The Gold Hunters' Adventures; Or, Life in Australia

etched upon their backs, with shirt collars unbuttoned, boots off, and a most languid expression upon their faces, were two men-both of them of good size, with a fair display of muscle,

ere Frederick Button, and his faithful companion, the writer of these adventures, whom we will dis

interested me, I paid but little attention to my

's go to A

ck towards me, and uttering a long w-h-e-w, as though he

anic Majesty than here; but that is something that

too warm to laugh, and I a

ips are up at San Francisco for Melbourne. A party of

reply, and

f gold weighing one hundred and twenty pounds, and that

y sitting up, and wiping th

ed the s

-d lie," c

s go and p

in that part of the

he same

is pipe, and smoked on in silence; and as t

if we don't do any thing in Australia, we shall see t

our stock of superfluous articles to our numerous neighbors, saving nothing but tent, revolv

ipper ship, and with some two dozen other steerage passengers (for Fred and myself were determined to be economical) we were p

ia recede from view, "it's precious little fun I've seen in that country; and if our new home is

the mate, who chanced to overhear the remark. "I'll warran

ed, with a theatrical wave of his hand, as th

mmenced a quarrel; but when once engaged in a conflict, he was li

we had all lost and won about an equal amount, we were one morning overjoyed by the sight of land. Standing boldly in towards a low coast, with no signs of a harbor, it was not until we were within half a mile o

n went aloft to furl sails, "do you cal

That's Williams Town. Melbourne is a fine city, seven miles from here, and where all the l

en then coming on board, we thanked him for

become a place of considerable importance; but the water for domestic use was too bad to be tolerated, and most o

crew of the custom house boat, who was leaning against the rail in a l

nd he spoke as though each word co

" I cried, turning to my par

s?" the man asked, with a

r intention

I suppose,"

es

to keep the number of you

red ventured

continued, turning to a comrade, "how many 'Mer

to. "A dozen or twenty, I believe. Might have been

one question more. Can you tell me how many Englishmen

n; for they looked at each other, and the

to be frightened, they turned their attention to passengers more cred

much, as we had no money to spare for freighting, and when we first stepped upon the soil of Australia, our worldly possessions consisted of four shirts, do. pants, two

d themselves to simply asking a few questions as to what part of the world we came from, and received satisf

f Williams Town, we readily embarked, and in an hour's time were a

and six yoke of oxen, while the drivers, armed with whips, the lashes of which were of immense length, though the stock or handle was barely two and a-half feet long, whirled them over the frightened anima

te a portion of the salt junk and biscuit that the cook of the ship had insisted upon our taking with us, we took a calm survey of Mel

which are flagged with a substantial kind of stone to prevent the sidewalks from washing away during the rainy sea

ailable place near the landing was crowded, however, with crafts of all descriptions, from the light-draughted schooner to huge launches, with loads of goods which they h

e driven by a coachman in livery, and a footman, dressed in the same garb. He appeared to own every thing tha

mines first," I replied,

t country. Hope you'll do well here. Afraid not if you go to the mines. Want men

rt of man, I gues

h a cartman's frock on, who was seated on a box smo

he answered, without even ta

spoke to us-the man with the

as more money than half of the merchan

convict?" I aske

d so got liberty to enter into business; and now he is at the top of the heap.

, and we watched him until he entered his carriage and drove off, his co

"do all convicts get rich? Because if they

d others are shrewd and look after the chances. I don't sup

are y

say convict, an

ansportation for writing another man's na

is for

you have hit it, and continued to smo

we are likely to meet in the mines a

ion; "and you'll find them more honest than those never sentenced,

ime; but after a while he knocked the ashe

rate, I'll do it for you, as I start to-morrow with a load

e productive

sink a shaft and strike a vein, and yo

and concluded to try our fortunes at Ball

You can sleep there to-night, and, let me tell you, it's

adily accepted his offer, and in a few minutes were walkin

room; and the furniture consisted of a stove, wooden benche

ur host, who gave the name of Smith as the one which he was to be c

was made in Yankeeland, we spe

asleep, for we start early in the morning, and before to-m

in half an hour deep snoring was the o