[Illustration: ROBERT O'HARA BURKE.
_From Photo_--HILL, Melbourne.]
AUSTRALIAN HEROES
AND
ADVENTURERS.
LONDON:
WALTER SCOTT, 24 WARWICK LANE,
AND MELBOURNE.
1889.
PREFACE.
This book is the first of a series which the Publisher intends to issue,
illustrative of life and adventure in the Australian Colonies and the
Islands of the Pacific. It has been carefully compiled from reliable
sources of information--viz., _Wills's Diary_, _King's Narrative_,
_Howitt's Diary_, Wood's _Explorations in Australia_, Withers's _History
of Ballarat_, Sutherland's _Tales of the Gold-fields_, Raffello's
_Account of the Ballarat Riots_, McCombie's _History of Victoria_, etc.,
etc. Most of these books are very expensive or out of print, and
therefore not easily procurable at the booksellers.
In the succeeding volumes of the series it is proposed to
give--"Buckley, the Runaway Convict, and his Black Friends," "John
Batman, the Founder of Melbourne," "Fawkner, the Pioneer," "Early Days
of Tasmania," "Botany Bay Tales," "Remarkable Convicts," "Notorious
Bushrangers," "Brave Deeds," "Squatting Tales," "Remarkable Personal
Adventures," "Curious Anecdotes," etc., etc.
MELBOURNE, 1889.
CONTENTS.
Burke and Wills--Two Heroes of Exploration.
CHAPTER I. PAGE
ACROSS AUSTRALIA 7
CHAPTER II.
THE RETURN JOURNEY 21
CHAPTER III.
SUFFERINGS AND DEATHS OF THE TWO LEADERS 34
CHAPTER IV.
SEARCH PARTIES, AND CONCLUSION 48
Old Times on the Gold-Fields.
CHAPTER I.
THE CONVICT'S STRATAGEM 63
EARLY DISCOVERIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES 66
HARGRAVES, THE PIONEER MINER 69
AN ABORIGINAL DISCOVERER 77
CHAPTER II.
GOLD IN VICTORIA 80
JAMES ESMOND, THE VICTORIAN PIONEER 81
OTHER PIONEERS 85
CHAPTER III.
EFFECT OF DISCOVERIES 89
CANVAS TOWN 94
RAG FAIR 95
NEW CHUMS AND OLD CHUMS 96
CHAPTER IV.
SLY GROG SHANTIES 100
CHAPTER V.
THE DIGGER'S LICENSE 105
DIGGER-HUNTING ANECDOTES 109
CHAPTER VI.
BEGINNINGS OF REVOLT 116
AN IRISH GALLANT 117
REFORM LEAGUES 120
CHAPTER VII.
THE EUREKA HOTEL MURDER 125
A LOYAL TOAST 130
BURNING THE LICENSES 131
THE LAST DIGGER-HUNT 134
CHAPTER VIII.
THE EUREKA STOCKADE 136
STORMING OF THE STOCKADE 141
EXCITEMENT IN MELBOURNE 145
WRONGS RIGHTED 149
[ILLUSTRATION: MAP ROUTE.]
Australian Heroes and Adventurers.
BURKE AND WILLS.
TWO HEROES OF EXPLORATION.
CHAPTER I.
_ACROSS AUSTRALIA._
There stood for twenty years, at the intersection of Collins and Russell
Streets, the only monument which the city of Melbourne can boast of.
Increasing traffic has recently necessitated its removal to a small
reserve opposite our Parliament Houses, where it occupies a most
commanding position at one of the chief entrances of the city. It is the
lasting memorial of two men and the expedition they led across the
continent of Australia. It stands in silent and solemn grandeur amidst
the noisy turmoil of a busy thoroughfare--two massive figures gazing
earnestly and longingly, seemingly in a solitude as complete as the
deepest seclusion of the lonely plains of the interior, where the
heroes whose memory they perpetuate met their fate. No inscription tells
the curious visitor or wayfarer who they are, or records the deeds that
have gained them such a high place in the estimation of the citizens of
Victoria. The story is an old one in these days of rapidly passing
events, but we think it will bear repetition, and, therefore, in the
following pages we will do our best to relate the events that led to the
erection of so magnificent a memorial.
From the days of the first settlement of New South Wales at Port Jackson
in 1788, down to the present time, the laudable desire of bettering
their condition, enhanced by the adventurous spirit moving in their
breasts, has prompted the colonists of Australia to organise parties for
the exploration of the unknown interior of their vast continent. In not
a few instances the explorer has been the precursor of the squatter and
the selecter of settlements and civilisation. The journey of Oxley, in
1818, led to the discovery that the Macquarie and other rivers ended in
large reedy marshes. This discovery gave rise to the belief in an
immense inland sea, into which all the rivers of the interior emptied
themselves. But subsequent travellers in search of this supposed inland
sea dissipated the belief in its existence. In 1828 Sturt reached the
"great salt river," called the Darling, which has since filled such an
important part in facilitating the carriage of our staple product to
the ocean. In his next journey Sturt went down the Murrumbidgee and the
Murray as far as Lake Alexandrina. His description of the country
surrounding the lake--plenty of green pastures and abundance of
agricultural land of the most fertile kind--induced the squatters to
send down their emaciated flocks from the parched plains of Riverina,
and also led to the emigration of numbers of farmers and vine-growers
from overcrowded Europe, who founded the Colony of South Australia.
Mitchell, in 1836, descended the Darling, crossed over the Murray, and
entered into what is now the Colony of Victoria. He named it "Australia
Felix," because the country which met his view delighted him with its
beautiful scenery, and its congenial climate presented such a pleasant
contrast to that of the land he had just travelled over. Pioneers from
Port Jackson and Van Diemen's Land migrated to this newly-revealed
district. The productiveness of its soil, and the subsequent discovery
of gold, soon attracted a great number of adventurers and immigrants to
the happy clime. In an incredibly short period the district grew into a
rich and prosperous colony, and Melbourne, its mighty capital, took rank
amongst the chief cities of the world.
The success attending the early exploring expeditions equipped by the
mother colony seems to have incited the colonists of Victoria to emulate
the doings of their neighbours. In 1859 a patriotic offer was made by
an enterprising citizen of Melbourne--Mr. Ambrose Kyte--to contribute
£1000 towards defraying the cost of fitting out an expedition to explore
the vast interior of Australia. This generous offer was accepted. The
project was taken up by the Royal Society of Victoria, and the sum of
£3400 was raised by public subscription. The Government voted £6000, and
granted an additional £3000 for the purchase of camels in India. Thus
originated, under the most favourable auspices, the Victorian Exploring
Expedition, which is now more commonly known, owing, no doubt, to its
calamitous termination, as the "Burke and Wills' Expedition."
The Exploration Committee had some trouble in obtaining a suitable
leader. Several well-known explorers were written to, but each of them
declined. At last the appointment was given to Mr. Robert O'Hara Burke,
a man of approved ability, and in himself actuated by an enthusiastic
desire to perform the hitherto unaccomplished feat of crossing our vast
continent from sea to sea.
Mr. Burke was an Irishman, born in 1821, and was, therefore, only forty
years old at the time of his melancholy end. He had served in the
Austrian Cavalry, and also in the Irish Mounted Constabulary, previous
to his arrival in Van Diemen's Land, in 1853. After performing services
as Acting Inspector at Hobart Town and as Police Magistrate at
Beechworth (Victoria), he was granted leave of absence in order to go
to England, where he hoped to obtain a commission in one of the
regiments embarking for the seat of the war then waging between England
and Russia. Being unsuccessful, owing to the termination of the war, he
returned to Victoria, and shortly received an appointment as one of the
superintendents of the Victorian Police Force, which position he held
until the setting out of the exploring expedition. Mr. Burke diligently
prepared himself for the journey across the continent. He examined the
records of previous expeditions for the personal experiences of former
explorers, as well as for knowledge of the interior already at hand. He
also made severe walking tours, in order to qualify himself physically
for the unusual hardships accompanying such a journey. The following
characteristic letter, written whilst _en route_, will show his
determination to succeed in his undertaking:--
"ON THE DARLING, _4th October 1860_.
"MY DEAR S----,
"I received your letter, and was glad to hear of the safe
arrival of your friend B----. We have been resting here a few
days, awaiting the arrival of the baggage, which has just come
up. To-morrow we proceed on, and I shall not delay anywhere
until I reach Cooper's Creek--being an Irishman I must add,
unless I can't help it.
"I leave the hired waggons and my own behind. The accursed
impediments, the ruin of so many expeditions, I am determined
shall not ruin me.
"We all march on foot three or four hundred miles at all
events, and the camels and horses will have to carry our weight
in provisions.
"We have already done so for the last forty miles. You should
have seen old B----'s face, upon my announcing that all the
officers would have to act as working men, and that we should
only carry 30 lbs. weight of baggage for each man.
"Loading camels and then marching twenty miles is no joke. The
first two days of it nearly choked poor B----, and I think he
will not be able to stand it much longer.
"I am still confident of success, and willing to accept the
alternative of success or disgrace, although failure is
possible. This self-imposed task (as you justly call it) is no
sinecure, and I think will take the sting out of me if I see it
out. Good-bye, my dear S----.
"From yours, ever sincerely,
"R. O'HARA BURKE."
In William John Wills we see the real hero of the expedition. He was an
Englishman, born in Devonshire, and at his untimely end was but
twenty-seven years of age. He was endowed with an unquenchable thirst
for knowledge. It manifested itself on the voyage out, where, in
addition to his other studies, he acquired a knowledge of the science of
navigation. After his arrival in Victoria, in 1853, his taste for
science, which was also accompanied by a naturally courageous and
enterprising spirit, displayed itself. At first he obtained an
appointment in the Survey Department. He gained a knowledge of
astronomical and other sciences to which the Observatory is
dedicated, and was then admitted, through the influence of the
Surveyor-General, into that establishment as an assistant. As early as
1855 the friends of young Wills had frequently heard him speak of his
intention to explore the unknown interior of Australia, and to be one of
the first to reach the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. In 1856 a
proposal was mooted to send out an expedition, and, on hearing of this,
Mr. Wills walked from the river Wannon to Ballarat, a distance of ninety
miles, to offer his services; but the project was abandoned. His
scientific attainments had qualified him for an important post in the
expedition of 1860, and he joined it in the capacity of astronomical and
meteorological observer. Of his fitness for exploring, the Rev. Julian
Woods writes--"Having studied every journal connected with Australian
exploration, and become, as it were personally acquainted with all our
discoverers, I conscientiously say I have not met with so courageous, so
noble, so fine an explorer as William John Wills."
[Illustration: WILLIAM JOHN WILLS.
_From Photo_--HILL, Melbourne.]
The other officers of the expedition were:--Mr. Landells, who had
brought the camels to the colony, and was appointed second in command;
Dr. Herman Beckler, botanist and medical adviser of the expedition; and
Dr. Ludwig Becker, artist, naturalist, and geological surveyor. There
were eleven subordinates, including three Hindoo camel-drivers.
On the 20th August 1860 the expedition left Melbourne. During the
morning of its departure crowds of holiday folks were to be seen
wending their various ways to the Royal Park, on the northern outskirts
of the city. It was late in the afternoon before the picturesque groups
of camels and horses, with their keepers and the baggage, were arranged
in marching order. Then Mr. Burke, on a little grey horse, took up his
position at the head of the procession. When it was about to start, the
Mayor of Melbourne mounted one of the drays and delivered a short
speech, wishing them God-speed. Mr. Burke uncovered, and replied, in a
clear voice that was heard all over the crowd:--"Mr. Mayor, on behalf of
myself and the expedition, I beg to return you my most sincere thanks.
No expedition has ever started under such favourable circumstances as
this. The people, the Government, the Committee--all have done heartily
what they could do. It is now our turn! and we shall never do well till
we justify what you have done in showing you what we can do." Then,
amidst the loud cheering and acclamations of the spectators, who
numbered fully ten thousand, the brilliant cavalcade was put in motion.
It was truly a fine, imposing spectacle, and the applauding cheers of
the enthusiastic citizens were prolonged till the procession had faded
away in the dim distance.
The progress of the explorers through the settled districts to the river
Darling was very slow, and even before they reached Menindie serious
dissensions had broken out in their camp. On arriving at that
township Burke dismissed the foreman, and Mr. Landells resigned his
position and left the party. Mr. Wills was then appointed second in
command, and instead of Mr. Landells, Burke placed in charge of the
camels a man named Wright, whom he had picked up at a sheep station.
[Illustration: COOPER'S CREEK.]
The Exploration Committee had instructed Burke to establish a depôt on
Cooper's Creek, and make a line of communication between it and the
Darling. When the explorers reached that river the spring season was far
advanced, and soon the fervid rays of the sun would wither the green
grass and dry up the water-courses; therefore Burke decided to push
forward to the creek without delay. But some of the camels were unfit to
proceed immediately, so Burke divided his party, and with seven of his
companions and Wright, who offered to show him a direct and well-watered
track, set out from Menindie on the 19th of October.
They accomplished more than half of the journey, and having been
fortunate in finding good feed and water on the way, Burke sent Wright
back to the encampment on the Darling with instructions to bring the
rear party with the heavy supplies on by easy stages to Cooper's Creek.
On the 11th of November, thirteen days after despatching Wright, Burke
and his party arrived safely at the creek. They then travelled slowly
along the banks of the stream, recruiting the animals and looking around
for a camping-ground. On the twenty-first they pitched on a suitable
locality, and there established the main depôt.
Whilst awaiting the arrival of Wright with the remainder of the company,
frequent excursions were made in order to find a route to the north. On
one of these excursions, Mr. Wills travelled ninety miles without
finding water; their camels escaped from them, and he and his companions
were forced to return on foot. Fortunately for them they found a pool on
their way back to the depôt, but the camels were never recovered. On
another occasion Wills and King got into a stony desert. The knowledge
obtained by means of these and other short excursions was not of an
encouraging nature to the explorers.
After waiting at Cooper's Creek for more than a month, the advance party
grew tired of their life of inaction, and made preparations for the
journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria. As Wright did not come forward as
expected, Burke got impatient, and decided to subdivide the few men he
had with him as follows:--Four men were to remain at the depôt, one of
them named William Brahé in command; and were to construct a stockade
while waiting for Wright, and when he had arrived they were to seek a
more available and direct route to the Darling. The rest of the little
party--Burke, Wills, King, and Gray--were to push forward to the Gulf,
and were to take with them six of the camels, one horse, and three
months' provisions.
On 16th December the little band of explorers bade their companions
good-bye, and started northwards. As they proceeded, Burke and Wills
walked ahead, while Gray and King followed behind, leading the horse and
the six camels. Burke himself seldom wrote, but Wills, every evening
after taking astronomical observations, wrote his diary, and then read
it to Burke, who made such alterations in it as he thought necessary.
Their allowance of provisions were a pound of flour and a pound of meat
daily, with a little rice occasionally, and the party camped out every
evening without tents. In his admirable history of the _Exploration of
Australia_, a work published in 1865, and containing, in addition to the
adventures of the explorers, a very lucid description of the physical
features of the continent, so far as they had been made known by the
journeys and discoveries previous to the year 1863, the Rev. Mr. Woods
writes in reference to this journey:--"No doubt this self-denying mode
of proceeding was very heroic and courageous, but was it necessary? It
certainly does seem a pity that after the great care taken to equip the
party adequately, that its main work should have been done by a feeble
party, badly provisioned, and subject to the disadvantage of crossing
the country on foot. The work was done, it is true, but done in an
imperfect way. No one could expect four poorly-fed men to manage six
camels, to force their way through untrodden scrubs, and yet keep a
journal and make observations. No one could expect it, and it was not
done. The journal left is most incomplete, and to this day several
portions of the route are still matters of dispute."
For some distance the exploring quartette travelled over well-watered
country. Numerous parties of natives were met with, but they were
friendly to the whites. Mr. Wills writes of a tribe of these:--"They
pestered us to go to their camp and have a dance, which we declined.
They were very troublesome, and nothing but a threat to shoot them will
keep them away. They are, however, easily frightened; and although
fine-looking men, decidedly not of a warlike disposition. They show the
greatest inclination to take whatever they can, but will run no
unnecessary risk in so doing. They seldom carry any weapon except a
shield and a large kind of boomerang, which I believe they use for
killing rats, etc. Sometimes, but very seldom, they have a large spear;
reed spears seem to be quite unknown to them. They are undoubtedly a
finer-looking race of men than the blacks on the Murray and Darling, and
more peaceful; but in other respects I believe they will not compare
favourably with them. They appear to be mean-spirited and contemptible
in every respect." After the explorers had passed through this fertile
country, they had to cross about twenty miles of stony desert. On the
other side of it they came upon an earthy plain of about nine miles.
Then another nine miles of travelling through swampy plains brought them
to the banks of a magnificent stream. The four men followed up this
creek from point to point of the bends, and on the 7th of January camped
well within the tropics. Afterwards they entered upon immense fertile
plains, with innumerable creeks coursing through them, on the banks of
which gum and box-trees and splendid grass grew luxuriantly. Pigeons and
wild ducks were also found in abundance. For five days the travellers
marched over these flourishing plains. Then they crossed over a series
of low sandstone hills, and after passing over a stony plain came upon a
range of mountains, which they called the Standish Ranges. On 27th of
January the explorers reached Cloncurry Creek, one of the derivative
streams of the river Flinders. They had afterwards to travel over swampy
ground; the camels could not be got along, so all of them were
abandoned. On the 9th of February, King and Gray were left behind with
the bulk of the provisions, while Burke and Wills, taking the horse with
them to carry supplies sufficient for three days, pushed forward towards
the sea. They had to cross over patches of swampy ground; a great deal
of it was so soft and rotten that the horse got bogged, and it was only
by digging him out that he could be extricated. After great difficulty
and delay they managed to do this. Then they came across some
tableland, and beyond that a plain covered with water, which in some
places reached up to their knees. After wading through several miles of
this swamp, they came again to dry land. Further on they met a few
natives, who, on seeing the explorers, decamped immediately, leaving
behind in their hurried departure some yams, which were at once
appropriated to appease the sharp hunger of Burke and Wills. A small
distance beyond they reached a narrow inlet on the shore of the Gulf of
Carpentaria. A forest of Mangroves intercepted their view of the open
sea beyond, so the two heroic men attempted to advance through it. The
horse had by this time become too weak to advance further, therefore
they hobbled him, and hastened forward without him. But the two gallant
fellows were soon obliged to relinquish their attempt to pierce the
thick undergrowth. They could not obtain a view of the open ocean,
although they made every effort to do so. 'Tis true their mission was
accomplished; they had crossed the continent to within a mile or two of
its northern shore--the victory was gained! But now the necessities of
the case compelled the triumphant explorers to immediately hurry back to
Cooper's Creek.
[Illustration: J. A. KING.]
CHAPTER II.
_THE RETURN JOURNEY._
The two leaders returned to King and Gray on the 12th February 1861. The
explorers soon afterwards recaptured all the camels, which had been
greatly improved in condition by their rest. The remainder of the return
journey was singularly disastrous. At first the progress was very much
retarded by the incessant rain that deluged the whole country. Sickness
commenced with Gray, and then Burke suffered a severe attack of
dysentry, owing to his having eaten of the flesh of a large snake that
he had killed. Their provisions became sadly reduced, and one camel,
then another, had to be killed, in order to eke out their scanty
supplies. On 6th of March one of the camels became bogged, and they were
compelled to leave it. On the 20th, 60 lbs. of baggage were abandoned.
They killed another camel on the 30th, and on the 6th of April they
killed the horse, which had by this time become so weak that it could
scarcely stand upright. By the 13th of April they had got back again to
the Stony Desert. All were now nearly exhausted by their continued
privations, but they slowly marched on in the hope of meeting
assistance before they reached the depôt. On the 16th they, with poor
Gray strapped to the back of a camel almost as emaciated as himself,
managed to travel seven miles; but during the night the unfortunate
fellow succumbed under his extreme sufferings. His surviving companions,
too, were all so weak in body that they could scarcely scratch a grave
in the desert deep enough to cover his body. These three gaunt,
emaciated, and sorrow-stricken beings rested but for a day, and then
started afresh on their lonesome and weary journey, abandoning
everything except the two camels, the fire-arms, and a little meat. On
the 20th they made a tremendous effort by travelling all night, Burke
riding one camel, and Wills and King the other. All next day they
struggled manfully on, expecting soon to rest their aching limbs and
worn-out bodies in the camp at Cooper's Creek. But on reaching the place
where they had left the depôt party, instead of seeing the white tents
of the camp gleaming in the rays of the declining sun, they saw nothing
but the stockade now deserted by its former occupants. _There was no one
there!_ On looking eagerly around their eyes fell on the word DIG, cut
in the bark of a tree. They anxiously turned up the soil, and unearthed
a small parcel of provisions and a bottle containing a letter from
Brahé, in which the disappointed men read with sinking hearts that he
and his party had left the depôt _only that very morning_. The document
ran thus:--
"Depôt, Cooper's Creek, _April 21st, 1861_.
"The depôt party of the V.E.E. leaves this camp to-day to
return to the Darling. I intend to go S.E. from camp 60 deg.,
to get into our old track near Bulloo. Two of my companions and
myself are quite well; the third, Patten, has been unable to
walk for the last eighteen days, as his leg has been severely
hurt when thrown by one of the horses. No one has been up here
from the Darling. We have six camels and twelve horses in good
working condition.
"WILLIAM BRAHE."
This was appalling news to the brave explorers, who, with their more
than four months' severe travelling and unparalleled privations, were
almost paralysed, and so exhausted that the slightest exertion produced
in their pain-racked bodies such sensations of torture and utter
helplessness as to render them more fit for a hospital than any further
efforts on their part whatever. We will now leave the three abandoned
men to recover from the first shock of their bitter disappointment,
while we relate the circumstances that prevented the depôt party
remaining at their post.
Previous to departing from Cooper's Creek, Burke sent a despatch to the
Exploration Committee. In it he writes:--"I have every confidence in
Brahé. The feed is good. There is no danger to be apprehended from the
natives. There is nothing, therefore, to prevent the party remaining
here until our return, or until their provisions run short." Burke's
verbal instructions to Brahé were very indefinite. He led him to
understand that the depôt party should remain at Cooper's Creek for
three months, and that if the advance party did not return within that
time the camp could be broken up, and Brahé and his party would be at
liberty to quit the creek.
Brahé waited for four months and five days. The natives were troublesome
for the most of the time, and confined the party to the camp. The men
began to sicken and complain of scurvy, and as Wright with the rest of
the company and provisions did not make an appearance, Brahé deemed it
prudent to retrace the route from the Darling. His party went very
slowly the first day, and camped a few miles down the creek. Had the
ill-fated explorers of Burke's party known this and followed on their
track, in all probability the fatal consequences of this desertion would
have been avoided. It is deplorable to think that the three haggard men
did not know that the other party were so near, and that after partaking
of a hearty supper they slept all that night within a few miles of their
returning companions.
Burke, Wills, and King rested for a couple of days at the abandoned
depôt. The change of diet worked wonders in improving their strength and
cheering their depressed spirits, and on the 23rd of April they felt
equal to the task of resuming their journey. Burke's plan was that they
should make for Adelaide, by way of Mount Hopeless (an ill-omened name),
where there was a large sheep station, and which he thought could not be
further than one hundred and fifty miles off. Wills urged that they
should return the way they came; the distance to the Darling certainly
was greater, being three hundred and fifty miles, but they were sure of
feed and water all the way. Unfortunately for them all, as events
afterwards proved, Wills yielded to Burke's decision, and the little
party started for the mount. As they were about to leave the depôt,
Burke deposited in the cache a letter from which we extract the
following:--"We have discovered a practical route to Carpentaria, the
chief portion of which lies on the 140th meridian of east longitude.
There is some good country between this and Stony Desert. From there to
the tropics the country is dry and stony. Between the tropics and the
gulf a considerable portion is rangey, but is well watered and richly
grassed. We reached the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria on the 11th of
February." Their starting day was fine, and the agreeable warmth of the
weather lent fresh hopes to the three men as they marched slowly along
the green banks of the creek. They were still further elated by meeting
with a few well-behaved blacks, who gave them good supplies of fish in
exchange for some straps and matches. On the sixth day they had a
mishap--one of the camels became bogged beside a water-hole. They
attempted to place boughs and timber beneath him, but he sank too
rapidly; and being of a sluggish, stupid nature, could not make
sufficiently strenuous efforts towards extricating himself. They then
let in water from the creek so as to buoy him up and soften the mud
around his legs, but it was of no avail; the brute lay there as if
enjoying himself. The next day they shot the beast dead, cut off as much
of his flesh as they could, and then dried it in the sun. The following
day the natives very liberally presented them with a quantity of fish
and cake; the explorers returned the compliment by giving them
fish-hooks and some sugar. After leaving the blacks, the three men
struck a southerly branch of Cooper's Creek, which they traced down till
its channel broke up into small water-courses, and was at last lost in
the sand. Then for two days they travelled, looking around for some
other stream, but finding none, Burke and Wills left King with the
camel, and pushing ahead, found that the soil became loose and cracked
up; and as it appeared to be more parched further south, they returned
to King.
The prospects of the little party now looked gloomy. Their provisions
were rapidly diminishing; their clothing, and especially their boots,
all going to pieces; and their only remaining camel, which had been
ailing for some time, now showed signs of being done up. But the two
leaders determined to examine the creek more closely, and after a
short rest they set out again.
[Illustration: ON THE MARCH.]
They came across some natives who were fishing. The blacks, probably
moved by the forlorn appearance of Burke and Wills, gave them half of
the fish just caught, and promised further supplies if they would come
with them to their camp. On reaching it the almost destitute explorers
were treated most generously--lumps of nardoo cake and handfuls of fish
were forced on them till they could positively eat no more. The
hospitable blacks also offered them some stuff composed of dried stems
and leaves of shrubs, which, when chewed even in small quantities, was
highly intoxicating. The poor travellers could only show their gratitude
to the benevolent blacks by tearing off and giving them two pieces of
cloth from their tattered macintoshes. Burke now returned to King, while
Wills continued for seven miles along the creek until it tended
northwards; then he returned, passing through the blacks' camp on his
way to rejoin his companions. The natives invited him to stay, and he
was again hospitably entertained. After supplying him with fish and
nardoo cake, they brought him a couple of rats baked in their skins.
Poor Wills must have been hungry, for he says "the rats looked nice and
were most delicious." Supper over, one of the natives offered to share
his gunyah with the weary traveller, and all of them were very attentive
in bringing wood and keeping up the fire during the night. Early next
morning Wills parted from his black friends.
When he rejoined Burke and King he found them jerking the flesh of the
camel, for the poor beast had become so weak and helpless that they had
been obliged to shoot it. The three men now despaired of reaching the
settled districts. The only prospect before them was to wander about the
creek, living like the blacks until the arrival of a relief party. So
Burke and King went in search of the natives' camp for the purpose of
ascertaining where the seed grew from which the natives made their
bread, and also to find their mode of preparing it. Wills remained
behind jerking the camel's flesh. In his diary he cheerfully writes that
he must devise some means of trapping the birds and rats, but expresses
deep regret at being obliged to hang about the creek after having made
such a dashing trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
On reaching the spot where the blacks had camped, Burke and King found
the place deserted, so they came back to Wills. The three dejected men
moved irresolutely in the direction of where the blacks had been. Then
Burke thought it better for one of them to go back and stop with the
things for a few days, so that he might get the benefit of the remains
of the camel's flesh, whilst the other two should go forward in search
of the blacks and the nardoo. Accordingly, Burke and King took four
days' provisions and left Wills at the junction, preparing for a final
effort on their return. The two unfortunate men could not find the
blacks, so it was settled that the party should abandon their cumbrous
baggage and make another effort to reach Mount Hopeless.
The next day, 17th of May, King found the nardoo plant. This discovery
revolutionised the feelings of the weary explorers. Poor Wills, cheerful
even in this extremity, records the fact with the observation that they
were now in a position to support themselves without the aid of the
blacks. Collecting the seeds was a slow and troublesome work, and the
three men were fully occupied in it for seven days.
This plant, the seeds of which answer the purposes of flour among the
natives, grows in little tufts close to the ground. It resembles clover,
but is quadrifoliate instead of trifoliate, and its leaves are covered
with a silver down, which is also found on the seeds when fresh. These
grow upon separate short stalks springing from the roots, and are flat
and oval. The gathering of them is generally done by the native women,
who, after cleaning the sand from them and pounding them between two
stones, bake the flour into cakes.
The little party travelled for three days, tracing a water-course until
it lost itself in the flat country. Travelling then became very
fatiguing; over dreary plains they struggled along almost exhausted. At
last, from sheer exhaustion, they were obliged to relinquish the attempt
to reach the mountain. They took an hour's rest, and then wearily
retraced their steps.
In two days they reached the nearest water of the creek, and lay down
their worn-out bodies under the cool shade of the box-trees growing on
its fertile banks. For a meal, they boiled some of the nardoo seeds, and
then made for the main creek. They came across some native huts, in one
of which they found a pounding-stone left by the blacks. The poor
explorers found the work of pounding the seeds so very slow and
troublesome that they were compelled to mix half flour with the
badly-ground seeds. The three men afterwards went back to their last
camp and brought up all the dried meat they had planted there, and then
remained at the deserted gunyahs, gathering and pounding nardoo seeds,
and living as best they could. Whilst the poor fellows are thus living
on the lower part of Cooper's Creek we will leave them, and turn back in
order to find out the causes of Wright's delays.
When Wright returned to Menindie he heard that McDonall Stuart, the
South Australian explorer, had almost crossed the continent. Wright
thought his leader ought to know of this, so that if his own route
should fail he could turn westward, strike Stuart's track, and continue
the exploration northward. Two of the men and a native were sent out in
the vain hope of overtaking Burke and informing him of this new
discovery, but they lost their way, and sent the native back to
Menindie with a slip of paper imploring assistance. A relief party was
sent out by Wright. The two men were found living with the blacks about
one hundred and ninety miles away, and were brought back to Menindie on
19th of December. Wright now proved his utter unfitness for his
responsible position by remaining on the Darling for more than a month
after the return of this party. On 26th of January he set out for
Cooper's Creek, but proceeded so leisurely that it was the 12th of
February before he reached Torowotto, the place where Burke and he had
separated three and a half months before. It was now the hottest time of
the year, and the summer sun had dried up all the surrounding country
excepting the permanent creeks. Dr. Beckler and three of the men became
seriously ill with the scurvy, and Wright erected a tent for them at
Koorliatto Creek, about twenty miles from Bulloo. He then made for
Bulloo, and from thence attempted to reach Cooper's Creek, a distance of
between seventy and eighty miles; but in consequence of the hostility of
the natives he was unable to finish his journey, and was forced to
return. Dr. Beckler and the three men were removed to Bulloo, and
reached it on the 21st of April, the day on which Burke and his two
companions arrived at the deserted depôt. A few days afterwards two of
the sick men died. The natives had by this time become very troublesome,
and the party were compelled to build a stockade. At last they had to
open fire upon them in order to disperse them. Rats also abounded at the
place, and did considerable damage, even attacking the men.
On the 29th of April Wright was astonished to see Brahé and the
returning depôt party, and to hear from them that they had neither seen
nor heard anything of the advance party for more than four months. On
the evening of the same day Dr. Beckler died, and next day was buried.
Wright was undecided how to act--first he thought of returning to
Menindie, and turned back to Koorliatto Creek; but when there he thought
it possible that the advance party might have returned to the depôt, so
he and Brahé left his party in the encampment and made for Cooper's
Creek.
On the 8th of May, while Burke and his two companions were down at the
lower part of the creek making for Mount Hopeless, Wright and Brahé
arrived at the depôt, and seeing the place undisturbed they concluded
that the advance party had perished in the journey northwards. Wright
and Brahé made a terrible blunder in not digging to see if the
provisions deposited by Brahé had been removed. After a careless look
around they returned to the encampment at Koorliatto, and then the whole
party set out for the River Darling. Their progress was slow, and
another fatality occurred near Torowotto. On the 6th of January, Patten,
who had been gradually sinking since he left the depôt with Brahé,
succumbed under his privations. Wright's party reached the Darling on
the 18th of June, and immediately sent despatches to the Exploration
Committee, begging that search might be made for the advance party.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER III.
_SUFFERINGS AND DEATHS OF THE TWO LEADERS._
We will now take up the thread of the narrative from where we left the
enfeebled explorers (Burke, Wills, and King) at the deserted gunyahs.
They adopted the life of the blacks, and managed to subsist on the
nardoo, although it was very innutritious. More than a month had elapsed
since they had left the depôt, and Burke thought that a relief party
might have reached that place in the interval. Wills now volunteered to
return and deposit, in place of Burke's former note, a letter stating
that the party were living on the lower part of the creek, and also to
bury there the field-books of the journey to the Gulf. He expected to be
away for eight days, and took with him three pounds of flour, four
pounds of pounded nardoo, and one pound of dried meat.
During his absence Burke and King had the following adventure with the
blacks (we have copied the account of it from King's narrative):--"A few
days after Mr. Wills left, some natives came down the creek to fish at
some water-holes near our camp. They were very civil to us at first,
and offered us some fish; the second day they came again to fish, and
Mr. Burke took down two bags, which they filled for him; the third day
they gave us one bag of fish, and afterwards all came to our camp. We
used to keep our ammunition and other articles in one hut, and all three
of us lived together in another. One of the natives took an oil-cloth
out of this hut, and Mr. Burke seeing him run away with it, followed him
with his revolver and fired over his head, and upon this the native
dropped the oil-cloth. While he was away, the other blacks invited me
away to the water-hole to eat fish; but I declined to do so, as Mr.
Burke was away, and a number of natives were about who would have taken
all our things. When I refused, one took his boomerang and laid it over
my shoulder, and then told me, by signs, that if I called out for Mr.
Burke as I was doing he would strike me. Upon this I got them all in
front of the hut and fired a revolver over their heads, but they did not
seem at all afraid until I got out the gun, when they all ran away. Mr.
Burke, hearing the report, came back, and we saw no more of them until
late that night, when they came with some cooked fish and called out,
'White fellow!' Mr. Burke then went out with his revolver, and found a
whole tribe coming down, all painted, and with fish in small nets
carried by two men. Mr. Burke went to meet them, and they wished to
surround him, but he knocked as many of the nets of fish out of their
hands as he could, and shouted out to me to fire. I did so, and they ran
off. We collected five small nets of cooked fish. The reason he would
not accept the fish from them was that he was afraid of being too
friendly, lest they should be always at our camp." While Burke was
cooking some of the fish during a strong wind, the flames caught the
gunyah, and spread so rapidly that the two men were unable either to
extinguish them or to save any of their things, except one revolver and
a gun.
How the heroic Wills fared on his lonely journey is described in the
following extracts taken from his diary:--
On the 27th of May he came upon three black gins and some children
collecting nardoo, which was so abundant in some places that the ground
was quite covered with it. The native women directed him to their camp,
and he was soon afterwards overtaken by about twenty blacks, who were
bent upon taking him to it, promising him nardoo and fish. One carried
his shovel, another insisted in such a friendly manner on taking his
swag that Wills could not refuse. They were greatly amused with various
little things he had. In the evening he partook of a supper of fish and
nardoo, and one of the old men shared his gunyah with poor Wills. The
night was very cold. Next morning he left the friendly blacks. During
the day he felt very unwell. On the 29th the tottering man saw some
crows quarrelling about something near the water. He found it to be a
large fish. The crows had eaten a large portion of it, but he, finding
it fresh and good, decided the quarrel by eating the remainder of it.
The fish proved a valuable addition to his otherwise scanty meal of
nardoo porridge. That night he slept in a very comfortable mia-mia,
about eleven miles from the depôt. On the 30th of May he reached his
destination, but found no trace of anybody except the blacks having been
there, although Wright and Brahé had visited the place only twenty-two
days before, at the time when Burke and himself were being treated so
generously by the blacks on the lower part of the creek. He deposited
the journals and a notice stating the wretched condition of himself and
companions. Next day he started on his return journey, although his
exertions had made him very tired and weak. In the evening he camped
under some bushes in a sheltered gully, thinking he would reach the
blacks' camp next day. But next day he felt altogether too weak and
exhausted, and had extreme difficulty in getting across numerous small
gullies, and soon was obliged to stop and rest himself. The following
morning at 6.30 he again started, thinking to breakfast with the blacks,
but found himself so very much fatigued that he did not arrive at their
camp till ten o'clock; but his expectations of receiving a good
breakfast were disappointed, for the camp was by this time deserted. He
rested here awhile, and breakfasted off a few fish-bones which the
blacks had left. The disappointed man then started down the creek,
hoping by a late march to reach his companions, but soon found this was
out of the question. By good luck he came across a large fish, about a
pound and a half in weight, being choked by another which it had tried
to swallow, but which had stuck in its throat. The hungry man soon made
a fire, and had both fish cooked and eaten. He was awakened next morning
by the encouraging sounds of cooeys, then fancied he saw smoke in the
distance; and was afterwards set at ease by hearing a cooey from one of
his former black friends, who also continually repeated assurances of
bread and fish. With some difficulty the weary man managed to ascend a
sandy path leading to the natives' camp. He was conducted by the chief
to the fire, where there was a large pile of fish cooked in the most
approved style. He imagined it was for general consumption by the
half-dozen natives who had gathered round; but it turned out they had
all eaten, and expected Wills to dispose of it all. He set to work at
the task, and to his own astonishment accomplished it by keeping two or
three blacks steadily at work extricating the bones for him. Fish
finished, then came a supply of nardoo cake and water, till he was so
full that he was unable to eat any more. The native who called Wills to
the camp allowed him a short time to recover himself, and then filled a
large bowl with raw nardoo flour, and mixed it into a thin paste. This
mixture is a most insinuating article to the blacks, and esteemed by
them as a great delicacy. They then invited Wills to stop, but he
declined; although, he says, he would have liked to have stopped and
lived with them in order to learn something of their ways and manners.
He continued his return journey, and on the 6th of June reached Burke
and King.
The three men had been so well treated by the blacks that they now
decided on shifting their camp nearer to them, and set out with such
things as they could carry, but found themselves very weak, in spite of
the abundant supplies of food they had lately had. Poor Wills could
scarcely get along, although carrying the lightest swag (about 30 lbs.).
They found that the blacks had decamped from the place where Wills had
last seen them, so they moved on to the camp near the nardoo field. The
almost exhausted men managed to reach the nardoo field, but, greatly to
their disappointment, no blacks were there. The explorers took
possession of the best mia-mia and rested.
Until the 24th of June these unfortunate men lived on the field, going
out daily to gather the nardoo, and then returning to the hut in order
to clean and pound the seeds. After eating the last piece of dried
camel's flesh, they found that although the nardoo was in abundance, it
was so innutritive that by itself it could not support them. Wills it
would not sustain at all, and the poor young man wrote in his diary: "I
am determined to chew tobacco and eat less of the nardoo." Burke, after
a few days, showed signs of caving in. King managed to live on the
nardoo; it seemed to agree with him better than with his companions.
However, Wills became so weak as to be unable even to crawl about, and
on the 24th wrote: "Little chance of anything but starvation unless we
get hold of some blacks."
The little clothing they had could not keep out the cold, and during the
nights they suffered terribly from it. Wills' wardrobe consisted of a
wide-awake hat, merino shirt, regatta shirt without sleeves, remains of
a pair of flannel trousers, and a waistcoat, of which he had managed to
keep the pockets together. His companions were better off. The three men
had with them for bedding--two small camel pads, some horsehair, two or
three little bits of rag, and pieces of oil-cloth saved from the fire.
It is impossible to imagine the state of mind these three unfortunate
men were then in. The expedition that ended so disastrously for them had
started ten months before with the most brilliant prospects, and now
three of its members were on the point of starvation and dying of
fatigue. Unless they received assistance very soon, the three men must
undoubtedly perish. After consulting together it was agreed that Wills
should be left alone in the gunyah, while his two companions went in
search of the blacks. With great reluctance the two men packed up food
enough to last them a couple of days, but hesitated at leaving their
dying companion. They repeatedly desired his candid opinion, and he
again and again urged them to go, saying, "It is our only chance." After
placing the nardoo and firewood near his bed, Burke and King sorrowfully
took leave of him; and then, tottering along like two worn-out
beggar-men, they set out in search of succour.
Wills maintained the uniformity of his cheerful disposition, and the
last entry in his diary, written without a complaint a few days before
he expired, moves us to admiration of his fine, manly qualities. Here it
is:--"I am weaker than ever, although I have a good appetite and relish
the nardoo much, but it seems to give us no nutriment, and the birds
here are so sly as not to be got at. Even if we could get fish, I doubt
whether we could do much on that and nardoo alone. Nothing now but the
greatest good luck can save any of us. As for me, I may live four or
five days if the weather continues warm. My pulse is at forty-eight and
very weak, and my legs and arms are nearly skin and bone. I can only
look out, like Mr. Micawber, for something to turn up. Starvation on
nardoo is by no means unpleasant, but for the weakness one feels and the
utter inability to move one's self. As for my appetite, it gives me the
greatest satisfaction. Certainly, fat and sugar would be more to one's
taste; in fact, these seem to be the great stand-by in this
extraordinary continent. Not that I mean to deprecate farinaceous food,
but the want of sugar and fat in all substances obtained here makes them
become almost useless to us as articles of food without the addition of
something else." Soon after (perhaps a few hours) the departure of his
companions, the hand of death put an end to the sufferings of poor
Wills. It was a terribly hard fate for one so young and full of promise
to meet there in the lonely wilderness, without the sympathetic and
encouraging presence of a friendly voice to break the mournful silence,
with no gentle hand to administer the last kind soothing offices of
humanity.
Let us now follow the two remaining sufferers. In travelling the first
day Burke seemed very weak, and complained of great pain in his back and
legs. Next day he seemed better, and said he thought he was getting
stronger; but on starting did not get more than two miles, when he found
he could go no further. King persisted in his trying to go on, and
managed to get him along several times, until Burke was almost knocked
up. He said he could not carry his swag, and threw all he had away. King
did likewise, and took nothing but a gun, some powder and shot, a small
pouch, and some matches. They did not go far before Burke said they
should halt for the night. King prevailed on him to go a little further
on to a less exposed spot, where they camped. King searched about and
found a few small patches of nardoo. He collected and pounded some of
the seeds, and with a crow which he had shot, the two worn-out men made
a good evening's meal. From the time they halted Burke grew worse, and,
although he ate his supper, said he felt convinced he could not last
many hours. He gave King his watch and pocket-book, and also wrote some
notes. He then said, "I hope you will remain with me here till I am
quite dead. It is a comfort to know that some one is by; but when I am
dying it is my wish that you should leave my pistol in my right hand,
and that you leave me unburied as I lie." That night he spoke very
little. On the following morning he was speechless, or nearly so, and
about eight o'clock he expired. Thus the gallant Burke ended his brave
and noble career. King saw there was no use remaining there any longer,
and wandered about in the most forlorn condition. "I felt very lonely,"
he says. We can well imagine that, and everything around must have sadly
reminded him of his late companions in misfortune. He wandered up the
creek in search of the natives, and at night usually slept in deserted
wurleys belonging to them. Two days after leaving the spot where Burke
died he came across some gunyahs, in one of which the natives had left a
bag of nardoo sufficient to last the hungry man a fortnight. After
remaining there two days he returned to Wills, taking back with him two
crows which he had shot.
On his arrival King found that his fellow-sufferer, whom he had grown to
love so dearly, was lying dead in the hut, and that the natives had been
there and taken away some of the clothes. He buried the corpse, and
remained a few days. Then, as his stock of nardoo was getting low, and
he was unable to gather any more, he tracked the natives that had been
in the camp by their footprints in the sand some distance down the
creek, shooting crows and hawks on the road. Soon he came up to the
blacks, and afterwards kept with them until rescued by the relief-party.
How he lived we learn from his own narrative:--
"The natives, hearing the report of the gun, came to meet me, and took
me with them to their camp, giving me nardoo and fish. They took the
birds I had shot, and cooked them for me, and afterwards showed me a
gunyah, where I was to sleep with three of the single men. The following
morning they commenced talking to me, and putting one finger on the
ground and covering it with sand, at the same time pointing up the
creek, saying, 'White fellow,' which I understood to mean that one white
man was dead. From this, I knew that they were the tribe who had taken
Mr. Wills's clothes. They then asked me where the third white man was,
and I also made the sign of putting the fingers on the ground, and
covering them with sand, at the same time pointing up the creek. They
appeared to feel great compassion for me when they understood that I was
alone on the creek, and gave me plenty to eat. After being four days
with them, I saw that they were becoming tired of me, and they made
signs that they were going up the creek, and that I had better go
downwards; but I pretended not to understand them. The same day they
shifted camp, and I followed them; and on reaching their camp, I shot
some crows, which pleased them so much that they made me a shelter in
the centre of their camp, and came and sat round until such time as the
crows were cooked, when they assisted me to eat them. The same day one
of the women, to whom I had given part of a crow, came and gave me a
ball of nardoo, saying that she would give me more, only she had such a
sore arm that she was unable to pound. She showed me a sore on her arm,
and the thought struck me that I would boil some water in the billy, and
wash her arm with a sponge. During the operation the whole tribe sat
around, and were muttering one to another. The husband sat down by her
side, and she was crying all the time. After I had washed it, I touched
it with some caustic, when she began to yell and ran off, crying,
'Mokow! mokow!' (Fire! fire!). From this time she and her husband used
to give me a small quantity of nardoo both night and morning, and
whenever the tribe were about going on a fishing excursion, he used to
give me notice to go with them. They also used to assist me in making a
shelter whenever they shifted camp. I generally shot a crow, or a hawk,
and gave it to them in return for these little services. Every four or
five days the tribe would surround me, and ask whether I intended going
up or down the creek. At last I made them understand that if they went
up I should go up the creek, and if they went down, I should also go
down; and from this time they seemed to look upon me as one of
themselves, and supplied me with fish and nardoo regularly. They were
very anxious, however, to know where Burke lay, and one day when we were
fishing in the water-holes close by, I took them to the spot. On seeing
the remains, the whole party wept bitterly, and covered them with
bushes. After this they were much kinder to me than before, and I always
told them that the white men would be here before two moons; and in the
evening, when they came with nardoo and fish, they used to talk about
the 'white fellows' coming, at the same time pointing to the moon. I
also told them they would receive many presents, and they constantly
asked me for tomahawks, called by them 'bomay ho.' From this time to
when the relief-party arrived, a period of about a month, they treated
me with uniform kindness, and looked upon me as one of themselves. The
day on which I was released, one of the tribe who had been fishing came
and told me that the 'white fellows' were coming, and the whole of the
tribe who were then in camp sallied out in every direction to meet the
party, while the man who brought the news took me over the creek, where
I shortly saw the party coming down."
[Illustration: AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES.]
[Illustration: NARDOO PLANT.]
CHAPTER IV.
_SEARCH PARTIES AND CONCLUSION._
We must now turn back to the time when Wright reached the Darling. As
soon as it was known that Burke and the advance party had not been heard
of for five months after leaving Cooper's Creek, great consternation was
felt throughout all the colonies, and relief parties were organised and
equipped with praiseworthy alacrity. A small contingent, under Mr. A. W.
Howitt, was furnished by the Royal Society of Victoria, and started from
Melbourne early in July to examine the banks of Cooper's Creek. On the
14th of August, McKinlay was sent out by the South Australian
Government, with instructions to reach Cooper's Creek by way of Lake
Torrens. Before the end of the same month, two other expeditions--one
under Landsborough, and another under Walker--had set out to explore the
region round about the Gulf of Carpentaria. These expeditions all
prosecuted their search with eagerness, and through their
instrumentality our geographical knowledge of the interior was
greatly extended; but Mr. Howitt's party was the only one that
succeeded in getting facts about the fate of the explorers.
[Illustration: BURYING THE BODY OF POOR WILLS]
From his diary we learn that, with the assistance of Brahé, the depôt
was reached on the 13th of September, and although this ill-fated place
appeared to them to be still undisturbed, they succeeded in finding King
on the fifteenth. He had been living with the blacks for more than two
months, and now presented a melancholy appearance--wasted to a shadow,
and hardly to be distinguished as a civilised being but by the remnants
of clothes upon him. The poor fellow was sitting in a hut, while the
natives were all gathered round, sitting on the ground and looking on
with a most gratified and delighted expression.
After remaining two days to recruit King, Howitt and four of the men set
off with the intention of burying the body of poor Wills. They found the
corpse covered with sand and rushes just as King had left it, and when
they had carefully collected the remains they interred them where they
lay. Mr. Howitt showed their respect by conducting over the grave a
short funeral ceremony. Afterwards the party heaped sand over the grave
and laid bushes upon it, that the natives might know by their own tokens
not to disturb the last repose of a fellow-being. To mark the spot the
following inscription was cut on a tree close by:--
+--------------+
| W. J. WILLS. |
| XLV. YDS. |
| W.N.W. |
| --A. H.-- |
+--------------+
Mr. Howitt deferred his visit to Burke's remains, hoping that King would
be able to accompany him thither; but finding it would not be prudent to
remove King for two or three days, he unwillingly took such directions
as King could give, and started up the creek in search of the spot where
Burke had died. After travelling eight miles they found his remains
lying among tall plants under a clump of box-trees. The bones were
entire, with the exception of the hands and feet, and the body had been
removed from the spot where it first lay, and where the natives had
placed branches over it, to about five paces distant. The revolver,
loaded and capped, was lying close by, partly covered with leaves and
earth, and corroded with rust. A grave was dug, and the remains of the
brave explorer, wrapped in the Union-jack, were gently placed therein.
On a box-tree at the head of the grave Mr. Howitt cut the following
inscription:--
+------------+
| R. O'H. B. |
| 21/9/61. |
| A. H. |
+------------+
The relief-party now went in search of the natives who had been so
hospitable to the unfortunate explorers. On coming up to the blacks, Mr.
Howitt displayed to their astonished gaze some of the things he intended
to give them as a reward for their kindness. They examined the knife and
tomahawk with great interest, but the looking-glass surprised them most.
On seeing their faces reflected in it some seemed dazzled; others opened
their eyes like saucers and made a rattling noise with their tongues,
expressive of surprise. After a friendly palaver, Mr. Howitt gave them
some sugar to taste. They made some absurd sleights-of-hand, as if in
dread of being poisoned, and only pretended to eat it. They were then
made to understand that the whole tribe were to come up to the camp next
morning to receive the presents. On the following day, at ten o'clock,
the friendly blacks appeared in a long procession, and at about a mile
off commenced bawling at the top of their voices. When collected
together, just below the camp, they numbered between thirty and forty,
and the uproar they made was deafening. With the aid of King Mr. Howitt
got them all seated round him, and then distributed the
presents--tomahawks, knives, necklaces, looking-glasses, combs, etc. The
blacks behaved as if they had never before experienced such happiness.
The piccanninies were brought forward by their parents to have red
ribbons tied round their dirty little heads. One old woman, who had been
particularly kind to King, was loaded with presents. Fifty pounds of
sugar was divided amongst them, and soon found its way to their mouths.
Every one had a share in a Union-jack pocket-handkerchief, which they
were very proud of. On fifty pounds of flour being given to them, they
at once called it "white fellow nardoo." The blacks were made to
understand that these things had been given to them for having fed King.
Mr. Howitt then took leave of the delighted fellows, and as he had now
accomplished the object of his journey, he bent his course homewards.
[Illustration: "THEY FOUND THE REMAINS UNDER A CLUMP OF BOX-TREES."]
On his arrival at Melbourne the sad story which he had to tell moved the
minds and hearts of all, and deep grief prevailed throughout Australia.
In Victoria the sorrow was intense, and it was agreed that the bodies of
the two gallant explorers who had forfeited their lives in the nation's
service should be brought to Melbourne and accorded a public funeral.
Mr. Howitt was sent on the painful mission of bringing down their
remains, and returned with them at the close of the year 1862. On the
21st of January 1863 the mournful ceremony took place. By common consent
the greater part of the shops in the city were closed, although no
official announcement had been made intimating that the day should be
held sacred to the memory of Burke and Wills. The remains of the
explorers had been lying in state at the Royal Society's Hall for a
fortnight, and were now placed in handsome coffins and conveyed to the
grave, which is near Sir Charles Hotham's monument. They were
accompanied to their last resting-place by the leading gentlemen of the
colony, and a procession which extended a distance of more than
half-a-mile; while the street pavements were densely thronged with
spectators. The Very Rev. the Dean of Melbourne conducted the funeral
service, after which three volleys were fired. The melancholy honours
awarded to the brave explorers having been paid amid general mourning,
the crowd dispersed and left the heroes in their quiet graves.
Honours of a more substantial kind were not forgotten. To the nearest
relatives of Burke and Wills a large sum of money was voted by the
Government, and King received a grant that enabled him to live
comfortably for the rest of his life.
After the rewards had been given there was a less pleasing duty to be
done. It was generally agreed that, with proper precautions, the
disastrous termination of the expedition could have been avoided. The
Government appointed a committee for the purpose of sifting out the
truth, and its members examined every person in any way connected with
the expedition. The following is a summary of their report:--That in
dividing his party at Menindie, Mr. Burke acted most injudiciously. He
made an error of judgment in engaging Mr. Wright, though a pressing
emergency had arisen for the appointment of someone. Mr. Burke evinced
more zeal than prudence in finally departing from Cooper's Creek
without having secured communication with the settled districts, and
also in undertaking so extended a journey with an insufficient supply of
food. The conduct of Mr. Wright appears to be reprehensible in the
highest degree. The exploration committee committed errors of a serious
nature in not urging Mr. Wright's departure from the Darling. The
conduct of Mr. Brahé in abandoning the depôt may be deserving of
considerable censure; but a responsibility far beyond his expectations
devolved upon him, and his powers of endurance gave way when pressed by
the appeals of a sick comrade, who died shortly afterwards. Many of the
calamities might have been averted, and none of his subordinates could
have pleaded contradictory orders, had Mr. Burke kept a regular journal
and given written instructions to his officers. The report ends
thus:--"We cannot too deeply deplore the lamentable result of an
expedition undertaken at so great a cost to the country; but while we
regret the absence of any systematic plan of operation on the part of
the leader, we desire to express our admiration of his gallantry and
daring, as well as the fidelity of his brave coadjutor, Mr. Wills, and
their more fortunate and enduring associate, Mr. King; and we would
record our deep sympathy with the deplorable sufferings and untimely
death of Mr. Burke and his fellow-comrades."
Two years later a monument was erected in honour of the memory of Burke
and Wills. It is a beautiful statue in bronze, based on granite. The
sculptor was Mr. Charles Summers, an eminent Australian artist. The
materials are also Australian--the bronze is composed of copper from
Adelaide and tin from Beechworth, and the granite was taken from the
Harcourt quarries. The bronze figures of Burke and Wills stand about 12
feet high, and are mounted on a granite pedestal, which is 15 feet high
and 11 feet by 7 feet square at base. The attitude of the explorers is a
very suitable and effective one. Wills is in an easy sitting posture,
and Burke is standing erect with his right arm resting on his comrade's
left shoulder. He is viewing the country towards the left, and is
apparently drawing the attention of his companion to some of its
particular features. Wills, with book on his knee and pencil in hand, is
just about to make a note of them. The sides of the pedestals are
adorned with bronze bas-reliefs, which represent:--(1) The starting of
the expedition from the Royal Park, Melbourne; (2) the return of Burke,
Wills, and King to Cooper's Creek from Carpentaria; (3) the blacks
weeping over the dead body of Burke; and (4) the finding of King by
Howitt's search party.
On the 21st of April 1865 this stately monument was unveiled in the
presence of vast numbers of people by Sir Charles Darling, Governor of
Victoria. After the uncovering ceremony was performed, Sir Charles
Darling delivered the following address, which is condensed from the
_Argus_ of the 22nd of April:--
"At the conclusion of the cheering His Excellency said, 'Ladies and
Gentlemen, Inhabitants of Victoria, I need not tell you that the sounds
which are still reverberating are the echoes of what may be well termed
a national honour to the illustrious dead. To make that honour as
complete and perfect as we can, you have assembled in the vast numbers
which meet the eye in every direction, and I accepted the position which
I now occupy in the appointed ceremonial. On the 20th of August 1860 a
gallant company, now known to all posterity as the "Burke and Wills
Exploring Expedition," set forth, amidst the enthusiastic cheers of
assembled thousands of their fellow-colonists, to win their way from the
southern to the northern shore of the Australian continent. (Cheers.) A
year had nearly passed away when the fact was entertained beyond a doubt
that the victory had been nobly won, but that the leaders, in the
exhausting struggle, had fallen almost in the hour of triumph. In the
manner of their deaths, it seems to me that the distinguishing
characteristics of each were strikingly illustrated. The calm and
philosophic Wills begins his last letter to his father in these
words--"These are probably the last lines you will ever get from me; we
are on the point of starvation, not so much from the absolute want of
food, but from the want of nutriment in what we get;" and he concludes
it with the tranquilly-expressed opinion and assurance, "I think to live
about four or five days; my spirits are excellent." Two days later,
probably but a few hours before his death, the last words recorded in
his journal are literally a scientific dissertation upon the nutritious
nature of the food--the nardoo plant--by means of which they had for
some time protracted their existence. "Place," said the expiring Burke,
instinctively recurring to his early military days, and, as I doubt not,
with the picture of a fallen warrior upon the battle-field vivid in his
imagination, "place my weapon in my hand, and leave me unburied as I
lie." Such was the fate of the men whom this day we mourn and honour.
Then came the universal sorrow, the public funeral, the national
provision for the living, and, lastly, this monument in memory of the
dead. It cannot be said with truth that the people of Victoria have
raised this monument in any boasting or vain-glorious spirit. It had its
origin in a far more noble source. It is designed as the imperishable
record of a deed which, not only on account of its intrinsic importance,
but also of the high qualities which it developed in those who have
achieved it, is justly believed to be worthy of high honour in the
present generation and of future generations. (Cheers.) When, hereafter,
shall be narrated the history of the sorrowful, yet successful
adventure which this statue is intended to commemorate, it will be
forgotten, or remembered only with regret, that there was once cavil and
contention whether a sounder judgment, or--as men who have learned to
believe that the issue of great events are little under the control of
human wisdom may prefer to call it--a more fortunate judgment might not
have been exercised, and a broader beam from the light of experience
brought to bear both upon the inception and the execution of the
exploring enterprise. Nor should we, assembled as we are, not to discuss
the merits of the project, but to pay honour to the memory of those who
conquered the difficulties which beset it, forget that, if it be true
that amongst those difficulties were the want of previous training for,
and special adaption to, the perilous task, so much more were the glory
and credit of the victory enhanced. Nor will the sad tale of the fate of
these men be without its beneficial influence upon the intellectual
training and moral elevation of our people. For, oft as it shall be
told, and ofttimes it will be told upon this very spot, Australian
parents, pointing to that commanding figure, shall bid their young and
aspiring sons to hold in admiration the ardent and energetic spirit, the
bold self-reliance, and the many chivalrous qualities which combined to
constitute the manly nature of O'Hara Burke. (Cheers.) While gazing on
that more lowly and retiring form, they may teach them to emulate the
thirst for science, the deep love of the Almighty's works in nature,
the warm and filial family affections, the devotion to duty,
self-control and submission of his own judgment to authority which he
regarded as rightly conferred and exercised, and which, if I read the
history of his brief career aright, pre-eminently marked the character
and conduct of William Wills. (Cheers.) Better for themselves, and might
haply have averted their melancholy end, if in Burke there had been more
of that practical wisdom which we call prudence, and a larger measure of
self-assertion and desire to sustain his own opinion, in the character
of his unfortunate companion. Better, I have said, for themselves, but
not for the cause of discovery and civilisation, for which they laid
down their lives; for who can doubt that the knowledge of the country
eastward of the line of the successful exploration, which has been
acquired by the expeditions sent forth under the auspices of this and
the sister colonies, to endeavour to solve the mystery of their fate, is
immeasurably greater than could have been reasonably expected to follow
for many years to come, had Burke and Wills returned to enjoy the
peaceful laurels they had won? United in undying fame, all that was
mortal of them now rests in the same hallowed grave. Well we know that
"neither storied urn or animated bust" can "back to its mansion call the
fleeting breath." "Honour's voice" cannot, indeed, "provoke the silent
dust;" if it could, well might their dust breathe again, and be eloquent
to-day. But what man can do has now been done. There in the quiet
cemetery will be placed the "storied urn." Here in the thronged city we
have raised the "animated bust." It shall serve to unite also in
honoured memory the names and effigies--the very form and semblance of
these now celebrated men, whose great exploit has shed such lustre upon
the records of exploration and discovery in this our age, and engrafted
so large a share of interest and glory upon the earlier annals of
Victoria.'"
[Illustration]
OLD TIMES ON THE
GOLD-FIELDS,
INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF
THE BALLARAT REBELLION.
Old Times on the Gold-Fields.
"Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold--
Bright and yellow, hard and cold."
--TOM HOOD.
CHAPTER I.
_THE CONVICT'S STRATAGEM._
The earliest discoverer of gold in Australia is unknown to fame.
Probably he was one of that class of colonists whom Barrington, the
pickpocket, poet, and historian, describes in the oft-quoted couplet:--
"True patriots we, for be it understood,
We left our Country for our Country's good;"
and who were employed on the roads of the colony and on the selections
of its settlers in doing the rough work incidental to the opening of a
new country. For the first report of the existence of the precious metal
we are indebted to the cunning of a convict, who attempted to regain
his liberty by the following stratagem. It is related by Governor Hunter
in his journal of Transactions in the Colonies. In August 1788, a report
was current in the settlement which for some time appeared credible. It
ran thus:--A convict named Dailey had discovered a piece of ground on
which was a considerable quantity of yellow ore. Specimens of the stuff
were examined by the Lieutenant-governor (in the temporary absence of
the Governor), and found to contain several particles of gold. The
convict was interrogated, and so plausible was his tale that the
officials fully believed it, and doubted not that the man had discovered
a valuable field. He was disinclined to make known its whereabouts until
the Governor's return, when he promised to give full particulars of the
discovery, provided he and a certain female prisoner should be liberated
and given berths in one of the ships then on the point of sailing for
England. But the Lieutenant-governor, impatient at the reservation of
the convict, told him that unless the alleged discovery was
substantiated the reward should be of rather a disappointing and
irritating nature. Fearing punishment, the convict relaxed a little, and
said that the mine was on the lower part of the harbour near the
seashore, and offered to lead the officer to the place. Accordingly an
officer and three or four soldiers embarked with the discoverer. He took
them down the harbour and landed them near a wood which he said was
only a short distance from the mine. He led the party into some dense
scrub, and when in the thick of it, managed to give them the slip. The
cheat then made for the camp as quickly as his legs would take him round
the bay, and got back early in the afternoon. He at once informed the
camp officials that the officer was now in possession of the gold-mine.
Shortly afterwards he sneaked away from the camp to a place of
concealment. Meanwhile the party in the scrub waited some time for their
guide, and then spent hours in holloing and in beating the bush for him.
At length the officer decided to return, and as the wily convict had
persuaded him to send back the boat, the party were obliged to march on
foot round to the camp, where they arrived at dusk, and learned with
chagrin of the trick played upon them. In a few days starvation brought
the convict from his lair. He was promptly punished for his deceit,
although he still asserted the truth of his story. An officer was again
sent with him to find the mine, and this time the convict was so
frightened at the officer's threat to shoot him if he attempted to
practice another dodge, that he acknowledged he knew of no mine at all.
On being questioned about the ore produced, the convict confessed he had
filed down part of a yellow metal buckle, mixed with it some gold filed
off a guinea, blended both with some earth, and made the conglomeration
hard as rock.
Colonel Munday relates that in 1823 a convict (one of an ironed gang
working on the roads near Bathurst) was flogged for having in his
possession a lump of rough gold, which the officer in charge imagined
must have been the product of watches or trinkets stolen and melted
down. Indeed, the toiling prisoners of the early days often picked up
bits of gold, but as they could never find any other than the first
small specimens, their claims for reward were disregarded and their
alleged discoveries disbelieved. Long before the actual working of the
gold-fields scientific adventurers had predicted the existence of gold
formations in the mountain ranges explored by them, and geologists who
had never visited Australia had expressed their conviction that the
Australian Cordillera must be auriferous because of the remarkable
similarity of their characteristics and those of other well-known
gold-bearing regions.
EARLY DISCOVERIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES.
The honour of making the first report that was published lies with Count
Strzelecki, for in 1839 he mentioned in the report of his exploration of
New South Wales, under the heading "Gold," of "an auriferous sulphuret
of iron, partly decomposed, yielding a very small quantity or proportion
of gold, sufficient to attest its presence, insufficient to repay its
extraction." At the request of the Governor, who was afraid of the
consequences of awakening the attention of the colonists and the
thousands of convicts to the presence of the alluring metal, the Count
did not at the time make public his discovery and belief.
Two years later the Rev. W. B. Clarke, an enthusiastic geologist, who
for a long time had been engaged in the laborious work of studying the
structure of Australia, found gold in the basin of the Macquarie. He
exhibited his specimens to his friends, to the Government, and also
communicated the facts of his discovery to scientific friends in
England. Subsequent years of exploration increased his conviction as to
the auriferous nature of the mountain ranges, and at various times from
1842 to 1847 he published declarations of the existence of gold-fields.
But no one attempted to profit by his disclosures, for the authorities
still considered it unsafe to disturb the easily excited feelings of the
dwellers in the penal settlement. When Count Strzelecki returned to
England he took with him specimens of the rocks which he had examined.
His theories, together with those of the Rev. W. B. Clarke, respecting
the gold-bearing nature of the Australian ranges, excited the attention
of Sir Roderick Murchison, and in 1844 this eminent scientist described
to the Royal Geographical Society the comparison between the formation
of the Australian Cordillera and that of the Ural Mountains, which he
himself had explored between the years 1841 and 1843. He stated that
although no gold had been detected in the mountains of Australia, yet
they possessed all the auriferous indications of the well-known
gold-fields of Russia. In 1846 he again strongly expressed his belief in
the richness of the Australian ranges, and recommended the tin miners of
Cornwall who wanted employment to emigrate to New South Wales, and there
to search for gold instead of tin.
In addition to the above-named discoveries others were reported to the
Colonial Government; but as it offered no inducement to a continuance of
investigation, and as the discoverers either deemed it of little
practical importance or lacked the public spirit necessary for a
sustained effort to arouse the colonists, the "lucky finds" benefited no
one but the finders themselves. A known instance of the latter is that
of an old shepherd named McGregor. He excited a little temporary
curiosity when, laden with "treasure trove," he travelled by the
mail-coach to the metropolis. After this event subsided the gold-finder
was unheard of for a long time, excepting for the rumour of his refusing
a tempting offer of an enterprising jeweller as an inducement to
disclose the locality of the treasure ground. But as McGregor "made
money" without any other ostensible means than that of shepherding and
gold-finding, his rise to wealth may be taken as an evidence of his
success in the latter occupation.
Several stories can be told of these solitary seekers of the precious
metal; but the pursuit was usually deprecated by men of good standing,
for they believed that on the presence of gold becoming widely known
their own little world would be turned upside down. Some persons who
successfully prosecuted further researches were pronounced as enemies to
the colony when they dared to disclose the facts publicly.
But although the clamours of science and enterprise were silenced for
the time, and gold, sent as specimens of the richness of the country,
sceptically received and even said to be jewels and watches hidden by
thieves and melted by bush fires, yet the fact of the existence of
auriferous ground became at length so evident that the New South Wales
Executive requested the English Government to send out an efficient
geologist to examine the country. For this purpose Mr. Sutchbury, an
eminent scientist, left England in September 1850.
HARGRAVES, THE PIONEER MINER.
While these discoveries were agitating the minds of a section of the
agricultural and pastoral community, the one person who by his
perseverance and intelligence initiated the practical working of the
gold-fields of Australia was, like the father of Norval, tending his
flocks and herds, and living quietly as a squatter near the town of
Bathurst. The alternative droughts and floods occurring between the
years 1844 and 1848 ruined many Australian settlers, and forced others
to change their mode of life. Edward Hammond Hargraves was one of these
latter unfortunates. He had been remarkably prosperous before this
disastrous period, and even after it had sufficient to clear himself
from debt. The discovery of rich mines in California about this time
induced him to endeavour to regain his former fortune by searching for
gold in the valley of the Sacramento. There he spent nearly two toilsome
years seeking the precious metal. His industry was poorly rewarded.
During summer the life at the diggings was tolerable, but in the winter
the cold was very severe, and Hargraves' party suffered intensely. Even
with every particle of clothing they possessed heaped upon them they had
extreme difficulty in keeping the warmth in their bodies whilst
sleeping, and in addition to this there was the danger of the tent being
borne down by the weight of snow upon it, and the risk of being rudely
aroused by the rough paw of any grisly bear that might take it into his
ursine head to leave the surrounding forest in search of food. The
rigours of the climate, added to their bad luck, so dispirited the party
that at the close of the cold season they separated. Hargraves, with a
heavy heart and a light pocket, made for San Francisco. All the hopeful
imaginings which had warmed his blood when he embarked for the
gold-country had now been entirely dissipated by the grim realities of
mining life.
As he journeyed downwards towards the seaport, probably whilst
reflecting on the vicissitudes of life in general and of his own in
particular, he was struck with the appearance of a deep gulch in the
Sierras, which awakened old memories, and it dawned upon him that the
features of the surrounding country were remarkably similar to those of
the valleys near his old home in New South Wales. His two years' toiling
had not weakened his energy nor dulled his observation, but it had made
him more practical. He examined closely the formation of the surrounding
gold-bearing districts, and found that the rocks and even the soil
corresponded in many respects to the Blue Mountains of Australia. The
many resemblances between the two places impressed him firmly with the
belief in the existence of a gold-bearing region in New South Wales.
But his belief did not dissuade him from making another trial at the
Californian diggings. In company with a friend he made several trips up
the Sacramento, and succeeded in finding some payable ground; but
visions of the secluded valleys near his old home constantly haunted his
mind, while the rumours he had heard of the finding of treasures in the
recesses of the Blue Mountains vivified his imaginings and renewed his
old desire of retrieving his fallen fortunes. He disclosed his thoughts
to his mate, and attempted to convince him of the gold-bearing nature
of the hills near Bathurst. But all the dilations of Hargraves were
wasted on his companion, who expatiated upon the foolishness of
forsaking substantial profits for the sake of shadowy prospects, and
pointed out to the enthusiast that the geologists of Australia had
already searched the mountains thoroughly, and that if fortunes could
there be made by opening up a gold-field they would have done so long
before. Hargraves argued that the object of the geologists in examining
the ranges was merely to verify scientific principles, and to further
scientific knowledge; but that to open up a payable gold-field men of a
very different stamp were needed--namely, prospectors with a practical
knowledge of the modes of extracting the gold, and with will and
capability to delve with the pick and to wash the gold-sprinkled earth.
Arguments, however, proved unavailing; therefore Hargraves left his
mate, and all alone shaped his course for New South Wales.
Hargraves reached Sydney in January 1851. He called on his former
friends, and finding himself unable to keep silent on the subject that
was ever in his thoughts, he related his experiences in California and
made his propositions; but they were looked upon as visionary, and when
he wished to borrow a little money in order to carry them out, his
request was coldly received. Of all Hargraves' acquaintances only one
sympathised in any manner with his enthusiasm, and not one of them would
lend any help towards working out his schemes. Determined that his
purpose should not be frustrated, Hargraves resolved, with manly
self-reliance, on going alone to the district that scientists had
pronounced to be auriferous. The few pounds required to buy a horse and
for the expenses on the way he obtained by promising cent. per cent.
interest on the loan, and repayment of the whole within a few months.
Early in February he set out upon his lonely journey. Every hour brought
before him the old familiar scenes which reminded him of his former
squatting life. Every step onward quickened his feelings and increased
his hopes of regaining fortune by bringing him nearer to the Eldorado
that was so rich and bountiful in his imagination.
On the eleventh of the month the solitary horseman arrived at a small
inn on the slope of the Blue Mountains. He hinted to the lady the object
of his journey. She became interested in the handsome and travel-stained
enthusiast, and at his request allowed her son to guide him to various
creeks in the vicinity.
Early the next morning Hargraves, accompanied by the boy, left the inn.
After a long journey through the bush they came to Summerhill Creek.
This was the destination of our gold-fields' pioneer. A good look around
confirmed his anticipations, and with glowing feelings he gazed at the
realities of what had haunted him in his visions. Then, in order to
relieve the intense strain which his mind had continuously endured for
the past few months, he lay quietly down on the banks of the quiet
creek. After a short rest, he took pick and trowel in hand, and
prospected along the water-course. Five panfuls of earth and gravel were
in a short time collected, and in four of them he found gold. Much
elated at this result, and as the day was now drawing to a close, he
decided to return to the inn and renew his searches on the morrow.
When he reached the inn he very carefully wrote an account of his doings
and discoveries during the day, for well he knew that besides being a
fortunate one for himself, the 12th of February 1851 would be a
memorable day in the annals of Australia.
The next day he further examined the creek, and for the two following
months he continued his prospecting with unflagging industry. His
researches were crowned with indubitable success. He saw enough of the
precious metal to convince him of the richness of the gold-field, and
also discovered indications of its presence in many surrounding places.
Then, feeling satisfied that the object of his expedition was
accomplished, even beyond his expectations, he returned to Sydney for
the purpose of obtaining a reward for his discoveries, and making them
known to the public.
The Government of New South Wales received with suspicion the
discoverer's statement that he could point out a rich gold-field within
the boundaries of the colony. The many pretended gold discoveries had
made them chary of belief in such reports, besides which the convict
element was still a cause of fear; while, above all, it was thought that
the existence of genuine gold-fields in the Blue Mountains would long
since have been discovered and made known by the many geologists and
other scientists who had explored the ranges.
But Hargraves was too sensible a man to be discouraged by the rebuffs of
a Conservative Government. He saw the importance of his discovery, and
by dint of personally interviewing the Colonial Secretary, he drew from
that gentleman a recognition of it; and with characteristic caution and
shrewdness obtained a guarantee of the Government reward in the event of
its proving valuable. Then he undertook to disclose the secret to the
Government geologist, and also persuaded persons to accompany him to the
scene of his discoveries. The latter he accomplished by delivering a
lecture at the town of Bathurst, and by forming companies of miners, to
whom he took upon himself to give a Government authority to dig for the
precious metal. The excitement raised in the town spread through the
surrounding districts, and very soon numbers of shepherds were allured
from the green pastures unto the "yellow sands." This rushing away from
the ordinary employments was expected to entail great losses to the
stockholders, while it was feared by the more timid that the scenes once
enacted at the Californian diggings would soon be acted over again on
these fields.
The Government geologist was in due time despatched to test the value
and importance of the alleged discoveries. He fully confirmed the truth
of the statements made by Hargraves, and advised the Government to
engage the pioneer to carry out their measures, because the experience
and knowledge in mining matters which he had acquired in California
would make him specially valuable at the time of the opening up of fresh
diggings.
Before the end of May, one thousand men were on the spot selected by
Hargraves, and the extent and rich productiveness of the gold-fields had
become so widely known that hundreds flocked daily out of Sydney. The
Government, after some vain efforts to check this rush, wisely desisted
from the attempt, and proceeded to establish regulations to preserve
good order at the diggings. They issued licenses, without which it was
illegal to dig or search for gold, and also enforced, with the aid of a
body of foot and mounted police, obedience to the laws.
Hargraves was appointed a Commissioner of Crown Lands for the purpose of
searching, on behalf of the Government, for further fields of employment
for gold-diggers. In addition to his salary as Commissioner, he was
at once rewarded £500 for his valuable discoveries; and subsequently,
when the magnitude of their importance had become more generally
realised, this amount was increased by grants from the New South Wales
and Victorian Governments, and by testimonials from the citizens of
Sydney and Melbourne, to the handsome extent of £15,000.
[Illustration: A BUSH FIRE.]
Edward Hammond Hargraves was presented to the Queen in 1853 as the
Australian gold discoverer. The liberal rewards and honours bestowed
upon him are but an infinitesimal portion of the wealth and fame which
have accrued to the colonists through his discovery. And it is mainly
owing to the thoughtfulness, cleverness, and enterprising perseverance
of Hargraves, that in an extremely short period Australia has taken an
advanced position among the nations of the world.
THE ABORIGINAL DISCOVERER.
The excitement which Hargraves' revelations had raised abated a little
early in June, for the weather was cold, wet, and inclement, and the
digger's life was thus rendered miserable. The rains flooded the creeks
and drenched the diggers, the floods effectively preventing all from
gold-hunting. Many on the gold-fields became disheartened, and returned
to Sydney with such gloomy reports that for a time the rush from town
was wholly checked. Towards the close of June, however, a shepherd
picked up gold in the neighbourhood of Turon river. News of this rapidly
spread round the district, and in a few days hundreds were on the spot
hunting greedily for further treasures.
The next "lucky find" was a magnificent one. Near the scene of this new
rush an aboriginal, obtaining a brief respite from minding his master's
sheep, took a tomahawk in hand and amused himself by playing the
geologist. He wandered about chipping the rocks and examining the
country adjacent to the sheep run. A glittering, yellow substance
sticking out of a rock attracted his attention. Applying his tomahawk,
he struck off a portion, when a lump of the metal so coveted by the
white fellow was revealed to his delighted gaze. The intelligent black
darted away to bring his master to behold the golden prize. Shortly
afterwards he and his master (Dr. Kerr) arrived at the spot. By working
laboriously with a sledge-hammer, and breaking the gigantic mass into
three pieces, they managed to disembowel quartz and gold weighing over
two hundredweight. Out of these lumps the mammoth treasure-trove of one
hundred and sixty pounds of pure gold was obtained, which on being sold
realised the magnificent sum of £4160.
This "Kerr Hundredweight" eclipsed anything ever previously seen in the
shape of nuggets. The rumour of its dazzling proportions attracted the
notice of adventurers, and increased tenfold the stream of
fortune-hunters that flowed towards the Turon mines. The district soon
became so prosperous, and the price of land in the vicinity so high,
that land-holders in other districts, fearing a depreciation in the
value of their property, were induced to offer rewards for discoveries
in their own neighbourhood.
But the fame of the New South Wales gold-fields was short-lived, for
greater treasures were a few months afterwards discovered in Victoria;
and the continued steady yield there put all other discoveries
completely in the shade. The shifting population of the original
diggings at once withdrew from the tributaries of the Macquarie, and
numbers on their way thither deflected their course on hearing of the
richer auriferous creeks in the neighbouring colony.