New Gold Mountain

They're here.

Sergeant Harken.

And...? Linus Cummins, Evening Examiner.

And this is? Headman. He runs the camp.

I see your passion for justice has you here a day earlier than agreed.

Imagine that's why they call it a fuckin' raid, innit?

In the name of Commissioner William H. Wright,

I declare this premises

under the putrid influence of Chink's tobacco.

What is he saying?

He pleads guilty.

A stain on the pure spirit of the working man...

..rendering of them indolent...

Fuck it! Go on, then, lads.

Hold on.

May I?

Give it to him!

Aah!

Check over there in the corner.

What is it?

Tell me when he wakes up.

Well, holy shit! Would you look at this?

I'd have thought you'd be helping prepare like everyone else.

English. And I was about to say the same.

It's to remind people of home.

Yes. For a moment I thought we were in Guangdong.

When did you start wasting your time with that stuff?

The smoking or the gambling or the having friends?

If you were the older brother you'd say the same!

I'm having fun.

There is something we should discuss, though.

A problem.

What now?

How many like this?

Four tents this morning. Another sixteen men gone.

Well, the seam is drying out.

We've been pushed out of the good claims.

The men can't make a profit. What do we have coming?

Eighteen plus one due this afternoon from Xinning, but after that...

"Eighteen plus one"? What's that? That was the message.

I don't know. Maybe it's a dwarf.

They won't... and see we've been skimming the take.

Hing Dai Wui or the British.

They take from both sides. I'm just trying to make a living.

I doubt Hing Dai Wui will see it that way.

Good they don't know, then.

Either way, we can't afford to lose more men.

If the new Chinese tax starts...

That's a rumour.

If the British want more money, they take...

They don't want money. They want us gone.

Of course I'm bluffing. You should call.

My apologies for interrupting your game, but I need...

Shing!

Now...

Don Quixote here just folded like a little girl.

But Baldy... is still weighing it up.

What do you think?

What are the A's?

Good or bad?

Probably a bit dramaturgic with the gun, but... when you need to make a point...

The Chinese tax. You're adding another.

I was coming to see you.

There's no way we can pay more than we already are.

I'm sorry that the diggers see the Chinese as a problem.

Taking land, wasting water... We don't waste it.

Working on a Sunday, spreading disease,

general lack of Christian moral fibre.

Not my argument, by the way.

I've been doing my job. I need something in return.

You get paid.

And about your job...

what's this Brotherhood I've been hearing about?

'Hing Dai Wu', is it?

Well, some are called that.

Most are just people from the same village helping one another.

But it's not easy being alone.

The secret societies they have in California,

importing opium illegally, gambling...

We cannot have them here.

People turn to them if they do not feel safe.

How are they not safe?

Three mining accidents just last week. One death.

Ropes were cut in the night. Do you have proof?

Word of my people. Oh, well, in that case...

You're the Chinese Protector.

The Commissioner wants law and order.

Not another Buckland.

That means police, troopers. That means money.

That means tax.

Whites attack us and we pay?

I do not write the policy.

The Commissioner, then. Can you get me a meeting?

Doubtful.

What about this party of yours?

The Mid-Autumn Festival?

Whites and Chinese together.

That's the idea, right?

I was hoping it would help to build relations, yes.

You're saying you could get him to come?

Well, I won't stop you trying.

Truth is,

you've got one job.

Chinese keep to their camp, the whites will keep to theirs.

No fuss, no problems.

Pay your taxes. If you can't do that, I'll find someone who can.

Apples!

What is it?

He's awake.

You didn't think it might be a good idea to let me know?

We were just talking. Do you know where he is or not?

Time to pay the surveyor a visit.

Deliver this to the Commissioner's house. Use a nice envelope.

Now?

What do I do with him?

Why the hell should I care?

Aaaah!

Shit.

Albert would be disappointed to see his press in this state.

How is it?

Need to find a part for this busted crank.

Still not sure how it could have broke like that.

How long?

This afternoon. Good.

I want to be ready for a print run tomorrow.

I've made some rearrangements. Casting slugs in that drawer.

Type cases are over there.

I have to say I don't understand why you've made these changes...

I'll be back in an hour.

Mrs Roberts. Mr Chen.

I am busy. You've thought about what we discussed?

I need my job. I have a better one.

The one that exists is better.

Six shillings a day.

The paper's ready to go. All I need is a translator.

I have to go.

Belle!

Clara...

Oh, I'm sorry it's been so long. I should have visited.

Since the wake, I think. Four weeks.

Well, you must come to the house this moment.

I'm a little busy.

It's only good companionship can salve a broken heart.

Besides, you know, all this heat, it's terrible for the skin.

And Miss Julia is in Melbourne attending the theatre,

whatever that means.

Elizabeth has taken to lying in. Pregnant again, no doubt.

Like a sow! Piglets at teat day and night.

William! Have you been smoking in there again?

I am within my rights

and will not apologise.

So I lack for decent company. Let's say that.

You have one invitation, at least.

Something about a festival.

It was served by some scruffy celestial this morning.

Leung Wei Shing?

Shing? Is that how you pronounce it?

You're quite the internationalist.

Mr Shing has been asking to meet me for months.

The new tax, no doubt.

Like a horde of human locusts.

A third of the town already.

Ten thousand's my understanding.

I never agreed with your husband's political posturings.

But he was right about the Chinaman. Never should have let them in.

Like leaving the door open to flies.

Have you found a buyer for the press?

Not as yet. You know how I hate to pry.

Word is Albert left some debt.

He rarely let domestic considerations get in the way of his passion.

Yes, well, for the truly great man,

petty materialism is beneath concern.

It's thought and action for a cause that stirs the blood.

Fortunately, women more naturally

enjoy petty pragmatisms the male spirit finds...

dreary.

If you ever need money, you know you can come to us.

Within reason, of course.

I'm quite sure I'll cope.

My third cousin's sister-in-law found herself similarly situated.

In the end had to make a living lying on her back.

Until she was... consumed by the syphilis.

William!

Tuberculosis, and quite unconnected to the whoring, I'm sure.

Do you want this?

I hope you don't mind English.

Ah Gok here is Hakka.

Doesn't speak Cantonese, so...

Oh, you have tea!

You know, water heats up...

it's like drinking spit.

So how far did we walk?

Miles.

Miles.

I'm the headman.

Oh... oh.

I didn't, um...

It's just...

I was under the impression

Hing Dai Wui wanted me to report back directly, so...