The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-15 00:00:00

THE GOLD REGIONS OF AUSTJL

The following additional items of intelligence
from the gold "diggings" of Australia arc from a
morning contemporary, and will be read with in-
terest :

The tendency on the part of the leading persons in the
colony to discourage as tar as possible the belief in the rich-
ness of the mines, lest it should disturb the relations of la-
bour, appears at last to have been thoroughly broken down,
and a general avidity to share in the results that are to he
obtained has now unquestionably manirested itself. The
discovery of lumps in one hole, weighing altogether
1061 b., and which were sold to Messrs. Thacker and
Daniell for 1,160!., appears to have added greatly to the
impulse, but the intelligence front all other quarters was
quite enough to warrant a common expectation of success.
Apart from individual accounts Rho, the actual weekly
receipts at Sydney could leave no doubt that, on the ave-
rage, the yield to all parties must have been highly favour-
able. The consequence was, that the small shopkeepers at
Sydney were selling off with the view of proceeding to the
district on the first approach of warm weather, which would
set in in the course of about a month, and that mechanics
and servants of all kinds were making . • 'hr arrange-
ments. Sydney, therefore, had the prospect of being
nearly deserted, and this condition of things would
be likely to continue until the influx of emigrants
from England unit elsewhere should take place upon
a large scale. Up to the date of the lost accounts (Aug. 18)
' the markets were glutted with all kinds of goods, since no
one thought of encumbering himself with stocks of any
article, unit the neighbouring colonies, whence peuple were
likewise preparing to depart, found their commerce equally
deranged. The gold already exported amounted to about
70,000/., namely, 11,618/. and 28,78.51. by the Mary Banns-
! tyne and Boadicea in July, and between 20,000/. and 30,000/,
by the Morintstewart Elphinstono in August. The diffi-
culty of manning vessels was now again found to be con-
siderable, and two English ships ready to sail would be
partly supplied from our men-of•war. The Deucalion,
which would be the first American ship that had ever
sailed from Sydney fur London, was also about to depart.
Acconling to the newspapers, the colonists were in full ex-
pectation that, within eight weeks after the arrival
of the first news of the gold discoveries by the Thomas Ar-
buthnot, steamers would actually be on their way to them
from London. With regard to the details of the state of
business and of ' • g operations, the following extracts
of letters froin reliable sources, will furnish the best infor-
mation. The first is from Messrs. Young and Co., dated
the 16th of August.
" Every day brings forth new treasures. The winter being
nearly at an end, the western road is crowded again with
thousands of pilgrims to Ophir and Tofola, attracted by
the riches laid open to the world. At Ophir the diggers
have been greatly hindered in their operations by the
rise of the waters ; but, at the Turon, the general suc-
cess far exceeds all credit. I received a letter front
Macquoad, the other day, in which he says, These digging.
are fur richer, I think, than you or the people in Sydney
arc at present aware of. I walked up and down the river
yesterday for several hours, anti every one I conversed with
appeared to be cluing will. I stood by and saw a great deal
of gold collected from the different cradles; one party
(hall's), within the last three weeks, has collected upwards
of 1.600 l.; and when I yesterday, at 3 p.m., was talking to
Mr. Hall, and asked him what had been his lurk during
the day, he took out of his pocket a bag containing 21b. of
gold, which he had procured before dinner. In thus in-
stancing Mr. Hall's luck I do not mean you to understand
that it is common, because, so far from this being the case,
I believe he has been the most fortunate individual as yet
upon the river. Nevertheless, all the others who are work-
ing alongside of hint are doing well, and have plenty of
gold. Ou the other parts of the riser people arc likewise
doing well. One man of a party of three had marls
SOL in a fortnight for his own share ; and instances of luck
similar to this are by no means uncommon.' My cook has
a brother-in-law working at Oakey Creek, a tributary of
the Turco, and he nod his party of 11 have for some time
been raising their 7oz. per man per day, or nearly 211.
sterling in value. This is the Arabian Nights over again.
The government send down an armed escort with the mail
once a-week, and the last few weeks they have had over
10,000!. worth weekly, besides which a great deal has emus
through the Post-office and by private opportunities ; so
that probably the quantity at present received weekly is not
far short of 20,900/. The last ship, the Boadicea, which
sailed this day week for London, had 30,000/. worth on
freight. This must convince the most sceptical that there
is no exaggeration in what has been premulgated. Sydney,
meanwhile, is becoming deserted, and there is little or 110
business doing 'privately. At auction prices have been very
low, and forced sales do not realise cost and charges."
The writer of another letter, dated August 8,
says :
- - - - - - - - • - -

The famous hundred-weight of gold is sent to England
by this vessel, consigned to Matheson and Co. This, I
believe, is the largest mass of gold that the world has
ever seen. Unfortunately the aboriginal native by whom
it was found smashed it up, to separate it from the quartz.
It is still, however, in its present state deserving of your
inspection.

The aubjoined, dated Sydney, Anglia 16, is to a
leading London firm :

Though I wrote to you, not further back than the sth,
by the Boadicea, duplicate per Deucalion, I cannot allow so
good a ship to go without a line upon the present gold
prospects. Really, day by day the thing is growing more
astounding. A piece of 50Ib. weight is just picked up, and
plenty of 4th., 61b., and 71b. each. Sydney is rapidly
becoming depopulated; the men are off from every house.
My carperter, gardener, labourers, and grooms, go neat
week. My mason is gone. Happily, my buildings aro
finished, or I suppose they would not have been. Tho
attorneys clerks arc all gone, or going ; and, indeed, from
every trade as well as profession men are away. You
neither hear of, nor see anything, but gold, or golden
equipments. The shops are doing little or nothing, and the
offices less. Meanwhile new gold fields ore day by day
added to the old. Men are Laving good diggings of 20s. a
day each to fall upon richer ground, and from 1001. to
2001. per month per man is not :coked upon as anything out
of the common. The newspapers do not tell half.

The following is an extract from another letter of
the same date:
There is no business stirring but outfits for the mines,
and trade of all kinds seems suspended for this one pursuit.
Gold enntinues to be found in the greatest abundance, fully
equal to the almost fabulous accounts of California. That
such a wonderful discovery should completely unsettle every
interest in the colony, disarrange all our calculations,
and bring many things to a dead lock, is scarcely to be won-
dered at. It seems mere like fiction than reality, and such
astonishing success is attending the labours of the miners
that gradually it threatens to drain the entire colony of la-
bour. Thousands, who wiU soon become tens of thousands,
are spread over the mining districts, and every other pur-
suit in the colony bids fair to be absorbed in this. The
winter checked it at first, but the fine weather coming on
is now setting all in motion again, and the roads are lined
with expeditions for the mines. To attempt to make sales
is impossible ; there are in fact no buyers. The population
leaving the other districts for the golden one puts an end to
all trade there, as store-keepers dare not buy in the face of
such a state of things. The supplies for the mining district
consist altogether of some few articles, of which the chief
are tea, sugar, flour, and spirits, beyond these no business
can be said to exist. Some parties are forcing sales of oil-
man's stores by auction, but at such prices that a heavy less

moat result.
A letter (in the Sydney Morning Herald, of Aug.
18), dated Neale'e Point (Tarot' ltiver) Aug. 12, su)s :
Justhetore the raiue commenced, a rich bar wai dir

covered about a mile below our point, under rather singular
circumstances. A person named Reubens was digging for
water, and on making a stroke with his pick he found his
shoes and the ground he was standing on suddenly covered
with a shower of light gold. Re was at first doubtful
whether it really was gold or not, but soon satisfying him-
self on that head he took a claim, and the matter getting
wind the whole bar was very soon occupied. As Reubens
describe the matter to me, he found four veins of gold in
his claim, all running at right angles with the river, and
appearing like pipes of gold dust, said pipes being about
half an inch in diameter. Ito carefully to k out a part of
one of them, with a small quantity of the surrounding
earth, and washing it in a dish, obtained two ounces of
gold. It would almost appear as if the gold had
been worked together by some eddy of the water,
as in the soil surrounding the veins he could discover
no auriferous deposit. Two days after the rains flooded the
whole bar, and till within the last few days, no notice was
taken of the place, the parties who had taken claims going
to other spots to work, intending to resume them as soon Sc
the waters subsided. It was, I am informed, generally
understood on the river, that if a party was driven from a
claim by the water, the commissioner would allow them to
go to another spot until this claim couid be worked, when
they could if they thought proper resume it again. This
was the state of things until about a week ago, when seve-
ral persons, including some of those who had claims on the
before the river was flooded, agreed to cut a ditch to take
off the water, and thus drain that portion of the bed of the
river, which was supposed to be rich. A dam wan thrown
11.CrOV8 and a ditch cut, and during the progress of the work,
Mr. King, the commissioner, promised that those parties
who were cutting it should have possession of the claims
opposite their respective cuttings. Yesterday the ditch was
opened and found partially to succeed, and there being
some dispute between the old claimants and the new
ones, Mr. King came down to the ground to-day
to decide the matter. It was then found that there were

Ore parties who hod assisted in the cutting than there was
groom] tor them to dig on; consequently, Mr. May's claim
of 21 feet had to be disided into three lots. Mr. Gorriek
last his claim, but was allowed another on the opposite bank,
to extend however only as far As the river, but not into the
bed of it. Tlose patties h el actually assisted in the cutting,
but when Mr. King visite.] the 5...0t on Friday there was
nobody there to represent them, and he ruled that when a
party left a claim which could not be worked on account of
the water, he must leave a porter there to reiiresent him, or
he would be liable to be ousted if another party made appli-
cation for the claim. Miss's. Neal's party had a claim
there, but, not knowiog anj thing about the cutting of the
ditch, th y did not to red a per-on to u'.ist it: the cutting
until the day it was opened, and their claim was therefore
given to Mr. Bush, who had cut the portion of the ditch
opposite it. One moo on the ground, who felt himself ag • I
grieved, was insolent to the Commissioner, and was taken
into custody by a trooper, and marched to Maitland Poi -1.
He was however shortly after discharged by Mr. King with •
reprimand. At the set mil Golden Point,a few of the diggings
have been declared to be valueless, hut the majority are very
rich. Mr. E. Chippendale's party, who had for length of
time been singularly unfortunate, had the good luck to ob-
tain one of the best diggings on this spot, and are now
easily making four or five ounces a day with one cradle.
Many of the other claims there are equally rich. A man
jumped into our hole this morning, just as we were eating
our breakfast, and it sas not oithout some little trouble we
managed to eject him. During the course of the (lay I
found he had no license, which mode his impudence the
more ban freed and unpardonable. On a large piece of
brows h-.lland, placed between two poles, near 'Green'
more, in letters of a large nice, I see the name, Dr. &les,
surgeon. Whether the worthy doctor will obtain a fair
share of business here or lint I am loudly prepared to say,
but since I have been on the river I have never seen nor
beard of a sick person, and I strongly suspect the healthy
exercise of gold digging drives away many of
'hum diseases which so commonly afflict persons pinned
up in close towns. Tnere are, moreover, no less than four
doctors, to my knowledae. digging for gold on the Tureen
and I believe patients are as scarce articles with them es
nuggets. A report, which I believe to be well-founded,
exists, that the government intend next month to allot to
every dieter only thirty-six squire feet of ground. At
present I have hardly hai. time, since hearing of it, to study
the matter in all its bearings; hut at first slew it appears
to me to he a most impolitic and alireset impracticable step,
unless it really is their intention to drive out the present
diggers, and let companies and very large parties monopo
Use all the digging.. The weather is exceedingly beautiful
just now The days are pcifectly spring days, with the sun
shining bright, yet not too warm. We still have slight
boar frost.', but they are lessening in intensity daily.

•
Again, in the name paper, is a letter dated Ophir,
Aug. 1:1, in which we tied the following:
Ophir is now comparatively deserted, there tieing not
more than a tenth of the number on the creeks now to
some six or eight weeks Jiro, and the storekeepers arc corn.
plaiting bitterly thereof, and of the enormous charge for
the carriage to and from Bathurst for stores. 1 du
not
Wink there are over the whole extent of these diggings
above live hundred souls, including women and children.
The number of licenses taken out when Mr. Commissioner

Green left for Bathurst this day week only amounted to
two hundred and twenty. It in anticipated, however, that
these will be the favourite diggings in the summer, as the
waters in the 'linen, and the creeks running thereto, will
base exhausted themselves. And individuals now here
trailing in provisions, clothing, and gold, intend wait-
ing the torn of the tide ; but should such a change
take plan., all the cold procured would not pay
for provisions and , other expenses the diggers are
necessarily put to, for edibles are getting fearfully high
comparatively to what they were when the largest amount
of souls were upan the spot. Beef is now al., and mutton
21,1. per lb.; sugar .)d., tea Is. 6,1., candles Is. 6d.; flour,
31. per 100 lbs. (very warn); tobacco (colonial) di., cigars
Is. 6d. per bundle ; slops are as reasonable here as in hyd-
ney; but all other necessaries are far too expensive for
successful ilivgen —more so for those who have no luck at
all. There are several gentlemen about here prospecting
and spying the land, and the workers' gleanings, who state
it to be their intention to ply the pick and shovel; two of
them have just anived overloud from Port Philip, who
seam to fancy this place in preference to the " likely spots"
on the other side of the "separation" line. One of these
gentlemen declared he had had n piece in his hand, about
the site and form of a "cut tumbler," and that it was taken
out of aliusium at the base of the Australasian l'yrenees.

I THE OPENING OF THE SUBMARLNE

TELEGRAPH.

This important ceremony (the particulars of which
appeared in the Expreit of yesterday) WAS inaugurated
on Thursday evening by a banquet at the Ship Hotel,
Dover. Sir JAVZS CAUXICIIACL, Hart., occupied the
chair; and amongst the gentlemen present were Mr.
Crampton and Mr. Wollaston, engineers to the company ;
Mr. Statham' the superintendent of the gutta perdu +twits,
Whartroad,City-road; Mr. Campbell, one of the solicitors
to the company; Mr. Robert Tufnell, and others who had
taken • warm interest in the proceedings by which the
enemas of the Submarine Telegraph was demonstrated.
There was an interest attaching to the occasion beyond that
which generally belongs to festive ceremonies of this de-
scription, inumuch as a communication was kept up by the
guests with some friends on the other side of the Channel.
In short, it happened that a party of gentlemen were feast-
ing themselves at Calais at the same moment, and those
who were thus occupied at Dover were enabled, by means
of the electric agency, to exchange sentiments with them.
Thus, in the course of the evening, one of the guests at the
English table informed • friend on the other side
of the Channel that the company was assem-
bled in honour of the great success of the day's
experiments, and an answer was returned in the space ut •
few minutes, expressing congratulations on the event. This
circumstance was peculiarly intere4ting, and even those who
had taken the most active part in the operations of the tele-
graph were by no means free from that astonishment which
was naturally suggested by the reflection that an under-
taking had been completed for carrying on a systematic cor-
respondence between friends separated from each other by
a distance of 21 miles of sea.
.

Tbe health of her Majesty having been drunk with all the
bemoan, the CHAIRMAN gave that of Louis Napoleon, who,
he observed, had given every encouragement to this under-
taking, by adopting in the most earnest manner the couccs-
sloe which was originally made by Louis Philippe to Mr.
Brett, the projector of the Submarine 'felegraph.
This toast was cordially responded to, and was followed
by the " Health of the Duke of Wellington," the chairman
observing that he thought the fact of the first cannon which
was bred in honour of his Urace's arrival at Dover in the
eosins of the morning, having been discharged from Calais,
wee • happy emblem of puce and unanimity between
Immo and England.
Captain SICKLEMORE, of her Majesty's cutter Vie-
Istria (employed in protecting the fisheries in the channel),
returned thanks on behalf of the arr.), and navy, and as-
sured the promoters of the submarine telegraph that he'
would never allow vessels to ride at anchor in that part elf
the channel which was traversed by the electric wires I
The health of the chairman having been drunk and
warmly ',vended to,
Mr. FINNES, ex-Mayor of Dover, proposed "Success
to the Submarine Telegraph Company." The prosperity
of the world was connected with this toast, and he felt that
whilst people gloried in the achievements of the army and
navy, they ought gladly to accord to the promoters of this
scheme all the credit that was due to them for the establish-
ment oleo gigantic as undertaking.
Mr. CRAMPTON returned thanks, observing that he
felt considerable pride in having his name associated with
a work which was calculated to he of such inestimable
benefit to society. The public were little aware of thereat
advautoges that would be derived from the submarine Mee
graph when it came to he thoroughly understood and ap-
preciated. The result of the undertaking, in a commercial
point of view, would prove of the greatest pie.sible import-
ance, and the public would find that that which had bon
derided as an impracticable scheme was one of the seat
valuable operations which had ever been devoted to the
benefit of mankind. The world had thought that the affair
was not feasible, and many had expressed an opinion that
even if the telegraph should be carried out, there would be
no messages transmitted by it. In mentioning this fact, he
(lid not wish to attach any blame M neople for repudiating
that which: they did not fuUy understand; and he was quite
aware that the scheme was mistrusted simply because the
public had not sufficient opportunity to investigate the state
of things. Under such circumstances, he felt that they were
justified in congratulating themselves upon the success they
had achieved in opposition to public opinion. There was
not one man in a thousand who would believe it possible to
transmit news from the Bourse in Paris to the Stock Ex-
change in London during the hours of business; and yet
the experience of to-day had proved beyond all question
that the state of the money market in the two great cities
Slight be made known in each metropolis with as much fa-
as if there was only a distance of a few yards between
Ora There was no doubt that in this respect alone the
submarine telegraph would be of incalculable benefit; for
It should be recollected that if one man in l'aris should
think it advisable to buy shares in the London market by
MOM of this electric communication, all men must adopt
dm ems course, or they must be at the mercy of their
neighbour. But in weighing the WiTllll4lgell which must
accrue from this telegraph, he should remind them that in
ender to render the plan complete they ought to establish a
emarnunication between London and the continent quite
independent of any crusts lines. If they were to dr
pend upon any line which had a local traffic,
they could never rely upon the efficiency of the scheme.
The only way in which they could thoroughly complete
their undertaking would be by having a through communi-
cation from London to Calais, and this could not be done
except by an increase of expenditure. When this end was
attained, and they bad reduced their fares to the lowest
possible price, the public would experience a saving in
postage, and there were many other points of economy in
which the telegraph would e found extremely valuable.
The promoters of the undertaking had had certain anxieties
and responsibilities in the progress of their labours, hut they
had overcome them all, and he was glad to take this oppor-
tunity of saying that they were greatly indebted for their
success to the exertions of Mr. Statham, of the gotta perch*
works (who had surmounted the difilculty of securing •
perfect insulation of the wires), and alto to the valuable
assistance rendered by Mr. Wollaston, who had for the last
IS months worked like a slave in order to remove all ob-
stacles to the mechanical operations. He (Mr. C )
was much flattered in being called upon to ac
this important toast, and he would conclude by propmiag
the health of Mr. Statham.
Mr. STATHAM, in returning thanks, said he uses Wig
ea instrument in the hands of the Gotta Perch' Compw,
bat he had entered most earnestly into the business whlc
had been entrusted to him, and he was delighted to End
that the result of their exertions afforded an illustration of
the proverb, that " Perseverance conquers all things."
The CHAIRMAN then gave the health of Mr. Jabs
Brett, who, in conjunction with Mr. Jacob Brett, originated
the idea of a submarine telegraph as far back as 1845.
Mr. JOHN BRETT returned thanks, and said it was
over a cup of tea, early in the year IS* that No kerb!
and he first discussed the project the sawmill esm-
pletion of which they were now celebrating; end
in the month of July, in the same year, they
drew up a plan for uniting not only England and Freese,
but Ireland and our mast distant colonies in India. The
doubts and difficulties which bad delayed its
ment until the present time, he need not particularly
to, further than to observe that it was not a matter of ear-
prise that the public should have had no faith lethal whisk
some of our most eminent engineers had repaid as as
impossibility. Was it not strange that such a reirefraileeld
have lain dormant 5,000 years?—but the jest sf pealarday
was the fact of to-day. It was impossible W say
what Light sltimittelybe the effect of this iastairtaasous
uaiem alba twit mast civilised nations of the world. Dis-
tance would beemee an old tradition. Not only Paris and
Visana, bat Clemstantinople, Calcutta, Pekin, and America,
would in the NOM of a few years he our next door neigh-
bours. A mirehaat in London would address his clerk at
hie sum tierhanse is Calcutta more readily than he now
speaks to bin threwirl his tube below stairs. And more
commanisedes WSW be eserled on with India in one hour
them sada saw he aass=l is the course of years.
Verlaus char toasts in succession, and amongst
Hem tree the health of Mr. Wollaston, one of the engineers.
Mr. WOLLASTON, in returning thanks, said he made
amp aspwriments before he conceived that the application
Mts.' percha was the only practical means by which they
Nun imame the wires. Amongst the various things which
=al themselves to his mind were caoutchosc,
bitumen, and many other similar sub-
steam% tithes* were found to be useless for the
papule la view. Having at length put himself in commu-
nisnlieserlth Mr. Statham, within five weeks from the
rad of their interview 25 miles of wire covered with
gash& were delivered on board a steamboat at
gam, after the lapse of six hours from the time the
sad Dew for Calais, the communication wee sea-
pMN
lostwesm die meat of England and the mast of Prance.
The Chairman and Directors of the South Eastern
Railway," was the nest toast, and Mr. WAY, the super-
Imtmesimet at Dover, returned thanks.
lkomml ether spoilable were delivered in the seam of
sad the general feeling expressed by dm 4101111-
mr. that the submarine telegraph bed net only
enreetedine of is mat psisie
bat that h be semblesed astebtlfted es a galanew=
permanent Min

ROBBIZT or A MAIL B.to.—At the Bridgwater
s tatisr, as Wedarabika4ht, a robbery was of the
Lasko ,k three earn, bad been thrown
ler the plettralla"Zy the gra in thugs at then, is 'sewn".
thei et the arrival et Or aril trait At preset no ire to
the tehhery bas leer dirergral. ' Ow Thursday amewrg the
Lerma lag was head la athrabbery near the Mgr road,
tstesdiar with sore brew Th. thief bad aterseted all he ,
theught striae. We her remittances to swops amount
wage theweried_by thatmight's per.—Brirlgerater Timm.
•Iflats hen Wail giro the Mewing bon:—b=
ether eweiglesi is the big Win NM
pesseb, area is a seseideralie ament, nodes.
et We atorwitlea wif whisk were seat rya to the
dither* Beare with the gaillen at the rites ratan
flit resersiagap4stay) a vary e
Beek reperallAy deers&
meg Era at the Castl, Mote% ibe
thaw et a sets or the Wilts sod Darer leaking
the dirk to when he rob applierisa, rec-
to la ewe et the aloha wiles IOW& moms the
litioltwitere lb. Cheeks Paul, the peripal eartir, was
stsadidg at kb ask wpta which the pewee am can away,
bat was spetaily Mewed by Yr. Peat aid a
and or eggeshriled at the White Hitt as Tina;
hs had pat up, awl bits; seraird three oases the steles
mar was hart Werner, together with sane save-
haWaeee I, wad saw& the woe berediately
114ihra
as sho magbenatas, whir wire them and
gave his were es Semi Niers, aged 21 years, at
Joker:ea% Balwewrige, bet hi did not know the mother,
and at No. 5, Ifewahrserest, Idgeware-rawd, Irela
The alter facts heels. bees ilsprei to, the perms' war
awraired. In his Eshsee, be ail that the airs bed mat
late his persosioa from a pew be tar as Batarday lasts
at lark gate the robbery bat ail bees ether&