The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

SYDNEY DIGGINGS.

The yields of the various places at which opera-
tions are carried on continue almost undiminished ;
indeed, generally speaking, the quantity of the pre-
(ions metal was greater than previously noticed, and
the number of miners wu daily being augmented by
new arrivals from Europe and America. The cases
of individual prodigious success were not numerous,
but all were obtaining a very favourable and encou-
raging return for their labour, and digging was
chiefly confined to small depths. Some new fields
have been developed, and some of the old ones re-
opened with great success. The nonhern diggers
were rather less fortunate than their southern neigh-
bours; and, u a necessary consequence, were quit-
ting the less productive for the mere remunerating
fields. The Hanging Rock, Swamp Creek, Aber-
crombie, the Timms, and Bingen diggings, are
those less favourably spoken of. The Braidwood
diggings are reviving, nd Major's Creek is again
looking up. The chieffocus of gold labour was the
Ovens gold field, where many parties were making
large fortunes, and all doing NrelL Indeed, at these
latter diggings, the gold fields were reported to be
unlimited, the precious metal having been found
throughout the adjacent country, towards the head
of the Ovens, and also towards Albury. Robberies
and acts of violence, unhappily, were too common, as
the following narrative of dreadful murders detailed
by a correspondent of the Empire, committed at the
Ovens diggings, will show:
This evening (Thursday) I received intelligence through
a returned digger, who lett the Ovens on the 15th, that a
number of barbarous murders had been committed in that
locality, by a party of armed men, probaltly consisting of
some of those diabolical wretches that have long been the
terror of the traveller in the Black Forest. The informa-
tion conveyed by my informant is very scanty, but I hope
to hear direct from the diggings in • day or two, when I
will inform yea further. The first murder was committed
on Mr. Marcus, who formerly kept a public house in Syd-
ney. He was met on the road by the party I have alluded
to, who, fancying one of the horses in Mr. M's team, made
• compulsory exchange, leaving in place of it a saddle
horse. Soon after they left, Marcus got upon the exchange
horse, and rode after the scoundrels. On coming up to
them,
_he remonstrated and threatened to have them appre-
hended. This exasperated them so much that they took
him into the bush, and, tying him up to a tree, shot him !
One of the bullets entered the unfortunate man's fore-
head, between the eyes. Information was conveyed to the
Commissioner, Mr. Clow, who proceeded immediately to
the spot, and while in pursuit of the murderers he fell in
with the body of Mr. James Sinclair, late of this town
(Goulburn). The unfortunate gentleman had been on hie
way from the diggings to Albury, with a considerable sum
of money (it is said PO/. in sovereigns). Ile was met by
the bushrangers and tied up to a tree and shot through the
head. The bodies of Mr. Manua and Mr. Sinclair were
about eight miles apart. The body of a third person woo
found by my informant lying in • creek on the Woodongs
Creek road. There were many pistol-..hot wounds in the
head. The commissioner pursued the bushranger as fax

as Turcutta, whets all trawl of their route became ohlit,
rated. The diggings are described as being in a most law-
less state ; tents are cut open during tla nigl t fur the sake
of even an ounce of gold. The police force is very small.
The depredations of the greatest consequence are committed
on the Sydney side of the Morriy, ow in:, to most of the goll
colninf this way. The ysrlds continue to be very luxe. One
party in a week got 110ibs. weight ; another party made
2001 a man in three weeks.

At the webtern gold field the advent of Bunucr