The tears choke my eyes, I cannot write any further.
Americans! your Doctor Kenworthy was not there, as he should have been,
according to Humffray's letter.
Catholics! Father Smyth was performing his sacred duty to the dying, in spite
of the troopers who threatened his life, and forced him at last to desist.
Protestants! spare us in future with your sabbath cant. Not one of your
ministers was there, helping the digger in the hour of need.
John Bull! you wilfully bend your neck to any burden for palaver and war
to protect you in your universal shop-keeping, and maintain your sacred rights
of property; but human life is to you as it was to Napoleon: for him,
fodder for the cannon; for you, tools to make money. A dead man needs
no further care, and human kind breeds fast enough everywhere after all, -
'Cetera quando rursum scribam'.
On my reaching the stockade with a pannikin of water for Teddy, I was amazed
at the apathy showed by the diggers, who now crowded from all directions
round the dead and wounded. None would stir a finger.
All on a sudden a fresh swarm of troopers cleared the stockade of all moving
things with the mere threat of their pistols.
All the diggers scampered away and entered all available tents, crouching
within the chimneys or under stretchers. The valorous, who had given
such a proof of their ardour in smothering with stones, bats, and broken
bottles, the 12th Regiment on their orderly way from Melbourne on Tuesday,
November 28, at the same identical spot on the Eureka, now allowed themselves
to be chained by dozens, by a handful of hated traps, who, a few days before,
had been kept at bay on the whole of the diggings, by the mere shouting
of 'Joe!' A sad reflection, indeed; a very sad reflection.
Myself and a few neighbours now procured some stretchers, and at the direction
of Doctor Carr, converted the London Hotel into an hospital,
and took there the wounded.
Said Doctor Carr despatched me to fetch his box of surgical instruments
from Dr. Glendinning's hospital on Pennyweight-hill, a distance of a full mile.
I hastened to return, with Dr. Glendinning himself, and I did my best
to assist the helpless, and dress their wounds.
IMPORTANT - I must call the attention of my reader to the following fact: -
When I entered the stockade with Dr. Carr's surgical box, Mr. Binney,
an old acquaintance since the times of Canadian Gully, took me warmly
by the hand, and said, "Old fellow, I am glad to see you alive! everybody
thinks (pointing to a dead digger among the heap) that's poor Great Works!"
The state of mind in which I was, gave me no time to take much notice
of the circumstances, and must have answered, "Thank God, I am alive,"
and proceeded to my duty.
