Oh! 12s. 6d. a-piece. I forgot to tell
you I'd a mate at the work. That was good earnings in those days; and
me and my mate, who was quite a lad, were making a pretty penny, when
some others offered to do them a halfpenny a bag cheaper. I did the
same, and we kept it to ourselves for about four weeks longer, when a
penny a bag was offered. There was competition for you! This roused
my bile - I threw it up altogether - and off to Adelaide again.
Soon spent all my cash, and went into a ship-chandler's office till
they failed; then was clerk to a butcher, and lost my situation for
throwing a quarter of his own mutton at him in a rage; and then I again
turned brewer's man. Whilst there I heard of the diggings - left the
brewer and his casks to look after themselves, and off on foot to
Ballarat.
"Here I found the holes averaging some thirty feet - which was a style of
hard work I didn't quite admire; so hearing of the greater facility of
the Alexander diggings, I went through Bully Rook Forest, and tried my
luck in the Jim Crow Ranges. This paid well; and I bought a dray, and
bring up goods to the stores, which I find easier work, and twice as
profitable as digging. There's my story; and little I thought when I
went into Gregory's store to-day, that I should find my curly-pated
nephew ready to hear it."
Next day we travelled on, and halted near Saw-pit Gully; it was early
in the afternoon, and we took a walk about this most interesting
locality. The earth was torn up everywhere - a few lucky hits
had sufficed to re-collect a good many diggers there, and they were
working vigorously. At dusk the labour ceased - the men returned to
their tents, and for the last time our ears were assailed by the
diggers' usual serenade. Imagine some hundreds of revolvers almost
instantaneously fired - the sound reverberating through the mighty
forests, and echoed far and near - again and again till the last faint
echo died away in the distance. Then a hundred blazing fires burst upon
the sight - around them gathered the rough miners themselves - their
sun-burnt, hair-covered faces illumined by the ruddy glare. Wild songs,
and still wilder bursts of laughter are heard; gradually the flames
sink and disappear, and an oppressive stillness follows (sleep rarely
refuses to visit the diggers' lowly couch), broken only by some
midnight carouser, as he vainly endeavours to find his tent. No fear of
a "peeler" taking him off to a police-station, or of being brought
before a magistrate next morning, and "fined five shillings for being
drunk."
Early on Tuesday morning I gave a parting look to the diggings - our dray
went slowly onwards - a slight turn in the road, and the last
tent has vanished from my sight. "Never," thought I, "shall I look on
such a scene again!"
Chapter XII.
RETURN TO MELBOURNE
Before the evening of Wednesday the 20th, we passed through Kyneton,
and found ourselves in the little village of Carlshrue, where we passed
the night. Here is a police-station, a blacksmith's, a few stores and
some cottages, in one of which we obtained a comfortable supper and
beds. A lovely view greeted us at sunrise. Behind us were still
towering the lofty ranges of Mount Alexander, before us was Mount
Macedon and the Black Forest. This mountain, which forms one of what is
called the Macedon range, is to be seen many miles distant, and on a
clear, sunny day, the purple sides of Mount Macedon, which
stands aloof as it were, from the range itself, are distinctly visible
from the flag-staff at Melbourne.
We had intended to have stopped for the night in Kyneton, but the
charges there were so enormous that we preferred pushing on and taking
our chance as to the accommodation Carlshrue could afford, nor did we
repent the so doing.
The following are the Kyneton prices. A meal or bed - both bad - 4s; a
night's stabling, one pound ten shillings per horse; hay at the rate of
9d. a pound; this is the most exorbitant charge of all.
Hay was somewhere about 20 pounds a ton in Melbourne. The carriage of it
to Kyneton, now that the fine weather was setting in, would not exceed 8
pounds a ton at the outside, which would come to 28 pounds. The purchaser,
by selling it at Kyneton at the rate of 9d. a pound, or 75 pounds per ton,
cleared a profit of 47 pounds - NOT QUITE 200 PER CENT. If THIS is not
fortune-making, I should like to know what is. It beats the diggings
hollow.
Next morning we looked our last at "sweet Carlshrue," and
having crossed the Five Mile Creek, camped for our mid-day meal beside
the Black Forest. Here a slight discussion arose, as to whether it
would be more advisable to proceed on our journey and camp in the Black
Forest that night, or whether we should remain where we were outside,
and recommence our journey in good time the next morning so as to get
through this most uncomfortable portion of our travels in one day.
Frank and Octavius were for the latter plan, as the best and safest,
but the rest (thinking that, having once travelled through it without
encountering any thing resembling a bushranger, they might safely do so
again) protested against wasting time, and were for entering those dark
shades without further delay. The uncle of Octavius whom, in future,
for the sake of convenience, I shall call Mr. L - - , was also of this
mind, and as he was in some sort our leader during the journey, his
advice decided the matter.
