The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-01 00:00:00

CHIMES AND LAW IN TUE MINES.

Both law and justice can be obtained, but it is an
expensive and uncertain process. The country is
divided into districts, and county sessions are held at
short intervals, while there are sheriffs and judges at
every place of importance, and be it understood that
these of themselves are very often miners, who
consequently require large fees, so that 100 dole.
does not go very tar.
Hitherto the mines have:been quiet and peaceable
enough, and few persons thought it necessary to carry
arms. Now, on the contrary, nearly every man has
• knife or pistols either openly or concealed about
his person, not that I can say I have seen
much use for them ; but it is a wise pre-
caution. There are men here who will pick a
quarrel on a slight pretence, and " shoot him," or
" I'll kill him," are expressions of by no means un-
common occurrenee, and no one is taken to task who
uses them. Robberies occasionally take place, and
are rarely discovered ; the punishment is severs.
Men have been murdered in their tents, but murders
are also committed in England, and if a man will only
keep proper associates, and avoid drinking and play-
ing at cards, he is as safe in the mines as at home.
To be sure a grizzly bear may pick him up, or
an Indian may salute him with an arrow, but the
chances are that no such mishap will arrive. I have
travelled in the most secluded spots without the
slightest apprehension of danger. The risk is in
leaving the mine, to go to Stockton and other towns;
then it is bot safe to travel alone, parties lying in
wait there to shoot the poor miner, on the supposi-
tion of his having gold about him, and escape is easy
in the woods and fastnesses along the road. I can-
not say, however, that I think this tranquillity will
be of long duration. To get gold now, hard
work is necessary, and that does not quite suit
the ideas of some of our friends, who have been
' hare when it was to be obtained by making
a small hole with a knife, and who have spent
all their mosey, and who still must have drink
and must gamble. Ido not want to look too far for-
ward, or to ;speak too harshly, but I plainly see that
sooner or later bands of robbers will infest the coun-
try, obliging the miners to associate for mutual pro-
; tection. I would hope that that day was far distant,
. but still I feu; for already I know of a roadside
house, ostensibly a store, where I recently observed
with dread, for I was alone, unmistakeable signs and
means of executing deeds of robbery and murder.

Everything is in character here, and the store is
nothing more than • simple tent, with a small coun-
ter and • rough table for playing cards. A good
store ought to contain everything requisite for the
miner, but this requires capital, and, in general, be-
yond a few boots and red shirts, the store contains
, nothing but provisions, and wines, and spirits—these
I latter being the great source of profit—so much so,
that some stores are little better than so many pot-
houses. The storekeeper himself is a curiosity, and
quits a different man to the miner, although nearly
all have, at one time, been miners. His great de-
light is to decorate his bat with large brooches, or
perhaps with a string of beads, in the Indian fashion.
Stores abound everywhere, but the profits are not
in proportion to that!e of the miner. Prices vary
according to locality, but I annex for curiosity a list
which is as fair as possible. These prices have been
maintained all the summer, but have advanced 50
per cent. within a fortnight past, and provisions will
again be very dear during the winter. For conve-
nience I have reduced the prices to English money.
Flour, Is. per lb.; biscuit IL 3d. per lb. ; barley (for
horses), is, Bd. per lb. ; oats (ditto), Is. 6d. par lb.; sugar,
2s. per lb. ; 10e. per lb.; coffee, 31. per lb.; chocolate,
61. per lb. ; causes!. te. 3d. per lb. ; pork (salt), Is. 34. per
lb. • best (fresh), Is. per lb. ; theme Is. per lb. ; butter,
helm lb.; tibias, 4s. per lb.; dried apples, 2s. per lb. ;
ham or bacon, 2s. ad. per lb. ; sperm eandleL Bs. per lb.;
wears, 21. each; brandy, 6,. to 10e. per bottle; gin, 6e. to
Bs, ditto ; whiskey, 6s. ditto; elder, Be. to 10e. ditto ; ale.
Is. to 10e. ditto; porter. 41. to 10s. ditto ; via ordinate, fa.
to Be. ditto; port wine, situ., ea. to 10s. ditto; pickle., Be. to
10.. ditto; ewes of spirits, Wine, ale, porter, or lemonade,
Is. per glass; =ions, 3s. 6d. per lb.; potatoes, la. Bd. per
lb. ; nee, Is. pee lb.; vegetables, none. Moles cost from
lOC to 261. ; 1101141, 81. to 161.; asses, 124 to 164 : oasis
(weighing from 360th.. to 4001 be.), 101. to 121. ; sheep, none.
• WORD AS TO WHAT IS TO BE FOUND IN THE
VINES BESIDES THE 11 GOLD."