the eureka stockade-第6部分

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n　egg　is　thrown　from　behind　a　tent　opposite；　and　narrowly　misses　his　face；　but　breaks　on　the　wall　of　the　house　close　to　him。　　The　Commissioner　becomes　excited；　and　orders　the　troopers　to　take　the　man　in　charge；　but　no　trooper　appears　to　relish　the　business。

A　cry　of　〃Fire！〃　is　raised；　a　horse　shies　and　causes　commotion。　　Smoke　is　seen　to　issue　from　one　of　the　rooms　of　the　ground…floor。　　The　police　extinguish　it；　and　an　attempt　is　made　to　form　a　cordon　round　the　building。　　But　it　is　too　late。　　Whilst　the　front　of　the　hotel　occupies　the　attention　of　the　majority　of　the　crowd；　a　few　are　pulling　down　the　back　premises。

Mr。　Rede　sends　for　the　detachment　of　the　gallant　40th　now　stationed　on　Ballaarat。

A　shout　is　raised：〃The　40th　are　coming。〃

〃Don't　illuminate　till　they　come。〃

〃They　shall　see　the　sight。〃

〃Wait　till　they　come。〃

Smash　go　the　large　lamps　in　front　of　the　hotel。　　The　troopers　ride　round　and　caracole　their　horses。

〃Where's　the　red…coats？〃

〃There　they　come；　yonder　up　the　hill！〃

〃Hurrah！　three　cheers。〃

The　40th　arrive；　they　form　into　line　in　front　of　the　hotel；　swords　drawn。　〃Hurrah！　boys！　no　use　waiting　any　longer。〃〃Down　she　comes。〃　The　bowling　alley　is　on　fire。Police　try　to　extinguish　the　flamesrather　too　warm。It's　too　late。The　hotel　is　on　fire　at　the　back　corner；　nothing　can　save　it。〃Hip；　hip　hurrah！〃　is　the　universal　shout。

I　had　opportunities　enough　to　observe　in　London；　that　a　characteristic　of　the　British　race　is　to　make　fun　of　the　calamity　of　fire；　hence　I　did　not　wonder；　how　they　enjoyed　this；　their　real　sport　on　the　occasion。

A　gale　of　wind；　which　blowed　at　this　exact　time；　announcing　the　hurricane　that　soon　followed；　was　the　principal　helper　to　the　devouring　of　the　building；　by　blowing　in　the　direction　most　favourable　to　the　purpose。

The　red…coats　wheel　about；　and　return　to　the　Camp。　　Look　out！　the　roof　of　the　back　part　of　the　hotel；　falls　in！　　〃Hurrah！　boys；　here's　the　porter　and　ale　with　the　chill　off。〃

Bottles　are　handed　out　burning　hotthe　necks　of　two　bottles　are　knocked　together！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。　　Thereforeand　this　is　the　zenith　of　the　'Geelong　Advertiser's'　practical　correspondentbe　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。

Sum　total。With　the　hard…working　gold…digger；　there　is　a　solid　barter　possible。　　Hurrah！　for　the　diggers。

'The　Argus'　persisting　in　'our　own　conceit；'　and　misrepresenting；　perverting；　and　slandering　the　cause　of　the　diggers；　ran　foul；　and　went　fast　to　leeward。　Experience　having　instructed　me　at　my　own　costs；　that　there　cannot　possibly　exist　much　sympathy　between　flunkies　and　blueshirts；　I　can　only　guess　at　the　compound　materials　hammered　in　the　mortar　of　'The　Argus'　reporter　on　Ballaarat：

lst。　　The　land　is　the　Queen's；　and　the　inheritance　of　the　Crown。

2nd。　　Who　dares　to　teach　the　golden…lace　the　idea　how　to　shoot？

3rd。　　Let　learning；　commerce；　even　manners　die；　But　leave　us　our　old　nobility。

4th。　　'Sotto　voce'：In　this　colony；　however；　make　money；　honestly　if　possible；　of　course；　but　make　money；　or　else　the　'vagabonds'　here　would　humble　down　a　gentleman　to　curry…powder　diet。

5th。　　To　put　on　a　blue　shirt；　and　rush　in　with　the　Eureka　mob！　fudge：　'odi　profanum　vulgus　et　arceo。'　　There　are　millions　of　tons　of　gold　dug　out　already；　as　much　anyhow；　as　anyone　can　carry　to　Old　England；　and　live　as　a　lord；　with　an　occasional　trip　to　Paris　and　Naples；　to　make　up　for　the　time　wasted　in　this　colony。

Sum　total。Screw　out　of　the　diggers　as　much　as　circumstances　will　admit；　they　have　plenty　of　money　for　getting　drunk；　and　making　beasts　of　themselves；　the　brutes！

To　be　serious；　should　a　copy　of　this　book　be　forgotten　somewhere；　and　thereby　be　spared　for　the　use　of　some　southern　Tacitus；　let　him　bewail　the　perfidious　mendacity　of　our　times；　whose　characteristic　is　SLANDER；　which　proceeds　from　devil　GROG；　and　the　pair　generate　THE　PROSPERITY　OF　THE　WICKED。　Here　is　a　sample：…

On　Saturday；　September　29th；　1854；　the　members　of　the　Local　Court；　Ballaarat；　held　a　public　meeting　on　the　usual　spot；　Bakery…hill；　for　the　purpose　of　taking　the　sense　of　their　fellow　miners；　respecting　the　admittance　or　nonadmittance　of　the　legal　profession　to　advise　or　plead　in　said　court。　See　report　in　The　Star；　a　new　local　paper；　No。　V；　Tuesday；　October　2nd。

Messrs。　Ryce　and　Wall　having　addressed　the　meeting　in　their　usual　honest；　matter…of…fact　way：…


〃Great　Works〃　was　shouted　and　immediately　appeared　C。　Raffaello；　member　of　the　Local　Court。　　He　hoped；　that　if　there　were　any　Goodenough　present　that　they　would　see　and　not　mislay　their　notes　while　he　briefly　brought　three　things　before　the　meeting；　the　first　concerned　the　meeting　and　himself；　the　second　concerned　himself；　and　the　third　concerned　those　present。　The　first　was　easily　disposed　ofhave　I；　as　I　promised；　done　my　duty　as　member　of　the　Local　Court　to　your　satisfaction？　（Yes；　and　cheers。）　Very　well；　the　second　matter　concerns　myselfpersonally　he　was　under　no　obligations　to　the　lawyersthe　services　he　received　at　the　trial　was　done　to　him　as　a　state　prisoner；　and　not　to　Carboni　Raffaello　individually；　when　individually；　he　requested　to　be　supplied　with　six　pennyworth　of　snuff　by　Mr。　Dunne；　it　was　promised；　but　it　never　came　to　him。　　It　would　not　have　cost　much　to　have　supplied　him；　and　it　would　have　greatly　obliged　him；　as　habit　had　rendered　snuff…taking　necessary　to　him。　With　the　permission　of　those　present　he　would　take　a　pinch　now。　　（He　took　a　pinch　amidst　laughter　and　cheers。）

The　admission　of　lawyers　into　the　Local　Court　would　give　rise　to　endless　feuds；　where　valuable　interests　were　concerned；　and　so　much　time　would　be　lost　in　useless　litigation。　　As　he　had　no　wish　through　any　personal　obligation　to　see　the　lawyers　in　the　Local　Court；　and　as　he　considered　that　it　was　for　the　advantage　of　the　miners　that　they　should　not　be　admitted；　he　opposed　their　entrance。

The　third　matter　concerned　those　present。　　What　did　they　come　to　Australia　for？　　Why；　to　improve　their　prospects　in　reality；　though　on　shipboard　they　might　say　it　was　to　get　rid　of　the　'governor；'　or　to　get　clear　of　an　ugly　wife；　and　now　that　you　are　here　are　you　to　allow　the　Ballaarat　lawyers　to　fleece　you　of　your　hard　earnings？　　Not　being　fond　of　yabber…yabber　he　would　simply　ask：　　are　you　fairly　represented　by　us？　　（Yes；　yes。）　If　so　then　support　us；　and　if　we　do　not　represent　you　we　will　resign。　　Don't　say　yes　if　you　don't　mean　it；　for　I　do　not　like　yabber…yabber。


I　beg　to　assert；　that　the　above　report　is　correct；　as　far　as　it　goes。　　Some　five　hundred　diggers　were　present。　　Now　for　the　perversion　from　the　reporter　of　'The　Argus'；　Melbourne；　Tuesday；　October　2。

〃Carboni　Raffaello；　a　foreigner　＇a　foreign　anarchist；　if　you　please；　Mr。　Editor＇；　then　spoke　in　his　usual　style　＇that　is；　sedition；　revolution；　and　rebellion；　that's　it＇；　the　principal　（sic）　points　of　his　remarks　being；　that　while　incarcerated　in　the　Melbourne　gaol　＇was　it　for　common　felony；　or　high　treason？＇　he　was　not　supplied　with　snuff；　though　he　had　entreated　his　learned　counsel；　Mr。　J。　H。　Dunne；　for　sixpenny　worth。　　He　＇Please；　Raffaello　or　Dunne？　fine　pair　together＇　did　not　consider　himself　under　any　obligation　to　the　lawyers：　　he　＇but　who？　　Dunne　or　Raffaello？＇　was　not　fond　of　yabber…yabber。〃

Thus　an　honest　man　is　brayed　at　by　asses　in　this　colony！　The　fun　is　odious　and　ridiculous　enough。

When　such　reporters　of　the　British　press　prostitute　British　ink；　the　only　ink　that　dares　to　register　black　on　white　the　name；　word　and　deed　of　any　tyrant　through　the　whole　face　of　the　earth；　and　for　the　sake　of　a　pair　of　Yankee　boots；　lower　themselves　to　the　level　of　a　scribbler；　thus　affording　to　be　audacious　because　anonymous；　the　British　press　in　th