the eureka stockade-第8章

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ting　drunk；　and　making　beasts　of　themselves；　the　brutes！

To　be　serious；　should　a　copy　of　this　book　be　forgotten　somewhere；　and　thereby　be　spared　for　the　use　of　some　southern　Tacitus；　let　him　bewail　the　perfidious　mendacity　of　our　times；　whose　characteristic　is　SLANDER；　which　proceeds　from　devil　GROG；　and　the　pair　generate　THE　PROSPERITY　OF　THE　WICKED。　Here　is　a　sample：…

On　Saturday；　September　29th；　1854；　the　members　of　the　Local　Court；　Ballaarat；　held　a　public　meeting　on　the　usual　spot；　Bakery…hill；　for　the　purpose　of　taking　the　sense　of　their　fellow　miners；　respecting　the　admittance　or　nonadmittance　of　the　legal　profession　to　advise　or　plead　in　said　court。　See　report　in　The　Star；　a　new　local　paper；　No。　V；　Tuesday；　October　2nd。

Messrs。　Ryce　and　Wall　having　addressed　the　meeting　in　their　usual　honest；　matter…of…fact　way：…


〃Great　Works〃　was　shouted　and　immediately　appeared　C。　Raffaello；　member　of　the　Local　Court。　　He　hoped；　that　if　there　were　any　Goodenough　present　that　they　would　see　and　not　mislay　their　notes　while　he　briefly　brought　three　things　before　the　meeting；　the　first　concerned　the　meeting　and　himself；　the　second　concerned　himself；　and　the　third　concerned　those　present。　The　first　was　easily　disposed　ofhave　I；　as　I　promised；　done　my　duty　as　member　of　the　Local　Court　to　your　satisfaction？　（Yes；　and　cheers。）　Very　well；　the　second　matter　concerns　myselfpersonally　he　was　under　no　obligations　to　the　lawyersthe　services　he　received　at　the　trial　was　done　to　him　as　a　state　prisoner；　and　not　to　Carboni　Raffaello　individually；　when　individually；　he　requested　to　be　supplied　with　six　pennyworth　of　snuff　by　Mr。　Dunne；　it　was　promised；　but　it　never　came　to　him。　　It　would　not　have　cost　much　to　have　supplied　him；　and　it　would　have　greatly　obliged　him；　as　habit　had　rendered　snuff…taking　necessary　to　him。　With　the　permission　of　those　present　he　would　take　a　pinch　now。　　（He　took　a　pinch　amidst　laughter　and　cheers。）

The　admission　of　lawyers　into　the　Local　Court　would　give　rise　to　endless　feuds；　where　valuable　interests　were　concerned；　and　so　much　time　would　be　lost　in　useless　litigation。　　As　he　had　no　wish　through　any　personal　obligation　to　see　the　lawyers　in　the　Local　Court；　and　as　he　considered　that　it　was　for　the　advantage　of　the　miners　that　they　should　not　be　admitted；　he　opposed　their　entrance。

The　third　matter　concerned　those　present。　　What　did　they　come　to　Australia　for？　　Why；　to　improve　their　prospects　in　reality；　though　on　shipboard　they　might　say　it　was　to　get　rid　of　the　'governor；'　or　to　get　clear　of　an　ugly　wife；　and　now　that　you　are　here　are　you　to　allow　the　Ballaarat　lawyers　to　fleece　you　of　your　hard　earnings？　　Not　being　fond　of　yabber…yabber　he　would　simply　ask：　　are　you　fairly　represented　by　us？　　（Yes；　yes。）　If　so　then　support　us；　and　if　we　do　not　represent　you　we　will　resign。　　Don't　say　yes　if　you　don't　mean　it；　for　I　do　not　like　yabber…yabber。


I　beg　to　assert；　that　the　above　report　is　correct；　as　far　as　it　goes。　　Some　five　hundred　diggers　were　present。　　Now　for　the　perversion　from　the　reporter　of　'The　Argus'；　Melbourne；　Tuesday；　October　2。

〃Carboni　Raffaello；　a　foreigner　＇a　foreign　anarchist；　if　you　please；　Mr。　Editor＇；　then　spoke　in　his　usual　style　＇that　is；　sedition；　revolution；　and　rebellion；　that's　it＇；　the　principal　（sic）　points　of　his　remarks　being；　that　while　incarcerated　in　the　Melbourne　gaol　＇was　it　for　common　felony；　or　high　treason？＇　he　was　not　supplied　with　snuff；　though　he　had　entreated　his　learned　counsel；　Mr。　J。　H。　Dunne；　for　sixpenny　worth。　　He　＇Please；　Raffaello　or　Dunne？　fine　pair　together＇　did　not　consider　himself　under　any　obligation　to　the　lawyers：　　he　＇but　who？　　Dunne　or　Raffaello？＇　was　not　fond　of　yabber…yabber。〃

Thus　an　honest　man　is　brayed　at　by　asses　in　this　colony！　The　fun　is　odious　and　ridiculous　enough。

When　such　reporters　of　the　British　press　prostitute　British　ink；　the　only　ink　that　dares　to　register　black　on　white　the　name；　word　and　deed　of　any　tyrant　through　the　whole　face　of　the　earth；　and　for　the　sake　of　a　pair　of　Yankee　boots；　lower　themselves　to　the　level　of　a　scribbler；　thus　affording　to　be　audacious　because　anonymous；　the　British　press　in　the　southern　hemisphere　will　be　brought　to　shame；　and　Victoria　cannot　possibly　derive　any　benefit　from　it。

Let　the　above　observation　stand　good；　I　proceed　with　my　work。

'The　Age'　was　then　just　budding；　and　was　considered；　on　the　diggings　the　organ　of　the　new　chum　Governor。　　'The　Age'　soon　mustered　a　Roman　courage　in　the　cause　of　the　diggers；　and　jumped　the　claims　both　of　The　Herald　and　'The　Argus'；　and　though　the　'own　correspondent；'　under　the　head　of　Ballaarat；　be　such　a　dry；　soapy　concern　that　will　neither　blubber　nor　blather；　yet　'The　Age'　remained　the　diggers'　paper。

The　'Ballaarat　Times'　was　all　the　go；　on　the　whole　extent　of　the　diggings。　Soon　enough　the　reporter；　aye；　the　editor　himself；　will　both　appear　'in　propria　persona'。




Chapter　XVII。



Arcane；　Impenetrabili；　Profunde；　Son　Le　Vie　Di　Chi　Die　L'Esser　Al　Niente。


When　our　southern　sky　is　overloaded　with　huge；　thick；　dark　masses；　and　claps　of　thunder　warn　us　of　the　pending　storm；　then　a　gale　of　wind　is　roaring　in　space；　doing　battle　with　the　bush；　cowing　down　man　and　beast；　sweeping　away　all　manner　of　rottenness。　　This　fury　spares　not；　and　desolation　is　the　threat　of　the　thunder。

A　kind　Providence　must　be　blessed　even　in　the　whirlwind。　　Big；　big　drops　of　rain　fight　their　way　through　the　gale；　soon　the　drops　muster　in　legions；　and　the　stronger　the　storm；　the　stronger　those　legions。　　At　last　they　conquer；　then　it　pours　downthat　is；　the　flood　is　made　up　of　legions　of　torrents。

Is　the　end　of　the　world　now　at　hand？　　Look　at　the　victorious　rainbow！　it　reminds　man　of　the　covenant　of　our　God　with　Noah；　not　far　from　this　southern　land。　　The　sun　restores　confidence　that　all　is　right　again　as　before；　and　nature；　refreshed　and　bolder；　returns　again　to　her　work。

Hence；　the　storm　is　life。

Not　so　is　the　case　with　fire。　　Devouring　everything；　devouring　itself；　fire　seems　to　leave　off　its　frenzy；　only　to　devour　the　sooner　any　mortal　thing　that　comes　in　the　way　to　retard　destruction。　　A　few　embers；　then　a　handful　of　ashes；　are　the　sole　evidence　of　what　was　once　kingly　or　beggarly。

Fire　may　destroy；　consume；　devour；　but　has　no　power　to　reduce　to　'nothing。'

Hence　the　calamity　of　fire　is　death。

The　handful　of　ashes　lie　lifeless　until　a　storm　forces　them　into　the　living　order　of　nature；　which；　when　refreshed；　has　the　power　to　ingraft　those　ashes　to；　and　make　them　prosper　with；　the　grain　of　mustard　seed。

Hence　death　is　life。

Such　is　the　order　of　Providence。　　Now；　good　reader；　watch　the　handful　of　ashes　of　what　was　once　Bentley's　Eureka　Hotel。




Chapter　XVIII。



Pecunia　Omnia　Vincit。


In　the　dead　of　the　night　after　the　burning　of　the　Eureka　Hotel；　three　men　had　been　taken　into　custody；　charged　with　riot；　and　subsequently　committed　to　take　their　trial　in　Melbourne。

I　think　the　diggers　at　this　time　seriously　contemplated　to　burn　down　the　Camp；　and　thus　get　rid　in　a　blaze　of　all　their　grievances。

A　committee　for　the　defence　of　these　men；　met　at　the　Star　Hotel；　and　sent　round　to　all　the　tents　on　Ballaarat　for　subscriptions。　　I　contributed　my　mite；　and　then　learned　that　VERN；　KENNEDY；　and　HUMFFRAY　were　the　triumvirate　of　said　committee。

The　following　placard　was　posted　throughout　the　goldfields：…


500　POUNDS　REWARD

for　the　discovery；　apprehension　and　conviction　of　the　murderer　of　James　Scobie；　found　dead　near　the　late　Eureka　Hotel；　etc。；　etc。


At　one　and　at　the　same　time；　also；　the　following　placards　were　posted　at　each　prominent　gum…tree　on　the　goldfield：…


500　POUNDS　REWARD

increased　by　Government　to

1；600　POUNDS！！

for　the　apprehension　and　conviction　of　the　robbers　of　the　Bank　of　Victoria。


A　desperate　deed　was　committed　in　broad　mid…day；　Monday；　October　16th；　in　the　Ballaarat　township。

Four　men　in　the　garb　of　diggers；　wearing　sou'…wester　hats；　and　having　crepe　over　their　faces；　entered　the　Bank　of　Victoria；　and　succeeded　in　carrying　off　property　in　notes　and　gold；　to　the　amount　of　about　15；000　pounds。

Who　would　have　told　me　then；　that　soon　I　should　be　messmate　to　those　unknown　au