ADVENTURES OF AH A.C. MAN.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 287, 14 March 1874, Page 2

ADVENTURES OF AH A.C. MAN.

The following amusing narrative of the troubles of an old A.C. runn, whilst travelling m anotlier colony, in search of something to ' turn up,' will be read with interest : — Cardwell, Queensland. My dear Jm, — 'Ever of thee,' &c. I wrote you from Sydney ju^t beforol left, aad was rather disappointed at not finding u letter from you at the post-offico. I ' loafed* about Sydney for eomo time, liko Wilkin Macau bar, Esq , waiting for something to turn up, and, whilst there, came rumours of the diggings at Charters Towers, of which you hare read all about in the papers, I dare say. Like the heroic character of old, who threw all upon the one cast, 1 resolved to go, and paid every cent I had for my pay sago to Towjuvillo, Queensland. I landed there, cleaned out, and tramped my way up to the Towers, a distance of over 100 milci ; cadged and stole my tucker on the way. Got to the Towcra, the El Dorado of promi9o, aud found it an attrocious sell ! ! ! Oh, ye gods! what is called » storekeepers' rush. I had, consolation in misfortune ; thousands of others were deluded liko myself, and I saw looming in the distance visions of a tragic end, and the bones of my immortal self bleaching on the inhosnitablo sands of Queen*land. Twas there, when Muokerless' for two days, that my thoughts wandered to the hospitable board of tho A.C moss ; and tears streamed down my wsathcr-benten cheeks. us I thought of you— my brotber-in-ar:«s— carousing at ) our gf.y and festive board. But, ' where there's n will, 1 &c. I hud spotted ah unsuspecting Chinaman, who kept an eatinghouse, andj rushing in fmnticahy to him, I shook him by the hand most warmly, and told him how glad I was to see him. He said ho knew me not. I told him it wai either he or his brother that I had met on the Gympio some years mo (N.B. never there in my life), awfully hard up, and that I had lent him £\. After I had apologised for my mistake I loft, but I had done what I wanted— giTen hnu tho idea thai, I was a decent chap when I had- money. Three hours afterwards I returned and told him I had no monoy with me, but my mates were coming up behind. Would Ho givo mo tu-k ? Ho would, and ho did, and I ' ticked up seven meals at 2s per meal, which carried me on for a few. days longer. Ho then carefully told mo not to come any more till my mates camo with the money. It is sufficient for me to *ay that my mates did not couie, and consequently that the victim to misplaced confidence, to wit, »ho Celestial, still remains unpaid. I then started fo htump back to Townsvillr. It look mo eight day«, and oh! shall I ever forget the exquisite misery of that agonizing portion of my existence. Shooless, tattered, iorn, and hungry, 1 arrived in Townsvillo, went straight into an hotel, had a good feed, and then told tbo landlord I had no money. He looked at mo ferociously ior a moment, but not liking tho deipcrate, cadaverous look upon my unshaven mug, ujghed, aud said, 'Go thy way inpeaoo ! ' I theu joined thirty or forty others —a desperate hungry orowd— and wo went up to tho inogistrato at tho Court-home. I acted as spokesman, spouted for 15 minutes, and tho jnagistrate agreed to issue rations a la parochial relief! ! ! He called me back privately, and' asked me what I had been. I told him ; and he said that if I could prove my statomanti to be correct he would geb me into tho troopers' force. Here wai a splendid chance lost How I wished I had brought orer the necessary documents, a* I am certain I should have been appointed at a salary of £2 L per month. , We received rations for a week, and, tho indofatigable Jo was liimrrlf again, and as his appetite was satiified his mind became at raao. The magistrate telegraphed to Brisbane for inut ructions what to do with v«, and the result was that they oilbrcd us 30s a week and our food to work on the roadi. Wo wero shipped oil' here, and, as a natural coiißaqucnce, hue we arc. Nine bourn per day, bad tucker, aad awfully

hot ; any amount ot blacks, snaici. and alligators — tlio ficit very bad. Wo cannot go 300 yard") from tho camp ; t!ie black trooper* arc shooting them down daily, «3 they are getting very rowdy, Killing cattle, A,''. 1 have acquired my u«uil lcputition us (o work, and in conaequenco have been promoted chmner oil', measurer, &c , being tbc only job I am supposed tv b- fit for. I shall try and stay here for nboul two montlu longer, until the wet season sets in, and then try to got b icY to Uriabanc. The fever and agae arc very bad hero ; it comes on about Christmas, so by that time ray name \WII bo Walker, as I had a slight touch of id a %\ cck ago, and it did not agree with me. — Yours, &c.