e, had been liberated
on condition of good behaviour. They crossed over by hundreds, and soon
gave rise to a serious difficulty; for, in the confused and unsettled
state of the colony, they found only too great an opportunity for the
display of their criminal propensities and perverted talents. Being by
no means charmed with the toilsome life of the gold-miner, many of them
became bushrangers. There were, in 1852, several bands of these lawless
ruffians sweeping the country and robbing in all directions. As the gold
was being conveyed from the diggings, escorted by bands of armed
troopers, the bushrangers lurked upon the road, treacherously shot the
troopers, and rifled the chests. On one occasion, their daring rose to
such a height that a band of them boarded the ship _Nelson_ whilst it
lay at anchor in Hobson's Bay, overpowered the crew, and removed gold to
the value of L24,000--remarking, as they handed the boxes over the side
of the vessel, that this was the best goldfield they had ever seen.

To prevent any further introduction of these undesirable immigrants, the
Legislature, in 1852, passed what was called the "Convicts Prevention
Act," declaring that no person who had been convicted, and had not
received an absolutely free pardon, should be allowed to enter the
colony; and that all persons who came from Tasmania should be required
to prove that they were free, before being allowed to land. Any ship
captain who brought a convict into the colony was to be fined L100 for
the offence.

#3. Aspect of Goldfields.#--Meanwhile the goldfields were growing apace.
The discovery of the Eureka, Gravel Pits, and Canadian Leads made
Ballarat once more the favourite; and in 1853 there were about forty
thousand diggers at work on the Yarrowee. Hotels began to be built,
theatres were erected, and here and there a little church rose among the
long line of tents which occupied the slopes above the creek.

#4. Scene on the Goldfields.#--Below, on the flats, the scene was a busy
one. Thousands upon thousands of holes covered the earth, where men
emerged and disappeared like ants, each bearing a bag of sand which he
either threw on a wheelbarrow or slung over his shoulder, and then
carried forward, running nimbly along the thin paths among a multitude
of holes, till he reached the little creek where he delivered the sand
to one of the men who stood shoulder to shoulder, in long rows, for
miles on either bank, all washing the san