Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/25

16 gold—into which they drove a tunnel, and discovered a quartz leader, thickly impregnated with gold. This necessitated the breaking up of the quartz, which they considered too much trouble, and soon left it. In about a week the young Stubbs’ arrived, and with them others. Hundreds followed, and in less than a week miles of tents were pitched. Soon after gold was discovered at Golden Point in great quantities. Worley and his mates removed there, and did remarkably well. As Mr. Pearce was riding past the tent one day Mrs. Worley hailed him. He went over, and she brought out a pickle bottle full of nuggets, which she informed him was the result of the morning’s work. She asked him to take one, which he declined to do. She insisted, however, and gave him one which weighed over an ounce. Worley and party cleared £1000 per man out of this claim. Mr. Pearce then started gold buying. He gave 27s. per ounce for the first parcel, which he sold to Dr. Barker for 30s. The price rose to £2. The gold was weighed off in ordinary scales used by grocers. When he had a good parcel he would take it over to the commissioners’ camp and sell it to them, merely saying, “I gave so much for this lot. I want £10 on my bargain.” This was given without demur. The price charged for sheep for the first six months was 7s. per head, which afterwards rose to 9s. Beef was £1 per cwt. The first commissioner on the field was Captain Dana, with a body of black police, seven or eight in number. These men were sent license-hunting. Although unable to read or write, they would go to a hole and say, “Me wantem to see license belong a you.” If the miners had licenses they showed them; if not, a piece of paper was handed to them, with which they were satisfied. After a time the miners were better looked after. The cash obtained from the sale of cattle and sheep was placed in a coffee pot and planted under a plank floor, or sometimes under a high window ledge. Mr. Pearce was at the first Bendigo rush. Dr. Edward Barker (brother to Dr. William Barker) and a friend of his drove up to Bendigo from Melbourne in an old-fashioned carriage, and pitched their tent, where they remained about six weeks, clearing £1000 per man. They then left for Melbourne. The doctor is still in practice. His partner sailed for England, taking his gold with him; but, unfortunately, never reached there, as the vessel in which he sailed was lost. The doctor took a case of surgical instruments to Bendigo with him, which were stolen out of his tent and never recovered.

Mr. Fletcher, the first police magistrate in the district, took up his quarters at Barker’s station. The first police camp was