The 'shepherding,' that is the squatting by one man women and children
had not got hold of this 'Dolce far niente' yet--the ground allotted by law
to four men; and the astuteness of our primitive shepherds having found it
cheap and profitable to have each claim visibly separated from the other
by some twenty-feet wall, which was mutually agreed upon by themselves alone,
to call it 'spare ground,' was now a grown-up institution. Hence, whenever
the gutter, 120 feet below, took it into its head to bestir and hook it,
the faithful shepherds would not rest until they were sure to snore in peace
a foot and a half under ground from the surface, and six score feet
from 'bang on the gutter.'

This Ballaarat dodge would have been innocent enough, were it not for
'Young Ireland,' who, having fixed headquarters on the Eureka, was therefore
accused of monopolising the concern. Now, suppose Paddy wanted to relish
a 'tip,' that is, a drop of gin on the sly, then Scotty, who had just
gulped down his 'toddy,' which was a drop of auld whisky, would take upon
himself the selfish trouble to sink six inches more in Paddy's hole,
which feat was called 'jumping;' and thus, broken noses, and other
accomplishments, as aforesaid, grew in proportion to tips, and 'toddy'
drunk on the sly.

I frequently saw horrid scenes of blood; but I was now an old chum and
therefore knew what was what in colonial life.

I had a Cameleon for a neighbour, who, in the garb of an Irishman,
flung his three half-shovels out of a hole on the hill punctually every
morning, and that was his work before breakfast. Then, a red shirt
on his back, and a red cap on his head, he would, in the subsequent hour,
give evidence of his scorning to be lazy by putting down some three inches
deeper another hole below in the gully. 'Full stop;' he must have a 'blow,'