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9.2.1 Chinaman's Well
At Chinaman's Well there is some evidence for a lifestyle which seems to
contrast with that generally assumed to have been the norm in the far west
of New South Wales. This evidence is confined to the presence of a piece
of a wine glass, a French perfume bottle, and a substantial piece of plate
glass. Apart from a notable absence of tin cans and bone, the balance of
the assemblage is broadly similar to that found at Chinese sites at Pine
Creek, on the Palmer River, in New Zealand and in the western United
States. Unfortunately these are but glimpses into a past which cannot be
satisfactorily reconstructed. The plate glass may relate to a mirror, a shelf
upon which a household shrine stood, or to an entirely unassociated
period. That similar glass is located at Chinaman's Garden Well only adds
to the mystery. The piece of a wine glass, the perfume bottle, the base of a
nobbler glass, and the presence of gilded and silvered buttons, blackened
buttons and coins, and a fancy light-weight buckle could be combined to
present a picture which is quite incorrect. That the site is unmentioned in
the historical record adds to the dilemma.
Also at Chinaman's Well are a number of site features, in the form of
earthen mounds, for which there is not yet a satisfactory explanation.
Reference to early maps of the route from Wilcannia to the Mount Poole
gold field shows two mud huts lower down the route of Evelyn Creek, but
nothing is indicated in the vicinity of Chinaman's Well. Chinaman's Well,
however, would fit neatly into the series if the spacing of the two huts
which are known was extended upstream. Thus it is very possible that the
earthen mounds represent the remains of tamped earth structures. These
structures would date from the earliest occupation of the site, and do not
appear to be associated with the artefact assemblage evaluated by my
research.
However, the ruined stone hut at Chinaman's Well can be linked directly
with the scatter of artefacts subjected to analysis, and because of this, with
Chinese occupation of the site. No detailed analysis of the hut has been
completed, as to do so would involve disturbance of the bUild-up of soil
and the tangle of wire and old fence posts which presently protect it from
interference. However, it seems that the entry was on the eastern wall,
adjacent to its' juncture with the northern one. A fireplace may have been
sited adjacent to the entry. With a fireplace adjacent to the entry rather
than opposite it, and with the doorway placed in the shorter wall of the
structure, the layout would conform to that of Chinese huts evaluated by
Ritchie in Central Otago, New Zealand (Ritchie, 1986:102-106).
The artefact scatter was probably dispersed from within the hut by
floodwaters. The general direction of the scatter from the hut is in keeping
with the flow of f100dwaters in the vicinity. The distance items are displaced
from the hut seems to relate to their relative buoyancy, with the opium pipe
bowl being well removed along with whole bottles; broken food jars etc.,
being less removed; and clothing items being quite close to the ruin. The