- Contents drunk in colonial style. - Look out! the roof,
sides and all fall in! - An enormous mass of flame and smoke arises
with a roaring sound. - Sparks are carried far, far into the air,
and what was once the Eureka Hotel, is now a mass of burning embers!
The entire diggings, in a state of extreme excitement. - The diggers are lords
and masters of Ballaarat; and the prestige of the Camp is gone for ever.
Chapter XVI.
Loquar In Amaritudine Animoe. Meoe
Now my peace of mind being destroyed, I had recourse to the free British press,
for information, wishing to hear what they said in Melbourne. At this time
the Morning Herald was in good demand; but the 'Geelong Advertiser' had
the swayn on the goldfields. Geelong had a rattling correspondent on
Ballaarat, who helped to hasten the movement fast enough. As I did not
know this correspondent of the 'Geelong Advertiser' personally, so I can
only guess at his frame of mind. I should say the following ingredients
entered into the factory of his ideas:-
1st. The land is the Lord's and all therein; but man must earn his bread
by the sweat of his brow. Therefore, in the battle of life, every man
must fight his way on the old ground, "help yourself and God will help you."
2nd. In olden times, wherever there was a Roman there was life. In our times,
wherever there is a Britain there is trade, and trade is life. But with
the lazy, - who, either proud or mean, is always an incapable, because
generally he is a drunkard, and therefore a beggar, there is no possible
barter; and, inasmuch as man does not live on bread alone, for a fried sole
is a nice thing for breakfast, so also it must be confessed that the loaves
and fishes do not condescend to jump into one's mouth all dressed
as they ought to be. Therefore - and this is the zenith of the
'Geelong Advertiser's' practical correspondent - be not perplexed, if the loaves
and fishes wont pop fast enough into your mouth particularly; let Mahomed's
example be instantly followed: go yourself to the loaves and fishes,
and you will actually find that they are subject to the same laws of matter
and motion as everything else on earth.
3rd. The application. For what did any one emigrate to this colony?
To sweat more? Well, times were hard enough for the poor in old Europe.
Let him sweat more, but for whom? For himself of course, and good luck to him.
Is there not plenty of Victoria land for every white man or black man
that intends to grow his potatoes? Oh! leave the greens-growing to the
well-disposed, to the well affected, ye sturdy sons who pant after
the yellow-boy. "Take your chance, out of a score of shicers, there is one
'dead on it,'" says old Mother Earth from the deep.
