The Eureka Stockade Part 22

The soldiers were drinking 'ad libitum' from a pannikin which they dipped into a pail-bucket full of brandy. I shall not prost.i.tute my hand, and write down the vile exultations of a mob of drunkards. It was of the ordinary colonial sort, whenever in a fight the 'ring' is over.

Inspector Foster, commanded us to strip to the bare s.h.i.+rt. They did not know how to spell my name. I pulled out a little bag containing some Eureka gold-dust, and my licence; Mr. Foster took care of my bag, and just as my name was copied from my licence; a fresh batch of prisoners had arrived, and Mr. Foster was called outside the room where I was stripping. Now, some accursed trooper pretended to recognize me as one of the 'spouts' at the monster meeting. I wanted to keep my waistcoat on account of some money, and papers I had in the breast pocket; my clothes were literally torn into rags. I attempted to remonstrate, but I was kicked for my pains, knocked down in the bargain, and thrown naked and senseless into the lock-up.

The prison was crammed to suffocation. We had not s.p.a.ce enough to lie down, and so it was taken in turns to stand or lie down. Some kind friend sent me some clothes, and my good angel had directed him to bury my hand-writings he had found in my tent, under a tent in Gravel-pits.

Fleas, lice, horse-stealers, and low thieves soon introduced themselves to my notice. This vermin, and the heat of the season, and the stench of the place, and the horror at my situation, had rendered life intolerable to me. Towards midnight of that Sunday I was delirious.

Our growls and howling reached Commissioner Rede, and about two o'clock in the morning the doors were opened, and all the prisoners from the Eureka stockade, were removed between two files of soldiers to the Camp store-house a s.p.a.cious room, well ventilated and clean.

Commissioner Rede came in person to visit us. Far from any air of exultation, he appeared to me to feel for our situation. As he pa.s.sed before me, I addressed him in French, to call his attention to my misery.

He answered very kindly, and concluded thus:-

"'Je ne manquerai pas de parler au Docteur Carr, et si ce que vous venez de me dire e trouve vrai, je veux bien m'interesser pour vous.'

"'Vous etez bien bon, Monsieur le Commissionaire, repondis-je.'

"'Il faut donc que j'aie eu des ennemis bien cruels au Camp! Avaient-ils soif de mon sang, ou etaient-ils de mercenaires? Voila bien un secret, et je donnerai de coeur ma vie pour le percer. Dieu leur pardonne, moi, je le voudrais bien! mais je ne saurai les pardonner jamais.'"

Chapter LXV.

Ecce h.o.m.o.

On Monday morning, the fresh air had restored me a little strength.

We had an important arrival among us. It was the Editor of 'The Times'

newspaper, arrested for sedition. All silver and gold lace, blue and red coats in the Camp rushed in to gaze on this wild elephant, whose trunk it was supposed, had stirred up the h.e.l.l on Ballaarat.

Henry Seekamp is a short, thick, rare sort of man, of quick and precise movements, sardonic countenance; and one look from his sharp round set of eyes, tells you at once that you must not trifle with him. Of a temper that must have cost him some pains to keep under control, he hates humbug and all sort of yabber-yabber. His round head of tolerable size, is of German mould, for the earnestness of his forehead is corrected by the fullness of his cheeks, and a set of moustachios is the padlock of his mouth, whose key is kept safe in his head, and his heart is the turn-key. When his breast is full, and he must make it clean, its gall will burn wherever it falls, and set the place a blazing. To keep friends with such a cast of mind, whose motto is Nelson's, you must do your duty; never mind if you sink a s.h.i.+cer, bottom your shaft any how. You are his enemy if you are or play the flunky; he will call you a 'thing,'

and has a decided contempt for 'incapables.' Hence, his energy was never abated, though the whole legion of Victorian red-tape wanted to dry his inkstand, and smother his lamp in gaol. That there are too many fools at large, he knows, because he has travelled half the world, what he can not put up with, is their royal cant, religious bosh, Toorak small-beer, and first and foremost, their money-grubbing expertness. Hence, now and then, his ink turns sour, and thereby its vitriol burns stronger.

'The Times', of which he is the founder, is the Overseer of Ballaarat, and the 'Dolce far niente' will not prosper.

Our literary prisoner was literally insulted, and could not look with enough contempt on all those accursed a.s.ses braying (at him) 'The Times!' 'The Times!'

I felt for him very much, and joined conversation with him in French.

I state it as a matter of fact, that there and then I had the presentiment that all the spies pointed me out there, and only there and then as his accomplice. Towards ten o'clock we were ordered to fall in, in four rows.

Now the Camp officials and their myrmidons were in their glory.

They came to number their prey, and mark out a score of heads to make an 'example' of, for the better conduct of future generations.

Unfortunately for my red hair, fizzing red beard, and fizzing red moustachios, my name was taken down after the armed ruffian and the anonymous scribbler, and followed by that of the n.i.g.g.e.r-rebel.

It was odious to see honourable, honest, hard-working men made the gazing stock of a parcel of pampered perverted fools, for the fun of `a change'

to gratify their contempt for the blue-s.h.i.+rt and thick boots who had dared, mucky and muddy, to come out of their deep wet holes to hamper these G.o.ds of the land in their dog's game of licence-hunting!

Chapter LXVI.

Then the following doc.u.ment was shown for our edification:-

VICTORIA GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

(Published by Authority.) MARTIAL LAW DECLARED IN THE DISTRICT OF BUNINYONG PROCLAMATION By his Excellency Sir Charles Hotham, Knight-Commander of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath Lieutenant--Governor of Victoria, &c., &c., &c.

WHEREAS bodies of armed men have arrayed themselves against Her Majesty's forces and the const.i.tuted authorities, and have committed acts of open rebellion: and whereas, for the effectual suppression thereof it is imperatively necessary that Martial Law should be administered and executed within the limits hereinafter described; now I, the Lieutenant-Governor of the said Colony with the advice of the Executive Council thereof, do hereby command and Proclaim that MARTIAL LAW from and after twelve of the clock at noon on Wednesday, the sixth day of December instant, shall and may be administered against every person and persons within the said limits, who shall at any time after the said hour commit any act of rebellion, any treason, treasonable or seditious practices, or other outrage or misdemeanor whatsoever within the following limits, that is to say: arrowee...Lal Lal...Moorabool...

Ran Rip...Yarrowee aforesaid. And I do hereby, with the advice aforesaid, order and authorize all officers commanding Her Majesty's forces to employ them with the utmost vigour and decision for the immediate suppression of the said rebellion and offences, and to proceed against and punish every person and persons acting, aiding, or in any manner a.s.sisting in the said rebellion and offences, according to Martial Law, as to them shall seem expedient for the punishment of all such persons: And I do hereby especially declare and proclaim, that no sentence of death shall be carried into execution against any such person without my express consent thereto: ['Great works!'] And I do hereby with the advice aforesaid, notify this my Proclamation to all subjects of Her Majesty in the Colony of Victoria.

Given under my Hand and the Seal of the Colony, at Melbourne, this fourth day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and in the eighteenth year of Her Majesty's Reign.

(L.S.) CHARLES HOTHAM, By His Excellency's Command, JOHN FOSTER.

G.o.d save the Queen!

Great works!

Chapter LXVII.

Ecce Amaritudo Mea Amarissima.

We were frightened by the report that a gang of red-coats were sinking a large pit in the Camp.

"Are they going to bury us alive without any flogging? That's not half so merciful as Haynau's rule in Austria;" was my observation to a mate prisoner--a shrewd Irishman.

"Where did you read in history that the British Lion was ever merciful to a fallen foe?" was his sorrowfully earnest reply.

Oh! days and nights of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of December, 1854, your remembrance will not end, no, not even in my grave.

They were happy days in my youth, when I thought with Rousseau, that the heart of man is from nature good. It was a sad fatality now that compelled me to feel the truth from the prophet Isaiah, that the heart of man is desperately wicked.

I was really thunderstruck at the savage eagerness with which spies and red-coats sprang out of their ranks to point me out. Though a British soldier was not ashamed to swear and confess his cowardice of running away from before my pike, which I never had on the stockade, where the fellow never could have seen me; I shall not prost.i.tute my intelligence and comment on the 'evidence' against me from a gang of bloodthirsty mercenary spies. The printer will copy my trial from the public newspaper, 'The Age'.

Chapter LXVIII.