oth" our pudding turned out A1.

In the afternoon we strolled about, and paid a visit to our shipmates.
I was certainly most agreeably surprised by the quiet and order that
everywhere prevailed.

MONDAY, 27.--Today our party commenced "sinking" in a new spot at some
little distance. The first layer of black soil was removed, and on some
being washed in a tin dish, it was found to contain a tolerable portion
of gold, and was pronounced to be worth transporting to the tent to be
regularly cradled. My first official notice of this fact was from
Richard, who entered the tent humming "Suona la tromba," with a bucket
full of this heavy soil in each hand. He broke off in the middle of his
song to ask for some water to drink, and grumbled most energetically at
such dirty work. He then gave me an account of the morning's doings.
After a thin layer of the black surface soil, it appeared they had come
to a strata of thick yellow clay, in which gold was often very
abundant. This soil, from being so stiff, would require "puddling," a
work of which he did not seem to relish the anticipation. Before the
day was over, a great number of buckets full of both soils were brought
up and deposited in heaps near the tents. All, with the exception of
the "operatic" Richard, seemed in good spirits, and were well satisfied
with what had been done in so short a time.

In the evening the other party of our shipmates arrived, and were busy
fixing their tent at a distance of about forty yards from us. Frank and
the other four, though pretty tired with the days labour, lent a
helping hand, the united efforts of nine speedily accomplished this
business, after which an immense quantity of cold mutton, damper, and
tea made a rapid disappearance, almost emptying my larder, which, by
the bye, was an old tea-chest.

We asked our friends their motive for leaving the old spot, and they
declared they could stand the "amiable female" no longer; she grew
worse and worse. "Her tongue was sich" observed the Scotchman, "as wad
drive ony puir beastie wild." She had regularly quarrelled with the two
doctors because they would not give her a written certificate, that the
state of her health required the constant use of spirits. She offered them
two guineas for it, which they indignantly refused, and she then declared
her intention of injuring their practice as much as possible, which she
had power to do, as her tent was of an evening quite the centre of
attractio