the eureka stockade-第1节

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The　Eureka　Stockade

by　Raffaello　Carboni








NOTA　BENE

In　Person　I　solicit　no　subscriptionin　writing　I　hereby　ask　no　favour　from　my　reader。　　A　book　must　stand　or　fall　by　the　truth　contained　in　it。

What　I　wish　to　note　is　this：　　I　was　taught　the　English　language　by　the　Very　Reverend　W。　Vincent　Eyre；　Vice　Rector　of　the　English　College；　Rome。　　It　has　cost　me　immense　pains　to　rear　my　English　up　to　the　mark；　but　I　could　never　master　the　language　to　perfection。　　Hence；　now　and　then；　probably　to　the　annoyance　of　my　Readers；　I　could　not　help　the　foreign　idiom。　　Of　course；　a　proper　edition；　in　Italian；　will　be　published　in　Turin。

I　have　nothing　further　to　say。

Carboni　Raffaello。

Prince　Albert　Hotel；　Bakery　Hill；；　Ballaarat；　Anniversary　of　the　Burning　of　Bentley's　Eureka　Hotel；　1855。




Chapter　I。



Favete　Linguis。


Mendacium　sibi；　sicut　turbinis；　viam　augustam　in　urbe　et　orbe　terrarum　aperuit。　Stultus　dicit　in　corde　suo；　〃non　est　Deus。〃　Veritas　vero　lente　passu　passu　sicut　puer；　tandem　aliquando　janunculat　　　　ad　lucem。　Tunc　justus　ut　palma　florescit。*


＇*Listen　to　me　The　lie；　like　the　whirlwind；　clears　itself　a　royal　road；　either　in　town　　　　or　country；　through　the　whole　face　of　the　earth。　The　fool　in　his　heart　says；　〃There　is　no　God。〃　The　truth；　however　slow；　step　by　step；　like　a　little　child；　someday；　at　last；　　　　finds　a　footpath　to　light。　Then　the　righteous　flourish　like　a　palm　tree。＇


I　undertake　to　do　what　an　honest　man　should　do；　let　it　thunder　or　rain。　He　who　buys　this　book　to　lull　himself　to　sleep　had　better　spend　his　money　in　grog。　　He　who　reads　this　book　to　smoke　a　pipe　over　it；　let　him　provide　himself　with　Plenty　of　tobaccohe　will　have　to　blow　hard。　　A　lover　of　truth　that's　the　man　I　wantand　he　will　have　in　this　book　the　truth；　and　nothing　but　the　truth。

Facts；　from　the　〃stubborn…things〃　store；　are　here　retailed　and　related　contradiction　is　challenged　from　friend　or　foe。　　The　observation　on；　and　induction　from　the　facts；　are　here　stamped　with　sincerity：　　I　ask　for　no　other　credit。　　I　may　be　mistaken：　　I　will　not　acknowledge　the　mistake　unless　the　contrary　be　proved。

When　two　boys　are　see…sawing　on　a　plank；　balanced　on　its　centre；　whilst　the　world　around　them　is　〃up〃　with　the　one　it　is　〃down〃　with　the　other。　The　centre；　however；　is　stationary。　　I　was　in　the　centre。　　I　was　an　actor；　and　therefore　an　eye…witness。　　The　events　I　relate；　I　did　see　them　pass　before　me。　　The　persons　I　speak　of；　I　know　them　face　to　face。　　The　words　I　quote；　I　did　hear　them　with　my　own　ears。　　Others　may　know　more　or　less　than　I；　I　mean　to　tell　all　that　I　know；　and　nothing　more。

Two　reasons　counsel　me　to　undertake　the　task　of　publishing　this　work；　but　a　third　reason　is　at　the　bottom　of　it；　as　the　potent　lever；　and　they　are

1st。　　An　honourable　ambition　urging　me　to　have　my　name　remembered　among　the　illustrious　of　Rome。　　I　have；　on　reaching　the　fortieth　year　of　my　age；　to　publish　a　work　at　which　I　have　been　plodding　the　past　eighteen　years。　An　ocean　of　grief　would　overwhelm　me　if　then　I　had　to　vindicate　my　character：　how；　under　the　hospitality　of　the　British　flag；　I　was　put　in　the　felon's　dock　of　a　British　Supreme　Court　to　be　tried　for　high　treason。

2nd。　　I　have　the　moral　courage　to　show　the　truth　of　my　text　above；　because　I　believe　in　the　resurrection　of　life。

3rd。　　Brave　comrades　in　arms　who　fell　on　that　disgraced　Sabbath　morning；　December　3rd；　worthy　of　a　better　fate；　and　most　certainly　of　a　longer　remembrance；　it　is　in　my　power　to　drag　your　names　from　an　ignoble　oblivion；　and　vindicate　the　unrewarded　bravery　of　one　of　yourselves！　　He　was　once　my　mate；　the　bearer　of　our　standard；　the　〃Southern　Cross。〃　　Shot　down　by　a　murderous　hand；　he　fell　and　died　struggling　like　a　man　in　the　cause　of　the　diggers。　　But　he　was　soon　forgotten。　　That　he　was　buried　is　known　by　the　tears　of　a　few　true　friends！　the　place　of　his　burial　is　little　known；　and　less　cared　for。

'Sunt　tempora　nostra；　non　mutabimur　nec　mutamur　in　illis；　jam　perdidi　spem。'

The　work　will　be　published　on　the　1st　of　December　next；　and　given　to　each　subscriber　by　the　Author's　own　hand；　on　the　site　of　the　Eureka　Stockade；　from　the　rising　to　the　setting　of　the　sun；　on　the　memorable　third。




Chapter　II。



A　Jove　Principum。


〃Wanted　a　governor。　　Apply　to　the　People　of　Victoria：〃　that　was　the　extraordinary　advertisement；　a　new　chum　in　want　of　employment；　did　meet　in　the　usual　column　of　'The　Argus'；　December　1852。　　Many　could　afford　to　laugh　at　it；　the　intelligent　however；　who　had　immigrated　here；　permanently　to　better　his　condition；　was　forced　to　rip　up　in　his　memory　a　certain　fable　of　Aesop。　Who　would　have　dared　then　to　warn　the　fatted　Melbourne　frogs　weltering　in　grog；　their　colonial　glory；　against　their　contempt　for　King　Log？　　Behold　King　Stork　is　your　reward。　　'Tout　comme　chez　nous。'

One　remark　before　I　start　for　the　gold…fields。　　As　an　old　European　traveller　I　had　set　apart　a　few　coppers　for　the　poor　at　my　landing。　　I　had　no　opportunity　for　them。　　〃We　shall　do　well　in　this　land；〃　was　my　motto。　　Who　is　going　to　be　the　first　beggar？　　Not　I！　　My　care　for　the　poor　would　have　less　disappointed　me；　if　I　had　prepared　myself　against　falling　in　the　unsparing　clutches　of　a　shoal　of　land…sharks；　who　swarmed　at　that　time　the　Yarra　Yarra　wharfs。　Five　pounds　for　landing　my　luggage；　was　the　A；　followed　by　the　old　colonial　C；　preceded　by　the　double　D。　　Rapacity　in　Australia　is　the　alpha　and　omega。　Yet　there　were　no　poor！　a　grand　reflection　for　the　serious。　　Adam　Smith；　settled　the　question　of　〃the　wealth　of　nations。〃　　The　source　of　pauperism　will　be　settled　in　Victoria　by　any　quill…driver；　who　has　the　pluck　to　write　the　history　of　public…houses　in　the　towns；　and　sly…grog　sellers　on　the　gold…fields。

Let　us　start　for　Ballaarat；　Christmas；　December　1852。'Vide''tempore　suo'　'Julii　Caesaris　junioris。　　De　Campis　Aureis；　Australia　Felix　Commentaria。'

For　the　purpose；　it　is　now　sufficient　to　say　that　I　had　joined　a　party；　fixed　our　tent　on　the　Canadian　Flat；　went　up　to　the　Camp　to　get　our　gold　licence；　for　one　pound　ten　shilling　sterling　a　head　we　were　duly　licensed　for　one　month　to　dig；　search　for；　and　remove　gold；　etc。We　wanted　to　drink　a　glass　of　porter　to　our　future　success；　but　there　was　no　Bath　Hotel　at　the　time。Proceeded　to　inspect　the　famous　Golden　Point　（a　sketch　of　which　I　had　seen　in　London　in　the　'Illustrated　News'）。　　The　holes　all　around；　three　feet　in　diameter；　and　five　to　eight　feet　in　depth；　had　been　abandoned！　we　jumped　into　one；　and　one　of　my　mates　gave　me　the　first　lesson　in　〃fossiking；〃In　less　than　five　minutes　I　pounced　on　a　little　pouch　the　yellow　boy　was　all　there；my　eyes　were　sparkling；I　felt　a　sensation　identical　to　a　first　declaration　of　love　in　by…gone　times。〃Great　works；〃　at　last　was　my　bursting　exclamation。　　In　old　Europe　I　had　to　take　off　my　hat　half　a　dozen　times；　and　walk　from　east　to　west　before　I　could　earn　one　pound　in　the　capacity　of　sworn　interpreter；　and　translator　of　languages　in　the　city　of　London。　　Here；　I　had　earned　double　the　amount　in　a　few　minutes；　without　crouching　or　crawling　to　Jew　or　Christian。　　Had　my　good　angel　prevailed　on　me　to　stick　to　that　blessed　Golden　Point；　I　should　have　now　to　relate　a　very　different　story：　　the　gold　fever；　however；　got　the　best　of　my　usual　judgment；　and　I　dreamt　of；　and　pretended　nothing　else；　than　a　hole　choked　with　gold；　sunk　with　my　darling　pick；　and　on　virgin　ground。I　started　the　hill　right…hand　side；　ascending　Canadian　Gully；　and　safe　as　the　Bank　of　England　I　pounced　on　goldseventeen　and　a　half　ounces；　depth　ten　feet。




Chapter　III。



Jupiter　Tonans。


One　fine　morning　（Epiphany　week）；　I　was　hard　at　work　（excuse　old　chum；　if　I　said　hard：　　though　my　hand　had　been　scores　of　times　compelled　in　London　to　drop　the　quill　through　sheer　fatigue；　yet　I　never　before　handled　a　pick　and　shovel）；　I　hear　a　rattling　noise　among　the　brush。　　My　faithful　dog；　Bonaparte；　would　not　keep　under　my　control。　　〃What's　up？〃　　〃Your　licence；　mate。〃　was　the　peremptory　question　from　a　six…foot　fellow　in　blue　shirt；　thick　boots；　the　face　of　a　ruffian　armed　with　a　carbine　and　fixed　bayonet。　The　old　〃all　right〃　being　exchanged；　I　lost　sight　of　that　specimen　of　colonial　brutedom　and　his　similars；　called；　as　I　then　learned；　〃traps〃　and　〃troopers。〃　I　left　off　work；　and　was　unable　to　do　a　stroke　more　that　day。

〃I　came；　then；　16；000　miles　in　vain　to　get　away　from　the　law　of　the　sword！〃　was　my　sad　reflection。　　My　sorrow　was　not　mitigated　by　my　mates　and　neighbours　informing　me；　that　Australia　was　a　penal　settlement。　　Inveterate　murderers；　audacious　burglars；　bloodthirsty　bushrangers；　were　the　ruling　triumvirate；　the　scour　of　old　Europe；　called　Vandemonians；　in　this　bullock…drivers'　land。　Of　course　I　felt　tamed；　and　felt　less　angry；　at　the　following　search　for　licence。　　At　the　latter　end　of　the　month；　one　hundred　and　seventy　seven　pounds　troy；　in　two　superb　masses　of　gold；　were　discovered　at　the　depth　of　sixty　feet；　on　the　hill　opposite　where　I　was　working。　　The　talk　was　soon　Vulcanish　through　the　land。　　Canadian　Gully　was　as　rich　in　lumps　as　other　gold…fields　are　in　dust。　　Diggers；　whom　the　gold　fever　had　rendered　stark　blind；　so　as　to　desert　Ballaarat　for　Mount　Alexand