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consequently the Chinese who had no retreat, either to the right or
left, went straight along the course of the river. When the diggers
came to the large Chinese camp on the Lower Buckland, a few
Celestials showed fight, several shots were fired, and four
Europeans, it is said, were wounded; but poor John had to
amputate nevertheless. They then set fire to the Joss House, a
really good building, which eost about £200. Everything in it was
destroyed and burnt, as were all the Chinese stores, and about
three hundred tents. Where resistance was offered John would get
knocked down. One poor woman, the wife of a Chinaman, got
knocked down with a stone, her forehead much cut, and her eyes
blackened. The European diggers, who did not join the others, were
pressed wherever they eould be found, and some English
storekeepers were threatened and cautioned against harbouring
Chinese, or identifying any of them. Frank Seott, the publican, was
threatened to have his house burnt down, because he gave shelter
to a few married Chinamen for the night. ..Two storekeepers
(English) were enticed outside their stores, under the pretence of
protecting a woman in a row. and were taken to some out-of-theway
place, and there pounced on, got an awful thrashing, and were
told it was for sticking to Chinamen. Other stores were robbed, and
plunder was going on right and left...
Monday night, 6th July,1857
Since writing my last letter, Captain Price has arrived with a
detachment of police, much to the satisfaction of us all here, and
they report the most frightful scenes on the road up - Chinamen
worn out with hunger and exposure, dying on the road. One poor
fellow was found lying near a fire in the bush, with his foot burnt off,
others in a dying state from starvation, many were rushed into the
river at the crossing-place of the Buckland and it is believed that
some were drowned. Two poor fellows were found this afternoon
(Monday) - one lying down hid under the banks of the river, nearly
dead; the other was also found hid in a hole where he had crept into
out of the way, and the earth had fallen in, and when found he was
in a sitting position but eould not extricate himself. Frank Seott, the
publican, found him and gave him food, and told him to go to his
house, but the poor fellow was afraid, and sneaked away. Captain
Price is busy taking accounts of their losses, and the men whom
they know as being amongst their assailants. One Chinaman alone
has sustained a loss of over £1,000. One poor fellow nearly had his
finger cut off to get his ring, another had taken from his belt three
ounces of gold. Some few stragglers are returning to extract the
dust from their rich piles of wash dirt; but many have had it washed
for them by the friends they left behind. The excuse raised by the
European diggers for the steps that have been taken to rid the
Buckland of the Chinamen, is their unnatural and filthy habits.
Constable Duffy reported the abuse to Captain Price. On the lower
flat the river was literally dammed up with Chinamen's swags, who