The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-14 00:00:00

LIFE AT THE DIGGINGS.

An endless(rnavarii
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up
ur prier tco,
The related.
conductupsTeof
th
the
and iiiwsnoefo focuorlofeniiiselwp_ umr t s
uwnedreer
n
.ietty°r4o.f byfoWrt.unWiatgarthe
in digging-life is
en
tmho.yabeoodas-tiindtecro4fsuv'inc"gstiotuthdee
that was added to the social picture by the gold.libele.
"tffths:
observer of human eature, altbou h • g it may not he quite
as edifying as these trials of adversity and want which are
most frequently their lot. Large amounts of gold fell into
et
trials
bands totally unused to such possessions. That much of
these vast meanie, sat effectual for a thousand good purposes,
were grievously mispent wee only to be expected. Waste
and extravagatiee characterised many. One digger boasts
amongst a crowd that he leas devoured a 201. hank note
spread out upon bread and butter, and another that he has
lighted his pipe with some fragment et the sense descrip-
tion, whose value he could scarce charge his winery with
having glanced at. Large sums were squat:tiered in public
houses, which iecreased and throve apace, spreading in
their effects a proportionate darkness over tl:e social met et.
Whole weeks and months of hard-earned gold, by minces
and even pounds weight at a time, disappeared at these
haunts, in a mazy account and reekomug between a land-
lord and Ire customer, "chalked up" clueing successive
days of intoxication. Additional modes of investment,
prompt and attractive, were sadly wasting to the masses,
such, fur example, as enlarged savings' bank facilities, and
above all an adequate supply of convenient allotment,' of
the public lands, which was daily and even riotously de-
manded by these wealth-encumbered colonists, and the
Want of which, whether with or without excuse to the local
administration, was at all events a vexatious loss both finan-
cial and social to the community.
But the picture hart its bright as well as its dark sii'e.
Many settled clown i et) quiet and thriving colonists. Many
acts of kindness and liberality were performed with surplus
wealth, and large donations made to useful public purposes
of religion or humanity. Sons and brothers deroted some
surplus earnings to detray the passages to the colony of the
mothers or sisters whose unwilling poverty had lett thin
hitherto bellied ; or they repaid the small eiaus of tome
benevolent society that had already effected fur them this
desired re-union.
A sudden leap in the financial condition' suggested one
equally prompt in the domestic relations. Many a young
dagger, as he sat in his noisy or cheetlea, teat, and surveyed
alternately the ample proviciou of gold by his aide, atalahe
comfortless life Se endured withal, bethought himself of
that which is described as a prospective crown otitis to a
bachelor, namely, a wile. Peeking up his knapsack he
would start for mon, having previously for preeaution
sent his treasures brf .re him by the arm• el escort. As he
threads his way through the busy street, his eyes are ever
on the outlook. If there is no late arrival of " needle-
women" from Mr. Herbert's society, if Mrs. Chisholm's
last advired Chip is not yat in, or if the cargo of Britannia's
fair daughters landed only a week before by a government
tree emigration ship has already disappeared bodily, then
must he take his chance where he can set it, and he is
vigilant in proportion as Lu finds he has arrived on the
ground a loam day ten late for the fair.
Here then is a tom petticoat washing down the door-
steps of a shop. She gets through her work creditably,
and he is rapidly making up his mind. One little prelimi-
nary is will wanting—unimportant perhaps; but yet it is
as well to see her lace. When he asks the direction of
Collin's-street, she turns full upon him that mask ur in-
dex of the soul behind. Good graciuus' how briskly he
starts off, and without even waiting the answer. Perhaps
he knew the place perfectly all the time, or perhaps,
it one had Lea ',efficiently near, he might have been
heard to whisper that he was looking for a wife and not a
mother.
Again there is hope. Two angelic forms appear a-head,
such at least they seem by the enchantments of distance to
youthful and enamoured eyes. But the fair disturbers
stand at either side of the street eizty-six feet apart, and as
he approaches the goal of his happiness, in the perplexities
of undecided selection, he strives by • sort of game at ho-
' peep to maintain the precise centre of the thoroughfare
assent the incessant waggons and bullock teams. lie has
already gained the name of one—a matter of perfect cer-
tainty, because she has just intermitted bar window
cleanieg to answer to a call from within. There is some-
thing is knowing a name. It is already a kind of link ;
still he has a disturbing preference for the other notwith-
standing. But he is suddenly again on the move, for one
of these rival attractions having just disappeared, he menet
for the instant bring his mind to a bearing w.th regard to
the other.
If we had patience to follow him, perhaps we should
find that his trials were not of long en lurance. The fair
objects he was in quest of are not reluctant to experietice
or even to respond to such significant attentions. lidded
we must hope they never will be. They are Me them-
selves stealing a glance at the passing diggers, but of course
are too sly fur detection, ar.d nobody' is the wiser. All are
not even thus diffideet. Here is a iretty swum; emigrant
who yesterday signed articles to a genteel family. Mee had
secured as her vocatiou the door bell, and the message de-
partment ; yet to-day she throws up her situation the mo-
ment she learns that the house is not near a thethuglitare,
awl particularly a road to the diggings.
The legislature and government of Victoria have judi-
ciously represented to the home authorities the advantage
of devoting the colonial fends as extensively as possible to
the introduction of female colonists, the voluntary immi-
gration into the colony consisting now almost entirmy of
males. These females, therefore, and particularly the yours;
who may form wives for the colonists, are now arriving fre-
quently, although still in very inadequate proportions.
They are promptly aware of the state of mattere, domestic
and social, and find themselves in very flattering request.
There is a strong affinity in such cases to the physical and
mercantile world, where the consideration due to any
article is measured by the urgency of demand and the slow-
ness of supply. These fair damsels soon assume the defen-
sive altitudes of their position, and skirmish from those
social heights which a colony permits them to occupy.
Although they want long wages, they prefer short engage-
ments. They have other objects than service; they are
looking to be mistresses themselves. Here is one signieg
her engagement with white kid gloves. She was very par-
ticular in her inquiries, and long in hesitation. hl _r sister
had made much less demur, but left her place next day, as
she thought the locality of her mistress's residence rather
dull.
The officials at the emigrants' barracks, who have been
at some pains to provide respectable first engagements for
these Ifastidious inmates, beginning to get impatient,
threaten their obstinate charges with speedy deprivation cf
their free quarters. A score or two of ladies, who have
fought the entire day in the attempt to hire servants, com-
plain of a very partial success; whilst a crowd of diggers
and other colonists, bobbing their impatient heads Reeve
the surrounding fences, and signalizing some object of their
choice, find a wonderfal facility in forming engagements
for life with those backward maidens who have just de-
clined evens month's trial under certain different coedi-
Bons with their own sex.
Love at first sight was &daily occurrence, and by the hand
she just pledged the fair betrothed was dragged into the
nearest furnishing warehouse or the most stylish milliner's,
by an impetuous lover who ever vociferated for the choicest
of the stock. There were not wanting some still spicier
touches of theeeu &esprit, to give a yet more Piquant edge
to this amusing and far from displeasing picture. A damsel
in the streets at noonday is accosted by a rough voice, that
swears to her bonnet being unworthy of the fair face it con-
tains, and ere effecting a hasty retreat the speaker has
dropped a ten pound note at the feet of his charmer, for the
purpose of adjusting a more seemly equality.
Those classes that are systematically clothed in " purple
and tine linen" must not grudge au occasional longing for
the same display, or even a successful rivalry as regards tee
gorgeousness of externals, is the humbler walks of life, as
e, •
opportunity offers. The diggers streamed into every shop
of fashionable pretensions, and the silk•mercer measured
his hopes of a customer by all those grim personal itidica-
Bons that in other days would have only disappointed them.
A shawl or a dress was more suitable to such customers at
twenty guineas than at ten, without much concern about
the quality; and a " digger's wife" emerged into the streets
like an Eastern queen, saving some chile:ream. A lady,
driven comparatively into the shade, was fain to distinguish
herself from her new rivals by the plainer styles, both be-
cause others were not procurable in the compass of her
smaller purse, and because she might for once give credit to
the other sex that her own charms required no adornment.
The employer and employed, the master and servant,
frequently changed relations. This was no uncommon
event prior to the gold discoveries. In the early times of
South Australia, as I have been told, a public-house at
Adelaide or in its conveniently vague vicinity, was kept by
an old lieutenant of the army, who had promoted his cap-
tain to he head waiter. Some of the diggings' stories have
a peculiar piqusnce, but whether or not this has enhanced
their truth is another matter. " Will any of you hire as
my cook ?" said a summary voice, as the speaker stopped
his horse before a party who were enjoying themselves at
a country inn door-way ; forty pounds a year, and usual
rations." " No, thank you," was the prompt reply, "we
are looking for one ourselves, and will give you eighty."
A squatter, somewhere about, was deserted one morning by
all his hands in a body, who set off for the gold-fields.
Having after no small trouble set himself again to rights,
and subdued his choler by a month or two interval, he
experienced again the rising storm by eueounteriug a de-
tachment of his old hands returning to the station. Success
was not the rule at te diggines, audoubtless these foolish
youths thought their quondam master had returned as full
of penitence as they were void •.
f money. But he was re-
solute for resistance, and when his indignant throat was
dear enougly roe utteralree, be peremptorily rejected their
claims ler rehiring, expressing at the sstno time some
curio to learn on what grounds they could prefer them,
or haw they ventured to return. As they had not yet had
an opportunity of speaking, they now proceeded to explain
that they had come in answer to an advertisement in the
newspapers regarding the sale of the station, the whole of
which they were desirous of buying. This was beyond all
reasonable endurance, and we must hope that the rising
emotions of our pastoral friend prevented his hearing dis-
tinctly the entire purport of the offer, which went not
only to buy the station, but to give himself a sate
sllowance to continue the management under his r.ew
masters.

LONDON AND WiSTMINSTER SUBTERRANEAN
RA I.w ty.—A company has just announced Anil', hominy
far its object the eon.trnrtion ut 1 nere sub:cm:nem line of
railway from Leieester-square to the lisiohlayers' Arms
Station of the South-Easters halfway. It is proposed •hat
the line should pass under the 'Frames between ilun;erford
and Waterlog bridece, prgeet ding thence by way el the
`;ew•eur. st. George's•circus, and tho Lendon•recd to the
°id lient•raad.