But, added my friend, with manifest comfort, the
departure from propriety was so flagrant that, if the report did happen
to reach the king's eyes, he would never believe it of him.
Both distinguished visitors honoured me and two of my sisters, who had
by this time followed their brother to the land of promise, with a few
days' residence at our cottage, with its garden so full of fruit, upon
the Merri Creek. When so many other invitations pressed, we were in
honour bound to this time-limitation. They were easily entertained with
such few elegancies as we could then boast of. But we were bound also,
even in mere good feeling to surrounding ambitious maidens, to get up a
ball in the Prince's honour. I had my task in discriminating the
comparative few of the fair hands that could possibly be placed in that
of the guest, for even a prince could not dance for ever, so as to
overtake all. On the Prince's part every successive hand was accepted
with equal readiness, and every favoured maiden was duly encouraged, or
discouraged, by faultlessly impartial courtesy.
BLACK THURSDAY.
"Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire."
--Milton.
The year 1851 had for us three memorable events: first, "Black
Thursday," on 6th February; second, the elevation of Port Phillip
district into the colony of Victoria, on 1st July; third, the discovery
of gold, which was practically and substantially that of Ballarat,
during the third week of September.
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