The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗
- Author: William H. Thomes
Book online «The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗». Author William H. Thomes
After I Had Made Up My Mind What I Intended To Do, I Went To The Bank
Where We Had Five Thousand Pounds Lying To Our Credit, Drew Out The
Money, And Then Began My Purchases. In Each Case I Stipulated That The
Flour Should Remain In Store One Week, Until I Could Get Teams To Cart
It To Ballarat. To This A Ready Assent Was Given, And The Merchants
Expressed Themselves Pleased To Transact Business With Me. In Some
Instances I Paid Cash, Especially Where The Quantity Bought Was Very
Slight, Not Amounting To More Than Fifty Barrels, Or One Hundred Sacks;
But Where I Bought Two Or Even Three Hundred Barrels, I Claimed The
Privilege Of One Month's Credit, After Paying Twenty Per Cent. Of The
Amount Down.
In Two Hours I Had Engaged Nearly Every Barrel And Sack Of Flour In
Volume 2 Chapter 60 ( The Result Of Growing Rich Too Rapidly) Pg 106Melbourne, And Then, And Not Till Then, Did I Begin To Tremble For The
Result Of My Speculation. A Dozen Times During The Night Did I Wander
Through The Streets Of The City, And Down To The Water's Edge, For The
Purpose Of Seeing How The Wind Blew, And Each Time Did I Find That It
Was Favorable For Vessels Entering The Harbor. I Consulted An Aged
Mariner, With Tar Plentifully Sprinkled Upon The Seat Of His Trousers,
And The Son Of Neptune Told Me, With Many Grave Shakes Of His Head,
That,--
"You Can't Always Tell About These Things; Sometimes The Wind Blows One
Way Here In This Bloody Hole, And Sometimes It Blows Different On The
Ocean."
The Next Day I Despatched Two Large Teams To Ballarat Loaded Heavily
With Flour, And Sent A Letter By The Mail, Telling Fred What I Had Done,
And Advising Him To Put The Price Up, But To First, Frighten The
Merchants By Bantering Them With Offers For Their Stock. I Knew That
That Course Would Startle Them Into Asking At Least One Third More Than
They Had Been Demanding, And That A Dozen Of The Most Prominent Ones
Would Start For Melbourne Without A Moment's Delay For The Purpose Of
Seeing What The Movement Meant.
Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 107
After I Had Written To Fred, And Started The Teams, I Felt A Little
Easier, Although No Change Had Taken Place In The Market. I Knew That
Dealers Had Sent To Sydney For A Supply Of Flour, And I Feared That
Their Orders Would Be Filled, But In This I Was Agreeably Mistaken.
Flour At Sydney Was Ten Shillings Per Barrel Higher Than At Melbourne,
With An Upward Tendency; While Not A Sack Could Be Obtained Of The Few
Farmers Who Raised Wheat, Short Of Eighty Pounds Per Ton,--Just Double
What I Had Paid.
Two Days After My Bargain, And Still No Ships Were Signalized. I Felt A
Little More Confidence In Myself, And In The Bold Scheme That I Was
Attempting To Carry Out. A Dozen Teams Were In The City, For The Purpose
Of Carrying Provisions To Ballarat And Other Mines, But They Were
Delayed, Owing To Their Inability To Get Flour. I Heard The Price Of The
Article Quoted At Fifty Pounds Per Ton, And I Debated Whether I Should
Hold On Longer, Or Sell.
Twice, During The Day, A Rumor Was Started That A Large American Ship
Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 108Was Signalized, And That She Was Loaded To Her Scuppers With Grain; But
I Quickly Proved The Falsity Of The Report, And Then Made My Appearance
In The Store Of The Largest Grain Dealers In Melbourne, Messrs. Hennetit
& Co., Since Failed, And Didn't Pay Their English Creditors But Sixpence
On The Pound, And I Strongly Suspect That American Firms Suffered Worse,
Even, Than That.
"My Dear Sir," Said Mr. Hennetit, Coming Forward And Shaking My Hand
With Great Cordiality, "I Have So Desired To See You!"
"May I Ask On What Account?" I Replied, With The Utmost _Sang Froid_,
Although I Was Almost Bursting With Anxiety.
"Why, To Tell You The Truth--And I Am Almost Ashamed To Confess It--We
Sold You More Flour Than We Intended, Having Several Orders To Fill, And
I Thought That If It Made No Difference To You, We Would Borrow One
Hundred Barrels, And Repay You In The Course Of A Day Or Two At
Farthest. It Is Not Of Much Importance, But I Concluded That I Would
Speak To You In Regard To The Subject."
Even While Conversing, He Led Me To His Neat And Commodious Private
Room, As Though The Sight Of His Wealth Would Soften My Heart, And Awe
Me To Subjection To His Will.
"You See, My Dear Sir, It Is Such A Trifling Matter, That I Am Almost
Ashamed To Make The Request. I Am Positively Mortified To Think That We
Made Such A Mistake As To Dispose Of Our Whole Stock. However, A Ship
Will Be Here In A Few Days, And Then We Can Supply The Country At
Greatly Reduced Rates."
I Did Not Interrupt Him, But Sat Patiently, While He Was Endeavoring To
Wheedle Me Out Of My Speculation. He Displayed The Anxiety That He Felt,
To Carry His Point, While Speaking, And I Knew That One Of His Restless
Eyes Was On Me, To Read My Thoughts, During The Interview.
"I Am Sorry That I Cannot Accommodate You In This Instance," I Answered,
"Because I Bought For The Ballarat Market, And The People Of That
Section Of The Country Are In Want. Flour At The Mines Is Selling For
Sixty Pounds Per Ton, A Large Advance Upon What I Paid."
"O, I Don't Mind Allowing You A Small Margin For Your Trouble. You Paid
Forty Pounds Per Ton. I Will Give You Forty-Five For A Hundred Barrels."
"My Dear Mr. Hennetit, It Really Grieves Me To Think That I Must Refuse
Your Offer," I Replied, "But I Couldn't Think Of Selling Below The
Market Rates. If You Wish A Hundred Barrels At Fifty-Five Pounds Per
Ton, I Shall Be Exceedingly Happy To Accommodate You."
"Pooh, Pooh!" He Muttered; "I Can't Consider Such A Thing. If You Think
To Speculate In Flour In This Country, You Will Miss It, And Lose Your
Money."
"Perhaps I Shall; But As Flour Has Risen In Price Since I Purchased, I
Don't See Why I Should Not Reap The Benefit Of It."
Volume 2 Chapter 61 (The Flour Speculation.--Mr. Critchet's Story) Pg 109
I Bowed Courteously To The Merchant, Replaced My Veil, (For During The
Summer Months, When The Ground Is Dry, And The Wind Blows Strong, It Is
Necessary To Wear A Veil, To Protect The Eyes From The Dust Which Rises
In Heavy Clouds, And At Times Obscures The Sun Like A Thunder Squall,)
And Walked Off, Hoping That I Should Hear His Voice Calling Me Back, But
In This I Was Disappointed. Mr. Hennetit Thought That I Would Repent,
And Come To His Terms, And So Determined To Stand The Pressure One Day
More, At All Hazards.
I Walked Directly To The River, And Found That The Wind Was Blowing Off
Shore Like Great Guns. This Elated Me, Although I Remembered The Words
Of The Tarry Mariner, And Wondered How It Was Out Upon The Broad Ocean.
For Two Days I Had Not Slept An Hour's Time, Or Eaten More Than A Crust
Of Bread; But When I Saw How The Wind Was Blowing, I Returned To My
Hotel, And Supplied My Nearly Exhausted System With Food.
No Sooner Had I Finished Dinner Than I Was Told That A Gentleman Wished
To Speak To Me In The Bar Room. I Went There, And Saw One Of The
Merchants From Whom I Had Purchased One Hundred Sacks Of Chilian Flour,
And One Hundred Barrels Of American Brand.
"Well!" He Exclaimed, Shaking Hands With Some Warmth, "You Have _Dished_
Us, And No Mistake! Who, In The Devil's Name, Would Have Supposed That
Those Two Ships Could Have Made Such Long Passages--Did You?" And Then,
Without Waiting For Me To Answer, He Marched Up To The Bar And Called
For Drinks, And I Must Confess That I Gratified Him, And Pleased Myself,
In Taking A Very Good Glass Of Wine And Water At His Expense.
"Come, Now To Business," My Acquaintance Said, Wiping His Lips On A
Richly Embroidered Handkerchief, Imported From Manilla.
"Very Well, To Business It Is," Said I.
"You Have Got All The Flour In The Market In Your Hands," He Began.
"I Know It," I Answered.
"Yes, I Suppose That You Do," He Said, Dryly; "Now, I Want The Flour
That I Sold You, And Which Still Remains In My Store. What Is The
Figure, Sir?"
Here Was A Man That I Could Trade With, And Not Resort To Art. He Was
Never Schooled In Diplomacy, And His Blunt Nature Rejected All
Subterfuge. I Saw That He Was Willing To Allow Me To Make All That I
Could, Knowing That He Would Have Done The Same, Had He Been Situated As
I Was.
"Fifty-Five Pounds Per Ton," I Answered.
"I'll Take It At That Figure," He Replied, Promptly; "Come With Me To
The Store, And I Will Settle The Amount Immediately."
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