So far as I know, not one digger had turned to work.
It may have happened, that certain Cornishmen, well known for their
peculiar propensity, of which they make a boast to themselves, to pounce
within an inch of their neighbour's shaft, were not allowed to indulge in
'encroaching.' This, however, I assert as a matter of fact, that the Council
of the Eureka Stockade never gave or hinted at any order to stop the
usual work on the gold-field.
Towards ten o'clock, news reached our camp that the red coats were under arms,
and there would be another licence-hunting.
The flames did not devour the Eureka Hotel with the same impetuosity
as we got up our stockade. Peter Lalor gave the order: Vern had the charge,
and was all there with his tremendous sword. "Wo ist der Raffaello!
Du, Baricaden bauen," and all heaps of slabs, all available timber
was soon higgledy-piggledy thrown all round our camp. Lalor then gave
directions as to the position each division should take round the holes,
and soon all was on the 'qui vive.'
Had Commissioner Rede dared to rehearse the farce of the riot-act
cracking as on Gravel-pits, he would have met with a warm reception
from the Eureka boys. It was all the go that morning.
No blue or red coat appeared. - It was past one o'clock: John Bull
must have his dinner. Lalor spoke of the want of arms and ammunition,
requested that every one should endeavour to procure of both as much
as possible, but did certainly not counsel or even hint that stores
should be pressed for it.
A German blacksmith, within the stockade was blazing, hammering and pointing
pikes as fast as his thick strong arms allowed him: praising the while
his past valour in the wars of Mexico, and swearing that his pikes would fix
red-toads and blue pissants especially. He was making money as fast
any Yankee is apt on such occasions, and it was a wonder to look at
his coarse workmanship, that would hardly stick an opossum, though his pikes
were meant for kangaroos and wild dogs.
Chapter XLV.
Populus Ex Terra Crescit: Multitudo Hominum Est Populus;
Ergo, Multitudo Hominum Ex Terra Crescit.
Between four and five o'clock of same afternoon, we became aware of
the silly blunder, which proved fatal to our cause. Some three or four hundred
diggers arrived from Creswick-creek, a gold-field famous for its pennyweight
fortunes - grubbed up through hard work, and squandered in dissipation
among the swarm of sly-grog sellers in the district.
We learned from this Creswick legion that two demagogues had been stumping
at Creswick, and called the diggers there to arms to help their brothers
on Ballaarat, who were worried by scores, by the perfidious hounds of the Camp.
They were assured that on Ballaarat there was plenty of arms, ammunitions,
forage, and provisions, and that preparations on a grand scale were making
to redress once for all the whole string of grievances. They had only
to march to Ballaarat, and would find there plenty of work, honour, and glory.
I wonder how honest Mr. Black could sanction with his presence,
such suicidal rant, such absurd bosh of that pair of demagogues,
who hurried down these four hundred diggers from Creswick, helpless, grog-worn,
that is, more or less dirty and ragged, and proved the greatest nuisance.
One of them, MICHAEL TUEHY, behaved valiantly and so I shall say no more.
Of course something must be done. Thonen was the purveyor. The Eureka butcher
on the hill gave plenty of meat, and plenty of bread was got from all
the neighbouring stores, and paid for. A large fire was lit in the middle
of the stockade, and thus some were made as comfortable as circumstances
admitted; others were quartered at the tents of friends; the greater part,
soon guessing how they had been humbugged, returned to their old quarters.
Arms and ammunition were our want. Men were there enough; each and all ready
to fight: such was the present excitement; but blue and red coats cannot
be driven off with fists alone. Lalor gave all his attention to the subject,
but would not consent yet to press stores for it.
Vern was perpetually expecting every moment his German Rifle Brigade.
Have patience till to-morrow.
In the evening a report was made to the Council, that a reinforcement
of soldiers from Melbourne was on the road. Captains Ross and Nealson
hastened with their divisions across the bush to intercept the expected troops,
so as to get at their arms and ammunition. All proved in vain.
When a revolution explodes as conspired and planned by able leaders,
it is usually seen that it was their care from the very beginning,
that arms and ammunition should be at hand when and wherever required;
while usury, ambition, or vengeance lavishly provide the money to render
the revolution popular: but we had never dreamed of making any preparation,
because we diggers had taken up arms solely in self-defence; and as up to
Saturday the Council of the Eureka Stockade counted in the majority honest men,
themselves hard-working diggers, they would not turn burglars
or permit anybody to do so in their name.
Truly, I heard from Manning, that a certain committee kept on their
hallucinated yabber-yabber at the Star Hotel. I never was there,
and know nothing about Star blabs. They, with the exception of Vern,
were not with us, thank God; up to Saturday four o'clock any how.
Chapter XLVI.
Non Irascimini.
Saturday morning. The night had been very cold, we had kept watch for fear
of being surprised; every hour the cry, was "The military are coming."
Vern had enlarged the stockade across the Melbourne road,
and down the Warrenheip Gully.
Suppose, even that all diggers who had fire arms had been present and plucky,
yet no man in his right senses will ever give Vern the credit
for military tactics, if that gallant officer had thought that an acre
of ground on the surface of a hill accessible with the greatest ease
on every side, simply fenced in by a few slabs placed at random,
could be defended by a handful of men, for the most part totally destitute
of military knowledge, against a disciplined soldiery, backed by swarms
of traps and troopers.
