MEMORIES CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY Gold Discoveries IN VICTORIA

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 28, 6 October 1894, Page 6

MEMORIES CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY Gold Discoveries IN VICTORIA

(By an Old Identity).

(Written for the Southern Cross.)

[all rights reserved.]

CHAPTER IX. Our New Tent-mate. Stanhope’s Story. His Social Descent. — Characteristics op Burnbs and Mclnnbs. Rumours of a New Gold Discovery.—Bush Surgery. The Stolen Horse. —The Secret Revealed.

A few days after arriving at the survey camp an additional hand was engaged, and the party being now complete our duties fairly commenced. The new arrival was in some respects an acquisition to our society. He was educated and intelligent. Like thousands of others he threw up a good position to engage in gold-seeking, and, like most of them, was doomed to regret and disappointment. He had been a senior clerk in the stamp office of the British metropolis, and was in reoeipt of a handsome income when, at a critical time of his life, the glowing accounts of the new Eldorado reached Home. He had been in the colony some three months when he joined us. After landing he proceeded to Ballarat, where himself and mate bad sunk several deep shafts, and at the same time sank all the capital they possessed. He was on his return to Melbourne when he fell in with our chief, the surveyor, who at once engaged him. Poor Stanhope! I have him now before me, as with dilapidated clothing, foot sore, weary and hungry, he staggered into our tent, and ravenously devoured the food placed before him. He was one of many I have met in Australia, who, having parted with the substance for the shadow, and lacking the qualities essential for the battle of life in a new colony, became demoralised, and was glad to accept any light employment that offered. Of such men the bar-tenders, billiardmarkers, and boots of the metropolitan hotels were then principally composed, Their former social positions and culture became obliterated by contact with the coarse rowdyism of the great mass of those who at that period resorted to these places. It was no uncommon thing then to see men who had taken degrees in British Universities, and who could discourse intelligently upon art, literature, or science, acting as boots or ostlers for rough miners, whose only recommendations and advantages were muscular strength, colonial experience, and -the possession of wealth acquired on the goldfields. Reared in luxury, and never having known what physical toil was before arrival in the colony, men like Stanhope when they had spent their all lost heart, and the refining influences of home life, and thence their descent in the social scale became rapid. Over-indulgence in strong drink followed, and then almost every vestige of self-respect vanished. To their credit be it said, a few took to stone-breaking, the police force, or work on the roads. Some of these afterwards became useful colonists, and a few of them ■ even attained to high positions. But strange though it may appear, it was the educated and refined of the then influx of people from Britain that mainly augmented the ranks of the pariahs and criminal classes in the Marvellous Melbourne of those days. It was not, however, solely to acquire "wealth that induced Stanhope to visit Australia. His frequent fits of abstraction and heavy sighs, when he thought his tent-mates slept, and the occasional mention of a certain Alice in his dreams, prompted me, when we became on confidential terms, to enquire the cause. The explanation was a repetition of the

old, old story. An attachment had sprang up between him and a young woman in humble life in London, Their marriage had been prohibited by his relatives. Angry words supervened between sire and son, resulting in the latter throwing up his situation, forfeiting substantial prospects, and joining the crowd that were daily leaving for the Eldorado at the Antipodes. That and more I learned from Stanhope, and as he told his story, I read between the lines that — “In wooing and cooing things went wrong— A sigh too much—a kiss too long; And there followed a mist and a weeping rain, And life was never the same again.”

When parting with this man a few weeks later 1 felt that it was not well for one in his morbid state of mind to be left alone, and that without friends, trusty advisers, and healthy occupation, he would soon be numbered amongst those whose existence was prematurely cut short at that feverish epoch of Victorian history. Five months later, on my return to Melbourne, I saw Stanhope —the at one time favourite of fortune —presiding over a fruit stall at the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth streets. He informed me that he had only stopped a month with the surveyor after we left, and that he could not stand the coarse people who had become bis tent-mates after our departure. With the little money he had earned in the survey employ he had purchased the fruit stand from a part} who had advertised it as a lucrative investment. He could not complain of business, but it was, he said, the degradation of the occupation that preyed on bis mind. He was then negotiating for the sale of his stand, and intended to accept the offer made by a neighbouring hotelkeeper for the position of waiter. Such were the ups and downs of thousands of men like Stanhope in Victoria during the early fifties.

Suitable shelter and food and outdoor employment in the survey camp soon restored all the party to their wonted vigor, and life again became enjoyable after the first fortnight. The desire to be on the goldfields was, however, in the minds of all except Stanhope, and our projected visit there was the principal theme of conversation over the camp fire at night. The nearest township to our location— Ballan contained then only a store, a “ shanty,” and a blacksmith’s shop, and was distant some five miles from us. Thither Dan Burns, our cook, tramped each Saturday, and returned the following night —generally more or less inebriated. On his second trip he related that he had been in the company of two men who had in their possession several pounds weight of gold, taken from newly-discovered ground sojne 25 miles from the township. They had come down to procure additional working tools, and to sell the gold. All Burns’s tact and persuasion could not elicit from them the locality of the new field, beyond that it was in the Jim Crow ranges. He learned from them, however, that there were only a few men there, that all were doing fairly well, and that the object in keeping the secret was to enable them to make a “ rise ” before a rush set in. This information put us on the qui vive, and action was speedily taken to provide an outfit. Although the diggers had been carefully “ shepherded ” by the residents of Ballan, they had taken their departure from the place in the middle of the night, and had not left the slightest trace of the direction they had taken. Their reticence in imparting particulars of the field, and their secret mode of leaving’, created the impression that rich ground had been broken, and we were naturally anxious to be amongst the early arrivals there. But although every effort was made by Burns to get information, no intelligence on the subject was forthcoming. About a week remained of the time w’e had decided to continue at the camp when a couple of incidents occurred that may be here worth relating, as the reader thereby will gain a better insight into the man

Burns’s character. They afforded not only additional testimony of his usefulness in bush life, but likewise that the criminal instincts were still, ram: pant in his nature, and that with his insinuating manner, he was a dangerous person for young and inexperienced men to become associated with. The first of these events happened one day while partaking of the mid-day meal. Located as we were in close proximity to the then principal track to Ballarat, and where good horse feed was procurable, the place was commonly used as a camping ground by the teams and parties of diggers going up or coming down. For the sake of procuring firewood two men (a West Indian black and a Britishex*) had come closer to our tent than was usually the case. They had lighted a fire against the hollow trunk of a tree, and were boiling a billy of water over it. The negro was sitting on the log smoking, and his hand rested over a vent-hole, where a small branch had come away from the main trunk. The heat and smoke made matters lively for a black snake that had found a home for itself inside the log, and it had got half its length through the vent-hole, when a movement of the. man’s hand caused it to fasten to one of his fingers. His scream of terror and pain brought all our party to the spot. Burns took in the situation in a moment. He saw the snake still trying jto wriggle through the hole, and after telling one of the bystanders to despatch it, he took a piece of twine from his pocket, and tied it tightly below the injured part of the finger to prevent the poison circulating. He then coolly told the negro that the bite of a black snake was the worst he could get, and that he only gave him a few hours to live if the finger was not amputated. The information and the manner in which it was conveyed made a powerful impi’ession on the sufferer. I had never seen a sick black before, and would not like to see another. Either from pain, terror, or Burns’s serious wax-ning, perhaps all combined, the man lost the power of speech, his skin from being pure ebony, turned to dark-grey, and the eyes became unnaturally dilated. He quickly realised, however, the truth of what had been said, and unhesitatingly submitted to the operation. He was instructed by Burns to rest his hand on the log, and turn his head in the direction of a hill xxear by. He had scarcely complied with these instructions when the finger was lopped off with a tomahawk close to where the ligature had been bound. The fear of results and shock to the nervous system caused faintness, and most of us thought that fatal results would ensue. But Burns very composedly assured us that he would “ soon fix him up.” After firmly binding up the finger so as to prevent loss of blood, a hand was despatched by the operator to one of the provision teams camped in the vicinity for a bottle of spirits. About a quarter of it was given raw to the patient. Like almost all the liquors that then found their way to the diggings it was adulterated,' but was none the less efficacious on that account. Anything stronger than snake - poison, Burns assured us, was a sure remedy for cases such as the one under notice. After keeping the patient walking without cessation for about an hour, and finding that he did not evince any inclination for sleep, Buxais informed him he was safe, and might take to the road as soon as he liked.

Few serious events occur in this life without an amusing side to them. The negro and his mate had almost disappeared from view over an adjoining hill, when Burns coo-eed for their return. On their appr-oach he pointed to the negro’s digit, and informed him that he had forgotten part of his property. Being almost as black as the charred log on which it rested, it was unnoticed in the interest taken in its owner’s recovery, and the serio-comic manner in which he regarded it for some minutes was highly amusing. Even the usually silent and stolid Mclnnes discovered the funny side of the scene, and enjoyed an inward

chuckle. To judge by the expression o£ the, negro’s face he appeared ashamed of its colour, and without comment again proceeded on his upward journey. Although promptitude, nerve, and skill were displayed by Burns in dealing with the case mentioned, "there was an amount of grim pleasure and brutish ferocity exhibited in all his movements that farther unfavourably impressed me with his character, and the feeling was experienced that he would take human life with as little compunction as he had shown when performing the functions of a bush surgeon. The other incident referred to occurred shortly afterwards. Burns and Mclrmes’ month with the surveyor expired a few days before ours, and they erected the tent about a quarter of a mile distant to await our release from duty. The surveyor owned two horses —one of them named Charlie, an aged and docile beast. Burns had often expressed a desire to become possessed of it, to “ hump ” his swag, as he expressed it. The surveyor had doubts about Burns’ honesty, and on learning that we were about to proceed to the diggings with him, strongly endeavoured to dissuade against that course. He charged us to keep a sharp look-out for the horses after Burns left, and they were hobbled each night, and a bell fastened to Charlie. Notwithstanding this precaution, the morning of the day we were leaving the horse was missed. The surveyor was promptly informed of his loss, and a vigorous search was instituted in the neighbourhood for him, but without success. Our service expired at noon, but we decided to remain all day if necessary to give further assistance. We had been considerately treated by the surveyor, and this was the least return we could make therefor. Accordingly, after breakfast we left the camp in different directions. Mine led towards the tent where Burns and Mclnnes were located, and in answer to the query if they had seen the horse, or heard his bell during the night, I was answered in the negative, and I proceeded in the direction of a hill some two miles distant. On ascending it I discovered the horse standing quietly in a gully, as if tethered. After reaching him I found that he was fastened by a rope to sapling. In grazing he had wound the rope around a tree, and had thus become a fixture alongside it. The hobbles were still intact, but the bell was gone. I was pleased at being thus useful to our employer, as I'had scruples that we had not treated him fairly in leaving him at so short notice, with the knowledge that it might be some time before he could procure a staff to carry on the work he was engaged in. On the return to camp I again passed Burns and Mclnnes, and both looked displeased at me —the former indeed exhibited a vicious expression that I had previously noticed in him. It then dawned on me that he had had something to do with “ planting ” Charlie, and that in addition to his other accomplishments he was a horse thief. This impression I kept to myself, however, and I left them with the promise that we would join them in the evening, inwardly resolving to part company with them at the first favourable opportunity. The surveyor was gratified at the result of my search, and on relating to him particulars in connection with the recovery of the horse, he informed me he was quite satisfied Burns had taken him during the night to the place where I had found him. He further stated that he knew Burns to be a bad lot the first time he saw him, and that he would never have engaged him if he could have got a trustworthy person to do his work. I was again warned that I acted imprudently in going to the diggings with him ; but as my mate had decided to do so, and as my own inclination leaned towards gold-mining, I declined the offer to remain another month at the camp. We rejoined Burns and Mclnnes in the evening. As expected, I was coldly received; but having decided to part company with them on reaching Ballarat, I took no notice of their

demeanor or sarcastic answers to my questions and observations. Next morning l we struck tent and made for Ball an, where we camped for the day. No reliable information could be obtained from anyone in the township regarding the new field we were so anxious to reach, and we decided to take the road for Ballarat next morning. Towards nightfall, however, something occurred that destined me to be much longer than I wished or expected in the company of those that I was so desirous to be rid of. We had camped on the outskirts of Ballan, and had just finished the evening meal, when two men on horseback emerged from the bush, rode up to our fire, and dismounted to light theii pipes. One of them asked, where we were bound for, and on learning our destination, he stated that if we had not plenty of money Ballarat was a risky place to go to. He had recently visited th'e field, and found over 20,000 men on it. The shallow ground was either taken up or worked out, and although the deep leads were surprisingly rich,they were very narrow, and afforded profitable work for only a limited number of people. He further informed us that at least 1.0,000 persons were not making a living there. This news had a depressing effect on our party, and all felt it advisable to pause, and re-consider the selection of a suitable field for our operations. In the course of the man’s remarks I thought by his accent that he was a native of a county that I had long resided in in the Fatherland, and on inquiring if such was the case was answered in the affirmative. He then became communicative, and on learning that I had recently arrived in the colony said that for “ auld lang syne” he would do me a turn; and, to our and satisfaction, imparted to us the information we were so eager to obtain—the locality of the newlydiscovered ground in the Jim Crow country. He and his companion had been working there for six weeks, and they were then on their way to Melbourne to briug some friends to it. The place was a good day’s journey from Ballan, and was known as SpringCreek. Gold was widely distributed there ; all were doing well; and any man willing to work could make from one to three ounces a day. This news was highly gratifying, and afforded us relief from the anxiety we had recently experienced. After partaking of what hospitality we could offer, we were pointed out a track in the bush that led to a cattle station some 18 miles distant. There, we were informed, we could obtain provisions, and directions to find Spring Creek. After wishing us luck, and promising to see us in about a fortnight, they rode off, intending to get to Bacchus Marsh that night. The news thus opportunely imparted had an exhilarating effect upon all our party. Even Burns thawed somewhat in his manner, and became conversible and friendly with me with me for the first time since I had discovered the surveyor’s horse. Before retiring we agreed to start early next morning, so as to get to the station in the afternoon—a decision that later on exemplified the uncertainties in connection with golddigging in tile then unsettled state of the country. (To be continued.)