The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-18 00:00:00

THE GOLD FIELDS OF AUSTRALIA.

Advice, to a late date have been received from
Australia by the Overland Mail.
THE ECHUNGA DIGGINGS.

-
A correspondent of the South Australian Regis-
ter, under date Nov. 12, says :
The experience of this week will scarcely fail to con..ince
the sceptics that the South Australian Goldfield is really
established. A fortnight ago the stranger felt a difficulty
in choosing place where to commence digging, from
having adopted the idea then prevalent that Chapman's
Hill and Gully were the only places that would be likely
to yield him any remuneration for his trouble, until some
enterprising men began to sink upon Feltus's Flat, and
having fortunately struck upon the course of the vein of
gold, caused a general rush to the place, which has turned
out so profitably to many parties. And so it would be
again. There are doubtless many gullies and places in the
neighbourhood as rich or richer in the precious metal, and
enterprise in the now comers only is needed to develope
them.
Messrs. Hampton and Hardiman's claim in Feltus's Flat
has continued to yield at the same rate as that mentioned
in my previous report, while they were in the course of the
vein, which they have worked as far as their ground ex-
tends. The washing stuff on either side of it, while not
nearly so rich, still pays them well. Some of the claims
near the above have yielded even more; but at present It
is very difficult to procure exact particulars. A person
named Baker picked out about 5 ounces in one day, but
bad not washed any stuff yet. Four men procured from
2* to 3 lbs. this week, the washing stuff yielding at the rate
of 4 ounces to the cart-load. Another party is stated to
have got 3 lbs. weight of gold in two days from the same
locality. I have heard of as high as Bor 9 ounces to the
load being washed; but am unable to verify the fact.
It must not be supposed from the above instances of good
fortune that all the holes in the Flat are productive in the
same degree. Many, however, not in the line of the rich
vein are apparently doing well, as they are being under-
mined, and there are comparatively few abandoned. From
an ounce to an ounce and a half to a dray-load is considered
to pay pretty fair, and there are, I am assured, very few
holes in the Flat but what are as much.
Windless Hill has surpassed all other places here that I
have heard of in productiveness. Mr. Brooks and another
person, both from Yankalilla procured from a hole near
the top of the hill, in the fortnight ended on Thursday
week, 91bs. weight of gold, the washing-stuff having pro-
duced at the rate of 8 os. to the load. I got this informa-
tion from Messrs. George Harvey and George Wilkie, who
had the hole given to them in payment for carting three
loads of washing stuff. Them two men and a boy im-
mediately went to work at the old hole, and out of about a
load and three quarters of washing-stuff they got what I
took to be, from weight and bulk, at least 2 Ibit. weight of
gold ; and they are still working the claim with profit. Two
persons working in a small hole next to this one, got a
pound and a half last week. Many of the holes on the bill are
said to have yielded large profits. At any rate, they appear
to be carefully worked, and very much undermined.
Ninety-eight licenses have been taken out during the
week. A good many new tents and new faces have made
their appearance on the ground the last few days.
MOUNT ALEXANDER, &c.
The arrivals at Melbourne by molt during the first days
in November were as follows : Ounces.
. .

Nor. 6: 11;4; sod Yost Creek (V. Co.) 56,247
8. Ovens (Gov.)
10. Ditto (V Co.) 737
10. Ballarat (Gov.)
11. Mount Alexander (Gov.) 21,835

99,347

Exports of the week:
Nov. 6. Flash, for Adelaide
11. Shamrock, Sydney
6,778

12. Bo:burgh' diode:London

162,601
The following account of the Melbourne gold market u
extracted from the Argus of Nov. 16 :
The quantities brought down by escort mince our list
mammary hey. Man as fnllnms •
By Government Escort. Ounces.
September 29. From Ballarat
October 4. From "
" 6. From Mount Alexander
" 13. From II
" " From Ballarat
" 23. From "
" " From Mount Alexander 24,000
November 1. From Ballarat
" " From Mount Alexander 16,a83
" 4. From
_

" 8. From the Ovens 2,453
" 10. From Ballarat
U 11. From Mount Alexander

By Private Escort. -- . 1
Ounces.
October 4. From Mount Alexander
.. 10. From ditto
20. From ditto
November 4. From ditto

6. From ditto

8. From the ovens

By government escort 215;358
Total 471,339
This amount having been brought down within a period
of five weeks, we find that the average still keeps up to
nearly 100,000 ounces a week.
The Sydney diggings were yielding well, and a fair
amount of gold had been brought down to Sy.lney during
the month of October. The price of labour being less in
that colony, attention was being turned to quarts mining
and to combined action in the production of gold.
On the Turon a company had united to cut a tunnel
through Lucky Point, about 70 yards long, 6 feet high, and
6 feet wide, at an estimated expense of 4201.
A company had been formed at Sofala, with a capitsl of
5,0007., for the purpose of working on the co-operative
principle. They have applied for a large portion of the
Turon.
Some trespassers bad attempted to establish themselves
on the Australian Agricultural Company's lands, but had
been beaten off.
The price of flour at Melbourne was 471. per ton for fine,
and 434 for seconds ; wheat, 12s. a bushel.
The price of gold was 31.95. an ounce at Melbourne, and
was not expected to rise above that quotation. If an expert
dutv was imposed it would fall in proportion to the amount
a the duty.
The amount of specie received in Melbourne during the
first fortnight of November was over 3.50,0001., and the
number of persons who arrived 4,3.59. The labour market
was easier, owing to the great amount of immigration, and
servants were more readily obtained.
The Sydney papers describe the position of that colony as
extremely satisfactory. The harvest was expected to be
very productive, and the farmers had contrived to sow
wheat in such quantities that the yield would prove at least
equal to that ot former years. The prices ot flour and wheat
at Sydney were still high.

LOSS OF THE ROBERT AND ELLEN, OF SHIELDS,
The crew of the Robert and Ellen, of South Shields, which
vessel left the Tyne the day after Christmas Day, coal laden
for London, had been given up for lost, when, during last
week, a little fishing craft, the Endright, of Newport, in
Belgium, reached the Tyne with them, restoring them to
their families, after all hope had been abandoned. The poor
fellows had been picked up by the smack on the 29th of
December, about 115 miles west of the Naze of Norway.
They had encountered tremendous weather for three days
previously, and bad endured great hardships. The
brig sunk soon after they were taken off. Every
kindness was shown the poor fellows in their trou-
bles, the crew of the fishing vessel proceeding no further
with their avocation, but made for some friendly port, and
the first place they reached was the Tyne. The fishermen
in coming to an English port had not only relinquished
their voyage, deprived themselves of the necessaries of life
in administering to the comforts of the poor fellows, but
had made themselves liable to harbour dues, &c. The
government grovdes nothing in compensation for saving •
ship's company, and the gallant and humane men might
have pee home losers in everything but a sense of having
done an act of Christian duty but for a spontaneous act of
gratitude on the part of the seamen of the port. No
sooner was the case known than • meeting of seamen
belonging to South Shields was called together, and, after a
hearty and thoroughly English acknowledgment of the
brave and humane conducs of the fishermen, a determine-
! Lion was expressed that they should not leave the port until
something was done to reimburse them for the services they
had so nobly performed. Down to Saturday night about
601. had been subscribed for them, with which they express
themselves fully satisfied and grateful.
e PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES FOR ISLING-
TON.—The question of the adoption or non-adoption of the
Public Baths and Wuh,houses Act for the above parish,
was brought on at the late vestry meeting, when the motion
for the adoption of the act was rejected by a majority of 60
to St A pull was demanded, which commenced yesterday,
and terminated at six o'clock, the numbers being 204 for
the baths, 13d against them. But as the act requires two-
thirds of the voters shall be in favour of the adoption of
the act, there is a majority of 72 against the establishment
of baths and wash-houses.