The Gold Hunters' Adventures - Or, Life in Australia

William Henry Thomes

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• Publié par: nuchur
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 70
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg eBook, The
Gold Hunter's Adventures, by
William H. Thomes, Illustrated by
Champney
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Title: The Gold Hunter's Adventures
Or, Life in Australia
Author: William H. Thomes
Illustrator: Champney
Release Date: June 13, 2005 [eBook #16050]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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ADVENTURES***

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THE
GOLD HUNTER'S ADVENTURES;
OR,
LIFE IN AUSTRALIA.
BY
WILLIAM H. THOMES
A RETURNED AUSTRALIAN.
Illustrated by Champney.


BOSTON:
LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS.
NEW YORK:
CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION 13
CHAPTER I.
FIRST THOUGHTS OF GOING TO AUSTRALIA.—DEPARTURE
FROM CALIFORNIA.—LIFE ON BOARD SHIP.—ARRIVAL AT
15
WILLIAMS TOWN.—DESCRIPTION OF MELBOURNE.—A
CONVICT'S HUT.
CHAPTER II.
A MORNING IN AUSTRALIA.—JOURNEY TO THE MINES OF
20BALLARAT.—THE CONVICT'S STORY.—BLACK DARNLEY, THE
BUSHRANGER.
CHAPTER III.
TRAVELLING IN AUSTRALIA.—AN ADVENTURE WITH SNAKES.
29
—CARRYING THE MAILS.
CHAPTER IV.
EATING BROILED KANGAROO MEAT.—AUSTRALIAN SPEAKS
34
AND AMERICAN RIFLES.
CHAPTER V.
THE SOLITARY STOCKMAN.—SHOOTING A KANGAROO. 41
CHAPTER VI.
ADVENTURE WITH A DOG.—THE MURDER IN THE RAVINE.
47
—STORY OF AN OUTRAGED WOMAN.
CHAPTER VII.
BLACK DARNLEY'S VILLANY.—THE CONVICT STOCKMAN. 56
CHAPTER VIII.
AN EXPEDITION.—A FIGHT WITH BUSHRANGERS.—DEATH OF
61
BLACK DARNLEY.
CHAPTER IX.
THE STOCKMAN'S DAUGHTER.—MOUNTED POLICE OF
68
MELBOURNE.
CHAPTER X.DESPERATE DEEDS OF TWO CONVICTS.—LIEUT. MURDEN'S
73
STORY.
CHAPTER XI.
SAGACITY OF A DOG.—A NIGHT'S ADVENTURES. 79
CHAPTER XII.
DISCOVERY OF A MASONIC RING.—FUNERAL PYRE OF BLACK
87
DARNLEY.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE STOCKMAN AND HIS PARROT.—DARING PLOT OF A
93
ROBBER CHIEFTAIN.
CHAPTER XIV.
DISCOVERY OF STOLEN TREASURES IN THE STOCKMANS'S
101
CELLAR.
CHAPTER XV.
DYING CONFESSION OF JIM GULPIN, THE ROBBER. 107
CHAPTER XVI.
A FORCED MARCH TOWARDS MELBOURNE. 114
CHAPTER XVII.
TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO MELBOURNE. 120
CHAPTER XVIII.
LARGE FIRE IN MELBOURNE.—ENGLISH MACHINES AT FAULT. 127
CHAPTER XIX.
PARDON OF SMITH AND THE OLD STOCKMAN.—GRAND DINNER
134
AT THE GOVERNOR'S.
CHAPTER XX.
DUEL BETWEEN FRED AND AN ENGLISH LIEUTENANT. 142
CHAPTER XXI.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE SEARCH FOR GULPIN'S BURIED
151
TREASURES.
CHAPTER XXII.
DEPARTURE FROM MELBOURNE.—FIGHT WITH THE NATIVES. 158
CHAPTER XXIII.
ARRIVAL AT THE OLD STOCKMAN'S HUT.—MYSTERIOUS
164
INTERRUPTIONS DURING THE HUNT.
CHAPTER XXIV.
ROBBERY OF THE CART.—CAPTURE OF STEEL SPRING. 171
CHAPTER XXV.
STEEL SPRING'S HISTORY. 176CHAPTER XXVI.
FINDING OF THE TREASURE. 181
CHAPTER XXVII.
CAPTURE OF ALL HANDS, BY THE BUSHRANGERS. 187
CHAPTER XXVIII.
OPPORTUNE ARRIVAL OF LIEUTENANT MURDEN AND HIS
195
FORCE.—ROUT OF THE BUSHRANGERS.
CHAPTER XXIX.
REVENGE OF THE BUSHRANGERS.—FIRING OF THE FOREST. 201
CHAPTER XXX.
PERILOUS SITUATION DURING THE FIRE.—STEEL SPRING
208
TURNS UP.
CHAPTER XXXI.
CAPTURE OF THE BUSHRANGERS, AND DEATH OF NOSEY. 213
CHAPTER XXXII.
RETURN TO THE STOCKMAN'S HUT.—SMITH IN LOVE. 219
CHAPTER XXXIII.
RECOVERY OF THE GOLD.—ARRIVAL AT BALLARAT. 226
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE BULLY OF BALLARAT.—FRED FIGHTS A DUEL. 234
CHAPTER XXXV.
BALLARAT CUSTOMS, AFTER A DUEL. 242
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ARRIVAL AT BALLARAT.—MR. BROWN'S STORY. 249
CHAPTER XXXVII.
FINDING OF A 110 LB. NUGGET.—CAVING IN OF A MINE. 257
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
INCIDENTS IN LIFE AT BALLARAT. 265
CHAPTER XXXIX.
ATTEMPT OF THE HOUSEBREAKER.—ATTACK BY THE SNAKE. 272
CHAPTER XL.
DEATH OF THE BURGLAR BY THE SNAKE. 278
CHAPTER XLI.
VISIT TO SNAKES' PARADISE. 284
CHAPTER XLII.
FLIGHT FROM THE SNAKES.—ATTACKED BY THE
291
BUSHRANGERS.CHAPTER XLIII.
TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO BALLARAT, WITH THE
299
BUSHRANGERS.
CHAPTER XLIV.
THRASHING A BULLY. 305
CHAPTER XLV.
A YOUNG GIRL'S ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF HER LOVER. 312
CHAPTER XLVI.
A MARRIAGE, AND AN ELOPEMENT. 318
CHAPTER XLVII.
COLLECTING TAXES OF THE MINERS. 326
CHAPTER XLVIII.
MURDEN AND STEEL SPRING ARRIVE FROM MELBOURNE. 333
CHAPTER XLIX.
CATCHING A TARL AS WELL AS A CASSIOWARY. 340
CHAPTER L.
ARRIVAL OF SMITH.—ATTEMPT TO BURN THE STORE. 346
CHAPTER LI.
ATTEMPT TO BURN THE STORE. 353
CHAPTER LII.
THE ATTEMPT TO MURDER MR. CRITCHET. 359
CHAPTER LIII.
OPPORTUNE ARRIVAL OF MR. BROWN.—THEY SEND FOR
366
STEEL SPRING.
CHAPTER LIV.
THE WAY THE COLONISTS OBTAIN WIVES IN AUSTRALIA. 372
CHAPTER LV.
ADVENTURES AT DAN BRIAN'S DRINKING-HOUSE. 378
CHAPTER LVI.
ADVENTURES CONTINUED. 383
CHAPTER LVII.
MORE OF THE SAME SORT. 390
CHAPTER LVIII.
CONVALESCENCE OF MR. CRITCHET, AND OUR DISCHARGE 398
FROM THE CRIMINAL DOCKET.
CHAPTER LIX.
OUR TEAMSTER BARNEY, AND HIS WIFE. 403CHAPTER LX.
MIKE FINDS THE LARGE "NUGGET." 410
CHAPTER LXI.
THE RESULT OF GROWING RICH TOO RAPIDLY. 414
CHAPTER LXII.
THE FLOUR SPECULATION.—MR. CRITCHET'S STORY. 419
CHAPTER LXIII.
THE SAME, CONTINUED. 427
CHAPTER LXIV.
MR. BROWN'S DISCHARGE FROM THE POLICE FORCE.—BILL
434
SWINTON'S CONFESSION.
CHAPTER LXV.
THE EXPEDITION AFTER BILL SWINTON'S BURIED TREASURES. 439
CHAPTER LXVI.
JOURNEY AFTER THE BURIED TREASURE. 445
CHAPTER LXVII.
THE HUNT FOR THE BURIED TREASURE. 451
CHAPTER LXVIII.
THE ISLAND GHOST.—NARROW ESCAPE OF MR. BROWN. 456
CHAPTER LXIX.
CAPTURE OF THE GHOST. 461
CHAPTER LXX.
THE GHOST AND THE BUSHRANGERS. 468
CHAPTER LXXI.
SAM TYRELL AND THE GHOST. 474
CHAPTER LXXII.
FINDING THE BURIED TREASURE. 484
CHAPTER LXXIII.
THE ESCAPE FROM THE FIRE. 490
CHAPTER LXXIV.
ARRIVAL AT MR. WRIGHT'S STATION. 496
CHAPTER LXXV.
SUPPER.—RETURN OF MR. WRIGHT'S SCOUTS. 501
CHAPTER LXXVI.
MIKE TUMBLES INTO THE RIVER.—ARRIVAL OF THE
511
BUSHRANGERS.CHAPTER LXXVII.
CAPTURE OF THE BUSHRANGERS. 517
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
PUNISHING THE BULLY. 524
CHAPTER LXXIX.
MR. WRIGHT'S FARM.—DEATH OF KELLY. 529
CHAPTER LXXX.
JOURNEY BACK TO BALLARAT. 536
CHAPTER LXXXI.
STEEL SPRING IN THE FIELD.—ATTEMPT OF THE
542
COMMISSIONER TO CONFISCATE OUR HORSES.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
SAME CONTINUED.—DEATH OF ROSS. 549
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
ARREST OF FRED.—TRIP TO MELBOURNE, AND ITS RESULTS. 555
INTRODUCTION.
Since my return from Australia, I have been solicited by a number of friends to
give them a history of my adventures in that land of gold, where kangaroos are
supposed to be as plenty as natives, and jump ten times as far, and where
natives are imagined to be continually lying in ambush for the purpose of
making a hearty meal upon the bodies of those unfortunate travellers who
venture far into the interior of the country—where bushrangers are continually
hanging about camp fires, ready to cut the weasands of those who close their
eyes for a moment—and lastly, where every other man that you meet is
expected to be a convict, transported from the mother country for such petty
crimes as forgery, house-breaking, and manslaughter in the second degree.
My friends have all desired to hear me relate these particulars, and have
honored me with a large attendance at my rooms, and sat late at night, and
drank my wine and water, and smoked my cigars, with a relish that did me great
credit, as it showed that I am something of a connoisseur in the choice of such
luxuries. And then they laughed so loudly at my jokes, no matter how poor they
were, that, for a few days after my arrival home, I really thought the air of
Australia had improved and sharpened my wit.
I should, no doubt, have continued feasting those who listened so patiently to
my yarns, had not a sudden idea entered my head, one night, when the
company were the most boisterous. I was in the act of raising a glass of wine to
my mouth, when it occurred to me that before I left this country for Australia, via
California, scarcely one of those present had assembled on the dock to bid me
farewell.I placed the untasted wine upon the table again, lighted a cigar, and was soon
buried in smoke and reflection. I thought of the time when I had not money
enough to pay my passage to the Golden State—of the exertions I had made to
raise the amount necessary, and the many refusals that I had met with at the
hands of those who now professed to be my friends.
I blew aside the smoke that enveloped my head, and fixed my eyes upon one
red-faced cousin, who owned bank shares, and bought stocks w