1858
5 January 1858
Making an early start on Boxing-day, and taking the road through Richardson's Point and Gratti, we reached Merrundi shortly after noon, after some pretty hard riding. Merrundi twelve months since was a very different place to what it now is. At present there may possibly be two hundred located there, but a short time will see that number reduced considerably. Although we arrived in the midst of a high holiday, when the high boned coursers were in full career for the wooden spoon, we could not but be struck by the miserable appearance the place presented. There was an absence of the "jolly digger," who is generally so prominent on these occasions, and the countenances of the men had an appearance of care which accorded ill with the occasion which had called them together. Merrundi has had but one good patch, and with the exhaustion of that patch the place seems worn out. A large piece of the Meroo is in course of working, a part only of which has turned out payable. It is worked by three parties, comprising in all about sixty men. An immense amount of preliminary labour (which, at present, appears to have been thrown away) was required, or supposed to be required, before the washing operations could be commenced, and subsequent experience has proved that the river will only now pay small wages to those employed, leaving nothing to meet the first outlay. Of course, a flood in the river will at once suspend the bed working. No doubt there is good ground about Merrundi, but those remaining are either too poor or too inert to give any time to prospecting. The former cause is most likely the real one, for few diggers would continue working for thirty shillings or two pounds a week if they had the means of support whilst looking for something better1
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