the eureka stockade-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nder　and　Bendigo；　now　returned　as　ravens　to　the　old　spot；　and　towards　the　end　of　February；　'53；　Canadian　Gully　was　in　its　full　glory。




Chapter　IV。



Incipit　Lamentatio。


The　search　for　licences；　or　〃the　traps　are　out　to…day〃their　name　at　the　timehappened　once　a　month。　　The　strong　population　now　on　this　gold…field　had　perhaps　rendered　it　necessary　twice　a　month。　　Only　in　October；　I　recollect　they　had　come　out　three　times。　　Yet；　〃the　traps　are　out〃　was　annoying；　but　not　exasperating。　　Not　exasperating；　because　John　Bull；　'ab　initio　et　ante　secula'；　was　born　for　law；　order；　and　safe　money…making　on　land　and　sea。　They　were　annoying；　because；　said　John；　not　that　he　likes　his　money　more　than　his　belly；　but　he　hates　the　bayonet：　　I　mean；　of　course；　he　does　not　want　to　be　bullied　with　the　bayonet。　　To　this　honest　grumbling　of　John；　the　drunkard；　that　is　the　lazy；　which　make　the　incapables；　joined　their　cant；　and　the　Vandemonians　pulled　up　with　wonted　audacity。　　In　a　word；　the　thirty　shillings　a　month　for　the　gold　licence　became　a　nuisance。

A　public　meeting　was　announced　on　Bakery…hill。　　It　was　in　November；　1853。　Four　hundred　diggers　were　present。　　I　recollect　I　heard　a　〃Doctor　Carr〃　poking　about　among　the　heaps　of　empty　bottles　all　round　the　Camp；　and　asked　who　paid　for　the　good　stuff　that　was　in　them；　and　whither　was　it　gone。　Of　course；　Doctor　Carr　did　not　mention；　that　one　of　those　bottles；　corked　and　sealed　with　the　〃Crown；〃　was　forced　open　with　Mr。　Hetherington's　corkscrew；　and　that　said　Dr。　Carr　had　then　to　confess　that　the　bottle　aforesaid　contained　a　nobbler　some　250　pounds　worth　for　himself。　　Great　works　already　at　Toorak。　'Tout　cela　soit　dit　en　passant。'　　Mr。　Hetherington；　then　a　storekeeper　on　the　Ballaarat　Flat；　and　now　of　the　Cladendon　Hotel；　Ballaarat　Township；　is　a　living　witness。　　For　the　fun　of　the　thing；　I　spoke　a　few　words　which　merited　me　a　compliment　from　the　practitioner；　who　also　honoured　me　with　a　private　precious　piece　of　information〃'Nous　allons　bientot　avoir　la　Republique　Australienne！　　Signore。'〃　　〃'Quelle　farce！　repondis　je。'〃　　The　specimen　of　man　before　me　impressed　me　with　such　a　decided　opinion　of　his　ability　for　destroying　sugarsticks；　that　at　once　I　gave　him　credit　as　the　founder　of　a　republic　for　babies　to　suck　their　thumbs。

In　short；　here　dates　the　Victorian　system　of　'memorialising。'　　The　diggers　of　Ballaarat　sympathised　with　those　of　Bendigo　in　their　common　grievances；　and　prayed　the　governor　that　the　gold　licence　be　reduced　to　thirty　shillings　a　month。　　There　was　further　a　great　waste　of　yabber…yabber　about　the　diggers　not　being　represented　in　the　Legislative　Council；　and　a　deal　of　fustian　was　spun　against　the　squatters。　　I　understood　very　little　of　those　matters　at　the　time：　　the　shoe　had　not　pinched　my　toe　yet。

Every　one　returned　to　his　work；　some　perhaps　not　very　peacefully；　on　account　of　a　nobbler　or　two　over　the　usual　allowance。




Chapter　V。



Risum　Teneatis　Amici。


I　recollect　towards　this　time　I　followed　the　mob　to　Magpie　Gully。　　It　was　a　digger's　life。　　Hard　work　by　day；　blazing　fire　in　the　evening；　and　sound　sleep　by　night　at　the　music　of　drunken　quarrels　all　around；　far　and　near。　I　had　marked　my　claim　in　accordance　with　the　run　of　the　ranges；　and　safe　as　the　Bank　of　England　I　bottomed　on　gold。　　No　search　for　licence　ever　took　place。　　What's　the　matter？　　Oh；　the　diggers　of　Bendigo；　by　sheer　moral　force；　in　the　shape　of　some　ten　thousand　in　a　mob；　had　inspired　with　better　sense　the　red…tape　there　and　somewhere　else；　so　I　took　out　my　licence　at　the　reasonable　rate　of　two　pounds　for　three　months；　my　contribution　for　the　support　of　gold…lace。　　So　far　so　good。　　I　had　no　fault　to　find　with　our　governor　Joseph　Latrobe；　Esquire；　nor　do　I　believe　that　the　diggers　cared　about　anything　else　from　him。　　Was　it　then　his　being　an　esquire　that　brought　his　administration　into　contempt？　　The　fact　is；　a　clap　of　〃The　Thunder〃　from　Printing　House…square　boomed　on　the　tympanum　of　my　car。　　We　diggers　got　the　gracious　title　of　〃vagabonds；〃　and　our　massa　〃Joe；〃　for　his　pains　to　keep　friends　with　us；　was　put　down　〃an　incapable；〃　all　for　the　honour　of　British　rule；　of　course。

〃Wanted　a　Governor；〃　was　now　no　longer　a　dummy　in　'The　Argus'；　but；　unhappily；　no　application　was　made　to　the　people　of　Victoria。

Give　a　dog　a　bad　nameand　the　old　proverb　holds　good　even　at　the　antipodes。　My　trampings　are　now　transcribed　from　my　diary。

With　the　hot　winds　whirled　in　the　Vandemonian　rush　to　the　Ballaarat　Flat。　My　hole　was　next　to　the　one　which　was　jumped　by　the　Eureka　mob；　and　where　one　man　was　murdered　in　the　row。　　At　sixty…five　feet　we　got　on　a　blasted　log　of　a　gum…tree　that　had　been　mouldering　there　under　a　curse；　since　the　times　of　Noah！　　The　whole　flat　turned　out　an　imperial　shicer。　　（You　do　not　sink　deep　enough；　Signore　Editor。）　　Slabs　that　had　cost　us　some　eight　pounds　a　hundred　would　not　fetch；　afterwards；　one　pound。　　We　left　them　to　sweat　freely　in　the　hole；　and　all　the　mob　got　on　the　fuddle。　　My　mate　and　myself　thought　we　had　been　long　enough　together；　and　got　asunder　for　a　change。　I　was　soon　on　the　tramp　again。　　Bryant's　Ranges　was　the　go　of　the　day；　and　I　started　thither　accordingly。　　December；　1853。　　Oh；　Lord！　what　a　pack　of　ragamuffins　over　that　way！　　I　got　acquainted　with　the　German　party　who　found　out　the　Tarrangower　den；　shaped　my　hole　like　a　bathing　tub；　and　dropped　〃on　it〃　right　smart。　　Paid　two　pounds　to　cart　one　load　down　the　Loddon；　and　left　two　more　loads　of　washing　stuff；　snug　and　wet　with　the　sweat　of　my　brow　over　the　hole。　　Got　twenty…eight　pennyweights　out　of　the　load。　　Went　back　the　third　day；　brisk　and　healthy；　to　cart　down　the　other　two　loads。　　Washing　stuff！　gone：　　hole！　gone：　　the　gully　itself！　gone：　　the　whole　face　of　it　had　been　clean　shaved。　　Never　mind；　go　ahead　again。　Got　another　claim　on　the　surface…hill。　　No　search　for　licence：　　thank　God；　had　none。　　Nasty；　sneaky；　cheeky　little　things　of　flies　got　into　my　eyes：　could　see　no　more；　no　ways。　　Mud　water　one　shilling　a　bucket！　　Got　the　dysentery；　very　bad。　　Thought；　one　night；　to　reef　the　yards　and　drop　the　anchor。　　Got　on　a　better　tack　though。　　Promenaded　up　to　the　famous　Bendigo。　Had　no　particular　objection　to　Celestials　there；　but　had　no　particular　taste　for　their　tartaric　water。　　Made　up　my　mind　to　remember　my　days　of　innocence；　and　turned　shepherd。　　Fine　landscape　this　run　on　the　Loddon：　　almost　a　match　for　Bella　Italia；　but　there　are　too　many　mosquitoes。　　Dreamt；　one　day；　I　was　drinking　a　tumbler　of　Loddon　wine；　and　asserted　that　Providence　was　the　same　also　in　the　south。　　It　was　a　dream。　　The　lands　lay　waste　and　desolate：　　not　by　nature；　oh　no；　by　hand　of　man。　　Bathing　in　these　Loddon　water…holes；　superb。　　Tea　out　of　this　Loddon　water　magnificent。　In　spite　of　these　horrible　hot　winds；　this　water　is　always　fresh　and　delicious：　how　kind　is　Providence！　　One　night　lost　the　whole　blessed　lot　of　my　flock。　Myself；　the　shepherd；　did　not　know；　in　the　name　of　heavens；　which　way　to　turn。　Got　among　the　blacks；　the　whole　Tarrang　tribe　in　corrobory。　　Lord；　what　a　rum　sight　for　an　old　European　traveller。　　Found　natives　very　humane；　though。　　My　sheep　right　again；　only　the　wild　dogs　had　given　them　a　good　shake。　Was　satisfied　that　the　Messiah　the　Jews　are　looking　for　will　not　be　born　in　this　bullock…drivers'　land；　any　how；　the　angels　won't　announce　the　happy　event　of　his　birth　to　the　shepherds。　　No　more　truck　with　sheep；　and　went　to　live　with　the　blacks　for　a　variation。　　Picked　up；　pretty　soon；　bits　of　their　yabber…yabber。　　For　a　couple　of　years　had　tasted　no　fish；　now　I　pounced　on　a　couple　of　frogs；　every　couple　of　minutes。　　Thought　their　'lubras'　ugly　enough；　not　so；　however；　the　slender　arms　and　small　hands　of　their　young　girls；　though　the　fingers　be　rather　too　long。

That　will　do　now；　in　as　much　as　the　end　of　the　story　is　this：　　That　portion　in　my　brains　called　〃acquisitiveness〃　got　the　gold…fever　again；　and　I　started　for　old　Ballaarat。




Chapter　VI。



Sua　Cuique　Voluntas。


I　was　really　delighted　to　see　the　old　spot　once　more；　Easter；　1854。　I　do　not　mean　any　offence　to　my　fellow…diggers　elsewhere；　it　struck　me　very　forcibly；　however；　that　our　Ballaarat　men　look　by　far　more　decent；　and　our　storekeepers；　or　grog…sellers　if　you　like；　undoubtedly　more　respectable。

Of　a　constitution　not　necessarily　savage；　I　did　not　fail　to　observe　that　the　fair　ones　had　ventured　now　on　a　large　scale　to　trust　their　virtue　among　us　vagabonds；　and　on　a　hot…wind　day；　I　patronized　of　course　some　refreshment　room。

I　met　my　old　mate；　and　we　determined　to　try　the　old　game；　but　this　time　on　the　old　principle　of　'labor　omnia　vincit'I　pitched　my　tent　right　in　the　bush；　and　prophesied；　that　from　my　door　I　would　see　the　golden　hole　in　the　gully　below。

I　spoke　the　truth；　and　such　is　the　case　this　very　day。　　Feast　of　the　Assumption；　1855：What　sad　events；　however；　were　destined　to　pass　exactly　before　the　very　door　of　my　tent！　　Who　could　have　told　me　on　that　Easter　Sunday；　that　the　unknown　hill　which　I　had　chosen　for　my　rest；　would　soon　be　called　the　Massacre　Hill！　　That　next　Christmas；　my　mate　would　lie　in　the　grave；　somewhere　forgotten：　　and　I　in　the　gaol！　the　rope　round　my　neck！！

Let　us　keep　in　good　spirits；　good　read