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Raffaello! Du, Baricaden bauen," and all heaps of slabs, all available timber was soon higgledy-piggledy thrown all round our camp. Lalor then gave directions as to the position each division should take round the holes, and soon all was on the "qui vive."
Had Commissioner Rede dared to rehearse the farce of the riot-act cracking as on Gravel-pits, he would have met with a warm reception from the Eureka boys. It was all the go that morning.
No blue or red coat appeared.—It was past one o'clock: John Bull must have his dinner. Lalor spoke of the want of arms and ammunition; requested that every one should endeavour to procure of both as much as possible; but did certainly not counsel or even hint that stores should be pressed for it.
A German blacksmith, within the stockade was blazing, hammering and pointing pikes as fast as his thick strong arms allowed him: praising the while his past valour in the wars of Mexico, and swearing that his pikes would fix red-toads and blue pissants especially. He was making money as fast as any Yankee is apt on such occasions, and it was a wonder to look at his coarse workmanship, that would hardly stick an opossum, though his pikes were meant for kangaroos and wild dogs.
XLV.
POPULUS EX TERRA CRESCIT: MULTITUDO HOMINUM EST POPULUS; ERGO, MULTITUDO HOMINUM EX TERRA CRESCIT.
Between four and five o'clock of same afternoon, we became aware of the silly blunder, which proved fatal to our cause. Some three or four hundred diggers arrived from Creswick-creek, a gold-field famous for its pennyweight fortunes—grubbed up through hard work, and squandered in dissipation among the swarm of sly-grog-sellers in the district.
We learned from this Creswick legion that two demagogues had been stumping at Creswick, and called the diggers there to arms to help their brothers on Ballaarat, who were worried by scores, by the perfidious hounds of the Camp. They were assured that on Ballaarat there was plenty of arms, ammunitions, forage, and provisions, and that preparations on a grand scale were making to redress once for all the whole string of grievances. They had only to march to Ballaarat, and would find there plenty of work, honour, and glory.
I wonder how honest Mr. Black could sanction with his presence,
