The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-11 00:00:00

THE COLONY OP VICTORIA.

We take the following summary of news from

the Melbourne Age of Nov. 25
The transportation question occupies the public mind,
to the exclusion of almost every other topic. We await the
result of the remonstrances to the Home Government with

feverish anxiety.
"The general half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of
the National Bank of Australasia was held on Tuesday, 3d
Nov. Sir F. Murphy occupied the chair. The report and
balance-sheet were adopted. They represented the affairs
of the bank to be in a very satisfactory state, and that a net
profit had been made for the half-year, after paying off bad
and doubtful debts, of £26,038 bs 4d. The report also
showed that £11,463 12s lld had been received for pre-
miums on shards. From these sources a dividend at the
rate of S per cent. per annum was declared ; the balance of
the preliminary expenses was paid off, amounting to £6,000,
and £15,000 was placed to the reserve fund. Mr. Andrew
Sutherland was unanimously elected to the office of direc-
tor, in the room of Mr. George Rolfe, resigned.
"A new harbour, named Martin's Bay, has been dis-
covered on the west coast of New Zealand, from which the
Otago fields may be easily and expeditiously reached. This
discovery is considered of the greatest importance, as by it
the distance, in point of time, between Melbourne and the
New Zealand goldfields is very considerably lessened, and
already associations aro being formed for the settlement of
the new territory. Those best qualified to judge are of opi-
nion that before long, Dunedin and Port Chalmers will rank
second in importance to the new township and harbour,
which will be formed on the opposite coast of the island.
"A new mineral has been discovered in the neighbour-
hood of the Upper Yarra, or rather in the locality which
may be more correctly described as the basin of the Yarra.
The mineral resembles that known as sapphirine, and is
harder than topaz, which it scratches. It will be principally
valuable for the purposes of the lapidary, polishing other
stones, &e. Mr. George Ulrick, the well known mineralo-
gist, is about to analyse and name this, which will be the
first new mineral known and described in Victoria. Al-
though it has as yet only been found in the portion of the
colony referred to above, we understand that it is likely to
be met with wherever the granite formation predominates.
GOLD AND THE GOLDFIELDS.
The past month has been one of considerable activity on
the goldfields. Mining operations have been of a more ex-
tended character, and the diggings population have no rea-
son to complain of the returns. The Raywood rush, so
named after the original prospector, near Bendigo, has been
gradually increasing in importance since its first opening at
the close of last month. It lies six miles north of the Se-
bastian, and the only drawback seems to be a scarcity of
water, there being no proper supply for washing purposes
nearer than four or five miles. Goid is found in large
quantities at a depth of from 30 to 35 feet, but when the
sinking is carried deeper, the yield perceptibly falls off. The
gold is heavier than that of the Sebastian, and appears to
be more plentiful than in that locality. No defined lead
has yet been discovered, and though the quartz reefs
wear a very promising appearance, they have not yet
been properly prospected. Within the laOt fortnight a
large township has sprung up, and the storekeei;ers, who
already derive support from a very large population, are
sanguine of the establishment of a prosperous and perma-
nent goldfield. The various auriferous localities of the
neighbourhood, have, in some instances turned out rich
yields. Early in the month a 176 oz. nugget was found in
the Red Jacket Gully, and a nugget weighing 6oz. was
washed out in Armfield's Gully. The diggings at the Sheep-
wash have also been locked np of late. Attention has re-
cently been turned to the necessity of utilising quartz tail-
ings in some more efficient way. It seems that a party ot
Chinese at Sandhurst have made an offer to keep several
miles of road in repair for the privilege of using and wash-
ing the sweepings. If a road contract had been made to pay
on such terms as these, it is evident that there is still room
for improvement in our quartz crushing machinery.
Mining matters at Majorca, which have been very dull
for the past week or two, are again presenting an improved
aspect. The most remarkable and noteworthy project that
has been startled in this district, or, in fact, upon any of
the goldfields, of late, is the formation of a company for
the purpose of tunnelling the Redbank and Moonambel
dividing range from its southern base. such a work will
require a very largo capital ; but it is said that there is every
reason to believe the speculation will prove a paying one in
the long run. Rich alluvial deposit/5 have been found on
the Moonambel and Redbank sides of the range, and scarcely
a lump of quartz with which this mountain barrier is so pro-
fusely strewn, when tested, fails to show the presence of the
precious metal.
A new rush has set in between the Black Swan and the
United Kingdom Companies, and the yield is likely to be
from 15 dwt to 20 dwt to the load. At Inglewood the Great
Western Reef, which was deserted some time since, has
been again taken up, and some good gold-bearing stone has
been struck. A rush is also reported at Burnt Creek, which
supports a large number of miners. Several new rushes
have also occurred about Amherst, and some very good
stone has recently been obtained from the Star Reef. The
hole has been profitably worked at a depth of 70 feet, and
at the lowest level the quartz so far improved as to yield at
the rate of nearly an ounce to the ton. The shaft is now
being carried deeper, and the stone has improved in pro-
portion to the depth reached. A rush has broken out at
Fryer's Creek, in the Castlemaine district, and it is ex-
pected that some two miles of ground will bo further remu-
nerative. The returns front the reefs are not below the
average. Several new reefs have been lately opened at or
near, Tarrengower, and very satisfactory prospects have been
obtained from them. One called Butler's Reef was disco-
vered by two farmers—father and son, of that name—at
Joyee's Creek, on the road to Smeaton, about 11 miles from
Maldon. Another reef has been struck by a Mr. Braithwaite,
of the Mount, who was last week induced to prospect an old
shelf on an abandoned reef, about a quarter of a mile south
of Cookman's Reef. It is supposed that the stone raised
will yield over one ounce to the ton. A third reef has been
opened by Messrs. Crockett and Sons, about two miles south
of Otago Reef, Sandy Creek. They have already crushed
one large lot, and obtained nearly two ounces per ton. The
reef, which has, of course been crushed, is christened Tees
total Reef.