Lost Lenore Part 39

Judge Lynch was very much wanted on the diggings of McIvor--as well as throughout all Victoria, during the first three years after gold had been discovered there.

Those, who claimed to be the most respectable of the colonists, did not want an English colony disgraced by "Lynch Law"--a wonderful bugbear to the English ear--so they allowed it to be disgraced by ten times the number of thefts and robberies than ever took place in California--which they were pleased to style "the land of bloodshed and crime."

In California miners never required to take their tools home with them at night. They could leave them on their claims; and be confident of finding them there next morning. It was not so in Victoria, where the greatest care could not always prevent the digger from having such property stolen. I have seen--in a copy of the "Melbourne Argus," of November 5th, 1852--two hundred and sixty-six advertis.e.m.e.nts offering rewards for stolen property! Yet "The London Times," November 6th, 1852, speaks of these same colonies in the following terms:--"It is gratifying to learn that English love of law and common sense there predominate."

As most of the thefts there committed were of articles, too insignificant to pay for advertising their loss, the reader may imagine what was the state of society in Victoria at that time; and how far "English love of law and common sense predominated!"

It was only one of the thousand falsehoods propagated by the truculent scribblers of this unprincipled journal; and for which they may some day be called to account.

But few of those, who committed crimes in the diggings, were ever brought to trial; or in any way made answerable for their misdeeds.

Prisoners were sometimes sent down to Melbourne to be tried; but as no one wished to be at an expense of thirty or forty pounds, travel a hundred miles, and lose three or four weeks of valuable time to prosecute them, the result was usually an acquittal; and crime was committed with impunity.

While at McIvor, a thief entered my tent during my absence from it; and stole therefrom a spygla.s.s that had been given me by Captain Hyland-- with some other little articles that I had carried long and far, and valued in proportion.

I afterwards got back the gla.s.s by the aid of the police; and very likely might have had the thief convicted and punished--had I felt inclined to forsake a good claim, take a long journey to Melbourne, and spend about forty pounds in appearing against him!

As I did not wish to undertake all this trouble _pro bono publico_, the criminal remained unpunished.

Becoming tired of McIvor, I went on to Fryer's Creek. I there met with a fellow-pa.s.senger from California--named Edmund Lee--with whom I joined partnership; but after toiling awhile without much success, we proceeded to a large rush at Jones' Creek--a distance of thirty-five miles from Fryer's.

We started in the afternoon; and stopped the first night at a place called Castlemain.

That evening I saw more drunken men than I had met during a whole year spent in the diggings of California--where the sale of intoxicating liquor was unrestricted, while on the gold fields of Victoria it was strictly prohibited by law! Indeed, about four hundred mounted troopers and policemen were in Castlemain at the time, for the purpose of maintaining "English law and order;" and those selling intoxicating drinks were liable to a fine of fifty pounds or imprisonment, or both!

One vice, so prevalent in California, was not to be observed on the gold fields of Victoria. In the latter there were no gambling-houses.

After leaving Castlemain, we walked about twenty-five miles; and stopped all night at "Simpson's Station."

On this pasture I was told there were sixteen thousand head of sheep.

Before reaching Simpson's, we pa.s.sed a station, on which the sheep were infested with a disease, resembling the "shab." Carca.s.ses of the dead were everywhere to be seen; and those, that were still alive, were hardly able to drag along the few locks of wool clinging to their sky-coloured skins!

On Sunday, the 14th day of August, 1853, we reached the diggings on Jones' Creek, where we found about ten thousand people, but no place where we could procure a meal of victuals, or a night's lodging!

That the reader may have some idea of the hardships to which diggers were then often exposed, I shall make known of the manner of our life, while residing at Jones' Creek.

We first purchased some blankets; and with these, some poles and pieces of string, we constructed a sort of tent. At none of the stores could we find a utensil for cooking meat; and we were compelled to broil it over the fire on the end of a stick. Sometimes we could buy bread that had come from Bendigo, for which we had to pay six shillings the loaf of three and a half pounds weight! When unable to get this, we had to purchase flour at a proportionate price, knead it into dough, and roast it in the ashes.

There was no place of amus.e.m.e.nt at Jones' Creek; and a strong police force was stationed there, to suppress the sale of liquors; or, rather, to arrest those who sold it; and also to hunt diggers for what was called the "Gold Licence."

The precious metal at this place was found very unevenly distributed through the gullies; and while some were making fortunes by collecting it, others were getting next to nothing.

The gold was found in "nuggets"--lying in "pockets" of the slate rock; and not a fragment could be obtained till these pockets had been explored.

The day after our arrival, my partner and I marked off two claims.

Being unable to hold them both, we took our choice of the two; and gave the other one away to some men, with whom we had become slightly acquainted.

The top earth from both claims was removed--disclosing not a speck of gold in that we had retained, while twenty-four pounds weight were picked out--without washing--from the claim we had given away!

Lee and I remained at Jones' Creek three weeks, worked hard, made nothing, and then started back for Fryer's, where our late partners were still toiling.

On our way back we halted for dinner--where some men with a dray load of stores,--on their way to one of the diggings, had also stopped for their mid-day meal.

We had neglected to bring any sugar with us; and wished to buy some for our coffee. The men with the dray did not wish to sell any; but we insisted on having it at any price.

"We'll let you have a pannikin full of sugar," said one, "but shall charge you ten shillings for it."

"All right," said my companion, Edmund Lee. "It's cheap enough-- considering."

The man gave us the sugar; and then refused to take the money! He was not so avaricious, as we had supposed. He had thought, by asking ten times the usual price, to send us away, without being obliged to part with what he might himself soon stand in need of!

On the evening of the second day of our journey, about nine o'clock, we reached the banks of Campbell's Creek--within four miles of the place we were making for.

Rain had been falling all the day; and the stream was so swollen, that we could not safely cross it in the darkness.

The rain continued falling, and we spread our wet blankets on the ground. We prayed in vain for sleep, since we got none throughout that long, dreary night.

Next morning we arose early--more weary than when we had lain down; and, after fording the stream, we kept on to Fryer's Creek--which we reached in a couple of hours.

We had been without food, since the noon of the day before; and from the way we swallowed our breakfast, our former mates might have imagined we had eaten nothing during the whole time of our absence!

Volume Two, Chapter XXI.

THE STOLEN NUGGET.

I worked a claim in German Gully, Fryer's Creek, in partnership with two men, of whom I knew very little; and with whom--except during our hours of labour--I held scarce any intercourse.

One of them was a married man; and dwelt in a large tent with his wife and family. The other lived by himself in a very small tent--that stood near that of his mate. Though both were strangers to me, these men knew each other well; or, at all events, had been a.s.sociates for several months. I had been taken into their partnership, to enable them to work a claim, which had proved too extensive for two. The three of us, thus temporarily acting together, were not what is called on the diggings "regular mates," though my two partners stood to one another in this relationship.

The claim proved much better than they had expected; and I could tell, by their behaviour, that they felt some regret, at having admitted me into the partnership.

We were about three weeks engaged in completing our task, when the gold we had obtained was divided into three equal portions--each taking his share. The expenses incurred in the work were then settled; and the partnership was considered at an end--each being free to go where he pleased.

On the morning after, I was up at an early hour; but, early as it was, I noticed that the little tent, belonging to the single man, was no longer in its place. I thought its owner might have pitched it in a fresh spot; but, on looking all around, I could not see it.

My reflection was, that the single man must have gone away from the ground.

I did not care a straw, whether he had or not. If I had a wish one way or the other, it was to know that he _had_ gone: for he was an individual whose _room_ would by most people have been preferred to his _company_. For all that, I was somewhat surprised at his disappearance, first, because he had not said anything of his intention to take leave of us in that unceremonious manner; and, secondly, because, I did not expect him to part from his mate, until some quarrel should separate them. As I had heard no dispute--and one could not have occurred, without my hearing it--the man's absence was a mystery to me.

It was soon after explained by his comrade, who came over to my tent, as I suppose, for that very purpose.

"Have you noticed," said he, "that Tom's gone away?"

"Yes," I answered; "I see that his tent has been removed; and I supposed that he had gone."

"When I woke up this morning," continued the married man, "and saw that he had left between two days, I was never more surprised in my life."

"Indeed!"

I had a good deal of respect for Tom, and fancied he had the same for me. I thought we should work together, as long as we stayed on the diggings; and for him to leave, without saying a word about his going, quite stunned me. My wife, however, was not at all surprised at it-- when I told her that he had gone away. She said she expected it; and only wondered he had had the cheek to stay so long.