Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/164

Rh police putting in an appearance, suddenly found he had something like twenty £10-notes in his pocket. I often pitied the pursers, who had anything but enviable billets. As dinner hour approached quite a crowd gathered round the cook’s galley, and as soon as the meat, potatoes, and bread were handed out they were rushed and taken possession of by a few. I was seated on the bridge where I could see all that was going on. One man got a piece of beef 10 or 12 lbs. in weight; this he divided among four of his mates, who took their respective junks, and tore away at them, without either salt, pepper, bread, or potatoes, like so many dogs. A billy of potatoes followed; this was seized by a big hulking fellow who helped himself plentifully and passed it on. Another man with an overcoat on, I saw fill both his pockets. The bread was treated in like manner. This, with a plentiful supply of tea for all hands, formed the mid-day meal. In consequence of all this rushing, the majority had to go without. Had there been anything like discipline, there would have been plenty, and to spare; as it was the “grub” got into the hands of the few, who ate until they were filled,and what they could not eat, they threw away. As a rule the digger is quite as well behaved as any other man, but on this occasion I must say I was truly ashamed of the behaviour of some of them; of course the cabin passengers were provided for and fared as well as could be expected.

To proceed. On board the Alhambra one sat down in a comfortable cabin to a good substantial meal, which was exactly what I wanted, not having had anything worth eating for about a week. My friends Bonar and Byrne accompanied me on this trip, which was rather enjoyable than otherwise, although we all had to do our share of roughing. Arrived at the Haast at seven o'clock on the morning of the 7th, and after breakfast a few of us landed in one of the ship’s boats; not a safe thing to do as a rule on the Coast, what are known as “blind rollers” often rising and swamping a boat; but Captain Turnbull, chief harbour master at Hokitika, having crossed the bar a short time before and pronounced it quite safe, we chanced it. Captain, or, as he was generally called, Jack M‘Lean, had his hands full with such a crowd on board, but owing to his good-natured jocular style he kept the best of friends with them all. One man was particularly noisy. “By crumbs” he would do this and that. Just as our boat was hawling off in he jumped with, “By crumbs, captain, you musn’tmustn’t [sic] go without me.” The rest of the passengers were taken ashore by the steamer Waipara, which vessel had been sent down to tender the ocean steamer. On landing we found very little stir, and an apology for a township; and on making inquiries found the diggings were some three miles away, the miners doing fairly, but no “pile” claims. We hunted about till we found our friend Broham, who had a small tent erected close to the one