"turn up."
To look round upon this mass of human beings, and think how much energy and strength is being wasted, induces a most unpleasurable feeling. Listlessly roaming backwards and forwards along the main thoroughfares of the settlement, congregating on the vacant ground of the police camp, gathering round the liquor stores, or sitting in apathetic indolence upon anything that offers a sufficient basis for the purpose, seem to be the chief modes of passing the time that is not taken up by frying chops or making and cooking dampers. Soured by the disappointment that met them on their landing, and still more galled at the dreary prospect that a more intimate acquaintance with the settlement presented to them, it is not to be wondered at that these persons should be excitable irritable in the extreme. I have seen them in knots of ten or a dozen, conversing together of their disappointment and their sufferings, until they have mutually urged each other on to the most insane threats and denunciations -- all of which, however, pass away when cooler moments bring reflection. This excitability is further shown in the eagerness with which at the least symptom of a"difficulty,"
the whole population of the place is collected upon the scene of action; and, as the slightest spark would set this inflammable mass into a blaze, I need not tell you that thinking men tremble lest any one moment may bring about an explosion. Further than this, the majority of those now here are arrivals from Melbourne, and they have amongst them no very small amount of"rowdies"
-- men who bear upon their features the unmistakeable impress of crime and vagabondism. With such men, who have everything to gain by disorder, and everything to dread from the orderly course of law, it must be a great aim to foment disturbance, and to bring about an emente, in the course of which their peculiar talents can be brought into play. Thus, on Wednesday last, in a moment of excitement, it was generally agreed, by a large number of men assembled near the Police Court, to hold a public meeting on the following day. A man, one of the individuals to whom I have alluded, volunteered to go round with a bell, and give notice of the meeting. His services were accepted, and the way he fullfiled his trust was by making a series of short inflammatory speeches, making the most absurd charges against the Government of New South Wales in general, and against Captain O'Connell in particular, for having cajoled them here for some unknown purpose of their own; and generally ending somewhat after this style,"If you're half -- men, you'll pull that -- wretch (meaning Captain O'Connell) out of his tent and pitch him in the river. Only stand by me, and I'll -- quick do it"
Of course, I omit the numerous expletives with which his addresses were seasoned. This, however, was going too far, and the very monstrous nature of the proposition acted as an antidote to the otherwise exciting language of the speaker. Besides this, despite all the disappointment, Captain O'Connell has rendered himself exceedingly popular with all who have come in his way. Always accessible, always ready to give advice or assistance wherever it may be required, his presence in Rockhampton is the never failing signal for the collecting of a large number of persons round the police camp. There he may be seen in the midst of a vast crowd, explaining, reasoning, urging, or entreating, according to the temper of the mass amongst which he finds himself. Anxious -- I had almost said nervously anxious -- for the success of the diggings, he did all that was possible to be done to discover a new gold-field in the neighbourhood of Canoona. Thwarted in this, and shrinking from none of the responsibility of the post he had accepted, he then returned to Rockhampton, where the gathering discontent rendered his presence necessary. How far he has been successful in his efforts, the peace and good order preserved up to the present moment will testify. The residents here are not blind to all this, and thus he will find very many to support him, should any untoward accident disturb the quiet that has hitherto reigned here. Such an accident was very nearly occurring yesterday morning. Captain Moodie, the resident agent of the A. S. N. Company, in shipping passengers for the Eagle, insisted, in accordance with orders received from his principals in Sydney, upon £3 10s. as the amount of passage money to Sydney. He had upon former occasions attempted to enforce this amount, but to prevent disturbances that then threatened he had ultimately accepted £3. On this occasion, however, the £3 10s. was paid, and it was imagined that all had passed over quietly. Shortly before one o'clock, as Captain Moodie was entering his tent, through a vast crowd that surrounded it, he was grasped by the shoulder by a tall powerful man, who drew him back with a no very polite intimation that those assembled wished to say a few words to him. Of course, he was indignant at being thus treated, and did not pick his words to inform his assailant of the fact; upon which, the grasp was let go by general desire of the crowd, and Mr. Moodie entered his tent. Here he was assailed by all the vituperative epithets that only a long residence in the bush or on a diggings can teach a man, the gravamen of the charge brought against him being that he had obtained from the passengers by the Eagle ten shillings more than had been paid by those per Yarra and Wonga. To this, Captain Moodie pleaded his instructions, but the crowd rejoined that the instructions might be -- you know what they meant; and, finally, joined issue rather abruptly, by cutting short the pleadings, and insisting upon having back the 10s. each, or in default affirming their intention to pull the tent about his ears. Five minutes were given for consideration, and the tent cords were already loosened and held in the hands of the ringleaders. Had Captain Moodie held out, there is not the slightest doubt but that the threat would have been carried into effect; and then, in the general rush to plunder, those under the tent would have been either trampled to death or seriously injured. Besides which, having once tasted the pleasures of spoiling, it would have been difficult for the authorities to have checked the mob, or prevented the increasing disposition to riot. As it was, the wiser course was taken, the concession demanded was made, and ten shillings was returned to the holder of each ticket issued that morning. Thus ended this, the closest shaving upon riot that Rockhampton has yet experienced. As for Captain Moodie, so exasperated and annoyed is he, at having to knock under to intimidation, though led to do so by public rather than private considerations, that he expressed his intention to return to Sydney as speedily as possible. The meeting that was advertised under the interesting circumstances I have detailed in a former part of my letter, took place yesterday afternoon, and was conducted in a most original manner. The people assembled, to the number of some 2000 persons, and were addressed by Captain O'Connell, who detailed to them all that he had done with a view to their advantage, by the formation of prospecting parties, &c.; and all that he, as agent for the Government, was prepared to, in taking care that none should be allowed to starve. This satisfied the assembled multitude, and the meeting quietly dispersed, their proceedings having occupied ten minutes, and Captain O'Connell having been the only speaker. After the meeting, Captain O'Connell proceeded to Keppel Bay, in the Samson, to see to the shipping and departure of the wrecked men from the Timandra, and to do some other official business in the Bay; but after he had gone a rumour gained ground that he had departed solely for the purpose of fetching back with him some of the sailors and marines from the Iris, to coerce the people. Much discontent arose as this rumour was circulated, and there was serious cause for apprehending an outbreak Luckily, the night passed over without trouble, and the departure of the Eagle this morning will, no doubt, effect a diversion in the public mind, and tend to remove the previous impression. The prospecting party of which I previously wrote you I left here on Wednesday last. It consisted of sixteen persons, all fully armed and equipped. Their first work will be to prospect a locality whence an individual has reported that he has obtained three pennyweights of gold in three dishes of earth. This man is himself guiding the party to the spot. Captain Ruhl, master of the Warren Goddard, met with a severe accident on Tuesday last. He was out shooting with a party about seven miles up the river, when, in putting his fowling-piece into the boat, the lock caught in some way, and the gun exploded, lodging the whole contents of shot in the elbow of the man's left arm. So frightfully was the arm shattered that amputation was imperative, and the operation was performed on the following day, by Mr. Redhead. Since then the sufferer has been progressing favourably. Mr. Viner, lately stipendiary magistrate at the Tumut, arrived here a day or two ago, and has taken charge of the police establishment, having been appointed police magistrate for Rockhampton and Keppel Bay. Of course, it is hard to understand the impulses that move the Government; but, in my humble opinion, our presiding geniuses in making this appointment have hardly acted fairly towards Mr. Hutchinson, the clerk of petty sessions. He has worked very hard towards getting the establishment into order, and the Government ought not to have passed him by when they had decided on this appointment. I enclose you a list of arrivals and departures since the sailing of the Wonga Wonga, with the number of passengers in each vessel. This will enable you to judge of the extraordinary influx of population we have had here during the last week. The Timandra is not entered in this list, not having reported at the Custom House. Just as I was about to close my letter a very extraordinary case of forgery has come to light. No fewer than eight five pound notes, purporting to be issued by the Union Bank of Australia, Melbourne, have been circulated during last evening, and have been handed to the police. They are a very excellent imitation, but the signatures are engraved instead of being written. The forgery was first discovered by Mr. Grey, of Mr. C. R. Robinson's store, and information was at once given to inspector Harrison, of the detective force. This morning the man who had issued the notes was apprehended, and turns out to be one Palmer, a new arrival from Hobart Town, having only landed the previous evening, so that he has not lost much time in going to work.