five o'clock
Smith was an old campaigner in these regions , and cheeked our generosity , by giving us a few words of advice , which we afterwards found were correct . On we went , the road growing worse and worse as we advanced , and as the wheels sunk into the deep ruts , I thought the wagon would be shattered to pieces in the struggle to extricate it . Dozens of teams were stuck , and despite the yells and curses of the drivers , the tired cattle refused to move . Smith 's oxen , the freshest and strongest we had seen on the road , were often borrowed to give distressed teamsters a lift , so that our progress was rather slow ; and it was not until five o'clock that we entered the town of Ballarat , and passed along the main street , which was graced with huts and tents of rough boards , on each side . On we went , passing the `` Melbourne Saloon , '' the `` Sydney Saloon , '' the `` London Hotel , '' the `` American Hotel , '' the `` Californians ' Retreat , '' and numbers of other tents , decorated with huge letters of black paint , and all setting forth the peculiar merits which each offered to the weary traveller . At one place , we were told that real London porter could be obtained for ten shillings per bottle ; and at another , that XX ale was selling for only one shilling per glass . Signs innumerable greeted our eyes .