A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53

by

Mrs Charles (Ellen) Clacy

CONTENTS

 Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Chapter II. THE VOYAGE OUT Chapter III. STAY IN MELBOURNE Chapter IV. CAMPING UP--MELBOURNE TO THE BLACK FOREST Chapter V. CAMPING UP--BLACK FOREST TO EAGLE HAWK GULLY Chapter VI. THE DIGGINGS Chapter VII. EAGLE HAWK GULLY Chapter VIII. AN ADVENTURE Chapter IX. HARRIETTE WALTERS Chapter X. IRONBARK GULLY Chapter XI. FOREST CREEK Chapter XII. RETURN TO MELBOURNE Chapter XIII. BALLARAT Chapter XIV. NEW SOUTH WALES Chapter XV. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Chapter XVI. MELBOURNE AGAIN Chapter XVII. HOMEWARD BOUND Chapter XVIII. CONCLUSION APPENDIX. WHO SHOULD EMIGRATE?

Chapter I. 

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

It may be deemed presumptuous that one of my age and sex should ventureto give to the public an account of personal adventures in a land whichhas so often been descanted upon by other and abler pens; but when Ireflect on the many mothers, wives, and sisters in England, whosehearts are ever longing for information respecting the dangers andprivations to which their relatives at the antipodes are exposed, I cannot but hope that the presumption of my undertaking may bepardoned in consideration of the pleasure which an accurate descriptionof some of the Australian Gold Fields may perhaps afford to many; andalthough the time of my residence in the colonies was short, I had theadvantage (not only in Melbourne, but whilst in the bush) of constantintercourse with many experienced diggers and old colonists--thushaving every facility for acquiring information respecting Victoria andthe other colonies. 

It was in the beginning of April, 185-, that the excitementoccasioned by the published accounts of the Victoria "Diggings, "induced my brother to fling aside his Homer and Euclid for the various"Guides" printed for the benefit of the intending gold-seeker, or toponder over the shipping columns of the daily papers. The love ofadventure must be contagious, for three weeks after (so rapid were ourpreparations) found myself accompanying him to those auriferousregions. The following pages will give an accurate detail of myadventures there--in a lack of the marvellous will consist theirprincipal faults but not even to please would I venture to turnuninteresting truth into agreeable fiction. Of the few statistics whichoccur, I may safely say, as of the more personal portions, that theyare strictly true. 

Chapter II. 

THE VOYAGE OUT

Everything was ready--boxes packed, tinned, and corded; farewellstaken, and ourselves whirling down by rail to Gravesend--too muchexcited--too full of the future to experience that sickening of theheart, that desolation of the feelings, which usually accompanies anexpatriation, however voluntary, from the dearly loved shores of one'snative land. Although in the cloudy month of April, the sun shonebrightly on the masts of our bonny bark, which lay in full sight of thewindows of the "Old Falcon, " where we had taken up our temporaryquarters. The sea was very rough, but as we were anxious to geton board without farther delay, we entrusted our valuable lives in afour-oared boat, despite the dismal prognostications of our worthyhost. A pleasant row that was, at one moment covered over withsalt-water--the next riding on the top of a wave, ten times the sizeof our frail conveyance--then came a sudden concussion--in veeringour rudder smashed into a smaller boat, which immediately filled andsank, and our rowers disheartened at this mishap would go no farther. The return was still rougher--my face smarted dreadfully from thecutting splashes of the salt-water; they contrived, however, to land ussafely at the "Old Falcon, " though in a most pitiable plight; chargingonly a sovereign for this delightful trip--very moderate, consideringthe number of salt-water baths they had given us gratis. In the eveninga second trial proved more successful, and we reached our vesselsafely. 

A first night on board ship has in it something very strange, and thefirst awakening in the morning is still more so. To find oneself in aspace of some six feet by eight, instead of a good-sized room, andlying in a cot, scarce wide enough to turn round in, as asubstitute for a four-post bedstead, reminds you in no very agreeablemanner that you have exchanged the comforts of Old England for the"roughing it" of a sea life. The first sound that awoke me was the"cheerily" song of the sailors, as the anchor was heaved--not again, we trusted, to be lowered till our eyes should rest on the waters ofPort Philip. And then the cry of "raise tacks and sheets" (which I, innautical ignorance, interpreted "hay-stacks and sheep") sent many asluggard from their berths to bid a last farewell to the banks of theThames. 

In the afternoon we parted company with our steam-tug, and nextmorning, whilst off the Isle of Wight, our pilot also took hisdeparture. Sea-sickness now became the fashion, but, as I cannot speakfrom experience of its sensations, I shall altogether decline thesubject. On Friday, the 30th, we sighted Stark Point; and as the lastspeck of English land faded away in the distance, an intense feeling ofmisery crept over me, as I reflected that perchance I had left thosemost dear to return to them no more. But I forget; a description ofprivate feelings is, to uninterested readers, only so muchtwaddle, besides being more egotistical than even an account ofpersonal adventures could extenuate; so, with the exception of a fewextracts from my "log, " I shall jump at once from the English Channelto the more exciting shores of Victoria. 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, lat. 45 degrees 57 minutes N. , long. 11 degrees 45minutes W. --Whilst off the Bay of Biscay, for the first time I had thepleasure of seeing the phosphoric light in the water, and the effect wasindeed too beautiful to describe. I gazed again and again, and, as thedarkness above became more dense, the silence of evening more profound, and the moving lights beneath more brilliant, I could have believed themthe eyes of the Undines, who had quitted their cool grottos beneath thesea to gaze on the daring ones who were sailing above them. At times oneof these stars of the ocean would seem to linger around our vessel, asthough loth to leave the admiring eyes that watched its glitteringprogress. * * * * *

SUNDAY, 9, lat. 37 degrees 53 minutes N. , long. 15 degrees 32 minutesW. --Great excitement throughout the ship. Early in the morning ahomeward-bound sail hove in sight, and as the sea was very calm, ourcaptain kindly promised to lower a boat and send letters by her. What ascene then commenced; nothing but scribes and writing-desks met the view, and nought was heard but the scratching of pens, and energetic demands forforeign letter-paper, vestas, or sealing-wax; then came a rush on deck, towitness the important packet delivered to the care of the first mate, and watch the progress of the little bark that was to bear among somany homes the glad tidings of our safety. On she came--her stunsailsset--her white sails glittering in the sun--skimming like a sea-birdover the waters. She proved to be the Maltese schooner 'Felix, ' boundfor Bremen. Her captain treated the visitors from our ship with thegreatest politeness, promised to consign our letters to the first pilothe should encounter off the English coast, and sent his very lastoranges as a present to the ladies, for which we sincerely thanked him;the increasing heat of the weather made them acceptable indeed. 

WEDNESDAY, 12, lat. 33 degrees 19 minutes N. , long. 17 degrees 30minutes W. --At about noon we sighted Madeira. At first it appeared littlemore than a dark cloud above the horizon; gradually the sides of the rocksbecame clearly discernible, then the wind bore us onward, and soon alltraces of the sunny isle were gone. 

FRIDAY, 28, lat. 4 degrees 2 minutes N. , long. 21 degrees 30 minutesW. --Another opportunity of sending letters, but as this was the secondtime of so doing, the excitement was proportionately diminished. Thisvessel was bound for the port of Liverpool, from the coast of Africa;her cargo (so said those of our fellow-travellers who boarded her), consisted of ebony and gold-dust, her only passengers being monkeys andparrots. 

SUNDAY, JUNE 6, long. 24 degrees 38 minutes W. --Crossed the Line, to thegreat satisfaction of all on board, as we had been becalmed more than aweek, and were weary of gazing upon the unruffled waters around us, orwatching the sails as they idly flapped to and fro. Chess, backgammon, books and cards, had ceased to beguile the hours away, and the onlyamusement left was lowering a boat and rowing about within a shortdistance of the ship, but this (even by those not pulling at the oars)was considered too fatiguing work, for a tropical sun was above us, andthe heat was most intense. Our only resource was to give ourselves upto a sort of DOLCE FAR NIENTE existence, and lounge upon thedeck, sipping lemonade or lime-juice, beneath a large awning whichextended from the fore to the mizen masts. 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, lat. 39 degrees 28 minutes S. , long. 136 degrees 31minutes E. --Early this morning one of the sailors died, and before noonthe last services of the Church of England were read over his body; thiswas the first and only death that occurred during our long passage, andthe solemnity of committing his last remains to their watery grave cast asaddening influence over the most thoughtless. I shall never forget themoment when the sewn-up hammock, with a gaily coloured flag wrapped roundit, was launched into the deep; those who can witness with indifference afuneral on land, would, I think, find it impossible to resist thethrilling awe inspired by such an event at sea. 

FRIDAY, 20, lat. 38 degrees 57 minutes S. , long. 140 degrees 5 minutesE. --Sighted Moonlight Head, the next day Cape Otway; and in the afternoonof Sunday, the 22nd, we entered the Heads, and our pilot came on board. Hewas a smart, active fellow, and immediately anchored us within the bay(a heavy gale brewing); and then, after having done colonial justice to asubstantial dinner, he edified us with the last Melbourne news. "Not aspare room or bed to be had--no living at all under a pound a-day--everyone with ten fingers making ten to twenty pounds a-week. " "Thenof course no one goes to the diggings?" "Oh, that pays better still--thegold obliged to be quarried--a pound weight of no value. " Theexcitement that evening can scarcely be imagined, but it somewhatabated next morning on his telling us to diminish his accounts some 200per cent. 

MONDAY, 23. --The wind high, and blowing right against us. Compelled toremain at anchor, only too thankful to be in such safe quarters. 

TUESDAY, 24. --Got under weigh at half-past seven in the morning, andpassed the wrecks of two vessels, whose captains had attempted to comein without a pilot, rather than wait for one--the increased number ofvessels arriving, causing the pilots to be frequently all engaged. Thebay, which is truly splendid, was crowded with shipping. In a few hoursour anchor was lowered for the last time--boats were put offtowards our ship from Liardet's Beach--we were lowered into the firstthat came alongside--a twenty minutes' pull to the landing-place--anotherminute, and we trod the golden shores of Victoria. 

Chapter III. 

STAY IN MELBOURNE

At last we are in Australia. Our feet feel strange as they tread uponTERRA FIRMA, and our SEA-LEGS (to use a sailor's phrase) are not soready to leave us after a four months' service, as we should haveanticipated; but it matters little, for we are in the colonies, walkingwith undignified, awkward gait, not on a fashionable promenade, butupon a little wooden pier. 

The first sounds that greet our ears are the noisy tones of somewatermen, who are loitering on the building of wooden logs and boards, which we, as do the good people of Victoria, dignify with theundeserved title of PIER. There they stand in their waterproof caps andskins--tolerably idle and exceedingly independent--with one eye onthe look out for a fare, and the other cast longingly towards the opendoors of Liardet's public-house, which is built a few yards from thelanding-place, and alongside the main road to Melbourne. 

"Ah, skipper! times isn't as they used to was, " shouted one, addressingthe captain of one of the vessels then lying in the bay, who was rowinghimself to shore, with no other assistant or companion than asailor-boy. The captain, a well-built, fine-looking specimen of anEnglish seaman, merely laughed at this impromptu salutation. 

"I say, skipper, I don't quite like that d----d stroke of yours. "

No answer; but, as if completely deaf to these remarks, as well as theinsulting tone in which they were delivered, the "skipper" continuedgiving his orders to his boy, and then leisurely ascended the steps. Hewalked straight up to the waterman, who was lounging against therailing. 

"So, my fine fellow, you didn't quite admire that stroke ofmine. Now, I've another stroke that I think you'll admire still less, "and with one blow he sent him reeling against the railing on theopposite side. 

The waterman slowly recovered his equilibrium, muttering, "that was asafe dodge, as the gentleman knew he was the heaviest man of the two. "

"Then never let your tongue say what your fist can't defend, " was thecool retort, as another blow sent him staggering to his original place, amidst the unrestrained laughter of his companions, whilst the captainunconcernedly walked into Liardet's, whither we also betook ourselves, not a little surprised and amused by this our first introduction tocolonial customs and manners. 

The fact is, the watermen regard the masters of the ships in the bay assworn enemies to their business; many are runaway sailors, andtherefore, I suppose, have a natural antipathy that way; added towhich, besides being no customers themselves, the "skippers, " by theloan of their boats, often save their friends from the exorbitantcharges these watermen levy. 

Exorbitant they truly are. Not a boat would they put off for thenearest ship in the bay for less than a pound, and before I quittedthose regions, two and three times that sum was often demanded for onlyone passenger. We had just paid at the rate of only three shillings andsixpence each, but this trifling charge was in consideration of thelarge party--more than a dozen--who had left our ship in the sameboat together. 

Meanwhile we have entered Liardet's EN ATTENDANT the Melbourne omnibus, some of our number, too impatient to wait longer, had already startedon foot. We were shown into a clean, well-furnished sitting-room, withmahogany dining-table and chairs, and a showy glass over themantelpicce. An English-looking barmaid entered. "Would the companylike some wine or spirits?" Some one ordered sherry, of which I onlyremember that it was vile trash at eight shillings a bottle. 

And now the cry of "Here's the bus, " brought us quickly outside again, where we found several new arrivals also waiting for it. I had hoped, from the name, or rather misname, of the conveyance, to gladden my eyeswith the sight of something civilized. Alas, for my disappointment!There stood a long, tumble-to-pieces-looking waggon, not coveredin, with a plank down each side to sit upon, and a miserable narrowplank it was. Into this vehicle were crammed a dozen people and aninnumerable host of portmanteaus, large and small, carpet-bags, baskets, brown-paper parcels, bird-cage and inmate, &c. , all of which, as is generally the case, were packed in a manner the most calculatedto contribute the largest amount of inconvenience to the live portionof the cargo. And to drag this grand affair into Melbourne wereharnessed thereto the most wretched-looking objects in the shape ofhorses that I had ever beheld. 

A slight roll tells us we are off. 

"And is THIS the beautiful scenery of Australia?" was my firstmelancholy reflection. Mud and swamp--swamp and mud--relieved hereand there by some few trees which looked as starved and miserable asourselves. The cattle we passed appeared in a wretched condition, andthe human beings on the road seemed all to belong to one family, sotruly Vandemonian was the cast of their countenances. 

"The rainy season's not over, " observed the driver, in anapologetic tone. Our eyes and uneasy limbs most FEELINGLY corroboratedhis statement, for as we moved along at a foot-pace, the rolling of theomnibus, owing to the deep ruts and heavy soil, brought us into mostunpleasant contact with the various packages before-mentioned. On wewent towards Melbourne--now stopping for the unhappy horses to takebreath--then passing our pedestrian messmates, and now arriving at asmall specimen of a swamp; and whilst they (with trowsers tucked highabove the knee and boots well saturated) step, slide and tumblemanfully through it, we give a fearful roll to the left, ditto, dittoto the right, then a regular stand-still, or perhaps, by way ofvariety, are all but jolted over the animals' heads, till at length allminor considerations of bumps and bruises are merged in the anxiety toescape without broken bones. 

"The Yarra, " said the conductor. I looked straight ahead, andinnocently asked "Where?" for I could only discover a tract of marsh orswamp, which I fancy must have resembled the fens of Lincolnshire, asthey were some years ago, before draining was introduced intothat county. Over Princes Bridge we now passed, up Swanston Street, then into Great Bourke Street, and now we stand opposite thePost-office--the appointed rendezvous with the walkers, who are thereawaiting us. Splashed, wet and tired, and also, I must confess, verycross, right thankful was I to be carried over the dirty road and besafely deposited beneath the wooden portico outside the Post-office. Our ride to Melbourne cost us only half-a-crown a piece, and a shillingfor every parcel. The distance we had come was between two and threemiles. 

The non-arrival of the mail-steamer left us now no other care save theall-important one of procuring food and shelter. Scouts wereaccordingly despatched to the best hotels; they returned with longfaces--"full. " The second-rate, and in fact every respectable inn andboarding or lodging-house were tried but with no better success. Hereand there a solitary bed could be obtained, but for our digging partyentire, which consisted of my brother, four shipmates, and myself, noaccommodation could be procured, and we wished, if possible, tokeep together. "It's a case, " ejaculated one, casting his eyes to theslight roof above us as if calculating what sort of night shelter itwould afford. At this moment the two last searchers approached, theircountenances not quite so woe-begone as before. "Well?" exclaimed weall in chorus, as we surrounded them, too impatient to interrogate atgreater length. Thank Heavens! they had been successful! Thehouse-keeper of a surgeon, who with his wife had just gone up to ForestCreek, would receive us to board and lodge for thirty shillings a weekeach; but as the accommodation was of the indifferent order, it was notas yet UNE AFFAIRE ARRANGEE. On farther inquiry, we found theindifferent accommodation consisted in their being but one smallsleeping-room for the gentlemen, and myself to share the bed andapartment of the temporary mistress. This was vastly superior togipsying in the dirty streets, so we lost no time in securing our newberths, and ere very long, with appetites undiminished by these pettyanxieties, we did ample justice to the dinner which our really kindhostess quickly placed before us. 

The first night on shore after so long a voyage could scarcelyseem otherwise than strange, one missed the eternal rocking at which somany grumble on board ship. Dogs (Melbourne is full of them) kept up anincessant barking; revolvers were cracking in all directions untildaybreak, giving one a pleasant idea of the state of society; and last, not least, of these annoyances was one unmentionable to ears polite, which would alone have sufficed to drive sleep away from poor weariedme. How I envied my companion, as accustomed to these disagreeables, she slept soundly by my side; but morning at length dawned, and I fellinto a refreshing slumber. 

The next few days were busy ones for all, though rather dismal to me, as I was confined almost entirely within doors, owing to the awfulstate of the streets; for in the colonies, at this season of the year, one may go out prepared for fine weather, with blue sky above, and dryunder foot, and in less than an hour, should a COLONIAL shower come on, be unable to cross some of the streets without a plank being placedfrom the middle of the road to the pathway, or the alternative ofwalking in water up to the knees. 

This may seem a doleful and overdrawn picture of my firstcolonial experience, but we had arrived at a time when the colonypresented its worst aspect to a stranger. The rainy season had beenunusually protracted this year, in fact it was not yet consideredentirely over, and the gold mines had completely upset everything andeverybody, and put a stop to all improvements about the town orelsewhere. 

Our party, on returning to the ship the day after our arrival, witnessed the French-leave-taking of all her crew, who during theabsence of the captain, jumped overboard, and were quickly picked upand landed by the various boats about. This desertion of the ships bythe sailors is an every-day occurrence; the diggings themselves, or thelarge amount they could obtain for the run home from another master, offer too many temptations. Consequently, our passengers had theamusement of hauling up from the hold their different goods andchattels; and so great was the confusion, that fully a week elapsedbefore they were all got to shore. Meanwhile we were getting initiatedinto colonial prices--money did indeed take to itself wings and flyaway. Fire-arms were at a premium; one instance will suffice--mybrother sold a six-barrelled revolver for which he had givensixty shillings at Baker's, in Fleet Street, for sixteen pounds, andthe parting with it at that price was looked upon as a great favour. Imagine boots, and they very second-rate ones, at four pounds a pair. One of our between-deck passengers who had speculated with a smallcapital of forty pounds in boots and cutlery, told me afterwards thathe had disposed of them the same evening he had landed, at a net profitof ninety pounds--no trifling addition to a poor man's purse. Labourwas at a very high price, carpenters, boot and shoemakers, tailors, wheelwrights, joiners, smiths, glaziers, and, in fact, all usefultrades, were earning from twenty to thirty shillings a day--the verymen working on the roads could get eleven shillings PER DIEM, and, manya gentleman in this disarranged state of affairs, was glad to fling oldhabits aside and turn his hand to whatever came readiest. I knew one inparticular, whose brother is at this moment serving as colonel in thearmy in India, a man more fitted for a gay London life than a residencein the colonies. The diggings were too dirty and uncivilized for histaste, his capital was quickly dwindling away beneath theexpenses of the comfortable life he led at one of the best hotels intown, so he turned to what as a boy he had learnt for amusement, andobtained an addition to his income of more than four hundred pounds ayear as house carpenter. In the morning you might see him trudging offto his work, and before night might meet him at some ball or soireeamong the elite of Melbourne. 

I shall not attempt an elaborate description of the town of Melbourne, or its neighbouring villages. A subject so often and well discussedmight almost be omitted altogether. The town is very well laid out; thestreets (which are all straight, running parallel with and across oneanother) are very wide, but are incomplete, not lighted, and many areunpaved. Owing to the want of lamps, few, except when full moon, darestir out after dark. Some of the shops are very fair; but the goods allpartake too largely of the flash order, for the purpose of suiting thetastes of successful diggers, their wives and families; it is ludicrousto see them in the shops--men who, before the gold-mines werediscovered, toiled hard for their daily bread, taking off half-a-dozenthick gold rings from their fingers, and trying to pull on totheir rough, well-hardened hands the best white kids, to be worn atsome wedding party; whilst the wife, proud of the novel ornament, descants on the folly of hiding them beneath such useless articles asgloves. 

The two principal streets are Collins Street and Elizabeth Street. Theformer runs east and west, the latter crossing it in the centre. Melbourne is built on two hills, and the view from the top of CollinsStreet East, is very striking on a fine day when well filled withpassengers and vehicles. Down the eye passes till it reaches ElizabethStreet at the foot; then up again, and the moving mass seems like somany tiny black specks in the distance, and the country beyond looksbut a little piece of green. A great deal of confusion arises from thewant of their names being painted on the corners of the streets: to astranger, this is particularly inconvenient, the more so, as beingstraight, they appear all alike on first acquaintance. The confusion isalso increased by the same title, with slight variation, being appliedto so many, as, for instance, Collins Street East; Collins Street West;Little Collins Street East; Little Collins Street West, &c. &c. Churches and chapels for all sects and denominations meet the eye; butthe Established Church has, of all, the worst provision for itsmembers, only two small churches being as yet completed; and Sundayafter Sunday do numbers return from St. Peter's, unable to obtain evenstanding room beneath the porch. For the gay, there are two circusesand one theatre, where the "ladies" who frequent it smoke shorttobacco-pipes in the boxes and dress-circle. 

The country round is very pretty, particularly Richmond andCollingwood; the latter will, I expect, soon become part of Melbourneitself. It is situated at the fashionable--that is, EAST--end ofMelbourne, and the buildings of the city and this suburban village aremaking rapid strides towards each other. Of Richmond, I may remark thatit does possess a "Star and Garter, " though a very different affair toits namesake at the antipodes, being only a small public-house. On theshores of the bay, at nice driving distances, are Brighton and St. Kilda. Two or three fall-to-pieces bathing-machines are at present theonly stock in trade of these watering-places; still, should somewould-be fashionables among my readers desire to emigrate, it maygratify them to learn that they need not forego the pleasure ofvisiting Brighton in the season. 

When I first arrived, as the weather was still very cold and wet, mygreatest source of discomfort arose from the want of coal-fires, andthe draughts, which are innumerable, owing to the slight manner inwhich the houses are run up; in some the front entrance opens directinto the sitting-rooms, very unpleasant, and entirely precluding the"not at home" to an unwelcome visitor. Wood fires have at best but acheerless look, and I often longed for the bright blaze and merryfireside of an English home. Firewood is sold at the rate of fiftyshillings for a good-sized barrow-full. 

The colonists (I here speak of the old-established ones) are naturallyvery hospitable, and disposed to receive strangers with great kindness;but the present ferment has made them forget everything in the glitterof their own mines, and all comfort is laid aside; money is the idol, and making it is the one mania which absorbs every other thought. 

The walking inhabitants are of themselves a study: glance intothe streets--all nations, classes, and costumes are represented there. Chinamen, with pigtails and loose trowsers; Aborigines, with a solitaryblanket flung over them; Vandemonian pickpockets, with cunning eyes andlight fingers--all, in truth, from the successful digger in his blueserge shirt, and with green veil still hanging round his wide-awake, tothe fashionably-attired, newly-arrived "gent" from London, who staresaround him in amazement and disgust. You may see, and hear too, somethoroughly colonial scenes in the streets. Once, in the middle of theday, when passing up Elizabeth Street, I heard the unmistakeable soundof a mob behind, and as it was gaining upon me, I turned into theenclosed ground in front of the Roman Catholic cathedral, to keep outof the way of the crowd. A man had been taken up for horse-stealing anda rare ruffianly set of both sexes were following the prisoner and thetwo policemen who had him in charge. "If but six of ye were of mymind, " shouted one, "it's this moment you'd release him. " The crowdtook the hint, and to it they set with right good will, yelling, swearing, and pushing, with awful violence. The owner of thestolen horse got up a counter demonstration, and every few yards, theprocession was delayed by a trial of strength between the two parties. Ultimately the police conquered; but this is not always the case, andoften lives are lost and limbs broken in the struggle, so weak is theforce maintained by the colonial government for the preservation oforder. 

Another day, when passing the Post-office, a regular tropical shower ofrain came on rather suddenly, and I hastened up to the platform forshelter. As I stood there, looking out into Great Bourke Street, a manand, I suppose, his wife passed by. He had a letter in his hand for thepost; but as the pathway to the receiving-box looked very muddy, hemade his companion take it to the box, whilst he himself, from beneathhis umbrella, complacently watched her getting wet through. "Colonialpoliteness, " thought I, as the happy couple walked on. 

Sometimes a jovial wedding-party comes dashing through the streets;there they go, the bridegroom with one arm round his lady's waist, theother raising a champagne-bottle to his lips; the gay vehiclesthat follow contain company even more unrestrained, and from themnoisier demonstrations of merriment may be heard. These diggers'weddings are all the rage, and bridal veils, white kid gloves, and, above all, orange blossoms are generally most difficult to procure atany price. 

At times, you may see men, half-mad, throwing sovereigns, likehalfpence, out of their pockets into the streets; and I once saw adigger, who was looking over a large quantity of bank-notes, deliberately tear to pieces and trample in the mud under his feet everysoiled or ragged one he came to, swearing all the time at thegold-brokers for "giving him dirty paper money for pure Alexander gold;he wouldn't carry dirt in his pocket; not he; thank God! he'd plenty totear up and spend too. "

Melbourne is very full of Jews; on a Saturday, some of the streets arehalf closed. There are only two pawnbrokers in the town. 

The most thriving trade there, is keeping an hotel or public-house, which always have a lamp before their doors. These at night serve as abeacon to the stranger to keep as far from them as possible, they being, with few exceptions, the resort, after dark, of the mostruffianly characters. 

 * * * * *

On the 2nd of September, the long-expected mail steamer arrived, andtwo days after we procured our letters from the Post-office. I may hereremark, that the want of proper management in this department is thegreatest cause of inconvenience to fresh arrivals, and to theinhabitants of Melbourne generally. There is but ONE SMALL WINDOW, whence letters directed to lie at the office are given out; and as theships from England daily discharged their living cargoes intoMelbourne, the crowd round this inefficient delivering-place renderedgetting one's letters the work, not of hours, but days. Newspapers, particularly pictorial ones, have, it would appear, a remarkablefacility for being lost EN ROUTE. Several numbers of the "IllustratedLondon News" had been sent me, and, although the letters posted withthem arrived in safety, the papers themselves never made theirappearance. I did hear that, when addressed to an uncolonial name, andwith no grander direction than the Post-office itself, theclerks are apt to apropriate them--this is, perhaps, only a wee bit ofMelbourne scandal. 

The arrival of our letters from England left nothing now to detain us, and made us all anxious to commence our trip to the diggings, althoughthe roads were in an awful condition. Still we would delay no longer, and the bustle of preparation began. Stores of flour, tea, and sugar, tents and canvas, camp-ovens, cooking utensils, tin plates andpannikins, opossum rugs and blankets, drays, carts and horses, cradles, &c. &c. , had to be looked at, bought and paid for. 

On board ship, my brother had joined himself to a party of four youngmen, who had decided to give the diggings a trial. Four other of ourshipmates had also joined themselves into a digging-party, and whenthey heard of our intended departure, proposed travelling up togetherand separating on our arrival. This was settled, and a proposal madethat between the two sets they should raise funds to purchase a drayand horses, and make a speculation in flour, tea, &c. , on which animmense profit was being made at the diggings. It would alsoafford the convenience of taking up tents, cradles, and other articlesimpossible to carry up without. The dray cost one hundred pounds, andthe two strong cart-horses ninety and one hundred pounds respectively. This, with the goods themselves, and a few sundries in the shape ofharness and cords, made only a venture of about fifty pounds a-piece. While these arrangements were rapidly progressing, a few other partieswished to join ours for safety on the road, which was agreed to, andthe day fixed upon for the departure was the 7th of September. Everyone, except myself, was to walk, and we furthermore determined to "campout" as much as possible, and thus avoid the vicinity of the inns andhalting-places on the way, which are frequently the lurking-places ofthieves and bushrangers. 

 * * * * *

On the Sunday previous to the day on which our journey was to commence, I had a little adventure, which pleased me at the time, though, but forthe sequel, not worth mentioning here. I had walked with my brother anda friend to St. Peter's Church; but we were a few minutes behindtime, and therefore could find no unoccupied seat. Thus disappointed, we strolled over Princes Bridge on to the other side of the Yarra. Between the bridge and the beach, on the south side of the river, is alittle city of tents, called Little Adelaide. They were inhabited by anumber of families, that the rumour of the Victoria gold-mines hadinduced to leave South Australia, and whose finances were unequal tothe high prices in Melbourne. 

Government levies a tax of five shillings a week on each tent, builtupon land as wild and barren as the bleakest common in England. We didnot wander this morning towards Little Adelaide; but followed the Yarrain its winding course inland, in the direction of the BotanicalGardens. 

Upon a gentle rise beside the river, not far enough away from Melbourneto be inconvenient, but yet sufficiently removed from its mud andnoise, were pitched two tents, evidently new, with crimson paint stillgay upon the round nobs of the centre posts, and looking altogethermore in trim for a gala day in Merry England than a trip to thediggings. The sun was high above our heads, and the dayintensely hot; so much so, that I could not resist the temptation oftapping at the canvas door to ask for a draught of water. A gentlemanobeyed the summons, and on learning the occasion of this unceremoniousvisit, politely accommodated me with a camp-stool and some deliciousfresh milk--in Melbourne almost a luxury. Whilst I was imbibing thiswith no little relish, my friends were entering into conversation withour new acquaintance. The tents belonged to a party just arrived by thesteamer from England, with everything complete for the diggings, towhich they meant to proceed in another week, and where I had thepleasure of meeting them again, though under different and verypeculiar circumstances. The tent which I had invaded was inhabited bytwo, the elder of whom, a powerfully-built man of thirty, formed astrong contrast to his companion, a delicate-looking youth, whoseapparent age could not have exceeded sixteen years. 

After a short rest, we returned to Melbourne, well pleased with ourlittle adventure. 

The next day was hardly long enough for our numerous preparations, andit was late before we retired to rest. Six was the hourappointed for the next morning's breakfast. Excited with anticipatingthe adventures to commence on the morrow, no wonder that my dreamsshould all be GOLDEN ones. 

Chapter IV. 

CAMPING UP--MELBOURNE TO THE BLACK FOREST

The anxiously-expected morning at length commenced, and adismal-looking morning it was--hazy and damp, with a small drizzlingrain, which, from the gloomy aspect above, seemed likely to last. Itwas not, however, sufficient to damp our spirits, and the appointedhour found us all assembled to attack the last meal that we anticipatedto make for some time to come beneath the shelter of a ceiling. Ateight o'clock our united party was to start from the "Duke of York"hotel, and as that hour drew nigh, the unmistakeable signs of"something up, " attracted a few idlers to witness our departure. Intruth, we were a goodly party, and created no little sensation amongthe loungers--but I must regularly introduce our troop to my readers. 

First then, I must mention two large drays, each drawn by a pair ofstout horses--one the property of two Germans, who were bound forForest Creek, the other belonged to ourselves and shipmates. There werethree pack-horses--one (laden with a speculation in bran) belonged toa queer-looking sailor, who went by the name of Joe, the other two wereunder the care of a man named Gregory, who was going to rejoin hismates at Eagle Hawk Gully. As his destination was the farthest, and hewas well acquainted with the roads, he ought to have been electedleader, but from some mis-management that dignity was conferred upon astout old gentleman, who had taken a pleasure-trip to Mount Alexander, the previous summer. 

Starting is almost always a tedious affair, nor was this particularcase an exception. First one had forgotten something--another broke astrap, and a new one had to be procured--then the dray was notproperly packed, and must be righted--some one else wanted anextra "nobbler"--then a fresh, and still a fresh delay, so thatalthough eight was the appointed hour, it was noon ere we bade farewellto mine host of the "Duke of York. "

At length the word of command was spoken. Foremost came the gallantcaptain (as we had dubbed him), and with him two ship doctors, inpartnership together, who carried the signs of their profession alongwith them in the shape of a most surgeon-like mahogany box. Then camethe two Germans, complacently smoking their meerschaums, and attendingto their dray and horses, which latter, unlike their masters, were of avery restless turn of mind. After these came a party of six, among whomwas Gregory and two lively Frenchmen, who kept up an incessantchattering. Joe walked by himself, leading his pack-horse, then cameour four shipmates, two by two, and last, our own particular five. 

Most carried on their backs their individual property--blankets, provisions for the road, &c. , rolled in a skin, and fastened over theshoulders by leathern straps. This bundle goes by the name of "swag, "and is the digger's usual accompaniment--it being too great aluxury to place upon a dray or pack-horse anything not absolutelynecessary. This will be easily understood when it is known thatcarriers, during the winter, obtained 120 pounds and sometimes 150 poundsa ton for conveying goods to Bendigo (about one hundred miles fromMelbourne). Nor was the sum exorbitant, as besides the chance of a fewweeks' stick in the mud, they run great risk of injuring their horses orbullocks; many a valuable beast has been obliged to be shot where itstood, it being found impossible to extricate it from the mud and swamp. At the time we started, the sum generally demanded was about 70 pounds perton. On the price of carriage up, depended of course the price ofprovisions at the diggings. 

The weight of one of these "swags" is far from light; the provender forthe road is itself by no means trifling, though that of coursediminishes by the way, and lightens the load a little. Still there arethe blankets, fire-arms, drinking and eating apparatus, clothing, chamois-leather for the gold that has yet to be dug, and numberlessother cumbersome articles necessary for the digger. In everybelt was stuck either a large knife or a tomahawk; two shouldered theirguns (by the bye, rather imprudent, as the sight of fire-arms oftenbrings down an attack); some had thick sticks, fit to fell a bullock;altogether, we seemed well prepared to encounter an entire army ofbushrangers. I felt tolerably comfortable perched upon our dray, amid amass of other soft lumber; a bag of flour formed an easy support tolean against; on either side I was well walled in by the canvas andpoles of our tent; a large cheese made a convenient footstool. Myattire, although well suited for the business on hand, would hardlyhave passed muster in any other situation. A dress of common dark blueserge, a felt wide-awake, and a waterproof coat wrapped round me, madea ludicrous assortment. 

Going along at a foot-pace we descended Great Bourke Street, and madeour first halt opposite the Post-office, where one of our party made alast effort to obtain a letter from his lady-love, which was, alas!unsuccessful. But we move on again--pass the Horse Bazaar--turn intoQueen Street--up we go towards Flemington, leaving the Melbournecemetery on our right, and the flag-staff a little to the left; andnow our journey may be considered fairly begun. 

Just out of Melbourne, passing to the east of the Benevolent Asylum, wewent over a little rise called Mount Pleasant, which, on a damp sort ofa day, with the rain beating around one, seemed certainly a misnomer. After about two miles, we came to a branch-road leading to Pentridge, where the Government convict establishment is situated. This we left onour right, and through a line of country thickly wooded (consisting ofred and white gum, stringy bark, cherry and other trees), we arrived atFlemington, which is about three miles and a half from town. 

Flemington is a neat little village or town-ship, consisting of aboutforty houses, a blacksmith's shop, several stores, and a good inn, built of brick and stone, with very fair accommodation for travellers, and a large stable and stock-yards. 

After leaving Flemington, we passed several nice-looking homesteads;some are on a very large scale, and belong to gentlemen connectedwith Melbourne, who prefer "living out of town. " On reaching thetop of the hill beyond Flemington there is a fine view of Melbourne, the bay, William's Town, and the surrounding country, but the miserableweather prevented us at this time from properly enjoying it. Sunshinewas all we needed to have made this portion of our travels trulydelightful. 

The road was nicely level, fine trees sheltered it on either side, whilst ever and anon some rustic farm-house was passed, or coffee-shop, temporarily erected of canvas or blankets, offered refreshment (such asit was), and the latest news of the diggings to those who had noobjection to pay well for what they had. This Flemington road (which isconsidered the most Pleasant in Victoria, or at least anywhere nearMelbourne) is very good as far as Tulip Wright's, which we nowapproached. 

Wright's public-house is kept by the man whose name it bears; it is arambling ill-built, but withal pleasing-looking edifice, built chieflyof weather-board and shingle, with a verandah all round. The whole ispainted white, and whilst at some distance from it a passing rayof sunshine gave it a most peculiar effect. In front of the principalentrance is a thundering large lamp, a most conspicuous looking object. Wright himself was formerly in the police, and being a sharp fellow, obtained the cognomen of "Tulip, " by which both he and his house havealways been known; and so inseparable have the names become, that, whilst "Tulip Wright's" is renowned well-nigh all over the colonies, the simple name of the owner would create some inquiries. The state ofaccommodation here may be gathered from the success of some of theparty who had a PENCHANT for "nobblers" of brandy. "Nothing but bottledbeer in the house. " "What could we have for dinner?" inquired one, rather amused at this Hobson's choice state of affairs. "The eatableswas only cold meat; and they couldn't cook nothink fresh, " was the curtreply. "Can we sleep here?" "Yes--under your drays. " As we literallydetermined to "camp out" on the journey, we passed on, withoutpartaking of their "cold eatables, " or availing ourselves of theirpermission to sleep under our own drays, and, leaving the roadto Sydney on our right, and the one to Keilor straight before us, weturned short off to the left towards the Deep Creek. 

Of the two rejected routes I will give a very brief account. 

The right-hand road leads to Sydney, VIA Kilmore, and many going to thediggings prefer using this road as far as that township. The countryabout here is very flat, stony and destitute of timber; occasionallythe journey is varied by a water-hole or surface-spring. After severalmiles, a public-house called the "Lady of the Lake" is reached, whichis reckoned by many the best country inn on this or any other road inthe colonies. The accommodation is excellent, and the rooms wellarranged, and independent of the house. There are ten or twelve roomswhich, on a push, could accommodate fifty or sixty people; six arearranged in pairs for the convenience of married persons, and thefashionable trip during the honey-moon (particularly for diggers'weddings) is to the "Lady of the Lake. " Whether Sir Walter's poem bethe origin of the sign, or whether the swamps in the rear, I cannotsay, but decidedly there is no lake and no lady, though I haveheard of a buxom lass, the landlord's daughter, who acts as barmaid, and is a great favourite. This spot was the scene last May of ahorrible murder, which has added no little to the notoriety of theneighbourhood. 

After several miles you at length arrive at Kilmore, which is a largeand thriving township, containing two places of worship, several storesand inns. There is a resident magistrate with his staff of officials, and a station for a detachment of mounted police. Kilmore is on themain overland road from Melbourne to Sydney, and, although not on theconfines of the two colonies, is rather an important place, from beingthe last main township until you reach the interior of New South Wales. The Government buildings are commodious and well arranged. There areseveral farms and stations in the neighbourhood, but the country roundis flat and swampy. 

The middle road leads you direct to Keilor, and you must cross the DeepCreek in a dangerous part, as the banks thereabouts are very steep, thestream (though narrow) very rapid, and the bottom stony. In 1851, thebridge (an ordinary log one) was washed down by the floods, andfor two months all communication was cut off. Government have now put apunt, which is worked backwards and forwards every half-hour from sixin the morning till six at night, at certain fares, which are doubledafter these hours. These fares are: for a passenger, 6d. ; a horse orbullock, 1s. ; a two-wheeled vehicle, 1s. 6d. ; a loaded dray, 2s. Thepunt is tolerably well managed, except when the man gets intoxicated--notan unfrequent occurrence. When there was neither bridge nor punt, those who wished to cross were obliged to ford it; and so strong hasbeen the current, that horses have been carried down one or two hundredyards before they could effect a landing. Keilor is a pretty littlevillage with a good inn, several nice cottages, and a store or two. Thecountry round is hilly and barren--scarcely any herbage and thatlittle is rank and coarse; the timber is very scarce. This road to thediggings is not much used. 

But to return to ourselves. The rain and bad roads made travelling sovery wearisome, that before we had proceeded far it was unanimouslyagreed that we should halt and pitch our first encampment. "Pitch our first encampment! how charming!" exclaims some romanticreader, as though it were an easily accomplished undertaking. Fixing agipsy-tent at a FETE CHAMPETRE, with a smiling sky above, and allrequisites ready to hand, is one thing, and attempting to sink polesand erect tents out of blankets and rugs in a high wind and peltingrain, is (if I may be allowed the colonialism) "a horse of quiteanother colour. " Some sort of sheltering-places were at lengthcompleted; the horses were taken from the dray and tethered to sometrees within sight, and then we made preparations for satisfying theunromantic cravings of hunger--symptoms of which we all, more or less, began to feel. With some difficulty a fire was kindled and kept alightin the hollow trunk of an old gum tree. A damper was speedily made, which, with a plentiful supply of steaks and boiled and roasted eggs, was a supper by no means to be despised. The eggs had been procured atfour shillings a dozen from a farm-house we had passed. 

It was certainly the most curious tea-table at which I had everassisted. Chairs, of course, there were none, we sat or loungedupon the ground as best suited our tired limbs; tin pannicans (holdingabout a pint) served as tea-cups, and plates of the same metal in lieuof china; a teapot was dispensed with; but a portly substitute wasthere in the shape of an immense iron kettle, just taken from the fireand placed in the centre of our grand tea-service, which being new, alively imagination might mistake for silver. Hot spirits, for thosedesirous of imbibing them, followed our substantial repast; but fatigueand the dreary weather had so completely damped all disposition toconviviality, that a very short space of time found all fast asleepexcept the three unfortunates on the watch, which was relieved everytwo hours. 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. --I awoke rather early this morning, notfeeling over-comfortable from having slept in my clothes all night, which it is necessary to do on the journey, so as never to beunprepared for any emergency. A small corner of my brother's tent hadbeen partitioned off for my BED-ROOM; it was quite dark, so my firstact on waking was to push aside one of the blankets, still wet, which had been my roof during the night, and thus admit air and lightinto my apartments. Having made my toilette--after a fashion--Ijoined my companions on the watch, who were deep in the mysteries ofpreparing something eatable for breakfast. I discovered that theirefforts were concentrated on the formation of a damper, which seemed togive them no little difficulty. A damper is the legitimate, and, infact, only bread of the bush, and should be made solely of flour andwater, well mixed and kneaded into a cake, as large as you like, butnot more than two inches in thickness, and then placed among the hotashes to bake. If well-made, it is very sweet and a good substitute forbread. The rain had, however, spoiled our ashes, the dough wouldneither rise nor brown, so in despair we mixed a fresh batch of flourand water, and having fried some rashers of fat bacon till they werenearly melted, we poured the batter into the pan and let it fry tilldone. This impromptu dish gave general satisfaction and was pronounceda cross between a pancake and a heavy suet pudding. 

Breakfast over, our temporary residences were pulled down, thedrays loaded, and our journey recommenced. 

We soon reached the Deep Creek, and crossed by means of a punt, thecharges being the same as the one at Keilor. Near here is a stationbelonging to Mr. Ryleigh, which is a happy specimen of a squatter'shome--everything being managed in a superior manner. The house itselfis erected on a rise and surrounded by an extensive garden, vinery andorchard, all well stocked and kept; some beautifully enclosed paddocksreach to the Creek, and give an English park-like appearance to thewhole. The view from here over the bay and Brighton is splendid; youcan almost distinguish Geelong. About a quarter of a mile off is alittle hamlet with a neat Swiss-looking church, built over aschool-room on a rise of ground; it has a most peculiar effect, and isthe more singular as the economizing the ground could not be aconsideration in the colony; on the left of the church is a prettylittle parsonage, whitewashed, with slate roof and green-paintedwindow-frames. 

I still fancy, though our redoubtable captain most strenuouslydenied it, that we had in some manner gone out of our way; however thatmay be, the roads seemed worse and worse as we proceeded, and our pacebecame more tedious as here and there it was up-hill work till atlength we reached the Keilor plains. It was almost disheartening tolook upon that vast expanse of flat and dreary land except where theeye lingered on the purple sides of Mount Macedon, which rose fardistant in front of us. On entering the plains we passed two or threelittle farm-houses, coffee-shops, &c. , and encountered several partiescoming home for a trip to Melbourne. For ten miles we travelled ondismally enough, for it rained a great deal, and we were constantlyobliged to halt to get the horses rested a little. We now passed acoffee-shop, which although only consisting of a canvas tent and littlewooden shed, has been known to accommodate above forty people of anight. As there are always plenty of bad characters lounging in theneighbourhood of such places, we kept at a respectful distance, and didnot make our final halt till full two miles farther on our road. Tentswere again pitched, but owing to their not being fastened oversecurely, many of us got an unwished-for shower-bath during thenight; but this is nothing--at the antipodes one soon learns to laughat such trifles. 

THURSDAY, 9. --This morning we were up betimes, some of our party beingso sanguine as to anticipate making the "Bush Inn" before evening. Aswe proceeded, this hope quickly faded away. The Keilor plains seemedalmost impassable, and what with pieces of rock here, and a water-holethere, crossing them was more dangerous than agreeable. Now one passeda broken-down dray; then one's ears were horrified at the oaths anunhappy wight was venting at a mud-hole into which he had stumbled. Acomical object he looked, as, half-seas-over, he attempted to pull on amud-covered boot, which he had just extricated from the hole where itand his leg had parted company. A piece of wood, which his imaginationtransformed into a shoe-horn, was in his hand. "Put it into thelarboard side, " (suiting the action to the word), "there it goes--damnher, she won't come on! Put it into the starboard side there itgoes--well done, old girl, " and he triumphantly rose from the ground, and reeled away. 

With a hearty laugh, we proceeded on our road, and after passingtwo or three coffee-tents, we arrived at Gregory's Inn. The landlord isconsidered the best on the road, and is a practical example of whathonesty and industry may achieve. He commenced some nine months beforewithout a shilling--his tarpaulin tent and small stock of tea, sugar, coffee, &c. , being a loan. He has now a large weather-board house, capable of making up one hundred beds, and even then unable toaccommodate all his visitors, so numerous are they, from the good namehe bears. Here we got a capital cold dinner of meat, bread, cheese, coffee, tea, &c. , for three shillings a-piece, and, somewhat refreshed, went forwards in better spirits, though the accounts we heard there ofthe bad roads in the Black Forest would have disheartened many. 

Mount Macedon now formed quite a beautiful object on our right: alittle below that mountain appeared a smaller one, called the BaldHill, from its peak being quite barren, and the soil of a whitelimestone and quartzy nature, which gives it a most peculiar andsplendid appearance when the sun's rays are shining upon it. Aswe advanced, the thickly-wooded sides of Mount Macedon became moredistinct, and our proximity to a part of the country which we knew tobe auriferous, exercised an unaccountable yet pleasureable influenceover our spirits, which was perhaps increased by the loveliness of thespot where we now pitched our tents for the evening. It was at the footof the Gap. The stately gum-tree, the shea-oak, with its gracefullydrooping foliage, the perfumed yellow blossom of the mimosa, therichly-wooded mountain in the background, united to form a picture toomagnificent to describe. The ground was carpeted with wild flowers; thesarsaparilla blossoms creeping everywhere; before us slowly rippled aclear streamlet, reflecting a thousand times the deepening tints whichthe last rays of the setting sun flung over the surrounding scenery;the air rang with the cawing of the numerous cockatoos and parrots ofall hues and colours who made the woods resound with their tones, whilst their restless movements and gay plumage gave life and piquancyto the scene. 

This night our beds were composed of the mimosa, which has a perfumelike the hawthorn. The softest-looking branches were selected, cut down, and flung upon the ground beneath the tents, and formed a bedwhich, to my wearied limbs, appeared the softest and most luxuriantupon which I had slept since my arrival in the colonies. 

FRIDAY, 10. --With some reluctance I aroused myself from a very heavyslumber produced by the over fatigue of the preceding day. I foundevery one preparing to start; kindly considerate, my companions thoughta good sleep more refreshing for me than breakfast, and had deferredawakening me till quite obliged, so taking a few sailors' biscuits inmy pocket to munch on the way, I bade farewell to a spot whose naturalbeauties I have never seen surpassed. 

Proceeding onwards, we skirted the Bald Hill, and entering rather ascrubby tract, crossed a creek more awkward for our drays thandangerous to ourselves; we then passed two or three littlecoffee-shops, which being tents are always shifting their quarters, crossed another plain, very stony and in places swampy, whichterminated in a thickly-wooded tract of gum and wattle trees. Into thiswood we now entered. After about five miles uncomfortabletravelling we reached the "Bush Inn. "

I must here observe that no DISTINCT road is ever cut out, but thewhole country is cut up into innumerable tracks by the carts and drays, and which are awfully bewildering to the new-comer as they run here andthere, now crossing a swamp, now a rocky place, here a creek, there ahillock, and yet, in many cases, all leading BONA FIDE to the sameplace. 

The "Bush Inn" (the genuine one, for there are two) consists of alarge, well-built, brick and weather-board house, with bed-rooms forprivate families. There is a detached weather-board, and stone kitchen, and tap-room, with sleeping-lofts above, a large yard with sheds andgood stabling. A portion of the house and stables is always engaged forthe use of the escort. About two hundred yards off is the "New BushInn, " somewhat similar to the other, not quite so large, with anattempt at a garden. The charges at these houses are enormous. Five andsix shillings per meal, seven-and-sixpence for a bottle of ale, and oneshilling for half a glass or "nobbler" of brandy. About half amile distant is a large station belonging to Mr. Watson; the houses, huts and yards are very prettily laid out, and, in a few years he willhave the finest vineyard in the neighbourhood. Two miles to the east isthe residence of Mr. Poullett, Commissioner of Crown Lands, which isvery pleasantly situated on the banks of an ever-running stream. Thepaddock, which is a large one (10 square miles, or 6400 acres), is wellwooded. Some new police barracks and stabling yards are in the courseof erection. 

We did not linger in the "Bush Inn, " but pursued our way over a marshyflat, crossed a dangerous creek, and having ascended a steep andthickly wooded hill on the skirts of the Black Forest, we halted andpitched our tents. It was little more than mid-day, but the road hadbeen fearful--as bad as wading through a mire; men and beasts wereworn out, and it was thought advisable to recruit well before enteringthe dreaded precincts of the Black Forest. Fires were lit, supper wascooked, spirits and pipes made their appearance, songs were sung, and afew of the awful exploits of Black Douglas and his followers wererelated. Later in the evening, an opossum was shot by one of us. Its skin was very soft, with rich, brown hair. 

SATURDAY, 11--A dismal wet day--we remained stationary, as many ofour party were still foot-sore, and all were glad of a rest. Some wentout shooting, but returned with only a few parrots and cockatoos, whichthey roasted, and pronounced nice eating. Towards evening, a party offour, returning from the diggings, encamped at a little distance fromus. Some of our loiterers made their acquaintance. They had passed theprevious night in the Black Forest, having wandered out of their way. To add to their misfortunes, they had been attacked by three well-armedbushrangers, whom they had compelled to desist from their attempt, not, however, before two of the poor men had been wounded, one ratherseverely. Hardly had they recovered this shock, than they werehorrified by the sudden discovery in a sequestered spot of some humanbones, strewn upon the ground beside a broken-down cart. Whetheraccident or design had brought these unfortunates to an untimely end, none know; but this ominous appearance seemed to have terrifiedthem even more than the bushrangers themselves. These accounts soberedour party not a little, and it was deemed advisable to double the watchthat night. 

Chapter V. 

CAMPING UP--BLACK FOREST TO EAGLE HAWK GULLY

SUNDAY, 12. --A lovely summer morning, which raised our spirits tosomething like their usual tone, with the exception of our gallant(?)captain, who resigned his post, declaring it his intention to return toMelbourne with the four returning diggers. Poor fellow! their awfulaccount of the Black Forest had been too much for his courage. Gregorywas elected in his place, and wishing him a pleasant trip home, ourjourney was resumed as usual, and we entered the forest. Here the treesgrow very closely together; in some places they are so thicklyset that the rear-guard of the escort cannot see the advance-guard inthe march. There is a slight undergrowth of scrub. We saw some of thechoicest of the ERICA tribe in full bloom, like a beautiful crimsonwaxen bell-blossom, and once whilst walking (which I frequently did torelieve the monotony of being perched on the dray by myself) I saw afine specimen of the ORELUDIAE at the foot of a tree growing from thewood; it was something like a yellow sweet-pea, but really toobeautiful to describe. The barks of the trees, and also the ground, have a black, charred appearance (hence the name of the forest); thisis said to have been caused by its having once been on fire. Many ofthe ambuscades of the noted Douglas were passed, and the scenes of somemost fearful murders pointed out. We only halted once--so anxious werewe to leave behind us this dreaded spot--and at sunset reached theborders of the Five Mile Creek. 

MONDAY, 13. --Another fine day. Crossed the Five Mile Creek by means ofa rickety sort of bridge. There are two inns here, with plenty ofaccommodation for man and beast. We patronized neither, but made thebest of our way towards Kyneton. Our road lay through a denselywooded country till we arrived at Jacomb's Station; this we left, andturning to the right, soon reached Kyneton, which lies on the riverCampaspe. 

Carlshrue lies to the right, about three miles distant, on rather lowland; this is the chief station of the Government escort; the barrackaccommodation is first-rate, with stabling and paddocks for the horses, &c. 

Kyneton is about sixty-one miles from Melbourne. There are two largeinns, with ample accommodation for four hundred people between them, several stores, with almost every needful article. A neat littlechurch, capable of holding nearly three hundred persons, with a schooland parsonage. There is a resident magistrate and constabulary, with apolice-court and gaol in progress of erection. The township is ratherstraggling, but what houses there are have a very picturesqueappearance. The only draw-back to this little town is the badness ofthe streets. Although it is rather on an elevated spot, the streets androads, from the loamy nature of the sod, are a perfect quagmire, evenabominable in summer time. The charges here are high, but notextortionate, as, besides the two inns alluded to, there are severalcoffee-shops and lodging-houses; so competition has its effect even inthe bush. 

The Campaspe is a large river, and is crossed by a substantial timberbridge. 

We still adhered to our original plan of camping out; a few necessarieswere purchased in the town, and after continuing our journey to alittle distance from it, we halted for the night. 

TUESDAY 14. --This morning commenced with a colonial shower, which gaveus all a good drenching. Started about eight o'clock; returned toKyneton; crossed the bridge, and passed several farm-houses. Thecountry here is very changeable, sometimes flat and boggy, at others, very hilly and stony. We were obliged to ford several small creeks, evidently tributaries to the Campaspe, and at about ten miles fromKyneton, entered the Coliban range, which is thickly wooded. The riveritself is about fourteen miles from Kyneton. Here we camped, in thepouring rain. Some of our party walked to the town of Malmsbury, abouta mile and a half from our camping place. The town consisted ofabout three tents, and an inn dignified by the appellation of the"Malmsbury Hotel". It is a two-storied, weather-board, and pale house, painted blue, with a lamp before it of many colours, large enough forhalf-a-dozen people to dine in. It (the inn, not the lamp, ) is capableof accommodating two hundred people, independent of which there is alarge tent, similar to the booths at a fair, about 100 feet long by 30wide, for the convenience of those who prefer sleeping under cover whenthe house is full. Being hungry with their walk, our comrades dinedhere, for which they paid 3s. 6d. A-piece; ale was 1s. 6d. A glass;brandy 2s. Per half glass, or "nobbler;" cheese, 4s. 6d. A pound;bread, 5s. The four-pound loaf; wine, 25s. A bottle. By the time theyreturned, we had struck our tents, intending to cross a muddy-bankedcreek that lay in our road that evening, as we were told that thewaters might be too swollen to do it next day. The water reached abovetheir waists, and as my usual post was very insecure, I was obliged tobe carried over on their shoulders, which did not prevent my feet frombeing thoroughly soaked before reaching the other side, where weremained all night. 

WEDNESDAY, 15. --Rainy day again, so much so, that we thought itadvisable not to shift our quarters. In the afternoon, three returningdiggers pitched their tents not far from ours. They were rathersociable, and gave us a good account of the diggings. They hadthemselves been very fortunate. On the same day that we had been idlyresting on the borders of the Black Forest, they had succeeded intaking twenty-three pounds weight out of their claim, and two daysafter, two hundred and six ounces more, making, in all, gold to thevalue (in England) of about eighteen hundred pounds. They werereturning to Melbourne for a spree, (which means to fling their gainsaway as quickly as possible, ) and then as soon as the dry season wasregularly set in, they meant to return to Bendigo for another spell atwork. On representing to them the folly of not making better use oftheir hard-earned wages, the answer invariably was, "Plenty more to begot where this came from, " an apt illustration of the proverb, "lightcome, light go. " Two of these diggers had with them their licences forthe current month, which they offered to sell for ten shillings each;two of our company purchased them. This, although a commonproceeding, was quite illegal, and, of course, the two purchasers hadto assume for the rest of the month the names of the parties to whomthe licences had been issued. As evening approached, our newacquaintances became very sociable, and amused us with their account ofthe diggings; and the subject of licensing being naturally discussed, led to our being initiated into the various means of evading it, andthe penalties incurred thereby. One story they related amused us at thetime, and as it is true I will repeat it here, though I fancy the lackof oral communication will subtract from it what little interest it didpossess. 

Before I commence, I must give my readers some little insight into thenature of the licence tax itself. The licence, (for which thirtyshillings, or half an ounce of gold, is paid per month) is in thefollowing form:

VICTORIA GOLD LICENCE. No. 1710, Sept. 3, 1852. 

The Bearer, Henry Clements, having paid to me the Sum of One Pound, TenShillings, on account of the Territorial Revenue, I herebyLicence him to dig, search for, and remove Gold on and from any suchCrown Land within the Upper Lodden District, as I shall assign to himfor that purpose during the month of September, 1852, not withinhalf-a-mile of any Head station. 

This Licence is not transferable, and to be produced whenever demandedby me or any other person acting under the Authority of the Government, and to be returned when another Licence is issued. 

(SIGNED) B. BAXTER, Commissioner. 

At the back of the Licence are the following rules:

REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY THE PERSONS DIGGING FOR GOLD, OROTHERWISE EMPLOYED AT THE GOLD FIELDS. 

1. Every Licensed Person must always have his Licence with him, readyto be produced whenever demanded by a Commissioner, or Person actingunder his instructions, otherwise he is liable to be proceeded againstas an Unlicensed person. 

2. Every Person digging for Gold, or occupying Land, without aLicence, is liable by Law to be fined, for the first offence, notexceeding 5 pounds; for a second offence, not exceeding 15 pounds; and fora subsequent offence, not exceeding 30 pounds. 

3. Digging for Gold is not allowed within Ten feet of any Public Road, nor are the Roads to be undermined. 

4. Tents or buildings are not to be erected within Twenty feet of eachother, or within Twenty feet of any Creek. 

5. It is enjoined that all Persons at the Gold Fields maintain andassist in maintaining a due and proper observance of Sundays. 

* * * * *

So great is the crowd around the Commissioner's tent at the beginningof the month, that it is a matter of difficulty to procure it, andconsequently the inspectors rarely begin their rounds before the 10th, when (as they generally vary the fine according to the date at whichthe delinquency is discovered), a non-licensed digger would have thepleasure of accompanying a crowd of similar offenders to theCommissioners, sometimes four or five miles from his working-place, paya fine of about 3 pounds, and take out a licence. After the 20th of themonth, the fine inflicted is generally from 5 pounds to 10 pounds and alicence, which is rather a dear price to pay for a few days' permission todig, as a licence, although granted on the 30th of one month, would beunavailable for the next. The inspectors are generally strong-built, rough-looking customers, they dress like the generality of the diggers, and are only known by their carrying a gun in lieu of a pick or shovel. Delinquents unable to pay the fine, have the pleasure of working it outon the roads. 

Now for my story--such as it is. 

Mike and Robert were two as good mates as any at the Mount Alexanderdiggings. They had had a good spell of hard work, and, as is usuallythe way, returned to Melbourne for a holiday at Christmas-time; andthen it was that the bright eyes of Susan Hinton first sowed discordbetween them. Mike was the successful wooer, and the old man gave hisconsent; for Mike, with one exception, had contrived to make himself afavourite with both father and daughter. The exception was this. OldHinton was a strict disciplinarian--one of what is called the"good old school"--he hated radicals, revolutionists, and reformers, or any opposition to Church or State. Mike, on the contrary, lovednothing better than to hold forth against the powers that be; and itwas his greatest boast that Government had never pocketed a farthingfrom him in the way of a licence. This, in the old man's eyes, was hissolitary fault, and when Mike declared his intention of taking anothertrip to the "lottery fields" before taking a ticket in the even greaterlottery of marriage, he solemnly declared that no daughter of hisshould ever marry a man who had been openly convicted of in any wayevading the licence fee. 

This declaration from any other man, who had already promised hisdaughter in marriage, would not have had much weight; but Mike knew thestern, strict character of Hinton, and respected this determinationaccordingly. The day of their departure arrived, and with a tearfulinjunction to bear in mind her father's wishes, Susan bade her loverfarewell, and Robert and he proceeded on their journey. Full of his ownhappiness, Mike had never suspected his comrade's love forSusan, and little dreamt he of the hatred against himself to which ithad given birth--hatred the more to be dreaded since it was concealedunder a most friendly exterior. 

For the first month Mike behaved to the very letter of the law, andhaving for the sum of one pound ten shillings purchased his legal right todig for gold, felt himself a most exemplary character. Success againcrowned their efforts, and a speedy return to Melbourne was contemplated. In the ardour of this exciting work another month commenced, and Mike atfirst forgot and then neglected to renew his licence. "The inspectorrarely came his rounds before the 14th; the neighbourhood wasconsidered deserted--fairly 'worked out;' he'd never come roundthere. " Thus argued Mike, and his friend cordially agreed with him. "Lose a day's work standing outside the Commissioner's tent broiling ina crowd, when two days would finish the job? Not he, indeed! Mike mightplease himself, but HE shouldn't get a licence;" and this determinationon the part of his "mate" settled the matter. 

In one respect Mike's self-security was not unfounded; the gullyin which their tent was now pitched was nearly deserted. Some whileprevious there had been a great rush to the place, so great that it wasalmost excavated; then the rush took a different direction, and few nowcared to work on the two or three spots that had been left untouched. Like many other localities considered "worked out, " as much remained inthe ground as had been taken from it, and as each day added to theirstore, Mike's hilarity increased. 

It was now the 10th of the month; their hole had been fairly"bottomed, " a nice little nest of nuggets discovered, their gainsdivided, and the gold sent down to the escort-office for transit toMelbourne. A few buckets-full of good washing-stuff was all that wasleft undone. 

"To-day will finish that, " thought Mike, and to it he set with heartygood-will, to the intense satisfaction of his comrade, who sat watchinghim at a little distance. Suddenly Mike felt a heavy hand upon hisshoulder: he looked up, and saw before him--the inspector. He hadalready with him a large body of defaulters, and Mike little doubtedbut that he must be added to their number. Old Hinton's determinedspeech, Susan's parting words and tears, flashed across hismind. 

"You've lost your bonnie bride, " muttered Robert, loud enough to reachhis rival's ears. 

Mike glanced at him, and the look of triumph he saw there roused everyspark of energy within him, and it was in a tone of well-assumedcomposure that he replied to the inspector, "My licence is in mypocket, and my coat is below there;" and without a moment's hesitationsprang into his hole to fetch it. Some minutes elapsed. The inspectorwaxed impatient. A suspicion of the truth flashed across Robert's mind, and he too descended the hole. THERE was the coat and the licence ofthe past month in the pocket; but the owner had gone, vanished, and anexcavation on one side which led into the next hole and thence into acomplete labyrinth underground, plainly pointed out the method ofescape. Seeing no use in ferreting the delinquent out of so dangerous aplace, the inspector sulkily withdrew, though not without venting someof his ill-humour upon Robert, at whose representations, made to himthe day previous, he had come so far out of his road. 

But let us return to Mike. By a happy thought, he had suddenlyremembered that whilst working some days before in the hole, his pickhad let in daylight on one side, and the desperate hope presenteditself to his mind that he might make a passage into the next pit, which he knew led into others, and thus escape. His success was beyondhis expectation; and he regained the open air at a sufficient distancefrom his late quarters to escape observation. Once able to reflectcalmly upon the event of the morning, it required little discriminationto fix upon Robert his real share in it. And now there was no time tolose in returning to Melbourne, and prevent by a speedy marriage anyfurther attempt to set his intended father-in-law against him. Theroads were dry, for it was the sultry month of February; and two dayssaw him beside his lady-love. 

Although railroads are as yet unknown in Australia, everything goes onat railroad speed; and a marriage concocted one day is frequentlysolemnized the next. His eagerness, therefore, was no way remarkable. No time was lost; and when, three days after Mike's return, Robert(with his head full of plots and machinations) presented himselfat old Hinton's door, he found them all at a well-spread weddingbreakfast, round which were gathered a merry party, listening with adigger's interest to the way in which the happy bridegroom had evadedthe inspector. Mike had wisely kept the story till Susan was his wife. 

THURSDAY 16. --With great delight we hailed the prognostications of afine day, and, after having eaten a hearty breakfast on the strength ofit, we recommenced our travels, and crossed the Coliban Bridge. TheColiban is a fine river running through a beautiful valley bounded withgreen trees; the bridge is a timber one, out of repair, and dangerous. A township called Malmsbury has been laid out here in small allotmentswith the expectation of a future city; but as yet not a house has beenerected, with the exception of the "hotel" before mentioned, puttingone in mind of the American Eden in "Martin Chuzzlewit. " A mile beyondthe Coliban are the washing huts of John Orr's Station, and about threemiles to the left is his residence; the house is stone, with verandahs, the garden and vineyards are prettily laid out. 

After passing the bridge, we took the right-hand road, which ledus through a low country, and across two or three tributary creeks; wethen reached the neighbourhood of Saw-pit Gully, so called from thenumber of saw-pits there, which formerly gave employment to numeroussawyers, whose occupation--it is almost needless to state--is nowdeserted. It is surrounded with fine large timber; there are severalcoffee-shops, a blacksmith's and wheelright's, and a neat littleweather-board inn. 

At this part, our German friends bade us farewell, to follow out theiroriginal plan of going to Forest Creek; they had persuaded four othersto accompany them, so our number was reduced to fifteen, myselfincluded. The scenery now became very beautiful, diversified with hilland dale, well wooded, with here and there a small creek, moreagreeable to look at than to cross, as there were either no bridges orbroken-down ones. The loveliness of the weather seemed to impart energyeven to our horses; and we did not pitch our tents till we hadtravelled full sixteen miles. We were now close beside Mount Alexander, which is nearly covered with timber, chiefly white gum, wattleand stringy bark. 

FRIDAY, 17. --A lovely morning; we proceeded in excellent spirits, passing some beautiful scenery, though rather monotonous. During thefirst few miles, we went across many little creeks, in theneighbourhood of which were indications that the diggers had been atwork. These symptoms we hailed with intense delight. Gregory told usthe history of a hole in this neighbourhood, out of which five peoplecleared 13, 000 pounds worth of gold each in about a few hours. In lieu ofsinking a shaft, they commenced in a gully (colonial for valley), anddrove a hole on an inclined plane up the side of the hill or rise. However wet the season, they could never be inconvenienced, as the veryinclination would naturally drain the hole. Such a precaution was notneeded, as the whole party were perfectly satisfied with the successthey had had without toiling for more. The country between here and the"Porcupine Inn" is exceedingly beautiful--not unlike many parts in thelowlands of Wales. About eight miles on the road we pass Barker'sCreek, which runs through a beautiful vale. 

We camped this evening about four or five miles from Bendigo, and some miles from the "Porcupine Inn, " which we left behind us. The"Porcupine" is a newly built inn on an old spot, for I believe therewas an inn in existence there before the diggings were ever heard orthought of. The accommodation appears on rather a small scale. Near itis a portion of the station of the Messrs. Gibson, through which thepublic road runs; some parts are fine, others wooded and swampy. 

SATURDAY, 18. --Fine day; we now approached Bendigo. The timber here isvery large. Here we first beheld the majestic iron bark, EUCALYPTI, thetrunks of which are fluted with the exquisite regularity of a Doriccolumn; they are in truth the noblest ornaments of these mightyforests. A few miles further, and the diggings themselves burst uponour view. Never shall I forget that scene, it well repaid a journeyeven of sixteen thousand miles. The trees had been all cut down; itlooked like a sandy plain, or one vast unbroken succession of countlessgravel pits--the earth was everywhere turned up--men's headsin every direction were popping up and down from their holes. Wellmight an Australian writer, in speaking of Bendigo, term it "TheCarthage of the Tyre of Forest Creek. " The rattle of the cradle, as itswayed to and fro, the sounds of the pick and shovel, the busy hum ofso many thousands, the innumerable tents, the stores with large flagshoisted above them, flags of every shape, colour, and nation, from thelion and unicorn of England to the Russian eagle, the strange yetpicturesque costume of the diggers themselves, all contributed torender the scene novel in the extreme. 

We hurried through this exciting locality as quickly as possible; and, after five miles travelling, reached the Eagle Hawk Gully, where wepitched our tents, supped, and retired to rest--though, for myself atleast, not to sleep. The excitement of the day was sufficient cure fordrowsiness. Before proceeding with an account of our doings at theEagle Hawk, I will give a slight sketch of the character andpeculiarities of the diggings themselves, which are of course notconfined to one spot, but are the characteristics that usuallyexist in any auriferous regions, where the diggers are at work. I willleave myself, therefore, safely ensconced beneath a tent at the EagleHawk, and take a slight and rapid survey of the principal diggings inthe neighbourhood from Saw-pit Gully to Sydney Flat. 

Chapter VI. 

THE DIGGINGS

Of the history of the discovery of gold in Australia I believe few areignorant; it is therefore necessary that my recapitulation of it shouldbe as brief as possible. The first supposed discovery took place somesixty years ago, at Port Jackson. A convict made known to GovernorPhillip the existence of an auriferous region near Sydney, and on thelocality being examined, particles of real gold-dust were found. Everyone was astonished, and several other spots were tried without success. Suspicion was now excited, and the affair underwent a thoroughexamination, which elicited the following facts. The convict, inthe hope of obtaining his pardon as a reward, had filed a guinea andsome brass buttons, which, judiciously mixed, made a tolerable pile ofgold-dust, and this he carefully distributed over a small tract ofsandy land. In lieu of the expected freedom, his ingenuity was rewardedwith close confinement and other punishments. Thus ended the first ideaof a gold-field in those colonies. 

In 1841 the Rev. W. B. Clarke expressed his belief in the existence ofgold in the valley of the Macquarie, and this opinion was greatlyconfirmed by the observations of European geologists on the UralianMountains. In 1849 an indisputable testimony was added to theseopinions by a Mr. Smith, who was then engaged in some iron works, nearBerrima, and who brought a splendid specimen of gold in quartz to theColonial Secretary. Sir C. A. Fitzroy evinced little sympathy with thediscovery, and in a despatch to Lord Grey upon the subject, expressedhis opinion that "any investigation that the Government might institutewith the view of ascertaining whether gold did in reality exist to anyextent or value in that part of the colony where it was supposedfrom its geological formation that metal would be found, would onlytend to agitate the public mind, &c. "

Suddenly, in 1851, at the time that the approaching opening of theCrystal Palace was the principal subject of attention in England, thecolonies of Australia were in a state of far greater excitement, as thenews spread like wild-fire, far and wide, that gold was really there. To Edward Hammond Hargreaves be given the honour of this discovery. This gentleman was an old Australian settler, just returned from a tripto California, where he had been struck by the similarity of thegeological formation of the mountain ranges in his adopted country tothat of the Sacramento district. On his return, he immediately searchedfor the precious metal; Ophir, the Turon, and Bathurst well repaid hislabour. Thus commenced the gold diggings of New South Wales. 

The good people of Victoria were rather jealous of the importance givenby these events to the other colony. Committees were formed, andrewards were offered for the discovery of a gold-field in Victoria. Theannouncement of the Clunes Diggings in July, 1851, was theresult; they were situated on a tributary of the Loddon. On September 8, those of Ballarat, and on the 10th those of Mount Alexandercompletely satisfied the most sceptical as to the vast mineral wealthof the colony. Bendigo soon was heard of; and gully after gullysuccessively attracted the attention of the public by the display oftheir golden treasures. 

The names given to these gullies open a curious field of speculation. Many have a sort of digger's tradition respecting their firstdiscovery. The riches of Peg Leg Gully were brought to light throughthe surfacing of three men with wooden legs, who were unable to sink ahole in the regular way. Golden Gully was discovered by a man who, whilst lounging on the ground and idly pulling up the roots of grasswithin his reach, found beneath one a nest of golden nuggets. EagleHawk derives its name from the number of eagle-hawks seen in the gullybefore the sounds of the pick and shovel drove them away. Murderer'sFlat and Choke'em Gully tell their own tale. The Irish clan together inTipperary Gully. A party of South Australians gave the name of theirchief town to Adelaide Gully. The Iron Bark is so called fromthe magnificent trees which abound there. Long, Piccaninny, and DustyGully need no explanation. The Jim Crow ranges are appropriately socalled, for it is only by keeping up a sort of Jim Crow dancingmovement that one can travel about there; it is the roughest piece ofcountry at the diggings. White Horse Gully obtained its name from awhite horse whose hoofs, whilst the animal in a rage was plunging hereand there, flung up the surface ground and disclosed the treasuresbeneath. In this gully was found the famous "John Bull Nugget, " latelyexhibited in London. The party to whom it belonged consisted of threepoor sailors; the one who actually discovered it had only been afortnight at the diggings. The nugget weighed forty-five pounds, andwas only a few inches beneath the surface. It was sold for 5, 000 pounds; agood morning's work that!

Let us take a stroll round Forest Creek--what a novel scene!--thousandsof human beings engaged in digging, wheeling, carrying, and washing, intermingled with no little grumbling, scolding and swearing. We approach first the old Post-office Square; next our eye glancesdown Adelaide Gully, and over the Montgomery and White Hills, all pretty well dug up; now we pass the Private Escort Station, andLittle Bendigo. At the junction of Forest, Barker, and Campbell Creekswe find the Commissioners' quarters--this is nearly five miles fromour starting point. We must now return to Adelaide Gully, and keepalongside Adelaide Creek, till we come to a high range of rocks, whichwe cross, and then find ourselves near the head-waters of Fryer'sCreek. Following that stream towards the Loddon, we pass theinteresting neighbourhood of Golden Gully, Moonlight Flat, Windlass andRed Hill; this latter which covers about two acres of ground is socalled from the colour of the soil, it was the first found, and isstill considered as the richest auriferous spot near Mount Alexander. In the wet season, it was reckoned that on Moonlight Flat one man wasdaily buried alive from the earth falling into his hole. Proceedingnorth-east in the direction of Campbell's Creek, we again reach theCommissioners' tent. 

The principal gullies about Bendigo are Sailors's, Napoleon, Pennyweight, Peg Leg, Growler's, White Horse, Eagle Hawk, Californian, American, Derwent, Long, Picaninny, Iron Bark, Black Man's, Poor Man's, Dusty, Jim Crow, Spring, and Golden--also Sydney Flat, and SpecimenHill--Haverton Gully, and the Sheep-wash. Most of these places arewell-ransacked and tunnelled, but thorough good wages may always beprocured by tin dish washing in deserted holes, or surface washing. 

It is not only the diggers, however, who make money at the Gold Fields. Carters, carpenters, storemen, wheelwrights, butchers, shoemakers, &c. , usually in the long run make a fortune quicker than the diggersthemselves, and certainly with less hard work or risk of life. They canalways get from one to two pounds a day without rations, whereas they maydig for weeks and get nothing. Living is not more expensive than inMelbourne: meat is generally from 4d. To 6d. A pound, flour about 1s. 6da pound, (this is the most expensive article in house-keepingthere, ) butter must be dispensed with, as that is seldom less than4s. A pound, and only successful diggers can indulge in such articles ascheese, pickles, ham, sardines, pickled salmon, or spirits, asall these things, though easily procured if you have gold to throwaway, are expensive, the last-named article (diluted with water orsomething less innoxious) is only to be obtained for 30s. A bottle. 

The stores, which are distinguished by a flag, are numerous and wellstocked. A new style of lodging and boarding house is in great vogue. It is a tent fitted up with stringy bark couches, ranged down each sidethe tent, leaving a narrow passage up the middle. The lodgers aresupplied with mutton, damper, and tea, three times a day, for thecharge of 5s. A meal, and 5s. For the bed; this is by the week, acasual guest must pay double, and as 18 inches is on an averageconsidered ample width to sleep in, a tent 24 feet long will bring in agood return to the owner. 

The stores at the diggings are large tents, generally square or oblong, and everything required by a digger can be obtained for money, fromsugar-candy to potted anchovies; from East India pickles to Bass's paleale; from ankle jack boots to a pair of stays; from a baby's cap to acradle; and every apparatus for mining, from a pick to a needle. Butthe confusion--the din--the medley--what a scene for a shopwalker! Here lies a pair of herrings dripping into a bag of sugar, or abox of raisins; there a gay-looking bundle of ribbons beneath twotumblers, and a half-finished bottle of ale. Cheese and butter, breadand yellow soap, pork and currants, saddles and frocks, wide-awakes andblue serge shirts, green veils and shovels, baby linen and tallowcandles, are all heaped indiscriminately together; added to which, there are children bawling, men swearing, store-keeper sulky, and last, not LEAST, women's tongues going nineteen to the dozen. 

Most of the store-keepers are purchasers of gold either for cash or inexchange for goods, and many are the tricks from which unsuspectingdiggers suffer. One great and outrageous trick is to weigh the parcelsseparately, or divide the whole, on the excuse that the weight would betoo much for the scales; and then, on adding up the grains andpennyweights, the sellers often lose at least half an ounce. On oneoccasion, out of seven pounds weight, a party once lost an ounce andthree quarters in this manner. There is also the old method of falsebeams--one in favour of the purchaser--and here, unless theseller weighs in both pans, he loses considerably. Another mode ofcheating is to have glass pans resting on a piece of green baize; underthis baize, and beneath the pan which holds the weights, is a wettedsponge, which causes that pan to adhere to the baize, and consequentlyit requires more gold to make it level; this, coupled with the falsereckoning, is ruinous to the digger. In town, the Jews have a system ofrobbing a great deal from sellers before they purchase the gold-dust(for in these instances it must be DUST): it is thrown into a zinc panwith slightly raised sides, which are well rubbed over with grease; andunder the plea of a careful examination, the purchaser shakes and rubsthe dust, and a considerable quantity adheres to the sides. A commonerpractice still is for examiners of gold-dust to cultivate longfinger-nails, and, in drawing the fingers about it, gather some up. 

Sly grog selling is the bane of the diggings. Many--perhapsnine-tenths--of the diggers are honest industrious men, desirous ofgetting a little there as a stepping-stone to independence elsewhere;but the other tenth is composed of outcasts and transports--the refuseof Van Diemen's Land--men of the most depraved and abandonedcharacters, who have sought and gained the lowest abyss of crime, andwho would a short time ago have expiated their crimes on a scaffold. They generally work or rob for a space, and when well stocked withgold, retire to Melbourne for a month or so, living in drunkenness anddebauchery. If, however, their holiday is spent at the diggings, thesly grog-shop is the last scene of their boisterous career. Spiritselling is strictly prohibited; and although Government will license arespectable public-house on the ROAD, it is resolutely refused ON thediggings. The result has been the opposite of that which it wasintended to produce. There is more drinking and rioting at the diggingsthan elsewhere, the privacy and risk gives the obtaining it anexcitement which the diggers enjoy as much as the spirit itself; andwherever grog is sold on the sly, it will sooner or later be the sceneof a riot, or perhaps murder. Intemperance is succeeded by quarrellingand fighting, the neighbouring tents report to the police, and theoffenders are lodged in the lock-up; whilst the grog-tent, spirits, wine, &c. , are seized and taken to the Commissioners. Some ofthe stores, however, manage to evade the law rather cleverly--asspirits are not SOLD, "my friend" pays a shilling more for his fig oftobacco, and his wife an extra sixpence for her suet; and they smile atthe store-man, who in return smiles knowingly at them, and then glassesare brought out, and a bottle produced, which sends forth NOT afragrant perfume on the sultry air. 

It is no joke to get ill at the diggings; doctors make you pay for it. Their fees are--for a consultation, at their own tent, ten shillings;for a visit out, from one to ten pounds, according to time anddistance. Many are regular quacks, and these seem to flourish best. Theprincipal illnesses are weakness of sight, from the hot winds and sandysoil, and dysentery, which is often caused by the badly-cooked food, bad water, and want of vegetables. 

The interior of the canvas habitation of the digger is desolate enough;a box on a block of wood forms a table, and this is the only furniture;many dispense with that. The bedding, which is laid on the ground, serves to sit upon. Diogenes in his tub would not have looked morecomfortless than any one else. Tin plates and pannicans, thesame as are used for camping up, compose the breakfast, dinner, and teaservice, which meals usually consist of the same dishes--mutton, damper, and tea. 

In some tents the soft influence of our sex is pleasingly apparent: thetins are as bright as silver, there are sheets as well as blankets onthe beds, and perhaps a clean counterpane, with the addition of a drysack or piece of carpet on the ground; whilst a pet cockatoo, chainedto a perch, makes noise enough to keep the "missus" from feeling lonelywhen the good man is at work. Sometimes a wife is at first rather anuisance; women get scared and frightened, then cross, and commence a"blow up" with their husbands; but all their railing generally ends intheir quietly settling down to this rough and primitive style ofliving, if not without a murmur, at least to all appearance with thedetermination to laugh and bear it. And although rough in theirmanners, and not over select in their address, the digger seldomwilfully injures a woman; in fact, a regular Vandemonian will, in hisway, play the gallant with as great a zest as a fashionable abouttown--at any rate, with more sincerity of heart. 

Sunday is kept at the diggings in a very orderly manner; andamong the actual diggers themselves, the day of rest is taken in aVERBATIM sense. It is not unusual to have an established clergymanholding forth near the Commissioners' tent and almost within hearingwill be a tub orator expounding the origin of evil, whilst a "mill" (afight with fisticuffs) or a dog fight fills up the background. 

But night at the diggings is the characteristic time: murderhere--murder there--revolvers cracking--blunderbusses bombing--riflesgoing off--balls whistling--one man groaning with a broken leg--anothershouting because he couldn't find the way to his hole, and athird equally vociferous because he has tumbled into one--this manswearing--an other praying--a party of bacchanals chanting variousditties to different time and tune, or rather minus both. Here is oneman grumbling because he has brought his wife with him, another dittobecause he has left his behind, or sold her for an ounce of gold or abottle of rum. Donnybrook Fair is not to be compared to an evening atBendigo. 

Success at the diggings is like drawing lottery tickets--theblanks far outnumber the prizes; still, with good health, strength, andabove all perseverance, it is strange if a digger does not in the endreap a reward for his labour. Meanwhile, he must endure almostincredible hardships. In the rainy season, he must not murmur ifcompelled to work up to his knees in water, and sleep on the wetground, without a fire, in the pouring rain, and perhaps no shelterabove him more waterproof than a blanket or a gum tree; and this notfor once only, but day after day, night after night. In the summer, hemust work hard under a burning sun, tortured by the mosquito and thelittle stinging March flies, or feel his eyes smart and his throat growdry and parched, as the hot winds, laden with dust, pass over him. Howgrateful now would be a draught from some cold sparkling streamlet;but, instead, with what sort of water must he quench his thirst? Muchthe same, gentle reader, as that which runs down the sides of a dirtyroad on a rainy day, and for this a shilling a bucket must be paid. Hardships such as these are often the daily routine of a digger's life;yet, strange to say, far from depressing the spirits or weakening theframe, they appear in most cases to give strength and energy toboth. This is principally owing to the climate, which even in the wetseason is mild and salubrious. 

Perhaps nothing will speak better for the general order that prevailsat the diggings, than the small amount of physical force maintainedthere by Government to keep some thousands of persons of all ages, classes, characters, religions and countries in good humour with thelaws and with one another. The military force numbers 130, officers andmen; the police about 300. 

The Government escort is under the control of Mr. Wright, ChiefCommissioner; it consists of about forty foot and sixty mounted police, with the usual complement of inspectors and sergeants; their uniform isblue--with white facings, their head-quarters are by theCommissioners' tent, Forest Creek. 

The private escort uniform is a plain blue frock coat and trowsers. Itis under the superintendence of Mr. Wilkinson; the head-quarters are atMontgomery Hill, Forest Creek. Both these escorts charge one per centfor conveying gold. 

For the Victoria diggings, there is a Chief Commissioner, oneActing Resident Commissioner; one Assistant Commissioner at Ballarat, one at Fryer's Creek, five at Forest Creek, and six at Bendigo. 

Provision is made by Government for the support, at the mines, of twoclergymen of each of the four State paid churches of England, Scotland, Rome, and Wesleyan, at a salary of 300 pounds a year. 

Chapter VII. 

EAGLE HAWK GULLY

Before commencing an account of our operations at the Eagle Hawk, itwill be necessary to write a few words in description of ourgold-digging party there; their Christian names will be sufficientdistinction, and will leave their incognito undisturbed. 

This party, as I have said before, consisted of five gentlemen, including my brother. Of the latter I shall only say that he was youngand energetic, more accustomed to use his brains than his fingers, yetwith a robust frame, and muscles well strengthened by the variousexercises of boating, cricketing, &c. , with which our embryocollegians attempt to prepare themselves for keeping their "terms. "

Frank ------ (who, from being a married man, was looked up to as the headof our rather juvenile party) was of a quiet and sedate disposition, rather given to melancholy, for which in truth he had cause. Hismarriage had taken place without the sanction--or rather in defiance ofthe wishes--of his parents, for his wife was portionless, and in astation a few grades, as they considered, below his own; moreover, Frank himself was not of age. Private income, independent of hisparents, he had none. A situation as clerk in a merchant's office washis only resource, and during three years he had eked out his salary tosupport a delicate wife--whose ill health was a neverfailing source ofanxiety and expense--two infants, and himself. An unexpected legacy of500 pounds from a distant relative at last seemed to open a brighterprospect before them; and leaving his wife and children with theirrelatives, he quitted England to seek in a distant land a better home thanall his exertions could procure for them in their own country. I neverfelt surprised or offended at his silent and preoccupied manner, accompanied at times by great depression of spirits, for it was anawful responsibility for one so young, brought up as he had been in thegreatest luxury, as the eldest son of a wealthy merchant, to have notonly himself but others nearest and dearest to maintain by his ownexertions. 

William ------, a tall, slight, and rather delicate looking man, is thenext of our party whom I shall mention. His youth had been passed atChrist's Hospital. This he quitted with the firm conviction (in whichall his friends of course participated) that he had been greatlywronged by not having been elected a Grecian; and a rich uncle, incitedby the beforementioned piece of injustice, took him under his care, andpromised to settle him in the world as soon as a short apprenticeshipto business had been gone through. A sudden illness put a stop to allthese schemes. The physicians recommended change of air, a warmerclimate, a trip to Australia. William had relatives residing inMelbourne, so the journey was quickly decided upon, a cabin taken; andthe invalid rapidly recovering beneath the exhilarating effects of thesea-breezes. How refreshing are they to the sick! how caressingly doesthe soft sea-air fan the wan cheeks of those exhausted with a lifepassed amidst the brick walls and crowded, noisy streets of a city;and William, who at first would have laughed at so ridiculous asupposition, ere the four months' voyage was terminated, had gainedstrength and spirits sufficient to make him determine to undertake atrip to the diggings. 

He was a merry light-hearted fellow, fonder of a joke than hard work, yet ever keeping a sharp eye to the "main chance, " as the followinganecdote will prove. 

One day during our stay in Melbourne he came to me, and said, laughing:

"Well! I've got rid of one of the bad HABITS I had on board the ----. "

"Which?" was my reply. 

"That old frock-coat I used to wear in the cold weather whilst werounded the Cape. A fellow down at Liardet's admired the cut, asked meto sell it. I charged him four guineas, and walked into town in myshirt-sleeves; soon colonized, eh?"

Richard ------ was a gay young fellow of twenty, the only son of a richmember of the stock Exchange. In a fit of spleen, because theparental regulations required him always to be at home by midnight, heshipped himself off to Australia, trusting that so energetic a step"would bring the govenor to his senses. " He was music-mad, and appearedto know every opera by heart, and wearied us out of all patience withhis everlasting humming of "Ciascun lo dice" "Non piu mesta, " &c. 

Octavius ------ was the eighth son of a poor professional man, who, aftergiving him a good general education, sent him with a small capital totry his fortune in the colonies. For this he was in every way wellfitted, being possessed of a strong constitution, good common sense, and simple inexpensive habits; he was only nineteen, and the youngestof the male portion of our party. 

The day after our arrival at the diggings, being Sunday, we passed inmaking ourselves comfortable, and devising our future plans. Wedetermined to move from our present quarters, and pitch our tentshigher up the gully, near Montgomery's store. This we accomplished thefirst thing on Monday morning and at about a hundred yards from us ourfour shipmates also fixed themselves, which added both to ourcomfort and security. 

A few words for their introduction. 

One of them was a Scotchman, who wished to make enough capital at themines to invest in a sheep-run; and as his countrymen are proverbiallyfortunate in the colonies, I think it possible he may some time hencebe an Australian MILLIONAIRE. Another of these was an architect, whowas driven, as it were, to the diggings, because his profession, fromthe scarcity of labour, was at the time almost useless in Melbourne. The third was, or rather had been, a house-painter and decorator, whounfortunately possessed a tolerably fine voice, which led him graduallyto abandon a good business to perform at concerts. Too late he foundthat he had dropped the substance for the shadow; emigration seemed hisonly resource; so leaving a wife and large family behind, he broughthis mortified vanity and ruined fortunes to begin the world anew within Australia. He was the only one whose means prevented him from takinga share in our venture; but to avoid confusion, the Scotchmansubscribed twice the usual sum, thus securing double Profits. The fourth was a gentleman farmer, whose sole enemy, by his account, was Free Trade, and who held the names Cobden and Bright in utterdetestation. 

As soon as the tents were pitched, all set to work to unpack the dray:and after taking out sufficient flour, sugar, tea, &c. , for use, theremainder of the goods were taken to the nearest store, where they weresold at an average of five times their original costs: the mostprofitable portion of the cargo consisted of some gunpowder andpercusion-caps. The day after, by good fortune, we disposed of the drayand horses for 250 pounds, being only 40 pounds less than we paid forthem. As the cost of keeping horses at the diggings is very great(sometimes two or three pounds a day per head), besides the constant riskof their being lost or stolen, we were well satisfied with the bargain;and never did mind young speculators, who five months previous had beenutter strangers, accomplish their undertaking to themselves, or lessdisagreement one with another. 

This business settled, the next was to procure licences, whichwas a walk of nearly five miles to the Commissioners' tent, Bendigo, and wasted the best part of Wednesday. 

Meanwhile we were Seriously debating about again changing our quarters. We found it almost impossible to sleep. Never before could I haveimagined that a woman's voice could utter sounds sufficientlydiscordant to drive repose far from us, yet so it was. 

The gentlemen christened her "the amiable female. "

The tent of this "amiable" personage was situated at right angles withours and our shipmates, so that the annoyance was equally felt. Whilsther husband was at work farther down the gully, she kept a sort of slygrog-shop, and passed the day in selling and drinking spirits, swearing, and smoking a short tobacco-pipe at the door of her tent. Shewas a most repulsive looking object. A dirty gaudy-coloured dress hungunfastened about her shoulders, coarse black hair unbrushed, uncombed, dangled about her face, over which her evil habits had spread agenuine bacchanalian glow, whilst in a loud masculine voice she utteredthe most awful words that ever disgraced the mouth of man tenthousand times more awful when proceeding from a woman's lips. 

But night was the dreadful time; then, if her husband had been unlucky, or herself made fewer profits during the day, it was misery to bewithin earshot; so much so, that we decided to leave so uncomfortable aneighbourhood without loss of time, and carrying our tents, &c. , higherup the gully we finally pitched them not far from the Portland Stores. 

This was done on Thursday, and the same evening two different claimswere marked out ready to commence working the next day. These claimswere the usual size, eight feet square. 

FRIDAY, 24. --Early this morning our late travelling companion, Joe, madehis appearance with a sack (full of bran, he said, ) on his shoulders. After a little confidential talk with William, he left the sack in ourtent, as he had no other safe place to stow it away in till the branwas sold. This gave rise to no suspicion, and in the excitement ofdigging was quite forgotten. 

About noon I contrived to have a damper and a large joint of bakedmutton ready for the "day labourers, " as they styled themselves. Themutton was baked in a large camp oven suspended from three iron bars, which were fixed in the ground in the form of a triangle, about a yardapart, and were joined together at the top, at which part the oven washung over a wood fire. This grand cooking machine was, of course, outside the tent. Sometimes I have seen a joint of meat catch fire inone of these ovens, and it is difficult to extinguish it before the fathas burnt itself away, when the meat looks like a cinder. 

Our butcher would not let us have less than half a sheep at a time, forwhich we paid 8s. I was not good housekeeper enough to know how much itweighed, but the meat was very good. Flour was then a shilling a pound, or two hundred pounds weight for nine pounds in money. Sugar was 1s. 6d. , and tea 3s. 6d. Fortunately we were Well provided with these threelatter articles. 

The hungry diggers did ample justice to the dinner I had provided forthem. They brought home a tin-dish full of surface soil, which inthe course of the afternoon I attempted to wash. 

Tin-dish-washing is difficult to describe. It requires a watchful eyeand a skilful hand; it is the most mysterious department of thegold-digging business. The tin dish (which, of course, is round) isgenerally about eighteen inches across the top, and twelve across thebottom, with sloping sides of three or four inches deep. The one I usedwas rather smaller. Into it I placed about half the "dirt"--digger'stechnical term for earth, or soil--that they had brought, filled thedish up with water, and then with a thick stick commenced making itinto a batter; this was a most necessary commencement, as the soil wasof a very stiff clay. I then let this batter--I know no name moreappropriate for it--settle, and carefully poured off the water at thetop. I now added some clean water, and repeated the operation of mixingit up; and after doing this several times, the "dirt, " of course, gradually diminishing, I was overjoyed to see a few bright specks, whichI carefully picked out, and with renewed energy continued this by nomeans elegant work. Before the party returned to tea I had washed out allthe stuff, and procured from it nearly two pennyweights of gold-dust, worth about 6s. Or 7s. 

Tin-dish-washing is generally done beside a stream, and it isastonishing how large a quantity of "dirt" those who have the knack ofdoing it well and quickly can knock off in the course of the day. To dothis, however, requires great manual dexterity, and much gold is lostby careless washing. A man once extracted ten pounds weight of theprecious metal from a heap of soil which his mate had washed toohurriedly. 

In the evening Joe made his re-appearance, carrying another sack on hisshoulders, which contained a number of empty bottles, and now for thefirst time we became initiated into the BRAN mystery which had oftenpuzzled us on the road--it seemed so strange a thing to carry up to thediggings. Joe laughed at our innocence, and denied having told usanything approaching a falsehood; a slight suppression of the truth wasall he would plead guilty to. I verily believe William had put him upto this dodge, to make us smile when we should have felt annoyed. Beingtaxed with deceit, said he: "I told you two-thirds truth; therewanted but two more letters to make it BRANDY, " and with the greatestSANG-FROID he drew out a small keg of brandy from the first sack andhalf-filled the bottles with the spirit, after which he filled them allup to the neck with water. The bottles were then corked, and any or allof them politely offered to us at the rate of 30s a piece. We declinedpurchasing, but he sold them all during the evening, for which we wererather glad, as, had they been discovered by the officials in our tent, a fine of 50 pounds would have been the consequence of our foolishcomrades good-nature and joke-loving propensities. 

We afterwards found that Master Joe had played the same trick with ourshipmates and with the two doctors, who had bought a tent and settledthemselves near our old place by Montgomery's store. 

SATURDAY, 25. --The two holes were "bottomed" before noon with no payingresult. It had been hard work, and they were rather low-spirited aboutit. The rest of the day they spent in washing some surface-soil, andaltogether collected about I ounce and a half of gold-dust, counting the little I had washed out on the Friday. In the evening itwas all dried by being placed in a spade over a quick fire. We hadbefore determined to square accounts and divide the gold every Saturdaynight, but this small quantity was not worth the trouble, so it waslaid by in the digger's usual treasury, a German match-box. These roundboxes hold on an average eight ounces of gold. 

These two unproductive holes had not been very deep. The top, orsurface soil, for which a spade or shovel is used, was of clay. Thiswas succeeded by a strata almost as hard as iron--technically called"burnt stuff, "--which robbed the pick of its points nearly as soon as theblacksmith had steeled them at a charge of 2s. 6d. A point. Luckily fortheir arms, this strata was but thin, and the yellow or blue clay whichfollowed was comparatively easy work--here and there an awkward lump ofquartz required the use of the pick. Suddenly they came to someglittering particles of yellow, which, with heartfelt delight theyhailed as gold. It WAS MICA. Many are at first deceived by it, but itis soon distinguished by its weight, as the mica will blow away withthe slightest puff. After a little useless digging among theclay, they reached the solid rock, and thus having fairly "bottomed, "the holes to no purpose, they abandoned them. 

SUNDAY, 26. --Although impossible at the diggings to keep this day withthose outward observances which are customary in civilized life, weattempted to make as much difference as possible between the day ofrest and that of work. Frank performed the office of chaplain, and readthe morning service in the calm and serious manner which we expectedfrom him. 

I was rather amused to see the alacrity with which, when this slightservice was over, they all prepared to assist me in the formation of ahuge plum-pudding for the Sunday's dinner. Stoning plums and choppingsuet seemed to afford them immense pleasure--I suppose it was anovelty; and, contrary to the fact implied in the old adage, "too manycooks spoil the broth" our pudding turned out A1. 

In the afternoon we strolled about, and paid a visit to our shipmates. I was certainly most agreeably surprised by the quiet and order thateverywhere prevailed. 

MONDAY, 27. --Today our party commenced "sinking" in a new spot at somelittle distance. The first layer of black soil was removed, and on somebeing washed in a tin dish, it was found to contain a tolerable portionof gold, and was pronounced to be worth transporting to the tent to beregularly cradled. My first official notice of this fact was fromRichard, who entered the tent humming "Suona la tromba, " with a bucketfull of this heavy soil in each hand. He broke off in the middle of hissong to ask for some water to drink, and grumbled most energetically atsuch dirty work. He then gave me an account of the morning's doings. After a thin layer of the black surface soil, it appeared they had cometo a strata of thick yellow clay, in which gold was often veryabundant. This soil, from being so stiff, would require "puddling, " awork of which he did not seem to relish the anticipation. Before theday was over, a great number of buckets full of both soils were broughtup and deposited in heaps near the tents. All, with the exception ofthe "operatic" Richard, seemed in good spirits, and were well satisfiedwith what had been done in so short a time. 

In the evening the other party of our shipmates arrived, and were busyfixing their tent at a distance of about forty yards from us. Frank andthe other four, though pretty tired with the days labour, lent ahelping hand, the united efforts of nine speedily accomplished thisbusiness, after which an immense quantity of cold mutton, damper, andtea made a rapid disappearance, almost emptying my larder, which, bythe bye, was an old tea-chest. 

We asked our friends their motive for leaving the old spot, and theydeclared they could stand the "amiable female" no longer; she grewworse and worse. "Her tongue was sich" observed the Scotchman, "as waddrive ony puir beastie wild. " She had regularly quarrelled with the twodoctors because they would not give her a written certificate, that thestate of her health required the constant use of spirits. She offered themtwo guineas for it, which they indignantly refused, and she then declaredher intention of injuring their practice as much as possible, which shehad power to do, as her tent was of an evening quite the centre ofattraction and her influence proportionably great. Pity 'tis that such awoman should be able to mar or make the fortunes of her fellowcreatures. 

TUESDAY, 28. --The holes commenced yesterday were duly "bottomed, " but nonice pocket-full of gold was the result; our shipmates, however, metwith better success, having found three small nuggets weighing two tofour ounces each at a depth of not quite five feet from the surface. 

WEDNESDAY, 29. --To-day was spent in puddling and cradling. 

Puddling is on the same principle as tin-dish-washing, only on a muchlarger scale. Great wooden tubs are filled with the dirt and freshwater, and the former is chopped about in all directions with a spade, so as to set the metal free from the adhesive soil and pipe-clay. Sometimes I have seen energetic diggers tuck up their trowsers, offwith their boots, step into the tub, and crush it about with their feetin the same manner as tradition affirms that the London bakers kneadtheir bread. Every now and again the dirtied water is poured offgently, and with a fresh supply, which is furnished by a mate with along-handled dipper from the stream or pool, you puddle away. Thegreat thing is, not to be afraid Of over-work, for the betterthe puddling is, so much the more easy and profitable is the cradling. After having been well beaten in the tubs, the "dirt" is put into thehopper of the cradle, which is then rocked gently, whilst another partykeeps up a constant supply of fresh water. In the right hand of thecradler is held a thick stick, ready to break up any clods which may bein the hopper, but which a good puddler would not have sent there. 

There was plenty of water near us, for a heavy rain during the nighthad filled several vacated holes, and as there were five pair of hands, we hoped, before evening, greatly to diminish our mud-heaps. 

Now for an account of our proceedings. 

Two large wooden tubs were firmly secured in the ground and four set towork puddling, whilst Frank busied himself in fixing the cradle. Hedrove two blocks into the ground; they were grooved for the rockers ofthe cradle to rest in, so as to let it rock with ease and regularity. The ground was lowered so as to give the cradle a slight slant, andthus enable the water to run off more quickly. If a cradle dipstoo much, a little gold may wash off with the light sand. The cradlingmachine, though simple in itself, is rather difficult to describe. Inshape and size it resembles an infant's cradle, and over that portionof it where, if for a baby, a hood would be, is a perforated plate withwooden sides, a few inches high all round, forming a sort of box withthe perforated plate for a bottom; this box is called the hopper. Thedirt is here placed, and the constant supply of water, after wellwashing the stuff, runs out through a hole made at the foot of thecradle. The gold generally rests on a wooden shelf under the hopper, though sometimes a good deal will run down with the water and dirt intoone of the compartments at the bottom, and to separate it from the sandor mud, tin-dish-washing is employed. 

As soon as sufficient earth was ready, one began to rock, and anotherto fill the hopper with water. Richard continued puddling, William, enacted Aquarius for him, whilst a fifth was fully occupied inconveying fresh dirt to the tubs, and taking the puddled stuff fromthem to the hopper of the cradle. Every now and then a change of handswas made, and thus passed the day. In the evening, the productswere found to be one small nugget weighing a quarter of an ounce, andin gold-dust eight pennyweights, ten grains, being worth, at thedigging price for gold, about thirty-five shillings. This was ratherless than we hard less calculated upon, and Richard signified hisintention of returning to Melbourne, "He could no longer put up withsuch ungentlemanly work in so very unintellectual a neighbourhood, withbad living into the bargain. " These last words, which were pronouncedSOTTO VOCE, gave us a slight clue to the real cause of his dislike tothe diggings, though we, did not thoroughly understand it till nextmorning. It originated in some bottles of mixed pickles which he had invain wanted Frank, who this week was caterer for the party, to purchaseat four shillings a bottle, which sum, as we were all on economicalthoughts intent, Frank refused to expend on any unnecessary article offood. This we learnt next morning at breakfast, when Richardcongratulated himself on that being the last meal he should make oftea, damper and muton, without the latter having something to render iteatable. The puddling and cradling work had, I fancy, given thefinishing stroke to his disgust. Poor Dick! he met with littlecommiseration: we could not but remember the thousands in the oldcountry who would have rejoiced at the simple fare he so much despised. William, in his laughing way, observed, "that he was too great a picklehimself, without buying fresh ones. "

Richard left us on Thursday morning, and with him went one of the otherparty, the house-painter and decorator, who also found gold-digging notso Pleasant as he had expected. We afterwards learnt that beforereaching Kilmore they separated. Richard arrived safely in Melbourne, and entered a goldbroker's office at a salary of three pounds a week, which situation I believe he now fills; and as "the governor, " to useRichard's own expression, "has not yet come to his senses, " he mustgreatly regret having allowed his temper to be the cause of his leavingthe comforts of home. His companion, who parted with Richard atKilmore, was robbed of what little gold he had, and otherwisemaltreated, whilst passing through the Black Forest. On reachingMelbourne, he sold everything he possessed, and that not beingsufficient, he borrowed enough to pay his passage back toEngland, where, doubtless, he will swell the number of those whose lackof success in the colonies, and vituperations against them, are onlyequalled by their unfitness ever to have gone there. 

Thursday was past in puddling and cradling, with rather better resultsthan on the first day, still it was not to our satisfaction, and onFriday two pits were sunk. One was shallow, and the bottom reachedwithout a speck of gold making its appearance. The other was left overtill the next morning. This was altogether very disheartening work, particularly as the expenses of living were not small. There were many, however, much worse off than ourselves, though here and there a luckydigger excited the envy of all around him. Many were the tricksresorted to in order to deceive new-comers. Holes were offered forsale, in which the few grains that were carefully placed in sight wasall that the buyer gained by his purchase. 

A scene of this description was enacted this Friday evening, at alittle distance from us. The principal actors in it were two in number. One sat a little way from his hole with a heap of soil by hisside, and a large tin dish nearly full of dirt in his hand. As heswayed the dish to and fro in the process of washing, an immensenumber of small nuggets displayed themselves, which fact in a loud tonehe announced to his "mate", at the same time swearing at him forkeeping at work so late in the evening. This digger, who was shovellingup more dirt from the hole, answered in the same elegant language, calling him an "idle good-for-nought. " Every now and then he threw asmall nugget to the tin-dish-washer, loudly declaring, "he'd not leaveoff while them bright bits were growing thick as taters underground. "

"Then be d----d if I don't!" shouted the other; "and I'll sell the holefor two hundred yeller boys down. "

This created a great sensation among the bystanders, who during thetime had collected round, and among whom was a party of three, evidently "new chums. "

"It shall go for a hundred and fifty!" again shouted the washer, givinga glance in the direction in which they stood. 

"Going for a hundred, tin-dish as well!" letting some of thewater run off, and displaying the gold. 

This decided the matter, and one of the three stepped forward andoffered the required sum. 

"Money down, " said the seller; "these here fellers 'll witness it's allreg'lar. "

The money was paid in notes, and the purchasers were about to commencepossession by taking the tin-dish out of his hand. 

"Wait till he's emptied. I promised yer the dish, but not the stuff init, " and turning out the dirt into a small tub the two worthiesdeparted, carrying the tub away with them. 

Not a grain of gold did the buyers find in the pit next morning. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2. --This day found the four hard at work at an earlyhour, and words will not describe our delight when they hit upon a"pocket" full of the precious metal. The "pocket" was situated in a darkcorner of the hole, and William was the one whose fossicking-knifefirst brought its hidden beauties to light. Nugget after nugget didthat dirty soil give up; by evening they had taken out fivepounds weight of gold. Foolish Richard! we all regretted his absence atthis discovery. 

As the next day was the Sabbath, thirty-six hours of suspense mustelapse before we could know whether this was but a passing kindnessfrom the fickle goddess, or the herald of continued good fortune. 

This night, for the first time, we were really in dread of an attack, though we had kept our success quite secret, not even mentioning it toour shipmates; nor did we intend to do so until Monday morning, whenour first business would be to mark out three more claims round thelucky spot, and send our gold down to the escort-office for security. For the present we were obliged to content ourselves with "planting"it--that is, burying it in the ground; and not a footstep passed in ourneighbourhood without our imagining ourselves robbed of the precioustreasure, and as it was Saturday night--the noisiest and most riotous atthe diggings--our panics were neither few nor far between. So true it isthat riches entail trouble and anxiety on their possessor. 

Chapter VIII. 

AN ADVENTURE

SUNDAY 3. --A fine morning. After our usual service Frank, my brother, and myself, determined on an exploring expedition, and off we went, leaving the dinner in the charge of the others. We left the busy throngof the diggers far behind us, and wandered into spots where the soundof the pick and shovel, or the noise of human traffic, had neverpenetrated. The scene and the day were in unison; all was harmonious, majestic, and serene. Those mighty forests, hushed in a sombre andawful silence; those ranges of undulating hill and dale never yettrodden by the foot of man; the soft still air, so still thatit left every leaf unruffled, flung an intensity of awe over ourfeelings, and led us from the contemplation of nature to worshipnature's God. 

We sat in silence for some while deeply impressed by all around us, and, whilst still sitting and gazing there, a change almostimperceptibly came over the face of both earth and sky. The forestswayed to and fro, a sighing moaning sound was borne upon the wind, anda noise as of the rush of waters, dark massive clouds rolled over thesky till the bright blue heavens were completely hidden, and then, erewe had recovered from our first alarm and bewilderment, the storm inits unmitigated fury burst upon us. The rain fell in torrents, and weknew not where to turn. 

Taking me between them, they succeeded in reaching an immense shea-oak, under which we hoped to find some shelter till the violence of the rainhad diminished; nor where we disappointed, though it was long before wecould venture to leave our place of refuge. At length however, we didso, and endeavoured to find our way back to Eagle Hawk Gully. Hopelesstask! The ground was so slippery, it was as much as we could doto walk without falling; the mud and dirt clung to our boots, and aheavy rain beat against our faces and nearly blinded us. 

"It is clearing up to windward, " observed Frank; "another half-hour andthe rain will be all but over; let us return to our tree again. "

We did so. Frank was correct; in less than the time he had specified aslight drizzling rain was all of the storm that remained. 

With much less difficulty we again attempted to return home, but beforevery long we made the startling discovery that we had completely lostour way, and to add to our misfortune the small pocket-compass, whichFrank had brought with him, and which would have now so greatlyassisted us, was missing, most probably dropped from his pocket duringthe skirmish to get under shelter. We still wandered along till stoppedby the shades of evening, which came upon us--there is little or notwilight in Australia. 

We seated ourselves upon the trunk of a fallen tree, wet, hungry, and, worst of all, ignorant of where we were. Shivering with cold, and our wet garments hanging most uncomfortably around us, weendeavoured to console one another by reflecting that the next morningwe could not fail to reach our tents. The rain had entirely ceased, andprovidentially for us the night was pitch dark--I say providentially, because after having remained for two hours in this wretched plight asmall light in the distance became suddenly visible to us all, sodistant, that but for the intensity of the darkness it might havepassed unnoticed. "Thank God!" simultaneously burst from our lips. 

"Let us hasten there, " cried Frank, "a whole night like this may beyour sister's death and would ruin the constitution of a giant. "

To this we gladly acceded, and were greatly encouraged by perceivingthat the light remained stationary. But it was a perilous undertaking. Luckily my brother had managed to get hold of a long stick with whichhe sounded the way, for either large stones or water-holes would havebeen awkward customers in the dark; wonderful to relate we escapedboth, and when within hailing distance of the light, which we perceivedcame from a torch hold by some one, we shouted with all ourremaining strength, but without diminishing our exertions to reach it. Soon--with feelings that only those who have encountered similar dangerscan understand--answering voices fell upon our ears. Eagerly we pressedforward, and in the excitement of the moment we relinquished all holdof one another, and attempted to wade through the mud singly. 

"Stop! halt!" shouted more than one stentorian voice; but the warningcame too late. My feet slipped--a sharp pain succeeded by a suddenchill--a feeling of suffocation--of my head being ready to burst--and Iremembered no more. 

When I recovered consciousness it was late in the morning, for thebright sun shone upon the ground through the crevices of a sail clothtent, and so different was all that met my eyes to the dismal scenethrough which I had so lately passed, and which yet haunted my memory, that I felt that sweet feeling of relief which we experience when, waking from some horrid vision, we become convinced how unsubstantialare its terrors, and are ready to smile at the pain they excited. 

That I was in a strange place became quickly evident, and among thedistant hum of voices which ever and anon broke the silence not onefamiliar tone could I recognize. I endeavoured to raise myself so as tohear more distinctly, and then it was that an acute pain in the ankleof the right foot, gave me pretty strong evidence as to the reality ofthe last night's adventures. I was forced to lie down again, but notbefore I had espied a hand-bell which lay within reach on a smallbarrel near my bed. Determined as far as possible to fathom themystery, I rang a loud peal with it, not doubting but what it wouldbring my brother to me. My surprise and delight may be easier imaginedthan described, when, as though in obedience to my summons, I saw asmall white hand push aside the canvas at one corner of the tent, andone of my own sex entered. 

She was young and fair; her step was soft and her voice most musicallygentle. Her eyes were a deep blue, and a rich brown was the colour ofher hair, which she wore in very short curls all round her head andparted on one side, which almost gave her the appearance of a prettyboy. 

These little particulars I noticed afterwards; at that time I only feltthat her gentle voice and kind friendliness of manner inexpressiblysoothed me. 

After having bathed my ankle, which I found to be badly sprained andcut, she related, as far as she was acquainted with them, the eventsthe previous evening. I learnt that these tents belonged to a partyfrom England, of one of whom she was the wife, and the tent in which Ilay was her apartment. They had not been long at the diggings, andpreferred the spot where they were to the more frequented parts. 

The storm of yesterday had passed over them without doing much damage, and as their tents were well painted over the tops, they managed tokeep themselves tolerably dry; but later in the evening, owing to thesoftness of the ground, one of the side-posts partly gave way, whicharoused them all, and torches were lit, and every one busied in tryingto prop it up till morning. Whilst thus engaged they heard our voicescalling for help. They answered, at the same time getting ready somemore torches before, advancing to meet us, as there wereseveral pit-holes between us and them. Their call for us to remainstationary came too late to save me from slipping into one of theirpits, thereby spraining my ankle and otherwise hurting myself, besidesbeing buried to my forehead in mud and water. The pit was not quitefive feet deep, but, unfortunately for myself in this instance, Ibelong to the pocket edition of the feminine sex. They soon extricatedme from this perilous situation, and carried me to their tents, where, by the assistance of my new friend, I was divested of the mud thatstill clung to me, and placed into bed. 

Before morning the storm, which we all thought had passed over, burstforth with redoubled fury; the flashes of lightning were succeeded byloud peals of thunder, and the rain came splashing down. Their tentswere situated on a slight rise, or they would have run great risk ofbeing washed away; every hole was filled with water, and the shea-oak, of whose friendly shelter we had availed ourselves the evening before, was struck by lightning, shivered into a thousand pieces. After a whilethe storm abated, and the warm sun and a drying wind were quicklyremoving all traces of it. 

Frank and my brother, after an early breakfast, had set out for EagleHawk Gully under the guidance of my fair friend's husband, who knew theroad thither very well; it was only three miles distant. He was tobring back with him a change of clothing for me, as his wife hadpersuaded my brother to leave me in her charge until I had quiterecovered from the effects of the accident, "which he more readilypromised, " she observed, "as we are not quite strangers, having metonce before. "

This awakened my curiosity, and I would not rest satisfied till fullyacquainted with the how, when, and where. Subsequently she related tome some portion of the history of her life, which it will be no breachof confidence to repeat here. 

Short as it is, however, it is deserving of another chapter. 

Chapter IX. 

HARRIETTE WALTERS

Harriette Walters had been a wife but twelve months, when the suddenfailure of the house in which her husband was a junior partner involvedthem in irretrievable ruin, and threw them almost penniless upon theworld. At this time the commercial advantages of Australia, the openingit afforded for all classes of men, and above all, its immense mineralwealth, were the subject of universal attention. Mr. Walters' friendsadvised him to emigrate, and the small sum saved from the wreck oftheir fortune served to defray the expenses of the journey. Harriette, sorely against her wishes, remained behind with an old maidenaunt, until her husband could obtain a home for her in the colonies. 

The day of parting arrived; the ship which bore him away disappearedfrom her sight, and almost heart-broken she returned to the humbleresidence of her sole remaining relative. 

Ere she had recovered from the shock occasioned by her husband'sdeparture, her aged relation died from a sudden attack of illness, andHarriette was left alone to struggle with her poverty and her grief. The whole of her aunt's income had been derived from an annuity, whichof course died with her; and her personal property, when sold, realizednot much more than sufficient to pay a few debts and the funeralexpenses; so that when these last sad duties were performed, Harriettefound herself with a few pounds in her pocket, homeless, friendless, and alone. 

Her thoughts turned to the distant land, her husband's home, and everyhope was centred in the one intense desire to join him there. The meanswere wanting, she had none from whom she could solicit assistance, buther determination did not fail. She advertized for a situationas companion to an invalid, or nurse to young children, during thevoyage to Port Philip, provided her passage-money was paid by heremployer. This she soon obtained. The ship was a fast sailer, the windswere favourable, and by a strange chance she arrived in Melbourne threeweeks before her husband. This time was a great trial to her. Alone andunprotected in that strange, rough city, without money, withoutfriends, she felt truly wretched. It was not a place for a female to bewithout a protector, and she knew it, yet protector she had none; eventhe family with whom she had come out, had gone many miles up thecountry. She possessed little money, lodgings and food were at an awfulprice, and employment for a female, except of a rough sort, was noteasily procured. 

In this dilemma she took the singular notion into her head ofdisguising her sex, and thereby avoiding much of the insult andannoyance to which an unprotected female would have been liable. Beingof a slight figure, and taking the usual colonial costume--loosetrowsers, a full, blue serge shirt, fastened round the waist bya leather belt, and a wide-awake--Harriette passed very well for whatshe assumed to be--a young lad just arrived from England. Sheimmediately obtained a light situation near the wharf, where for aboutthree weeks she worked hard enough at a salary of a pound a week, board, and permission to sleep in an old tumbledown shed beside thestore. 

At last the long looked-for vessel arrived. That must have been amoment of intense happiness which restored her to her husband'sarms--for him not unmingled with surprise; he could not at firstrecognize her in her new garb. She would hear of no further separation, and when she learnt he had joined a party for the Bendigo diggings, shepositively refused to remain in Melbourne, and she retained her boyishdress until their arrival at Bendigo. The party her husband belonged tohad two tents, one of which they readily gave up to the married couple, as they were only too glad to have the company and in-door assistanceof a sensible, active woman during their spell at the diggings. For thesake of economy, during the time that elapsed before they couldcommence their journey up, all of them lived in the tents whichthey pitched on a small rise on the south side of the Yarra. Here itwas that our acquaintance first took place; doubtless, my readers will, long ere this, have recognized in the hospitable gentleman Iencountered there, my friend's husband, and, in the delicate-lookingyouth who had so attracted my attention, the fair Harriette herself. 

 * * * * *

But--REVENONS A NOS MOUTONS. 

On the third day of my visit I was pronounced convalescent, and thatevening my brother and William came to conduct me back to Eagle HawkGully. It was with no little regret that I bade farewell to my newfriend, and I must confess that the pleasure of her society had for thetime made me quite careless as to the quantity of gold our party mightbe taking up during my absence. Whilst walking towards our tents, Iheard the full particulars of their work, which I subjoin, so as toresume the thread of my DIGGING narrative in a proper manner. 

MONDAY. --Much upset by their anxiety occasioned by the non-appearancethe previous evening of Frank, my brother, and myself. The twoformer did not reach home till nearly noon, the roads were so heavy. After dinner all set to work in better spirits; came to the end of thegold--took out nearly four Pounds weight. 

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. --Digging various holes in the vicinity of thelucky spot, but without success. The other party did the same with nobetter result. 

Such were the tidings that I heard after my three days' absence. 

THURSDAY. --To-day was spent in prospecting--that is, searching for aspot whose geological formation gives some promise of the preciousmetal. In the evening, William and Octavius returned with the news thatthey had found a place at some, distance from the gully, which theythought would prove "paying, " as they had washed some of the surfacesoil, which yielded well. It was arranged that the party be dividedinto two, and take alternate days to dig there. 

FRIDAY. --In pursuance of the foregoing plan William and Octavius setoff, carrying a good quantity of dinner and their tools along withthem. They worked hard enough during the day, but only broughtback three pennyweights of gold-dust with them. My brother and Frankgained a deal more by surface washing at home. 

SATURDAY. --Changed hands. Frank and my brother to the new spot, digging. Octavius and William surface washing. There results were much the sameas the day before. 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10--We took advantage of the fine weather to pay a visitto Harriette and her party. We found them in excellent spirits, for atlast they had hit upon a rich vein, which had for three days beenyielding an average of four pounds weight a day, and was not yetexhausted. I say AT LAST, for I have not before mentioned that they hadnever obtained more than an ounce of gold altogether, up to the day Ileft them. We were sincerely pleased with their good fortune. Harriettehoped that soon they might be able to leave this wild sort of life, andpurchase a small farm, and once again have a home of their own. Thiscould not be done near Melbourne, so they meant to go to SouthAustralia, where any quantity of land may be bought. In THIS colony nosmaller quantity than a square mile--640 acres--is sold by theGovernment in one lot; consequently, those whose capital is unequal topurchase this, go to some other colony, and there invest the wealththey have acquired in Victoria. 

As we had some idea of leaving Eagle Hawk Gully, I bade Harriettefarewell. We never expected to meet again. It chanced otherwise; but Imust not anticipate. 

Monday and Tuesday were most unprofitably passed in digging holes; andon Tuesday night we determined to leave the Eagle Hawk, and try ourfortune in some of the neighbouring gullies. 

Wednesday was a bustling day. We sold our tent, tools, cradle, &c. , aswe knew plenty were always to be bought of those who, like ourselves, were changing their place. Had we known what we were about, we shouldnever have burdened ourselves by bringing so many goods and chattels ahundred and twenty miles or more up the country; but "experienceteaches. " Having parted with all encumbrances, myself excepted, westarted for the Iron Bark Gully. All the gold had been transmitted bythe escort to Melbourne, and one fine nugget, weighing nearly fiveounces, had been sent to Richard. We could not resist thepleasure of presenting him with it, although by our rules not entitledto any of the proceeds. 

The following are the rules by which our affairs were regulated. Theywere drawn up before leaving Melbourne, and signed by all. Though crudeand imperfect, they were sufficient to preserve complete harmony andgood fellowship between five young men of different character, taste, and education--a harmony and good fellowship which even Richard'swithdrawal did not interrupt. 

The rules were these:

1. No one party to be ruler; but every week by turn, one to buy, sell, take charge of gold, and transact all business matters. 

2. The gold to be divided, and accounts settled every Saturday night. 

3. Any one voluntarily leaving the party, to have one-third of hisoriginal share in the expense of purchasing tent and tools returned tohim, but to have no further claim upon them or upon the gold that maybe found after his withdrawal. Any one dismissed the party formisconduct, to forfeit all claim upon the joint property. 

4. The party agree to stand by one another in all danger, difficulty, or illness. 

5. Swearing, gambling, and drinking spirits to be strictly avoided. 

6. Morning service to be read every Sunday morning. 

7. All disputes or appeals from the foregoing rules to be settled by amajority. 

Chapter X. 

IRONBARK GULLY

I have said little in description of the Eagle Hawk, for all gullies orvalleys at the diggings bear a strong external resemblance one toanother. This one differed from others only in being much longer andwider; the sides, as is usually the case in the richest gullies, werenot precipitous, but very gradual; a few mountains closed thebackground. The digging was in many places very shallow, and the soilwas sometimes of a clayey description, sometimes very gravelly withslate bottom, sometimes gravelly with pipeclay bottom, sometimes quitesandy; in fact, the earth was of all sorts and depths. 

At one time there were eight thousand diggers together in Eagle HawkGully. This was some months before we visited it. During the period ofour stay at Bendigo there were not more than a thousand, and fewerstill in the Iron Bark. The reasons for this apparent desertion wereseveral. 

The weather continued wet and uncertain, so that many who had gone downto Melbourne remained there, not yet considering the groundsufficiently recovered from the effects of the prolonged wet season, they had no desire to run the risk of being buried alive in theirholes. Many had gone to the Adelaide diggings, of which furtherparticulars hereafter, and many more had gone across the country to theOvens, or, farther still, to the Sydney diggings themselves. Accordingto digging parlance, "the Turon was looking up, " and Bendigo, MountAlexander, and Forest Creek were thinned accordingly. But perhaps thereal cause of their desertion arose from the altered state of thediggings. Some time since one party netted 900 pounds in three weeks;100 pounds a week was thought nothing wonderful. Four men found one dayseventy-five pounds weight; another party took from the foot of a treegold to the value of 2000 pounds. A friend of mine once met a man whom heknew returning to Melbourne, walking in dusty rags and dirt behind a dray, yet carrying with him 1, 500 pounds worth of gold. In Peg Leg Gully, fiftyand even eighty pounds weight had been taken from holes only three or fourfeet deep. At Forest Creek a hole produced sixty pounds weight in oneday, and forty more the day after. From one of the golden gullies aparty took up the incredible quantity of one hundred and ninety-eightpounds weight in six weeks. These are but two or three instances out ofthe many that occurred to prove the richness of this truly auriferousspot. The consequence may be easily imagined; thousands flocked toBendigo. The "lucky bits" were still as numerous, but beingdisseminated among a greater number of diggers, it followed that therewere many more blanks than prizes, and the disappointed multitude wereready to be off to the first new discovery. Small gains were beneaththeir notice. I have often heard the miners say that they would ratherspend their last farthing digging fifty holes, even if they foundnothing in them, than "tamely" earn an ounce a day by washingthe surface soil; on the same principle, I suppose, that a gamblerwould throw up a small but certain income to be earned by his ownindustry, for the uncertain profits of the cue or dice. 

For ourselves, we had nothing to complain about. During the short spaceof time that we had been at Eagle Hawk Gully, we had done as well asone in fifty, and might therefore be classed among the lucky diggers;but "the more people have, the more they want;" and although the manypounds weight of the precious metal that our party had "taken up" gave, when divided, a good round sum a-piece, the avaricious creatures borethe want of success that followed more unphilosophically than they haddone before the rich "pocketful" of gold had made its appearance. Theywould dig none but shallow holes, and a sort of gambling manner ofsetting to work replaced the active perseverance they had at firstdisplayed. 

Some days before we left, Eagle Hawk Gully had been condemned as a"worthless place, " and a change decided on. The when and thewhere were fixed much in the following manner:

"I say, mates, " observed William on the evening of the Sunday on whichI had paid my last visit to Harriette, "I say, mates, nice pickings aman got last week in the Iron Bark--only twenty pounds weight out of onehole; that's all. "

"Think it's true?" said Octavius, quietly. 

"Of course; likely enough. I propose we pack up our traps, and honourthis said gully with our presence forthwith. "

"Let's inquire first, " put in Frank; "it's foolish to change goodquarters on such slight grounds. "

"Good quarters! slight grounds!" cried William; "what next? what wouldyou have? Good quarters! yes, as far as diggings concerned--whether youfind anything for your digging is another matter. Slight grounds, indeed! twenty pounds weight in one day! Yes, we ought to inquire;you're right there, old boy, and the proper place to commence ourinquiries is at the gully itself. Let's be off tomorrow. "

"Wait two days longer, " said Octavius "and I am agreeable. "

And this, after a little chaffing between the impatient William and hismore business-like comrades, was satisfactorily arranged. 

Behold us then, on Wednesday the 13th, after having sold all our goodsthat were saleable, making our way to the Iron Bark Gully. Williamenacted the part of auctioneer, which he did in a manner mostsatisfactory to himself, and amusing to his audience; but the thingssold very badly, so many were doing the same. The tents fetched only afew shillings each, and the tools, cradles, &c. , EN MASSE, were knockeddown for half a sovereign. 

The morning was rather cloudy, which made our pedestrian mode oftravelling not so fatiguing as it might have been, had the sun in truecolonial strength been shining upon us. This was very fortunately notthe case, for we more than once mistook our way, and made a long walkout of a short one--quite a work of supererogation--for the roads wereheavy and tiring enough without adding an extra quantity of them. 

We passed in the close neighbourhood of Sailor's, Californian, American, Long, and Piccaninny Gullies before reaching our destination. Most of these gullies are considered ransacked, but a very fair amountof gold-dust may be obtained in either by the new comer by tin-dishfossicking in deserted holes. These deserted gullies, as they arecalled, contained in each no trifling population, and looked fullenough for comfortable working. What must they have resembled thesummer previous, when some hundreds of people leaving a flat or gullywas but as a handful of sand from the sea-shore!

Before evening we arrived at the Iron Bark. This gully takes its namefrom the splendid trees with which it abounds; and their immenseheight, their fluted trunks and massive branches gave them a mostmajestic appearance. We paused beneath one in a more secluded part, andthere determined to fix our quarters for the night. The heavy "swags"were flung upon the ground, and the construction of somethingresembling a tent gave them plenty to do; the tomahawks, which theycarried in their belts, were put into immediate requisition, and somebranches of the trees were soon formed into rough tent-poles. The tent, however, though perhaps as good as could be expected, wasnothing very wonderful after all, being made only of some of theblankets which our party had brought in their swags. Beneath it Ireposed very comfortably; and, thanks to my fatiguing walk, slept assoundly as I could possibly have done beneath the roof of a palace. Thefour gentlemen wrapped themselves in their blankets, and laid down torest upon the ground beside the fire; their only shelter was thefoliage of the friendly tree which spread its branches high above ourheads. 

Next morning William was for settling ourselves in the gully. He wantedtents, tools, &c. , purchased, but by dint of much talking andreasoning, we persuaded him first to look well about, and judge fromthe success of others whether we were likely to do any good by stoppingthere. We soon heard the history of the "twenty-pound weight" story. AsFrank and Octavius had at once surmised, it originated in a party whowere desirous to sell their claims and baggage before starting forMelbourne. I believe they succeeded--there are always plenty of "newchums" to be caught and taken in--and the report had caused a slightrush of diggers, old and new, to the gully. Many of thesediggers had again departed, others stayed to give the place a trial; wewere not among the latter. The statements of those who were stillworking were anything but satisfactory, and we were all inclined topush on to Forest Creek. 

Meanwhile, it is Thursday afternoon. All but Frank appear disposed fora siesta; he alone seems determined on a walk. I offer myself and amaccepted as a companion, and off we go together to explore this newlocality. 

We proceeded up the gully. Deserted holes there were in numbers, many agreat depth, and must have cost a vast amount of manual labour. In someplaces the diggers were hard at work, and the blows of the pick, thesplash of water, and the rocking of the cradle made the diggings seemthemselves again. There were several women about, who appeared to takeas active an interest in the work as their "better halves. " They mayoften be seen cradling with an infant in their arms. A man and a cartpreceeded us up the gully. Every now and again he shouted out in astentorian voice that made the welkin ring; and the burden of his crywas this:

"'Ere's happles, happles, Vandemonian happles, and them as dislikes thehiland needn't heat them. "

The admirers of the fertile island must have been very numerous, forhis customers soon made his pippins disappear. 

We passed a butcher's shop, or rather tent, which formed a curiousspectacle. The animals, cut into halves or quarters, were hung round;no small joints there--half a sheep or none; heads, feet, and skins werelying about for any one to have for the trouble of picking up, and aquantity of goods of all sorts and sizes, gridirons, saucepans, cradles, empty tea-chests, were lying scattered around in alldirections ticketed "for sale. " We quickly went on, for it was not aparticularly pleasant sight, and at some distance perceived a quietlittle nook rather out of the road, in which was one solitary tent. Wehastened our steps, and advanced nearer, when we perceived that thetent was made of a large blanket suspended over a rope, which was tiedfrom one tree to another. The blanket was fastened into the ground bylarge wooden pegs. Near to the opening of the tent, upon a piece ofrock, sat a little girl of about ten years old. By her side wasa quantity of the coarse green gauze of which the diggers' veils aremade. She was working at this so industriously, and her little head wasbent so fixedly over her fingers that she did not notice our approach. We stood for some minutes silently watching her, till Frank, wishing tosee more of her countenance, clapped his hands noisily together for thepurpose of rousing her. 

She started, and looked up. What a volume of sorrow and of sufferingdid those pale features speak!

Suddenly a look of pleasure flashed over her countenance. She sprangfrom her seat, and advancing towards Frank, exclaimed:

"Maybe you'll be wanting a veil, Sir. I've plenty nice ones, stronger, better, and cheaper than you'll get at the store. Summer dust's coming, Sir. You'll want one, won't you? I havn't sold one this week, " sheadded, almost imploringly, perceiving what she fancied a "no-customer"look in his face. 

"I'll have one, little girl, " he answered in a kindly tone, "and whatprice is it to be?"

"Eighteen pence, Sir, if you'd please be so good. "

Frank put the money into her hand, but returned the veil. This actionseemed not quite to satisfy her; either she did not comprehend what hemeant, or it hurt her self-pride, for she said quickly:

"I havn't only green veils--p'raps you'd like some candles better--Imakes them too. "

"YOU make them?" said Frank, laughing as he glanced at the little handsthat were still holding the veil for his acceptance. "YOU make them?Your mother makes the candles, you mean. "

"I have no mother now, " said she, with an expression of real melancholyin her countenance and voice. "I makes the candles and the veils, andthe diggers they buys them of me, cos grandfather's ill, and got nobodyto work for him but me. "

"Where do you and your grandfather live?" I asked. "In there?" pointingto the blanket tent. 

She nodded her head, adding in a lower tone:

"He's asleep now. He sleeps more than he did. He's killed hisselfdigging for the gold, and he never got none, and he says 'he'lldig till he dies. '"

"Dig till he dies. " Fit motto of many a disappointed gold-seeker, thefinale of many a broken up, desolated home, the last dying words ofmany a husband, far away from wife or kindred, with no loved ones nearto soothe his departing moments--no better burial--place than the veryhole, perchance, in which his last earthly labours were spent. Thesewere some of the thoughts that rapidly chased one another in my mind asthe sad words and still sadder tone fell upon my ear. 

I was roused by hearing Frank's voice in inquiry as to how she made hercandles, and she answered all our questions with a child-like NAIVETE, peculiarly her own. She told us how she boiled down the fat--how once ithad caught fire and burnt her severely, and there was the scar stillshowing on her brown little arm--then how she poured the hot fat into, the tin mould, first fastening in the wicks, then shut up the mould andleft it to grow cold as quickly as it would; all this, and many otherparticulars which I have long since forgotten, she told us; andlittle by little we learnt too her own history. 

Father, mother, grandfather, and herself had all come to the diggingsthe summer before. Her father met with a severe accident in digging, and returned to Melbourne. He returned only to die, and his wife soonfollowed him to the grave. Having no other friend or relative in thecolonies, the child had been left with her aged grandfather, whoappeared as infatuated with the gold-fields as a more hale and youngerman. His strength and health were rapidly failing, yet he still dug on. "We shall be rich, and Jessie a fine lady before I die, " was ever hispromise to her, and that at times when they were almost wanting food. 

It was with no idle curiosity that we listened to her; none could helpfeeling deeply interested in the energetic, unselfish, orphan girl. Shewas not beautiful, nor was she fair--she had none of those childishgraces which usually attract so much attention to children of her age;her eyes were heavy and bloodshot (with work, weeping, cold, andhunger) except when she spoke of her sick grandfather, and then theydisclosed a world of tenderness; her hair hung matted round herhead; her cheek was wan and sallow; her dress was ill-made andthreadbare; yet even thus, few that had once looked at her but wouldwish to look again. There was an indescribable sweetness about themouth; the voice was low and musical; the well-shaped head was firmlyset upon her shoulders; a fine open forehead surmounted those droopingeyes; there was almost a dash of independence; a "little woman" mannerabout her that made one imperceptibly forget how young she was inyears. 

A slight noise in the tent--a gentle moan. 

"He's waked; I must go to him, and, " in a lower, almost a deprecatingtone, "he doesn't like to hear stranger folks about. "

We cheerfully complied with the hint and departed, Frank first puttingsome money into her hand, and promising to call again for the candlesand veils she seemed quite anxious we should take in return. 

Our thoughts were as busy as our tongues were silent, during the timethat elapsed before we reached home. When we entered, we found adiscussion going on, and words were running high. My brother andOctavius were for going somewhere to work, not idle about asthey were doing now; William wanted to go for a "pleasure trip" toForest Creek, and then return to Melbourne for a change. Frank listenedto it all for some minutes, and then made a speech, the longest I everheard from him, of which I will repeat portions, as it will explain ourfuture movements. 

"This morning, when going down the gully, I met the person whom webought the dray-horses of in Melbourne. I asked him how he was doing, and he answered, 'badly enough; but a friend's just received accountsof some new diggings out Albury way, and there I mean to go. ' He showedme also a letter he had received from a party in Melbourne, who weregoing there. From these accounts, gold is very plentiful at this spot, and I for one think we may as well try our fortune in this new place, as anywhere else. The route is partly along the Sydney road, which isgood, but it is altogether a journey of two hundred miles. I wouldtherefore propose (turning to my brother), that we proceed first toMelbourne, where you can leave your sister, and we can then start forthe Ovens; and as provisions are at an exorbitant price there, we might risk a little money in taking up a dray-full of goods asbefore. And as we may never chance to be in this part of Victoriaagain, I vote that we take William's 'pleasure trip' to Forest Creek, stop there a few days, and then to Melbourne. "

This plan was adopted. 

FRIDAY MORNING. --Frank stole out early after breakfast, for a visit tolittle Jessie. I learnt the full particulars afterwards, and thereforewill relate them as they occurred, as though myself present. He did notfind her sitting outside the tent as before, and hesitated whether toremain or go away, when a low moaning inside determined him to enter. He pushed aside the blanket, and saw her lying upon an old mattress onthe ground; beside her was a dark object, which he could not at firstdistinguish plainly. It was her grandfather, and he was dead. Themoaning came from the living orphan, and piteous it was to hear her. Ittook Frank but a few minutes to ascertain all this, and then he gentlylet down the blanket, and hastened to the butcher's shop I have alreadymentioned. He learnt all that there was to know: that she had nofriends, no relatives, and that nothing but her own labour, andthe kindness of others, had kept them from starvation through thewinter. Frank left a small sum in the butcher's hands, to have the oldman buried, as best could be, in so wild and unnatural a place, andthen returned to the mourning child. When he looked in, she was lyingsilent and senseless beside the corpse. A gentle breathing--a slightheaving of the chest, was all that distinguished the living from thedead. Carefully taking her in his arms, he carried her to our tent. AsI saw him thus approaching, an idea of the truth flashed across me. Frank brought her inside, and laid her upon the ground--the onlyresting-place we had for her. She soon opened her eyes, the quicktransition through the air had assisted in reviving her, and then Icould tell that the whole sad truth returned fresh to her recollection. She sat up, resting her head upon her open hands, whilst her eyes werefixed sullenly, almost doggedly, upon the ground. Our attempts atconsolation seemed useless. Frank and I glanced at one another. "Tellus how it happened, " said he gently. 

Jessie made no answer. She seemed like one who heard not. 

"It must have been through some great carelessness--some neglect, "pursued Frank, laying a strong emphasis on the last word. 

This effectually roused her. 

"I NEVER left him--I NEVER neglected him. When I waked in the morning Ithought him asleep. I made my fire. I crept softly about to make hisgruel for breakfast, and I took it him, and found him dead--dead, " andshe burst into a passion of tears. 

Frank's pretended insinuation had done her good; and now that her grieffound its natural vent, her mind became calmer, and exhausted withsorrow, she fell into a soothing slumber. 

We had prepared to start before noon, but this incident delayed us alittle. When Jessie awoke, she seemed to feel intuitively that Frankwas her best friend, for she kept beside him during our hasty dinner, and retained his hand during the walk. There was a pleasant breeze, andwe did not feel over fatigued when, after having walked about eightmiles, we sat down beneath a most magnificent gum tree, morethan a hundred feet high. Frank very wisely made Jessie bestir herself, and assist in our preparations. She collected dry sticks for a fire, went with him to a small creek near for a supply of water; and so welldid he succeed, that for a while she nearly forgot her troubles, andcould almost smile at some of William's gay sallies. 

Next morning, very early, breakfast rapidly disappeared, and we weremarching onwards. An empty cart, drawn by a stout horse, passed us. 

Frank glanced at the pale little child beside him. "Where to?" criedhe. 

"Forest Creek. "

"Take us for what?"

"A canary a-piece. "

"Agreed. " And we gladly sprung in. For the sake of the uninitiated, Imust explain that, in digger's slang, a "canary" and half-a-sovereignare synonymous. 

We passed the "Porcupine Inn. " We halted at noon, dined, and about twohours after sighted the Commissioners' tent. In a few minutes the cartstopped. 

"Can't take yer not no further. If the master seed yer, I'd cotch itfor taking yer at all. "

We paid him and alighted. 

Chapter XI. 

FOREST CREEK

In my last chapter we were left standing not far from theCommissioners' tent, Forest Creek, at about three o'clock in theafternoon of Saturday, the 16th. An air of quiet prevailed, and madethe scene unlike any other we had as yet viewed at the diggings. It wasthe middle of the month; here and there a stray applicant for a licencemight make his appearance, but the body of the diggers had done so longbefore, and were disseminated over the creek digging, washing, orcradling, as the case might be, but here at least was quiet. To theright of the Licensing Commissioners' tent was a large oneappropriated to receiving the gold to be forwarded to Melbourne by theGovernment escort. There were a number of police and pensioners about. 

Not many months ago, the scarcity of these at the diggings hadprevented the better class of diggers from carrying on their operationswith any degree of comfort, or feeling that their lives and propertywere secure. But this was now altered; large bodies of police wereplaced on duty, and wooden buildings erected in various parts of thediggings for their accommodation. Assistant Commissioners (who werealso magistrates) had been appointed, and large bodies of pensionersenrolled as police, and acting under their orders. Roads were alsobeing made in all directions, thereby greatly facilitatingintercommunication. 

But I must not forget that we are standing looking about us withoutexactly knowing where to turn. Suddenly William started off like a shotin pursuit of a man a little way from us. We could not at first guesswho it was, for in the diggers' dress all men look like so manybrothers; but as we approached nearer we recognised our late captain, Gregory. 

"Well, old fellow, and where did you spring from?" was Frank'ssalutation. "I thought you were stuck fast in the Eagle Hawk. "

"I may say the same, " said Gregory, smiling. "How got you here?"

This was soon told, and our present dilemma was not left unmentioned. 

"A friend in need is a friend indeed, " says the proverb, and Williamechoed it, as Gregory very complaisantly informed us that, having justentered upon a store not far distant, he would be delighted to give usa shelter for a few nights. This we gladly accepted, and were sooncomfortably domiciled beneath a bark and canvas tent adjoining hisstore. Here we supped, after which Gregory left us, and returned withmattresses, blankets, &c. , which he placed on the ground, whilst hecoolly ordered the gentlemen to prepare to take their departure, hehimself presently setting them the example. 

"I'm certain sure the young leddy's tired, " said he; "and that littlelassie there (pointing to Jessie) looks as pale and as wizened as anold woman of seventy--the sooner they gets to sleep the better. "

We followed the kindly hint, and Jessie and myself were soon fastasleep in spite of the din close beside us. It was Saturday night, andthe store was full; but the Babel-like sounds disturbed us not, and weneither of us woke till morning. 

It was Sunday. The day was fine, and we strolled here and there, wandering a good way from Gregory's store. As we returned, we passednear the scene of the monster meeting of 1851. The following account ofit is so correct, that I cannot do better than transcribe it. 

"The exceeding richness of the Mount Alexander diggings, andextraordinary success of many of the miners, led the Government toissue a proclamation, raising the licence from thirty shillings tothree pounds. As soon as these intentions became known, a publicmeeting of all the miners was convened, and took place on the 15th ofDecember, 1851. This resolve of the Governor and Executive Council wasinjudicious, since, in New South Wales, the Government proposed toreduce the fee to 15s. ; and among the miners in Victoria, dissatisfaction was rife, on account of the apparent disregard by theGovernment of the wants and wishes of the people engaged in thegold diggings, and because of the absence of all police protection, while there appeared to be no effort made to remedy this defect. Indignation was, therefore, unequivocally expressed at the severaldiggings' meetings which were held, and at which it was resolved tohold a monster meeting. The 'Old Shepherd's Hut, ' an out station of Dr. Barker's, and very near the Commissioners' tent, was the scene chosenfor this display. For miles around work ceased, cradles were hushed, and, the diggers, anxious to show their determination, assembled incrowds, swarming from every creek, gully, hill, and dale, even from thedistant Bendigo, twenty miles away. They felt that if they tamelyallowed the Government to charge 3 pounds one month, the licensing feemight be increased to 6 pounds the next; and by such a system ofoppression, the diggers' vocation would be suspended. 

"It has been computed that from fifteen to twenty thousand persons wereon the ground during the time of the meeting. Hundreds, who came andheard, gave place to the coming multitude, satisfied with havingattended to countenance the proceedings. The meeting ultimatelydispersed quietly, thereby disappointing the anticipations of those whoexpected, perhaps even desired, a turbulent termination. The majoritydetermined to resist any attempt to enforce this measure, and to payNOTHING; but, happily, they were not reduced to this extremity, sincehis Excellency wisely gave notice that no change would be made in theamount demanded for licence. "

The trees up which the diggers had climbed during the meeting are stillpointed out. 

The "Old Shepherd's Hut" was standing. It seemed a most commodiouslittle building compared to the insecure shelter of' a digger's tent. The sides of the hut were formed of slabs, which were made mostly fromthe stringy bark, --a tree that splits easily--the roof was composed ofthe bark from the same tree; the chimney was of stones mortaredtogether with mud. This is the general style of building for shepherds'huts in the bush. As we passed it I could not but mentally contrast thescene that took place there on the important day of the monstermeeting, to the deep tranquillity that must have reigned aroundthe spot for centuries before the discovery of gold drew multitudes tothe place. 

The trees in this neighbourhood are mostly stringy bark; almost all arepeeled of their covering, as many diggers, particularly those who havetheir families with them, keep much to one part, and think it, therefore, no waste of time or labour to erect a hut, instead of livingin a comfortless tent. 

On Monday morning we determined to pursue our travels, and meant thatday to pay a flying, visit to Fryer's Creek. It was a lovely morning, and we set out in high spirits. A heavy rain during the night had welllaid the dust. On our way we took a peep at several flats and gullies, many of which looked very picturesque, particularly one called SpecimenGully, which was but thinly inhabited. 

We had hardly reached Fryer's Creek itself when we saw a vast concourseof people gathered together. Frank and my brother remained with me at alittle distance, whilst Octavius and William went to learn the occasionof this commotion. It arose from an awful accident which had justoccurred. 

Three brothers were working in a claim beside the stream, some wayapart from the other diggers. The heavy rain during the night hadraised the water, and the ground between the hole where they wereworking and the Creek, had given way imperceptibly UNDERNEATH. Onebrother, who was early in the hole at work, fancied that the water atthe bottom was gradually rising above his knees; he shouted to hiscomrades, but unfortunately they had gone, one, one way, one, another, in quest of something, and it was some minutes ere they returned. 

Meanwhile the water in the hole was slowly but surely rising, and theslippery sides which were several feet high defied him to extricatehimself. His cries for help became louder--he was heard, and hisbrothers and some neighbours hastened to his assistance. Ropes wereprocured after some further delay, and thrown to the unhappy man--butit was too late. None dared approach very near, for the ground was likea bog, and might at any moment give way beneath their feet; the waterwas nearly level with the top of the hole, and all hope of saving himwas gone. The brothers had often been warned of the danger theywere running. 

Shuddering at the thoughts of this awful death we turned away, but nochange of scene could dissipate it from our minds--the remembrance ofit haunted me for many a night. 

Jessie seemed pleased to see us on our return--we had left her behindwith Gregory to his great delight--we abstained from mentioning beforeher the fearful accident we had but witnessed. 

That evening we wandered about Forest Creek. We had not gone far beforea digger with a pistol in his hand shot by us; he was followed by animmense mob, hooting, yelling, and screaming, as only a mob at thediggings can. It was in full pursuit, and we turned aside only in timeto prevent ourselves from being knocked down in the confusion. 

"Stop him--stop him, " was the cry. He was captured, and the cry changedto, "String him up--string him up--it's useless taking him to thepolice-office. "

"What has he done?" asked my brother of a quiet by-stander. 

"Shot a man in a quarrel at a grogshop. "

"String him up--string him up--confront him with the body, " vociferatedthe mob. 

At this moment the firmly-secured and well-guarded culprit passed by, tobe confronted with the dead body of his adversary. No sooner did hecome into his presence than the CI-DEVANT corpse found his feet, "showed fight, " and roared out, "Come on, " with a most unghostlikevehemence. The fury of the mob cooled down; the people thought the manhad been murdered, whereas the shot, fortunately for both, had glancedover the forehead without doing any serious injury. Taking advantage ofthis lull, the fugitive declared that the wounded man had been robbinghim. This turned the tables, and, inspired by the hootings of the nowindignant mob, the "dead man" took to his heels and disappeared. 

The diggers in Pennyweight Flat, Nicholson's Gully, Lever Flat, DirtyDick's Gully, Gibson's Flat, at the mouth of Dingley Dell, and inDingley Dell itself, were tolerably contented with their gains, although in many instances, the parties who were digging in thecentre of the gullies, or what is called "the slip, " experiencedconsiderable trouble in bailing the water out of their holes. 

Some of the names given to the spots about Forest Creek are anythingbut euphonious. Dingley Dell is, however, an exception, and soundsquite musical compared to Dirty Dick's Gully. The former name was givento the place by a gentleman from Adelaide, and was suggested by theperpetual tinkling of the bullock's bells, it being a favourite campingplace for bullock drivers, offering, as it did, an excellent supply ofboth wood, water, and food for their cattle. From whom the latterinelegant name originated I cannot precisely tell--but there are plentyof "dirty Dicks" all over the diggings. 

The current prices of this date at Forest Creek were as follows:flour, 9 to 10 pounds per hundred-weight; sugar, 1s. 6d. A pound, very scarce; tea, 3s. ; rice, 1s. ; coffee, 3s. ; tobacco, 8s. ; cheese, 3s. ; butter, 4s. ; honey, 3s. 6d. ; candles, 1s. 6d; currants, 1s. 6d. , very scarce; raisins, 1s. 6d. ; figs, 2s. 6d. ; salt, 1s. 6d. Picks, spades, and tin dishes, 10s. Each. Gold 64s. Per ounce. 

TUESDAY, 19. --Before breakfast we were busily employed in packing the"swags" when Octavius suddenly dropped the strap he held in his handfor that purpose, and darted into the store. Thinking that we hadomitted something which he went to fetch, we continued our work. Wheneverything was ready and the last strap in its place, we again thoughtof our absent comrade, making all sorts of surmises regarding hisdisappearance, when, just as Frank was going after him, in he walked, accompanied by a stranger whom he introduced as his uncle. Thissurprised us, as we were ignorant of his having any relatives in thecolonies. He then explained that a younger brother of his father's hadabout eight years ago gone to South Australia, and that never havingheard of him for some years they had mourned him as dead. After manyadventures he had taken a fancy to the diggings, and had just come fromMelbourne with a dray full of goods. He went to Gregory's store todispose of them. Octavius had heard them in conversationtogether, and had mistaken his uncle's for his father's voice. Hencethe precipitation of his exit. The uncle was a tall sunburnt man, wholooked well-inured to hardship and fatigue. He stayed and tookbreakfast with us, and then having satisfactorily arranged his businesswith Gregory, and emptied his dray, he obligingly offered to conveyJessie and myself to Melbourne in it. Accordingly after dinner we allstarted together. 

Our new companion was a most agreeable person, and his knowledge of thecolonies was extensive. With anecdotes of the bush, the mines, and thetown, he made the journey pass most pleasantly. Before evening wereached the Golden Point near Mount Alexander. This term of "Golden"has been applied to a great many spots where the deposits have beenricher than, usual. There was a Golden Point at Ballarat, and when thereport of the Alexander diggings drew the people from there, theycarried the name with them, and applied it to this portion of themount. To the left of the Point, which was still full of labourers, wasthe store of Mr. Black, with the Union-Jack flying above it. It is amost noted store, and at one time when certain delicacies werenot to be had in Melbourne they were comparatively cheap here. 

We passed by this busy spot and encamped at sunset at the foot of MountAlexander. It was a lovely evening and our eyes were feasted by a Mostglorious sight. All the trees of the forest gradually faded away in thedarkness, but beyond them, and through them were glimpses of thegranite-like walls of the mount, brilliantly shining in and reflectingthe last glowing rays of the setting sun. Some of the gorgeous scenesof fairy-land seemed before us--we could have imagined that we wereapproaching by night some illuminated, some enchanted castle. 

That evening we sat late round our fire listening to the history whichthe uncle of Octavius related of some of his adventures in SouthAustralia. The posts he had filled formed a curious medley ofoccupations, and I almost forget the routine in which they followed oneanother, but I will endeavour to relate his story as much as possiblein his own words. 

"When I started from England, after having paid passage-money, &c. , Ifound myself with about 200 pounds ready money in my purse--it was allI had to expect, and I determined to be very careful of it; but by ayoung man of five-and-twenty these resolutions, like lady's promises, are made to be broken. When I landed in Adelaide with my money in mypocket--minus a few pounds I had lost at whist and cribbage on boardship--I made my way to the best inn, where I stayed some days, and ranup rather a longish bill. Then I wanted to see the country, which Ifound impossible without a horse, so bought one, and rode about to thevarious stations, where I was generally hospitably received, and thuspassed a few months very pleasantly, only my purse was running low. Isold the horse, then my watch, and spent the money. When that was gone, I thought of the letters of introduction I possessed. The first thatcame to hand was directed to a Wesleyan minister. I called there, looking as sanctimonious as I could. He heard my story, advised me togo to chapel regularly, 'And for your temporal wants, ' said he, 'theLord will provide. ' I thanked him, and bowed myself off. 

"My first act was to burn my packet of introductory letters, mynext was to engage myself to a stock-holder at 15s. A week and myrations. He was going up to his station at once, and I accompanied him. We travelled for about two hundred miles through a most beautifulcountry before we reached his home. His house was, in my ideas, acomical-looking affair--made of split logs of wood, with a bark roof, and a barrel stuck on the top of the roof at one end by way of achimney-pot. His wife, a pale sickly little woman, seemed pleased tosee us, for she had been much alarmed by the natives, who were rathernumerous about the neighbourhood. There was only a young lad, and anold shepherd and his wife upon the station, besides herself. Before Ihad been there six weeks she died, and her new-born little baby diedtoo; there was not a doctor for miles, and the shepherd's wife wasworse than useless. I believe this often happens in the bush--it's not aplace for woman-folks. 

"I was here eighteen months--it was a wild sort of life, and just suitedmy fancy; but when I found I had some money to receive, I thought aspree in town would be a nice change, so off I marched. My spree lastedas long as my money, and then I went as barman to a public-house atClare, some way up the country--here I got better wages and better board, and stopped about half-a-year. Then I turned brewer's drayman, anddelivered casks of good Australian ale about Adelaide for 30s. A week. The brewer failed, and I joined in a speculation with an apple dealerto cart a lot up to the Kapunda copper mines. That paid well. I stoppedup there as overseer over four-and-twenty bullock-drays. Well, wintercame, and I had little to do, though I drew my 30s. A week regularlyenough, when the directors wanted a contract for putting the smallcopper-dust into bags, and sewing them up. I offered to do the job at2d. A bag, and could get through a hundred and fifty a day. How muchis that? Oh! 12s. 6d. A-piece. I forgot to tell you I'd a mate at thework. That was good earnings in those days; and me and my mate, whowas quite a lad, were making a pretty penny, when some others offeredto do them a halfpenny a bag cheaper. I did the same, and we kept itto ourselves for about four weeks longer, when a penny a bag wasoffered. There was competition for you! This roused my bile--I threwit up altogether--and off to Adelaide again. Soon spent all my cash, and went into a ship-chandler's office till they failed; then was clerkto a butcher, and lost my situation for throwing a quarter of his ownmutton at him in a rage; and then I again turned brewer's man. Whilstthere I heard of the diggings--left the brewer and his casks to lookafter themselves, and off on foot to Ballarat. 

"Here I found the holes averaging some thirty feet--which was a style ofhard work I didn't quite admire; so hearing of the greater facility ofthe Alexander diggings, I went through Bully Rook Forest, and tried myluck in the Jim Crow Ranges. This paid well; and I bought a dray, andbring up goods to the stores, which I find easier work, and twice asprofitable as digging. There's my story; and little I thought when Iwent into Gregory's store to-day, that I should find my curly-patednephew ready to hear it. "

Next day we travelled on, and halted near Saw-pit Gully; it was earlyin the afternoon, and we took a walk about this most interestinglocality. The earth was torn up everywhere--a few lucky hitshad sufficed to re-collect a good many diggers there, and they wereworking vigorously. At dusk the labour ceased--the men returned totheir tents, and for the last time our ears were assailed by thediggers' usual serenade. Imagine some hundreds of revolvers almostinstantaneously fired--the sound reverberating through the mightyforests, and echoed far and near--again and again till the last faintecho died away in the distance. Then a hundred blazing fires burst uponthe sight--around them gathered the rough miners themselves--theirsun-burnt, hair-covered faces illumined by the ruddy glare. Wild songs, and still wilder bursts of laughter are heard; gradually the flamessink and disappear, and an oppressive stillness follows (sleep rarelyrefuses to visit the diggers' lowly couch), broken only by somemidnight carouser, as he vainly endeavours to find his tent. No fear ofa "peeler" taking him off to a police-station, or of being broughtbefore a magistrate next morning, and "fined five shillings for beingdrunk. "

Early on Tuesday morning I gave a parting look to the diggings--our draywent slowly onwards--a slight turn in the road, and the lasttent has vanished from my sight. "Never, " thought I, "shall I look onsuch a scene again!"

Chapter XII. 

RETURN TO MELBOURNE

Before the evening of Wednesday the 20th, we passed through Kyneton, and found ourselves in the little village of Carlshrue, where we passedthe night. Here is a police-station, a blacksmith's, a few stores andsome cottages, in one of which we obtained a comfortable supper andbeds. A lovely view greeted us at sunrise. Behind us were stilltowering the lofty ranges of Mount Alexander, before us was MountMacedon and the Black Forest. This mountain, which forms one of what iscalled the Macedon range, is to be seen many miles distant, and on aclear, sunny day, the purple sides of Mount Macedon, whichstands aloof as it were, from the range itself, are distinctly visiblefrom the flag-staff at Melbourne. 

We had intended to have stopped for the night in Kyneton, but thecharges there were so enormous that we preferred pushing on and takingour chance as to the accommodation Carlshrue could afford, nor did werepent the so doing. 

The following are the Kyneton prices. A meal or bed--both bad--4s; anight's stabling, one pound ten shillings per horse; hay at the rate of9d. A pound; this is the most exorbitant charge of all. 

Hay was somewhere about 20 pounds a ton in Melbourne. The carriage of itto Kyneton, now that the fine weather was setting in, would not exceed 8pounds a ton at the outside, which would come to 28 pounds. The purchaser, by selling it at Kyneton at the rate of 9d. A pound, or 75 pounds per ton, cleared a profit of 47 pounds--NOT QUITE 200 PER CENT. If THIS is notfortune-making, I should like to know what is. It beats the diggingshollow. 

Next morning we looked our last at "sweet Carlshrue, " andhaving crossed the Five Mile Creek, camped for our mid-day meal besidethe Black Forest. Here a slight discussion arose, as to whether itwould be more advisable to proceed on our journey and camp in the BlackForest that night, or whether we should remain where we were outside, and recommence our journey in good time the next morning so as to getthrough this most uncomfortable portion of our travels in one day. Frank and Octavius were for the latter plan, as the best and safest, but the rest (thinking that, having once travelled through it withoutencountering any thing resembling a bushranger, they might safely do soagain) protested against wasting time, and were for entering those darkshades without further delay. The uncle of Octavius whom, in future, for the sake of convenience, I shall call Mr. L----, was also of thismind, and as he was in some sort our leader during the journey, hisadvice decided the matter. Danger to him was only a necessaryexcitement. He was naturally fearless, and his merry laugh and gay jokeat the expense of the bushranger fearing party gradually dissipated theunaccountable presentiment of danger which I for one had in nosmall degree experienced. 

On we went, up hill and down dale, sometimes coming to a more openpiece of ground, but more generally threading our way amid a very mazeof trees, with trunks all black as the ground itself, whilst the dingyfoliage and the few rays of sunshine that lit up those dark, deepglades served only to heighten the gloominess around. 

After walking for about six miles--I preferred that mode of gettingalong to the joltings of the dray--we all felt disposed to restourselves. We selected a spot where the trees were less thicklyclustered, and taking the horses out of the dray, tethered them bystrong ropes to some trees near. The dray itself was turned up, and ablanket thrown over the up-raised shafts formed a most complete andcosy little tent. 

A fire was next kindled, and a kettle full of water (with the tea init!) was placed on to boil, some home-made bread, brought fromCarlshrue, was placed upon the ground, and some chops were toasted onthe ends of sticks, which are usually the impromptu toasting-forks ofthe bush. The old tin plates and pannicans, not quite so bright as onceupon a time, but showing, despite sundry bruises and scratches, thatthey had seen better days, were placed upon the tea-table, which ofcourse was the ground. Two or three knives and forks were on generalservice, and wandered about from hand to hand as occasion required. Altogether it was a merry, sociable party, and I think I enjoyed thatsupper better than any I ever tasted before or since. 

"CHACUN A SON GOUT, " many a one will say. 

The pleasantest moments must come to an end, and so did these. Afterhaving sat up later than usual, Jessie and I retired to our gipsy tent, leaving our guardian diggers smoking round the fire. They meant to keepwatches during the night to prevent a surprise. 

FRIDAY. --We were comfortably seated at our breakfast, discussing ahundred subjects besides the food before us, when a shrill "coo-ey"burst through the air; "coo-ey"--"coo-ey" again and again, till the verytrees seemed to echo back the sound. We started to our feet, and, as if wondering what would come next, looked blankly at eachother, and again the "coo-ey, " more energetic still, rang in our ears. This is the call of the bush, it requires some little skill andpractice, and when given well can be heard a great way off. In such aplace as the Black Forest it could only proceed from some one who hadlost their way, or be a signal of distress from some party in absolutedanger. We again looked from one to the other--it bewildered us; andagain the cry, only more plaintive than before, came to us. Simultaneously they seized their pistols, and started in the directionwhence the sounds proceeded. They were all too true Englishmen to heara fellow-creature in peril and not hasten to their succour. 

Jessie and myself could not remain behind alone--it was impossible; wefollowed at a little distance, just keeping our comrades in sight. Atlast they came to a halt, not knowing where to turn, and we joinedthem. Frank gave a "coo-ey, " and in about the space of a minute thewords "help, help, --come, come, " in scarcely, audible sounds, answeredto the call. We penetrated about thirty yards farther, and a few lowgroans directed us to a spot more obscure, if possible, thanthe rest. There, firmly bound to two trees close together, were twomen. A thick cord was passed round and round their bodies, arms, andlegs, so as to leave no limb at liberty. They seemed faint andexhausted at having called so long for help. 

It was the work of a moment for our party to fling down their pistols, take out knives and tomahawks, and commence the work of releasing themfrom their bonds. But the cords were knotted and thick, and thereseemed no little labour in accomplishing it. They were also retarded bythe small quantity of light, for, as I said before, it was a dark andsecluded spot. At length one man was released, and so faint andexhausted was he, from the effects of whatever ill-usage he hadsuffered, that, being a tall, powerfully made man, it required theunited strength of both Frank and Mr. L---- to prevent his falling tothe ground. 

Jessie and myself were standing a little apart in the shade; we seemedas if spell-bound by the incident, and incapable of rendering anyassistance. 

The second was soon set at liberty, and no sooner did he feelhis hands and feet free from the cords than he gave a loud, shrill"coo-ey. "

A shriek burst from Jessie's lips as, immediately the cry was uttered, and before any one could, recover from the bewilderment it occasioned, four well-armed men sprang upon our startled party. 

Taken thus at disadvantage, unarmed, their very knives flung down intheir eagerness to untwist the cords, they were soon overpowered. Thewretch who had been reclining in Frank's arms quickly found his feet, and, ere Frank could recover from his surprise, one heavy blow flunghim to the ground; whilst the other twined his powerful arms round Mr. L----, and, after a short but sharp struggle, in which he was assistedby a fellow-villain, succeeded in mastering him. 

It was a fearful sight, and I can hardly describe my feelings as Iwitnessed it. My brain seemed on fire, the trees appeared to reelaround me, when a cold touch acted as a sudden restorative, and almostforced a scream from my lips. It was Jessie's hand, cold as marble, touching mine. We spoke together in a low whisper, and bothseemed inspired by the same thoughts, the same hope. 

"I saw a little hill as we came here, " said Jessie; "let's try and findit and look out for help. "

I instinctively followed her, and stealthily creeping along, we gaineda small rise of ground which commanded a more extended view than mostplaces in the Black Forest, and, but for the thickness of the trees, wecould have seen our own camping-place and the part where the ambuscadehad been laid. From sounds of the voices, we could tell that theruffians were leading their prisoners to the spot where we had passedthe night, and the most fearful oaths and imprecations could ever andanon be heard. Well might our hearts beat with apprehension, for it wasknown that when disappointed in obtaining the gold they expected, theyvented their rage in torturing their unfortunate victims. 

Meanwhile Jessie seemed listening intently. The time she had spent inthe bush and at the diggings had wonderfully refined her sense ofhearing. Suddenly she gave a shrill "coo-ey. " The moment after a shotwas fired in the direction of our late camp. Jessie turned evenpaler, but recovering herself, "coo-ey" after "coo-ey" made the echoesring. I joined my feeble, efforts to hers; but she was evidently wellused to this peculiar call. On a fine still day, this cry will reachfor full three miles, and we counted upon this fact for obtaining someassistance. 

"Help is coming, " said Jessie, in a low voice, and once more withincreasing strength she gave the call. 

Footsteps approached nearer and nearer. I looked up, almost expectingto see those villainous countenances again. 

"Women in danger!" shouted a manly voice, and several stalwart figuresbounded to our side. 

"Follow, follow!" cried Jessie, rushing forwards. I scarcely remembereverything that occurred, for I was dizzy with excess of pleasure. There was a short scuffle, shots were fired at retreating bushrangers, and we saw our friends safe and free. 

The whole, matter was then related to our preservers--for such theywere--and I then learnt that when the bushrangers had marchedoff our party to the camping-place, they proceeded to overhaul theirpockets, and then bound them securely to some trees, whilst one stoodready with a pistol to shoot the first that should call for help, andthe others looked over the plunder. This was little enough, for ourtravelling money, which was notes, was kept--strange treasury--in thelining of the body of my dress, and here too were the gold receiptsfrom the Escort Office. Every night I took out about sufficient todefray the day's expenses, and this was generally given into Frank'shands. 

Enraged and disappointed, the villains used most frightful language, accompanied by threats of violence; and the one on guard, irritatedbeyond his powers of endurance, fired the pistol in the direction ofWilliam's head. At this moment Jessie's first "coo-ey" was heard: thisstartled him, and the shot, from the aim of the pistol beingdisarranged, left him unhurt. 

"It's that d----d child, " muttered one, with a few, additional oaths;"we'll wring her neck when we've secured the plunder. "

One of the ruffians now attempted more persuasive measures, andaddressing Mr. L----, whom I suppose he considered the leader, expendedhis powers of persuasion much in the following manner. 

"You sees, mate, we risks our lives to get your gold, and have it wewill. Some you've got somewhere or another, for you havn't none on yougot no paper from the Escort--you planted it last night, eh? Jist showus where, and you shan't be touched at all, nor that little wretchyonder, what keeps screeching so; but if you don't--" and here hisnatural ferocity mastered him, and he wound up with a volley of curses, in the midst of which our rescuers rushed upon them. 

When we came to talk the whole matter over calmly and quietly, no doubtwas left upon our minds, as to the premeditation of the whole affair. But for the watch kept, the attack would most probably have been madeduring the night. 

Our timely friends were a party of successful diggers returning, fromwork. They too had passed the night in the Black Forest--providentlynot very far from us. They accepted our thanks in an off-hand sort ofway, only replying--which was certainly true--"that we would havedone the same for them. " It was in endeavouring to assist assumedsufferers that our party fell into the ambuscade laid for them. 

They waited whilst we got the dray and horses ready, and we alljourneyed on together, till the Black Forest was far behind us. We sawno more of the bushrangers, and encamped that night a few miles beyondthe "Bush Inn. " At this inn we parted with our gallant friends. Theywere of the jovial sort, and having plenty of gold, were determined ona spree. We never met them again. 

On Saturday we travelled as far as the "Deep Creek Inn. " Some distancebefore reaching that place, we passed two rival coffee-shops on theroad. We stopped at the first, to know if they had any uncooked or coldmeat to sell, for our provisions were running low. 

"Havn't none, " said the woman, shaking her head. Then looking hard atWilliam, and judging from his good-humoured face, that he was a likelyone to do what she wanted, she said to him. "Now, Sir, I'm agoing to axa favour of you, and that is to go a little farther down theroad, to the other coffee-tent, and buy for me as much meat as they'lllet you have. They's got plenty, and I've none; and they knows I'lllose custom by it, so you'll not get it if they twigs (ANGLICE guesses)you comes from me. You understand, Sir, " and she put sovereign into hishand to pay for it. 

Laughing at the comicality of the request, and the thoroughly colonialcoolness of making it, William set off, and presently returned withnearly half a sheep hanging over his shoulders, and a large joint inone hand. 

"Bless me, what luck!" exclaimed the delighted woman, and loud andprofuse were her thanks. She wanted to cook us a good dinner off themeat gratis; but this we steadily refused and purchasing enough for thepresent, we put our drays again into motion, and a little while afterkindled a fire, and were our own cooks as usual. That night we campedbeside the Deep Creek, about a mile from the "Deep Creek Inn. " Theroute we were now taking was different to the one we had travelledgoing up--it was much more direct. 

We remained all Sunday beside the creek, and the day passed quietly andpleasantly. 

On Monday the 25th we were again in motion. We passed the well knowninn of Tulip Wright's. How great a change those few weeks had made!Winter had given place to summer, for Australia knows no spring. Wewalked along the beautiful road to Flemington, gave a look at theflagstaff and cemetery, turned into Great Bourke Street, halted at thePost-office, found several letters, and finally stopped opposite the"Duke of York Hotel, " where we dined. 

I shall leave myself most comfortably located here, whilst I devote achapter or two to other diggings. 

Chapter XIII. 

BALLARAT

Ballarat is situated about forty-five miles from Geelong, andseventy-five nearly west of Melbourne. This was the first discoveredgoldfield of any extent in Victoria, and was made known on the 8th ofSeptember, 1851. The rush from Geelong was immense. Shops, stores, trades, all and everything was deserted; and the press very trulydeclared that "Geelong was mad--stark, staring gold-mad. " During themonth of September five hundred and thirty-two licences were taken out;in the month following the number increased to two thousand two hundredand sixty one!

The usual road to Ballarat is by the Adelaide overland route on theGambier Road; but the most preferable is per Geelong. The former routeleads over the Keilor Plains, and through Bacchus Marsh, crossing theWerribee River in two places. Mount Buninyong then appears in sight ofthe well-pleased traveller, and Ballarat is soon reached. 

The route VIA Geelong is much quicker, as part of the way is generallyperformed by steam at the rate of one pound a-piece. Those who wish tosave their money go to Geelong by land. After leaving Flemington, andpassing the Benevolent Asylum, the Deep Creek is crossed by means of apunt, and you then come to a dreary waste of land, called Iett's Flat. Beyond is a steep rise and a barren plain, hardly fit to graze sheepupon, and at about twenty miles from Melbourne you come to the firsthalting house. Some narrow but rapid creeks must be got over, and forseven miles further you wander along over a dreary sheep-run tillstopped by the Broken River, which derives its name partly from thenature of its rocky bed, and partly from the native name which has asimilar sound. 

This creek is the most steep, rapid, and dangerous on the road, havingno bridge and no properly defined crossing-place or ford, except thenatural rocks about. The bottom is of red sand-stone and rocks of thesame description abut from the sides of the creek, and appear to aboundin the neighbourhood; and all along the plains here and there arelarge fragments of sand and lime-stone rocks. Two hundred yards fromthe creek is a neat inn after the English style, with a largesitting-room, a tap, a bar, and a coffee-room. The bed-rooms are soarranged as to separate nobs from snobs--an arrangement ratherinconsistent in a democratic colony. The inn also affords good stablingand high charges. Up to this distance on our road there is a scarcityof wood and springs of water. 

We now pass two or three huts, and for twenty miles see nothing toplease the eye, for it is a dead, flat sheep-walk. About seven miles onthe Melbourne side of Geelong, the country assumes a more cheeringappearance--homesteads, gardens, and farms spring up--the roads improve, and the timber is plentiful and large, consisting of shea-oaks, wattle, stringy bark, and peppermints. Many of the houses are of a goodsize, and chiefly built of stone, some are of wood, and very few ofbrick. 

Geelong, which is divided into north and south, is bounded by theBarwin, a river navigable from the bay to the town, and might beextended further; beautiful valleys well wooded lie beyond. Between thetwo townships a park has been reserved, though not yet enclosed; thetimber in it, which is large--consisting principally of white gum andstringy bark--is not allowed to be cut or injured. There are severalgood inns, a court-house, police-station, and corporation offices. There is also a neat church in the early pointed style, with aparsonage and schools in the Elizabethan; all are of dark lime-stone, having a very gloomy appearance, the stones being unworked, except nearthe windows; the porches alone slightly ornamented. The road andpavement are good in the chief streets; there is a large square with aconduit, which is supplied by an engine from the Barwin. The shops arelarge and well furnished, a great many houses are three stories high, most are two, and very few one. The best part of town is about onehundred feet above the river. A large timber bridge over theBallarat road was washed down last winter. The town is governed by amayor and corporation. There is a city and mounted police force, and aneat police-court. A large and good race-course is situated aboutthree miles from the town. 

As regards scenery, Geelong is far superior to Melbourne, the streetsare better, and so is the society of the place; none of the ruffiangangs and drunken mobs as seen in Victoria's chief city. There arevarious, chapels, schools, markets, banks, and a small gaol. Theharbour is sheltered, but not safe for strangers, as the shoals arenumerous. Geelong is surrounded by little townships. Irish Town, LittleScotland, and Little London are the principal and to show howcompletely the diggings drained both towns and villages of their maleinhabitants, I need only mention that six days after the discovery ofBallarat, there was only one man left in Little Scotland, and he was acripple, compelled NOLENS VOLENS to remain behind. 

The road from Geelong to Ballarat is well marked out, so often has itbeen trodden; and there are some good inns on the way-side forthe comfort of travellers. On horseback you can go from the town to thediggings in six or eight hours. 

Ballarat is a barren place, the ground is interspersed with rockyfragments, the creek is small, and good water is rather scarce. Insummer it almost amounts to a drought, and what there is then isgenerally brackish or stagnatic. It is necessary never to drinkstagnant water, or that found in holes, without boiling, unless thereare frogs in it, then the water is good; but the diggers usually boilthe water, and a drop of brandy, if they can get it. In passing throughthe plains you are sure of finding water near the surface (or byseeking a few inches) wherever the tea tree grows. 

The chief object at the Ballarat diggings is the Commissioners' tent, which includes the Post-office. There are good police quarters now. Theold lock-up was rather of the primitive order, being the stump of anold tree, to which the the prisoners were attached by sundry chains, the handcuff being round one wrist and through a link of the chain. Ibelieve there is a tent for their accommodation. There areseveral doctors about, who, as usual, drive a rare trade. 

It is almost impossible to describe accurately the geological featuresof the gold diggings at Ballarat. Some of the surface-washing is good, and sometimes it is only requisite to sink a few feet, perhaps only afew inches, before finding the ochre-coloured earth (impregnated withmica and mixed with quartzy fragments), which, when washed, paysexceedingly well. But more frequently a deep shaft has to be sunk. 

Of course the depth of the shafts varies considerably; some are sixtyor even eighty, and some are only ten feet deep. Sometimes after heavyrains, when the surface soil has been washed from the sides of thehills, the mica layer is similarly washed down to the valleys and lieson the original surface-soil. This constitutes the true washing stuffof the diggings. Often when a man has--to use a digger'sphrase--"bottomed his hole, " (that is, cut through the rocky strata, andarrived at the gold layer), he will find stray indications, but nothingremunerative, and perchance the very next hole may be the mostprofitable on the diggings. Whether there is any geologicalrule to be guided by has yet to be proved, at present no old diggerwill ever sink below the mica soil, or leave his hole until he arrivesat it, even if he sinks to forty feet. So, therefore, it may be takenas a general rule, wherever the diggings may be, either in Victoria, New South Wales, or South Australia, that gold in "working" quantitieslies only where there is found quartz or mica. 

Ballarat has had the honour of producing the largest masses of gold yetdiscovered. These masses were all excavated from one part of the diggings, known as Canadian Gully, and were taken out of a bed of quartz, at thedepths of from fifty to sixty-five feet below the surface. The deepindentures of the nuggets were filled with the quartz. The largest ofthese masses weighed one hundred and thirty-four pounds, of which itwas calculated that fully one hundred and twenty-six pounds consistedof solid gold!

About seven miles to the north of Ballarat, some new diggings calledthe Eureka have been discovered, where it appears that, although thereare no immense prizes, there are few blanks, and every one doing well!

In describing the road from Melbourne to Geelong, I have mademention of the Broken River. A few weeks after my arrival in thecolonies this river was the scene of a sad tragedy. 

I give the tale, much in the same words as it was given to me, becauseit was one out of many somewhat similar, and may serve to show thestate of morality in Melbourne. 

The names of the parties are, of course, entirely fictitious. 

 * * * * *

Prettiest among the pretty girls that stood upon the deck as the anchorof the Government immigrant ship 'Downshire' fell into Hobson's Bay, inAugust, 1851, was Mary H----, the heroine of my story. No regretmingled with the satisfaction that beamed from her large dark eyes, astheir gaze fell on the shores of her new country, for her orphanbrother, the only relative she had left in their own dear Emerald Isle, was even then preparing to follow her. Nor could she feel sad andlonely whilst the rich Irish brogue, from a subdued but manly andwell-loved voice, fell softly on her ear, and the gentlepressure of her hand continually reminded her that she was not alone. 

Shipboard is a rare place for match-making, and, somehow or another, Henry Stephens had contrived to steal away the heart of the 'Downshire'belle. Prudence, however, compelled our young people to postpone theirmarriage, and whilst the good housewife qualities of the one readilyprocured her a situation in a highly respectable family in Melbourne, Henry obtained an appointment in the police force of the same town. 

Their united savings soon mounted up, and in a few months the bannswere published, and Christmas-Day fixed on for the wedding. Mary, ather lover's express desire, quitted her mistress's family to residewith a widow, a distant relative of his own, from whose house she wasto be married. Delightful to the young people was this short period ofleisure and uninterrupted intercourse, for the gold mania was nowbeginning to tell upon the excited imaginations of all, and Henry hadalready thrown up his situation; and it was settled their wedding tripshould be to the golden gullies round Mount Buninyong. 

And now let me hasten over this portion of my narrative. It is sad todwell upon the history of human frailty, or to relate the oft-told taleof passion and villainy triumphant over virtue. A few days beforeChristmas, when the marriage ceremony was to be performed, theyunfortunately spent one evening together alone, and he left her--ruined. Repentance followed sin, and the intervening time was passed by Mary ina state of the greatest mental anguish. With what trembling eagernessdid she now look forward to the day which should make her his lawfulwife. 

It arrived. Mary and the friends of both stood beside the altar, whilsthe, who should have been there to redeem his pledge and save his victimfrom open ruin and disgrace, was far away on the road to Ballarat. 

To describe her agony would be impossible. Day after day, week afterweek, and no tidings from him came; conscience too acutely accountingto her for his faithlessness. Then the horrible truth forced itselfupon her, that its consequences would soon too plainly declare her sinbefore the world; that upon her innocent offspring would fall a portionof its mother's shame. 

Thus six months stole sorrowfully away, and as yet none had evenconjectured the deep cause she had for misery. Her brother'snon-arrival was also an unceasing source of anxiety, and almost dailymight she have been seen at the Melbourne Post-office, each time toreturn more disappointed than before. At length the oft-repeatedinquiry was answered in the affirmative, and eagerly she tore open thelong-anticipated letter. It told her of an unexpected sum of money thathad come into his hands--to them a small fortune--which had detained himin Ireland. This was read and almost immediately forgotten, as shelearnt that he was arrived in Melbourne, and that only a few streetsnow separated them. 

She raised her face, flushed and radiant with joyful excitement--hereyes fell upon him who had so cruelly injured her. The scream thatburst from her lips brought him involuntarily to her side. What willnot a woman forgive where once her heart has been touched--in the doublejoy of the moment the past was almost forgotten--together they re-readthe welcome letter, and again he wooed her for his bride. Sheconsented, and he himself led her to her brother, confessedtheir mutual fault, and second preparations for an immediate marriagewere hurriedly made. 

Once more at the altar of St. Peter's stood the bridal party, and againat the appointed hour Stephens was far gone on his second expedition tothe diggings, after having increased (if that was possible) hisprevious villainy, by borrowing a large portion of the money beforementioned from his intended brother-in-law. It was pretty evident thatthe prospect of doing this had influenced him in his apparentlyhonourable desire to atone to the poor girl, who, completely prostratedby this second blow, was laid on the bed of sickness. 

For some weeks she continued thus and her own sufferings were increasedby he sight of her brother's fury, as, on her partial recovery, hequitted her in search of her seducer. 

During his absence Mary became a mother, and the little one thatnestled in her bosom, made her half forgetful of her sorrows, and attimes ready to embrace the delusive hope that some slight happiness inlife was in store for her. But her bitter cup was not yet drained. Dayby day, hour by hour, her little one pined away, until onedreary night she held within her arms only its tiny corpse. 

Not one sound of grief--not an outward sign to show how deeply the heartwas touched--escaped her. The busy neighbours left her for awhile, gladthough amazed at her wondrous calmness; when they returned to finishtheir preparations for committing the child to its last resting-place, the mother and her infant had disappeared. 

Carrying the lifeless burden closely pressed against her bosom, asthough the pelting rain and chilling air could harm it now, Maryrapidly left the town where she had experienced so much misery, on--on--towards Geelong, the route her seducer and his pursuer hadtaken--on--across Iett's Flat, until at length, weak and exhausted, shesank down on the barren plains beyond. 

Next morning the early dawn found her still plodding her weary way--heronly refreshment being a dry crust and some water obtained at anhalting-house on the road; and many a passer-by, attracted by thewildness of her eyes, her eager manner, and disordered dress, castafter her a curious wondering look. But she heeded themnot--on--on she pursued her course towards the Broken River. 

Here she paused. The heavy winter rains had swollen the waters, whichswept along, dashing over the irregular pieces of rock that formed theonly means of crossing over. But danger was as nothing to her now--thefirst few steps were taken--the rapid stream was rushing wildly roundher--a sensation, of giddiness and exhaustion made her limbs tremble--herfooting slipped on the wet and slimy stone--in another moment theruthless waters carried her away. 

The morrow came, and the sun shone brightly upon the still swollen andrapid river. Two men stood beside it, both too annoyed at thisimpediment to their return to Melbourne to be in the slightest degreeaware of their proximity to one another. A bonnet caught by aprojecting fragment of rock simultaneously attracted their attention:both moved towards the spot, and thus brought into closer contact theyrecognized each other. Deadly foes though they were, not a word passedbetween them, and silently they dragged the body of the unhappygirl to land. In her cold and tightened grasp still lay the child. Asthey stood gazing on those injured ones, within one breast remorse andshame, in the other, hatred and revenge, were raging violently. 

Each step on the road to Ballarat had increased her brother's desirefor vengeance, and still further was this heightened on discoveringthat Stephens had already left the diggings to return to town. Thisdisappointment maddened him; his whole energy was flung into tracinghis foe, and in this he had succeeded so closely, that unknown toeither, both had slept beneath the same roof at the inn beside theBroken River. 

The voices of some of the loungers there, who were coming down to theCreek to see what mischief had been done during the night, aroused him. He glanced upon his enemy, who pale and trembling, stood gazing on thewreck that he had made. Revenge at last was in his hands--not a momentwas to be lost--with the yell of a maniac he sprang upon the powerlessand conscious-stricken man--seized him in his arms rushed to theriver--and ere any could interpose, both had found a grave where but afew minutes before the bodies of Mary and her infant had reposed. 

Chapter XIV. 

NEW SOUTH WALES

About seventy years ago a small colony of convicts first made theforests ring with the blows of the axe, and a few tents were erectedwhere Sydney now stands. The tents, and they who dwelt beneath them, have long since disappeared, and instead we have one of the finestcities that our colonial empire ever produced. 

The streets in Sydney are, as in Melbourne, built at right angleswith one another; they are macadamized, well lighted with gas, andperambulated by a number of policemen during the night. Some ofthe shops almost rival those of London, and the public buildings aregood and numerous. There is a custom-house, a treasury, police-office, college, benevolent asylum, banks, barracks, hospitals, libraries, churches, chapels, a synagogue, museum, club-house, theatre, and manysplendid hotels, of which the largest is, I think the "Royal Hotel, " inGeorge Street, built at the cost of 30, 000 pounds. 

Hyde Park is close at hand, with un-numbered public walks, and abotanical garden, the favourite resort of all classes. 

In the neighbourhood of Sydney are some good oyster-beds, and many arethe picnics got up for the purpose of visiting them. The oysters clingto the rocks, and great numbers are easily obtained. 

The distance from Sydney to Melbourne, by the overland road, is aboutsix hundred miles; but the steamers, which are constantly plying, afford a more comfortable mode of transit. 

The gold diggings of New South Wales are so well known as torequire but a cursory notice. The first official notification of thefact of gold having been discovered bears date, May 22, 1851, and iscontained in a despatch from the Governor to Earl Grey. In it heannounced the existence of a gold field to the westward of Bathurst, about one hundred and fifty miles from Sydney. At the same time, headded his supposition that the gold sent for inspection was Califorian. 

Mr Stutchbury, the geological surveyor, quickly undeceived hisExcellency. He wrote from Hill Creek reporting that four hundredpersons were hard at work, and that the gold existed not only in thecreek but beyond it. The following postscript was added to his letter:"Excuse this being written in pencil, as there is no ink in this cityof Ophir. " And this appropriate name has ever since been retained. 

The natural consequences of this discovery was the flocking of hundredsof the inhabitants of Sydney to Bathurst. Sober people began to bealarmed at this complete BOULEVERSEMENT of business andtranquillity. For the sake of order the Governor attempted to put astop to the increasing desertion of the capital by proclaiming that thegold-fields were the prerogative of the Crown, and threateninggold-diggers with prosecution. It was all in vain. The glitterings ofthe precious metal were more attractive than the threats of theGovernor were otherwise. The people laughed good-humoured at theproclamation, and only flocked in greater numbers to the auriferousspot. 

Government now took a wiser course, and finding it impossible to stemthe torrent, determined to turn the eagerness of the multitude to someaccount. A licence-fee of 30s. , or half an ounce of gold, per month wasimposed, which, with few exceptions, has always been cheerfully paid. 

The Turon diggings soon followed those of Bathurst. This river flowsinto the Macquarie after a course of a hundred miles. Along the entirelength auriferous discoveries are constantly being made, and it bidsfair to last for many years to come. The gold is not found, as manyerroneously suppose, so much among the sand as by digging in the soil. It also exists in paying quantities on the shores and in the rive flowsof the Macquarie, the Abercrombie, and Belubula rivers. Major's Creek, too, is a favourite locality, and was first made known by a prospectingwoman. 

According to Mr. Stutchbury's report, he found gold ALMOST WHEREVER HETRIED FOR IT, and whilst traversing the Macquarie from Walgumballa tothe Turon, he found it at EVERY place he tried. Surely Midas must, onceupon a time, have taken a pleasure-trip to Australia!

The delirium of the Sydney gold-fever reached its height when it becamepublicly known that a piece of one hundred and six pounds weight hadbeen disembowelled from the earth, at one time. This immense quantitywas the discovery of a native, who, being excited by the universaltheme of conversation, provided himself with a tomahawk, and exploredthe country adjacent to his employer's land. He was attractedby a glittering yellow substance on the surface of a block of quartz. With his tomahawk he broke off a piece, which he carried home to hismaster, Dr. Kerr, of Wallawa. Not being able to move the massconveniently, Dr. Kerr broke it into small fragments. The place whereit was found is at the commencement of an undulating table-land, veryfertile, and near to a never-failing supply of water in the MurrooCreek. It is distant about fifty miles from Bathurst, thirty fromWellington, and twenty from the nearest point of the Macquarie river. 

Dr. Kerr presented the native and his brother with two flocks of sheep, two saddle-horses, a quantity of rations, a team of bullocks, and someland. 

About twenty yards from the spot where this mass was found, a piece ofgold called the "Brennan Nugget" was soon after discovered. It weighedthree hundred and thirty-six ounces, and was sold in Sydney for morethan 1, 100 pounds. 

But it would be useless to enter into fuller particulars of thediggings of New South Wales. Panoramas, newspapers, and serials havemade them familiar to all. 

Chapter XV. 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, was the last formed of thethree sister colonies. In 1834 an act of colonization was obtained; andland, both in town and country, sold rapidly. The colonists, however, were most unfortunately more engaged in speculating with the land, thangrazing upon or tilling it; and the consequence was, that in a fewyears the South Australians were only saved from a famine by theunexpected arrival overland of herds and flocks from Victoria. As itwas, horses and cows of a very indifferent kind were sold formore than a hundred pounds a-piece, and sheep for five pounds a head. 

The discovery of the copper mines alone saved the country from ruin. The first was the Kapunda. It was accidentally discovered by ashepherd, who picked up a piece on the surface of the ground, andshowed it to his master. Pieces of copper ore may even now be found inthe same way. 

Next followed the far-famed Burra-Burra. In the latter mine there is agreat quantity of malachite, which, when smelted, gives copper at anaverage of eighty-five per cent. 

South Australia possesses the finest river in Australia--namely, theMurray, on which steamers will soon ply as far as five hundred miles upthe country. On either side of this river is a thick and dryscrub--sometimes ten, sometimes thirty miles wide. In this scrub, mannais not unfrequently found, to the great delight of the natives, who arevery fond of it. It is of a very excellent description, and in colourhas a slight tendency to pink. 

Adelaide itself is a well-laid out town. The streets are built in thesame manner as in Sydney and Melbourne; but those in Adelaide are muchwider. Many of the buildings and warehouses are highly creditable, particularly when we take the juvenile age of the colony intoconsideration. 

Adelaide has never yet been "a transportation colony, " and the societythere is usually considered more RECHERCHE than in any other city inAustralia. The climate is very good, and the vine flourishes as in thesouth of France. The principal export of South Australia is copper, towhich may be added some wool and tallow. 

The roads about are excellent, and the small farms in the neighbourhoodare more in the English style than one could expect to meet with somany thousand miles away from home. 

The overland route from Adelaide to Melbourne is about four hundredmiles in length. In summer the road is pretty good, but in winter, alake or swamp of twenty miles extent has to be waded through. 

The scrub about South Australia is very thick, and any one may easilylose themselves in it. This has in fact often been the case, and afearful instance of it occurred some few years ago. A young lady--thedaughter of a gentleman residing near Adelaide--started out one Sundayafternoon with a book as her companion. Evening came, and she did notreturn, which alarmed her family, and search was made far and near--butin vain. On the fourth day, they at length discovered her lying dead atthe foot of a tree. The pages of her book were covered with sentences, pricked in with a pin, expressive of her sufferings and of herunavailing efforts to retrace her steps. She was only three miles fromher father's house when she sank down to die of hunger, thirst, andexhaustion; and probably during the whole time of her wanderings hadnever exceeded that distance from her home. 

The Adelaide gold-diggings began to excite attention in the months ofAugust and September, 1852. In October the following report was made:

"Camp, Echunga, Gold-Fields, "October 2, 1852. 

"Sir, "I have the honour to state for the information of his Excellency theLieutenant-Governor, that since my last report sixty licences have beenissued, making a total of three hundred and fifty-six. * * * * Manyfamilies of respectability have arrived, and are now living incomfortable and commodious tents. The presence of well-dressed womenand children gives to the gold-fields, apparently distinguished fordecorum, security and respectability. 

"From the feeling of greater security and comfort, combined withcheapness of living, all classes of diggers are unanimous in theirpreference of this place to Victoria. * * * *

"The nugget of gold which I have forwarded for his Excellency'sinspection, weighing about an ounce and a half, was found about sevenfeet below the surface. * * * *

"There are some few amongst the lately arrived who expresseddissatisfaction with the result of their labours and observations, while others, who have been working for the last month, have promptlyrenewed their expired licences. 

(Signed) "A. J. MURRAY, "Assistant Gold Commissioner. "The Hon. The Colonial Secretary. "

In the month of October several pieces of gold, weighing each half anounce and upwards, were found, and a few of the holes that had beenabandoned by inexperienced hands, when taken possession of by olddiggers on the Turon or the Bendigo, were found to contain good washingstuff. The diggings were well supplied with food of every kind; andduring the summer months there could be no lack of fruits andvegetables in abundance, at reasonable prices, supplied from thenumerous and well-cultivated farms and gardens around. This iscertainly an advantage over the diggings of Victoria or New SouthWales, if gold really does exist in paying quantities; if not, all thefruit and vegetables in the world would not keep the diggers atEchunga. 

The following "Lament" was circulated in Adelaide, but not one of thenewspapers there would print it. They were all too anxious for thesuccess of their diggings, to countenance any grumblers against them:

 A LAMENT FOR MY THIRTY SHILLINGS, DEDICATED TO THE ECHUNGA VICTIMS, My one pound ten! my one pound ten! I paid as Licence Fee; Ah! cruel Bonney! pray return, That one pound ten to me. 

 When to Echunga diggings first I hastened up from town, Thy tent I sought with anxious care And paid the money down. 

 And though my folly ever since I bitterly deplore, It soothes my mind to know there were Three scores of fools before. 

 Then, Bonney, listen to my lay, And if you wish to thrive, Send back the money quick to me, To number sixty-five. 

 Who wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long, Had better to Echunga go, And not to Mount Coorong. 

 But as for me I like a swag, At least a little more Than what we got there in a week-- Eight pennyweights 'mongst four. 

 For that, of surface earth we washed Of dray loads half a score; I'll swear that cradling never seemed Such tedious work before. 

 To sink for gold we then commenced, With grief I must confess, 'Twas fruitless toil, although we went Down thirty feet or less. 

 All you who've paid your one pound ten, Are on your licence told That then you are entitled to Remove alluvial gold. 

 But if the alluvial gold's not there I'd like to have it proved By what ingenious process it Can ever be removed?

 Then back to Bendigo I'll haste, To seek the precious ore; Although my one pound ten I fear Returns to me no more. 

 Yet as the boundary line I cross, My parting prayer shall be-- Ah! cruel Bonney! pray return My one pound ten to me!

 ANTIGROPOLOS. Adelaide, September 1852. 

With a short extract from the "South Australian Register" ofFebruary 7, 1853, I shall conclude my remarks on the Adelaide diggings. 

"THE GOLD FIELDS. --Although there is at the diggings everything toindicate gold in large quantities, none have succeeded in realizingtheir hopes. The majority content themselves with what they can get onChapman's Hill and Gully, knowing that, if a fresh place is discovered, they will stand as good a chance as those who have spent monthsin trying to find better ground. 

"The quantity of gold taken to the Assay-office, during fourconsecutive weeks, amounting to less than four thousand ounces, theGovernor has proclaimed that after the 17th of February the office willbe closed. "

Chapter XVI. 

MELBOURNE AGAIN

It was on Monday the 25th of October, that for the second time Ientered Melbourne. Not many weeks had elapsed since I had quitted itfor my adventurous trip to the diggings, yet in that short space oftime how many changes had taken place. The cloudy sky was exchanged fora brilliant sunshine, the chilling air for a truly tropical heat, thedrizzling rain for clouds of thick cutting dust, sometimes as thick asa London fog, which penetrated the most substantial veil, and made ourskins smart terribly. The streets too had undergone a wondroustransformation. Collins Street looked quite bright and cheerful, andwas the fashionable promenade of those who had time or inclination forlounging. Parties of diggers were constantly starting or arriving, trips to St. Kilda and Brighton were daily taking place; and a coachwas advertised to run to the diggings! I cannot quite realize theterrified passengers being driven through the Black Forest, but canpicture their horror when ordered to "bail up" by a party of AustralianTurpins. 

In every window--milliners, baby-linen warehouses, &c. , included--wasexhibited the usual advertisement of the gold buyer--namely, a heap ofgold in the centre, on one side a pile of sovereigns, on the otherbank-notes. The most significant advertisement was one I saw in awindow in Collins Street. In the middle was a skull perforated by abullet, which lay at a little distance as if coolly examining orspeculating on the mischief it had done. On one side of the skull was arevolver, and on the other a quantity of nuggets. Above all, was theemphatic inscription, "Beware in time. " This ratheruncomfortable-looking tableau signified--in as speaking a manner assymbols can--that the unfortunate skull had once belonged to some moreunfortunate lucky digger, who not having had the sense to sell his goldto the proprietor of this attractive window had kept his nuggets in hispocket, thereby tempting some robbers--significantly personified by therevolver--to shoot him, and steal the gold. Nowhere could you turn youreye without meeting "30, 000 oz. Wanted immediately; highest pricegiven;" "10, 000 oz. Want to consign per ----; extra price given toimmediate sellers, " &c. Outwardly it seemed a city of gold, yethundreds were half perishing for want of food, with no place of shelterbeneath which to lay their heads. Many families of freshly-arrivedemigrants--wife, children, and all--slept out in the open air; infantswere born upon the wharves with no helping hand near to support thewretched mother in her misery. 

How greatly the last few weeks had enlarged Melbourne. Cities of tentsencompassed it on all sides; though, as I said before, the triflingcomfort of a canvas roof above them, was denied to the poorestof the poor, unless a weekly tax were paid!

But I must return to ourselves. Our first business the next morning wasto find for our little Jessie some permanent home; for all ourmovements were so uncertain--I myself, thinking of a return to the oldcountry--that it was considered advisable to obtain for her some betterfriends than a set of volatile, though good-hearted young fellows--notthe most suitable protection for a young girl, even in so lax a placeas the colonies. We never thought of letting her return to England, forthere the life of a female, who has her own livelihood to earn, is oneof badly-paid labour, entailing constant privation, and often greatmisery--if not worse. I have before said that William had relatives inMelbourne, and to them we determined to entrust her. Mrs. R----- was akind-hearted and most exemplary woman; and having a very young familyof her own, was well pleased at such an acquisition as the thoughtful, industrious little Jessie. Each of our party contributed asmall portion of their golden earnings to form a fund for a future day, which I doubt not will be increased by our little friend's industry, long before she needs it. Here let us leave her, trusting that herfuture life may be as happy as her many excellent qualities deserve, and hoping that her severest trials have already passed over her. 

Our next care was to obtain our gold from the Escort-office; to dowhich the receipts given in Bendigo had to be handed in, and after verylittle delay the precious packets were restored to their respectiveowners. The following is a facsimile of the tickets, printed onparchment, attached to each parcel of which a duplicate, printed oncommon paper, is given to the depositor:

 BENDIGO CREEK. No. 2772. Date, 8th of October, 1852. Name, Mr. A----. Quantity, 60 oz. 10 dwts. Consigned to, Self. 

The trifling charge for all this trouble and responsibility is sixpencean ounce. 

The business satisfactorily arranged, the next was to dispose of it. Some was converted into money, and sold for 69s. An ounce; and theremainder was consigned to England, where, being very pure and abovestandard, it realized 4 pounds an ounce. A great difference that!

We next paid Richard a visit, who, though surprised was well pleased tosee us again. He declared his resolution of returning to England assoon as possible. Our party fixed their journey to the Ovens to takeplace in three weeks. William determined to remain in town, which Ithink showed wisdom on his part as his health was not equal to roughingit in the bush; and this was a much more formidable trip than the last, on account of length, and being much less frequented. 

Meanwhile we enjoyed the fine weather, and our present companionship, as much as possible, while taking little trips here, there, andeverywhere. The one I most enjoyed was a sail in the Bay. Thecaptain of the vessel in which we left England, was still detained inPort Philip for want of hands--the case of hundreds--and offered to giveus a sail, and a dinner on board afterwards. We soon made up a largeparty, and enjoyed it exceedingly. The day was lovely. We walked downto Liardet's Beach, a distance of nearly three miles, and were sooncalmly skimming over the waters. We passed St. Kilda and Brighton, andgained an excellent view of the innumerable vessels then lying uselessand half-deserted in the Bay. 

It was a sad though a pretty sight. There were fine East Indiamen, emigrant ships, American clippers, steamers, traders--foreign andEnglish--whalers, &c. , waiting there only through want of seamen. 

In the cool of the evening our gallant host rowed us back to the beach. Since our first landing, tents and stores had been erected in greatnumbers, and Little Adelaide was grown wonderfully. I think I havenever mentioned the quantity of frogs that abound in Australia. This particular evening I remarked them more than usual, and withoutthe least exaggeration their croaking resembled a number of mills inmotion. I know nothing to which I can more appropriately liken thenoise that resounded along the swampy portions of the road, from thebeach to Melbourne. 

Much has been said of the climate of Australia, and many are theconflicting statements thereon. The following table contains all theinformation--personal and otherwise--which I have been enabled tocollect. 

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. --Generally the hottest months; average of thethermometer, 78 in the shade; thunder-storms and COLONIAL showers ofrain occasionally visit us. 

MARCH. --Fine genial weather; average temperature, 73 in the shade. 

APRIL. --Weather more uncertain; mosquitos depart; average temperature, 70 in the shade:

MAY. --Fine, till towards the latter part of the month, when sometimesthe rainy season commences; average temperature in the shade, 64. 

JUNE. --Rainy, and much cooler; temperature at an average of 58 in theshade. 

JULY. --Coldest month in the year; midwinter in the colonies; averagetemperature, 53. Ice and snow may be seen inland. 

AUGUST. --Very rainy. Average temperature, 58 in the shade. 

SEPTEMBER. --Windy stormy month; weather getting warmer. Averagetemperature, 63 in the shade. 

OCTOBER--The presence of the mosquito, a sure proof that the weather ispermanently warm. Average temperature in the shade, 66. 

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. --Tropically warm. Locusts, mosquitos, andunnumbered creeping things swarm both in bush and town. Towards the endof December the creeks commence to dry up, and the earth looks parchedfor want of rain. No yule-log needed on Christmas Day. Thermometer ashigh as 97 in the shade; average 75. 

The principal trees in Australia are the gum, stringy bark, manna tree, wild cherry (so called), iron bark, shea oak, peppermint, acacia, and the mimosa, which last, however, should more properly becalled a shrub. These and others, like the Indian malelucas, areremarkable for the Cajeput oil contained in their leaves, and in thegums which exude from their sterns, and in this point of view alone, considering their boundless number, their value can hardly be overestimated. The gum of some of the acacias will bear comparison withgum-arabic. Their bark and timber are likewise useful, and when thegold fever has subsided, will become valuable as exports. 

Wild flowers there are in abundance, and some exquisite specimens offerns. For the benefit of those better skilled in botany than myself, Igive the following list of Dr. Muller's indigenous plants of Victoria. Correaochrolenca and Phebalium Asteriscophorum, both with the medicalproperties of the Bucco-bush, Eurybia Rhodochaeta, E. Rugosa, E. Adenophylla, E. Asterotristia, Sambucus, Gaudichaudiana, ProstantheraHirsuta, Pimelea axiflora (powerful Surrogat of the Mezerionshrub), Bossidea decumbcus, Asterotristia asperifolia, Patersoniaaspera, Grevilliea repens, Dallachiana, &c. 

The geranium, fuschia, rhododendrum, and almost all varieties of theCacti have been taken to the colonies, and flourish well in the openair all the year round, growing much more luxuriantly than in England. 

The vineyards must some day form a considerable source of employmentand profit to the colonists. The wine made in Australia is very good. The vines are cultivated in the same manner as in France. In theneighbourhood of Sydney, oranges and peaches are grown out in the openair. Apples and other fruits flourish well in Van Diemen's Land. Allthese fruits are not indigenous to Australia. The only articles of foodnatural there, are the kangaroos, emus, opossums, and other denizens ofthe forest, a few snakes, some roots, and a worm, about the length andthickness of a finger, which is abundant in all parts of the colony, and is taken out of the cavities, or from under the bark, of the trees. It is a great favourite with the blacks, as it can be procuredwhen no other food is attainable. 

I have before made mention of the bush and scrub; there is a greatdissimilarity between the two. The former resembles a forest, with noneor very little underwood. The scrub, on the contrary, is alwaysunderwood, of from six to twenty feet high, and only here and there afew trees are seen. To be lost in either bush or scrub is a commonthing. If on horseback the best way is to give the rein to yourfour-footed companion, and instinct will most probably enable him toextricate you. If on foot, ascend, if possible, a rise of ground, andnotice any FALL in the country; here, most likely, is a creek, and oncebeside that, you are pretty sure of coming to a station. If this fails, you must just bush it for the night, and resume your search nextmorning, trusting to an occasional "coo-ey" to help you out of yourdifficulty. 

The scenery of Australia partakes of all characters. Sometimes miles ofswamp reminds one of the Lincolnshire fens; at other times it assumesquite a park-like appearance, though the effect is greatlyinjured by the want of freshness about the foliage, which always looksof a dirty, dingy green. The native trees in Australia never shed theirleaves, never have that exquisite young tint which makes an Englishspring in the country so delicious. Their faded look always reminded meof those unfortunate trees imprisoned for so many months beneath theCrystal Palace. 

The mountains in Australia are high and bold in outline, and thesnow-capped Alps on the boundaries of New South Wales are not unliketheir European namesakes, the highest tops are from six to seventhousand feet above the level of the sea. The country round Ballarat ismore in the North American style, and when the creek is full, it is afine sight, greatly resembling, I have beard, one of the smaller riversin Canada; in fact, the scenery round Ballarat is said to approach moreto Upper Canada than any in the colony. The rocks, although not high, are in places very bold and romantic, and in the wet season there areseveral water-falls in the neighbourhood. 

Eels are very plentiful in Victoria, and are peculiar to this district, being seldom, if ever, found in any other part of the known continent. Old writers on Australia have stated that eels are unknown in this partof the world, which, since this colony has been settled in, has beenfound to be erroneous, as the Barwin, the Yarra Yarra, and theirtributaries abound with them, some weighing five or six pounds. A fewdays after our return from the diggings, we breakfasted off a dish ofstewed eels, caught by a friend; the smallest weighed about a pound anda half, the largest about three pounds. They were caught three milesfrom Melbourne, in the Salt Water Creek. 

A small kind of fish like the lamprey, another similar to the gudgeon, and also one (of rather a larger kind--the size of the roach) calledhere "white herrings, " but not at all resembling that fish, are found. Pike are also very numerous. Crabs and lobsters are not known here, butin the salt creeks near the sea we have craw-fish. 

Of course, parrots, cockatoos and "sich-like, " abound in thebush, to the horror of the small gardeners and cultivators, as whatthey do not eat they ruin by destroying the young shoots. 

Kangaroos are extremely numerous in the scrub. They are the size of alarge greyhound, and of a mouse colour. The natives call them"kanguru. " The tail is of great strength. There are several varietiesof them. The largest is the Great Kangaroo, of a greyish-brown colour, generally four or five feet high and the tail three. Some kangaroos arenearly white, others resemble the hare in colour. Pugs, or youngkangaroos, are plentiful about the marshy grounds; so are also theopossum and kangaroo rat. The latter is not a rat, properly speaking, but approaches the squirrel tribe. It is a lilliputian kangaroo, thesize of our native wood squirrel and larger, only grey or reddish-grey. It can leap six or eight feet easily, and is excellent eating. Thenative dog is of all colours; it has the head and brush of a fox, withthe body a legs of a dog. It is a cowardly animal, and will run awayfrom you like mad. It is a great enemy of the kangaroo rat, anda torment to the squatter, for a native dog has a great PENCHANT formutton and will kill thirty or forty sheep in the course of an hour. 

A species of mocking-bird which inhabits the bush is a ludicrouscreature. It imitates everything, and makes many a camping partyimagine there is a man near them, when they hear its whistle or heartylaugh. This bird is nicknamed the "Jackass, " and its loud "ha! ha! ha!"is heard every morning at dawn echoing through the woods and servingthe purpose of a "boots" by calling the sleepy traveller in good timeto get his breakfast and pursue his journey. The bats here are verylarge. 

Insects, fleas, &c. , are as plentiful as it is possible to be, and theants, of which there are several kinds, are a perfect nuisance. Thelargest are called by the old colonists, "bull-dogs, " and formidablecreatures they are--luckily not very common, about an inch and a halflong, black, or rusty-black, with a red tail. They bite like alittle crab. Ants of an inch long are quite common. They do not--like theEnglish ones--run scared away at the sight of a human being--not abit of it; Australian ants have more PLUCK, and will turn and face you. Nay, more, should you RETREAT, they will run after you with all theimpudence imaginable. Often when my organ of destructiveness hastempted me slightly to disturb with the end of my parasol one of themany ant-hills on the way from Melbourne to Richmond, I have beenobliged, as soon as they discovered the perpetrator of the attack, totake to my heels and run away as if for my life. 

Centipedes and triantelopes (colonial, for tarantula) are very common, and though not exactly fatal, are very dangerous if not attended to. The deaf adder is the most formidable "varmint" in Australia. There aretwo varieties; it is generally about two feet long. The bite is fatal. The deaf adder never moves unless it is touched, hence its name. I donot think it has the power of twisting or twirling, like theordinary snake or adder and it is very slow in its movements. There areseveral species of snakes, some of them are extremely venomous and growto a large size, as long as ten feet. The black snake is the mostvenomous of any; its bite is fatal within a few hours. 

But let us leave these wilder subjects and return to Melbourne. 

The state of society in the town had not much improved during myabsence. On the public road from Melbourne to St. Kilda, fifteen menwere robbed in one afternoon, and tied to trees within sight of oneanother. In Melbourne itself the same want of security prevailed, andconcerts, lectures, &c. , were always advertised to take place whenthere was a full moon, the only nights any one, unarmed, dared venture, out after dusk. The following extract from the "Argus, " gives a fairspecimen of Melbourne order. 

"We are led to these remarks (referring to a tirade against theGovernment) by an occurrence that took place last week in Queen Street, the whole detail of which is peculiarly illustrative of thevery creditable state of things, to which, under the happy auspices ofa La Trobe dynasty, we are rapidly descending. 

"A ruffian robs a man in a public-house, in broad daylight. He ispursued by a constable and taken. On the way to the watchhouse a mobcollects, the police are attacked, pistols are pointed, bludgeons andaxe-handles are brought out of the adjacent houses (all still in broaddaylight, and in a busy street), and distributed amongst the crowd, loud cries inciting attack are heard, a scuffle ensues, the police arebeaten, the prisoner is rescued, the crowd separates, and a man is leftdead upon the ground. The body is taken into a public-house, an inquestis held, the deceased is recognized as a drunkard, the jury is assuredthat a POST-MORTEM examination is quite unnecessary; and the man isburied, after a verdict is brought in of 'Died by the visitation ofGod;' the said visitation of God having, in this instance, assumed thesomewhat peculiar form of a fractured skull!"

This is a true picture of Melbourne; but whether the "Argus" isjustified in reproaching the "La Trobe dynasty" with it, is quiteanother matter. 

In pages like these, anything resembling an argument on the"transportation question, " would be sadly out of place. To avoidthinking or hearing it was impossible, for during my second stay inMelbourne, it was a never-failing subject of conversation. In Victoria(which is only forty-eight hours' journey from Van Diemen's Land), Ihave seen the bad results of the mingling of so many transports andticket-of-leave men among the free population. On the other hand, Ihave heard from many and good authorities, of the substantial benefitsconferred on Sydney and New South Wales by convict labour. It isdifficult to reconcile these two statements, and it is an apple ofdiscord in the colonies. 

Whilst in Victoria, I met with a great variety of emigrants, and I wasmuch struck by the great success that seems to have attended on almostall of those who came out under the auspices of Mrs. Chisholm. No onein England can fully appreciate the benefits her unweariedexertions have conferred upon the colonies. I have met many of thematrons of her ships, and not only do they themselves seem to have madetheir way in the world, but the young females who were under their careduring the voyage appear to have done equally well. Perhaps one way ofaccounting for this, is the fact that a great many of those going outby the Chisholm Society are from Scotland, the inhabitants of whichcountry are peculiarly fortunate in the colonies, their industry, frugality, and "canniness" being the very qualities to make a fortunethere. "Sydney Herbert's needlewomen" bear but a bad name; and theworst recommendation a young girl applying for a situation can give, isto say she came out in that manner--not because the colonists look downon any one coming out by the assistance of others, but because it isimagined her female associates on the voyage cannot have been such asto improve her morality, even if she were good for anything before. 

Much is said and written in England about the scarcity offemales in Australia, and the many good offers awaiting the acceptanceof those who have the courage to travel so far. But the colonialbachelors, who are so ready to get married, and so very easy in theirchoice of a wife, are generally those the least calculated, in spite oftheir wealth, to make a respectable girl happy; whilst the better classof squatters and diggers--if they do not return home to get married, which is often the case--are not satisfied with any one, however pretty, for a wife, unless her manners are cultivated and her principlescorrect. 

To wander through Melbourne and its environs, no one would imagine thatfemales were as one to four of the male population; for bonnets andparasols everywhere outnumber the wide-awakes. This is occasioned bythe absence of so many of the "lords of creation" in pursuit of whatthey value--many of them, at least--more than all the women in theworld--nuggets. The wives thus left in town to deplore their husbands'infatuation, are termed "grass-widows"--a mining expression. 

And now two out of the three weeks of our party's stay in Melbourne hasexpired, during which time a change (purely personal) had made mybrother's protection no longer needed by me. MY wedding-trip was to beto England, and the marriage was to take place, and myself and CAROSPOSO to leave Australia before my brother departed for the Ovensdiggings. The 'C----, ' a fine East Indiaman, then lying in the bay, wasbound for London. We were to be on board by the 12th of November. 

This of course gave me plenty to do, and my last morning but one inMelbourne was dedicated to that favourite feminine occupation--which, however, I detest--I mean, shopping. This being accomplished to my greatdissatisfaction--for all I bought could have been obtained, of a betterdescription, for half the price in England--I was preparing to returnhome by way of Collins Street, when my name in familiar accents made mesuddenly pause. I instantly recognised the lady who addressed me as oneof the English governesses in a "finishing" school where three years ofmy girlhood were passed. Julia ------ was a great favourite amongus; no one could have done otherwise than admire the ability andgood-humour with which she fulfilled her many arduous duties. Perhaps, of all miserable positions for a well-educated and refined young personto be placed in, that of "little girls' teacher" in a lady's school isthe worst. 

Her subsequent history I learnt as we walked together to my presentabode. 

Her mother had had a cousin in Sydney, who being old and unmarried, wrote to her, promising to settle all his property, which wasconsidered large, upon her daughter and herself, his only livingrelatives, provided they came out to the colonies to live with himuntil his death. A sum of money to defray the expenses of the voyagewas enclosed. This piece of unexpected good news was received withpleasure, and the invitation gladly accepted. They sailed for Sydney. On arriving there, they found that some speculation, in which he wasgreatly involved, had failed; and the old man had taken the loss sogreatly to heart, that he died only five months after havingdispatched the letter to his English relatives. 

Poor Julia was placed in a most painful position. In England she hadscarcely been able to support her invalid mother by her own exertions, but in a strange country and without friends these difficulties seemedincreased. Her first act was to look over the advertizing columns ofthe papers, and her eye caught sight of one which seemed exactly tosuit her. It was, "Wanted, a governess to take the entire charge of alittle girl, the daughter of a widower, and also an elderly lady, tosuperintend the domestic arrangements of the same family during thecontinual absence of the master at another station. " Julia wroteimmediately, and was accepted. In the occasional visits that herpupil's father paid to his little girl, he could not fail to be struckby the sweet disposition and many other good qualities of hergoverness, and it ended by his making her his wife. I felt at libertyto congratulate her, for she looked the picture of happiness. I saw heragain next day, when she showed me the advertisement which hadbeen the means of such a change in her circumstances. 

The day before my departure was a painful one, so many farewells to betaken of dear friends whom I should never meet again. 

On Friday, the 15th of November, my brother and all our party, Richardand Jessie included, accompanied us to the pier at Williamstown, towhich we were conveyed by a steamer. For this we paid five shillingsa-piece, and the same for each separate box or parcel, and twelveshillings to a man for carting our luggage down to the Melbourne wharf, a distance of not a mile. 

On landing at the pier, how greatly was I astonished to meet Harrietteand her husband. Her modest desires were gratified, and they hadrealized sufficient capital at the diggings to enable them to settlemost comfortably near Adelaide. In hurried words she told me this, fortheir boat was already alongside the pier waiting to take them to theirship. Hardly had they departed than a boat arrived from ourvessel to convey us to it. Sad adieux were spoken, and we were rowedaway. 

That evening a pilot came on board, anchors were weighed, we left thebay, and I saw Melbourne no more. 

Chapter XVII. 

HOMEWARD BOUND

We soon left Port Philip far behind, and in a few days saw nothing buta vast expanse of water all around us. Our vessel was filled withreturning diggers; and it is worth while to remark that only two hadbeen unsuccessful, and these had only been at the diggings a few days. 

One family on board interested me very much. It consisted of father, mother, and two children. The eldest, a little, girl, had been bornsome time before they left England. Her brother was a sturdy fellow oftwo years old, born in the colonies soon after their arrival. He could just toddle about the deck, where he was everlastingly lookingfor "dold, " and "nuddets. " The whole family had been at the diggingsfor nine months, and were returning with something more than 2, 000 poundsworth of gold. In England it had been hard work to obtain sufficientfood by the most constant labour; they had good reason to be thankfulfor the discovery of the gold-fields. 

Saturday, November 27, was forty-eight hours long, or two days of thesame name and date. Sailing right round the world in the direction offrom west to east, we gained exactly twenty-four hours upon those whostay at home; and we were therefore obliged to make one day double toprevent finding ourselves wrong in our dates and days on our arrival inEngland. Melbourne is about ten hours before London, and thereforenight, and day are reversed. 

Rapidly it became cooler, for the winds were rather contrary, and droveus much farther south than was needed. We were glad to availourselves of our opossum rugs to keep ourselves warm. One of these rugsis quite sufficient covering of a night in the coldest weather, andimparts as much heat as a dozen blankets. They are made from the skinsof the opossums, sewn together by the natives with the sinews of thesame animal. Each skin is about twelve inches by eight, or smaller; andas the rugs are generally very large, they contain sometimes as many aseighty skins. They may be tastefully arranged, as there is a greatdifference in the colours; some being like a rich sable, others nearlyblack, and others again of a grey and light brown. The fur is long andsilky. At one time a rug of this description was cheap enough--perhapsas much as two sovereigns but the great demand for them by diggers, &c. , has made them much more scarce, and it now requires a tenpound-note to get a good one. The best come from Van Diemen's Land. Insummer they are disagreeable, as they harbour insects. 

However, whilst rounding Cape Horn, in the coldest weather I everexperienced, we were only too happy to throw them over usduring the nights. 

One morning we were awakened by a great confusion on deck. Our ship wasploughing through a quantity of broken ice. That same afternoon, wesighted an immense iceberg about ten miles from us. Its size may beimagined from the fact, that, although we were sailing at a rate of tenknots an hour, we kept it in sight till dark. This was on the 3rd ofDecember. 

We soon rounded the Horn, and had some very rough weather. One of thesailors fell off the jib-boom; and the cry of "man overboard" made ourhearts beat with horror. Every sail was on; we were running rightbefore the wind, and the waves were mountains high, a boat must havebeen swamped; and long before we could "bout ship", he had sunk torise no more. 

After rounding Cape Horn, we made rapid progress; by Christmas Day, wewere in the Tropics. It was not kept with much joviality, for water andfood were running scarce. Provisions were so dear in Melbourne, that they had laid in a short allowance of everything, and our captainhad not anticipated half so many passengers. We tried, therefore, toput into St. Helena, but contrary winds preventing us, we sailed backagain to the South American coast, and anchored off Pernambuco. It wasprovidential that economical intentions made our captain prefer thisport, for had we touched at Rio, we should have encountered the yellowfever, which we afterwards heard was raging there. 

Pernambuco is apparently a very pretty place. We were anchored aboutfour miles from the town, so had a good view of the coast. I longed tobe on shore to ramble beneath the elegant cocoa-nut-trees. The weatherwas intensely hot, for it was in the commencement of January; and theboats full of fruit, sent from the shore for sale, were soon emptied byus. I call them boats, but they are properly termed catamarans. Theyare made of logs of wood lashed securely together; they have a sail andoars but no sides, so the water rushes over, and threatensevery moment to engulf the frail conveyance; but no, the wood is toolight for that. The fruits brought us from shore were oranges, pine-apples, water-melons, limes, bananas, cocoa-nuts, &c. , and someyams, which were a good substitute for potatoes. The fruit was all verygood, and astonishingly cheap; our oranges being green, lasted till wereached England. Some of our passengers went on shore, and returnedwith marvellous accounts of the dirtiness and narrowness of thestreets, and the extremely NATURAL costume of the natives. 

We remained here about four days, and then, with favourable winds, pursued our voyage at an average rate of ten or twelve knots an hour. As we neared the English coast, our excitement increased to an awfulheight; and for those who had been many years away, I can imagine everytrivial delay was fraught with anxiety. 

But we come in sight of land; and in spite of the cold weather, for itis now February, 1853, every one rushes to the deck. On we go;at last we are in the Downs, and then the wind turned right against us. 

Boats were put off from the Deal beach. The boatmen there rightlycalculated that lucky gold-diggers wouldn't mind paying a pound a-pieceto get ashore, so they charged that, and got plenty of customersnotwithstanding. 

On Sunday, the 27th of February, I again set foot on my native land. Itwas evening when we reached the shore, and there was only an openvehicle to convey us to the town of Deal itself. The evening wasbitterly cold, and the snow lay upon the ground. As we proceeded along, the sounds of the Sabbath bell broke softly on the air. No greetingcould have been more pleasing or more congenial to my feelings. 

Chapter XVIII. 

CONCLUSION

As I trust that, in the foregoing pages, I have slightly interested myreaders in "our party, " the following additional account of theirmovements, contained in letters addressed to me by my brother, may notbe quite uninteresting. 

The Ovens diggings are on the river of the same name, which takes itsrise in the Australian Alps, and flows into the Murray. As these Alpsseparate New South Wales from Victoria, these diggings belong to thelatter province. They are about forty miles from the town ofAlbury. They are spread over a large space of ground. The principallocalities are Spring and Reid's Creeks. 

Now for the letters. 

"Melbourne, January 5, 1853. 

"My dear E--, "You'll be surprised at the heading of this but the Ovens are not to mytaste, and I'm off again with Frank and Octavius to Bendigo tomorrow. Isuppose you'll like to hear of our adventures up to the Ovens, and thereasons for this sudden change of plans. We left Melbourne the Mondayafter you sailed, and camped out half-way to Kilmore, a little beyondthe 'Lady of the Lake. ' The day was fine, but the dust made uswretched. Next day, we reached Kilmore--stopped there all night. Nextday on again, and the farther we went, the more uncivilized itbecame--hills here, forests there, as wild and savage as any one coulddesire. It was 'bushing it' with a vengeance. This lasted several days. Once we lost our road, and came, by good luck, to a sort ofstation. They received us very hospitably, and set us right nextmorning. Four days after, we came to the Goulburn river. There was apunt to take us over, and a host of people (many from Bendigo) waitingto cross. Three days after, we pitched out tents at the Ovens. Here Isoon saw it was no go. There was too much water, and too little gold;and even if they could knock the first difficulty on the head, I don'tthink they could do the same to the second. In my own mind, I think itimpossible that the Ovens will ever turn out the second Bendigo thatmany imagine. Hundreds differ from me, therefore it's hundreds to onethat I'm wrong. The average wages, as far as I can judge, are an ouncea-week; some much more, many much less. We did not attempt diggingourselves. Eagle Hawk shallowness has spoilt us, for not even Octavius(who, you know of old, was a harder worker than either Frank or self)thinks it worth digging through fourteen or sixteen feet ofhard clay for the mere pleasure of exercising our limbs. Provisionsthere were not at the high price that many supposed they would be, butquite high enough, Heaven knows! Meat was very scarce and bad, andflour all but a shilling a pound; and if the fresh arrivals keepflocking in, and no greater supply of food, it will get higher still. We stayed there two weeks, then brought our dray back again, and arenow busy getting ready for a fresh start to Bendigo. Among other thingswe shall take, are lemonade and ginger-beer powders, a profitableinvestment, though laughable. The weather is very hot--fancy 103 degreesin the shade. Water is getting scarce. "

 * * * * *

"Have seen all our friends in Melbourne except Richard, who left forEngland a fortnight ago. Jessie is well, and growing quite pretty. Shesays she is extremely happy, and sends such a number ofmessages to you, that I'll write none, for fear of making a mistake. Will write again soon. "

 * * * * *

"Your affectionate brother, in haste, "----"

"Melbourne, April 17, 1853. 

"My dear E----, "I suppose you've thought I was buried in my hole, or 'kilt' bybushrangers in the Black Forest; but I've been so occupied in theworship of Mammon, as to have little thoughts for anything else. 

 * * * * *

"We made a good thing of our last two speculations. Ginger-beer andlemonade, or lemon kali, at sixpence a tiny glass, paid well. Asuccessful digger would drink off a dozen one after another. Some days, we have taken ten pounds in sixpences at this fun. What theybought of us wouldn't harm them, but many mix up all sorts of injuriousarticles to sell; but our consciences, thank God! are not colonisedsufficiently for that. We have had steady good luck in the digging line(for we combine everything), and after this next trip, mean to dissolvepartnership. 

 * * * * *

"Octavius talks of going out as overseer, or something of that sort, tosome squatter in New South Wales for a year or so, just to learn thesystem, &c. , and then, if possible, take a sheep-run himself. Frankmeans to send for Mrs. Frank and small Co. He says he shall stay inVictoria for some years. I do believe he likes the colony. As formyself, I hope to see the last of it in six weeks' time. 

* * * * *

"Hurrah for Old England!--no place like it. 

* * * * *

"Your very affectionate brother, "----"

With a cordial assent to the last few words, I conclude these pages. 

APPENDIX

WHO SHOULD EMIGRATE?

The question of "Who should emigrate?" has now become one of suchimportance (owing to the number who are desirous of quitting theirnative land to seek a surer means of subsistence in our vast colonialpossessions), that any book treating of Australia would be sadlydeficient were a subject of such universal interest to be leftunnoticed; and where there are so many of various capabilities, meansand dispositions, in need of guidance and advice as to the advantageof their emigrating, it is probable that the experience of any one, however slight that experience may be, will be useful to some. 

Any one to succeed in the colonies must take with him a quantity ofself-reliance, energy, and perseverance; this is the best capital a mancan have. Let none rely upon introductions--they are but useless thingsat the best--they may get you invited to a good dinner; but now thatfresh arrivals in Melbourne are so much more numerous than heretofore, I almost doubt if they would do even that. A quick, clever fellow witha trade of his own, inured to labour, and with a light heart, that canlaugh at the many privations which the gipsy sort of life he must leadin the colonies will entail upon him; any one of this descriptioncannot fail to get on. But for the number of clerks, shopmen, &c. , whodaily arrive in Australia, there is a worse chance of their gaining alivelihood than if they had remained at home. With this description oflabour the colonial market is largely overstocked; and it isdistressing to notice the number of young men incapable ofsevere manual labour, who, with delicate health, and probably stillmore delicately filled purses, swarm the towns in search of employment, and are exposed to heavy expenses which they can earn nothing to meet. Such men have rarely been successful at the diggings; the demand forthem in their accustomed pursuits is very limited in proportion totheir numbers; they gradually sink into extreme poverty--too often intoreckless or criminal habits--till they disappear from the streets tomake way for others similarly unfortunate. 

A little while since I met with the histories of two individualsbelonging to two very different classes of emigrants; and they are soapplicable to this subject, that I cannot forbear repeating them. 

The first account is that of a gentleman who went to Melbourne someeight months ago, carrying with him a stock of elegant acquirements andaccomplishments, but little capital. He is now in a starving condition, almost with-out the hope of extrication, and is imploring fromhis friends the means to return to England, if he live long enough toreceive them. The colours in which he paints the colonies aredeplorable in the extreme. 

The other account is that of a compositor who emigrated much about thesame time. He writes to his former office-mates that he got immediateand constant employment at the rate of 7 pounds per week, and naturallythinks that there is no place under the sun like Melbourne. Bothemigrants are right. There is no better place under the sun thanMelbourne for those who can do precisely what the Melbourne peoplewant; and which they must and will have at any price; but there is noworse colony to which those can go who have not the capabilitiesrequired by the Melbourne people. They are useless and in the way, their accomplishments are disregarded, their misfortunes receive nopity; and, whilst a good carpenter or bricklayer would make a fortune, a modern Raphael might starve. 

But even those possessed of every qualification for making first-classcolonists, will at first meet with much to surprise and annoy them, andwill need all the energy they possess, to enable them to overcome themany disagreeables which encounter them as soon as they arrive. 

Let us, for example, suppose the case of an emigrant, with noparticular profession or business, but having a strong constitution, good common sense, and a determination to bear up against everyhardship, so that in the end it leads him to independence. Let usfollow him through the difficulties that bewilder the stranger inMelbourne during the first few days of his arrival. 

The commencement of his dilemmas will be that of getting his luggagefrom the ship; and so quickly do the demands for pounds and shillingsfall upon him, that he is ready to wish he had pitched half his "traps"over-board. However, we will suppose him at length safely landed on thewharf at Melbourne, with all his boxes beside him. He inquiresfor a store, and learns that there are plenty close at hand; and thenforgetting that he is in the colonies, he looks round for a porter andtruck, and looks in vain. After waiting as patiently as he can forabout a couple of hours, he manages to hire an empty cart and driver;the latter lifts the boxes into the conveyance (expecting, of course, his employer to lend a hand), smacks his whip, and turns down streetafter street till he reaches a tall, grim-looking budding, in front ofwhich he stops, with a "That ere's a store, " and a demand for asovereign, more or less. This settled, he coolly requests the emigrantto assist him in unloading, and leaves him to get his boxes carriedinside as best he can. Perhaps some of the storekeeper's men come tothe rescue, and with their help the luggage is conveyed into thestore-room (which is often sixty or eighty feet in length), where theowner receives a memorandum of their arrival. Boxes or parcels mayremain there in perfect safety for months, so long as ashilling a week is paid for each. 

Our emigrant, having left his property in security, now turns to seek alodging for himself; and the extreme difficulty of procuring houseaccommodation, with its natural consequences, an extraordinary rate ofrent, startles and amazes him. He searches the city in vain, andbetakes himself to the suburbs, where he procures a small, half-furnished room, in a wooden house for thirty shillings a week. Thescarcity of houses in proportion to the population, is one of thegreatest drawbacks to the colony; but we could not expect it to beotherwise when we remember that in one year Victoria received anaddition of nearly 80, 000 inhabitants. The masculine portion of theseemigrants, with few exceptions, started off at once to the diggings;hence the deficiency in the labour market is only partially filled upby the few who remained behind, and by the fewer still who forsake thegold-fields; whilst the abundance of money, and the deficiency of goodworkmen, have raised the expenses of building far above thepoint at which it would be a profitable investment for capital. Meantime, the want is only partially supplied by the wooden cottageswhich are daily springing up around the boundaries of the city; butthis is insufficient to meet the increasing want of shelter, and on thesouthern bank of the Yarra there are four or five thousand peopleliving in tents. This settlement is appropriately called "Canvas Town. "

But let us return to our newly-arrived emigrant. 

Having succeeded in obtaining a lodging, he proceeds to purchase somenecessary articles of food, and looks incredulously at the shopkeeperwhen told that butter is 3s. 6d. A pound, cheese, ham, or bacon 2s. To2s. 6d. , and eggs 4s. Or 5s. A dozen. He wisely dispenses with suchluxuries, and contents himself with bread at 1s. 6d. The four-poundloaf, and meat at 5d. A pound. He sleeps soundly, for the day has beena fatiguing one, and next morning with renewed spirits determines tosearch immediately for employment. He does not much care what it is atfirst, so that he earns something; for his purse feels considerablylighter after the many demands upon it yesterday. Before an hour isover, he finds himself engaged to a storekeeper at a rate of threepounds a-week; his business being to load and unload drays, rollcasks, lift heavy goods, &c. ; and here we will leave him, for once setgoing he will soon find a better berth. If he have capital, it isdoubtless safely deposited in the Bank until a little acquaintance withthe colonies enables him to invest it judiciously; and meanwhile, if wise, he will spend every shilling as though it were his last; but if hiscapital consists only of the trifle in his purse, no matter, the way heis setting to work will soon rectify that deficiency, and he stands agood chance in a few years of returning to England a comparativelywealthy man. 

To those of my own sex who desire to emigrate to Australia, I say do soby all means, if you can go under suitable protection, possessgood health, are not fastidious or "fine-lady-like, " can milk cows, churn butter, cook a good damper, and mix a pudding. The worst risk yourun is that of getting married, and finding yourself treated withtwenty times the respect and consideration you may meet with inEngland. Here (as far as number goes) women beat the "lords ofcreation;" in Australia it is the reverse, and, there we may be prettysure of having our own way. 

But to those ladies who cannot wait upon themselves, and whose fairfingers are unused to the exertion of doing anything useful, my adviceis, for your own sakes remain at home. Rich or poor, it is all thesame; for those who can afford to give 40 pounds a-year to a femaleservant will scarcely know whether to be pleased or not at theacquisition, so idle and impertinent are they; scold them, and they willtell you that "next week Tom, or Bill, or Harry will be back from thediggings, and then they'll be married, and wear silk dresses, and be asfine a lady as yourself;" and with some such words will coolly dismissthemselves from your service, leaving their poor unfortunate mistressuncertain whether to be glad of their departure or ready to cry becausethere's nothing prepared for dinner, and she knows not what to setabout first. 

For those who wish to invest small sums in goods for Australia, bootsand shoes, cutlery, flash jewellery, watches, pistols (particularlyrevolvers), gunpowder, fancy articles, cheap laces, and baby-linenoffer immense profits. 

The police in Victoria is very inefficient, both in the towns and onthe roads. Fifteen persons were stopped during the same afternoonwhilst travelling on the highway between Melbourne and St. Kilda. Theywere robbed, and tied to trees within sight of each other--this too inbroad daylight. On the roads to the diggings it is still worse; and noone intending to turn digger should leave England without a good supplyof fire-arms. In less than one week more than a dozen robberiesoccurred between Kyneton and Forest Creek, two of which terminated inmurder. The diggings themselves are comparatively safe--quite as muchso as Melbourne itself--and there is a freemasonry in the bush whichpossesses an irresistible charm for adventurous bachelors, and causesthem to prefer the risk of bushrangers to witnessing the dreadfulscenes that are daily and hourly enacting in a colonial town. Life inthe bush is wild, free and independent. Healthy exercise, fine scenery, and a clear and buoyant atmosphere, maintain an excitement of thespirits and a sanguineness of temperament peculiar to this sort ofexistence; and many are the pleasant evenings, enlivened with the gayjest or cheerful song, which are passed around the bush fires ofAustralia. 

The latest accounts from the diggings speak of them most encouragingly. Out of a population of 200, 000 (which is calculated to be the number ofthe present inhabitants of Victoria), half are said to be at thegold-fields, and the average earnings are still reckoned atnearly an ounce per man per week. Ballarat is again rising into favour, and its riches are being more fully developed. The gold there is moreunequally distributed than at Mount Alexander, and therefore theproportion of successful to unsuccessful diggers is not so great as atthe latter place. But then the individual gains are in some casesgreater. The labour is also more severe than at the Mount or Bendigo, as the gold lies deeper, and more numerous trials have to be madebefore the deposits are struck upon. 

The Ovens is admitted to be a rich gold-field, but the work there isseverely laborious, owing to a super-abundance of water. 

The astonishing mineral wealth of Mount Alexander is evidenced by thelarge amounts which it continues to yield, notwithstanding the immensequantities that have already been taken from it. The whole country inthat neighbourhood appears to be more or less auriferous. 

Up to the close of last year the total supposed amount of gold procuredfrom the Victoria diggings, is 3, 998, 324 ounces, which, when calculatedat the average English value of 4 pounds an ounce, is worth nearly SIXTEENMILLIONS STERLING. One-third of this is distinctly authenticated ashaving come down by escort during the three last mouths of 1852. 

In Melbourne the extremes of wealth and poverty meet, and many are theanecdotes of the lavish expenditure of successful diggers that arecirculated throughout the town. I shall only relate two which fellunder my own observation. 

Having occasion to make a few purchases in the linen drapery line, Ientered a good establishment in Collins Street for that purpose. It wasbefore noon, for later in the day the shops are so full that to get atrifling order attended to would be almost a miracle. There was onlyone customer in the shop, who was standing beside the counter, gazingwith extreme dissatisfaction upon a quantity of goods of variouscolours and materials that lay there for his inspection. He wasa rough-looking customer enough, and the appearance of his hands gavestrong indication that the pickaxe and spade were among the last toolshe had handled. 

"It's a SHINY thing that I want, " he was saying as I entered. 

"These are what we should call shining goods, " said the shopman, as heheld up the silks, alpacas, &c. , to the light. 

"They're not the SHINY sort that I want, " pursued the digger, half-doggedly, half-angrily. "I'll find another shop; I guess you won'tshow your best goods to me--you think, mayhap, I can't pay for them--butI can, though, " and he laid a note for fifty pounds upon the counter, adding, "maybe you'll show me some SHINY stuff now!"

Unable to comprehend the wishes of his customer, the shopman called tohis assistance the master of the establishment, who being, I suppose, of quicker apprehension, placed some satins before him. 

"I thought the paper would help you find it. I want a gown for mymissus. What's the price?"

"Twenty yards at one-ten--thirty pounds. That do, Sir?"

"No; not good enough!" was the energetic reply. 

The shrewd shopkeeper quickly fathomed his customer's desires, and nowdisplayed before him a rich orange-coloured satin, which elicited anexclamation of delight. 

"Twenty-five yards--couldn't sell less, it's a remnant--at three poundsthe yard. "

"That's the go!" interrupted the digger, throwing some more notes uponthe counter. "My missus was married in a cotton gown, and now she'llhave a real gold 'un!"

And seizing the satin from the shopkeeper, he twisted up the portionthat had been unrolled for his inspection, placed the whole under hisarm, and triumphantly walked out of the shop, little thinking how hehad been cheated. 

"A 'lucky digger' that, " observed the shopman, as he attended to mywants. 

I could not forbear a smile, for I pictured to myself the digger's wifemixing a damper with the sleeves of her dazzling satin dress tucked upabove her elbows. 

A few days after, a heavy shower drove me to take shelter in apastry-cook's, where, under the pretence of eating a bun, I escaped agood drenching. Hardly had I been seated five minutes, when asailor-looking personage entered, and addressed the shopwoman with:"I'm agoing to be spliced to-morrow, young woman; show us some largewedding-cakes. "

The largest (which was but a small one) was placed before him, andeighteen pounds demanded for it. He laid down four five-pound notesupon the counter, and taking up the cake, told her to "keep the changeto buy ribbons with. "

"Pleasant to have plenty of gold-digging friends, " I remarked, by wayof saying something. 

"Not a friend, " said she, smiling. "I never saw him before. I expecthe's only a successful digger. "

Turn we now to the darker side of this picture. 

My favourite walk, whilst in Melbourne, was over Prince's Bridge, andalong the road to Liardet's Beach, thus passing close to the canvassettlement, called Little Adelaide. One day, about a week before weembarked for England, I took my accustomed walk in this direction, andas I passed the tents, was much struck by the appearance of a littlegirl, who, with a large pitcher in her arms, came to procure some waterfrom a small stream beside the road. Her dress, though clean and neat, bespoke extreme poverty; and her countenance had a wan, sad expressionupon it which would have touched the most indifferent beholder, andleft an impression deeper even than that produced by her extreme thoughdelicate beauty. 

I made a slight attempt at acquaintanceship by assisting tofill her pitcher, which was far too heavy, when full of water, for soslight a child to carry, and pointing to the rise of ground on whichthe tents stood, I inquired if she lived among them. 

She nodded her head in token of assent. 

"And have you been long here? and do you like this new country?" Icontinued, determined to hear if her voice was as pleasing as hercountenance. 

"No!" she answered quickly; "we starve here. There was plenty of foodwhen we were in England;" and then her childish reserve giving way, shespoke more fully of her troubles, and a sad though a common tale itwas. 

Some of the particulars I learnt afterwards. Her father had held anappointment under Government, and had lived upon the income derivedfrom it for some years, when he was tempted to try and do better in thecolonies. His wife (the daughter of a clergyman, well educated, and whobefore her marriage had been a governess) accompanied him withtheir three children. On arriving in Melbourne (which was about threemonths previous), he found that situations equal in value, according tothe relative prices of food and lodging, to that which he had thrown upin England were not so easily procured as he had been led to expect. Half desperate, he went to the diggings, leaving his wife with littlemoney, and many promises of quick remittances of gold by the escort. But week followed week, and neither remittances nor letters came. Theyremoved to humbler lodgings, every little article of value wasgradually sold, for, unused to bodily labour, or even to sit for hoursat the needle, the deserted wife could earn but little. Then sicknesscame; there were no means of paying for medical advice, and one childdied. After this, step by step, they became poorer, until half a tentin Little Adelaide was the only refuge left. 

As we reached it, the little girl drew aside the canvas, and partlyinvited me to enter. I glanced in; it was a dismal sight. Inone corner lay the mother, a blanket her only protection from the humidsoil, and cowering down beside her was her other child. I could notenter; it seemed like a heartless intrusion upon misery; so, slippingthe contents of my purse (which were unfortunately only a fewshillings) into the little, girl's hand, I hurried away, scarcelywaiting to notice the smile that thanked me so eloquently. On arrivingat home, I found that my friends were absent, and being detained bybusiness, they did not return till after dusk, so it was impossible forthat day to afford them any assistance. Early next morning we took alittle wine and other trifling articles with us, and proceeded toLittle Adelaide. On entering the tent, we found that the sorrows of theunfortunate mother were at an end; privation, ill health and anxiety hadclaimed their victim. Her husband sat beside the corpse, and the goldennuggets, which in his despair he had flung upon the ground, formed apainful contrast to the scene of poverty and death. 

The first six weeks of his career at the diggings had been mostunsuccessful, and he had suffered as much from want as his unhappywife. Then came a sudden change of fortune, and in two weeks more hewas comparatively rich. He hastened immediately to Melbourne, and for awhole week had sought his family in vain. At length, on the precedingevening, he found them only in time to witness the last moments of hiswife. 

Sad as this history may appear, it is not so sad as many, many others;for often, instead of returning with gold, the digger is never heard ofmore. 

In England many imagine that the principal labour at the diggingsconsists in stooping to pick up the lumps of gold which lie upon theground at their feet, only waiting for some one to take possession ofthem. These people, when told of holes being dug in depths of fromseven to forty feet before arriving at the desired metal, look uponsuch statements as so many myths, or fancy they are fabricated by thelucky gold-finders to deter too many others from coming to takea share of the precious spoil. There was a passenger on board thevessel which took me to Australia, who held some such opinions asthese, and, although in other respects a sensible man, he usedseriously to believe that every day that we were delayed by contrarywinds he could have been picking up fifty or a hundred pounds worth ofgold had he but been at the diggings. He went to Bendigo the third dayafter we landed, stayed there a fortnight, left it in disgust, andreturned to England immediately--poorer than he had started. 

This is not an isolated case. Young men of sanguine dispositions readthe startling amounts of gold shipped from the colonies, they think ofthe "John Bull Nugget" and other similar prizes, turn a deaf ear whenyou speak of blanks, and determinately overlook the vast amount oflabour which the gold diggings have consumed. Whenever I meet with thisclass of would-be emigrants, the remarks of an old digger, which I onceover heard, recur to my mind. The conversation at the time wasturned upon the subject of the many young men flocking from the "oldcountry" to the gold-fields, and their evident unfitness for them. "Every young man before paying his passage money, " said he, "should takea few days' spell at well-sinking in England; if he can stand thatcomfortably, the diggings won't hurt him. "

Many are sadly disappointed on arriving in Victoria, at being unable toinvest their capital or savings in the purchase of about a hundredacres of land, sufficient for a small farm. I have referred to thissubject before, but cannot resist adding some facts which bear upon it. 

By a return of the LAND SALES of Victoria, from 1837 to 1851, itappears that 380, 000 acres of land were sold in the whole colony; andthe sum realized by Government was 700, 000 pounds. In a return publishedin 1849, it is stated that there were THREE persons who each held singlymore land in their own hands than had been sold to all the rest of thecolony in fourteen years, for which they paid the sum of 30 poundseach per annum. Yet, whilst 700, 000 pounds is realized by the sale ofland, and not 100 pounds a-year gained by LETTING three times thequantity, the Colonial Government persists in the latter course, in spiteof the reiterated disapprobation of the colonists themselves; and by oneof the last gazettes of Governor La Trobe, he has ordered 681, 700 acres, or 1, 065 square miles, to be given over to the squatters. The result ofthis is, that many emigrants landing in Victoria are compelled to turntheir steps towards the sister colony of Adelaide. There was a familywho landed in Melbourne whilst I was there. It consisted of theparents, and several grown-up sons and daughters. The father had held asmall tenant farm in England, and having saved a few hundreds, determined to invest it in Australian land. He brought out with himmany agricultural implements, an iron house, &c. ; and on his arrivalfound, to his dismay, that no less than 640 acres of crown lands couldbe sold, at a time, at the upset price of one pound an acre. This wasmore than his capital could afford, and they left for Adelaide. Theexpenses of getting his goods to and from the ships, of storing them, of supporting his family while in Melbourne, and of paying theirpassage to Adelaide, amounted almost to 100 pounds. Thus he lost nearly afourth of his capital, and Victoria a family who would have made goodcolonists. 

Much is done now-a-days to assist emigration, but far greater exertionsare needed before either the demand for labour in the colonies or theover-supply of it in England can be exhausted. Pass down the beststreets of Melbourne: you see one or two good shops or houses, and oneither side an empty spot or a mass of rubbish. The ground has beenbought, the plans for the proposed budding are all ready. Then why notcommence?--there are no workmen. Bricks are wanted, and 15 pounds athousand is offered; carpenters are advertized for at 8 pounds a week; yetthe building makes no progress--there are no workmen. Go down towards theYarra, and an unfinished Church will attract attention. Are funds wantingfor its completion? No. Thousands were subscribed in one day, and wouldbe again were it necessary; but that building, like every other, isstopped for lack of workmen. In vain the bishop himself published anappeal to the various labourers required offering the very highestwages; others offered higher wages still, and the church (up to thetime I left Victoria) remained unfinished. And yet, whilst labouris so scarce, so needed in the colonies, there are thousands in our owncountry ABLE AND WILLING TO WORK, whose lives here are one of prolongedprivation, whose eyes are never gladdened by the sight of nature, whoinhale no purer atmosphere than the tainted air of the dark courts anddismal cellars in which they herd. Send them to the colonies--food andpure air would at least be theirs--and much misery would be turned intopositive happiness. 

I heard of a lady who every year sent out a whole family fromthe poor but hard-working classes to the colonies (it was through oneof the objects of her thoughtful benevolence that this annual actbecame known to me), and what happiness must it bring when she reflectson the heartfelt blessings that are showered upon her from the far-offland of Australia. Surely, among the rich and the influential, thereare many who, out of the abundance of their wealth, could "go and dolikewise. "

THE END.