Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-05-13

W lu6 lutH luluI
~ colony and start
digging for the precious metal. TIC
such an extent dub immigrants pour
into Victoria that the arrivals in Mel.
bourne are said to have numbered
over two thousand week The crews
of all the ships in Melbourne Harbol
at the time of the news OF the first
finds deserted to man, and ship.
masters and shipowners were Mt then
wits end to know how to get men to
work their vessels home again from
Australia.
1T was during the first excitement
of the rush to the gold tieds that the
sailing vessel, Chesapeake Bay, al
rived in Melbourne from Liverpool.
Her crew were no better than those
of the other ships IN port, and among
the first to desert and run away to the
"dipgings" was the hero of this
authentic narrative. an able seaman,
named John Merrydew Smythe. This
man had at home in England a wife
and daughter, the latter q child OF
seven at the time. Smythe, along
with others, who, like himself, had
high hopes of making their fortunes
in q very short space of time at tho
mines, succeeded in making his way
to Ballarat- the Eel Dorado of tina
period.
He did not stay long in the town it.
SELF, however, but started prospecting
with, at first, very indifferent success
But after some month OF logged per
severance and mi-stnrvation he a
length "struck it rich, as the saying
goes. Iu less than another half-yeal
he had got tidy sum of money ont OF
his claim, and was able to send $1,000
home to his wife. She started in busi
ness for herself in Liverpool as ,
broker, and pr ospered from the very
commencement, so that she was sool
in very comfortable circumstances
Her husband, however, instead of re
turning home to England and enjoy
ing the fruits of his labors, continued
to work his claim until he had amasset
quite respectable fortune.
AL VIZ SoihD wen W ltu nun, "'iV'
lie suddenly took to drink ant
gambling. He sold his claim 10,
$500, and from that day forth haunte,
the drinking saloons and gamhlin!
dens, which were as plentiful in
Ballarat at that time a. blackberries
in autumn. The town was full OF tn,
scum and refuse of civiliza!ion-th,
sweepings of the cal th-attracte,
thither by the universal greed fol
gold; and such places dill roaring
trade, all day and all night as well
Smythe, fuddlel with liquor, wou,
stake handfuls Of his hard earned golt
on the mere turning of card. Yet
as his vile associates often swore, IL
had "the devils own luck" He al
ways won, somehow, and never re
turned home without being richer b,
scores of pounds. Undoubtedly. HI
would have frequently been robbed
as ho left the gambling saloon, scarcel.
able to walk through his deep pota
tons, had he not had the staunches
and truest of chums in his partner
steady going, temperate Joe Mamie.
who piloted him home safely ever.
evening, and as regularly emptied hi
pockets of most of the money an
banked it for him.
After about two years OF this wild
reckless life, Smythe saw the error o
his ways, aud, bidding goodbye t.
Ballarat and its evil associations, Ii
made arrangements with his bankers
to forward his money to England. H
then made his own way to Sydne.
1854, intending to return home
To this end lie booked passag
aboard the vessel Western Star, al,
sailed for England.
When only few weeks out tn
ship encountered very heavy weather
and finally ran On reef off the FaIli
land Isles. The captain and six
teen of his crew were drowned
but Smythe and three other
the carpenter, seaman and a
apprentice lad named James Eoch
succeeded in battling their wa
through the surf and making the shore
Here they were met by savagcs, who
however, received them very kindly
and gave them food and drink.
They lived among these natives fo
no less than two years OH the friend
lest tcrms-that is to say, Smythe
the sailor, and the boy did; for til
carpenter fell i'll and died som
months after their escape from til
wreck. One day a barque put int
the island for water, and when L boa
came ashore, Smythe and his tw
white companions ran down to th
waters edge and hailed its occupants
These latter, however, were seize
with n panic at the sight of the three
whom they mistook for savases, a
they wore 10 clothes like the natives
and the boats crew thought tnel
frantic gestures and shonts were ev
dences OF dangerous hostility
Scrambliug pell-mell into the boz
again, they were pushing of III sres
hurry, when one Ct them perceive
that tho skins of the supposed savage
were white. Still the sailors did liz
feel inclined to stop and rarley, $
they showed OF and rowel out b
into the bay.
When they had put small siretc
OF water between themselves and til
shore. they lay on their oars aud OF
OF them commenced paiaver with IL
white sayaoes, whose ac.ioHs-whil
tho boat was Icing roNed away fro