the eureka stockade-第4部分

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rd　trooper　or　trap。　Now；　what　answer　would　you　have　given；　sir？

I　assert；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　that　I　was　often　compelled　to　produce　my　licence　twice　at　each　and　the　same　licence　hunt。　　Any　one　who　knows　me　personally；　will　readily　believe　that　the　accursed　game　worried　me　to　death。




Chapter　X。



Jam　Non　Estis　Hospites　Et　Advenoe


It　is　to　the　purpose　to　say　a　few　words　more　on　the　licence…hunting；　and　have　done　with　it。　　Light　your　pipe；　good　reader；　you　have　to　blow　hard。

Our　red…tape；　generally　obtuse　and　arrogant；　this　once　got　rid　of　the　usual　conceit　in　all　things；　and　had　to　acknowledge　that　the　digger　who　remained　quietly　at　his　work；　always　possessed　his　licence。　　Hence　the　troopers　were　despatched　like　bloodhounds；　in　all　directions；　to　beat　the　bush；　and　the　traps　who　had　a　more　confined　scent；　creeped　and　crawled　among　the　holes；　and　sneaked　into　the　sly…grog　tents　round　about；　in　search　of　the　swarming　unlicensed　game。　　In　a　word；　it　was　a　regular　hunt。　　Any　one　who　in　Old　England　went　fox…hunting；　can　understand　pretty　well；　the　detestable　sport　we　had　then　on　the　goldfields　of　Victoria。　Did　any　trooper　succeed　in　catching　any　of　the　'vagabonds'　in　the　bush；　he　would　by　the　threat　of　his　sword；　confine　him　round　a　big　gum…tree；　and　when　all　the　successful　troopers　had　done　the　same　feat；　they　took　their　prisoners　down　the　gully；　where　was　the　grand　depot；　because　the　traps　were　generally　more　successful。　　The　commissioner　would　then　pick　up　one　pound；　two　pounds；　or　five　pounds；　in　the　way　of　bail；　from　any　digger　that　could　afford　it；　or　had　friends　to　do　so；　and　then　order　the　whole　pack　of　the　penniless　and　friendless　to　the　lock…up　in　the　camp。　　I　am　a　living　eye…witness；　and　challenge　contradiction。

This　job　of　explaining　a　licence…hunt　is　really　so　disgusting　to　me；　that　I　prefer　to　close　it　with　the　following　document　from　my　subsequently　goal…bird　mate；　then　reporter　of　the　'Ballaarat　Times'：


Police　Court；　Tuesday；　October　24th。

HUNTING　THE　DIGGER。Five　of　these　fellows　were　fined　in　the　mitigated　trifle　of　5　pounds；　for　being　without　licences。　　The　nicest　thing　imaginable　is　to　see　one　of　these　clumsy　fellows　with　great　beards；　shaggy　hair；　and　oh！　such　nasty　rough　hands；　stand　before　a　fine　gentleman　on　the　bench　with　hands　of　shiny　whiteness；　and　the　colour　of　whose　cambric　rivals　the　Alpine　snow。　There　the　clumsy　fellow　stands；　faltering　out　an　awkward　apology；　〃my　licence　is　only　just　expired；　sirI've　only　been　one　day　from　town；　sirI　have　no　money；　sir；　for　I　had　to　borrow　half　a　bag　of　flour　the　other　day；　for　my　wife　and　children。〃　　Ahem；　says　his　worship；　the　law　makes　no　distinctionsfined　5　pounds。　　Now　our　reporter　enjoys　this　exceedingly；　for　he　is　sometimes　scarce　of　news；　and　from　a　strange　aberration　of　intellect；　with　which；　poor　fellow；　he　is　afflicted；　has　sometimes；　no　news　at　all　for　us；　but　he　is　sure　of　not　being　dead　beat　at　any　time；　for　digger…hunting　is　a　standing　case　at　the　police　office；　and　our　reporter　is　growing　so　precocious　with　long　practice；　that　he　can　tell　the　number　of　diggers　fined　every　morning；　without　going　to　that　sanctuary　at　all。'Ballaarat　Times'；　Saturday；　October　28；　1854。




Chapter　XI。



Salvum　Fac　Populum　Tuum　Domine。


The　more　the　pityI　have　not　done　yet　with　the　accursed　gold　licence。　I　must　prevail　on　myself　to　keep　cooler　and　in　good　temper。

Two　questions　will　certainly　be　put　to　me：…

1st。　　Did　the　camp　officials　give　out　the　licence　to　the　digger　at　the　place　of　his　work；　whenever　required；　without　compelling　him　to　leave　off　work；　and　renew　his　licence　at　the　camp？

2nd。　　It　was　only　one　day　in　each　month　that　there　was　a　search　for　licences；　was　it　not？　　Why　therefore　did　not　the　diggers　make　it　a　half…holiday　on　the　old　ground；　that　〃all　work　and　no　play；　makes　Jack　a　dull　boy。〃

The　first　question　is　a　foolish　one；　from　any　fellow…colonist　who　knows　our　silver　and　gold　lace；　and　is　a　wicked　one；　from　any　digger　who　was　on　Ballaarat　at　the　time。

'Fellah'　gave　the　proper　answer　through　the　'Ballaarat　Times'；　October　14th；here　it　is：


To　the　Editor　of　the　'Ballaarat　Times'；　October　14；　1854。

Sir；

Permit　me　to　call　your　attention　to　the　miserable　accommodation　provided　for　the　miner；　who　may　have　occasion　to　go　to　the　Camp　to　take　out　a　licence。　　Surely；　with　the　thousands　of　pounds　that　have　been　expended　in　government　buildings；　a　little　better　accommodation　might　be　afforded　to　the　well　disposed　digger；　who　is　willing　to　pay　the　odious　tax　demanded　of　him　by　government；　and　not　be　compelled　to　stand　in　the　rain　or　sun；　or　treated　as　if　the　'distinguished　government　official'　feared　that　the　digger　was　a　thing　that　would　contaminate　him　by　a　closer　proximity；　so　the　'fellah'　is　kept　by　a　wooden　rail　from　approaching　within　a　couple　of　yards　of　the　tent。　　In　consequence；　many　persons　mistaking　the　licence…office　for　the　commissioner's　water…closet；　a　placard　has　been　placed　over　the　door。

I　am；　Sir；　yours　&c。；

FELLAH　DIGGER；

Who　had　to　walk　a　few　miles　to　pay　away　the　money　he　had　worked　hard　for；　and　was　kept　a　few　hours　standing　by　a　railnot　sitting　on　a　rail；　Mary。


Now　I　mean　to　tackle　in　right　earnest　with　the　second　question；　provided　I　can　keep　in　sufficiently　good　temper。

On　the　morning　of　Thursday；　the　22nd　June；　in　the　year　of　Grace；　One　thousand　eight　hundred　and　fifty…four；　His　Excellency　SIR　CHARLES　HOTHAM；　Knight　Commander　of　the　Most　Noble　Military　Order　of　the　Bath；　landed　on　the　shores　of　this　fair　province；　as　its　Lieutenant…Governor；　the　chosen　and　commissioned　representative　of　Her　Most　Gracious　Majesty；　the　QUEEN！　Never　（writes　the　Melbourne　historian　of　that　day）　never　in　the　history　of　public　ovations；　was　welcome　more　hearty；　never　did　stranger　meet　with　warmer　welcome；　on　the　threshold　of　a　new　home：

VICTORIA　WELCOMES　VICTORIA'S　CHOICE；　was　the　Melbourne　proclamation。

The　following　is　transcribed　from　my　diary：…


〃Saturday；　August　26th；　1854：　　His　Excellency　dashed　in　among　us　'vagabonds'　on　a　sudden；　at　about　five　o'clock　p。m。；　and　inspected　a　shaft　immediately　behind　the　Ballaarat　Dining　Rooms；　Gravel…pits。　　A　mob　soon　collected　round　the　hole；　we　were　respectful；　and　there　was　no　'joeing。'　On　His　Excellency's　return　to　the　camp；　the　miners　busily　employed　themselves　in　laying　down　slabs　to　facilitate　his　progress。　　I　was　among　the　zealous　ones　who　improvised　this　shabby　foot…path。　　What　a　lack！　we　were　all　of　us　as　cheerful　as　fighting…cocks。A　crab…hole　being　in　the　way；　our　Big…Larry　actually　pounced　on　Lady　Hotham；　and　lifting　her　up　in　his　arms；　eloped　with　her　ladyship　safely　across；　amid　hearty　peals　of　laughter；　however　colonial　they　may　have　been。Now　Big　Larry　kept　the　crowd　from　annoying　the　couple；　by　properly　laying　about　him　with　a　switch　all　along　the　road。

〃His　Excellency　was　hailed　with　three…times…three；　and　was　proclaimed　on　the　Camp；　now　invaded　by　some　five　hundred　blue　shirts；　the　'Diggers'　Charley。'

〃His　Excellency　addressed　us　miners　as　follows：…

〃Diggers　I　feel　delighted　with　your　receptionI　shall　not　neglect　your　interests　and　welfareagain　I　thank　you。

〃It　was　a　short　but　smart　speech　we　had　heard　elsewhere；　he　was　not　fond　of　'twaddle；'　which　I　suppose　meant　'bosh。'　After　giving　three　hearty　cheers；　old　Briton's　style　to　'Charley；'　the　crowd　dispersed　to　drink　a　nobbler　to　his　health　and　success。　　I　do　so　this　very　moment。　　Eureka；　under　my　snug　tent　on　the　hill；　August　26；　1854。　C。R。〃


Within　six　short　months；　five　thousand　citizens　of　Melbourne；　receive　the　name　of　this　applauded　ruler　with　a　loud　and　prolonged　outburst　of　indignation！

Some　twenty　Ballaarat　miners　lie　in　the　grave；　weltering　in　their　gore！　double　that　number　are　bleeding　from　bayonet　wounds；　thirteen　more　have　the　rope　round　their　necks；　and　two　more　of　their　leading　men　are　priced　four　hundred　pounds　for　their　body　or　carcase。

'Tout　cela；　n'est　pas　precisement　comme　chez　nous；　pas　vrai？'

Please；　give　me　a　dozen　puffs　at　my　black…stump；　and　then　I　will　proceed　to　the　next　chapter。




Chapter　XII。



Sufficit　Diei　Sua　Vexatio。


Either　this　chapter　must　be　very　short；　or　I　had　better　give　it　up　without　starting　it　at　all。

Up　to　the　middle　of　September；　1854；　the　search　for　licences　happened　once　a　month；　at　most　twice：　　perhaps　once　a　week　on　the　Gravel　Pits；　owing　to　the　near　neighbourhood　of　the　Camp。　　Now；　licence…hunting　became　the　order　of　the　day。　　Twice　a　week　on　every　line；　and　the　more　the　diggers　felt　annoyed　at　it；　the　more　our　Camp　officials　persisted　in　goading　us；　to　render　our　yoke　palatable　by　habit。　　I　assert；　as　an　eye…witness　and　a　sufferer；　that　both　in　October　and　November；　when　the　weather　allowed　it；　the　Camp　rode　out　for　the　hunt　every　alternate　day。　　True；　one　day　they　would　hunt　their　game　on　Gravel…pits；　another　day；　they　pounced　on　the　foxes　of　the　Eureka；　and　a　third　day；　on　the　Red…hill：　　but；　though　working　on　different　leads；　are　we　not　all　fellow　diggers？　　Did　not　several　of　us　meet　again　in　the　evening；　under　the　same　tent；　belonging　to　the　same　party？　It　is　useless　to　ask　further　questions。

Towards　the　latter　end　of　October　and　the　beginning　of　November　we　had　such　a　set　of　scoundrels　camped　among　us；　in　the　shape　of　troopers　and　traps；　that　I　had　better　shut　up　this　chapter　at　once；　or　else　whirl　the　whole　manuscript　bang　down　a　shicer。

〃Hold　hard；　though；　take　your　time；　old　man：　　don't　let　your　Roman　blood　hurry　you　off　like　the　hurricane；　and　thus　damage　the　merits　of　your　case。　Answer　this　question　first；〃　says　my　good　reader。

〃If　it　be　a　fair　one；　I　will。〃

〃Was；　then；　the　obnoxious　mode　of　collecting　the　tax　the　sole　cause　of　discontent：　　or　was　the　tax　itself　（two　pounds　for　three　months）　objected　to　at　the　same　time？〃

〃I　think　the　practical　miner；　who　had　been　hard　at　work　night　and　day；　for　the　last　four　or　six　months；　and；　after　all；　had　just　bottomed　a　shicer；　objected　to　the　tax　itself；　because　he　could　not　possibly　afford　to　pay　it。　And　was　it　not　atrocious　to　confine　this　man　in　the　lousy　lock…up　at　the　Camp；　because　he　had　no　luck？〃

Allow　me；　now；　in　return；　to　put　a　very　important　question；　of　the　old　Roman　stamp；　'Cui　bono？'　that　is；　Where　di