Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/105

96 wishing to acknowledge my poverty, gave the only coin I had, viz., half-sovereign, which left me without a penny—a nice fix to be in—not even sufficient to pay my boat fare from the ship to the wharf on reaching Melbourne. I explained the position of affairs to one of the passengers, a perfect stranger to me, who kindly lent me a pound, which I returned to him through the post later in the day.

Returning to Burrangong in the early part of January 1864, I went from Melbourne to Sydney per Wonga Wonga. I was introduced to the captain by the agent of the steamer. In course of conversation Captain Trouton said he knew a Dr. Preshaw at Campbell’s Creek years ago when digging there, and asked if I was any relation; I told him I was a son. We then had a good crack about olden times. He told me on one occasion the doctor had invited him over to spend the evening. He wishing to make a good appearance to meet the doctor’s two daughters, whom he had heard of but never seen, hunted up a white shirt. This had only been rough dried; he was at his wits’ end to know how to iron the front of it. At last a thought struck him. In a teapot he put some hot ashes, and with this he ironed the front of his shirt, which, when done, was worse than before—he had forgotten to wipe the bottom of the teapot.

I had only been a few days at Burrangong when I received instructions to close the agency at the end of March, which having done I went to Sydney, and received marching orders to Nelson, New Zealand, for which place I sailed on the 25th May.