Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/138

 State of Cheswick's Creek, a Gold Field only fifteen miles from Ballaarat, evidences this; for there, during the very time of the prevalence of these exciting events, profound tranquillity prevailed, though it contained an equally numerous population.

The police force in that district consisted of only eight mounted and eight foot; such a force was obviously inadequate for the due discharge of the legitimate purposes of a police amongst a population of 20,000, and containing among them, from the last rush thither, a large population of Van Dieman's Land immigrants. The system of digger-hunting was not here adopted, and the good feeling of the people was manifested in a most pleasing manner during the disturbances. On the very day of the outbreak there were but three policemen in the camp, when it was reported that fifty men were on their way from Ballaarat to take it. The Commissioner rode down to the field, and, calling all the diggers round him, told them that he anticipated an attack; that their property to a large amount was in the gold tent under his charge, with only three men for its defence. Between two and three hundred men immediately stepped forward and offered their services as special constables. This occurrence shows that the diggers, under a good system, fairly administered, would be an orderly and peaceable class, as at Cheswick's Creek they proved themselves so, under the system administered in a fair and kindly manner.