the eureka stockade-第3节

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re　forgotten：　　and　I　in　the　gaol！　the　rope　round　my　neck！！

Let　us　keep　in　good　spirits；　good　reader；　we　shall　soon　have　to　weep　together　enough。

Gravel　Pits；　famous　for　its　strong　muster　of　golden　holes；　and　blasting　shicers；　was　too　deep　for　me。　　The　old　Eureka　was　itself　again。　　The　jewellers　shops；　which　threatened　to　exhaust　themselves　in　Canadian　Gully；　were　again　the　talk　of　the　day：　　and　the　Eureka　gold　dust　was　finer；　purer；　brighter；　immensely　darling。　　The　unfaithful　truants　who　had　rushed　to　Bryant's　Ranges；　to　knock　their　heads　against　blocks　of　granite；　now　hastened　for　the　third　time　to　the　old　spot；　Ballaarat；　determined　to　stick　to　it　for　life　or　death。　English；　German；　and　Scotch　diggers；　worked　generally　on　the　Gravel　Pits；　the　Irish　had　their　stronghold　on　the　Eureka。　　The　Americans　fraternised　with　all　the　wide…awake；　'ubi　caro　ibi　vultures。'

Here　begins　as　a　profession　the　precious　game　of　'shepherding；'　or　keeping　claims　in　reserve；　that　is　the　digger　turning　squatter。　　And；　as　this　happened　under　the　reign　of　a　gracious　gold　commissioner；　so　I　am　brought　to　speak　of　the　gold　licence　again。　　First　I　will　place　the　man　before　my　reader；　though。

Get　a　tolerable　young　pig；　make　it　stand　on　his　hind　legs；　put　on　its　head　a　cap　trimmed　with　gold…lace；　whitewash　its　snout；　and　there　you　have　the　ass　in　the　form　of　a　pig；　I　mean　to　say　a　〃man；〃　with　this　privilege；　that　he　possesses　in　his　head　the　brains　of　both　the　above…mentioned　brutes。




Chapter　VII。



Ludi　Ballaaratenses。


Eureka　was　advancing　fast　to　glory。　　Each　day；　and　not　seldom　twice　a　day；　the　gutter　gammoned　and　humbugged　all　us　'vagabonds'　so　deucedly；　that　the　rush　to　secure　a　claim　〃dead　on　it〃　rose　to　the　standard　of　'Eureka　style；'　that　is；　'Ring；　ring；'　was　the　yell　from　some　hundred　human　dogs；　and　soon　hill　and　flat　poured　out　all　spare　hands　to　thicken　the　〃ring。〃


By　this　time；　two　coviesone　of　them　generally　an　Irishman　had　stripped　to　their　middle；　and　were　〃shaping〃　for　a　round　or　two。　　A　broken　nose；　with　the　desired　accomplishment　of　a　pair　of　black　eyes；　and　in　all　cases；　when　manageable；　a　good　smash　in　the　regions　either　of　the　teeth；　or　of　the　ribsboth；　if　possible；　preferredwas　supposed　to　improve　the　transaction　so　much；　that；　what　with　the　tooth　dropping；　or　the　rib　cracking；　or　both；　as　aforesaid；　it　was　considered　'settled。'　　Thus　originated　the　special　title　of　'rowdy　mob；'　or　Tipperary；　in　reference　to　the　Irish。　　Let　us　have　the　title　clear。

The　'shepherding；'　that　is　the　squatting　by　one　man　women　and　children　had　not　got　hold　of　this　'Dolce　far　niente'　yetthe　ground　allotted　by　law　to　four　men；　and　the　astuteness　of　our　primitive　shepherds　having　found　it　cheap　and　profitable　to　have　each　claim　visibly　separated　from　the　other　by　some　twenty…feet　wall；　which　was　mutually　agreed　upon　by　themselves　alone；　to　call　it　'spare　ground；'　was　now　a　grown…up　institution。　　Hence；　whenever　the　gutter；　120　feet　below；　took　it　into　its　head　to　bestir　and　hook　it；　the　faithful　shepherds　would　not　rest　until　they　were　sure　to　snore　in　peace　a　foot　and　a　half　under　ground　from　the　surface；　and　six　score　feet　from　'bang　on　the　gutter。'

This　Ballaarat　dodge　would　have　been　innocent　enough；　were　it　not　for　'Young　Ireland；'　who；　having　fixed　headquarters　on　the　Eureka；　was　therefore　accused　of　monopolising　the　concern。　　Now；　suppose　Paddy　wanted　to　relish　a　'tip；'　that　is；　a　drop　of　gin　on　the　sly；　then　Scotty；　who　had　just　gulped　down　his　'toddy；'　which　was　a　drop　of　auld　whisky；　would　take　upon　himself　the　selfish　trouble　to　sink　six　inches　more　in　Paddy's　hole；　which　feat　was　called　'jumping；'　and　thus；　broken　noses；　and　other　accomplishments；　as　aforesaid；　grew　in　proportion　to　tips；　and　'toddy'　drunk　on　the　sly。

I　frequently　saw　horrid　scenes　of　blood；　but　I　was　now　an　old　chum　and　therefore　knew　what　was　what　in　colonial　life。

I　had　a　Cameleon　for　a　neighbour；　who；　in　the　garb　of　an　Irishman；　flung　his　three　half…shovels　out　of　a　hole　on　the　hill　punctually　every　morning；　and　that　was　his　work　before　breakfast。　　Then；　a　red　shirt　on　his　back；　and　a　red　cap　on　his　head；　he　would；　in　the　subsequent　hour；　give　evidence　of　his　scorning　to　be　lazy　by　putting　down　some　three　inches　deeper　another　hole　below　in　the　gully。　　'Full　stop；'　he　must　have　a　'blow；'　but　the　dd　thingshis　matcheshad　got　damp；　and　so　in　a　rage　he　must　hasten　to　his　tent　to　light　the　pipe；　that　is；　to　put　on　the　Yankee　garb　and　complete　his　forenoon　work　in　a　third　hole　of　his；　whose　depth　and　shape　recommended　him　as　a　first　rate　grave…digger。

And　what　has　all　this　bosh　to　do　with　the　Eureka　Stockade？




Chapter　VIII。



Fiat　Fustitia；　Ruat　Coelum。


As　an　old　Ballaarat　hand；　I　hereby　assert；　that　much　of　the　odium　of　the　mining　community　against　red…tape；　arose　from　the　accursed　practice　of　jumping。

One　fact　from　the　'stubborn…things'　store。　　The　Eureka　gutter　was　fast　progressing　down　hill　towards　the　Eureka　gully。　　A　party　of　Britishers　had　two　claims；　the　one；　on　the　slope　of　the　hill；　was　bottomed　on　heavy　gold；　the　other；　some　four　claims　from　it；　and　parallel　with　the　range；　was　some　ninety　feet　deep；　and　was　worked　by　day　only；　by　three　men：　　a　fourth　man　would　now　and　then　bring　a　set　of　trimmed　slabs　from　the　first　hole　aforesaid；　where　he　was　the　principal　'chips。'　There　was　a　Judas　Iscariot　among　the　party。　One　fine　morning；　a　hole　was　bottomed　down　the　gully；　and　proved　a　scheisser。　A　rush；　Eureka　style；　was　the　conseqence；　and　it　was　pretended　now　that　the　gutter　would　keep　with　the　ranges；　towards　the　Catholic　church。

A　party　of　Yankees；　with　revolvers　and　Mexican　knivesthe　garb　of　'bouncers'　in　those　daysjumped　the　second　hole　of　the　Britishers；　dismantled　the　windlass；　and　Godamn'd　as　fast　as　the　Britishers　cursed　in　the　colonial　style。　　The　excitement　was　awful。　　Commissioner　Rede　was　fetched　to　settle　the　dispute。　　An　absurd　and　unjust　regulation　was　then　the　law；　no　party　was　allowed　to　have　an　interest　in　two　claims　at　one　and　the　same　time；　which　was　called　'owning　two　claims。'　The　Yankees　carried　the　day。　I；　a　living　witness；　do　assert　that；　from　that　day；　there　was　a　'down'　on　the　name　of　Rede。

For　the　commissioners；　this　jumping　business　was　by　no　means　an　agreeable　job。　They　were　fetched　to　the　spot：　　a　mob　would　soon　collect　round　the　disputed　claim；　and　for　'fair　play；'　it　required　the　wisdom　of　Solomon；　because　the　parties　concerned　set　the　same　price　on　their　dispute；　as　the　two　harlots　on　the　living　child。

I。　　The　conflicting　evidence；　in　consequence　of　hard　swearing；　prompted　by　gold…thirst；　the　most　horrible　demon　that　depraves　the　human　heart；　even　a　naturally　honest　heart。II。　　The　incomprehensible；　unsettled；　impracticable　ordinances　for　the　abominable　management　of　the　gold…fields；　which　ordinances；　left　to　the　discretionthat　is；　the　caprice；　and　to　the　good　sensethat　is；　the　motto；　'odi　profanum　vulgus　et　arceo；'　and　to　the　best　judgmentthat　is　the　proverbial　incapability　of　all　aristocractical　red…tape；　HOW　TO　RULE　US　VAGABONDS。　　Both　those　reasons；　I　say；　must　make　even　the　most　hardened　bibber　of　Toorak　small…beer　acknowledge　and　confess；　that　the　perfidious　mistake　at　head…quarters　was；　their　persisting　to　make　the　following　Belgravian　'billet…doux'　the　'sine　qua　non'　recommendation　for　gold…lace　on　Ballaarat　（at　the　time）：


（ADDRESS）

〃To　the　Victorian　Board　of　Small　Beer；

〃Toorak　（somewhere　in　Australasia；　i。e。；　Australia　Felixinquire　from　the　natives；　reported　to　be　of　blackskin；　at　the　southern　end　of　the　globe。）

〃Belgravia；　First　year　of　the　royal　projecting　the　Great　Exhibition；　Hyde　Park。

〃LADY　STARVESEMPSTRESS；　great…grand…niece　of　His　Grace　the　Duke　Of　CURRY…POWDER；　begs　to　introduce　to　FORTYSHILLING　TAKEHIMAWAY；　Esquire；　of　Toorak；　see　address；　her　brother…in…law；　POLLIPUSS；　WATERLOOBOLTER；　tenth　son　of　the　venerable　Prebendary　of　North　and　South　Palaver；　Canon　of　St。　Sebastopol　in　the　east；　and　Rector　of　Allblessedfools；　West　EndURGENT。〃


In　justice；　however；　to　Master　Waterloobolter；　candidate　for　gold…lace；　it　must　not　be　omitted　that　he　is　a　Piccadilly　young　sprat；　and　so　at　Julien's　giant　'bal…masque'；　was　ever　gracious　to　the　lady　of　his　love。

〃Miss　Smartdeuce；　may　I　beg　the　honour　of　your　hand　for　the　next　waltz？　surely　after　a　round　or　two　you　will　relish　your　champagne。〃

〃Yes；〃　with　a　smothered　〃dear；〃　was　the　sigh…drawn　reply。

Who　has　the　power　to　roar　the　command；　〃Thus　far　shalt　thou　go；　and　no　further；〃　to　the　flood　of　tears　from　forlorn　Smartdeuce；　when　her　soft　Waterloobolter　bolted　for　the　gold…fields　of　Australia　Felix。

To　be　serious。　　How　could　any　candid　mind　otherwise　explain　the　honest　boldness　of　eight　out　of　nine　members　of　the　first　Local　Court；　Ballaarat；　who；　one　and　all；　I　do　not　say　dared；　but　I　say　called　upon　their　fellow　miners　to　come　forward　to　a　public　meeting　on　the　old　spot；　Bakery…hill。　　September；　Saturday；　30th；　1855。　　Said　members　had　already　settled　at　that　time　201　disputes；　and　given　their　judgement；　involving　some　half　a　million　sterling　altogether；　for　all　what　they　knew；　and　yet　not　one　miner　rose　one　finger　against　them；　when　they　imperatively　desired　to　know　whether　they　had　done　th