Читать книгу The Hermit Convict - Rev. William Draper - Страница 13

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Convict life at Moreton Bay is not a pleasant subject. Let it rest in the grave where so many poor wretches found deliverance, at least from the cruelty of men, the mercy of some of whom had its only voice in the lash. It was a hell, and if Dante had seen it he would have probably given it a place amongst the torture chambers of the lost. Probably this is the history of such establishments generally, and no doubt there is much to be said in extenuation when the desperate character of convicts is considered. Ten years from the day when Judd so mysteriously disappeared had wrought wondrous changes in the history of the settlement. The convict establishment was entirely broken up, and the convicts were removed, the march of civilisation began in the establishment of trade, commerce, steamboat navigation, the first newspaper, and representative government. Brisbane also enlarged its border, and strengthened its importance, and last, though not least, the Artimesia arrived with a load of free immigrants, and the Fortitude supplemented this welcome batch of honest citizens shortly after.

James Stewart, Esq., is a squatter, and David Argyle, Esq., is his partner. Their address is Leyton Station. It ought to have been Argyle and Stewart, for the bulk of the capital which was employed in the partnership had been put in by the former, but he would not have it so. To Stewart he owed his liberty much sooner than he would have obtained it, and not a word would he hear of any inequality between their positions. So well had Mr. Boodle managed the Argyle estate that a sum of five thousand pounds was realised by the sale of the farm, and this, with nearly L20,000 of actual cash in hand, formed a noble capital with which to begin the world again. Both the young men decided not to return home, and Mr. Hartlop had assisted Stewart with a loan of money without interest, when he heard of his determination to settle in Australia.

The great disparity between this sum, however, and that which Argyle had received, Stewart was determined to meet as far as possible by acting as manager to the station without any participation in the profits, at least for a time. To this Argyle consented after much discussion The partnership was therefore arranged upon the following terms: Stewart put in one thousand pounds, Argyle ten thousand. The former to share in the profits at the expiration of three years. The firm to be Stewart and Argyle. But so well had the young men prospered that at the expiration of three years Stewart was, in equity, entitled to receive a thousand pounds. This money Argyle insisted he must receive, and he agreed to do so. His position then was one of equality with his partner, and for years the partnership existed on the most satisfactory understanding, and variable, but on the whole, substantial profit.

Both of them soon received that which was tantamount to a release, for though in the absence of Judd no further evidence could be obtained about their innocence, yet so well had Colonel Tomlinson interceded on their behalf that a few months after the mysterious disappearance or death of Judd they received from the Commandant free passes to go where they liked provided they did not leave the colony. This privilege was supplemented, at the expiration of twelve months, with a free pardon, or remission of the remainder of their sentence. In the interim, the arrangements already mentioned were made, and thus the two young men, whose fortunes were most mysteriously united under one series of painful events, began life in the colony to which they were banished, as squatters, wool growers, &c.

Their staunch friend, Colonel Tomlinson, invalided, returned to England after the final breaking up of the convict establishment at Moreton Bay. He had served his country with his regiment at the Cape of Good Hope, then at Tasmania, afterwards at Port Jackson, and finally at Moreton Bay, he had therefore seen much rough life, and not a little arduous service. His wife had died shortly before he left England, and thus he was a widower with one little girl. For some time he was undecided what he should do with the child, but through the good offices of a near relative, who was the wife of a clergyman in Suffolk, a home was found for Julia Tomlinson during the period of her infancy and school days, and afterwards with an excellent woman, who was known as a widow living at the same place, which was a small market town which shall be called Newlands.

This widow, whose name was Welland, lived quite as a stranger in the place; no one knew where she came from or what her circumstances were. The clergyman told everyone who made any enquiry that she had lost her husband, and wished to mourn over he bereavement in retirement and seclusion. This, with the majority of the people, was enough, but there were some busybodies who would pry into secrets, as they declared "there must certainly be," but they obtained nothing for their trouble but disappointment. Like all such unprincipled pryers, then they began to insinuate dark things. The widow took little notice of these hints, and so it came to pass that she lived on from year to year a quiet, blameless life, and after a while even her enemies ceased to trouble her. It happened also that a young lass, a little older than Julia Tomlinson, bearing the name of Alice, came to live with the widow, but no one knew anything about her surname. The clergyman, Mr. Long, one day happened to remark that her name was not Welland, but in the absence of positive information the little maid was christened by the voice of popular opinion Alice Welland, and the widow did not oppose it.

After a lapse of fifteen years, which, though not particularly arduous, so far a military service was concerned, Colonel Tomlinson found the influence of the hot climate of Moreton Bay to be productive of ailings which at first he was inclined to neglect, but which compelled him to look towards home. Letters also demanded a speedy return, and the colonel applied for, and received, permission to resign on half pay, to commence at the date of the medical certificate that he was restored to his usual health, until which period he was to receive full pay.

Accordingly a house was secured at Brighton, to which Julia removed in anticipation of her father's return. This was delayed a full month later than he had expected; the voyage home was attended with great difficulties, and no small danger. Severe gales drove the ship out of its course, and at one time the safety of the vessel was almost despaired of, but, by the good providence of God, at length the anchor was cast out in the splendid Roads of Spithead, and soon after Colonel Tomlinson was ashore. The good old soldier was now materially worse than when he left Australia. The voyage, so far from proving beneficial, had been productive of a serious, and it was feared, a fatal complaint. It was therefore with an emaciated countenance and many signs of great weakness that he reached his home, and met his daughter, after an absence of more than fifteen years. How delighted he was to see in her the living likeness of his much loved, lost wife. How happy the amiable, loving girl was, in the restoration of her dear father to her, may be imagined by those who have long been separated.

Julia Tomlinson was no stranger to her father by correspondence. The first attempt at penmanship reached the colonel on a bed of suffering, for he had been wounded in a skirmish with the Caffres, by a spear which had entered his leg. It was as follows:

'Newlands, June 16 1834.

Dear papa,

Your Ju is very well, hope you are so too. Come home to-morrow. Good-bye.

From your Ju.'

This very unimportant document had more music in it to cheer the sick father than can be expressed. "God bless and preserve the darling!" was his first exclamation, as he read the letter again and again. This was the earnest of a new life as yet in embryo, but still one of intense interest to him. Mail days were not so frequent at that period as they are now, in fact the means of sending letters were very uncertain.

But every ship brought one from Julia to her father.

The reunion of the father with the child was thoroughly blessed to both of them. In her the father found an inestimable treasure; in him the child gained an experience which she had never previously known—she found a father. What can compensate for the absence of the parent?

But convalescence came, and with it the inevitable result of a lengthened residence abroad. England and English life were too strait, too cramped, for the colonel's ideas of freedom. He had property in New South Wales; he thought he should like to end his days in the colony. In this idea he was greatly encouraged by an old friend at Rouen, who is, or was very lately, a squatter on the New South Wales frontier, who, in writing to him, announced his intention of proceeding to that colony to engage in pastoral pursuits. Colonel Tomlinson replied by a personal visit to his friend, Mr. Archer, and before his return home he had resolved again to go out to Australia. Of course the consideration as to what he should do there was not lost sight of, but this was a matter of secondary importance, the question whether Julia would accompany him was uppermost. This was very soon settled, however, by an immediate reply which she sent to her father, who had written from Rouen to tell her what he was contemplating: "Wherever you go, dear father," said Julia, "I will accompany you. We have been separated long enough."

So the colonel and his daughter, with Mrs. Welland and her adopted daughter, set sail from London in the month of May, 1851, and landed in Moreton Bay, by way of Sydney, about six months afterwards.