The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-25 00:00:00

RIOT .AT LAMBING FLAT.

(From Me Australian Mail.)
On Sunday, the 30th June, the residents of Tipperary
Gully were aroused by the cries of " Roll up," and in the
course of a very short time upwards of a thousand men,
armed with bludgeons and pickhandles, no fire-arms as yet
appearing, were assembled round the "No Chinese" stan-
dard. Forming themselves in a rude kind of order of march,
and with a band of music, which appears to have been
thoughtfully provided for the occasion by the leaders of the
movement, at their head, shout'ng, yelling,'and singing, the
crowd of rioters took the road to Lambing Flat, a distance
of some four or five miles. Arrived there, every Chinese
resident in the township on wh )m hands could be laid was
attacked and maltreated, the chief object of ambition being
to secure the long tills of hair with which the Chinese are
accustomed to ornament their heads. The main body was
here joined by numerous others, who came flocking in from
all quarters, until the number assembled amounted to at
least 3,000 persons. Finding themselves so strong, and
being determined to make a clean sweep of the Mongolians
now that they were about it, they now turned their atten-
tion to the Chinese camp, situated on the spot and within
the area allocated to them by the Commissioner in accord-
ance with the regulations previously made, and apparently
agreed to by the diggers. This was at once attacked and
carried, the Chinese being driven off, under circumstances
of great barbarity in some cases, and all cases without being
permitted to take with them any of their property. It has
been said also that many of them were robbed of various
amounts of gold and cash ; and that, mixed up with the
crowd of rioters were numbers of women and children,
all actively engaged in plundering the property of the
runaways of everything valuable, or convertible, prior to
carrying the remainder to the enormous fires that were kept
up with such kind of fuel. In the meantime the band,
placed in a conspicuous position, enlivened the scene by
playing spirit-stirring airs, to an accompaniment of
yell. and shouts that would have done credit to a New
Zealand war dance. Excited with their triumph, heated with
their violence towards unresisting captives, and possibly
thirsting for the plunder, of which this last attack had
given them a taste, a wild and savage yell of joy was
raised, when some one suggested Back Creek as the next
spot to visit. Shouting, firing (for guns were now pretty
generally produced), singing, laughing, and cheering, the
body of rioters moved off towards Back Creek, a locality
about six miles from where they then were, and where it
was known that:there were several hundreds of Chinese at
work. Information of the projected attack was, however,
taken over to the Chinese in this locality, who, hastily
packing up the most valuable and portable portions of their
property, hurriedly made off from the spot. The rioters
were not long behind them, and on coming up, a savage
yell of disappointment rose up from the mob when they
found that their prey had escaped. The tents, goods, &c.,
left behind were fired, after having been looked over for
plunder; and such articles as would not burn were de-
stroyed by being broken with axes. Whilst this had been
going on, a number of the rioters, who were mounted on
horseback, galloped forward on the track of the retreating
Mongols, overtook them, not much more than a mile away,
headed them, and rounded them up in the same way as a
shepherd dog would do a flock of sheep. Information of
the surround was sent off to those behind, who, eager for
their prey, were already on the road. Here ensued a scene
such as, thank heaven, it seldom falls to the lot of a Bri-
tish journalist to record. Unarmed, defenceless, and un-
resisting Chinese were struck down in the most brutal
manner by bludgeons provided for 'the occasion, and by pick
handles. The previous excitement had done its work, and
now the wretched Mongols were openly and unblushingly
searched for valuables, and robbery was committed with-
out the slightest attempt at concealment. Very few of the
poor creatures here attacked escaped with their pig-tails,
none of them without injury of some kind, whilst every
article of the property they had endeavoured to take with
them was plundered of all that was valuable, and then
burnt. Some of the acts of barbarism said to have
been committed here were such, that English-
men can scarce be brought to credit that
their countrymen could be guilty of them—for who amongst
the British people could ever believe that men of their own
country, Britons, would take the Chinese pigtails with the
scalp attached ? That this WA done in more than one in-
stance there can be no doubt, since the possessors of these
trophies made no concealment of them, but rather prided
themselves on their possession.
Some of the scenes that then took place are thus described
by our special correspondent :—Men, or rather monsters,
on horseback, armed with bludgeons and whips, with a
fiend- like fury, securing the unfortunate creatures by taking
hold of their tails and pulling their heads, so that they came
with their backs to the horse and their heads upon the sad-
dle, and then cutting, or rather sawing them off, and leaving
them to the fury of others who surrounded them. One
unfortunate Chinese boy went down upon his knees, the
tears ran down hislcheeks as he lifted his hands and pleaded
for mercy; a ruffian, with a bludgeon sufficient to kill a
giant, with one blow felled him to the ground. Another
unfortunate creature, a cripple, was trying to crawl away
into the bush—he could not walk—and endeavouring to
take a blanket; it was ruthlessly torn from him and carried

to a fire where their property was being consumed. Here
was to be seen another propped up against a tree, his lore •
head lad open, and the blool running down his face—truly
terrible to behold. But these details are sickening. I have
only mentioned what came under my own notice. Were I

to narrate only a tithe of the atrocities committed that day,
that have been communicated to me, it would fill a volume.
Mr. Henley, the Chinese interpreter, in a letter he has ad-
dressed to the Governor, detailing his view of this outrage,
mentions the following :—A European woman with three
small children, who is the wife of a Chinaman, was sitting
in her tent rocking her baby in the cradle. The lawless mob
burned down her tent, and her cradle wherein the infant was
sleeping. Her own and children's clothes were torn to pieces
by a lot of vagabonds, who counselled together for the
violation of the woman and murder of the children, but
were prevented by the timely interference of some of their
number less hardened than the others.

' With such facts before their very eyes, it is not to be
wondered at that the feeling of the large bulk of the resi-

dents on the spot is greatly against the perpetrators of so
gross an outrage, and that expressions of the utmost indig-
nation have been most freely made use of.
So extensive and savage an outbreak could not fail in at
once opening the eyes of all to the real position in which
the authorities at Lambing Flat were placed, and now at
last was done that which should have been done long before.
The electric telegraph was set to work, and all the available
police from the districts round about were ordered up to
Burrangong. Captain Zouch, with the troopers of the
mounted patrol, arrived there on the evening of the 6th
instant. Several men of the foot police came up from
(time to time, until the total number of the force, horse and
oot, reached 57.
On the following day, Sunday, the 7th inst., there was a
very large assemblage of diggers and others in the township,
and though rather boisterous, there was no rioting.
Things remained in a perfect state of quiescence during
the week, and it was imagined by some that this outrage,
like those which had preceded it, was to bo allowed to die
quietly out of memory. But in the interim, explicit instruc-
tions had been received from the Government to enforce
the law by apprehending every one of the ringleaders in the
last riot who could be identified. No opportunity of carry-
ing these instructions into execution occurred until Sunday,
the 14th inst., on which day, from the diggers being unem-
ployed in their holes, and therefore, out and about, and
generally assembling in the township, the police identified
and arrested three of the ringleaders in the late riot. The
news of this arrest spread like wildfire along the diggings,
and the cry of "Roll-up I" was quickly raised in Tipperary
Gulls, which appears by all accounts to be the centre of all
disturbance. The alarm thus raised quickly brought up an
armed mob, the number of which has been variously esti-
mated at from 500 to 1,000 persons, which, under self-con-
stituted leaders, who appeared to start up ready for the
occasion, at once marched up to the camp. Intelligence
of the advance was given to the authorities, who speedily
put the camp into a state of defence, and placed their men
in such positions as to offer the most effectual resistance in
the event of violence being attempted.
Shortly before eight p.m., the mob, all fully armed, drew
up in front of the camp; but, before proceeding to extre-
mities, sent in four delegates to have an interview with the
Commissioners. They were met by Captain Zouch, of the
mounted patrol, and Commissioner Griffin ; and, in the first
place, asked if any, and what number, had been arrested
with respect to the late riots. They were informed that
three were arrested ; they then stated that they were re-
quested to demand their release. Both Captain Zouch and
Mr. Griffin firmly yet coolly declined to release the pri-
soners, informing the deputation at the same time that the
law must take its course—that the parties arrested would
be brought before the court on Monday morning, and would
then be dealt with on the evidence produced against them.
With this reply, the delegates went moodily back, but
before Captain Zouch could get back, a volley was fired
from the mob, at the Camp. Mr. Griffin then went forward
and read the Riot Act, which was treated with derisive
laughter by the mob, who still approached the Camp, with
cries of " Roll up," "Release the prisoners." Every
endeavour was made and caution given that could be cal-
culated to induce them to desist. Orders were at last
given to fire, and then erre volley was fired over their heads.
This did not appear to intimidate them, and at last the
mounted troopers were ordered to the front. They had
scarcely drawn up when a volley was fired, and two Qf the
became
to charge, but not to fire.
and the troopers were ordered
horses fell. The excitement hereintense,
were fired in continual succession at them, but,in
orders they had received.
tThheecmo
mob now closed in and approached the camp, evidently,
troopers' horses
at
way
they obeyed the
with the intention of rushing it, They were again cau-

Honed, but heedless of this they endeavoured to make the
rush. Orders were given to the foot police to fire, and
two volleys were poured in steadily to the advancing
masses, shivering the head of the attack, and
causing it to fall back in disorder upon those behinds
At this moment, the mounted men, who had been
posted at the rear of the camp, were ordered to
take advantage of this confusion, and make a final charge;
and no sooner was the order issued than the cavalry were
amongst the disorganised mass, galloping through and
through it, sabreiug on all sides, and driving the now help-
less, but still vindictive, crowd back across the creek.
Captain Zouch's account of the conflict, as forwarded by
telegram to the Government, is as follows :
The mob came on the camp at a quarter to eight last
night, after sending in four delegates to speak to the Com-
missioner; demanded the release of the prisoners ; and gra-
dually moved forward, evidently intending to rush the
place. A division of patrol, under Mr. M'Lerie, was
ordered to clear the ground, and was immediately fired upon
by the rioters. The patrol charged well, night though it
was, and drove numbers over the banks of the creek, the
foot patrol firing into the mob; but it was not till three
charges had been delivered, and the firing at intervals con-
tinued for more than two hours, before the rioters with-
drew. Every man did his duty as well as men could do it.
Three men of the patrol were wounded—two gunshot
wounds in one arm And one contused; one horse which
dropped was recovered with four balls in him, and two
horses missing wounded. Of the rioters, we know of one
killed, and several wounded. As soon as I can ascertain
losses I will inform you. The darkness prevented our
making any prisoners.
After this defeat the mob sullenly withdrew, with a threat,
however, of returning on the following day, better armed
and better prepaied fork their work. On the following
morning, Monday, the three men who had been arrested,
and for whose release so much blood had been shed, were
brought up, examined, and committed for trial, but were
subsequently admitted to bail. Of the course that Mr
Zouch afterwards found it necessary to pursue, he thus
speaks in a later telegram to the Government :
_

The camp was attacked for the purpose of rescuing thre e
prisoners for Chinese riots. We fought them for two hours
and more. Attack commenced at a quarter to eight o'clock,
and by ten o'clock we drove them off, killing and wounding
many. Three, we know, are dead, and we have beard of
numbers wounded. My report will explain all. Seven spe-
cial constables came to the camp—two only armed. Thf.re
was no response to the call made to the respectable part
of the community. Position I found untenable against the
numbers that wore prepared to revenge the defeat of Sunday
night. Some 3,000, better prepared and organised, were to
attack, and had sworn to destroy the whole of us. I have
brought away the whole force, wounded included.
When the police authorities determined upon evacuating
their position, our special correspondent, whose life had been
threatened by the ringleaders in the riot, on account of
the too truthtul way in which he had dealt with their pro.
ceedings, left Lambing Flat, and fell back upon Yass, and
we are without positive information in regard to the subse-
quent proceedings of the rioters, or to the number of killed
and wounded in the repulse of Sunday night ; but this gen-
tleman telegrams from Yass to say that three men killed on
that night were buried on Tuesday, 16th, and that at the
funeral of one of them, forty men bandaged for wounds
were present, and that it was currently reported that over a
hundred had been more or less wounded.

Immediately on the receipt of this intelligence by the
Government the Commander of the Forces was communi-
cated with, and orders were at once given to forward on to
Burrangong detachments of the 12th Regiment, of the
Artillery, of mounted and foot police, and of blue jackets
from H.M.S. Fawn (whose services were offered by Captain
Kater), the various detachments amounting to 225 men,
which, with the police of the district, will give a total
effective force of 280 men. Arrangements were made with
the mail contractors to carry up to Goulburn in twenty-
four hours fifty men per diem for such period as the
• Government may require'. At Goulburn, the inhabitants
have nobly come forward, and placed every means of con-
veyance in their possession, with horses and all requisites,
at the disposal of the Government for the conveyance of
troops and police, and no time will consequently be lost in
forwarding them on from Goulburn to LamEing Flat.
On Wednesday, a first detachment of infantry, artillery,
and police left Sydney by rail, and was followed on the fol-
lowing day by 75 blue jackets, under Capt. Kater. •
In the meantime, the Burrangong Gold-fields remain in-
disputably in the hands of the rioters. All those who have
property to lose are leaving them as fast as they possibly
can; the managers of the branches of the three banks esta-
blished there having come into Yass on Wednesday, 17th,
for security, bringing with them 4,500 ounces of gold. No
attack has been made upon_the stores, though they had all
been searched for arms and ammunition. Nothing else had
been taken, as the leaders who now prominently direct
every movement declare that they will not allow robbery.
Business of every kind is suspended on the ground, and there
appears to be a general impression that the rioters have
determined upon holding out to the last.