanted to draw worms from the black rebel. We were nigh +bursting for laughter, when Joseph during his two days' trial came into +our yard for his meals, and related to us with such eye-twinklings, +widening of nostrils, trumping up the lips, scratching all the while his +black wool so desperately, and the doodle music of his unearthly whistle! +"how old chappyman and a tother smart 'un of spin-all did fix that there +mob of traps; 'specially that godammed hirpocrit of sergeant, I guess." + +JOHN JOSEPH, a native of New York, under a dark skin possessed a warm, +good, honest, kind, cheerful heart; a sober, plain-matter-of-fact +contented mind; and that is more than what can be said of some +half-a-dozen grumbling, shirking, snarling, dog-natured state prisoners. + +Sergeant Harris took it into his head to humble Hayes--humility is also a +Christian virtue--and so honoured him with the perfumery job of clearing +the tub at the corner, full of urine and solids. Hayes, for the lark did +it once, but found it against his principles to practise on said tub +again, and thus got into disgrace with our overkind sergeant. + +To be serious: Timothy Hayes, our chairman at the monster meeting, +aristocratically dressed among us, had like the rest his plump body +literally bloated with lice from the lock-up. Poor Manning was the worst. +Myself, I was plagued with that disgusting vermin, all through those +ignominious four months in gaol. + +It were odious to say many, many other things. + + + + +Chapter LXXII. + + + +Is There A Mortal Eye That Never Wept? + + +On Sunday afternoon, we witnessed a solemn scene, which must be recorded +with a tear wherever this book may find a reader. + +The sun was far towards the west. All had felt severely the heat of the +day. The red-coats themselves, that were of the watch, felt their ardour +flagging. Of twelve prisoners, some gazed as in 'a fix,' and were +stationary; others, 'acursing,' swept up and down the prison; the rest, +cast down, desponding, doing violence to themselves, to dam their flooded +eyes. I was among the broken-hearted. + +Mrs. Hayes, who in the days of her youth must have made many young Irish +hearts ache 'for something,' had brought now a bundle of clean clothing, +and a stock of provisions, to make her husband's journey to Melbourne as +comfortable as possible. There she was, holding her baby sucking at her +breast; her eyes full on her husband, which spoke that she passionately +loved him. Six children, neatly dressed, and the image of their father, +were around. Timothy Hayes forced himself to appear as cheerful as his +honourable heart and proud mind would allow. He pressed his little +daughter, who wanted to climb his shoulder; he pronounced his blessing +on the younger of his sons. The eldest (twelve years old) was kissing +his father's left hand, bathing it all the while with such big tears, +that dropped down so one by one, and so after the other! + +Good boy, your sorrows have begun soon enough for your sensible heart! +Strengthen it by time with Christian courage, or else you will smother it +with grief, long before your hair has turned grey! There are too many +troubles to go through in this world. Take courage; there is a God, +and therefore learn by heart the Psalm, 'Beatus vir qui timet Dominum.' +My head has still the red hair of my youth, and yet I am a living witness +of many truths in that Psalm; meditate, therefore, especially on the last +verse, ending 'Desiderium peccatorum peribit.' + +Had I in younger years cultivated painting, I feel satisfied that I could +produce now such a tableau as to match any of my countryman, Raffaelle; +so much an all-wise Providence has been pleased, perhaps for the trial of +my heart, to endow me with a cast of mind that, on similar occasions as +the solemn one above, whenever my electric fluid is called into action, +it is actually a daguerreotype. + + + +Chapter LXXIII. + + + +Amare Rimembranze. + + +At four o'clock on Tuesday morning, we were commanded to fall in, dressed +and hobbled as we were. Captain Thomas, with the tone and voice of a +country parson, read to us his 'Order of the day,' to the effect that we +were now under his charge for our transit to Melbourne; that if any of us +stirred a finger, or moved a lip--especially across the diggings--his +orders were that the transgressor should be shot on the spot. This +arrangement, so Austrian-like, and therefore unworthy of a British officer, +did not frighten us, and I cried, loud enough, "God save the Queen!" + +Inspector Foster sprang up to me with his hopping leg, put on me tighter +darbies, and together with the mulatto-rebel put us in front of the cart, +giving strict orders to shoot us both down if we attempted to turn our +heads. 'Veritatem dico, non mentior'; and so Messrs, Haynau, Jellachich, +and Co., from that morning my hatred for you is on the decline. + +They rode us through the main road as fast is it was safe for the +preservation of our necks--the only thing they wanted to preserve +inviolate for head-quarters. + +Though it was clear daylight, yet I did see only one digger on the whole +of the main road. + +On passing through the Eureka, I got a glance of my snug little tent, +where I had passed so many happy hours, and was sacred to me on a Sunday. +There it lay deserted, uncared for! My eyes were choked with tears, +and at forty years of age a man does not cry for little. + + + + +Chapter LXXIV + + + +Della Vita Lo Spello Dal Mondo Sciolto, +Al Mondo Vivo Perche Non Son Sepolto. + + +We were soon in Ballan. Good reader, please enter now within my mind. +The lesson, if read, learned, and inwardly digested, will be of good use +for the future. The troubles of this colony have begun. + +It is eight o'clock of a fine morning; the spring season is in its full: +the sun in his splendour is all there on the blue sky. Nature all around +is life. The landscape is superb. It reminded me 'della Bella Cara +Itallia'. The bush around was crammed with parrots, crows, and other +chattering birds of the south. They were not prevented from singing +praises each in its own language to the Creator, and all was joy and +happiness with them. Unfortunately those lands lay uncultivated by the +hand of man; but were not left idle by nature. Lively, pretty little +flowers of the finest blue, teemed here, there, and everywhere, through +the splendid grass, wafed to and fro by a gentle wind. + +Look now at the foot of the picture. + +There were thirteen of us all healthy, honest, able-bodied men, chained +together on three carts. A dozen of dragoons, strong, sound-looking men, +were riding on horseback as sharp-shooters, in all directions, before our +carts in the bush. Their horses were really splendid animals. A score +of troopers of the accursed stamp we had then on Ballaarat, sword +unsheathed, carbines cocked, kept so close to our carts that one of these +Vandemonians was half jammed on riding by a large gum-tree; was thrown +from his horse, and disabled, but not killed. We are at last in Ballan, +for change of horses. Captain Thomas and a stout healthy-looking man, +with a pair of the finest black whiskers I ever saw, in the garb of a +digger, who gave such orders to the coachman, as were always attended to, +with the usual colonial oaths as a matter of course, were regaling +themselves with bottled porter on a stump of a tree outside the +public-house. The dragoons and troopers had biscuit, cheese, and ale +served to them, though paid for by themselves, before our teeth. + +There was no breakfast for the poor state prisoners, in chains, and lying +on the bare ground. They had some trouble before they could obtain from +the red-coats watching over them, and blowing heaps of smoke from stump +pipes, a drop of cold water--I mean actually a drop of cold water. + +Good reader, you know WHOM I did bless, whom I did curse. + + + + +Chapter LXXV. + + + +Petite, Sed Non Accipietis, Quia Petistis. + + +The following document, which does honour and justice to its writer, +J. Basson Humffray, to 4500 of our fellow-miners of Ballaarat, who signed +it, to the state prisoners themselves, is now here transcribed as +necessary to the purpose of this book. + + +THE BALLAARAT DELEGATES, AND THEIR INTERVIEW WITH +HIS EXCELLENCY SIR CHARLES HOTHAM, K.C.B., &c + +The public has already seen the written reply of His +Excellency to the petition from Ballaarat, signed by +nearly 4500 of the inhabitants of that important, but +'officially' ridden place. + +We deem it our duty to the public, and especially to +those whose delegates we are, to state the main reasons +urged by us for a general amnesty, and to make some general +remarks thereon, and also upon the reply. We have delayed +doing this, as we expected to have returned immediately +to Ballaarat, and we did not wish to forestall our intended +statement at a public meeting, which would have been held +on our return; but as circumstances interfere with this +arrangement, we now give our report. + +We were very kindly and respectfully received by His +Excellency. + +We thought it right to state that we repudiated physical +force as a means of obtaining constitutional redress, +believing that the British constitution had sufficient +natural elasticity to adapt itself to the wants of the +age, and would yield under proper pressure. But the +arming of the diggers of Ballaarat, however reprehensible +it might have been in itself, claims to be judged on +special grounds, inasmuch as they had special provocation. +The diggers of Ballaarat were attacked by a military +body under the command of civil (!) officers, for the +production of licence-papers, and, if they refused to +be arrested, deliberately shot at. The diggers did not +take up arms, properly speaking, against the government, +but to defend themselves against the bayonets, bullets, +and swords of the insolent officials in their unconstitutional +attack, who were a class that would disgrace any government, +by their mal-administration of the law. + +The diggers did not take up arms against British rule, +but against the mis-rule of those who were paid to administer +the law properly; and however foolish their conduct might +be, it was an ungenerous libel on the part of one of the +military officers to designate outraged British subjects +as 'foreign anarchists and armed ruffians.' + +The diggers were goaded on to take the stand they did +by the 'digger-hunt,' of the 30th November, which, we +are sustained in saying, was a base piece of gold and +silver lace revenge. Facts will no doubt appear by-and-bye, +elucidating and confirming this statement. + +We reminded His Excellency of the fact, that the public +had asked for or sanctioned a general amnesty; and although +we were prepared to admit that it was unbecoming the +dignity of any government to give way to what was termed +'popular clamour,' yet, in this case, the good and the +wise amongst all classes, forming a very large proportion +of the inhabitants, had asked for it, and we thought the +general wish should not be lightly treated. His Excellency +observed, "Certainly not." We argued that an amnesty would +restore general confidence, and secure support to the +government in any emergency; and, even supposing there +was any one in the movement who sought to overturn the +government, instead of overturning corruption, and establishing +a better system of administration, a general amnesty would +silence such, as the great majority of the diggers were +content to live under British law, if properly administered; +and every one knows there has been much to condemn in +the administration of the laws, on the Ballaarat gold-fields +especially; and we endeavoured to impress upon the mind +of the Lieutenant-Governor, that it was equally true +that the majority of those who were proud of being British +subjects, were growing tired of waiting for simple justice. +And if the executive wish to secure their confidence +and support, they must give better evidence of their +good intentions of making better laws, or laws better +suited to the wants of the people, and securing 'equal +justice to all.' Their recent conduct has created disaffection +amongst the ranks of the best disposed; in fact, those +who disapproved of the resort to arms on the part of +the diggers, condemn in the most unqualified manner the +conduct of the Ballaarat officials in collecting a tax +(obnoxious at the best) at the bayonet's point, and of +the late Colonial Secretary, who could unblushingly write +to Commissioner Rede (who superintended the digger-hunt +on the 30th November, and, no doubt, counselled the Sunday +morning's butchery), thanking him for his conduct on those +occasions! And that if His Excellency would allow us to +strip the matter of its official colouring, he would see +things in a very different light than they had been officially +represented. + +That an amnesty would not only secure the confidence of +the people in the Governor, but it would show the confidence +of the Governor in the people--it would be looked upon as +a proof of the strength and vigour of the British constitution, +instead of weakness in those that administer the laws under +its guidance. + +That His Excellency could well afford to be generous. + +That, in asking for an amnesty, we were aware it was asking +for much, and what a statesman should not do without due +deliberation. But at the same time, we submitted we did +not ask anything inconsistent with the true interests of +the colony, or derogatory to the dignity and honour of +the throne itself. + +That a general amnesty to the state prisoners would tend +much to consolidate the power of the British government +in this colony, and show that the representative of Majesty +here can afford to be just--to be generous; with the full +confidence that such an act would meet with the full +concurrence of the Queen of England, and the approbation +of the whole British empire. That in this he would act +wiser far in listening to the voice of the people than +to the short-sighted counsel of the law-advisers of the +Crown. Humanity has higher claims than the mere demands +and formalities of human law. + +We forbear saying all that might be said as to the spies +being sent from the Camp to enrol themselves amongst the +insurgents, and who, report says, urged them to attack +the Camp, which was repudiated by the diggers--they +saying they would act upon the defensive. + +That we believed the enforcement of the law in this case +would have the most pernicious effect, not only upon the +commerce of the colony, but would retard, if not prevent, +the accomplishment of those schemes of reform that His +Excellency had promised. + +That if he valued the good opinions of the people--the +peace and prosperity of the colony, he would be giving +the best evidence of it by granting the amnesty we prayed +for; but that, if His Excellency punished these men, it +would be calling into existence an agitation which would, +we feared, end in civil commotion, if not in the disseverance +of the colony from the mother country. + +That we thought there were reasons sufficiently important +to justify an amnesty, on the grounds of state policy alone. + +But even supposing there were no legitimate grounds for +an amnesty, and that the government have been right in +all that they have done--which would be saying what facts +do not warrant--surely the slaughter of some fifty people +is blood enough to expiate far greater crimes than the +diggers of Ballaarat have been guilty of, without seeking +the lives of thirteen more victims. The government would +act wisely in not pursuing so suicidal a course. + +His Excellency states, in his written reply, that the +diggers, notwithstanding his promise of inquiry into all +their grievances, had forestalled all inquiry. + +On this head, we would wish to remark, that the fault +lies at the door of the government, in prostituting the +military, by making them tax collectors, and placing them +at the disposal of a few vain officials, who were not +over-stocked with brains, and ignorant of the functions +of constitutional government. But one fact they seemed +fully sensible of, viz.: That 'Othello' occupation would +indeed soon 'be gone,' and they were determined to 'crush +the scoundrels' who dared to question the policy, or even +justice, or a government keeping up such an expensive army +of La Trobian idlers as strut about in borrowed plumes +with all the insolence of office; who, in fact, have proved +themselves, with a few honourable exceptions, fit for +little else than bringing the colony into debt; creating +disaffection amongst the people, and stamping indelible +disgrace upon any government that would uphold the system +that tolerates them. One of these 'retiring' gentlemen +stated on the morning of the famed 'digger-hunt' of the +30th November, in reply to one of the refractory diggers: +"If you do not pay your licences, how are we to be supported +at the Camp?" and further, "There are some disaffected +scoundrels I am determine to arrest!" To crush! for what? +For daring to refuse to pay taxes except they had a voice +in the expending of them for the public weal; public taxes +are public property. Some of these 'gentlemanly' officials +made use of language on the occasion alluded to, that not +only gave evidence of considerable malignity, but of a +vulgarity that a gentleman would scorn to use; and we think +it not an unfair inference to draw from the foregoing facts, +that the digger-hunt of the 30th of November, and the cruel +slaughter of the 3rd December, were unmistakable acts of +petty official revenge; and, therefore, instead of the +diggers forestalling the Commission of Inquiry, appointed +by His Excellency, we advisedly say it was Commissioner +Rede and Co. who forestalled the inquiry by endeavouring +to crush the '500 scoundrels' he complained of--a scoundrel +in that gentleman's estimation seems to be one who thinks +that some 12 pounds per head per annum is rather too heavy +a tax for an Englishman to pay, especially if used in +supporting men so unfit for office as he has proved himself +to be. This gentleman was the arch-rioter of the 30th +November; in this we are confirmed (if confirmation of +well-known facts were needed) by the verdict of acquittal +of the so called 'Ballaarat Rioters,' partially on the +evidence of Mr. Rede himself. + +In the latter part of His Excellency's reply, he very +properly lays it down as 'the duty of government to administer +equal justice to all;' which is no doubt the noblest principle +of the English constitution, and we certainly have no fears +for the peace of even colonial society, with all its supposed +discordant elements, so long as that principle is practically +carried out; but we are under well founded apprehension +if the reverse is to be the order of the day. + +There is a paragraph in our petition to the effect, that +if 'His Excellency had found sufficient extenuation in +the conduct of American citizens,' we thought there were +equally good grounds for extending similar clemency to +all, irrespective of nationality; and that it was unbecoming +the dignity of any government to make such exceptions; +and if such have been done (and that something tantamount +to it has been done, there is ample proof), it is a violation +of the very principle enunciated by His Excellency in his +report viz., 'That it is the duty of a government to +administer equal justice to all.' What we contend for is +this:--If it be just to grant an amnesty to a citizen of +one country, 'equal justice' claims an amnesty for all. +We wish it to be distinctly understood by our American +friends, that we do not for a moment find fault with His +Excellency for allowing their countrymen to go free, but +we do complain, in sorrow, that he does not display the +same liberality to others--that he does not wisely and +magnanimously comply with the prayer of our petition by +granting a general amnesty. + +But it is stated further in the reply, that 'no exception +had been made in favour of any person against whom a charge +was preferred.' With all becoming deference to His Excellency, +we think this does not meet the point. If the gentleman +were innocent, why guarantee him against arrest? And if +his friends (and we give them credit for good tact) anticipated +the 'preferment of a charge,' it does not create any special +grounds for an amnesty in contradistinction to a general amnesty. + +Again, upon whom lies the onus of 'preferring charge?' +500 pounds was offered for Vern, 'DEAD OR ALIVE' and +400 pounds for Lalor and Black; and yet we presume there +was no charge, or charges, 'preferred' against them any +more than the gentleman alluded to. We yet trust that +the same good feeling that induced His Excellency to give +James M`Gill his liberty will increase sufficiently strong +to unbar the prison-doors, and set the state captives free, +that they may be restored to their homes, their sorrowing +families, and sympathising countrymen. By such an act, +the Lieutenant-Governor will secure the peace of society, +and the respect and support of the people, and be carrying +out the glorious principle he has proclaimed of 'Equal +Justice to All.' + +J. BASSON HUMFFRAY, +C. F. NICHOLLS, +(of Ballaarat.) +Melbourne, 23rd January, 1855. + + + + +Chapter LXXVI. + + + +Quid Sum Miser, Nunc Dicturus. + + +At Bacchus Marsh we were thrown into a dark lockup, by far cleaner than +the lousy one of Ballaarat. Captain Thomas, who must have acknowledged +that we had behaved as men, sent us a gallon of porter, and plenty of +damper; he had no occasion to shoot down any of us. I write now this his +kindness with thanks. + +At last, after a long, long day, smothered with dust, burning with thirst, +such that the man in the garb of a digger had compassion on us, and +shouted a welcome glass of ale to all of us--we arrived before the +Melbourne gaol at eight o'clock at night. + +From the tender mercies of our troopers, we were given up to the gentle +grasp of the turnkeys. The man in the garb of a digger introduced us to +the governor, giving such a good account of us all, that said governor, +on hearing we had had nothing to eat since mid-day, was moved to let us +have some bread and cheese. + +We were commanded to strip to the bare shirt--the usual ignomy to begin a +prison life with--and then we were shown our cell--a board to lie down on, +a blanket--and the heavy door was bolted on us. + +Within the darkness of our cell, we now gave vent to our grief, each in +his own way. + +Sleep is not a friend to prisoners, and so my mind naturally wandered back +to the old spot on the Eureka. + + + + +Chapter LXXVII. + + + +Requiescant In Pace. + + +Lalor's Report of the Killed and Wounded at the Eureka Massacre, on the +morning of the memorable Third of December, 1854:- + + +The following lists are as complete as I can make them. The numbers are +well known, but there is a want of names. I trust that the friends or +acquaintances of these parties may forward particulars to 'The Times' +office, Ballaarat, to be made available in a more lengthened narrative. + + +KILLED. + +1 JOHN HYNES, County Clare, Ireland. +2 PATRICK GITTINS, Kilkenny, do. +3---- MULLINS, Kilkenny, Limerick, Ireland. +4 SAMUEL GREEN, England. +5 JOHN ROBERTSON, Scotland. +6 EDWARD THONEN (lemonade man), Elbertfeldt, Prussia. +7 JOHN HAFELE, Wurtemberg. +8 JOHN DIAMOND, County Clare, Ireland. +9 THOMAS O'NEIL, Kilkenny, do. +10 GEORGE DONAGHEY, Muff, County Donegal, do. +11 EDWARD QUIN, County Cavan, do. +12 WILLIAM QUINLAN, Goulbourn, N.S.W. +13 and 14 Names unknown. One was usually known on Eureka as 'Happy Jack.' + + +WOUNDED AND SINCE DEAD. + +1 LIEUTENANT ROSS, Canada. +2 THADDEUS MOORE, County Clare, Ireland. +3 JAMES BROWN, Newry, do. +4 ROBERT JULIEN, Nova Scotia. +5 ----CROWE, unknown. +6 ----FENTON, do. +7 EDWARD M`GLYN, Ireland. +8 No particulars. + + +WOUNDED AND SINCE RECOVERED. + +1 PETER LALOR, Queen's County, Ireland. +2 Name unknown, England. +3 PATRICK HANAFIN, County Kerry, Ireland. +4 MICHAEL HANLY, County Tipperary, do. +5 MICHAL O'NEIL, County Clare, do. +6 THOMAS CALLANAN, do. do. +7 PATRICK CALLANAN, do. do. +8 FRANK SYMMONs, England. +9 JAMES WARNER, County Cork, Ireland. +10 LUKE SHEEHAN, County Galway, do. +11 MICHAEL MORRISON, County Galway, do. +12 DENNIS DYNAN, County Clare, do. + + +(Signed) PETER LALOR, +Commander-in-Chief. + + +What has become of GEORGE BLACK, was, and is still, a MYSTERY to me. +I lost sight of him since his leaving for Creswick-creek, on +December 1, 1854. + + + + +Chapter LXXVIII. + + + +Homo Natus De Muliere, Brevi Vivens Tempore Repletur Multis Miseriis. +Qui Quasi Flos Conterritur Et Egreditur; Postea Velut Umbra Disperditur. + + +It is not the purpose of this book, to begin a lamentation about my four +long, long months in the gaol. My health was ruined for ever: if that be +a consolation to any one; let him enjoy it. To say more is disgusting to +me and would prove so to any one, whose motto is 'Fair-play.' + +A dish of 'hominy' (Indian meal), now and then fattened with grubs, +was my breakfast. + +A dish of scalding water, with half a dozen grains of rice, called soup, +a morsel of dry bullock's flesh, now and then high-flavoured, a bit of +bread eternally sour--any how the cause of my suffering so much of +dysentery, and a couple of black murphies were my dinner. + +For tea, a similar dish of hominy as in the morning, with the privilege +of having now and then a bushranger or a horse-stealer for my mess-mate, +and often I enjoyed the company of the famous robbers of the Victoria Bank. + +But the Sunday! Oh the Sunday! was the most trying day. The turnkeys, +of course, must enjoy the benefit of the sabbath cant, let the prisoners +pray or curse in their cells. I was let out along with the catholics, +to hear mass. I really felt the want of Christian consolation. Our +priest was always in a hurry, twice did not come, once said half the mass +without any assistant; never could I hear two words together out of his +short sermon. Not once ever came to see us prisoners. + +After mass, I returned to my cell, and was let out again for half an hour +among all sorts of criminals, some convicted, some waiting their trial, +in the large yard, to eat our dinner, and again shut up in the cell till +the following Monday. + + + + +Chapter LXXIX. + + + +'Souvenirs' De Melbourne. + + +Five things I wish to register: the first for shame; the second for +encouragement; the third for duty; the fourth for information; the fifth +for record. + +1. We were one afternoon taken by surprise by the whole gang of turnkeys, +ordered to strip, and subjected to an ignominious search. The very +private parts were discovered and touched. 'Veritatem dico, non mentior.' + +2. Manning felt very much the want of a chew of tobacco. He and Tuhey +would make me strike up some favourite piece out of the Italian opera, +and the charm succeeded. A gentle tap at the door of our cell was the +signal to get from a crack below a stick of tobacco, and then we were all +jolly. We decreed and proclaimed that even in hell there must be some +good devils. + +3. Mr. Wintle, the governor, inclining to the John Bull in corporation, +had preserved even in a Melbourne gaol, crammed as it is at the end of +each month with the worst class of confirmed criminals, his good, kind +heart. With us state prisoners, without relaxing discipline, he used no +cruelty--spoke always kindly to us--was sorry at our position, and wished +us well. He had regard for me, on account of my bad health; that I shall +always remember. + +4. Some day in January we received a New-Year's Present--that is a copy +of the indictment. I protest at once against recording it here: it is +the coarsest fustian ever spun by Toorak Spiders. I solemnly declare that +to my knowledge the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty was never mentioned +in any way, shape, or form whatever, during the whole of the late +transactions on Ballaarat. I devoured the whole of the indictment with +both my eyes, expecting to meet with some count charging us with riot. +The disappointment was welcome, and I considered myself safe. Not so, +however, by a parcel of shabby solicitors. They said it would go hard +with any one if found guilty. The government meant to make an example of +some of of us, as a lesson to the ill-affected, in the shape of some +fifteen years in the hulks. They had learned from Lynn of Ballaarat that +there were no funds collected from the diggers for the defence. 'Cetera +quando rursum scribam'--and thus they won some 200 pounds out of the +frightened state prisoners, who possessed ready cash. + +"What will be the end of us, Joe?" was my question to the nigger-rebel. + +"Why, if the jury lets us go, I guess we'll jump our holes again on the +diggings. If the jury won't let us go, then"--and bowing his head over +the left shoulder, poking his thumb between the windpipe and the +collarbone, opened wide his eyes, and gave such an unearthly whistle, +that I understood perfectly well what he meant. + + + + +Chapter LXXX. + + + +The State Prisoners. +(From 'The Age', February 14th, 1855.) + + +The following is the copy of a letter addressed by the state prisoners now +awaiting their trial in the Melbourne Gaol, to the Sheriff, complaining +of the treatment they have received:- + + +Her Majesty's Gaol, Melbourne, +February 6th, 1855. +To the Sheriff of the Colony of Victoria:- + +Sir--As the chief officer of the government, regulating +prison discipline in Victoria, we, the undersigned Ballaarat +state prisoners, respectfully beg to acquaint you with +the mode of our treatment since our imprisonment in this +gaol, in the hope that you will be pleased to make some +alteration for the better. + +At seven o'clock in the morning we are led into a small +yard of about thirty yards long and eight wide, where +we must either stand, walk or seat ourselves upon the +cold earth (no seats or benches being afforded us), and +which at meal times serves as chair, table, etc., with +the additional consequence of having our food saturated +with sand, dust, and with every kind of disgusting filth +which the wind may happen to stir up within the yard. + +We are locked in, about three o'clock in the afternoon, +four or five of us together, in a cell whose dimensions +are three feet by twelve, being thus debarred from the +free air of heaven for sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. +The food is of the very worst description ever used by +civilized beings. We are debarred the use of writing +materials, except for purposes of pressing necessity; are +never permitted to see a newspaper; and strictly prohibited +the use of tobacco and snuff. We have been subjected to +the annoyance of being stripped naked, a dozen men together, +when a process of 'searching' takes place that is debasing +to any human being, but perfectly revolting to men whose +sensibilities have never been blunted by familiarity with +crime--an ordeal of examination, and the coarse audacity +with which it is perpetrated, as would make manhood blush, +and which it would assuredly resent, as an outrage upon +common decency, in any other place than a prison. And again, +when the visiting justice makes his rounds, we are made +to stand bareheaded before him, as if--etc. + +We give the government the credit of believing that it is +not its wish we should be treated with such apparent malignity +and apparent malice; and also believe that if you, sir, +the representative of government in this department, had +been previously made acquainted with this mode of treatment, +you would have caused it to be altered. But we have hitherto +refrained from troubling the government on the subject, +in expectation of a speedy trial, which now appears to be +postponed sine die. + +We, each of us, can look back with laudable pride upon +our lives, and not a page in the record of the past can +unfold a single transgression which would degrade us before +man, or for which we would be condemned before our Maker. +And we naturally ask why we should be treated as if our +lives had been one succession of crime, or as if society +breathed freely once more at being rid of our dangerous +and demoralising presence. Even the Sunday, that to all +men in Christendom is a day of relaxation and comparative +enjoyment, to us is one of gloom and weariness, being locked +up in a dreary cell from three o'clock Saturday evening +till seven on Monday morning (except for about an hour +and a half on Sunday); thus locked up in a narrow dungeon +for forty consecutive hours! We appeal to you, and ask, +was there ever worse treatment, in the worst days of the +Roman inquisition, for men whose reputation had never +been sullied with crime? + +We therefore humbly submit, that, as the state looks only +at present to our being well secured, we ought to be treated +with every liberality consistent with our safe custody; +and that any unnecessary harshness, or arrogant display +of power, is nothing more or less than wanton cruelty. + +Some of us, for instance, could wile away several hours +each day in writing, an occupation which, while it would +fill up the dreary vacuum of a prison life, as would the +moderate use of snuff and tobacco cheer it, and soothe +that mental irritation consequent upon seclusion. But that +system of discipline which would paralyse the mind and +debilitate the body--that would destroy intellectual as +well as physical energy and vigour, cannot certainly be +of human origin. + +Trusting you will remove these sources of annoyance and +complaint, + +We beg to subscribe ourselves, +Sir +Your obedient servants. +[Here follow the names.] + +----- + +Sheriff CLAUDE FARIE, Inspector PRICE, Turnkey HACKETT, they will praise +your names in hell! + + + + +Chapter LXXXI. + + + +Quem Patronem Rogaturus. + + +The brave people of Melbourne remembered the state prisoners, forgotten by +the Ballaarat diggers, who now that the storm was over, considered +themselves luckily cunning to have got off safe; and therefore could +afford to 'joe' again; the red-streak near Golden-point, having put every +one in the good old spirits of the good old times. + + +Yourself devoting to the public cause, +You ask the people if they be 'there' to die: +Yes, yes hurrah the thund'ring applause, +Too soon, alas! you find out the lie! +Cast in a gaol, at best you are thought a fool, +Red hot grows your foe; your friend too cool. + +An angel, however, was sent to the undefended state prisoners. Hayes and +myself were the first, who since our being in trouble, did grasp the hand +of a gentleman, volunteering to be our friend. + +JAMES MACPHERSON GRANT, solicitor, is a Scotchman of middle-size, +middle-height; and the whole makes the man, an active man of business, +a shrewd lawyer, and up to all the dodges of his profession. His forehead +announces that all is sound within; his benevolent countenance assures +that his heart is for man or woman in trouble. He hates oppression; so +say his eyes. He scorns humbug; so says his nose. His manners declare +that he was born a gentleman. + +I very soon gave him hints for my defence, quite in accordance with what +I have been stating above, and his clerk took the whole down in short-hand. +He encouraged me to be of good cheer, "You need not fear," said he, +"you will soon be out, all of you." + +God bless you, Mr. Grant! For the sake of you and Mr. Aspinall, the +barrister, I smother now my bitterness, and pass over all that I suffered +on account of so many postponements. + +Timothy Hayes, when we returned broken-hearted for the FIFTH(!) time to +our gaol, did we not curse the lawyers! + +A wild turn of mind now launched my soul to the old beloved spot on the +Eureka, and there I struck out the following anthem. + + + + +Chapter LXXXII. + + + +Victoria's 'Southern Cross'. +Tune--The 'Standard Bearer' + +I. + +WHEN Ballaarat unfurled the 'Southern Cross,' +Of joy a shout ascended to the heavens; +The bearer was Toronto's Captain Ross; +And frightened into fits red-taped ravens. + + +Chorus. For brave Lalor-- + Was found 'all there,' + With dauntless dare: + His men inspiring: + To wolf or bear, + Defiance bidding, + He made them swear-- +Be faithful to the Standard, for victory or death. (Bis.) + +II. + +Blood-hounds were soon let loose, with grog imbued, +And murder stained that Sunday! Sunday morning; +The Southern Cross in digger's gore imbrued, +Was torn away, and left the diggers mourning! + +Chorus. + +Victoria men, to scare, stifle, or tame, +Ye quarter-deck monsters are too impotent; +The Southern Cross will float again the same, +UNITED Britons, ye are OMNIPOTENT. + +Chorus. + + +Thus I had spanned the strings of my harp, but the strain broke them +asunder in the gaol. + + + + +Chapter LXXXIII. + + +Initium Sapientie Est Timor Domini. + + +There are circumstances in life, so inexplicable for the understanding; +so intricate for the counsel; so overwhelming for the judgment; so +tempting for the soul; so clashing with common sense; so bewildering for +the mind; so crushing for the heart; that even the honest man cannot help +at moments to believe in FATE. Hence the 'sic sinuerunt Fata,' will dash +the fatalist ahead, and embolden him to knock down friend or foe, so as +to carry out his conceit. If successful, he is a Caesar; if unsuccessful, +ignominy and a violent grave are the reward of his worry. + +If this be true, as far as it goes, whilst + +Through living hosts and changing scenes we rove, +The mart, the court, the sea, the battle-plain, +As passions sway, or accident may move; + +it holds not true in a gaol. There you must meet yourself, and you find +that you are not your God. Hence these new strings in my harp. + + +TO THE POINT. + +I. + +Gay is the early bloom of life's first dawn, +But darker colours tinge maturer years; +Our days as they advance grow more forlorn, +Hope's brightest dreams dissolve away in tears +Which were the best, to be or not to have been? +The question may be asked, no answer can be seen. + +II. + +On earth we live, within our thoughts--the slaves, +Of our conceptions in each varied mood, +Gay or melancholy;--it is the waves +Of our imaginings, become the food +The spirit preys upon; and laughs or raves +With madness or with pleasure, as it would +If drunk with liquids. WE EXIST AND DWELL +AS THE MIND MAY DISPOSE, IN HEAVEN OR IN HELL. + +THEME. + +Death which we dread so much, is but a name. + + +SONNET. + +He who never did eat his bread in tears; +Who never passed a dreary bitter night, +And in his bed of sorrow, the hard fight +Of pending troubles saw, with anxious fears: +Who never an exile forlorn for years, +And never wept with Israel 'at the sight +Of the waters of Babylon' (Psalm 137), the might +Of Heaven's word is unknown to his ears. +IS THERE A MORTAL EYE THAT NEVER WEPT? +WITH tears the child begins his wants to show +In tears the man out of the earth is swept. +Whether we bless or grumble here below, +HIM who ever in His hand the world has kept +In dark affliction's school we learn to know. + +(Of course my original is in Italian.) + + + + +Chapter LXXXIV. + + + +Judica Me Deus, Et Discarne Causam Meam De Gente Non Sancta; +Ab Homine Iniquo Et Doloso Erue Me. + + +SUPREME COURT +Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Felix, +Wednesday, March 21st, 1855. + +(Before his Honour Mr. Justice Barry.) + + +MY STATE TRIAL His HONOUR took his seat shortly after ten o'clock. +The prisoner, that is myself, was placed in the dock, and the following +Jury sworn (after the usual challenging):- + +PHILLIP BRAGG, Gore-street, Farmer, +ALEXANDER BARTHOLOMEW, Brighton-road, Joiner, +JAMES BLACK, Greville-street, Butcher, +CHARLES BUTT, Lennox-street, Carpenter, +THOMAS BELL, Lennox-street, Carpenter, +FREDERICK BAINES, Richmond-road, Painter, +CHARLES BELFORD, Kew, Gardener, +WILLIAM BROADHURST, Wellington-street, Grocer, +JOSEPH BERRY, Hawthorne, Farmer, +DAVID BOYLE, Kew, Gardener, +WILLIAM BARNETT, Heidelberg, Gardener, +JOHN BATES, Rowena-street, Baker. + +'Brava gente. Dio vi benedica. Mio Fratello desidera veder ciascuno +di Voi, nella nostra Bella Itallia.' + +For the first time in my life (37 years old), I was placed in a felon's +dock, and before a British jury. + +The first glance I gave to the foreman made me all serene. I was sure +that the right man was in the right place. + +JAMES MACPHERSON GRANT, my attorney for the defence, was 'all there.' + +RICHARD DAVIS IRELAND, barrister, my counsel, was heavy with thunder. +Thick, sound, robust, round-headed as he is, the glance of his eyes is +irresistible. A pair of bushy whiskers frame in such a shrewd forehead, +astute nose, thundering mouth; that one had better keep at a respectful +distance from drakes. His whole head and strong-built frame tell that he +is ready to settle at once with anybody; either with the tongue or with +the fist. His eloquence savours pretty strongly of Daniel O'Connell, +and is flavoured with colonial pepper; hence Mr. Ireland will always +exercise a potent spell over a jury. If he were the Attorney-General, +the colony would breath freer from knaves, rogues, and vagabonds. The +'sweeps,' especially, could not possibly prosper with Ireland's pepper. + +According to promise, another lawyer, a man of flesh, had to be present: +but, as he was not there, so he is not here. + +Mr. ASPINALL, barrister, totally unknown to me before, volunteered his +services as my counsel to assist Mr. Ireland. + +'In memoria eterna manet amicus' BUTLER COLE ASPINALL. The print of +generous frankness in your forehead, of benevolence in your eyes, of +having no-two-ways in your nose, of sincere boldness in your mouth; +your height, fine complexion, noble deportment, indicate in you the +gentleman and the scholar. If now and then you fumble among papers, +whilst addressing the jury, that is perhaps for fear it should be observed +that you have no beard; in order that proper attention may be paid to your +learning, which is that of a grey-headed man; and though it may be said, +that the Eureka Stockade was hoggledy enough, yet your pop, pop, pop, was +also doggledy. + +You know a tree by its fruits; and so you may know, if you like, the +Attorney-General by his High-Treason Indictment. I have not the patience +to go through it a second time. There are too many Fosters, fostering and +festering in this Victorian land. + +JUDGE BARRY presided; a man of the old-gentleman John Bull's stamp. +Nothing in his face of the cast of a Jefferies. He can manage his temper, +even among the vexations of law. + +His Honour addressed me always with kindness. If he shampooed his +summing-up, with parson's solemnity, indicating not little +self-congratulation, His Honour had reason to be proud of the following +remarks, which I here record for that purpose:- + + +"They had been told (said His Honour to the jury), that the +prisoner in the dock had come sixteen thousand miles to +get off from the Austrian rule--from the land of tyranny +to that of liberty; and so he had, in the truest sense of +the word, and that liberty which he enjoyed imposed upon +him a local respect for Her Majesty, and a respect for her +laws. He had the privilege of being tried by a jury, who +would form their verdict solely from the facts adduced +on the trial." + + +A fair hint; equal to saying, that under the British flag I was not going +to be tried before the Holy (read, Infernal) Inquisition. + + + + +Chapter LXXXV. + + + +Sunt Miserie In Vita Hominus, Viro Probo Dolosis Circumdari! +Nulla Miseria Pejor. + + +MY TRIAL proceeded, before the British Jury aforesaid. + +Vandemonians: +HENRY GOODENOUGH, Spy-Major. +ANDREW PETERS, Sub-Spy. + +As an honest man, I scorn to say anything of either of you; but address +myself to my God, the Lord God of Israel, in the words of Solomon:- + +'If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him +to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: + +'Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the +wicked to bring his way upon his head.'--(1 Kings viii. 31, 32.) + +GEORGE WEBSTER examined:- +"I attended the meeting at Bakery-hill on the afternoon of the 29th +November, Mr. Hayes was chairman, and the prisoner was on the platform. +He made a speech to the effect, that he had come 16,000 miles to escape +tyranny, and they (THE DIGGERS) should put down the tyrants here (POINTING +TO THE CAMP). PRISONER ALSO TORE UP HIS LICENCE and threw it towards the +fire recommending the others to do as he did." + +N.B.--At the next state trial of Jamas Beattie, and Michael Tuhey, said +witness George Webster, on his oath, was cross examined by Mr. Ireland, +and stated:- + +"Mr. RAFFAELLO, was at the meeting on the 29th November.--(A gold licence +was here handed to the witness.)--This licence is in the name of +CARBONI RAFFAELLO, and the date covers the period at which the licences +were burned."--(Sensation in the Court!) + +I was present in person, and a free man. 'AB UNO DISCE OMNES: JAM SATIS +DIXI.' I hereby assert that I did not burn any paper or anything at all +at the monster meeting; I challenge contradiction from any bona fide +miner, who was present at said meeting. I paid two pounds for my licence +on the 15th of October, 1854, to Commissioner Amos, and I have it still +in my possession.* + +[* The original document of the following Gold-license, as well as the +documents from Davis Burwash, Esq., the eminent notary-public, of +4, Castlecourt, Birchin-lane, City, London; and Signor Carboni Raffaello's +College Diploma, and Certificate as sworn interpreter in said City of +London; together with the Originals of all other Documents, especially +the letters from C Raffaello to H. W. Archer, inserted in this book, +are now in the hands of J MacPherson Grant, Esq., M.L.C., Solicitor, +and will remain in his office, Collins-street, Melbourne, till Christmas +for inspection.--The Printers] + +----- + +V.R. +Printed by John Ferres at the Government Printing Office +NOT TRANSFERABLE +2 POUNDS +GOLD LICENSE.--THREE MONTHS. +No. 134. 17th October 1854. + +The Bearer, Carboni Raffaello, having paid the Sum of TWO +Pounds on account of the General Revenue of the Colony, +I hereby License him to mine or dig for Gold, reside at, +or carry on, or follow any trade or calling, except that +of Storekeeper, on such Crown Lands within the Colony of +Victoria as shall be assigned to him for these purposes +by any one duly authorized in that behalf. + +This License to be in force for THREE Months ending 16th +January, and no longer. + +G. A. Amos. +Commissioner. + +REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY THE PERSONS DIGGING FOR GOLD +OR OTHERWISE EMPLOYED AT THE GOLD FIELDS. + +1. This License is to be carried on the person, to be +produced whenever demanded by any Commissioner, Peace +Officer, or other duly authorised person. + +2. It is especially to be observed that this License is +not transferable, and that the holder of a transferred +Licence is liable to the penalty for a misdemeanour. + +3. No Mining will be permitted where it would be destructive +of any line of road which it is necessary to maintain, +and which shall be determined by any Commissioner, nor +within such distance round any more as it may be necessary +to reserve for access to it. + +4. It is enjoined that all persons on the Gold Fields +maintain a due and proper observance of Sundays. + +5. The extent of claim allowed to each Licensed Miner +is twelve foot square, or 144 square &c.,&c.,&c., + +----- + +Examination of this gold-laced witness continued:--'The prisoner was the +most violent speaker at the meeting.' + +Good reader, see my speech at the monster meeting. I am sick of this +witness and I will make no further comments. + + + + +Chapter LXXXVI. + + + +Coglione, Il Lazzarone In Paragone. + + +CHARLES HENRY HACKETT, police magistrate, cross examined by Mr. Ireland:- + +"There was a deputation admitted to an interview with Mr. Rede, on +Thursday night, November 30th. The prisoner was one of the deputation. +I think Black was the principal party in the deputation. The deputatation +as well as I remember, said, that they thought in case Mr. Rede would give +an assurance that he would not go out again with the police and military +to collect licences, they could undertake that no disturbance would take +place. Mr. Rede replied, that as threats were held out to the effect, +that in case of refusal, the bloodshed would be on their (the authorities') +own heads, he could not make any such engagement at the time, nor had he +the power of refraining from collecting the licence fee." + +By the prisoner: +"I recollect Commissioner Rede saying, that the word 'licences' was merely +a cloak used by the diggers, and that this movement was in reality a +democratic one. You (prisoner) assured him that amongst the foreigners +whom you conversed with there was no democratic feeling, but merely a +spirit of resistance to the licence fee." + +Mr. C. H. HACKETT you are a lover of truth: God bless you! + +JAMES GORE, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I am a private in the 40th, I was in the attack on the Eureka stockade. +The prisoner and two other men followed me when I entered the stockade, +and compelled me to go out. Prisoner was armed with a pike." + +Cross examined by Mr. Ireland:-- +"It was day-light at the time, but not broad day-light; I had fired my +musket but not used my bayonet. I ran because there were three against +me. I was one of the first men in the stockade. There was no other +soldier or policeman near me when the prisoner and the other men +pursued me." + +PATRICK SYNOTT, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I am a private in the 40th regiment, I saw the prisoner and two other men +pursuing Gore from the stockade on the morning of the attack. It was +almost as lightsome at the time as it is now. I could distinguish a man +at fifty yards off, and the prisoner was not fifteen yards from me. He +was six or seven minutes in my sight." + +JOHN CONCRITT, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +This witness was a mounted policeman and corroborated in all particulars +the evidence of the previous witnesses. + +Cross examined by Mr. Ireland:-- +"I fired my pistol at the prisoner. It was very good daylight. From what +I saw of the soldier that morning, I should have known him again, for he +stood with me for some minutes afterwards." + +JOHN DONNELLY, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I am a private of the 40th regiment. I was at the stockade on the +3rd December; I saw the prisoner there. I had a distinct opportunity +of seeing." + +Cross examined by Mr. Ireland:- +"I saw him for about a minute at first, and I saw him again in about ten +minutes afterwards. I also saw him at the Camp the following day." + +JOHN BADCOCK, trooper, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I was at the stockade on the morning of the 3rd December. I was on foot. +I snapped my musket at the prisoner, and it missed fire. I was quite +close to him. I saw him again at the lock-up next day." + +JOHN DOGHERTY, trooper, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I was at the attack on the stockade. I saw the prisoner there. I knew +him personally before. I have no doubt that he is the man. I saw the +prisoner run towards the guard tent, and in a few minutes after, I saw him +again brought back as a prisoner." + +Sergeant HAGARTEY, examined by the Attorney-General:-- +"I am a sergeant in the 40th. I was in the attack on the stockade. +I was beside Captain Wise when he was shot. He (Captain Wise) was shot +from the stockade. I saw the prisoner at the stockade. I was in the +guard which took him to the Camp. The prisoner did not get away, I know. +I saw him a prisoner in the Camp about five o'clock." + +Cross examined by Mr. Ireland:-- +"I do not know that the prisoner did not escape on his way from the +stockade to the lock-up." + +ROBERT TULLY, sworn and examined:-- +"He was inside the stockade on the Sunday morning: saw the prisoner there +armed with a pike; he was in the act of running away; saw him twice in the +stockade; was sure the prisoner is the man." + +Cross examined by Mr. Ireland:-- +"Never saw the man before this; he was running in company with two other +men; it was very early in the morning; it was some time after the stockade +was taken that he was arrested; the firing then had not wholly ceased." + +Private DON-SYN-GORE, drilled by sergeant HAG. + +Trooper CON(S)CRIT-BAD-DOG, mobbed by Bob-tulip. + +The pair of you are far below the ebb of our Neopolitan Lazzaroni! + +Why did you not consult with spy Goodenough? + +This having closed the case for the Crown, the Court adjourned at +half-past two. + + + + +Chapter LXXXVII. + + + +Viri Probi, Spes Mea In Vobis; Nam Fides Nostra In Deo Optimo Maximo. + + +To be serious. I am a Catholic, born of an old Roman family, whose honour +never was questioned; I hereby assert before God and man, that previous to +my being under arrest at the Camp, I never had seen the face of 1, Gore, +2, Synnot, 3, Donnelly, 4, Concritt, 5, Dogherty, 6, Badcock, 7, Hagartey, +and 8, Tully. + +I CHALLENGE CONTRADICTION from any 'bona fide' digger, who was present +at the stockade during the massacre on the morning of December 3rd, 1854. + +As a man of education and therefore a member of the Republic of Letters, +I hereby express the hope that the Press throughout the whole of Australia +will open their columns to any bona fide contradiction to my solemn +assertions above. I cannot possibly say anything more on such a sad +subject. + + + + +Chapter LXXXVIII. + + + +Sunt Leges: Vis Ultima Lex: Tunc Aut Libertas Aut Servitudo; +Mors Enim Benedicta. + + +On the reassembling of the Court, at three o'clock, Mr. Ireland rose to +address the Jury for the defence. + +The learned Counsel spent a heap of dry yabber-yabber on the law of +high-treason, to show its absurdity and how its interpretation had ever +proved a vexation even to lawyers, then he tackled with some more tangible +solids. The British law, the boast of 'urbis et orbis terrarum', +delivered a traitor to be practised upon by a sanguinary +Jack Ketch:--I., to hang the beggar until he be dead, dead, dead; +II., then to chop the carcase in quarters; III., never mind the stench, +each piece of the treacherous flesh must remain stuck up at the top of +each gate of the town, there to dry in spite of occasional pecking from +crows and vultures. The whole performance to impress the young generation +with the fear of God and teach them to honour the King. + +I soon reconciled myself to my lot, and remembering my younger days at +school, I argued thus:-- + +Where there are no bricks, there are no walls: but, walls are required +to enclose the gates; therefore, in Ballaarat there are no gates. +Corolarium--How the deuce can they hang up my hind-quarters on the gates +of Ballaarat Township? Hence, Toorak must possess a craft which passes +all understanding of Traitors. + +The jury, however, appeared frightened at this powerful thundering from +Mr. Ireland, who now began to turn the law towards a respectable and more +congenial quarter, and proved, that if the prisoner at the bar had burnt +down all the brothels not kept on the sly in Her Majesty's dominions, +he would be a Traitor; yet, if he had left one single brothel +standing--say, in the Sandwich Islands--for the accommodation of any of +Her Majesty's well-affected subjects, then the high treason was not +high--high enough and up to the mark, that is, my fore-quarter could not +be legally stuck up on the imaginary gates of Ballaarat. + +His Honour appeared to me, to assent to the line of argument of the +Learned Counsel, who concluded a very lengthy but most able address, +by calling on the jury to put an end by their verdict to the continued +incarceration of the man, and to teach the government that they could not +escape from the responsibilities they had incurred by their folly, by +trying to obtain a verdict, which would brand the subjects of Her Majesty +in this Colony with disloyalty. + +The jury now appeared to me to be ready to let the high traitor go +his way in bodily integrity. + +Mr. ASPINALL then rose to address the jury on behalf of the prisoner. +His speech was spirited, cutting, withering; but could only cover the +falsehood, and NOT bring to light the truth: hence to record his speech +here cannot possibly serve the purpose of this Book: hence the four +documents, and my important observation on them in the following chapter. + + + + +Chapter LXXXIX. + + + +Melior Nunc Lingua Favere. + + +Document I. + +SUPREME COURT +(Before his Honour the Chief Justice,) + +"The prisoner, Raffaello, on his trial being postponed, wished to address +His Honour. He said that he was a native of Rome, and hoped that the same +good feeling would be shown towards him in this colony as in old England. +If his witnesses were there, he would be able to leave the dock at that +moment. He hoped that His Honour would protect him by seeing that his +witnesses were served with subpoenas. + +"His Honour was not responsible for this. Prisoner's attorney was the +party, and he must speak to him. It is the business of your attorney +to get these witnesses." + +The following advertisement appeared in 'The Age', February 24th, 1855, +immediately above the leading article of said day:- + + +Document II. + +State Trials. + +"The trial of Raffaello has been postponed on account of the absence of +Dr. Alfred Carr, Mr. Gordon, of the store of Gordon and M`Callum, and +other witnesses for the defence. It is earnestly requested that they +will be in attendance on Monday morning at latest. + +"J. MACPHERSON GRANT, +"Solicitor for the defence." + + +The following letter, and comment on it, appeared in 'The Age', +March 16th, 1855:- + + +Document III. + +..."I was, Mr. Editor, present at Ballaarat on the memorable morning of +the 3rd December, and in the pursuit of my usual avocation, happened to +meet Raffaello, now one of the state prisoners, on the Redhill, he being +then in search of Dr. Carr's hospital... We were directed the hospital, +and soon returned to the Eureka, Raffaello bringing Dr. Carr's surgical +instruments. We entered the stockade, and saw many lying almost dead for +want of assistance and from loss of blood, caused by gun-shot and bayonet +wounds. I did not remain long in the stockade, fearing if found there at +that time I would be arrested. I made my escape; but poor Raffaello, +who remained rendering an act of mercy to the dying, would not leave. +He might, during that time, have easily made his escape, if he wished to +do so; and I am sure, ran no inconsiderable risk of being shot, through +the constant explosion of fire-arms left in the stockade by the diggers +in their retreat. + +"J.B." + + +"Melbourne, 15th March, 1854. + +"The writer of the above states, in a private note, that he wishes his +name kept secret; but we trust that his intimacy with the Camp officials +will not prevent him from coming forward to save the life of a fellow +creature, when the blood-hounds of the government are yelling with anxiety +to fasten their fangs upon their victims."--Ed. A. + +'The Age' who certainly never got drunk yet on Toorak small-beer, had an +able leading article, headed, 'The State Trials'--see January 15th-- +concluding, "If they be found guilty, then Heaven help the poor State +Prisoners." Now turn the medal, and 'The Age' of March 26th--always the +same year, 1855--that is, the day after my acquittal, gives copy of a Bill +of the 'LAST PERFORMANCE; or, the Plotters Outwitted.' + + +Document IV. + +"To-day, the familiar farce of 'STATE PROSECUTIONS; or, the Plotters +Outwitted,' will be again performed, and positively for the last time; +on which occasion that first-rate performer, Mr. W. F. Stawell, will +(by special desire of a distinguished personage) repeat his well-known +impersonation of Tartuffe, with all the speeches, the mock gravity, etc., +which have given such immense satisfaction to the public on former +occasions. This eminent low comedian will be ably supported by +Messrs. Goodenough and Peters, so famous for their successful +impersonations of gold-diggers; and it is expected that they will both +appear in full diggers' costume, such as they wore on the day when they +knelt before the 'Southern Cross,' and swore to protect their rights and +liberties. The whole will be under the direction of that capital stage +manager, Mr. R. Barry, who will take occasion to repeat his celebrated +epilogue, in which he will--if the audience demand it--introduce again his +finely melodramatic apostrophe to the thunder. + +"With such a programme, what but an exceedingly successful farce can be +anticipated? A little overdone by excessive repetition, it may be said; +but still an admirable farce; and, as we have said, this is positively +the last performance. Therefore, let it go on; or as Jack Falstaff says, +'play out the play.'" + + +Of course, I leave it to my good reader to guess, whether after four long +months in gaol, which ruined my health for ever, I did laugh or curse on +reading the above. + +Concerning the four documents above, so far so good for the present; +and the Farce will be produced on the stage of 'Teatro' Argentina, Roma, +by Great-works. The importance of the following observation, however, +is obvious to any reader who took the proper trouble to understand the +text of the first chapter of this book. + +Why Dr. A. Carr, Sub-inspector Carter, Messrs. Gordon and Binney were not +present as witnesses on my trial, was, and is still, a MYSTERY to me. + +'Sunt tempora nostra! nam perdidi spem: Melior nunc lingua favere.' + + + + +Chapter XC. + + + +Peccator Videbit Et Irascetur; Dentibus Suis Fremet Et Tabescet: +Desiderium Peccatorum Peribit. + + +AT the end of Mr. Aspinall's able oration, the jury appeared to me, to be +decidedly willing to let me go, with an admonition to sin no more: +because Mr. Aspinall took the same line of defence as Mr. Michie, the +counsel in the trial of John Manning; that is, he confessed to the riot, +but laughed at the treason. However rashly the diggers had acted in +taking up arms, however higgledy-piggledy had been the management of the +stockade, yet they were justified in resisting unconstitutional force +by force. + +His Honour tried the patience of the jury; well knowing by experience, +that twelve true-born Britons can always afford to put up with a good +long yarn. + +The jury retired at nine o'clock. My first thought was directed to the +Lord my God and my Redeemer. Then naturally enough, to sustain my +courage, I was among my dear friends at Rome and London. + +To remain in the felon's dock whilst your JURY consult on your fate, +is a sensation very peculiar in its kind. To be or not to be; that is the +actual matter-of-fact question. Three letters making up the most +important monosyllable in the language, which if pronounced is life, if +omitted is death: an awkward position for an innocent man especially. + +The jury, after twenty minutes past nine, were again in the jury-box. +I was satisfied by their countenances that 'the People' were victorious. + +The Clerk of the Court: "Gentlemen of the Jury, have you considered +your verdict?" + +Foreman: "We have." + +The Clerk: "Do you find the prisoner at the bar Guilty or Not Guilty?" + +Foreman, with a firm voice: "NOT GUILTY!" + +'Magna opera Domini'--(God save the People)--thus my chains sprang +asunder. The people inside telegraphed the good news to the crowd +outside, and "Hurrah!" rent the air in the old British style. + + + + +Chapter XCI. + + + +Accidenti Alle Spie. + + +I WAS soon at the portal of the Supreme Court, a free man. I thought the +people would have smothered me in their demonstrations of joy. Requesting +silence, I stretched forth my right hand towards heaven, and with the +earnestness of a Christian did pray as follows:--I hereby transcribe the +prayer as written in pencil on paper whilst in gaol in the lower cell, +No. 33. + +"LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, our Father in Heaven! we acknowledge our +transgressions since we came into this our adopted land. Intemperance, +greediness, the pampering of many bad passions, have provoked Thee against +us; yet, Oh, Lord our God, if in thy justice, Thou are called upon to +chastise us, in Thy mercy save this land of Victoria from the curse of the +'spy system.'" + +Timothy Hayes answered, "Amen," and so did all the people, present, and so +will my good reader answer, Amen. + + + + +Chapter XCII. & XCIII. + + + +TO LET, No. 33, LOWER CRIBS, IN WINTLE'S HOTEL, NORTH MELBOURNE. + + +See 'Geelong Advertiser', November 18th. +MACKAY v. HARRISON. +'Merci bien, je sors d'en prendre.' + +The pair of chapters will see darkness 'SINE DIE'; that is, if under +another flag, also in another language. + +GREAT-WORKS. + +'Hesperia! Quando Ego te Auspiciam? Quandoque Licebit Nunc Veterum Libris, +Nunc Somno Et Inertibus Horis, Ducere Solicitae Licunda Oblivia Vitae.' + + + + +Chapter XCIV. + + + +EXPLANATION, +TO BE SUBMITTED TO +HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY +QUEEN VICTORIA, LONDON, +AND TO +HIS HOLINESS PIUS IX., PONTIFEX MAXIMUS, +ROME. +BY +MY BROTHER DON ANTONIO CARBONI, D.D., +Head-master of the Grammar School, Coriano, Romagna. + +----- + +'Homo Sum, Nil Humani a me Alienum Puto.' + +How do I explain, that I allowed one full year to pass away before +publishing my story, whilst many, soon after my acquittal, heard me in +person, corroborate, not indeed boastingly, the impression that I was the +identical brave fellow before whose pike a British soldier was coward +enough to run away. + +I have one excuse, and 'it is an excuse.' + +The cast of mind which Providence was pleased to assign me was terribly +shaken during four long, long months suffering in gaol, especially, +considering the company I was in, which was my misery. The excitement +during my trial, my glorious acquittal by a British jury, the hearty +acclamations of joy from the people, made me put up with the ignominy +and the impotent teeth-gnashing of silver and gold lace; and for the cause +of the diggers to which I was sincerely attached, I was not sorry at the +Toorak spiders having lent me the wings of an hero--the principal foreign +hero of the Eureka stockade. My credit consists now in having the moral +courage to assert the truth among living witnesses. + +"And I proposed in my mind to seek and search out wisely concerning all +things that are done under the sun. This painful occupation hath God +given to the children of men to be exercised therein. I have seen all +things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity and vexation +of spirit."--The Preacher, chap. 1st, v. 13, 14. + + + + +Chapter XCV. + + + +Qui Potest Capere Capiat. + + +ELECTION. +OLD SPOT, BAKERY-HILL, BALLAARAT. + +According to notice, a Public Meeting was held on Saturday, July 14th, +1855, for the election of nine fit and proper men to act as Members of +the Local Court--the offspring of the Eureka Stockade. + +The Resident Warden in the Chair. Names of the Members elected for the +FIRST LOCAL COURT, Ballaarat:- + +I. JAMES RYCE, elected Unanimously. +II. ROBERT DONALD, elected Unanimously. +III. CARBONI RAFFAELLO, elected Unanimously. +IV. JOHN YATES, elected Unanimously. +V. WILLIAM GREEN, elected Unanimously. +VI. EDWARD MILLIGAN, elected by a majority of 287 votes. +VII. JOHN WALL, elected by a majority of 240 votes. +VIII. THOMAS CHIDLOW, elected by a majority of 187 votes. +IX. H. R. NICHOLLS, elected by a majority of 163 votes. + + +The first time I went to our Court, I naturally stopped under the +gum-tree--before the Local Court Building--at the identical spot where +Father P. Smyth, George Black, and myself delivered to the Camp +authorities our message of peace, for preventing bloodshed, on the night +of Thursday, November 30th, 1854, by moonlight. We were then not +successful. + +Now, I made a covenant with the Lord God of Israel that if I comparatively +regained my former health and good spirits, I would speak out the truth; +and further, during my six months' sitting in the Court, I would give +right to whom right was due, and smother the knaves, irrespective of +nationality, religion, or colour. + +I kept my word--that is, my bond is now at an end. + +I hereby resign into the hands of my fellow-diggers the trust reposed in +me as one of their arbitrators: after Christmas, 1855, I shall not sit +in the Local Court. With clean hands I came in, with clean hands I go +out: that is the testimony of my conscience. I look for no other reward. + +(Signed) CARBONI RAFFAELLO. +Dec. 1st, 1855. + + + + +Chapter XCVI. + + + +Est Modus In Rebus: Sunt Certi Denique Fines, Quos Ultrae, +Citraque Nequit Consistere Rectum. + + +Have I anything more to say? Oh! yes, mate; a string of the realities of +the things of this world. + +Some one who had been spouting, stumping, and blathering--known as +moral-force 'starring'--in 'urbe et argo', for the benefit of the state +prisoners, had for myself personally not humanity enough to attend to a +simple request. He could afford to ride 'on coachey,' I had to tramp my +way to Ballaarat. I wished him to call at my tent on the Eureka, and see +that my stretcher was ready for my weary limbs. + +Full stop. My right hand shakes like a reed in a storm; my eyes swell +from a flood of tears. I can control the bitterness of my heart, and say, +"So far shalt thou go;" but I cannot control its ebb and flow: just now +is springtide. + +If I must again name a noble-hearted German, Carl Wiesenhavern, of the +Prince Albert Hotel, who was my good Samaritan, I must also annex the +following three documents, because my friends in Rome and Turin may take +my wrongs too much to heart! + + + + +Chapter XCVII. + + + +The End Of Men Whose Word Is Their Bond. + +(Per favour of 'The Times'.) + + +"On the disgraced Sunday morning, December 3rd, whilst attending the +wounded diggers at the London Hotel, I was arrested by seven troopers, +handcuffed, and dragged to the Camp. On my arrival there, I was commanded +to strip to the bare shirt; whilst so doing I was kicked, knocked about, +and at last thrown into the lock-up by half-drunken troopers and soldiers. +My money, clothes, and watertight boots, which were quite new, could +nowhere be found at the Camp. Gaoler Nixon had bolted. + +"From the confusion and excitement of that morning, I cannot say with +certainty the whole extent of my loss; but I can conscientiously declare +that it amounted to 30 pounds. The only thing which I saved was a little +bag, containing some Eureka dust, and my 'Gold-licence', which Inspector +Foster, who knew me, took charge of previous to my ill-treatment, and has +subsequently handed over to Father P. Smyth for me. + +"Awaiting my trial in the Melbourne gaol, I made my 'complaint' to the +visiting justice, for the recovery of my property; but as I had not even +a dog to visit me in prison, so my complaint remained unnoticed. After +all, said worshipful the visiting justice (who was ushered into our yard +with 'Fall in, hats off!'), needs more power to him, as Joseph, the +nigger-rebel, for the 8 pounds, which had been robbed from him in due form +at the Camp, had the consolation to be informed by his worshipful that +gaoler Nixon had bolted. + +"The glorious 'Not Guilty' from a British jury having restored me to my +former position in society, I embodied my 'claim' for restitution in a +constitutional form, and had it presented by a gentleman to the Colonial +Secretary, to be submitted for his Excellency's KIND Consideration. +His Excellency, soon after my trial, on being assured of my testimonials +to character and education, condescended to say, 'He was glad to hear I +was so respectable;' but His Excellency has not yet been pleased to +command the restitution of my property. + +"Disappointed, in bad health, and worse spirits, I tramped for Ballaarat, +where I found that my tent, on the Eureka, had been robbed of everything +that was worth literally a sixpence--cradle, two tubs, digging tools, +cooking utensils, all gone, even my very blankets! and, of course, all my +little gold in specimens and dust, as well as my belt with money in it. + +"From my account-book I can positively say, that on the fatal morning I +was arrested, the money I had on my possession, and what I had in my tent +in real cash, was 49 pounds. ALL OF WHICH I had earned by the sweat of +my brow, honestly, through downright hard work. + +"During the whole of last season, on the Eureka, who was the first every +morning, between four and five to sing out 'Great works?' Who was the last +dilly-dallying at the cradle after sunset? I appeal to my fellow-diggers, +and with confidence. + +"Brooding over the strange ups and down of life, I found some consolation +in the hearty cheers with which I was saluted at the Adelphi Theatre for +my song-- + + 'When Ballaarat unfurled the Southern Cross;' + +and I had the peculiar sensation on that particular night to lie down on +my stretcher very hungry! + +"'Heu mihi! pingui quam macer est mihi taurus in arvo!' and it must be +acknowledged that it would have been paying an honest and educated man +a better compliment if my neighbours on the Eureka had found less +edification in witnessing my nice snug tent converted into a gambling +house by day, and a brothel by night. A sad reflection! however merry +some scoundrels may have made in getting drunk with my private brandy +in the tent. + +"Never mind! the diggers have now a legion of friends. So I prevailed on +myself to tell, half-a-dozen times over to most of the 'well-disposed +and independent' yabber-yabber leaders on Ballaarat, how I had been robbed +at the Camp, how for my sorrows every mortal thing had been stolen from my +tent, and concluded with the remark, 'that in each case the thieves were +neither Vandemonians nor Chinese.' + +"I met with grand sympathy in 'words,' superlatively impotent even to move +for the restitution of my watertight boots! + +"Hurrah! glorious things will be told of thee, Victoria! + +"These waterhole skippers, who afford buzzing and bamboozling when the +rainbow dazzles their dull eyes, bask in their 'well-affected' brains, +the flaring presumption that 'shortly' there will be a demand for sheeps' +heads! (Great works!) and pointing at several of us, it is given unto them +to behold with glory 'the end of men whose word is their bond!' + +"(Great works!) + +"Let us sing with Horace-- + +TUNE--Old Style. + + +Quando prosperus et jucundus, +Amicorum es fecundus, +Si fortuna perit, +Nullus amicus erit. + Chorus--Cives! Cives! + Querenda pecunia primum, + Post nummos virtus. + +"Which in English may mean this-- + + +'A friend in need is a friend indeed,' that's true, +But love now-a-days is left on the shelf, +The best of friends, by G---- in serving you +Takes precious care first to help himself. +Ancestors, learning, talent, what we call +Virtue, religion--MONEY beats them all. + +"I must now try the power of my old quill, perhaps it has not lost +the spell-- + +"In Rome, by my position in society, and thorough knowledge of the English +language, I was now and then of service to Englishmen THERE; in my +adversity is there a generous-hearted Englishman HERE who would give me +the hand and see that the government enjoins the restitution of the +property I was robbed of at the Camp. Let the restitution come from a +Board of Inquiry, a Poor-law Board, a Court-Martial, or any Board except +a Board (full) of Petitions. The eternal petitioning looks so 'Italian' +to me! And, especially, let the restitution of my new water-tight boots +be done this winter! + +"As for the ignominy I was subjected to, my immense sufferings during four +long, long months in gaol, the prospects of my life smothered for a while, +we had better leave that alone for the present. + +"Were I owned by the stars and stripes, I should not require assistance, +of course not; unhappily for the sins of my parents, I was born under +the keys which verily open the gates of heaven and hell; but Great Britain +changed the padlocks long ago! hence the dreaded 'Civis Romanus sum' +has dwindled into 'bottomed on mullock.' + +"CARBONI RAFFAELLO, +"By the grace of spy Goodenough Captain of Foreign Anarchist. +"Prince Albert Hotel, Ballaarat, +"Corpus Christi, 1855." + +----- + +No one did condescend to notice the above letter. I do not wonder +at it, and why? + +I read in the Saturday's issue of 'The Star', Ballaarat, October 6th, +1855, how a well-known digger and now a J.P., did, in a +'Ballaarat smasher,' toast the good exit of a successful money-maker--an +active, wide-awake man of business certainly, but nothing else to the +diggers of Ballaarat--'Cela n'est pas tout-a-fait comme chez nous.' + + + + +Chapter XCVIII. + + + +Sunt Tempora Nostra! +That Is The Following From Toorak. + + +Colonial Secretary's Office, Melbourne, +October 8th, 1855. + +Sir,--Advertising to your correspondence (September 30th), in reply to my +letter of the 20th ultimo, I am directed by His Excellency to state that +government are compelled to adhere to fixed rules--THEY BY NO MEANS DOUBT +THE VERACITY OF YOUR STATEMENT, but they have a duty to the public to +perform, which imposes the necessity of never granting money in +compensation, except when the clearest evidence of the loss is given, +and that a personal statement no matter by whom given, is never accepted +as sufficient testimony. + +I have the honour to be, +SIR, +J. MOORE, A.C.S." +(To) Mr. CARBONI RAFFAELLO, +Gravel-pits, Ballaarat-flat. + +----- + +A 'Cheer-up' written for the MAGPIE of BALLAARAT, perched on the Southern +Cross Hotel, Magpie-gully. + +No more from MOORE; +Too dear! his store. +Hang the 'Compensation:' +Speak of 'RESTITUTION!' +'Do not steal!' +'Restiuere?' +'s an old Institution, +Popish innovation. +CHORUS. +COO-HEE! Great works at Toorak! +COO-HEE! Keep clear of th' WOOL-pack. + + +WATERLOOBOLTER CHIMES. +SIP sop stir-up Toorak small beer +do si la sol fa me re do +Nip nap wash down chops nacks oh! dear. + + + + +Chapter XCIX. + + + +Suppose I give now the kind (!) answer from Police-inspector HENRY FOSTER! +it will give general satisfaction, I think:- + + +Police Department, +Ballaarat, Nov. 2, 1854. + +Sir,--In reply to your communication, dated 26th ultimo, on the subject of +your having been deprived of your clothing during your arrest at this +Camp, in December, 1855 [I think, Mr. Foster, it was in 1854] I have the +honour to inform you, that to the best of my recollection, the clothing +you wore when you were brought to the Camp consisted of a wide-awake hat, +or cap, a red shirt, corduroy or moleskin trousers, and a pair of boots. + +Of these articles, the cap, shirt, and boots were put amongst the surplus +clothing taken from the other prisoners, and I am not aware how they were +disposed of afterwards. + +I must add, that the shirt alluded to was made of wool, under which you +wore a cotton one, the latter of which you retained during your +confinement. + +I have the honour to be, Sir, +Your obedient servant, +HENRY FOSTER, +Inspector of Police. + +(To) SIGNOR CARBONI RAFFAELLO. +Ballaarat. + +----- + +My money is not mentioned though! Very clever: and yet I know it was not +Foster who did rob me. + +However, good reader, if you believe that a Ballaarat miner, of sober +habits and hard at work, has not got about his person, say a couple of +one pound rags, well...there let's shut up the book at once, and here +is the + +END + + +P.S. If John Bull, cross-breed or pure blood, had been robbed in Italy, +half less wantonly, and twice less cruelly, than myself, the whole British +press and palaver 'in urbe or orbe terrarum' would have rung the chimes +against Popish gendarmes and the holy (!) inquisition of the scarlet city. +So far so good. + +A friendless Italian is ROBBED under arrest on British ground, close by +the British flag, by British troopers and traps: oh! that alters the case. + +What business have these foreign beggars to come and dig for gold on +British Crown lands? + +BASTA COSI; 'that is', Great works! + + + + +Chapter C. + + + +WANTED--Stuff, Anyhow, For The Last Chapter. + + +If 'The Age', always foremost in the cause of the digger, never mind his +language or colour; if 'The Argus' would drop the appending 'a foreigner' +to my name, and extend even unto me the old motto 'fair-play;' if +'The Herald' would set up the pedestal for me whom it has erected as a +'MONUMENT OF GRATITUDE;' I say, if the gentlemen Editors of the Melbourne +Press, on the score of my being an old Collaborateur of the European +Press, would for once give a pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, +to drag out of the Toorak small-beer jug, the correspondence on the above +matter between + +1. SIR CHARLES HOTHAM, K.C.B. +2. W. C. HAINES, C.S. +3. W. FOSTER STAWELL, A.G. +4. Mr. STURT, Police Magistrate. +5. W. H. ARCHER, A.R.G. +6. CAPTAIN M`MAHON. +7. POLICE-INSPECTOR H. FOSTER. +8. Another whom I detest to name, and +9. SIGNOR CARBONI RAFFAELLO, M.L.C. of Ballaarat, + +it would astonish the natives, teach what emigration is, and I believe +the colony at large would be benefited by it. + +There are scores of cases similar to mine, and more important by far, +because widows and orphans are concerned in them. 'Sunt tempora nostra!' + +Master Punch, do join the chorus; spirited little dear! won't you give a +lift to Great-works? Spare not, young chip, or else, the jackasses in the +Australian bush will breed as numerous as the locusts in the African desert. + +It is not FEAR that makes me shake at chapters XCII and XCIII. +Good reader, to the last line of this book, my quill shall stick to my +word as given in the first chapter. Hence, for the present, this is the +LAST. Put by carefully the pipe, we may want it again: meanwhile, +FAREWELL. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg Etext of The Eureka Stockade, by Raffaello Carboni + diff --git a/3546.zip b/3546.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5fccf8 --- /dev/null +++ b/3546.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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