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nulla altro ne pantaloni ne camicie piii della muda. Parti da
Melbourne al matino di buon'ora, e si viaggia tutto il giorno per
grandi pianure e piccole colline senza bosco, e alia sera si arriva ad
un bosco folto, e la si ferma si accende il fuoco per cena e poi si tira
una coperta a uso tenda e poi quella serve per stanza e il terreno
per letto. Questa e la vita di tutti quelli che vengono alia mina. ^^
Stefano's scholastic achievements are reflected in his letters, which, while displaying
inconsistencies of punctuation (see comment in chapter 3), are both lucid and
expressive. Several of the words he uses, such z.%puffi (debts) and stopare (to block),
differ from standard Italian (refer later chapters), suggesting the influence of his local
dialect ~ and indicating the close relationship which existed between the Ticinesi and
their southem Lombard neighbours. The group of travellers became lost in the Black
Forest and were without food for three days. They tmdged on until they reached an
aboriginal encampment, then in the charge of the famous Edward Stone Parker, where
they asked for food or flour to make damper. Parker claimed to be out of supplies and
waiting for the bullock wagons to arrive with further provisions. The men walked on,
weary and hungry, until they finally reached their destination where they were joyously
greeted by their countrymen.
Alessandro had, by this time, become disillusioned with the opportunities in the
Colony: he had secured only temporary labouring and cooking jobs and prospered
little in the gold mines. He complained that the hunt for gold had made his
compatriots greedy and dishonest since, united more by common debt than common
purpose, they had grown suspicious and critical of one another. The majority of the
Italian speakers worked in groups of three or four, a four-man claim being typically
eight metres by eight metres and a two-man claim smaller. Stefano joined a mining
party working a short distance from his brother but mined with little success. The
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