by Mayne Reid
the second trooper.
"Because I was in haste to reach home," I answered.
The two then talked together in a low voice, after which one of themtold me that I must go along with them.
"For what reason?" I asked; but received no answer. They were eitherunwilling, or unable, to give me a reason.
The two policemen, who had pursued me on foot, now came up; and all fourinsisted on my being taken along with them, a prisoner, to the policecamp!
I refused to come out of the tent; and cautioned them not to enter it--without showing me their warrant, or some authority for the intrusion.
They paid no attention to what I said; but stepping inside the tent,rudely conducted me out of it.
I accompanied them without making resistance--thinking that when broughtbefore a magistrate, I should get them reprimanded for what they haddone.
In the afternoon, I was arraigned before, the "bench," and charged withmolesting and interfering with the police in the execution of theirduty! My accusers told their story; and I was called upon for mydefence.
I informed the magistrate, that I had never been an unlicenced miner fora single day, since I had been on the diggings; and I entered upon along speech--to prove, that in moving about the gold-fields, I had theright to travel at any rate of speed I might choose; and that I hadunlawfully been dragged out of my tent--which being my "castle," shouldnot have been invaded in the manner it had been.
This was what I intended to have said; but I did not get the opportunityof making my forensic display: for the magistrate cut me short, bystating, that I had been playing what the diggers call a "lark," and bydoing so, had drawn the police from their duty. They had been seekingfor those who really had _not_ licences; and who, through mymisbehaviour, might have been able to make their escape!
In conclusion, this sapient justice fined me forty shillings!
There was an _injustice_ about this decision--as well as the manner inwhich I had been treated--that aroused my indignation. I had broken nolaw, I had done nothing but what any free subject had a right to do, yetI had been treated as a criminal, and mulcted of my money--in fact,robbed of two pounds sterling!
After this affair, I was disgusted with Avoca; and, in less than an hourafter, I rolled up my blankets, and took the road for Ballarat--thisbeing the place to which I always turned, when not knowing where else togo.
Everyone must have some place that they look upon as a home--a pointfrom which to start or take departure. Mine was Ballarat: for thereason that I liked that place better than any other in the colony.
I had made more money on the Ballarat diggings than elsewhere inAustralia; and I had never left the place to go to any other, withouthaving cause to regret the change. This time, I determined, on myreturn to Ballarat, to stay there--until I should be ready to bid afinal adieu to Australia.
Volume Three, Chapter X.
DIGGER-HUNTING.
Soon after my arrival at Ballarat, the mining population of the placewas roused to a state of great excitement--by being constantly worriedabout their gold licences.
All engaged in the occupation of mining, were required to take out amonthly licence, for which one pound ten shillings had to be paid. Eachminer was required to carry this licence upon his person; and produce itwhenever desired to do so, by the commissioner, or any official actingunder his authority.
It was not to the tax of eighteen pounds per annum that the minersobjected; but to the manner in which it was levied and enforced.
The diggers did not like to be so often accosted by a body of armed men,and compelled to show a piece of paper--in the event of them not havingit about them, to be dragged off to the court, and fined five pounds.
After some show of opposition to this tax--or rather to the way ofenforcing it--had begun to exhibit itself, the government officialsbecame more industrious than ever at their occupation of"digger-hunting." A commissioner, with a band of mounted troopers,might have been seen out every day--scouring the country far and near,and commanding every man they met to produce his licence. Notunfrequently an honest miner would be required to exhibit thedisagreeable document as often as four or five times a day!
The diggers soon got tired of this sort of thing, which was enough tohave exasperated men of a more tranquil tone of mind, than gold-diggersusually are.
Meetings were called and attended by many hundreds of miners, at whichstrong resolutions were passed; to resist the arrest of any man, whoshould be taken up for not having a gold licence.
These resolutions could not be effectually carried into effect, withoutsome organisation amongst those who had passed them.
This was to a certain extent accomplished; by about four hundred diggersforming themselves into an organised band, and commencing to drill anddiscipline in a sort of military fashion.
Thinking the wrongs of the diggers a sufficient justification for thisaction on their part, I joined one of the companies thus formed--withthe full determination to assist, as far as lay in my power, in theremoval of the injustice complained of.
I did not think there was anything in English law--properly understoodand administered--that would allow thousands of men to be constantlyhunted, harassed and insulted by bands of armed police, demanding to seea piece of paper; but perhaps my experience of the way "justice" wasadministered at Avoca, had something to do in guiding my resolution toresist it at Ballarat.
At our meetings, the diggers indignantly declared their determination tooverthrow the system that made them game for the minions of theGovernment; and to prove that they were in earnest in what they said,many of them were seen to tear up their licences upon the spot, andlight their pipes with the torn fragments of the paper!
From that time, whenever an attempt was made by the police to arrest aman without a licence, it was resisted by large mobs of diggers; and ontwo or three occasions both police and troopers were compelled toretreat to their encampment.
The police force on Ballarat was soon increased in number; and a largebody of regular troops was sent up from Melbourne.
The diggers saw that they could no longer oppose this force, withoutmaintaining a body of their own men in arms; and for this purpose aselect number was chosen, who, having been regularly organised intocompanies, formed a camp on the Eureka lead.
Some of the lying officials of the government have represented this campto have been strongly fortified--the lie being propagated to secure themgreater credit, for their bravery in capturing it!
The statement was altogether untrue. The Eureka stockade was nothingmore than an inclosure formed with slabs of timber--such as were used towall in the shafts sunk on wet leads--and could no more be called afortification, than the hurdles used by farmers for penning up a flockof sheep.
The importance attached to the movement, on the part of the governmentofficials, was ludicrous in the extreme.
Martial law was proclaimed in Ballarat; and several hundred pounds wereexpended in filling bags of sand, and fortifying the Treasury atMelbourne--about one hundred miles from the scene of the _emeute_!
The idea of the diggers marching to Melbourne, and molesting theGovernment property there, was simply ridiculous. The authorities musthave held an opinion of the men they governed, not very complimentary tothe liege subjects of Her Majesty.
Because the miners objected to being hunted and worried for a piece ofpaper--proving that they had paid eighteen pounds per annum of tax, morethan any other class of the population--the Government officials seemedto think that a causeless rebellion had broken out, which threatened tooverthrow the whole British Empire; and which nothing but low schemingand barbarous action could quell.
Thousands of ounces of gold were lying on deposit in the Escort Officeat Ballarat; yet had the mutineers taken the place, I am confident thistreasure would have been protected, and restored to its rightful owners.
But there was no intention on the part of the diggers, either to touchBallarat, or its gold. They only maintained an armed bo
dy at the EurekaStockade, because they could in no other way resist the raids of thetroopers who were sent out licence-hunting. They were as innocent ofall intention to overthrow the Government; "loot" the Escort Office atBallarat; or march upon Melbourne, as babes unborn.
Their only object was to have English law properly administered to them;or rather, to resist the violation of it by the minions who had beenappointed to its execution.
This the Government might have learnt--and probably did learn--from thepolicemen disguised as diggers, who took part in the proceedings at theEureka Stockade, for these communicated all they learnt, and no doubt agood deal more, to the officials in the Government camp.
Volume Three, Chapter XI.
A GENIUS IN THE DIGGINGS.
When I went to join the insurgents at the Stockade, I was accompanied bya man, who had been living in a tent near my own--a German, whom I onlyknew by the name of "Karl." He was as singular a man, as was to be metamongst the many incomprehensible characters found on a gold-field. Hewas only twenty-five years of age,
