The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-19 00:00:00

THE GOLD DIGGINGS OF AUSTRALIA.

The following is extracted from a letter sent to
some friends in the neighbourhood of Plymouth:
" April 17, Sheepstor Farm, Salisbury, Adelaide.
"My dear —,—l am sorry to hear that your potatoes
are still a failure, and I should now suppose that they never
will be right say more in England. This colony is cot
toady adapted for potatoes, although I, for one, have had
very good mops; you can scarcely boil them, they are so
' floury. They grow potatoes here both summer and winter,
but you are cot sure of a good crop of either one. It
is not owing to any disease, but it depends entirely on
the wawa, few in the winter they might suffer from the
frost, and in the summer hots the hest. As to wheat,
I believe It to he a sure crop here and barley also ; but
birley is used for malting only, and we even feed our
pigs here oa wheat. The first visit that Mr. W. C—
paid us, I told him to give his horse a sheaf of wheat.
Ave, says he, what would the people of Saint Bude
say to that if they knew it ? . . . . Just as
I had finished 14—'8 letter, there was • person
called at our dam to buy some seed wheat. I showed it to
him, and he purchased forty bushels, saying that it was the
best that he bed seen anywhere. Ile had very large gold
rings on his ?lagers, which he said had cost him twenty-live
shillings in making. He found the gold—he had also orna-
ments of gold on his breast. I asked him how he bad done
at the digits's, and he had told me that he had made five
hundred pounds a-day. lie has bought a very pretty place
about smile from me; I believe it mot him about eight
Misdeed proada. Ho aho told me that he had laid out two
thosimad more In property at Adelaide. He was only nine
weeks at the diggings; his same is 8. B—ee, • Coeniah-
man.

" Now, whist I am writing, a neighbour of mine has
celled, named Chapman, with four others, who dug out one
hundred and furtr five pounds weight in one day of pure
gold. Many people leave their farms, with nobody more
than their wives and some smell children to look after
them, and go all for about two months, and then return
with alreedaace of gold. Still they are not satisfied, for
as soon as they get their crops a little right they ore off
gait. Mr. B—, whom I jest aseatieu, is going again
in August, and wishot me to go with him Fruit is
getting very plentiful here: peaches have been sold at Ade-
laide this year at 3d. per doses • grapes, Is. per lb. ; plums,
about 2d. per quart ; melons, also, am very cheap ; apples
are much dearer, u the trees take longer to come to per-
fection. Still, I think there are kers the finest apples I
ever mw, and that from tees not more than five year* old.
I have so trees of my own that bear, as yet, except the fig;
but the Man will beer this year. The figs have borne
three crops this last year ; the third crop being now on
them, end nearly ripe, hut it is getting late for them
in the season now. My neighbours are making
their own raisins and currants. I suppose that
you are aware that the raisins and currants are
gathered from the vine. Wine, also, will be very plentiful
here, as every me seems to be getting up a vineyard. As
for myself, mine will be rather small, being only two acres;
oar acre for vines, and the other for fruit-trees. I thought
to bare get it ell planted this year, but I shall not be able ;
and for what reason ? Not for want of money, but for want
of labourers. Aye, my dear brother, I wish some thousands
of your honest labourer, were among as. Why are the poor
of England such towards ? I eannot tell—what are they
afraid of ? Is it the sea or the 'obey ? But, if I could
mead a trumpet in England, I would say to every poor in-
dustrious man, 'come away, mem away.'
" Please to give(iristin d love to the Rev. and tell
him that many eh* are shut up, as the ministers are gone
to the diggings. ur little chapel is shut up, but I hope
not foe say length of time. We still keep on our Sunday
school. Some of my neighbours wish me to conduct the
service of the shape', bet, of coons, I know it is not my
ditty to prods."