That the reader may have some idea of the hardships to which diggers were then often exposed, I shall make known of the manner of our life, while residing at Jones' Creek. We first purchased some blankets; and with these, some poles and pieces of string, we constructed a sort of tent. At none of the stores could we find a utensil for cooking meat; and we were compelled to broil it over the fire on the end of a stick. Sometimes we could buy bread that had come from Bendigo, for which we had to pay six shillings the loaf of three and a half pounds weight! When unable to get this, we had to purchase flour at a proportionate price, knead it into dough, and roast it in the ashes. There was no place of amusement at Jones' Creek; and a strong police force was stationed there, to suppress the sale of liquors; or, rather, to arrest those who sold it; and also to hunt diggers for what was called the "Gold Licence." The precious metal at this place was found very unevenly distributed through the gullies; and while some were making fortunes by collecting it, others were getting next to nothing. The gold was found in "nuggets"--lying in "pockets" of the slate rock; and not a fragment could be obtained till these pockets had been explored. The day after our arrival, my partner and I marked off two claims. Being unable to hold them both, we took our choice of the two; and gave the other one away to some men, with whom we had become slightly acquainted. The top earth from both claims was removed--disclosing not a speck of gold in that we had retained, while twenty-four pounds weight were picked out--without washing--from the claim we had given away! Lee and I remained at Jones' Creek three weeks, worked hard, made nothing, and then started back for Fryer's, where our late partners were still toiling. On our way back we halted for dinner--where some men with a dray load of stores,--on their way to one of the diggings, had also stopped for their mid-day meal. We had neglected to bring any sugar with us; and wished to buy some for our coffee. The men with the dray did not wish to sell any; but we insisted on having it at any price. "We'll let you have a pannikin full of sugar," said one, "but shall charge you ten shillings for it." "All right," said my companion, Edmund Lee. "It's cheap enough-- considering." The man gave us the sugar; and then refused to take the money! He was not so avaricious, as we had supposed. He had thought, by asking ten times the usual price, to send us away, without being obliged to part with what he might himself soon stand in need of! On the evening of the second day of our journey, about nine o'clock, we reached the banks of Campbell's Creek--within four miles of the place we were making for. Rain had been falling all the day; and the stream was so swollen, that we could not safely cross it in the darkness.