Books: A Lady\'s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852 53
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Mrs Charles (Ellen) Clacy >> A Lady\'s Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852 53
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A species of mocking-bird which inhabits the bush is a ludicrous
creature. It imitates everything, and makes many a camping party
imagine there is a man near them, when they hear its whistle or hearty
laugh. This bird is nicknamed the "Jackass," and its loud "ha! ha! ha!"
is heard every morning at dawn echoing through the woods and serving
the purpose of a "boots" by calling the sleepy traveller in good time
to get his breakfast and pursue his journey. The bats here are very
large.
Insects, fleas, &c., are as plentiful as it is possible to be, and the
ants, of which there are several kinds, are a perfect nuisance. The
largest are called by the old colonists, "bull-dogs," and formidable
creatures they are--luckily not very common, about an inch and a half
long, black, or rusty-black, with a red tail. They bite like a
little crab. Ants of an inch long are quite common. They do not--like the
English ones--run scared away at the sight of a human being--not a
bit of it; Australian ants have more PLUCK, and will turn and face you.
Nay, more, should you RETREAT, they will run after you with all the
impudence imaginable. Often when my organ of destructiveness has
tempted me slightly to disturb with the end of my parasol one of the
many ant-hills on the way from Melbourne to Richmond, I have been
obliged, as soon as they discovered the perpetrator of the attack, to
take to my heels and run away as if for my life.
Centipedes and triantelopes (colonial, for tarantula) are very common,
and though not exactly fatal, are very dangerous if not attended to.
The deaf adder is the most formidable "varmint" in Australia. There are
two varieties; it is generally about two feet long. The bite is fatal.
The deaf adder never moves unless it is touched, hence its name. I do
not think it has the power of twisting or twirling, like the
ordinary snake or adder and it is very slow in its movements. There are
several species of snakes, some of them are extremely venomous and grow
to a large size, as long as ten feet. The black snake is the most
venomous of any; its bite is fatal within a few hours.
But let us leave these wilder subjects and return to Melbourne.
The state of society in the town had not much improved during my
absence. On the public road from Melbourne to St. Kilda, fifteen men
were robbed in one afternoon, and tied to trees within sight of one
another. In Melbourne itself the same want of security prevailed, and
concerts, lectures, &c., were always advertised to take place when
there was a full moon, the only nights any one, unarmed, dared venture,
out after dusk. The following extract from the "Argus," gives a fair
specimen of Melbourne order.
"We are led to these remarks (referring to a tirade against the
Government) by an occurrence that took place last week in Queen Street,
the whole detail of which is peculiarly illustrative of the
very creditable state of things, to which, under the happy auspices of
a La Trobe dynasty, we are rapidly descending.
"A ruffian robs a man in a public-house, in broad daylight. He is
pursued by a constable and taken. On the way to the watchhouse a mob
collects, the police are attacked, pistols are pointed, bludgeons and
axe-handles are brought out of the adjacent houses (all still in broad
daylight, and in a busy street), and distributed amongst the crowd,
loud cries inciting attack are heard, a scuffle ensues, the police are
beaten, the prisoner is rescued, the crowd separates, and a man is left
dead upon the ground. The body is taken into a public-house, an inquest
is held, the deceased is recognized as a drunkard, the jury is assured
that a POST-MORTEM examination is quite unnecessary; and the man is
buried, after a verdict is brought in of 'Died by the visitation of
God;' the said visitation of God having, in this instance, assumed the
somewhat peculiar form of a fractured skull!"
This is a true picture of Melbourne; but whether the "Argus" is
justified in reproaching the "La Trobe dynasty" with it, is quite
another matter.
In pages like these, anything resembling an argument on the
"transportation question," would be sadly out of place. To avoid
thinking or hearing it was impossible, for during my second stay in
Melbourne, it was a never-failing subject of conversation. In Victoria
(which is only forty-eight hours' journey from Van Diemen's Land), I
have seen the bad results of the mingling of so many transports and
ticket-of-leave men among the free population. On the other hand, I
have heard from many and good authorities, of the substantial benefits
conferred on Sydney and New South Wales by convict labour. It is
difficult to reconcile these two statements, and it is an apple of
discord in the colonies.
Whilst in Victoria, I met with a great variety of emigrants, and I was
much struck by the great success that seems to have attended on almost
all of those who came out under the auspices of Mrs. Chisholm. No one
in England can fully appreciate the benefits her unwearied
exertions have conferred upon the colonies. I have met many of the
matrons of her ships, and not only do they themselves seem to have made
their way in the world, but the young females who were under their care
during the voyage appear to have done equally well. Perhaps one way of
accounting for this, is the fact that a great many of those going out
by the Chisholm Society are from Scotland, the inhabitants of which
country are peculiarly fortunate in the colonies, their industry,
frugality, and "canniness" being the very qualities to make a fortune
there. "Sydney Herbert's needlewomen" bear but a bad name; and the
worst recommendation a young girl applying for a situation can give, is
to say she came out in that manner--not because the colonists look down
on any one coming out by the assistance of others, but because it is
imagined her female associates on the voyage cannot have been such as
to improve her morality, even if she were good for anything before.
Much is said and written in England about the scarcity of
females in Australia, and the many good offers awaiting the acceptance
of those who have the courage to travel so far. But the colonial
bachelors, who are so ready to get married, and so very easy in their
choice of a wife, are generally those the least calculated, in spite of
their wealth, to make a respectable girl happy; whilst the better class
of squatters and diggers--if they do not return home to get married,
which is often the case--are not satisfied with any one, however pretty,
for a wife, unless her manners are cultivated and her principles
correct.
To wander through Melbourne and its environs, no one would imagine that
females were as one to four of the male population; for bonnets and
parasols everywhere outnumber the wide-awakes. This is occasioned by
the absence of so many of the "lords of creation" in pursuit of what
they value--many of them, at least--more than all the women in the
world--nuggets. The wives thus left in town to deplore their husbands'
infatuation, are termed "grass-widows"--a mining expression.
And now two out of the three weeks of our party's stay in Melbourne has
expired, during which time a change (purely personal) had made my
brother's protection no longer needed by me. MY wedding-trip was to be
to England, and the marriage was to take place, and myself and CARO
SPOSO to leave Australia before my brother departed for the Ovens
diggings. The 'C----,' a fine East Indiaman, then lying in the bay, was
bound for London. We were to be on board by the 12th of November.
This of course gave me plenty to do, and my last morning but one in
Melbourne was dedicated to that favourite feminine occupation--which,
however, I detest--I mean, shopping. This being accomplished to my great
dissatisfaction--for all I bought could have been obtained, of a better
description, for half the price in England--I was preparing to return
home by way of Collins Street, when my name in familiar accents made me
suddenly pause. I instantly recognised the lady who addressed me as one
of the English governesses in a "finishing" school where three years of
my girlhood were passed. Julia ------ was a great favourite among
us; no one could have done otherwise than admire the ability and
good-humour with which she fulfilled her many arduous duties. Perhaps,
of all miserable positions for a well-educated and refined young person
to be placed in, that of "little girls' teacher" in a lady's school is
the worst.
Her subsequent history I learnt as we walked together to my present
abode.
Her mother had had a cousin in Sydney, who being old and unmarried,
wrote to her, promising to settle all his property, which was
considered large, upon her daughter and herself, his only living
relatives, provided they came out to the colonies to live with him
until his death. A sum of money to defray the expenses of the voyage
was enclosed. This piece of unexpected good news was received with
pleasure, and the invitation gladly accepted. They sailed for Sydney.
On arriving there, they found that some speculation, in which he was
greatly involved, had failed; and the old man had taken the loss so
greatly to heart, that he died only five months after having
dispatched the letter to his English relatives.
Poor Julia was placed in a most painful position. In England she had
scarcely been able to support her invalid mother by her own exertions,
but in a strange country and without friends these difficulties seemed
increased. Her first act was to look over the advertizing columns of
the papers, and her eye caught sight of one which seemed exactly to
suit her. It was, "Wanted, a governess to take the entire charge of a
little girl, the daughter of a widower, and also an elderly lady, to
superintend the domestic arrangements of the same family during the
continual absence of the master at another station." Julia wrote
immediately, and was accepted. In the occasional visits that her
pupil's father paid to his little girl, he could not fail to be struck
by the sweet disposition and many other good qualities of her
governess, and it ended by his making her his wife. I felt at liberty
to congratulate her, for she looked the picture of happiness. I saw her
again next day, when she showed me the advertisement which had
been the means of such a change in her circumstances.
The day before my departure was a painful one, so many farewells to be
taken of dear friends whom I should never meet again.
On Friday, the 15th of November, my brother and all our party, Richard
and Jessie included, accompanied us to the pier at Williamstown, to
which we were conveyed by a steamer. For this we paid five shillings
a-piece, and the same for each separate box or parcel, and twelve
shillings to a man for carting our luggage down to the Melbourne wharf,
a distance of not a mile.
On landing at the pier, how greatly was I astonished to meet Harriette
and her husband. Her modest desires were gratified, and they had
realized sufficient capital at the diggings to enable them to settle
most comfortably near Adelaide. In hurried words she told me this, for
their boat was already alongside the pier waiting to take them to their
ship. Hardly had they departed than a boat arrived from our
vessel to convey us to it. Sad adieux were spoken, and we were rowed
away.
That evening a pilot came on board, anchors were weighed, we left the
bay, and I saw Melbourne no more.
Chapter XVII.
HOMEWARD BOUND
We soon left Port Philip far behind, and in a few days saw nothing but
a vast expanse of water all around us. Our vessel was filled with
returning diggers; and it is worth while to remark that only two had
been unsuccessful, and these had only been at the diggings a few days.
One family on board interested me very much. It consisted of father,
mother, and two children. The eldest, a little, girl, had been born
some time before they left England. Her brother was a sturdy fellow of
two years old, born in the colonies soon after their arrival.
He could just toddle about the deck, where he was everlastingly looking
for "dold," and "nuddets." The whole family had been at the diggings
for nine months, and were returning with something more than 2,000 pounds
worth of gold. In England it had been hard work to obtain sufficient
food by the most constant labour; they had good reason to be thankful
for the discovery of the gold-fields.
Saturday, November 27, was forty-eight hours long, or two days of the
same name and date. Sailing right round the world in the direction of
from west to east, we gained exactly twenty-four hours upon those who
stay at home; and we were therefore obliged to make one day double to
prevent finding ourselves wrong in our dates and days on our arrival in
England. Melbourne is about ten hours before London, and therefore
night, and day are reversed.
Rapidly it became cooler, for the winds were rather contrary, and drove
us much farther south than was needed. We were glad to avail
ourselves of our opossum rugs to keep ourselves warm. One of these rugs
is quite sufficient covering of a night in the coldest weather, and
imparts as much heat as a dozen blankets. They are made from the skins
of the opossums, sewn together by the natives with the sinews of the
same animal. Each skin is about twelve inches by eight, or smaller; and
as the rugs are generally very large, they contain sometimes as many as
eighty skins. They may be tastefully arranged, as there is a great
difference in the colours; some being like a rich sable, others nearly
black, and others again of a grey and light brown. The fur is long and
silky. At one time a rug of this description was cheap enough--perhaps
as much as two sovereigns but the great demand for them by diggers,
&c., has made them much more scarce, and it now requires a ten
pound-note to get a good one. The best come from Van Diemen's Land. In
summer they are disagreeable, as they harbour insects.
However, whilst rounding Cape Horn, in the coldest weather I ever
experienced, we were only too happy to throw them over us
during the nights.
One morning we were awakened by a great confusion on deck. Our ship was
ploughing through a quantity of broken ice. That same afternoon, we
sighted an immense iceberg about ten miles from us. Its size may be
imagined from the fact, that, although we were sailing at a rate of ten
knots an hour, we kept it in sight till dark. This was on the 3rd of
December.
We soon rounded the Horn, and had some very rough weather. One of the
sailors fell off the jib-boom; and the cry of "man overboard" made our
hearts beat with horror. Every sail was on; we were running right
before the wind, and the waves were mountains high, a boat must have
been swamped; and long before we could "bout ship", he had sunk to
rise no more.
After rounding Cape Horn, we made rapid progress; by Christmas Day, we
were in the Tropics. It was not kept with much joviality, for water and
food were running scarce. Provisions were so dear in Melbourne,
that they had laid in a short allowance of everything, and our captain
had not anticipated half so many passengers. We tried, therefore, to
put into St. Helena, but contrary winds preventing us, we sailed back
again to the South American coast, and anchored off Pernambuco. It was
providential that economical intentions made our captain prefer this
port, for had we touched at Rio, we should have encountered the yellow
fever, which we afterwards heard was raging there.
Pernambuco is apparently a very pretty place. We were anchored about
four miles from the town, so had a good view of the coast. I longed to
be on shore to ramble beneath the elegant cocoa-nut-trees. The weather
was intensely hot, for it was in the commencement of January; and the
boats full of fruit, sent from the shore for sale, were soon emptied by
us. I call them boats, but they are properly termed catamarans. They
are made of logs of wood lashed securely together; they have a sail and
oars but no sides, so the water rushes over, and threatens
every moment to engulf the frail conveyance; but no, the wood is too
light for that. The fruits brought us from shore were oranges,
pine-apples, water-melons, limes, bananas, cocoa-nuts, &c., and some
yams, which were a good substitute for potatoes. The fruit was all very
good, and astonishingly cheap; our oranges being green, lasted till we
reached England. Some of our passengers went on shore, and returned
with marvellous accounts of the dirtiness and narrowness of the
streets, and the extremely NATURAL costume of the natives.
We remained here about four days, and then, with favourable winds,
pursued our voyage at an average rate of ten or twelve knots an hour.
As we neared the English coast, our excitement increased to an awful
height; and for those who had been many years away, I can imagine every
trivial delay was fraught with anxiety.
But we come in sight of land; and in spite of the cold weather, for it
is now February, 1853, every one rushes to the deck. On we go;
at last we are in the Downs, and then the wind turned right against us.
Boats were put off from the Deal beach. The boatmen there rightly
calculated that lucky gold-diggers wouldn't mind paying a pound a-piece
to get ashore, so they charged that, and got plenty of customers
notwithstanding.
On Sunday, the 27th of February, I again set foot on my native land. It
was evening when we reached the shore, and there was only an open
vehicle to convey us to the town of Deal itself. The evening was
bitterly cold, and the snow lay upon the ground. As we proceeded along,
the sounds of the Sabbath bell broke softly on the air. No greeting
could have been more pleasing or more congenial to my feelings.
Chapter XVIII.
CONCLUSION
As I trust that, in the foregoing pages, I have slightly interested my
readers in "our party," the following additional account of their
movements, contained in letters addressed to me by my brother, may not
be quite uninteresting.
The Ovens diggings are on the river of the same name, which takes its
rise in the Australian Alps, and flows into the Murray. As these Alps
separate New South Wales from Victoria, these diggings belong to the
latter province. They are about forty miles from the town of
Albury. They are spread over a large space of ground. The principal
localities are Spring and Reid's Creeks.
Now for the letters.
"Melbourne, January 5, 1853.
"My dear E--,
"You'll be surprised at the heading of this but the Ovens are not to my
taste, and I'm off again with Frank and Octavius to Bendigo tomorrow. I
suppose you'll like to hear of our adventures up to the Ovens, and the
reasons for this sudden change of plans. We left Melbourne the Monday
after you sailed, and camped out half-way to Kilmore, a little beyond
the 'Lady of the Lake.' The day was fine, but the dust made us
wretched. Next day, we reached Kilmore--stopped there all night. Next
day on again, and the farther we went, the more uncivilized it
became--hills here, forests there, as wild and savage as any one could
desire. It was 'bushing it' with a vengeance. This lasted several days.
Once we lost our road, and came, by good luck, to a sort of
station. They received us very hospitably, and set us right next
morning. Four days after, we came to the Goulburn river. There was a
punt to take us over, and a host of people (many from Bendigo) waiting
to cross. Three days after, we pitched out tents at the Ovens. Here I
soon saw it was no go. There was too much water, and too little gold;
and even if they could knock the first difficulty on the head, I don't
think they could do the same to the second. In my own mind, I think it
impossible that the Ovens will ever turn out the second Bendigo that
many imagine. Hundreds differ from me, therefore it's hundreds to one
that I'm wrong. The average wages, as far as I can judge, are an ounce
a-week; some much more, many much less. We did not attempt digging
ourselves. Eagle Hawk shallowness has spoilt us, for not even Octavius
(who, you know of old, was a harder worker than either Frank or self)
thinks it worth digging through fourteen or sixteen feet of
hard clay for the mere pleasure of exercising our limbs. Provisions
there were not at the high price that many supposed they would be, but
quite high enough, Heaven knows! Meat was very scarce and bad, and
flour all but a shilling a pound; and if the fresh arrivals keep
flocking in, and no greater supply of food, it will get higher still.
We stayed there two weeks, then brought our dray back again, and are
now busy getting ready for a fresh start to Bendigo. Among other things
we shall take, are lemonade and ginger-beer powders, a profitable
investment, though laughable. The weather is very hot--fancy 103 degrees
in the shade. Water is getting scarce."
* * * * *
"Have seen all our friends in Melbourne except Richard, who left for
England a fortnight ago. Jessie is well, and growing quite pretty. She
says she is extremely happy, and sends such a number of
messages to you, that I'll write none, for fear of making a mistake.
Will write again soon."
* * * * *
"Your affectionate brother, in haste,
"----"
"Melbourne, April 17, 1853.
"My dear E----,
"I suppose you've thought I was buried in my hole, or 'kilt' by
bushrangers in the Black Forest; but I've been so occupied in the
worship of Mammon, as to have little thoughts for anything else.
* * * * *
"We made a good thing of our last two speculations. Ginger-beer and
lemonade, or lemon kali, at sixpence a tiny glass, paid well. A
successful digger would drink off a dozen one after another. Some days,
we have taken ten pounds in sixpences at this fun. What they
bought of us wouldn't harm them, but many mix up all sorts of injurious
articles to sell; but our consciences, thank God! are not colonised
sufficiently for that. We have had steady good luck in the digging line
(for we combine everything), and after this next trip, mean to dissolve
partnership.
* * * * *
"Octavius talks of going out as overseer, or something of that sort, to
some squatter in New South Wales for a year or so, just to learn the
system, &c., and then, if possible, take a sheep-run himself. Frank
means to send for Mrs. Frank and small Co. He says he shall stay in
Victoria for some years. I do believe he likes the colony. As for
myself, I hope to see the last of it in six weeks' time.
* * * * *
"Hurrah for Old England!--no place like it.
* * * * *
"Your very affectionate brother,
"----"
With a cordial assent to the last few words, I conclude these pages.
APPENDIX
WHO SHOULD EMIGRATE?
The question of "Who should emigrate?" has now become one of such
importance (owing to the number who are desirous of quitting their
native land to seek a surer means of subsistence in our vast colonial
possessions), that any book treating of Australia would be sadly
deficient were a subject of such universal interest to be left
unnoticed; and where there are so many of various capabilities, means
and disposititoins, in need of guidance and advice as to the advantage
of their emigrating, it is probable that the experience of any one,
however slight that experience may be, will be useful to some.
Any one to succeed in the colonies must take with him a quantity of
self-reliance, energy, and perseverance; this is the best capital a man
can have. Let none rely upon introductions--they are but useless things
at the best--they may get you invited to a good dinner; but now that
fresh arrivals in Melbourne are so much more numerous than heretofore,
I almost doubt if they would do even that. A quick, clever fellow with
a trade of his own, inured to labour, and with a light heart, that can
laugh at the many privations which the gipsy sort of life he must lead
in the colonies will entail upon him; any one of this description
cannot fail to get on. But for the number of clerks, shopmen, &c., who
daily arrive in Australia, there is a worse chance of their gaining a
livelihood than if they had remained at home. With this description of
labour the colonial market is largely overstocked; and it is
distressing to notice the number of young men incapable of
severe manual labour, who, with delicate health, and probably still
more delicately filled purses, swarm the towns in search of employment,
and are exposed to heavy expenses which they can earn nothing to meet.
Such men have rarely been successful at the diggings; the demand for
them in their accustomed pursuits is very limited in proportion to
their numbers; they gradually sink into extreme poverty--too often into
reckless or criminal habits--till they disappear from the streets to
make way for others similarly unfortunate.
A little while since I met with the histories of two individuals
belonging to two very different classes of emigrants; and they are so
applicable to this subject, that I cannot forbear repeating them.
The first account is that of a gentleman who went to Melbourne some
eight months ago, carrying with him a stock of elegant acquirements and
accomplishments, but little capital. He is now in a starving condition,
almost with-out the hope of extrication, and is imploring from
his friends the means to return to England, if he live long enough to
receive them. The colours in which he paints the colonies are
deplorable in the extreme.
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