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Frank Leward: Memorials

Same to the Same

Same to the Same.

Bendigo, Australia, May 1853.

Dear old Bampton It's my birthday so to keep it I write to you. I'm 31 and nothing done but get a lot of gold I dont want. I'm going to send it to you to do with as you did with the last. When land round Ballarat was getting pretty well used up we had a tremendous row with this beastly government. They wanted every miner to pay so much down every year to them for the right of mining. Now if it hadn't been for the miners the place wouldn't have been in existence at all. The miners made the place and now they are to be made to pay for doing it to the Government who are too lazy to work for themselves. We've had all the hard work and made the place and now they are to have all the profit. Besides that it's the way they do it. The miners wouldn't mind paying a pound or two if the Government are in want, but they send up a lot of loafing impertinent brutes of police who can stick you up whenever they like and if you don't happen to have your licence as they call it about you they can march you straight off through the place and put you in the lock up. I saw three of them taking one Irishman like that. They had got him down and handcuffed him, he page 201kicked and swore like anything and I told them straight out I wouldn't stand it and a lot of Irishmen, they're the best lot out here, got together and went at the peelers and got the fellow away. There was an awful row we had to defend ourselves as they got a lot more peelers down and one Irishman an awfully clever fellow got his arm shot off. Then I had to clear out, so I came on here and this place is richer than the other. The soil about here is poor sandy sort of stuff but in some of the parts we passed through coming from Ballarat its very good country.

This colony will be a splendid place some day if it's properly managed. Besides the gold, it will be a great place for sheep and corn. I expect too they'll find gold a long way down when they try far enough. All we find is alluvial on the surface or a short-way down and the nuggets are worn by water showing they have been washed down from somewhere. I shouldnt be surprised if the ground under us is full of quartz. If it is there is no end of gold in the place.

Im getting rather tired of gold mining and I expect I shall start on my travels again before long Yours old man

Frank Leward.