This was caused by the struggles of the unhappy
Marshall as he was drowning.

Nothing happened to John Harrington, whom I met fourteen years
afterwards in Cape Town, but in view of the two fatalities he was
somewhat uneasy until the following New Year's Day had arrived.

Another terrible accident was the one in which a friend of mine named
Blenkins lost his life. I have a very clear recollection of the
circumstances. The thing happened on the afternoon of the day on which
I returned from the "rush" to Rotunda Creek.

Blenkins was working on the high terrace known as Gardiner's Point. A
large quartzite boulder it was afterwards found to measure nearly
thirty tons stood embedded in the face of the claim, about three feet
above bedrock. This boulder had been stripped on one side.

Many attempts had been made towards causing it to drop forward, with
the view of rolling it down the face of the terrace. No one knew, of
course, how much of it was still concealed by the yet undisturbed
gravel. Poor Blenkins very unadvisedly sat down before it and began
loosening the wash underneath with a driving-pick. Suddenly the boulder
fell forward and pinned him to the bedrock, from the waist downwards. I
was at work in the creek below. I heard a shout and saw men running
from every direction up the face of the terrace. I joined the stream. I
shall never forget what I saw when I reached the scene of the accident.
It was hours before we succeeded in shifting the boulder. We only
managed this by excavating a pit in the bedrock and rolling the monster
into it. Whilst doing this two other men nearly lost their lives.

My poor friend was alive and conscious all the time. The only mercy was
that he did not suffer physically; he was too badly crushed. He died
soon after being released. Blenkins was extremely popular. His tent
stood within about fifteen yards of mine.

The professional digger of those days was a being sui generis. Shrewd,
frugal, industrious, and capable of taking care of himself while in his
accustomed environment, he was apt to become as helpless as a child
when he reached unfamiliar surroundings. Thus, a successful digger
wishing to invest his "pile" was often the prey of the first specious
rogue he met.

Poor Alick Dempster! All old Pilgrims will remember him and the rich
little "pocket" he struck close to John Barrington's claim, and just
below the "Half-way House." Dempster was a digger of the old school. He
disbeli