Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/143

 drill their forces, and entrench a position in their own encampment; making every preparation for a struggle and conflict.

On the 28th of November, 1854, a detachment of military arrived at the encampment of Ballaarat, after a long and tedious march. Their arrival was greeted by the hootings and shoutings of a large concourse of people that assembled round them. With the greatest possible forbearance, and with steady pace and unbroken order, the gallant and undaunted veterans of the 40th regiment passed quietly through the infuriated rabble. An hour afterwards, another detachment of the 12th regiment, with arms, ammunition carts, and baggage, came in by the Eureka.

The people, excited by their demagogues and leaders, and upbraided with their pusillanimity for not attacking the preceding detachment, closed upon this body with greater determination, heaping on them every term of abuse they could; and at length, exasperated by the cool steadiness of the more youthful regiment, rushed on them, and a severe conflict arose. By the coolness and decision of their officer, confining all his attention to the safety of his party and his escort, at the point of the bayonet alone, they succeeded in gaining their camp. Unfortunately, in the melee two carts out of the eight which the escort had charge of were broken to pieces and rifled. Being thus abandoned, several shots were fired at the soldiers, one being mortally wounded.