A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53Clacy, Charles, Mrs.
History
A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53
Clacy, Charles, Mrs.
Australia -- Description and travel; Gold mines and mining -- Australia
TUESDAY, 19.--Before breakfast we were busily employed in packing the
"swags" when Octavius suddenly dropped the strap he held in his hand
for that purpose, and darted into the store. Thinking that we had
omitted something which he went to fetch, we continued our work. When
everything was ready and the last strap in its place, we again thought
of our absent comrade, making all sorts of surmises regarding his
disappearance, when, just as Frank was going after him, in he walked,
accompanied by a stranger whom he introduced as his uncle. This
surprised us, as we were ignorant of his having any relatives in the
colonies. He then explained that a younger brother of his father's had
about eight years ago gone to South Australia, and that never having
heard of him for some years they had mourned him as dead. After many
adventures he had taken a fancy to the diggings, and had just come from
Melbourne with a dray full of goods. He went to Gregory's store to
dispose of them. Octavius had heard them in conversation
together, and had mistaken his uncle's for his father's voice. Hence
the precipitation of his exit. The uncle was a tall sunburnt man, who
looked well-inured to hardship and fatigue. He stayed and took
breakfast with us, and then having satisfactorily arranged his business
with Gregory, and emptied his dray, he obligingly offered to convey
Jessie and myself to Melbourne in it. Accordingly after dinner we all
started together.
Our new companion was a most agreeable person, and his knowledge of the
colonies was extensive. With anecdotes of the bush, the mines, and the
town, he made the journey pass most pleasantly. Before evening we
reached the Golden Point near Mount Alexander. This term of "Golden"
has been applied to a great many spots where the deposits have been
richer than, usual. There was a Golden Point at Ballarat, and when the
report of the Alexander diggings drew the people from there, they
carried the name with them, and applied it to this portion of the
mount. To the left of the Point, which was still full of labourers, was
the store of Mr. Black, with the Union-Jack flying above it. It is a
most noted store, and at one time when certain delicacies were
not to be had in Melbourne they were comparatively cheap here.
We passed by this busy spot and encamped at sunset at the foot of Mount
Alexander. It was a lovely evening and our eyes were feasted by a Most
glorious sight. All the trees of the forest gradually faded away in the
darkness, but beyond them, and through them were glimpses of the
granite-like walls of the mount, brilliantly shining in and reflecting
the last glowing rays of the setting sun. Some of the gorgeous scenes
of fairy-land seemed before us--we could have imagined that we were
approaching by night some illuminated, some enchanted castle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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