The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-12 00:00:00

THE SUN,

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' Australia, even by isolated exertions—that there is
no probability of the auriferous supply failing
in either country, and that henceforward the
operations will be conducted under the most
Lvourable circumstances, and with every adjunct
which skill and capital can provide, we may easily
conceive what vast quantities will be brought to this
country, particularly as all the gold collected through
the agency of the different gold mining companies
will be transmitted to bead-quarters for payment of
the dividends.
The state of affairs in California;and the manner in
which the unexpected treasures contained in the soil
and rocks in that country were brought to light, must
be perfectly familiar to our readers. It may, however,
he interesting to point out the mode in which
'he auriferous qualities of Australia were first ascer-
Itined, as from the more recent date of the searches
less is known on the subject.
The early discoveries of gold in Australia, in the
months of May and June last, were found in the
alluvial soils, washed down from the vast chain of
mountains called by Sir RODERICK DIURCHISON "the

Great Australian Cordillera ;" and for a considerable
period gold quartz remained undiscovered, although
scientific men well knew that these deposits must ne-
cessarily have had their origin from the gold quartz
in the mountains. This led to the exploration of that
immense range which runs through the counties of
Bathurst, Westmoreland, and Argyle, pursuing the
same formation as that in which they were discovered
in California. So far as we have been enabled to as-
certain from the information that has reached England,
Mr. CHARLES LANGLEY, of Sydney, one of the sur-
veyors employed by the Colonial Government, was
the first discoverer of gold quartz. It was found
upon the ridges of land adjoining Lake Bathurst,
small lake on the top of the mountains in the county
of Argyle, about 150 miles from Sydney. It was in
the first week of August last that Mr. LANGLEY, ac-
ccmpanied by his assistant, surveyed the property
around the lake, and ascertained that in eight different
parts about the lake the land abounded with gold
quartz. This confidential report—which we believe
is now in England—has been fully confirmed by the
latest intelligence received per the Phoenician. It is,
therefore, more than probable, that this email
lake and its immediate neighbourhood will become
the centre of a thickly inhabited district. From the
dispatches of Messrs. DIBDIN, HILYARD, and JACK-
SON, who were " prospecting" on several occasions at
the Mulwarre Ponds, close to the western side of Lake
Bathurst, we find that they had made several trials,
and in every instance without exception had succeded
in finding gold. Gold has also been discovered at
Goulburn, situate a few miles north of the lake ; as
also at Braidwood, some miles to the south of it ; and
from the indications and formations of the rock, there
is no reason to doubt that it exists at least 100 miles
more southward still.

We have entered into these details to show the
amount of bullion that may reasonably be expected
from these auriferous districts, and in some degree to
afford information to the companies, who may be
sending out men and money to the Bathurst district,
and also to indicate to the different boards of manage-
ment that which appears to be their imperative duty,
not only so far as obtaining the best return for the
capital invested, but in the no less important object
of securing the welfare and prosperity of their
employees. Two companies have already appeared
before the public, one the Australian Freehold,
which has got the whole of its capital paid up, and
the other, the Lake Bathurst, both of which are situate
on the eastern side of the lake, and adjoining each
other. It is, however, stated that some English gen-
tlemen have purchased the whole of the land on the
western side, which we believe will shortly be offered
to the public. The parties who have so important a trust
confided to their charge should not act too hastily,
or for the purpose of gratifying the clamorous de-
mands of those who do not seek permanent invest-
ments, but merely to stimulate the demands on
the Stock Exchange. Their objeot should be an
amalgamation of the different companies, so as
to form one important association, acting under the
guidance of the most scientific men, and prepared
with the best possible machines that can be obtained
for conducting their operations. There is this im-
portant, and, we believe, peculiar feature in the pre-
sent case. All the lands surrounding the lake were
granted by the Crown without any reservation of
royalties. The companies have thus the entire free-
hold in their own hands. The main Government
road from Sydney passes through the land on the
eastern side of the lake, and close to the southern
corner of it. The directors of an united company
can thus, with the large capital at their
disposal, beyond any that can be required for working
she mines, erect suitable residences on their own es-
tates, so as to form a town on the main road, with all
the comforts and conveniencies of a well-cultivated
district. There are, we believe, already many houses
and buildings on these lands which should be at once
fitted up and rendered comfortable for the workmen,
for it is one of the chief duties of directors to look not
only to the magnitude of the dividend, but also to
the comfort and happiness of those who
will be the instruments of procuring wealth.
The advantages of a contented and happy population
cannot be too highly appreciated. We should, there-
fare, suggest that great care should in every case be
exercised in selecting young married men of unim-
peachable characters for morality, industry, and in-
tegrity ; and that the other companies should act on
the wise and benevolent principle adopted by the
Australian Freehold Company, of setting apart a par-
tion of their shares for the benefit of the miners, and
thus giving them a direct interest in the prosperity o
the undertaking.

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