A Lady's Visit to the Gold Digg

ry to write a few words in description of our gold-digging party there; their Christ

g and energetic, more accustomed to use his brains than his fingers, yet with a robust frame, and muscles well strengthened by the va

ent of his parents, he had none. A situation as clerk in a merchant's office was his only resource, and during three years he had eked out his salary to support a delicate wife-whose ill health was a neverfailing source of anxiety and expense-two infants, and himself. An unexpected legacy of 500 pounds from a distant relative at last seemed to open a brighter prospect before them; and leaving his wife and children with their relatives, he quitted England to s

omised to settle him in the world as soon as a short apprenticeship to business had been gone through. A sudden illness put a stop to all these schemes. The physicians recommended change of air, a warmer climate, a trip to Australia. William had relatives residing in Melbourne, so the journey was quickly decided upon, a cabin taken; and the invalid rapidly recovering beneath the exhilarating effects of the sea-breez

e than hard work, yet ever keeping a sharp eye to th

in Melbourne he came t

one of the bad HABITS

" was m

ape. A fellow down at Liardet's admired the cut, asked me to sell it. I charged

d him always to be at home by midnight, he shipped himself off to Australia, trusting that so energetic a step "would bring the govenor to his senses." He was

all capital to try his fortune in the colonies. For this he was in every way well fitted, being possessed of a strong constitu

ned to move from our present quarters, and pitch our tents higher up the gully, near Montgomery's store. This we accomplished the first thing

for their

st useless in Melbourne. The third was, or rather had been, a house-painter and decorator, who unfortunately possessed a tolerably fine voice, which led him gradually to abandon a good business to perform at concerts. Too late he found that he had dropped the substance for the shadow; emigration seemed his only resource; so leaving a wife and large family behind, he brought his mortified van

ortion of the cargo consisted of some gunpowder and percusion-caps. The day after, by good fortune, we disposed of the dray and horses for 250 pounds, being only 40 pounds less than we paid for them. As the cost of keeping horses at the diggings is very great (sometimes two or three poun

which was a walk of nearly five miles to the Commission

almost impossible to sleep. Never before could I have imagined that a woman's voice

ristened her "th

ing and drinking spirits, swearing, and smoking a short tobacco-pipe at the door of her tent. She was a most repulsive looking object. A dirty gaudy-coloured dress hung unfastened about her shoulders, coarse black hair unbrushed, uncombed, dangled ab

it was misery to be within earshot; so much so, that we decided to leave so uncomfortable a neighbourhood without lo

nt claims were marked out ready to commence working the nex

n his shoulders. After a little confidential talk with William, he left the sack in our tent, as he had no other safe place t

, which were fixed in the ground in the form of a triangle, about a yard apart, and were joined together at the top, at which part the oven was hung over a wood fire. This grand cooking machine was, of co

to know how much it weighed, but the meat was very good. Flour was then a shilling a pound, or two hundred pounds weight for

ided for them. They brought home a tin-dish full of surface s

rt"-digger's technical term for earth, or soil-that they had brought, filled the dish up with water, and then with a thick stick commenced making it into a batter; this was a most necessary commencement, as the soil was of a very stiff clay. I then let this batter-I know no name more appropriate for it-settle, and carefully poured off the water at the top. I now added some clean water, and repeat

it well and quickly can knock off in the course of the day. To do this, however, requires great manual dexterity, and much gold is lost by

th was all he would plead guilty to. I verily believe William had put him up to this dodge, to make us smile when we should have felt annoyed. Being taxed with deceit, said he: "I told you two-thirds truth; there wanted but two more letters to make it BRANDY," and with the greatest SANG-FROID he drew out a small keg of brandy from the first sack and half-filled the bottles with the spirit, after which he fille

th our shipmates and with the two doctors, who had bought a tent

collected about I ounce and a half of gold-dust, counting the little I had washed out on the Friday. In the evening it was all dried by being placed in a spade over a quick fire. We had before determined to square accounts

ge of 2s. 6d. a point. Luckily for their arms, this strata was but thin, and the yellow or blue clay which followed was comparatively easy work-here and there an awkward lump of quartz required the use of the pick. Suddenly they came to some glittering particles of yellow, which, with heartfelt delight they hai

civilized life, we attempted to make as much difference as possible between the day of rest and that of work. Frank p

ion of a huge plum-pudding for the Sunday's dinner. Stoning plums and chopping suet seemed to afford them immense pleasure-I suppos

to our shipmates. I was certainly most agreeably surp

"Suona la tromba," with a bucket full of this heavy soil in each hand. He broke off in the middle of his song to ask for some water to drink, and grumbled most energetically at such dirty work. He then gave me an account of the morning's doings. After a thin layer of the black surface soil, it appeared they had come to a strata of thick yellow clay, in which gold was often very abunda

ther four, though pretty tired with the days labour, lent a helping hand, the united efforts of nine speedily accomplished this business, after whic

lled with the two doctors because they would not give her a written certificate, that the state of her health required the constant use of spirits. She offered them two guineas for it, which they indignantly refused, and she then declared her intention of injur

old was the result; our shipmates, however, met with better success, having found three small

ay was spent in pud

it about with their feet in the same manner as tradition affirms that the London bakers knead their bread. Every now and again the dirtied water is poured off gently, and with a fresh supply, which is furnished by a mate with a long-handled dipper from the stream or pool, you puddle away. The great thing is, not to be afraid Of over-work, for the better the puddling is, so much the mo

t had filled several vacated holes, and as there were five pair of

ccount of ou

e dips too much, a little gold may wash off with the light sand. The cradling machine, though simple in itself, is rather difficult to describe. In shape and size it resembles an infant's cradle, and over that portion of it where, if for a baby, a hood would be, is a perforated plate with wooden sides, a few inches high all round, forming a sort of box with the perforated plate for a bottom; this box is

less calculated upon, and Richard signified his intention of returning to Melbourne, "He could no longer put up with such ungentlemanly work in so very unintellectual a neighbourhood, with bad living into the bargain." These last words, which were pronounced SOTTO VOCE, gave us a slight clue to the real cause of his dislike to the diggings, though we, did not thoroughly understand it till next morning. It originated in some bottles of mixed pickles which he had in vain wanted Frank, who this week was caterer for the party, to purchase at four shillings a bottle, which sum, as we were all on economical thoughts intent,

situation I believe he now fills; and as "the governor," to use Richard's own expression, "has not yet come to his senses," he must greatly regret having allowed his temper to be the cause of his leaving the comforts of home. His companion, who parted with Richard at Kilmore, was robbed of what little gold he had, and otherwise maltreated, whilst pass

pearance. The other was left over till the next morning. This was altogether very disheartening work, particularly as the expenses of living were not small. There were many, however, much worse off than ourselves, though here and there a lucky

the dish to and fro in the process of washing, an immense number of small nuggets displayed themselves, which fact in a loud tone he announced to his "mate", at the same time swearing at him for keeping at work so late in the evening. This digger, who was shovelling up m

the other; "and I'll sell the hol

, who during the time had collected round, and amon

again shouted the washer, giving a glan

well!" letting some of the water

ne of the three stepped forwar

er; "these here fellers 'll

chasers were about to commence possessio

he stuff in it," and turning out the dirt into a small tub

id the buyers find in

us metal. The "pocket" was situated in a dark corner of the hole, and William was the one whose fossicking-knife first brought its hidden beauties to light. Nugget

elapse before we could know whether this was but a passing kindne

ee more claims round the lucky spot, and send our gold down to the escort-office for security. For the present we were obliged to content ourselves with "planting" it-that is, burying it in the ground; and not a footstep passed in our neighbourhood with