The Diggings Were Too Dirty And Uncivilized For His
Taste, His Capital Was Quickly Dwindling Away Beneath The
Expenses Of
The comfortable life he led at one of the best hotels in
town, so he turned to what as a
Boy he had learnt for amusement, and
obtained an addition to his income of more than four hundred pounds a
year as house carpenter. In the morning you might see him trudging off
to his work, and before night might meet him at some ball or soiree
among the elite of Melbourne.
I shall not attempt an elaborate description of the town of Melbourne,
or its neighbouring villages. A subject so often and well discussed
might almost be omitted altogether. The town is very well laid out; the
streets (which are all straight, running parallel with and across one
another) are very wide, but are incomplete, not lighted, and many are
unpaved. Owing to the want of lamps, few, except when full moon, dare
stir out after dark. Some of the shops are very fair; but the goods all
partake too largely of the flash order, for the purpose of suiting the
tastes of successful diggers, their wives and families; it is ludicrous
to see them in the shops - men who, before the gold-mines were
discovered, toiled hard for their daily bread, taking off half-a-dozen
thick gold rings from their fingers, and trying to pull on to
their rough, well-hardened hands the best white kids, to be worn at
some wedding party; whilst the wife, proud of the novel ornament,
descants on the folly of hiding them beneath such useless articles as
gloves.
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