the eureka stockade-第4章

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nkees　carried　the　day。　I；　a　living　witness；　do　assert　that；　from　that　day；　there　was　a　'down'　on　the　name　of　Rede。

For　the　commissioners；　this　jumping　business　was　by　no　means　an　agreeable　job。　They　were　fetched　to　the　spot：　　a　mob　would　soon　collect　round　the　disputed　claim；　and　for　'fair　play；'　it　required　the　wisdom　of　Solomon；　because　the　parties　concerned　set　the　same　price　on　their　dispute；　as　the　two　harlots　on　the　living　child。

I。　　The　conflicting　evidence；　in　consequence　of　hard　swearing；　prompted　by　gold…thirst；　the　most　horrible　demon　that　depraves　the　human　heart；　even　a　naturally　honest　heart。II。　　The　incomprehensible；　unsettled；　impracticable　ordinances　for　the　abominable　management　of　the　gold…fields；　which　ordinances；　left　to　the　discretionthat　is；　the　caprice；　and　to　the　good　sensethat　is；　the　motto；　'odi　profanum　vulgus　et　arceo；'　and　to　the　best　judgmentthat　is　the　proverbial　incapability　of　all　aristocractical　red…tape；　HOW　TO　RULE　US　VAGABONDS。　　Both　those　reasons；　I　say；　must　make　even　the　most　hardened　bibber　of　Toorak　small…beer　acknowledge　and　confess；　that　the　perfidious　mistake　at　head…quarters　was；　their　persisting　to　make　the　following　Belgravian　'billet…doux'　the　'sine　qua　non'　recommendation　for　gold…lace　on　Ballaarat　（at　the　time）：


（ADDRESS）

〃To　the　Victorian　Board　of　Small　Beer；

〃Toorak　（somewhere　in　Australasia；　i。e。；　Australia　Felixinquire　from　the　natives；　reported　to　be　of　blackskin；　at　the　southern　end　of　the　globe。）

〃Belgravia；　First　year　of　the　royal　projecting　the　Great　Exhibition；　Hyde　Park。

〃LADY　STARVESEMPSTRESS；　great…grand…niece　of　His　Grace　the　Duke　Of　CURRY…POWDER；　begs　to　introduce　to　FORTYSHILLING　TAKEHIMAWAY；　Esquire；　of　Toorak；　see　address；　her　brother…in…law；　POLLIPUSS；　WATERLOOBOLTER；　tenth　son　of　the　venerable　Prebendary　of　North　and　South　Palaver；　Canon　of　St。　Sebastopol　in　the　east；　and　Rector　of　Allblessedfools；　West　EndURGENT。〃


In　justice；　however；　to　Master　Waterloobolter；　candidate　for　gold…lace；　it　must　not　be　omitted　that　he　is　a　Piccadilly　young　sprat；　and　so　at　Julien's　giant　'bal…masque'；　was　ever　gracious　to　the　lady　of　his　love。

〃Miss　Smartdeuce；　may　I　beg　the　honour　of　your　hand　for　the　next　waltz？　surely　after　a　round　or　two　you　will　relish　your　champagne。〃

〃Yes；〃　with　a　smothered　〃dear；〃　was　the　sigh…drawn　reply。

Who　has　the　power　to　roar　the　command；　〃Thus　far　shalt　thou　go；　and　no　further；〃　to　the　flood　of　tears　from　forlorn　Smartdeuce；　when　her　soft　Waterloobolter　bolted　for　the　gold…fields　of　Australia　Felix。

To　be　serious。　　How　could　any　candid　mind　otherwise　explain　the　honest　boldness　of　eight　out　of　nine　members　of　the　first　Local　Court；　Ballaarat；　who；　one　and　all；　I　do　not　say　dared；　but　I　say　called　upon　their　fellow　miners　to　come　forward　to　a　public　meeting　on　the　old　spot；　Bakery…hill。　　September；　Saturday；　30th；　1855。　　Said　members　had　already　settled　at　that　time　201　disputes；　and　given　their　judgement；　involving　some　half　a　million　sterling　altogether；　for　all　what　they　knew；　and　yet　not　one　miner　rose　one　finger　against　them；　when　they　imperatively　desired　to　know　whether　they　had　done　their　duty　and　still　possessed　the　confidence　of　their　fellow　diggers！　They　（said　members）　are　practical　men；　of　our　own　adopted　class；　elected　by　ourselves　from　among　ourselves；　to　sit　as　arbitrators　of　our　disputes；　and　our　representatives　at　the　Local　Court。　　That's　the　key；　for　any　future　Brougham；　for　the　history　of　the　Local　Courts　on　the　gold…fields。

It　has　fallen　to　my　lot；　however；　to　put　the　Eureka　Stockade　on　record；　and；　from　the　following　'Joe'　chapter　must　begin　any　proper　history　of　that　disgracefully　memorable　event。




Chapter　IX。



Abyssus；　Abyssum　Invocat。


〃Joe；　Joe！〃　No　one　in　the　world　can　properly　understand　and　describe　this　shouting　of　〃Joe；〃　unless　he　were　on　this　El　Dorado　of　Ballaarat　at　the　time。

It　was　a　horrible　day；　plagued　by　the　hot　winds。　　A　blast　of　the　hurricane　winding　through　gravel　pits　whirled　towards　the　Eureka　this　shouting　of　〃Joe。〃　It　was　the　howl　of　a　wolf　for　the　shepherds；　who　bolted　at　once　towards　the　bush：　　it　was　the　yell　of　bull…dogs　for　the　fossikers　who　floundered　among　the　deep　holes；　and　thus　dodged　the　hounds：　　it　was　a　scarecrow　for　the　miners；　who　now　scrambled　down　to　the　deep；　and　left　a　licensed　mate　or　two　at　the　windlass。　　By　this　time；　a　regiment　of　troopers；　in　full　gallop；　had　besieged　the　whole　Eureka；　and　the　traps　under　their　protection　ventured　among　the　holes。　　An　attempt　to　give　an　idea　of　such　disgusting　and　contemptible　campaigns　for　the　search　of　licences　is　really　odious　to　an　honest　man。　　Some　of　the　traps　were　civil　enough；　aye；　they　felt　the　shame　of　their　duty；　but　there　were　among　them　devils　at　heart；　who　enjoyed　the　fun；　because　their　cupidity　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　the　zig…zag　uninterrupted　muster　of　piles　of　rich…looking　washing　stuff；　and　the　envy　which　blinded　their　eyes　prevented　them　from　taking　into　account　the　overwhelming　number　of　shicers　close　by；　round　about；　all　along。　　Hence　they　looked　upon　the　ragged　muddy　blue　shirt　as　an　object　of　their　contempt。

Are　diggers　dogs　or　savages；　that　they　are　to　be　hunted　on　the　diggings；　commanded；　in　Pellissier's　African　style；　to　come　out　of　their　holes；　and　summoned　from　their　tents　by　these　hounds　of　the　executive？　　Is　the　garb　of　a　digger　a　mark　of　inferiority？　　'In　sudore　vultus　lue　vesceris　panem'*　is　then　an　infamy　now…a…days！

＇*　In　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　thou　shalt　eat　bread。＇

Give　us　facts；　and　spare　us　your　bosh；　says　my　good　reader。Very　well。

I；　CARBONII　RAFFAELLO；　da　Roma；　and　late　of　No。　4；　Castle…court；　Cornhill；　City　of　London；　had　my　rattling　'Jenny　Lind'　（the　cradle）　at　a　water…hole　down　the　Eureka　Gully。　　Must　stop　my　work　to　show　my　licence。　　'All　right。'

I　had　then　to　go　a　quarter　of　a　mile　up　the　hill　to　my　hole；　and　fetch　the　washing　stuff。　　There　again〃Got　your　licence？〃　　〃All　serene；　governor。〃　On　crossing　the　holes；　up　to　the　knees　in　mullock；　and　loaded　like　a　dromedary；　〃Got　your　licence？〃　was　again　the　cheer…up　from　a　third　trooper　or　trap。　Now；　what　answer　would　you　have　given；　sir？

I　assert；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　that　I　was　often　compelled　to　produce　my　licence　twice　at　each　and　the　same　licence　hunt。　　Any　one　who　knows　me　personally；　will　readily　believe　that　the　accursed　game　worried　me　to　death。




Chapter　X。



Jam　Non　Estis　Hospites　Et　Advenoe


It　is　to　the　purpose　to　say　a　few　words　more　on　the　licence…hunting；　and　have　done　with　it。　　Light　your　pipe；　good　reader；　you　have　to　blow　hard。

Our　red…tape；　generally　obtuse　and　arrogant；　this　once　got　rid　of　the　usual　conceit　in　all　things；　and　had　to　acknowledge　that　the　digger　who　remained　quietly　at　his　work；　always　possessed　his　licence。　　Hence　the　troopers　were　despatched　like　bloodhounds；　in　all　directions；　to　beat　the　bush；　and　the　traps　who　had　a　more　confined　scent；　creeped　and　crawled　among　the　holes；　and　sneaked　into　the　sly…grog　tents　round　about；　in　search　of　the　swarming　unlicensed　game。　　In　a　word；　it　was　a　regular　hunt。　　Any　one　who　in　Old　England　went　fox…hunting；　can　understand　pretty　well；　the　detestable　sport　we　had　then　on　the　goldfields　of　Victoria。　Did　any　trooper　succeed　in　catching　any　of　the　'vagabonds'　in　the　bush；　he　would　by　the　threat　of　his　sword；　confine　him　round　a　big　gum…tree；　and　when　all　the　successful　troopers　had　done　the　same　feat；　they　took　their　prisoners　down　the　gully；　where　was　the　grand　depot；　because　the　traps　were　generally　more　successful。　　The　commissioner　would　then　pick　up　one　pound；　two　pounds；　or　five　pounds；　in　the　way　of　bail；　from　any　digger　that　could　afford　it；　or　had　friends　to　do　so；　and　then　order　the　whole　pack　of　the　penniless　and　friendless　to　the　lock…up　in　the　camp。　　I　am　a　living　eye…witness；　and　challenge　contradiction。

This　job　of　explaining　a　licence…hunt　is　really　so　disgusting　to　me；　that　I　prefer　to　close　it　with　the　following　document　from　my　subsequently　goal…bird　mate；　then　reporter　of　the　'Ballaarat　Times'：


Police　Court；　Tuesday；　October　24th。

HUNTING　THE　DIGGER。Five　of　these　fellows　were　fined　in　the　mitigated　trifle　of　5　pounds；　for　being　without　licences。　　The　nicest