Copy of Memorandum of Beniamino Casarotti

Translation of the excerpts of the diary.

[Extract 1] .......... of Victoria in Australia on the 6th of June; so that we travelled by sea for 35 days, many of which were not so good, because I was seasick. On the vessel I became friend with a young fellow from Sondrio, who told me he had the address of some people from his hometown that were working in the wood, so that I joined him. We stayed overnight in Melbourne and the next morning we got on a train on the way to Bacchus Marsh, 32 miles away, where his fellow-townsmen were; but ...poor us. From 8 in the morning till 5 at night ........../

(Extract 2] / ..........we stayed in this village without being able to find anyone who could speak Italian, my mate was crying, we didn't speak English at all; I put together a few words, enough to have some beer, but nothing to eat, at night eventually we met a man that my mate used to know and he gave us the address where about the people were working in the wood, he gave us shelter on that night with other 2 mates, I remember I couldn't sleep at all; because all the previous day I was melancholy at not being able to express myself;... I must then say that I saved money in every possible way; it is to say, far from pubs, companions and any sort of entertainment. This is the short story of my youthful life in Australia. Before coming to the end, I still add few more things which I didn't remember before and which deserve to be known. Having worked in fairly hot places, the water was lacking during summer, and it was quite bad anyway; but I remember that when the thirst was unbearable, I had to drink it dirty, warm, full of insects, having to put the hanky over the container with the water for not drinking the insects too; the shelter in those 7 years was a tent, certainly for 5 years, to sleep in such a barbarian place for the quantities of fleas, in fact I used to slaughter them every morning, not less than 50 at a time, but the following day the same army was ready in the same number as before, prepared for the blood of the poor labourer of the Saw Mill. I also happened to be there during a little flood ..........

Source:  page 13, Italian Historical Society Journal, Vol 1, Number 3, 1990, accessed https://www.coasit.com.au/images/ihs/newsletters/IHSN_vol1_n3_1990.pdf