CAMPING UP--BLACK FOREST TO EAGLE HAWK GULLY
SUNDAY, 12.--A lovely summer morning, which raised our spirits to
something like their usual tone, with the exception of our gallant(?)
captain, who resigned his post, declaring it his intention to return to
Melbourne with the four returning diggers. Poor fellow! their awful
account of the Black Forest had been too much for his courage. Gregory
was elected in his place, and wishing him a pleasant trip home, our
journey was resumed as usual, and we entered the forest. Here the trees
grow very closely together; in some places they are so thickly
set that the rear-guard of the escort cannot see the advance-guard in
the march. There is a slight undergrowth of scrub. We saw some of the
choicest of the ERICA tribe in full bloom, like a beautiful crimson
waxen bell-blossom, and once whilst walking (which I frequently did to
relieve the monotony of being perched on the dray by myself) I saw a
fine specimen of the ORELUDIAE at the foot of a tree growing from the
wood; it was something like a yellow sweet-pea, but really too
beautiful to describe. The barks of the trees, and also the ground,
have a black, charred appearance (hence the name of the forest); this
is said to have been caused by its having once been on fire. Many of
the ambuscades of the noted Douglas were passed, and the scenes of some
most fearful murders pointed out. We only halted once--so anxious were
we to leave behind us this dreaded spot--and at sunset reached the
borders of the Five Mile Creek.
MONDAY, 13.--Another fine day. Crossed the Five Mile Creek by means of
a rickety sort of bridge. There are two inns here, with plenty of
accommodation for man and beast. We patronized neither, but made the
best of our way towards Kyneton. Our road lay through a densely
wooded country till we arrived at Jacomb's Station; this we left, and
turning to the right, soon reached Kyneton, which lies on the river
Campaspe.
Carlshrue lies to the right, about three miles distant, on rather low
land; this is the chief station of the Government escort; the barrack
accommodation is first-rate, with stabling and paddocks for the horses,
&c.
Kyneton is about sixty-one miles from Melbourne. There are two large
inns, with ample accommodation for four hundred people between them,
several stores, with almost every needful article. A neat little
church, capable of holding nearly three hundred persons, with a school
and parsonage. There is a resident magistrate and constabulary, with a
police-court and gaol in progress of erection. The township is rather
straggling, but what houses there are have a very picturesque
appearance. The only draw-back to this little town is the badness of
the streets. Although it is rather on an elevated spot, the streets and
roads, from the loamy nature of the sod, are a perfect quagmire, even
abominable in summer time. The charges here are high, but not
extortionate, as, besides the two inns alluded to, there are several
coffee-shops and lodging-houses; so competition has its effect even in
the bush.
The Campaspe is a large river, and is crossed by a substantial timber
bridge.
We still adhered to our original plan of camping out; a few necessaries
were purchased in the town, and after continuing our journey to a
little distance from it, we halted for the night.
TUESDAY 14.--This morning commenced with a colonial shower, which gave
us all a good drenching. Started about eight o'clock; returned to
Kyneton; crossed the bridge, and passed several farm-houses. The
country here is very changeable, sometimes flat and boggy, at others,
very hilly and stony. We were obliged to ford several small creeks,
evidently tributaries to the Campaspe, and at about ten miles from
Kyneton, entered the Coliban range, which is thickly wooded. The river
itself is about fourteen miles from Kyneton. Here we camped, in the
pouring rain. Some of our party walked to the town of Malmsbury, about
a mile and a half from our camping place. The town consisted of
about three tents, and an inn dignified by the appellation of the
"Malmsbury Hotel". It is a two-storied, weather-board, and pale house,
painted blue, with a lamp before it of many colours, large enough for
half-a-dozen people to dine in. It (the inn, not the lamp,) is capable
of accommodating two hundred people, independent of which there is a
large tent, similar to the booths at a fair, about 100 feet long by 30
wide, for the convenience of those who prefer sleeping under cover when
the house is full. Being hungry with their walk, our comrades dined
here, for which they paid 3s. 6d. a-piece; ale was 1s. 6d. a glass;
brandy 2s. per half glass, or "nobbler;" cheese, 4s. 6d. a pound;
bread, 5s. the four-pound loaf; wine, 25s. a bottle. By the time they
returned, we had struck our tents, intending to cross a muddy-banked
creek that lay in our road that evening, as we were told that the
waters might be too swollen to do it next day. The water reached above
their waists, and as my usual post was very insecure, I was obliged to
be carried over on their shoulders, which did not prevent my feet from
being thoroughly soaked before reaching the other side, where we
remained all night.
WEDNESDAY, 15.--Rainy day again, so much so, that we thought it
advisable not to shift our quarters. In the afternoon, three returning
diggers pitched their tents not far from ours. They were rather
sociable, and gave us a good account of the diggings. They had
themselves been very fortunate. On the same day that we had been idly
resting on the borders of the Black Forest, they had succeeded in
taking twenty-three pounds weight out of their claim, and two days
after, two hundred and six ounces more, making, in all, gold to the
value (in England) of about eighteen hundred pounds. They were
returning to Melbourne for a spree, (which means to fling their gains
away as quickly as possible,) and then as soon as the dry season was
regularly set in, they meant to return to Bendigo for another spell at
work. On representing to them the folly of not making better use of
their hard-earned wages, the answer invariably was, "Plenty more to be
got where this came from," an apt illustration of the proverb, "light
come, light go." Two of these diggers had with them their licences for
the current month, which they offered to sell for ten shillings each;
two of our company purchased them. This, although a common
proceeding, was quite illegal, and, of course, the two purchasers had
to assume for the rest of the month the names of the parties to whom
the licences had been issued. As evening approached, our new
acquaintances became very sociable, and amused us with their account of
the diggings; and the subject of licensing being naturally discussed,
led to our being initiated into the various means of evading it, and
the penalties incurred thereby. One story they related amused us at the
time, and as it is true I will repeat it here, though I fancy the lack
of oral communication will subtract from it what little interest it did
possess.
Before I commence, I must give my readers some little insight into the
nature of the licence tax itself. The licence, (for which thirty
shillings, or half an ounce of gold, is paid per month) is in the
following form:
VICTORIA GOLD LICENCE.
No. 1710, Sept. 3, 1852.
The Bearer, Henry Clements, having paid to me the Sum of One Pound, Ten
Shillings, on account of the Territorial Revenue, I hereby
Licence him to dig, search for, and remove Gold on and from any such
Crown Land within the Upper Lodden District, as I shall assign to him
for that purpose during the month of September, 1852, not within
half-a-mile of any Head station.
This Licence is not transferable, and to be produced whenever demanded
by me or any other person acting under the Authority of the Government,
and to be returned when another Licence is issued.
(SIGNED) B. BAXTER, Commissioner.
At the back of the Licence are the following rules:
REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY THE PERSONS DIGGING FOR GOLD, OR
OTHERWISE EMPLOYED AT THE GOLD FIELDS.
1. Every Licensed Person must always have his Licence with him, ready
to be produced whenever demanded by a Commissioner, or Person acting
under his instructions, otherwise he is liable to be proceeded against
as an Unlicensed person.
2. Every Person digging for Gold, or occupying Land, without a
Licence, is liable by Law to be fined, for the first offence, not
exceeding 5 pounds; for a second offence, not exceeding 15 pounds; and for
a subsequent offence, not exceeding 30 pounds.
3. Digging for Gold is not allowed within Ten feet of any Public Road,
nor are the Roads to be undermined.
4. Tents or buildings are not to be erected within Twenty feet of each
other, or within Twenty feet of any Creek.
5. It is enjoined that all Persons at the Gold Fields maintain and
assist in maintaining a due and proper observance of Sundays.
* * * * *
So great is the crowd around the Commissioner's tent at the beginning
of the month, that it is a matter of difficulty to procure it, and
consequently the inspectors rarely begin their rounds before the 10th,
when (as they generally vary the fine according to the date at which
the delinquency is discovered), a non-licensed digger would have the
pleasure of accompanying a crowd of similar offenders to the
Commissioners, sometimes four or five miles from his working-place, pay
a fine of about 3 pounds, and take out a licence. After the 20th of the
month, the fine inflicted is generally from 5 pounds to 10 pounds and a
licence, which is rather a dear price to pay for a few days' permission to
dig, as a licence, although granted on the 30th of one month, would be
unavailable for the next. The inspectors are generally strong-built,
rough-looking customers, they dress like the generality of the diggers,
and are only known by their carrying a gun in lieu of a pick or shovel.
Delinquents unable to pay the fine, have the pleasure of working it out
on the roads.
Now for my story--such as it is.
Mike and Robert were two as good mates as any at the Mount Alexander
diggings. They had had a good spell of hard work, and, as is usually
the way, returned to Melbourne for a holiday at Christmas-time; and
then it was that the bright eyes of Susan Hinton first sowed discord
between them. Mike was the successful wooer, and the old man gave his
consent; for Mike, with one exception, had contrived to make himself a
favourite with both father and daughter. The exception was this. Old
Hinton was a strict disciplinarian--one of what is called the
"good old school"--he hated radicals, revolutionists, and reformers,
or any opposition to Church or State. Mike, on the contrary, loved
nothing better than to hold forth against the powers that be; and it
was his greatest boast that Government had never pocketed a farthing
from him in the way of a licence. This, in the old man's eyes, was his
solitary fault, and when Mike declared his intention of taking another
trip to the "lottery fields" before taking a ticket in the even greater
lottery of marriage, he solemnly declared that no daughter of his
should ever marry a man who had been openly convicted of in any way
evading the licence fee.
This declaration from any other man, who had already promised his
daughter in marriage, would not have had much weight; but Mike knew the
stern, strict character of Hinton, and respected this determination
accordingly. The day of their departure arrived, and with a tearful
injunction to bear in mind her father's wishes, Susan bade her lover
farewell, and Robert and he proceeded on their journey. Full of his own
happiness, Mike had never suspected his comrade's love for
Susan, and little dreamt he of the hatred against himself to which it
had given birth--hatred the more to be dreaded since it was concealed
under a most friendly exterior.
For the first month Mike behaved to the very letter of the law, and
having for the sum of one pound ten shillings purchased his legal right to
dig for gold, felt himself a most exemplary character. Success again
crowned their efforts, and a speedy return to Melbourne was contemplated.
In the ardour of this exciting work another month commenced, and Mike at
first forgot and then neglected to renew his licence. "The inspector
rarely came his rounds before the 14th; the neighbourhood was
considered deserted--fairly 'worked out;' he'd never come round
there." Thus argued Mike, and his friend cordially agreed with him.
"Lose a day's work standing outside the Commissioner's tent broiling in
a crowd, when two days would finish the job? Not he, indeed! Mike might
please himself, but HE shouldn't get a licence;" and this determination
on the part of his "mate" settled the matter.
In one respect Mike's self-security was not unfounded; the gully
in which their tent was now pitched was nearly deserted. Some while
previous there had been a great rush to the place, so great that it was
almost excavated; then the rush took a different direction, and few now
cared to work on the two or three spots that had been left untouched.
Like many other localities considered "worked out," as much remained in
the ground as had been taken from it, and as each day added to their
store, Mike's hilarity increased.
It was now the 10th of the month; their hole had been fairly
"bottomed," a nice little nest of nuggets discovered, their gains
divided, and the gold sent down to the escort-office for transit to
Melbourne. A few buckets-full of good washing-stuff was all that was
left undone.
"To-day will finish that," thought Mike, and to it he set with hearty
good-will, to the intense satisfaction of his comrade, who sat watching
him at a little distance. Suddenly Mike felt a heavy hand upon his
shoulder: he looked up, and saw before him--the inspector. He had
already with him a large body of defaulters, and Mike little doubted
but that he must be added to their number. Old Hinton's determined
speech, Susan's parting words and tears, flashed across his
mind.
"You've lost your bonnie bride," muttered Robert, loud enough to reach
his rival's ears.
Mike glanced at him, and the look of triumph he saw there roused every
spark of energy within him, and it was in a tone of well-assumed
composure that he replied to the inspector, "My licence is in my
pocket, and my coat is below there;" and without a moment's hesitation
sprang into his hole to fetch it. Some minutes elapsed. The inspector
waxed impatient. A suspicion of the truth flashed across Robert's mind,
and he too descended the hole. THERE was the coat and the licence of
the past month in the pocket; but the owner had gone, vanished, and an
excavation on one side which led into the next hole and thence into a
complete labyrinth underground, plainly pointed out the method of
escape. Seeing no use in ferreting the delinquent out of so dangerous a
place, the inspector sulkily withdrew, though not without venting some
of his ill-humour upon Robert, at whose representations, made to him
the day previous, he had come so far out of his road.
But let us return to Mike. By a happy thought, he had suddenly
remembered that whilst working some days before in the hole, his pick
had let in daylight on one side, and the desperate hope presented
itself to his mind that he might make a passage into the next pit,
which he knew led into others, and thus escape. His success was beyond
his expectation; and he regained the open air at a sufficient distance
from his late quarters to escape observation. Once able to reflect
calmly upon the event of the morning, it required little discrimination
to fix upon Robert his real share in it. And now there was no time to
lose in returning to Melbourne, and prevent by a speedy marriage any
further attempt to set his intended father-in-law against him. The
roads were dry, for it was the sultry month of February; and two days
saw him beside his lady-love.
Although railroads are as yet unknown in Australia, everything goes on
at railroad speed; and a marriage concocted one day is frequently
solemnized the next. His eagerness, therefore, was no way remarkable.
No time was lost; and when, three days after Mike's return, Robert
(with his head full of plots and machinations) presented himself
at old Hinton's door, he found them all at a well-spread wedding
breakfast, round which were gathered a merry party, listening with a
digger's interest to the way in which the happy bridegroom had evaded
the inspector. Mike had wisely kept the story till Susan was his wife.
THURSDAY 16.--With great delight we hailed the prognostications of a
fine day, and, after having eaten a hearty breakfast on the strength of
it, we recommenced our travels, and crossed the Coliban Bridge. The
Coliban is a fine river running through a beautiful valley bounded with
green trees; the bridge is a timber one, out of repair, and dangerous.
A township called Malmsbury has been laid out here in small allotments
with the expectation of a future city; but as yet not a house has been
erected, with the exception of the "hotel" before mentioned, putting
one in mind of the American Eden in "Martin Chuzzlewit." A mile beyond
the Coliban are the washing huts of John Orr's Station, and about three
miles to the left is his residence; the house is stone, with verandahs,
the garden and vineyards are prettily laid out.
After passing the bridge, we took the right-hand road, which led
us through a low country, and across two or three tributary creeks; we
then reached the neighbourhood of Saw-pit Gully, so called from the
number of saw-pits there, which formerly gave employment to numerous
sawyers, whose occupation--it is almost needless to state--is now
deserted. It is surrounded with fine large timber; there are several
coffee-shops, a blacksmith's and wheelright's, and a neat little
weather-board inn.
At this part, our German friends bade us farewell, to follow out their
original plan of going to Forest Creek; they had persuaded four others
to accompany them, so our number was reduced to fifteen, myself
included. The scenery now became very beautiful, diversified with hill
and dale, well wooded, with here and there a small creek, more
agreeable to look at than to cross, as there were either no bridges or
broken-down ones. The loveliness of the weather seemed to impart energy
even to our horses; and we did not pitch our tents till we had
travelled full sixteen miles. We were now close beside Mount Alexander,
which is nearly covered with timber, chiefly white gum, wattle
and stringy bark.
FRIDAY, 17.--A lovely morning; we proceeded in excellent spirits,
passing some beautiful scenery, though rather monotonous. During the
first few miles, we went across many little creeks, in the
neighbourhood of which were indications that the diggers had been at
work. These symptoms we hailed with intense delight. Gregory told us
the history of a hole in this neighbourhood, out of which five people
cleared 13,000 pounds worth of gold each in about a few hours. In lieu of
sinking a shaft, they commenced in a gully (colonial for valley), and
drove a hole on an inclined plane up the side of the hill or rise.
However wet the season, they could never be inconvenienced, as the very
inclination would naturally drain the hole. Such a precaution was not
needed, as the whole party were perfectly satisfied with the success
they had had without toiling for more. The country between here and the
"Porcupine Inn" is exceedingly beautiful--not unlike many parts in the
lowlands of Wales. About eight miles on the road we pass Barker's
Creek, which runs through a beautiful vale.
We camped this evening about four or five miles from Bendigo,
and some miles from the "Porcupine Inn," which we left behind us. The
"Porcupine" is a newly built inn on an old spot, for I believe there
was an inn in existence there before the diggings were ever heard or
thought of. The accommodation appears on rather a small scale. Near it
is a portion of the station of the Messrs. Gibson, through which the
public road runs; some parts are fine, others wooded and swampy.
SATURDAY, 18.--Fine day; we now approached Bendigo. The timber here is
very large. Here we first beheld the majestic iron bark, EUCALYPTI, the
trunks of which are fluted with the exquisite regularity of a Doric
column; they are in truth the noblest ornaments of these mighty
forests. A few miles further, and the diggings themselves burst upon
our view. Never shall I forget that scene, it well repaid a journey
even of sixteen thousand miles. The trees had been all cut down; it
looked like a sandy plain, or one vast unbroken succession of countless
gravel pits--the earth was everywhere turned up--men's heads
in every direction were popping up and down from their holes. Well
might an Australian writer, in speaking of Bendigo, term it "The
Carthage of the Tyre of Forest Creek." The rattle of the cradle, as it
swayed to and fro, the sounds of the pick and shovel, the busy hum of
so many thousands, the innumerable tents, the stores with large flags
hoisted above them, flags of every shape, colour, and nation, from the
lion and unicorn of England to the Russian eagle, the strange yet
picturesque costume of the diggers themselves, all contributed to
render the scene novel in the extreme.
We hurried through this exciting locality as quickly as possible; and,
after five miles travelling, reached the Eagle Hawk Gully, where we
pitched our tents, supped, and retired to rest--though, for myself at
least, not to sleep. The excitement of the day was sufficient cure for
drowsiness. Before proceeding with an account of our doings at the
Eagle Hawk, I will give a slight sketch of the character and
peculiarities of the diggings themselves, which are of course not
confined to one spot, but are the characteristics that usually
exist in any auriferous regions, where the diggers are at work. I will
leave myself, therefore, safely ensconced beneath a tent at the Eagle
Hawk, and take a slight and rapid survey of the principal diggings in
the neighbourhood from Saw-pit Gully to Sydney Flat.