Saturday Sep 24th 1853

Very busy all day preparing our establish-
ment previous to it being transferred to
two young men who will probably make
more of it than we have as they are quite
conversant with the business. They came
up in the evening and took possession
after paying us 100£ in Cash and 3 months
bill for 50£ for the stock tents good
will &c - As for the "good will" they
have that as far as I am concerned
in every sense of the term, for am heartily
sick of the fumes of the oven and dispensing
lolly-sticks and comfits to the colonial
small fry. We celebrated the event with
a glass and a song, and made the night
of our parting with the old tent as merry
a one as any we had passed in it.

Sunday Sep 25th

Andrew Martin and two of his friends
paid us a visit.

Monday Sep 26th

Mr Welsh and Mr White went up the
road to make enquiry about a piece
of land a man has offered to us a
day or two back. After they left we
had a narrow escape of a serious ac-
cident with our mare. I was taking
the bit out of her mouth to give her a
drink of water when the bridle slipped off her
head, and away she dashed with the dray.
Some children were playing in the direction
she was galloping and I expected to see
them knocked down and crushed to death -
happily she darted around the stump
of a tree before she reached them and
knocked the dray completely over - When
we reached her she was lying on her back
kicking away with her feet in the air.
With the association of some men who were
fortunately at hand we extracted her before
she had sustained any injury.

Tuesday Sep 27th

Jessy ran away again with Ginger, but
was stopd before she had done any damage.
Mr Welsh and Mr White fixed upon a spot
6 or 7 miles up the road to erect a lemonade
establishment upon a similar scale to our
Georges modest commencement.

Wednesday Sep 28th

Finished our wood cutting speculation

Thursday Sep 29th

Deposited 200£ in the Bank.
Put up a four stall stable. -

Friday Sep 30th

Lent Mr Welsh and Mr White our horse
& dray to convey their goods & chattels
to their future home in the bush.
In the evening Mr Welsh returned
with the horse & dray and intends to stay all
night with us. -

Saturday Oct 1st

We were all sitting round the fire this
afternoon talking over our future oper-
ations when a rap sounded at the door.
George opened it and immediately
uttered a wild exclamation of sur-
prise - a few seconds more and as wild a
cry of amazement issued from me - for
who should show before me but our old
friend George Morgan - The delight of
seeing a valued friend whom we thought many
thousands of miles away suddenly appear before
our eyes as though he had dropd from the heavens
was a pleasure equal to the surprise.
He was of course beseiged right and left
with a storm of questions which would
have left his lungs in a hopeless state if
he had attempted to answer the whole
of them. When the sober reality of his
presence amongst us became familiar to
our senses - we gradually obtained news of
our dear friends on the other side of the
world. - We learnt with pleasure that

Sunday Oct 2nd

Mr Humphries another Wellingtonian
came up to see us.

Monday Oct 3rd

All went to Melbourne. - Passed by
the jail and saw the tightened ropes which sup-
ported the lifeless bodies of three wretches who
had been executed a half an hour before.
The bodies were hidden from view by a wooden
erection, a contrivance which takes a little
from the horror of the exhibition. To have the
last awful grapple with death set up like a
curiosity for the edification of a gaping multitude
is a sickening contrivance unworthy of an
advanced country.
Went to Bears sale yard & bought a very
nice looking spring cart for 42£ - this
we intend employing in taking
round various kind of goods in which
George Morgan, who by the bye has decided
on taking our advice, is to join us - at the same
time we offered Jessy for sale and were

Tuesday Oct 4th

Felt quite disgruntled with horse dealing, and
almost in desperation struck a
bargain for one with dray this afternoon for 135£.
He is an elephant in height and bone and
to look at him one would think he would be
able to pull a church.

Wednesday Oct 5th

Took the horse and dray down to the Wharf.
The first load I had went from Raleighs
Wharf to a place about 3 miles on the Prahran
road. The load was composed of long awkward
pieces of timber - the roads were vile - in some
places nearly to the axle in mud - and my
horse was low in condition, so that altogether
I had a benefit which I do not altogether
appreciate - owing to the wretchedness of the
road and perhaps more to my inexperience

Thursday Oct 6th

Took two more loads of timber to
Prahran - In taking the second
I missed the proper road by some ac-
cident and I had not gone far before
my dray stuck fast axle deep in a
bog - The horse pulled & strained
at it but it was utterly useless to try to get it out
without unloading and I was obliged to
hire a man to assist me - After con-
siderable difficulty and labour the unloading
got the dray out and reloaded, but
I had not proceeded more than a quarter
of a mile before smash went the dray, in
another hole: again I had the same toil.
The labour was great for the tim
ber was long and heavy and difficult to
arrange and I felt myself by this time
getting rather tired - we got it up at length
however and started once more, but fate
and my own stupidity had guided me
to the most horrible part of this horrible
road and I had not gone far before

Friday Oct 7th

Attended a sale and bought various goods
for George and George Morgan.

Saturday Oct 8th

George and George Morgan had pretty
profitable day - In returning from
Melbourne met man in woman's clothes
handcuffed and guarded by an armed Police
man.

Sunday Oct 9th

George Morgan, George and I started
this morning to pay Welsh & White a visit.
The roads were worse than our experience
even in Australian travelling has led us to expect
& we were a considerable time in getting there.
- We found them tolerably comfortable, and
full of hope of making money, which I hope
they may find realized.
Their establishment
is a small but by no means improbable
foundation for a fortune. It consists of a
snug good looking tent with a crimson lining
a couple of planks with props under for a
table - two boxes for seats - a barrel of
lemonade two glasses - and a few other

Monday Oct 10th

Engaged a man to attend to the
horse & dray at 4£ a week.

Tuesday Oct llth

As I was returning from Melbourne this
afternoon a respectable looking female came
up to me and enquired the way to Pentridge
Stockade. She told me she had come to
Australia under very distressing circum-
stances. Her husband who had held a
good position in England came out more

Wednesday Oct 12th

The man came up to to-night in a state
of excitement and told us he was
just recovering from a fright which had put
his seven senses in jeopardy. He had
left the dray for a few moments to seek
after a load and to his surprise he found
on his return that it was gone - After searching
the wharf, the streets, and making enquiries at
the Police Station, he met a man driving
it along Flinders lane - and went up and de-
manded what he was doing with it -
It turned out that Andrew Martin had
had a spare load, and seeing our dray standing
near and no driver to avoid loosing it he
loaded the dray and dispatched a man
with it.

Thursday Oct 13

We arrived to find this morning that White
had had a narrow escape of being turned
over to the tender mercies of the police
by our man - It appears it was he that

Friday Oct 14

Went to Melbourne to try to get a con-
tract for the horse & dray but failed.

Saturday Oct 15

Andrew Martin & I were walking along the
wharf this afternoon when our attention
was attracted by a sale of hay by
auction. - We bid for it and had only
one competitor and 8 tons of it was
knocked down to us at a very low price
I think we shall be able to make some
little by it.

Sunday Oct 16th

George & George Morgan went to the
Wesleyan Chappel Melbourne this morning.
Before this I am ashamed to say neither
of us had entered a place of worship since
we have been in the colony. - Several
things contributed to keep us away. Perhaps

Monday Oct 17th

Sold two tons of the hay I bought on Saturday
to Barfast & Dillon for 32£. -
To my great delight George brought a
letter from Mother with him this evening.
It had come by the "Great Britain". - She
writes cheerfully and is full of hope of a joyful
meeting. - I trust the time may not
be far distant when such a hope will be
realized. - Two other letters longer and more
explicit are on the road it appears, whose
arrival I shall anxiously expect. -
Mr Carton and his two daughters paid
us a visit this evening. - They came to make
enquiry about our Spring Cart, as they

Tuesday Oct 18th

As I was walking along the Sandridge road
this morning I heard a little fellow by the
road-side singing out at the top of his voice
"Pies Pies Lemonade Lemonade". - I lookd at him
and found to my surprise that it was little
Henry Hall - The drollery of his appearance
his hands thrust to the bottoms of his pockets
turning over his money - and his knowing business
look at first inclined me to laugh, but there
was enough of evidence about him of
trouble elsewhere to check merriment, and I
stopd him in cries after customers and enquired
about his Mother & her family - I followed
his directions and found her living in a
large square tent on Emerald Hill.

Wednesday Oct 19

Went to Pentridge to make enquiry
about a house or piece of ground for
Mrs Hall, - but found on my return that
George and George Morgan had seen her during
the day and she had told them she had been re-
commended since she saw me to take
some place on the Sandridge Road. -

Thursday Oct 20

George Morgan received a letter from his
wife - His friends were well & the letter
was as a matter of course a great source
of pleasure to him. - The man must have
a cold worthless heart who does not feel it
throb when a letter finds its way to him in
his home among strangers from one of the
warm cluster of friends thousands of miles
distant. -

Friday Oct 21

To our surprise the horse came up
this evening without the dray. - The man
told us he had fallen down in Flinders
lane with a load and he had had the
greatest difficulty to bring him home
even without the dray. - We fetched
the farrier to him & for an hour or two
I was afraid we were going to lose
him. -

Saturday Oct 21 [Saturday Oct 22]

George Morgan & I went to Melbourne
and calld in at the Police Office. -
The business of the court appears to me
to be conducted in a very careless slovenly
manner - I heard one of the prisoners
tell the Mayor when he was asked if
he had anything to say to the witness - to
put the man on his oath - the oath had
been forgotten to be administered. -

Sunday Oct 22 [Sunday Oct 23]

Andrew Martin & Welsh came up
and dined with us - In the afternoon
George and Geo
Morgan startd off in the trap to
see Mrs Hall & family - I did not
go as I had a previous engagement
- After they were gone Humphrey &
his brother dropd in and stayed here.

Monday Oct 23 [Monday Oct 24] .

A cataract of virtuous indignation
rattled on my devoted head at about 1 o'clock
this morning from the effects of which my
brain is hardly yet fit to jostle with the
sober realities of everyday life. -
Last evening George and George Morgan were
seized similtaniously with a severe writing
fit, which malady unfortunately did not
extend itself to me. - I sat for some time
like patience on a monument; a grim silence
reigned through the extensive premises
relieved only by the fidgetty scratchings of their

Tuesday Oct 24th [Tuesday Oct 25th]

Went to Melbourne. - Came back
through Collingwood and calld on
Mr Adams. - Judging from appearances
I should not think he has done anything
very extraordinary but appearances in
this country are very deceptive. -

Wednesday Oct 25 [Wednesday Oct 26th]

Went to Melbourne
with the dray

Thursday Oct 26th [Thursday Oct 27th]

Was late today that a poor fellow - a
drayman had been murdered
up the road a day or two ago.
Murder is now so familiar to our ears
in all its horrible forms that it almost
fails to excite the same feelings which
a similar tale calld up in our breasts in
England although there it was generally
divested of half the savage cruelties
which accompany it here.

Friday Oct 27th [Friday Oct 28th]

Took the horse to Melbourne to be
bled. - At about 2 oclock this morning
a destructive fire broke out in Collins
Street which has destroyed from 60
to 80,000£ worth of goods besides a
considerable amount of building. -

Saturday Oct 28 [Saturday Oct 29th]

Bought an immense tent for the
diggings from Mrs Blythe. - It was
advertized to hold 600 people. -

Sunday Oct 29 [Sunday Oct 30th]

George & Geo Morgan
went to Cotterills place about 15
miles in the bush - Took the
two Miss Cartons in the trap to Mel
bourne. -

Monday Oct 30 [Monday Oct 31th]

Geo & Geo Morgan returned -
While they were there they bought
a team of bullocks which are to
come up on Thursday.

Tuesday Oct 31 [Tuesday Nov 1st]

Took the horses to Bears sale
yard - The horse was bid for as
high as 98£ when some fool of
an Irishwoman bid 99£ & it was
knocked down to her. After she had
paid 10£ deposit she became dissatis-
fied with her bargain and wanted
her deposit money back again. - She gave
us a deal of trouble & annoyance and

Wednesday Nov 1 [Wednesday Nov 2nd]

All went down to Bears again
after awhile Geo Morgan & I left
George & came up & pitched a tent
which we sold a quarter of an hour
after putting it up. - In the evening
George came up and told us he had
sold poor Jessy. I have never felt
more regret in parting with an
animal.

Thursday Nov 2 [Thursday Nov 3rd]

George went to Bears again.
George Morgan & I went to Cotterills
to see after the Bullock dray. -
The horse had been
taken ill during the night and would
not go through his trial and he
was eventually sold for 45£, by
which we have incurred a loss
of about 100£. This is our first se-
rious slip backwards.

Friday Nov 3 [Friday Nov 4th]

Went to Melbourne to engage a
Bullock driver - On my return I
saw White - I fear they are not
doing very well - The charcoal burning
seems a complete failure. -

Saturday

White was down again.

Sunday Nov 5 [Sunday Nov 6]

All went to Mr Gillespies to
dinner & spent a very pleasant
day.

Monday Nov 6 [Monday Nov 7]

Lost one of the Bullocks and found
him again by the Merri Creek.
Mr & Mrs Gillespie drove up in a
gig & surprised us in a horrible
mess. -

Tuesday Nov 7 [Tuesday Nov 8]

It frequently happens that one disappointment
paves the way for the entrance of another.
We have had today an unpleasant
proof of this. Two Germans had made arrangements
to fill up our loading and the regular
loading prior and we of course took no other
measures to secure it, but we found to our annoyance
today that they had drawn aback from their
engagement on some trumpery pretext and were
not going - they had even the impudence to tell

Wednesday Nov 8th [Wednesday Nov 9th]

Early this morning we
packed up our goods & chattels on our bullock
dray, took leave of the few friends we have
made in Brunswick & made a start to the
Ballarat Diggings on our new speculation. Our
intention, unless our observations when we reach
there changes it is to commence auctioneering in
our large tent, with the addition of anything else
by which we can make money which our
experience there may gradually suggest.
I hope we may soon begin to step forward
again - a few more slips in the other
unfortunate direction similar to those
which have lately made such disastrous
tugs at our purse strings & we should be thrown
completely on our backs for the deuce knows
how long. -

Thursday Nov 9th [Thursday Nov 10th]

Struck across the plains in the
hope of falling in with the right road.
- Tom has not yet got his horned charges
into docile subjection and we had

Friday Nov 10th [Friday Nov 11th]

Started early this morning and by a miracle
took the right road. - About middle day
the immense green plain we were
traveling over began to be dotted with
trees - the cooling refreshing sea breeze
gradually left us and we began to
feel the somewhat oppressive heat of
the bush. - After traveling for some dis-
tance over a country more like a beautiful
park than the wild uncultivated face
of nature - we came to the summit
of a hill were we found to our alarm
that we had one the most dangerous
and precipitous roads to descend
which I ever saw attempted. - With a

Saturday Nov 11th [Saturday Nov 12th]

The men we assisted last night were
of valuable service to us in helping us
over the deep creek & up a tremendous
hill out of the valley, a feat which
would have taken us a day to have ac-
complished. - We passed through a de-
lightful valley calld Bachus's Marsh, the
first cultivated land we have seen since
we left Melbourne - barley and oats
were flourishing in the richest luxuriance
- there was a steam flour mill - three
good looking Inns - and a number of
houses and stores. - Attached to one of
the houses was the most beautiful
garden I have seen since I have been
the Colony - We passed over Sandford Hill
and encamped in a valley in the after-
noon.

Sunday Nov 12th [Sunday Nov 13th]

In order to get the assistance of our
late fellow travellers
at a bad part of the road
some 8 or 9 miles in advance we put
ourselves in motion this morning with an arrange-
ment that they were to overtake us at
the next creek. - We had uphill tra-
velling all morning through a fine verdant
country calld Portland Hills - where we had
now and then an opportunity of viewing a
magnificent panorama of scenery
and at about midday came to the above
Creek. - There was a good crossing just
wide enough to admit the dray in safety
over the creek and for a moment we
entertained the ridiculous
notion that our untractable quadrupeds
would keep the right track, - The
folly of our hope was speedily proved
by our wheels sinking in a bog to the axle
which all our efforts and Toms thrashing
and swearing could not get the dray

Monday Nov 13th [Monday Nov 14th]

Started this morning in company with the
bullock dray that joined us last night.
After traveling 6 or 7 miles we came
to a creek worse than any we had
hitherto crossed. - Our companions went
in first and stuck in the middle to
the bed of the dray and the water washed
about their load which was composed of
flour - After infinite trouble and a

Tuesday Nov 14th [Tuesday Nov 15th]

Passed through a valley where a town
was gradually springing up.
Our journey has gradually been increasing
in difficulty and toil untill today it
reached its climax at a horrible place
calld the black marshes. - We were bogd
three times within half an hour in a
black slimy swamp - one of our com-
panions in assisting us out of the
third, broke one of his yokes which we
of course paid for - this cost us l£ and
on an anxious investigation into the state
of our finances we made the elevating
discovery that we had the large sum
of five shillings to regale ourselves with
for the remainder of our journey.
- We encamped among the swamps where
we divided our damper - with a dampness
of spirits which was somewhat ludicrous
and put a slight check on the cravings

Wednesday Nov 15 [Wednesday Nov 16th]

Got up this morning in a miserable plight
with an appetite like an ogre but nothing
to eat. - I could not help laughing as I con-
templated the five of us discussing with
dolerous gravity a ghost of a breakfast
composed solely of tea - It is fortunate
for us that we are now within a days journey
of the diggings or we should probably
have to make our miserable appear-
ance on them under the gaunt escort of fa-
mine. - In passing down a steep hill
which appeared to me about as safe as tra-
veling down the roof of a house our dray
had a narrow escape of a capsize - about
half way down one of the wheels sunk into
a hole & the dray nearly lost its
equilibrium - the other wheel lifted from
the ground and but for our hanging on to

Thursday Nov 16th [Thursday Nov 17th]

- George Morgan George & I walked
over to Ballarat leaving the bullock -
dray at the encampment - We took a stroll
through the diggings where we found con-
trary to our expectations that
there were several auctioneers carrying
on business there. We attended one of them
and the difficulty there appeared to be in
effecting sales rather staggered the sanguine
hopes we have entertained of that knocking down
profession - In returning we held a con-
sultation on our future movements and at
length decided on changing our former

Friday Nov 17th [Friday Nov 18th]

Started with our dray this morning for
the diggings and arrived there at about 10
o'clock. - After asking the advice of several

Saturday Nov 18th [Saturday Nov 19th]

Went with Geo Morgan to cut timber in the
bush. We started with the vigourous intention
of carrying 8 or 10 poles a distance of between
2 & 3 miles & sanguine of success in carrying
out our resolution we set to work and
fell a number of young trees, - but the mad-
ness of our expections was soon apparent in
our trying the weight of four of them - We
may as well have attempted to pull down
St Pauls Cathedral with our teeth as carry
eight of them to our tent. - We made our
appearance there with one each on our
shoulders and even that was an undertaking
we neither of us felt the slightest inclination
to repeat. - Our tent begins to attract
considerable attention & during the
day we have been amused by overhearing
numerous speculations on the object for
which it is intended - one is quite sure it is a
theatre - another as confident it is to be a Chappel
- and a third tells his companions it is for the
soldiers, but not one seems to hit the right mark.

Sunday Nov 12th [Sunday Nov 20th]

George & I went to Canadian
Gully this morning with the intention of going
to Chappel, but we heard enough outside to
scare us away. - The preacher was a complete
rant. - Our tent was in a most precarious
state the greater part of day - one of the
reach-poles got loose and at last fell, tearing
a hole 5 or 6 feet long in front
Tom returned this evening with the dray and
took the bullocks to the black swamp. -

Monday Nov 13th [Monday Nov 21st]

George & Geo Morgan went to the hill
early this morning to fetch Tom and the
bullocks. - They were a long time away
& I started after them and found the dray
but neither them nor the bullocks -
After scouring the bush for two or three
hours I fell in with Tom who told me
he had lost the bullocks. - We both started
again and traveled a considerable distance
through the bush and half round
an immense swamp but without success
& returned afternoon thoroughly
tired and almost in dispair about finding
- When we reached the township however
we found to our relief that George had
discovered them near the swamp after having lost him-
self in the bush, which he had considerable
difficulty in tracing his way out of.
In the evening Geo Morgan & I went to
Warren Heap with the bullock dray to bush it for the night and
bring back saplings in the morning. -
In trimming a tree I accidently drove the

Tuesday

Returned about 12 o'clock - Went to see about
licence for our tent. - George & George Morgan
took the goods in the dray, through the
diggings to try to sell them. - They found the
stores full and left them to be sold at the
Auction Rooms. - a poor fellow was killed
at the Canadian Gully to day - It is gener-
ally the practice to leave a spare rope
extending from the top of the hole to the
bottom, so that on any sudden emergency
the man below may climb a distance up
untill there is time to lower the rope from
the windlass. - This precaution had un-
happily been neglected in this instance - The man
was undermining at a depth
of upwards of a hundred feet and drove
into an old mine and in rushed a tremendous
body of water. - The poor fellow sprang to the
bottom of the shaft and cried for help to his

Wednesday Nov 15th [Wednesday Nov 23rd]

We had another long vexating walk after
our bullocks to-day which has de-
layed us considerably. I shall heartily
rejoice when we get rid of them -
Went in the afternoon to the Government
butcher who had offered us his assistance

Thursday Nov 16th [Thursday Nov 24th]

Went to the Court House & gave in ap-
plication for licence. - A German band
made its appearance on the diggings today
- From the profitable account they evidently
turned their notes to music seems to be
pretty freely patronized by the diggers -

Friday Nov 17th [Friday Nov 25th]

Stores are springing up very quickly
around us and the most of them anticipate
a good flow of business in this locality. - our
speculation will either turn out very pro-
fitable or very indifferent. - our success
depends on the veins of gold running in a

Saturday Nov 18th [Saturday Nov 26th]

Took our tent down again and repaired
it. - Took our bullocks and dray to the
Auction Yard but to our annoyance they were
not sold. -

Sunday Nov 19th [Sunday Nov 27th]

Tom left us this morning in a very unceremo-
nious manner and started down to Mel-
bourne. - We have had a taste of the incon-
venience which his singular (but I suppose
colonial) conduct is likely to occasion us. -
George & I started off to see after the bullocks
towards the swamp. - We kept together for
an hour or two, but at last in a dense part
of the bush we lost sight of each other

Monday Nov 20th [Monday Nov 28th]

- To our great relief and satisfaction we
bullocks & dray today - for ll0£. -
- Busy framing the tent - Engaged a black
for 10£ to assist us

Tuesday Nov 21st [Tuesday Nov 29th]

Engaged a black cook who is to come
next Wednesday. - It was arranged today
that George Morgan should start for Mel-
bourne to-morrow morning to make the ne-
cessary purchases for our operations. - It was

Wednesday Nov 22nd [Wednesday Nov 30th]

George Morgan started soon after sunrise
this morning. - Almost the first thing we
saw on getting out of bed was a great hole
in the tent - It was at a part which it was
impossible to get at without pulling it down
altogether so we were obliged to swallow our
vexation and lower it. - We repaired it after
a good deal of difficulty - repitched it and
stretched it in the frame for the first time.
It was much admired by passers by and
speculation was very busy as to its object
- We had one or two offers during the day. A
magician applied for it - and afterwards a
comic singer offered his services. -

Thursday Nov 23rd [Thursday Dec 1st]

A neighbour of ours - a storekeeper - who
has like hundreds around him formed too
strong an attachment to the bottle was
robbed to-day of 30 or 40£, by a base villain
whom he had taken into his store for
the purpose of befriending. - I have seen
the scoundrel and he owns one of the most
ruffianly & repulsive faces I have seen
for some time past

Friday Nov 24th [Friday Dec 2nd]

Our tent unfortunately faces the north
a position I am afraid which will sub-
ject us a very objectionable amount of wind
and dust - To day we were visited with a
violent storm which drove cloud after cloud
of blinding dust direct into our tent - I heard
of 2 or 3 stores being blown down - one at the
back of us I saw torn to rags - ours luckily
stood the strain well -

Saturday Nov 25th [Saturday Dec 3rd]

- Was very much surprised to see Hurst
passing by as I was standing at the door
of the tent. - He stayed tea with us and
gave us an account of his and Duke Paine's
operations since we had seen them last.
- I was sorry to find that they had gone
through no small amount of hardships
without receiving any benefit by them.
They are now connected with a party
near to us and appear to be sanguine of
a better aspect of affairs turning up soon.
- Their perseverance well deserves such a
reward for their labour

Sunday Nov 25th [Sunday Dec 4th]

- This morning we found to our annoy-
ance that the reach pole of our tent
had got loose from the middle pole &
our canvas was in danger of being in
the same predicament it was in before.
- I climbed the pole & fortunately was able
to secure it with lashings just in time

Monday [Monday Dec 5th]

- I witnessed a charming instance of the
joys of matrimonial bliss today. -
A butcher who had picked up one of
those delightful specimens of female vixenism
which to the warning of bachelors are plentifully
met with in this country - had a noisy
brawl with his loving helpmate. - The
wifes face & hands smeared with blood from
the mans brutality & the course language of
both was most disgusting
A concert room opened opposite. -

Tuesday [Tuesday Dec 6th]

Hard days work - Are now nearly ready
for opening and begin to look anxiously
for Geo Morgan's return - A foolish practice
of firing guns & pistols still prevails to a mis-
chievous extent on the diggings. - A man was shot
in the side last night by a pistol
ball and this evening a number of shots rat-
tled on our canvas

Wednesday [Wednesday Dec 7th]

Busy carpentering & leveling the floor of
the tent. - Our Cook a white-headed old
negro came this evening. He seems to possess
an amount of intelligence which is seldom
expected to be met with in the unfortunates
of his class. -

Thursday [Thursday Dec 8th]

Hired a bullock dray & went out to
fetch gravel for our floor.
A most impudent robbery was committed

Friday [Friday Dec 9th]

A disgraceful Irish row occurred
today at the back of our tent. -
A party of Irishmen had jumpd a
hole which in justice belonged to an

Saturday [Saturday Dec 10th]

Another row took place today in the
same place as the one yesterday.
The police were calld out and it was
generally thought that it would not end
without bloodshed - A party of men
living near us bought 4 or
5 swords & life preservers from us in
order to be prepared for the worst.
- The greedy avarice of a digger has
caused his death today. - He was driving
at the supports at the bottom of the
hole in opposition to the caution of
his mates when it gave way and
a heavy mass of earth fell upon him
and crushed him to death. -

Sunday [Sunday Dec 11th]

Was kept awake nearly the whole
of last night by a babe1 of horrible
noises

Tuesday May 9th 1854

Our expenses of late have been seriously
increasing and our business sensibly
diminishing and in the hope of bettering
our position two of our party, Geo
Morgan & I, have determined on trying
our luck at the Avoca diggings leaving
Geo to manage the Criterion and carry
out a project we have in contemplation
- in conjunction with two gentlemen we
have become acquainted with at Eureka
- We have bought a horse and dray
and intend starting tomorrow.

Wednesday May 10th

I was troubled in no small degree
but not very much astonished to find
this morning that our horse had been
stolen in the night. George & I were
calld up to the camp last night to give
bail for a friend who had been taken
into custody on a charge originating

Thursday May 11th

George and I went this evening to Mr.
Lewis' Store where we passed a
most agreeable evening. To meet on the
diggings with a young lady like Mr
Lewis's sister was a treat as un-
expected as it was delightful. -

Friday May 12th

The most impudent robberies are now
of daily and nightly occurrence around
us. - Three men were stuck up
last evening, & 3 tents at night - a man
also was shot at but escaped with a
slight wound in the head. - Hired
a dray with the intention of starting to
Avoca tomorrow morning. -

Saturday May 13th

Started early this morning. -
one or two other parties had swags on the
dray so that altogether we mustered
about 10 or a dozen. - A mile or two

Sunday May 14th

Heard of our late companions being seen in a
state of semi starvation eight or ten
miles ahead. - We passed a number of
hills calld the Bald Hills - not a tree
on them & covered with grass to their
summits. - We halted for dinner beside
an extensive lake on which we saw
several black swans swimming about

Monday May 15th

On our getting 15 or 20 miles from Ballarat
today - we came into a totally different
climate. - Instead of the dull cloudy
atmosphere & almost incessant rain of
Ballarat - we had here a clear blue
sky - & a temperature like some of the
pleasant summer days of England. -
Immense flocks of white Cockatoos Paroquets
& other birds filld the air - if not
with their music - with their noise. -
About midday we arrived at Burn Bank
- The village or town or whatever they call
it looks exceedingly pretty & picturesque
from the road. - It is situated in a

Tuesday May 16th

Arrived at Avoca towards evening
and pitched our tents on an elevated
piece of ground. -

Wednesday May 17th

Started early this morning to the diggings
and marked out two claims. Duke
& I worked at one & Geo Morgan &
Dick at the others - The clay we went
through was unusually hard and it

Thursday May 18th

Hard days work - Got down about
l4 feet. -

Friday May 19th

Nearly bottomed our holes. - Went through
a few feet of quartz stones as hard as
flint. -

Saturday May 20th

Bottomed our holes and found
them complete shicers -

Sunday May 2lst

- A good deal of the scenery about
here is exceedingly beautiful. - The
spot we have chosen to encamp on is
delightful. - It is a small hill sloping
down in gentle & beautiful undulations
to a winding creek - for miles beyond
the fine green land dotted with shrubs
and trees and rising and falling in
graceful swells spreads like a ver-
dant lawn untill the view is bounded
by the Pyrenees - a chain of wooded hills
stretching as far as the eye can reach. -

Monday May 22nd

Commenced two other holes -

Tuesday May 23rd

Met with young Hunter & Butcher
Hunter told me he had been here
three or four months and had done
tolerably well. - Butcher has given
his brother another start in life in

Wednesday May 24th

The situation of our tents in reference
to the diggings is by no means desirable.
To walk a mile & half over the
ranges, - in some parts forcing ones
way through briars as high as ones
head & after having worked hard and
steamed all day in a close hole, - is
an occupation far from agreeable.
- After arriving at our tents tonight
we were surprised to see a number
of immense bonfires lit up on
the hills around us and it was not
untill we heard a group of men strike
up the National Anthem that we re-
collected it was the Queens birthday.
- We lost no time in tearing down branches
however, & soon had a blaze about 15
feet high. -

Thursday May 25th

In our hole today we came upon
a hard bed of quartz and ironstone
which wore down the points of two picks
before we could get through it. - It has
been a hard a days work as I have ex-
perienced for some time -The hole was
so close & hot at the bottom that the
perspiration poured from me in streams

Friday May 26th

Bottomed our hole at about 20 or 21
feet and sunk a foot or two into the
pipe clay to prepare of one drive. - We
intend driving it round the shaft a
foot or two although we have little
hope of it from the appearance of
the washing stuff at the bottom.
The principal article of food with
which we regale ourselves after the work
of the day is a somewhat singular
composition. - It is a damper about
three feet in circumference and three inches

Saturday May 27th

A party working near Carvell (a neigh-
bour of ours) told him they had worked
down to their last sixpence and the
hole they were then in was their last
recourse. They bottomed it about
midday & it turned out a shicer. - It
then came out that they had gone to work
that morning without tasting a mouthful
Carvell gave the poor fellows half his dinner

Sunday May 28th

Fine day

Monday May 29th

Drove our hole a foot or two but without
success and abandoned it. -

Tuesday May 30th

A number of men who had marked out
claims on a cart track were compelled by the Commissioner
under a penalty of two pounds to mark
out a new road today - It is certainly
necessary to preserve a sufficient number
of roads on the diggings, but in this case
the measures taken were somewhat
arbitrary for what the Commissioner
was pleased to designate a road was
nothing more than a few wheel marks
on the sod. -

Wednesday May 31st

Went with Geo Morgan to assist him
in driving his hole.

Thursday June 1

Saw young Walker - one of my fellow
passengers by mobile -

Friday June 2

Woke up this morning half perished

Saturday June 3

Finished driving the hole George Morgan
commenced as far as we thought sufficient
to give it a fair trial. - We intend
working the stuff on Monday. I have very
little hope of it. -

Sunday June 4

Five of us started early this morning to the
Pyrenees. - After traveling seven or eight miles
along a fine level country rich in verdure
& studded with trees & shrubs we arrived at
the base of the hills. As we were going up one
of them we caught sight of 4 or 5 large
kangaroos bounding along the summit, but

Monday June 5th

George & Dick carted down a load of
working stuff & after cradling and paddling
a greater part of the day they washed
out about a dozen grains and left the
rest in disgust. Carvell & Godkin
washed a load of theirs which yielded them
upwards of an ounce independent of a
dozen or so of small nuggets
Duke & I commenced another hole ten times
harder than any we have yet had, - It
positively broke the points of our picks
- We were recommended before leaving
it to light a roaring fire at tne bottom
in the hope of cracking it by the heat.

Tuesday June 6th

The fire we lit in the hole last night
proved a great inconvenience to us and
no benefit. - It was black round the
sides as a chimney - as hot as an oven
& what was worse than all it caused
a choking dust which was almost in-
sufferable. - Our picks were of little
service in breaking down the cement
today for it was like beating on iron, and

Wednesday Oct 25th

Having neglected my journal lately I am
obliged to take note of the exciting events of the
last month from memory - An act of the basest
injustice on the part of the Camp Officials has in-
flamed the minds of the people to a pitch which
will be remembered for a life time.
A few weeks ago a poor fellow of the name of
Scobie much respected by all who knew him was
barberously murdered near the Eureka Hotel. There was
a base &e for a time successful attempt made at the
Inquest to smother certain evidence which seemed to point
to Bentley the landlord of the Eureka Hotel as the mur-
derer, but sufficient came to light to compel the
reluctant authorities to order him into custody.
On the bench at his examination sat a Magistrate
who was known to be a friend of Bentley & to have
a considerable interest in the Hotel -The examination
under his direction was conducted with the grossest
partiality and in the face of evidence, which
in spite of the shameful manner with
which it was suppressed the Attorney
General has since said was enough