Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/165

156 occupied by the R.M. (Mr. Fitzgerald). Here we took up our quarters for the night; made up a bed on the “cold, cold ground.” About two o’clock in the morning it began to rain and blow. So hard did it blow that Byrne and I had to hold on to the pole inside, and Broham to the ropes outside; meanwhile our blankets got saturated. This style of thing lasted for about an hour. We had no medical comforts. What with woodlice, wet blankets, and want of P.B, we were in a nice fix; however, we weathered it out till daylight; of course sleep was out of the question.

After breakfast Mr. Cooper, the surveyor, started to mark off the township. No sooner did he put down a peg than down went at least a dozen alongside of it, each peg-owner claiming that particular allotment. This lasted for the best part of the day, and gave plenty of work to the R.M. for a day or two after. Byme and I took a walk round, hoping some charitably-disposed individual would ask us to dinner. As no invitation came, and we were as “hungry as hunters,” we went to a store and purchased some ham and eggs, which we ourselves cooked and partook of there. I managed to secure a good tea at a storekeeper's named Marks. Happening to drop in there “promiscuous-like,” I smelt something very like roast mutton, so I waited about until it was ready, when I received a hearty invitation to join them. This I was not slow to accept. After tea I was standing at the store door doing the “calumet of peace,” when I saw three drunken diggers enter a shanty opposite. They called for drinks, which the landlord handed to them. They were leaving without paying for them, when he said, “Hold on, mates, I want three bob.” One of the three walked back, and with his fist struck the landlord between the eyes. He objected to this style of payment, and pulled a revolver out of his pocket, which he presented at the fellow. The very sight of the revolver seemed to sober him, for he walked up and said, “Take my advice, never draw your revolver unless you are determined to use it,” and walked out of the place. I fully expected there would have been a row. When all was quiet I walked over and remonstrated with him for acting as he had done. He said he knew he had acted wrongly in presenting the revolver, which he showed me (an old “pepper-box,” so rusty that the barrel wouldn't revolve), but smarting under the pain of the blow, and in the impulse of the moment, he scarcely knew what he was about. I visited the diggings next day, which we found about three miles from our camp. Nearly all were on gold, but no “pile” claims. I returned by the Bruce, a dirty little coasting steamer, the only advantage gained in travelling by her being, that she could, and would, bump over the bar at any time when another vessel would not face it. We had a magnificent view of Mount Cook and the Francis Joseph glacier.