The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-01-22
LOST IN TIE BUSH.

On the dullest day
Little Corporal
LOST IN THE BUSH.
In the year 1852 was in the ship Biz
man, hound for Melbourne. At tina
time was only an ordinary seaman, ant
had made but one voyage previously
Then, as now, disliked the sea as only
sailor can. But what could do? A,
school had been idle, and more fond OF
play than work-had learned little, SO
that l was net fitted for desk work nor
for a profession; and having, with boys
love OF adventure, insisted on going 10
sea, my parents wisely advised me to
stick to it, hoping that should push my
way in the end. The result is that here I
am, over fifty years Of age, first mate in a
whaler. Certainly, l have saved few
hundred pounds, and. with the good luck
we have had this voyage, l hope to be
able to buy share in the ship, aud take
the commands; but have worked hard
for it, and have led slavish, ahstemious
life.
Our voyage to Melbourne was long
one, owing to the slowness of our ship
and to the number Of accidents we met
with. SO that we did not reach Hudson's
Bay until January. 1863. The gold fields
al that time were in full swing. and every
man and boy that could manage it had
gone to the diggins. AS soon as ship
anchored in the bay her hands, either
singly or in a body, left her, so that there
were hundreds of vessels lying deserted
or only manned by the captains, and per-
haps a boy. Our ship was no exception
70 In 1>afN~ l. u
been week in barber, all the hands,
tempted by the golden report, we heard
Of the abundance of the gold, and the
ease with which it was to be got. had de-
serted her and made the best Of their
way to the Land of Promise"
and two other boys were ameng the
last to bolt. The captain and officers
watched us carefully: and had it not been
for an accident l believe We should not
have been able to make our escape. One
day the skipper told us to man the gig.
and we had to row him to Sandridge.
Another boat from some ship in the bay
reached the shore just as We did, and our
two boats ran onto the gravelly beach
close together. No sooner had the other
boat grounded than the men in her-num-
bering some four or tive-jumped ashore
anu loA VI up tAC SloSClN puIsuSu
by the captain. Our ''old man." as soon
as he saw what it was. gave chase, follow
ed by the second officer, who was also
with US. Seeing our opportunity, pro.
posed to my mates that we should be off
at once. Only one agreed with me-the
other saying that he would rather take his
chance than go now and leave all his
"kit" on board. So we left him and hur-
ried away, not knowing or caring in what
direction We went.
After several narrow escapes from being
caught and imprisoned in Melbourne, we
;oined party which was starting for
Bendigo. For some months we worked
there with indifferent success. From
there we went to McIvor, now called
Heathcote, and then our troubles CON-
menced. Not speck could we find. A
few yards from us a party of four
were doing wonderfully well, making
from $50 to $40 week each. SO,
when the Waranga diggings were
found out, near the Goulburn, we
up stick and made tracks at once. This
was a dreadful place. We were among
the first on the ground. There were no
stores to be got, excepting few small
loaves, which were sold at the modest
price of eight shillings each. Mutton,
for the first two days, could not be got for
love or money, and even if it could it was
out of our reach, for, though we might
have had a good supply of the first we
had not a cent of the latter. Water was
scarcely to be got fit to drink, although a
little was brought from a lake, and was
readily sold at half crown per bucket
The first night we were there got some
Underwater, we called tin which a
digger had been washing his ''stuff," to
make tea of. The process was trouble
some, and not very satisfactory, after ALL
first strained it through bit of rag
torn off my shirt-then put it on the fire
and boiled it, adding good handful of
tea. Allowing it to stand and settle, we
got nearly d pint of liquid out of each
quart pot. 1t looked like tirst-rate tea, as
the mud in it gave it the appearance of
having milk as one of its ingredients-an
unknown luxury in the diggings; but the
taste was any thing but gratifying, being
full of grit and tasting too strongly Of
mother earth. This discomfort of course
only lasted few days, for with the rapid.
ity usual in gold diggings, a township
sprung into existence "a canvas one,
certainly, but in which every necessary
and many of the luxuries Of civilized life
were Obtainable.
My companiOn-whose name was joe
and remained there for about ten DAYS,
not doing very well, but earning more than
wages. Then, hearing a report of a new
diggings having been found not very far
from Waranga, we determined to give up
our claim, which was about worked out,
and try our luck in fresh ground. The
place where this new field was said to be
WIS only about ten or twelve miles from
Waranga, in q straight direction, but sep
arated from it by dense whip-stick"
scrub, so thick as to be almost impcne-
trable, even to men on foot Dark tales
were told Of men who had tried to force
their way through this scrub being lost,
and never having been seen again and
as yet no one had been known to have
succeeded in finding their way through it.
Of course, going round made consider
able uinelence in the distance and SO,
thinking to save this long tramp, and
rather liking the ideaof trying to succeed
where so many had failed, we resolved to
a''""". "ushing our way through to the
other side.
A wh,pstick scrub.i is composed of long,
thin, straight saplings, growing SO closely
together that it is necessary to bend them
aside in order to get between them. And
as each little tree is well-covered with
leaves, they form a sort Of canopy over
head, which excludes the light so much
that even at midday it is almost impossi.
bic to see the sun. This, Of course, makes
travelling more difficult and dangerous
than in an ordinary scrub, where, if you
arc unprovided with compass, you have
the sun to guard you by day and the stars
by night. These saplings grow perfectly
straight, without branches, to a height of
generally ten or twelve feet; and, as their
name implies, are in great request by bull
lock drivers, who use them for handles to
their bullock whips.
The plan we intended to adopt when
Coinr through this scrub waa simnle