40 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



as in the plans of the rebels, were a couple of troopers, disguised as 

 diggers, who daily reported to the Camp what was going on. The 

 Commissioners, conferring on these reports with Captain Thomas, 

 soon realised the diminished numbers and demoralised condition of 

 the insurgents, and determined to strike a blow at once. They had 

 no doubt of success, and felt that, in such case, it would deter all the 

 waverers from coming back, and crush any hopes based on the next 

 day's meeting. 



Of the six chief conspirators, Lalor, Black, Vern and Hayes were 

 within the stockade at midnight. Baffaello slept in his own tent 

 outside the barrier, and Humffray had withdrawn when the League 

 began to commandeer arms and provisions, though he was still on 

 the field. Sentinels for the night were selected from the " Calif ornian 

 Eangers Eevolver Brigade," the remainder of that contingent, said to 

 number fully 200, being out on the Melbourne Road to intercept re- 

 inforcements. The military capacity of these sentinels scarcely came 

 up to their high-sounding appellation. More than once during the 

 night they imagined they saw soldiers, and unnecessarily aroused 

 the sleeping garrison, so that when at last the attack was delivered 

 the response was not as prompt as it ought to have been. 



The fight for the flag which occurred at Eureka in the grey 

 glimmer of dawn on that Sunday morning was a fight in which the 

 advantage of arms, of discipline and of direction lay entirely with 

 the besiegers. There was no necessity for clever generalship, no 

 room for elaborate plan of attack. The area enclosed sloped down 

 towards the Melbourne Eoad, along which the troops were expected 

 to approach. But the onrush came from another quarter. The 

 Camp forces consisted of 152 infantry and 30 mounted soldiers, with 

 70 mounted and 24 foot police, a total of 276 men. The armed 

 insurgents outside the stockade far exceeded the number of those 

 within, and had they been concentrated might have materially 

 altered the result of the day's work. But the Government spies had 

 informed Captain Thomas of the destinations of these outsiders, and 

 the improbability of their being within call to the aid of their com- 

 rades. Hence, it was really a strong force, well in hand, pitted 

 against some 200 men, half-armed, short of ammunition, and many 

 of them asleep when the signal-gun was fired. 



