Style of
living, if not without a murmur, at least to all appearance with the
determination to laugh and bear it. And although rough in their
manners, and not over select in their address, the digger seldom
wilfully injures a woman; in fact, a regular Vandemonian will, in his
way, play the gallant with as great a zest as a fashionable about town
- at any rate, with more sincerity of heart.
Sunday is kept at the diggings in a very orderly manner; and
among the actual diggers themselves, the day of rest is taken in a
VERBATIM sense. It is not unusual to have an established clergyman
holding forth near the Commissioners' tent and almost within hearing
will be a tub orator expounding the origin of evil, whilst a "mill" (a
fight with fisticuffs) or a dog fight fills up the background.
But night at the diggings is the characteristic time: murder here -
murder there - revolvers cracking - blunderbusses bombing - rifles
going off - balls whistling - one man groaning with a broken leg -
another shouting because he couldn't find the way to his hole, and a
third equally vociferous because he has tumbled into one - this man
swearing - an other praying - a party of bacchanals chanting various
ditties to different time and tune, or rather minus both. Here is one
man grumbling because he has brought his wife with him, another ditto
because he has left his behind, or sold her for an ounce of gold or a
bottle of rum. Donnybrook Fair is not to be compared to an evening at
Bendigo.
Success at the diggings is like drawing lottery tickets - the
blanks far outnumber the prizes; still, with good health, strength, and
above all perseverance, it is strange if a digger does not in the end
reap a reward for his labour. Meanwhile, he must endure almost
incredible hardships. In the rainy season, he must not murmur if
compelled to work up to his knees in water, and sleep on the wet
ground, without a fire, in the pouring rain, and perhaps no shelter
above him more waterproof than a blanket or a gum tree; and this not
for once only, but day after day, night after night. In the summer, he
must work hard under a burning sun, tortured by the mosquito and the
little stinging March flies, or feel his eyes smart and his throat grow
dry and parched, as the hot winds, laden with dust, pass over him. How
grateful now would be a draught from some cold sparkling streamlet;
but, instead, with what sort of water must he quench his thirst? Much
the same, gentle reader, as that which runs down the sides of a dirty
road on a rainy day, and for this a shilling a bucket must be paid.
Hardships such as these are often the daily routine of a digger's life;
yet, strange to say, far from depressing the spirits or weakening the
frame, they appear in most cases to give strength and energy to
both. This is principally owing to the climate, which even in the wet
season is mild and salubrious.
Perhaps nothing will speak better for the general order that prevails
at the diggings, than the small amount of physical force maintained
there by Government to keep some thousands of persons of all ages,
classes, characters, religions and countries in good humour with the
laws and with one another. The military force numbers 130, officers and
men; the police about 300.
The Government escort is under the control of Mr. Wright, Chief
Commissioner; it consists of about forty foot and sixty mounted police,
with the usual complement of inspectors and sergeants; their uniform is
blue - with white facings, their head-quarters are by the
Commissioners' tent, Forest Creek.
The private escort uniform is a plain blue frock coat and trowsers. It
is under the superintendence of Mr. Wilkinson; the head-quarters are at
Montgomery Hill, Forest Creek. Both these escorts charge one per cent
for conveying gold.
For the Victoria diggings, there is a Chief Commissioner, one
Acting Resident Commissioner; one Assistant Commissioner at Ballarat,
one at Fryer's Creek, five at Forest Creek, and six at Bendigo.
Provision is made by Government for the support, at the mines, of two
clergymen of each of the four State paid churches of England, Scotland,
Rome, and Wesleyan, at a salary of 300 pounds a year.
Chapter VII.
EAGLE HAWK GULLY
Before commencing an account of our operations at the Eagle Hawk, it
will be necessary to write a few words in description of our
gold-digging party there; their Christian names will be sufficient
distinction, and will leave their incognito undisturbed.
This party, as I have said before, consisted of five gentlemen,
including my brother. Of the latter I shall only say that he was young
and energetic, more accustomed to use his brains than his fingers, yet
with a robust frame, and muscles well strengthened by the various
exercises of boating, cricketing, &c., with which our embryo
collegians attempt to prepare themselves for keeping their "terms."
Frank - - - (who, from being a married man, was looked up to as the head
of our rather juvenile party) was of a quiet and sedate disposition,
rather given to melancholy, for which in truth he had cause. His
marriage had taken place without the sanction - or rather in defiance of
the wishes - of his parents, for his wife was portionless, and in a
station a few grades, as they considered, below his own; moreover,
Frank himself was not of age. Private income, independent of his
parents, he had none. A situation as clerk in a merchant's office was
his only resource, and during three years he had eked out his salary to
support a delicate wife - whose ill health was a neverfailing source of
anxiety and expense - two infants, and himself.
