"
By this time, two covies--one of them generally an Irishman had stripped
to their middle, and were "shaping" for a round or two. A broken nose,
with the desired accomplishment of a pair of black eyes, and in all cases,
when manageable, a good smash in the regions either of the teeth, or of
the ribs--both, if possible, preferred--was supposed to improve the transaction
so much, that, what with the tooth dropping, or the rib cracking, or both,
as aforesaid, it was considered 'settled.' Thus originated the special title
of 'rowdy mob,' or Tipperary, in reference to the Irish. Let us have the
title clear.
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.
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