No answer.

"I say, cut down this tent, and we'll see who is in;" was the order
of the Commissioner to two ruffianly looking troopers.

No sooner said than done; and the little tent was ripped up by their swords.
A government cart was, of course, ready in the gully below, and in less than
five minutes the whole stock of grog, some two hundred pounds sterling worth,
or five hundred pounds worth in nobblers, was carted up to the Camp,
before the teeth of some hundreds of diggers, who had now collected
round about. We cried "Shame! shame!" sulkily enough, but we did not
interfere; first, because the store had already annoyed us often enough
during the long winter nights; second, because the plunderers were such
Vandemonian-looking traps and troopers, that we were not encouraged
to say much, because it would have been of no use.

As soon, however, as the sun was up, and all hands were going to work,
the occurrence not only increased the discontent that had been brewing
fast enough already, but it rose to excitement; and such a state of
exasperated feelings, however vented in the shouting of 'Joe,' did certainly
not prepare the Eureka boys to submit with patience to a licence-hunt
in the course of the day.

First and foremost: it is impossible to prevent the sale of spirits
on the diggings; and not any laws, fines, or punishment the government
may impose on the dealers or consumers can have an effect towards putting
a stop to sly-grog selling. A miner working, as during the past winter,
in wet and cold, must and will have his nobbler occasionally; and very
necessary, too, I think. No matter what the cost, he will have it;