the eureka stockade-第5节

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d　inspected　a　shaft　immediately　behind　the　Ballaarat　Dining　Rooms；　Gravel…pits。　　A　mob　soon　collected　round　the　hole；　we　were　respectful；　and　there　was　no　'joeing。'　On　His　Excellency's　return　to　the　camp；　the　miners　busily　employed　themselves　in　laying　down　slabs　to　facilitate　his　progress。　　I　was　among　the　zealous　ones　who　improvised　this　shabby　foot…path。　　What　a　lack！　we　were　all　of　us　as　cheerful　as　fighting…cocks。A　crab…hole　being　in　the　way；　our　Big…Larry　actually　pounced　on　Lady　Hotham；　and　lifting　her　up　in　his　arms；　eloped　with　her　ladyship　safely　across；　amid　hearty　peals　of　laughter；　however　colonial　they　may　have　been。Now　Big　Larry　kept　the　crowd　from　annoying　the　couple；　by　properly　laying　about　him　with　a　switch　all　along　the　road。

〃His　Excellency　was　hailed　with　three…times…three；　and　was　proclaimed　on　the　Camp；　now　invaded　by　some　five　hundred　blue　shirts；　the　'Diggers'　Charley。'

〃His　Excellency　addressed　us　miners　as　follows：…

〃Diggers　I　feel　delighted　with　your　receptionI　shall　not　neglect　your　interests　and　welfareagain　I　thank　you。

〃It　was　a　short　but　smart　speech　we　had　heard　elsewhere；　he　was　not　fond　of　'twaddle；'　which　I　suppose　meant　'bosh。'　After　giving　three　hearty　cheers；　old　Briton's　style　to　'Charley；'　the　crowd　dispersed　to　drink　a　nobbler　to　his　health　and　success。　　I　do　so　this　very　moment。　　Eureka；　under　my　snug　tent　on　the　hill；　August　26；　1854。　C。R。〃


Within　six　short　months；　five　thousand　citizens　of　Melbourne；　receive　the　name　of　this　applauded　ruler　with　a　loud　and　prolonged　outburst　of　indignation！

Some　twenty　Ballaarat　miners　lie　in　the　grave；　weltering　in　their　gore！　double　that　number　are　bleeding　from　bayonet　wounds；　thirteen　more　have　the　rope　round　their　necks；　and　two　more　of　their　leading　men　are　priced　four　hundred　pounds　for　their　body　or　carcase。

'Tout　cela；　n'est　pas　precisement　comme　chez　nous；　pas　vrai？'

Please；　give　me　a　dozen　puffs　at　my　black…stump；　and　then　I　will　proceed　to　the　next　chapter。




Chapter　XII。



Sufficit　Diei　Sua　Vexatio。


Either　this　chapter　must　be　very　short；　or　I　had　better　give　it　up　without　starting　it　at　all。

Up　to　the　middle　of　September；　1854；　the　search　for　licences　happened　once　a　month；　at　most　twice：　　perhaps　once　a　week　on　the　Gravel　Pits；　owing　to　the　near　neighbourhood　of　the　Camp。　　Now；　licence…hunting　became　the　order　of　the　day。　　Twice　a　week　on　every　line；　and　the　more　the　diggers　felt　annoyed　at　it；　the　more　our　Camp　officials　persisted　in　goading　us；　to　render　our　yoke　palatable　by　habit。　　I　assert；　as　an　eye…witness　and　a　sufferer；　that　both　in　October　and　November；　when　the　weather　allowed　it；　the　Camp　rode　out　for　the　hunt　every　alternate　day。　　True；　one　day　they　would　hunt　their　game　on　Gravel…pits；　another　day；　they　pounced　on　the　foxes　of　the　Eureka；　and　a　third　day；　on　the　Red…hill：　　but；　though　working　on　different　leads；　are　we　not　all　fellow　diggers？　　Did　not　several　of　us　meet　again　in　the　evening；　under　the　same　tent；　belonging　to　the　same　party？　It　is　useless　to　ask　further　questions。

Towards　the　latter　end　of　October　and　the　beginning　of　November　we　had　such　a　set　of　scoundrels　camped　among　us；　in　the　shape　of　troopers　and　traps；　that　I　had　better　shut　up　this　chapter　at　once；　or　else　whirl　the　whole　manuscript　bang　down　a　shicer。

〃Hold　hard；　though；　take　your　time；　old　man：　　don't　let　your　Roman　blood　hurry　you　off　like　the　hurricane；　and　thus　damage　the　merits　of　your　case。　Answer　this　question　first；〃　says　my　good　reader。

〃If　it　be　a　fair　one；　I　will。〃

〃Was；　then；　the　obnoxious　mode　of　collecting　the　tax　the　sole　cause　of　discontent：　　or　was　the　tax　itself　（two　pounds　for　three　months）　objected　to　at　the　same　time？〃

〃I　think　the　practical　miner；　who　had　been　hard　at　work　night　and　day；　for　the　last　four　or　six　months；　and；　after　all；　had　just　bottomed　a　shicer；　objected　to　the　tax　itself；　because　he　could　not　possibly　afford　to　pay　it。　And　was　it　not　atrocious　to　confine　this　man　in　the　lousy　lock…up　at　the　Camp；　because　he　had　no　luck？〃

Allow　me；　now；　in　return；　to　put　a　very　important　question；　of　the　old　Roman　stamp；　'Cui　bono？'　that　is；　Where　did　our　licence　money　go　to？　That's　a　nut　which　will　be　positively　cracked　by…and…bye。




Chapter　XIII。



Ubi　Caro；　Ibi　Vultures。


One　morning；　I　woke　all　on　a　sudden。What's　up？　　A　troop　of　horse　galloping　exactly　towards　my　tent；　and　I　could　hear　the　tramping　of　a　band　of　traps。　I　got　out　of　the　stretcher；　and　hastened　out　of　my　tent。　　All　the　neighbours；　in　night…caps　and　unmentionables；　were　groping　round　the　tents；　to　inquire　what　was　the　matter。　　It　was　not　yet　day…light。　　There　was　a　sly…grog　seller　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　close　to　his　store　he　had　a　small　tent；　crammed　with　brandy　cases　and　other　grog；　newly　come　up　from　town。　　There　must　have　been　a　spy；　who　had　scented　such　valuable　game。

The　Commissioner　asked　the　storekeeper；　who　by　this　time　was　at　the　door　of　his　store：　　〃Whose　tent　is　that？〃　indicating　the　small　one　in　question。

〃I　don't　know；〃　was　the　answer。

〃Who　lives　in　it？　who　owns　it？　is　anybody　in？〃　asked　the　Commissioner。

〃An　old　man　owns　it；　but　he　is　gone　to　town　on　business；　and　left　it　to　the　care　of　his　mate　who　is　on　the　nightshift；〃　replied　the　storekeeper。

〃I　won't　peck　up　that　chaff　of　yours；　sir。　　Halloo！　who　is　in？　　Open　the　tent；〃　shouted　the　Commissioner。

No　answer。

〃I　say；　cut　down　this　tent；　and　we'll　see　who　is　in；〃　was　the　order　of　the　Commissioner　to　two　ruffianly　looking　troopers。

No　sooner　said　than　done；　and　the　little　tent　was　ripped　up　by　their　swords。　A　government　cart　was；　of　course；　ready　in　the　gully　below；　and　in　less　than　five　minutes　the　whole　stock　of　grog；　some　two　hundred　pounds　sterling　worth；　or　five　hundred　pounds　worth　in　nobblers；　was　carted　up　to　the　Camp；　before　the　teeth　of　some　hundreds　of　diggers；　who　had　now　collected　round　about。　　We　cried　〃Shame！　shame！〃　sulkily　enough；　but　we　did　not　interfere；　first；　because　the　store　had　already　annoyed　us　often　enough　during　the　long　winter　nights；　second；　because　the　plunderers　were　such　Vandemonian…looking　traps　and　troopers；　that　we　were　not　encouraged　to　say　much；　because　it　would　have　been　of　no　use。

As　soon；　however；　as　the　sun　was　up；　and　all　hands　were　going　to　work；　the　occurrence　not　only　increased　the　discontent　that　had　been　brewing　fast　enough　already；　but　it　rose　to　excitement；　and　such　a　state　of　exasperated　feelings；　however　vented　in　the　shouting　of　'Joe；'　did　certainly　not　prepare　the　Eureka　boys　to　submit　with　patience　to　a　licence…hunt　in　the　course　of　the　day。

First　and　foremost：　　it　is　impossible　to　prevent　the　sale　of　spirits　on　the　diggings；　and　not　any　laws；　fines；　or　punishment　the　government　may　impose　on　the　dealers　or　consumers　can　have　an　effect　towards　putting　a　stop　to　sly…grog　selling。　　A　miner　working；　as　during　the　past　winter；　in　wet　and　cold；　must　and　will　have　his　nobbler　occasionally；　and　very　necessary；　too；　I　think。　　No　matter　what　the　cost；　he　will　have　it；　and　it　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　if　he　wish　to　preserve　his　health：　　he　won't　go　to　the　Charley　Napier　Hotel；　when　he　can　get　his　nobbler　near…handy；　and　thereby　give　a　lift　to　Pat　or　Scotty。

Secondly：　　I　hereby　assert　that　the　breed　of　spies　in　this　colony　prospered　by　this　sly…grog　selling。　　〃We　want　money；〃　says　some　of　the　'paternals'　at　Toorak。

〃Oh！　well；　then；〃　replies　another　at　Ballaarat；　〃come　down　on　a　few　storekeepers　and　unlicensed　miners　and　raise　the　wind。　　We　can　manage　a　thousand　or　two　that　way。　　Let　the　blood…hounds　oh　the　scent；　and　it　is　done。〃

And　so　a　scoundrel；　in　the　disguise　of　an　honest　man；　takes　with　him　another　worse　devil　than　himself；　and　goes　round　like　a　roaring　lion；　seeking　what　he　may　devour。

If　I　had　half　the　fifty　pounds　fine　inflicted　on　sly…grog　sellers；　and　five　pounds　fine　on　unlicensed　diggers；　raised　on　Ballaarat　at　this　time；　I　think　my　fellow…colonists　would　bow　their　heads　before　me。　　Great　works！

Thirdly：　　An　act　of　silver　and　gold　lace　humanity　was　going　the　rounds　of　our　holes；　above　and　below。

A　person　is　found　in　an　insensible　state；　caused　by　loss　of　blood；　having　fallen；　by　accident；　on　a　broken　bottle　and　cut　an　artery　in　his　head。　He　is　conveyed　to　the　Camp　hospital。

After　some　few　hours；　because　he　raves　from　loss　of　blood；　and　at　a　time　when　he　requires　the　closest　attention；　he　is　unceremoniously　carried　into　the　common　lock…up；　and　there　left；　it　is　said；　for　ten　hours；　lying　on　the　floor；　without　any　attention　being　paid　to　his　condition　by　the　hospital　authorities；　and　then　it　was　only　by　repeated　representations　of　his　sinking　state；　to　other　officials；　that　he　was　conveyed　to　the　hospital；　where　he　expired　in　two　hours　afterwards！

〃Below！〃

〃Haloo！〃

〃Jim；　the　miners　of　Ballaarat　demand　an　investigation。〃

〃And　they　must　have　it；　Joe。〃

Such　was　the　scene　in　those　days；　performed　at　every　shaft；　in　Gravel…pits；　as　well　as　on　the　Eureka。




Chapter　XIV。



Flagitur　Vulcano　Si　Fulmina　Parata。


Here　is　a　short　resume　of　events　which　led　to　the　popular　demonstration　on　Tuesday；　October　17th；　1854。

Two　men；　old　friends；　named　Scobie　and　Martin；　after　many　years　separation；　happe