第 1 节
作者:
缘圆 更新:2021-02-17 23:42 字数:9322
The Eureka Stockade
by Raffaello Carboni
NOTA BENE
In Person I solicit no subscriptionin writing I hereby ask no favour from my reader。 A book must stand or fall by the truth contained in it。
What I wish to note is this: I was taught the English language by the Very Reverend W。 Vincent Eyre; Vice Rector of the English College; Rome。 It has cost me immense pains to rear my English up to the mark; but I could never master the language to perfection。 Hence; now and then; probably to the annoyance of my Readers; I could not help the foreign idiom。 Of course; a proper edition; in Italian; will be published in Turin。
I have nothing further to say。
Carboni Raffaello。
Prince Albert Hotel; Bakery Hill;; Ballaarat; Anniversary of the Burning of Bentley's Eureka Hotel; 1855。
Chapter I。
Favete Linguis。
Mendacium sibi; sicut turbinis; viam augustam in urbe et orbe terrarum aperuit。 Stultus dicit in corde suo; 〃non est Deus。〃 Veritas vero lente passu passu sicut puer; tandem aliquando janunculat ad lucem。 Tunc justus ut palma florescit。*
'*Listen to me The lie; like the whirlwind; clears itself a royal road; either in town or country; through the whole face of the earth。 The fool in his heart says; 〃There is no God。〃 The truth; however slow; step by step; like a little child; someday; at last; finds a footpath to light。 Then the righteous flourish like a palm tree。'
I undertake to do what an honest man should do; let it thunder or rain。 He who buys this book to lull himself to sleep had better spend his money in grog。 He who reads this book to smoke a pipe over it; let him provide himself with Plenty of tobaccohe will have to blow hard。 A lover of truth that's the man I wantand he will have in this book the truth; and nothing but the truth。
Facts; from the 〃stubborn…things〃 store; are here retailed and related contradiction is challenged from friend or foe。 The observation on; and induction from the facts; are here stamped with sincerity: I ask for no other credit。 I may be mistaken: I will not acknowledge the mistake unless the contrary be proved。
When two boys are see…sawing on a plank; balanced on its centre; whilst the world around them is 〃up〃 with the one it is 〃down〃 with the other。 The centre; however; is stationary。 I was in the centre。 I was an actor; and therefore an eye…witness。 The events I relate; I did see them pass before me。 The persons I speak of; I know them face to face。 The words I quote; I did hear them with my own ears。 Others may know more or less than I; I mean to tell all that I know; and nothing more。
Two reasons counsel me to undertake the task of publishing this work; but a third reason is at the bottom of it; as the potent lever; and they are
1st。 An honourable ambition urging me to have my name remembered among the illustrious of Rome。 I have; on reaching the fortieth year of my age; to publish a work at which I have been plodding the past eighteen years。 An ocean of grief would overwhelm me if then I had to vindicate my character: how; under the hospitality of the British flag; I was put in the felon's dock of a British Supreme Court to be tried for high treason。
2nd。 I have the moral courage to show the truth of my text above; because I believe in the resurrection of life。
3rd。 Brave comrades in arms who fell on that disgraced Sabbath morning; December 3rd; worthy of a better fate; and most certainly of a longer remembrance; it is in my power to drag your names from an ignoble oblivion; and vindicate the unrewarded bravery of one of yourselves! He was once my mate; the bearer of our standard; the 〃Southern Cross。〃 Shot down by a murderous hand; he fell and died struggling like a man in the cause of the diggers。 But he was soon forgotten。 That he was buried is known by the tears of a few true friends! the place of his burial is little known; and less cared for。
'Sunt tempora nostra; non mutabimur nec mutamur in illis; jam perdidi spem。'
The work will be published on the 1st of December next; and given to each subscriber by the Author's own hand; on the site of the Eureka Stockade; from the rising to the setting of the sun; on the memorable third。
Chapter II。
A Jove Principum。
〃Wanted a governor。 Apply to the People of Victoria:〃 that was the extraordinary advertisement; a new chum in want of employment; did meet in the usual column of 'The Argus'; December 1852。 Many could afford to laugh at it; the intelligent however; who had immigrated here; permanently to better his condition; was forced to rip up in his memory a certain fable of Aesop。 Who would have dared then to warn the fatted Melbourne frogs weltering in grog; their colonial glory; against their contempt for King Log? Behold King Stork is your reward。 'Tout comme chez nous。'
One remark before I start for the gold…fields。 As an old European traveller I had set apart a few coppers for the poor at my landing。 I had no opportunity for them。 〃We shall do well in this land;〃 was my motto。 Who is going to be the first beggar? Not I! My care for the poor would have less disappointed me; if I had prepared myself against falling in the unsparing clutches of a shoal of land…sharks; who swarmed at that time the Yarra Yarra wharfs。 Five pounds for landing my luggage; was the A; followed by the old colonial C; preceded by the double D。 Rapacity in Australia is the alpha and omega。 Yet there were no poor! a grand reflection for the serious。 Adam Smith; settled the question of 〃the wealth of nations。〃 The source of pauperism will be settled in Victoria by any quill…driver; who has the pluck to write the history of public…houses in the towns; and sly…grog sellers on the gold…fields。
Let us start for Ballaarat; Christmas; December 1852。'Vide''tempore suo' 'Julii Caesaris junioris。 De Campis Aureis; Australia Felix Commentaria。'
For the purpose; it is now sufficient to say that I had joined a party; fixed our tent on the Canadian Flat; went up to the Camp to get our gold licence; for one pound ten shilling sterling a head we were duly licensed for one month to dig; search for; and remove gold; etc。We wanted to drink a glass of porter to our future success; but there was no Bath Hotel at the time。Proceeded to inspect the famous Golden Point (a sketch of which I had seen in London in the 'Illustrated News')。 The holes all around; three feet in diameter; and five to eight feet in depth; had been abandoned! we jumped into one; and one of my mates gave me the first lesson in 〃fossiking;〃In less than five minutes I pounced on a little pouch the yellow boy was all there;my eyes were sparkling;I felt a sensation identical to a first declaration of love in by…gone times。〃Great works;〃 at last was my bursting exclamation。 In old Europe I had to take off my hat half a dozen times; and walk from east to west before I could earn one pound in the capacity of sworn interpreter; and translator of languages in the city of London。 Here; I had earned double the amount in a few minutes; without crouching or crawling to Jew or Christian。 Had my good angel prevailed on me to stick to that blessed Golden Point; I should have now to relate a very different story: the gold fever; however; got the best of my usual judgment; and I dreamt of; and pretended nothing else; than a hole choked with gold; sunk with my darling pick; and on virgin ground。I started the hill right…hand side; ascending Canadian Gully; and safe as the Bank of England I pounced on goldseventeen and a half ounces; depth ten feet。
Chapter III。
Jupiter Tonans。
One fine morning (Epiphany week); I was hard at work (excuse old chum; if I said hard: though my hand had been scores of times compelled in London to drop the quill through sheer fatigue; yet I never before handled a pick and shovel); I hear a rattling noise among the brush。 My faithful dog; Bonaparte; would not keep under my control。 〃What's up?〃 〃Your licence; mate。〃 was the peremptory question from a six…foot fellow in blue shirt; thick boots; the face of a ruffian armed with a carbine and fixed bayonet。 The old 〃all right〃 being exchanged; I lost sight of that specimen of colonial brutedom and his similars; called; as I then learned; 〃traps〃 and 〃troopers。〃 I left off work; and was unable to do a stroke more that day。
〃I came; then; 16;000 miles in vain to get away from the law of the sword!〃 was my sad reflection。 My sorrow was not mitigated by my mates and neighbours informing me; that Australia was a penal settlement。 Inveterate murderers; audacious burglars; bloodthirsty bushrangers; were the ruling triumvirate; the scour of old Europe; called Vandemonians; in this bullock…drivers' land。 Of course I felt tamed; and felt less angry; at the following search for licence。 At the latter end of the month; one hundred and seventy seven pounds troy; in two superb masses of gold; were discovered at the depth of sixty feet; on the hill opposite where I was working。 The talk was soon Vulcanish through the land。 Canadian Gully was as rich in lumps as other gold…fields are in dust。 Diggers; whom the gold fever had rendered stark blind; so as to desert Ballaarat for Mount Alexand