Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/153

 " '! " ' ''Government Camp, Ballaarat, " 'December 3, 1854.'' " 'Her Majesty's forces were this morning fired upon by a large body of evil-disposed persons of various nations, who had entrenched themselves in a stockade on the Eureka, and some officers and men were killed or wounded. Several of the rioters have paid the penalty of their crime, and a large number are in custody. All well-disposed persons are requested to return to their ordinary occupations, and to abstain from assembling in groups, and every protection will be afforded to them. " ' " ' Resident Commissioner.'

"Since writing the above, we have heard that the armed diggers fired at the soldiers first. We can with difficulty make out the truth, owing to parties who know the particulars being unwilling to furnish them."

This extract is the least exaggerated account we have had of the affair, and still, we must observe, that the leading paragraphs are evidently intended to mislead the reader into the belief that the community at large were not implicated, or even aware of the insurrectionary movements, and perfectly