These are but two or three instances out of
the many that occurred to prove the richness of this truly auriferous
spot. The consequence may be easily imagined; thousands flocked to
Bendigo. The "lucky bits" were still as numerous, but being
disseminated among a greater number of diggers, it followed that there
were many more blanks than prizes, and the disappointed multitude were
ready to be off to the first new discovery. Small gains were beneath
their notice. I have often heard the miners say that they would rather
spend their last farthing digging fifty holes, even if they found
nothing in them, than "tamely" earn an ounce a day by washing
the surface soil; on the same principle, I suppose, that a gambler
would throw up a small but certain income to be earned by his own
industry, for the uncertain profits of the cue or dice.
For ourselves, we had nothing to complain about. During the short space
of time that we had been at Eagle Hawk Gully, we had done as well as
one in fifty, and might therefore be classed among the lucky diggers;
but "the more people have, the more they want;" and although the many
pounds weight of the precious metal that our party had "taken up" gave,
when divided, a good round sum a-piece, the avaricious creatures bore
the want of success that followed more unphilosophically than they had
done before the rich "pocketful" of gold had made its appearance. They
would dig none but shallow holes, and a sort of gambling manner of
setting to work replaced the active perseverance they had at first
displayed.
Some days before we left, Eagle Hawk Gully had been condemned as a
"worthless place," and a change decided on. The when and the
where were fixed much in the following manner:
"I say, mates," observed William on the evening of the Sunday on which
I had paid my last visit to Harriette, "I say, mates, nice pickings a
man got last week in the Iron Bark - only twenty pounds weight out of one
hole; that's all."
"Think it's true?" said Octavius, quietly.
"Of course; likely enough. I propose we pack up our traps, and honour
this said gully with our presence forthwith."
"Let's inquire first," put in Frank; "it's foolish to change good
quarters on such slight grounds."
"Good quarters! slight grounds!" cried William; "what next? what would
you have? Good quarters! yes, as far as diggings concerned - whether you
find anything for your digging is another matter. Slight grounds,
indeed! twenty pounds weight in one day! Yes, we ought to inquire;
you're right there, old boy, and the proper place to commence our
inquiries is at the gully itself. Let's be off tomorrow."
"Wait two days longer," said Octavius "and I am agreeable."
And this, after a little chaffing between the impatient William and his
more business-like comrades, was satisfactorily arranged.
