The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-13 00:00:00

• i I- •
LitigNiNG 9
DitCEMBvI4, ...Ili -1866.

Outer i of 116,4331. en the first nine
Xbr
the of the 4asr ; and of 93,1361. on
. year ending Es September. The "all
oth duties" of the new tariff—those which
are specially oppressive to the import trade, pro-
duced only 96,988/. for the nine months m com-
pared with 129,7381. in the corresponding months
of 1865, although they were only in force for a
portion of that period. The balance of the year's
account has been maintained by sales of land. It
is still more 'satisfactory to find that the yield of
gold has been more than maintained, the exports
of Victorian gold having exceeded those in the
corresponding period of 1865 by more than 70,000
ounces, while the increase in the export of New
Zealand gold from Melbourne has been still larger."
The attention of those interested in mining Fur_
suits during the month had been chiefly directed
to Ballarat, in consequence of the rapidly develop-
ing richness of the ground. We read :
Well qualified judges seem to have oome to the oon.
the
elusion that the reef ground or the original surface, in
vicinity of the three claims—the Sir Wm. Don, the New-
ington, and the Inkermann and Durham Junollon Coms3
panics—im another Ballarat of the days of 1852 and 18.
only it is covered over with volcanic rock and dirt. It
would seem that the washdirt is of extraordinary richness ;
that the leads are numerous ; that the reef is tolerably
fist ; and that in every respect, except perhaps se to oolour,
the wash Flat
resembles that of Old Pennyweight ,
and other ez.xedingly rich ground on the shallow sinking.
of our first gold-mining era. It is believed that an enor-
mous amount of gold lies untouched below the basa
from
ltic
formation, and that there is more gold to be got yet
the reefs than has been taken from the gutters, the centre
be
of which was only taken out before. If this prove to
the case, the greater portion of the town has yet to be
undermined. The shares in the companies &fleeted by
these discoveries have, of Doan increased in vslde
enormously. A new rush has taken place in the Mary.
borough district, in the vicinity of Happy Jack's lead,
Havelock, very good prospects having been obtained in
four or five feet sinking. New ground has also been
opened at Soren. In some of the claims on Seotohtnan's
Beef, Pleasant Creek, a second reef has been discovered
below the water.
The Sydney Herald of Oct. 23rd reports
The news from the gold-fields is very good this month.
At Tambaroora a large nugget weighing 87os. was found.
The quarts-crushings at that place are yielding first-rate
returns. In one case 400 oz. of the precious metal were ob-
tained fromeight tonsof quartzfrom the Independent Reef.
A very rich quiets reef has been discovered by a party of
prospectors in the Weddin Mountains. The reef is situated
about thirty-five milesfrom the townshiPof of
ii
Bromdah and Bogobogolong stations.Aregular rush to this
newly discovered reef set in at once, and it is stated that
most of the persons who have ventured there are doing
very well. Gold is distinguishable by the naked eye,
wherever the reef appears. Forty claims have been
marked out, and seven parties are already hard at work.
The intelligence from the Lachlan is, on the whole, fa•
vourable, although the diggers there are not at all as suc-
cessfal as could be wished. The discovery of an apparently
rich field at" Thompeon's lead" attracted a very large num-
ber of miners there, and the results of the workings by no
means justified their expectations. Some large nuggets
have been found, and altogether the yield of gold is con-
siderable, although a great many diggers have become dis-
heartened from their want of success. The rash to the
field has almost trebled the population, end a township,
almost as large as Forbes, has sprung up on Thompson's
lead. The news from Luoknow is very good, one party
there getting forty ounces of gold to the ton of wash dirt.
No intelligence of any importance has come to hand re-
specting the northern gold-fields. but the yield of gold
from thence appears to be undiminished.
The great event of the month at Melbourne had
been the opening of the Intercolonial Exhibition,
which included contributions from the French
colony at New Caledonia, and Batavia. The affair
and the glory of it were the theme of universal
discussion, and up to the last date the crowd of
visitors has been very great.

NEW ZEALAND.
A FIGHT WITH THE NATIVES.
A despatch from Wellington, dated Oct. 11

says :
Letters have been received from the West Coast, which
state that Major lll'Donnell started from Ketemarai on
Monday se'nnlght, with 74 Europeans and 50 natives, and,
just before daylight on Tuesdayimorning, reached a thickly-
fenced village. The call for surrender was answered by a
volley from the where', some of which were earth,
slabbed, and shot-proof. The rebels made several sallies,
but were as often driven in. Major M'Donnell and
his men meanwhile removed earth from the roofs
of the whivea, and poured in volley after volley
on the inmates. The whams were all sett on fire, and
burnt to the ground, and the prisoners, of whom seven
were taken, state that 14 men were buried in the ruins, in
addition to 21 bodies picked up outside. As Major
M`Donnell and his force retired, neighbouring natives
came up, but were beaten off, Ensign Penis killing three.
Threats and a cocked pistol compelled the prisoners to
show the forces a short cut back, and also to help in car-
rying the wounded, of whom there were four, and three
killed.
The Otago Times of Oct. 20 says that there has
been a slight renewal of native disturbances, and
that rumours are rife that more serious ones are
impending :
It is impossible to say how true these rumours may prove,
since there are so many causes in operation to produce them.
The native difficulties have so many ramifications, and
there is such a difference of opinion concerning them, even
amongst those who for many years have been mixed up
with them, that it is impossible for the impartial observer
accurately to weigh the several agencies at work. The
conflicting accounts, in fact, represent conflicting opinions.
Thus we have on this occasion to state that many think
the natives intend another wide-spread rising, whilst
others attach but little importance to the indications in
that direction. Thoughtful men aver that the departure
of the troops will be fraught with encouragement to
native ksubordination.
The same paper says of the New Zealand gold-

fields :
The goldfields of the west coast continue their produc.
tiveness, and are attracting large and increasing numbers
of miners from Victoria and New South Wales. They are
spreading themselves over the vast area of suriferou•
country, and fresh discoveries are constantly being made.
From the direction of these new goldfields, it seems pro-
bable that very shortly easy means of communication will
be formed with the goldfields of Otago, and that the min-
ing districts of the provinces of Canterbury and Otago will
be worked by a large and united population. The gold-
fields of Otago only require labour to develop them. The
escort returns, notwithstanding the few millers, continue
to be maintained.

(REI3TIR'S TELEOE•ith.)
ITALY.

FLORENCE, DEC. 13.

A royal decree has been published, ordering the
railway works of the Victor Emmanuel Company
to be carried on by the state until the end of
March, 1867, this company having declared its
inability to continue the works. The government
will expend eighteen million lire for the works,
and will obtain this amount by the issue
on account of the company of consolidated renter
and treasury bonds. The payments to be made
in cash to the Pontifical government will
fall due on the 15th of March. The funds
have already been deposited in Paris.
The Opinions of to-day contradicts the rumour
that the mission of General Fleury refers to any
other matter than the Roman question, and that
he came to Florence to effect an understanding be-
tween France and Italy in view of certain foreign
complications. "His mission," adds the Opinions,
" refers solely to the Roman question."
The Ito.& of to-day says :—" All ides of the de-
parture of the Pope from Rome appears to have
been abandoned. The City of Rome is perfectly
tranquil."