The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-24 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

PLYMOUTH, MAY 23.
By the Atrevida, Captain Sheare, which left
Port Philip on the 23d. of February, we have re-
ceived some Melbourne papers, the latest of which
is dated the 18th of February.
Mr. Edward Knull, bullion broker, of Melbourne,
has prepared a set of valuable tables,
containingthe
statistics of the gold fields, &c., from which
following extracts are made :-
" Quantity of gold dust brought to Melbourne and
by
Geelong. -By Government escort,
Victoria Escort Company, 821,1430 z. ; by private hand,
601,6480 z.
" Shipments of gold from the
por,rlwot. ; fViGeong,
eteorial--
.
From Melbourne, 1,886,2170 z. 7dwt. ; Port
84,0200 z. 14dwt. ; Portland, 3,0390 z.
Fairy, 1,6900 z. 7dwt. ; total, 1,974,9750 z. 13dwt.
" Amount of gold dust remaining at the 31st of De-
cember.-In the Treasury, Melbourne, 83,6780 z. ; Vic-
toria Melbourne, 58,9820 z. ; banks,
Escort Melbourne, Company,
380,0000 z. ; banks, Geelong, 135,0000 z. ;
private hands in Melbourne and Geelong, estimate
130,0000 z. ; total, 787,6600 z.
Quantity of gold dust taken to Adelaide.-By over-
land escort, March to December, 1852, 228,5330 z. ;
shipped from Melbourne, 17,3310 z. ; taken by private
hand, 178,1600 z. ; estimated quantity taken in addition
to above, 166,6870 z. ; shipped from Adelaide to London,
February to December, 1852, 263,5640 z.
" Amount remaining in the banks, assay-office, and
private hand at Adelaide, 299,8160 z.
" Quantity of gold taken to Sydney in the year 1852.
-Shipped, per Melbourne Customs' return, 280,5890 z, ;
by private hand, 341,7390 z. ; estimated quantity taken
in addition to the above, 100,000 oz. , quantity held by
the banks and private hands, 150,000 oz.; total, 872,3280 z.
" Quantity of gold dust taken to Van Diemen's Land
in the year 1852.--Shipped, per Melbourne Customs'
returns, 1,953 oz. ; taken by private hands, 140,546 Oz. ;
estimated quantity held by the banks and in private
hands, 50,000 oz. ; shipped from Launceston, per Cus-
toms returns, 36,946 oz. ; estimated quantity held.by the
banks and in private hands, 20,000 oz.
" Summary of produce during the year 1852.-173
tons 19cwt. lqr. 121 b. 30z., at 70s. - 14,163,3641.,
exclusive. of gold dust in the hands of diggers, store-
keepers, and others, and on the road to Melbourne and
Geelong.
" Amount of specie imported into Melbourne and
Geelong in the year 1852.-January, 20,000/. ; April,
40,000/. ; July, 200,0001. ; August, 90,000/. ; Septem-
ber, 538,0001.; October, 432,0001.; November, 397,8001.;
December, 150,000/. ; estimated amount by private hand,
632,200/. ; total, 2,500,0001.
" Number of persons who arrived in the colony and
the number which left during the year 1852.-Arrived,
January, 7,494 ; February, 7,460 ; March, 5,063;
April, 4,111 ; May, 5,631 ; June, 3,872 ; July, 4,271;
August, 6,552 ; September, 15,855 ; October, 19,162
November, 10,947 ; December, 14,255 ; total, 104,883.
Left, January, 550 ; February, 847 ; March, 1,239 ;
April, 1,511 ; May, 1,629 ; June, 1,614 ; July, 2,383 ;
August, 1,618 ; September, 1,841 ; October, 3,637 ;
November, 4,287 ; December, 5,866 ; total, 27,022;
Addition to population, from immigration alone, in
1852, 77,661 ; arrived overland from Sydney and Ade-
laide, and in vessels over those reported to the Customs,:
also estimated increase from births in the colony, 20,000
total increase, 97,661."
The Argus of the 7th of February says, in refer-
ence to these computations :-
"The total amount raised from our various gold mines*
during the year 1852 appears to be 4,175,247 oz., which,
valued. at 31. 10s. an oz., shows a national income, under
this item alone, of 14,163,3641. sterling. We are glad to
find that there is very little discrepancy between this
estimate and that published in our summary for the
steam-ship Great Britain. Ours was a little higher, but
Mr. Khali has avowedly made his estimates when actual
data were wanting, upon a very moderate scale, and the
real total is doubtless higher than even the annexed cal-
culations would show. With such mines of uncounted
wealth at our command, what might we not become if
our energy, our intelligence, and our public spirit were
equal to our riches ?"
The Argus of the 16th February states that,
from the tiles compiled from official returns pub-
lished, the startling result was elicited, that while
in Victoria an average population of 26,000, during
the 15 years ending in 1850, acquired 354' 765
acres for the sum of 707,1681., being at the rate of
1.1. 19.1. 101 per acre, and 13a. 2r. 23p. per head,
an average population of 22,648 in South Australia,
during the same period, acquired 622,653 acres for
the sum of 678,162/., being at the rate of 11. ls. 9d.
per acre, and 27a. lr. 31p. per head.
It may, perhaps, be said that the lands of Vic-
toria were, even before the gold discovery, worth
intrinsically more than those of South Australia.
This, however, would be a mistake. The excellent
quality of the land of South Australia, as well as
the superior system of land sales, are abundantly
proved by the fact, that the colony, in the last four
or five months, has sent to Melbourne 4,000 tons
of flour, which has uniformly realised the highest
price in our market, and that we have received
from Adelaide, in the past year, farm produce
• valued at 250,0001., or more than half of our entire
imports under that head. The true explanation of
the mystery is, that the Government in South
Australia have invariably kept the supply of land
in the market in excess of the demand, while here
the process has been exactly reversed.
In reply to this the Melbourne _Herald of the
11th says :-
" What is the remedy ? Let the Government put up
for sale land in the largest quantities that in the aggre-
gate it can reasonably expert to sell, but in lots so
accommodated to the wants of individuals, that all of
moderate means may have it in their power to purchase,
and the mere land jobber would find himself subdued
by competition. It is no argument against such a pro-
ceeding that the supply offered would be dispropor-
tionate to the present amount of population. If land
in the hands of a private individual has reached an un-
natural and dangerous price, this alone should be taken
as an indication that the Government should be at work
-it should watch the land market as the engineer
watches the valves of his steam-engine ; and there is
that at work now which will as surely lead to an ex-
plosion, if some means be not taken to avert it, as an
accumulation of steam pressure will send to atoms the
engine which is working with a force it was never in-
tended to exercise."'
In the Legislative Council, on' the Ist of Feb-
ruary, the motion of Mr. Fawkner was lost by 15
to 4. His motion went to repeal the order in
Council made at Osborne House, Isle of Wight,
March 9, 1847, which put certain restrictions on
the sale of waste lands. The Geelong and Mel-
bourne Railway Bill was read a second time at
this Council.
A letter from Ballarat early in February says :-
" In my letter to you lately I have given favourable
reports of these diggings, and yet the escort returns have
rather diminished than increased, in amount. It is im-
possible to judge of the yield of Ballarat by the
escort: The week before last I knew personally of
more gold going privately than by escort. The near-
ness of Ballarat to Geelong, the safety of the road,
and the cheap and regular 'conveyance, make the
journey so easy and available that few lucky diggers
will use the escort ; and I know many who boast of
never having transmitted it. On horseback you can
go to -Geelong from Ballarat -with ease in six hours.
Before the news of the nugget, they were coming up
rapidly, but the rush now is im.mense. A new gully at
Creswick's Creek, and new diggings at Wahnup, were
opened last week. lam told that there are nearly a
thousand at the latter place already. The price of gold
has risen to 3/. Bs. 6d. ; some stores giving 3/. 95."
On the 6th of February three diggers, named
Gough, Sulley, and Bristoe arrived in Geelong
from the Ballarat diggings, bringing with them a
box containing two masses of gold, one of which
actually weighed 771 b. Bor., and the other 691 b.
60z., the proportion of pure gold being more than
eight-ninths. They were both found at Canadian
Gully, between 30 and 40 yards from the bed of the
1341 b. nugget, and within some 50 feet of the sur-
face. It is further stated that accounts had also
been received of the finding of a 100 lb. nugget in
the same golden locality.
The fortunate finders of the immense nugget at
Ballarat are four new comers, three of whom ar-
rived in the colony in August last per ship Lady
Head, and the fourth came in the steam-ship Great
Britain. The three first proceeded to Bendigo
diggings immediately after their landing, where
they remained for some two or three months, and
linalo nearly 1,000/. worth of gold. They then
joined, the fourth person, and went to Ballarat
I,lggings• Ont of ono hole in the Canadian Gully
they obtain d
another weiecii the large lump, weighing 1341 b. Boz.,
gold-inakin"rig 511). 50z., and 21b. 4oz. of small
hole. They together L42lb. soz. out of one
gtiale
went to MelbollrnB
eold their claim for 3001., and
for the one piece. Tley were offered 8,0001.
that industry and pelsegus ays, there is no doubt
gold fields. The disappoint ad ones are the faint-
. ay in diF: gust b
not discover gold at once, o ecause they can-
and incompetent class who ati:e
belong,tß to that idle
• to dig, and do not scruple it ens,
or unable
A correspondent at the Ovens, eonnceutlo beg.
February, gives the copy .c,f a 'petition tlO beg.
Imstht of
gold dig ;cars to the Lieutennact-Govern
or, complain-
)e of acts of wanton injustice at the bawls of the
Gold Commission officials and the police force.
The petitionc.sr3 are alarmed at the practice adopted
by several “-inatters, occuping Crown lands near
the gold nei(;, who seize the cattle and horses of
the . , The latter consider themselves en-
titled to ;pane their cattle on the land adjacent to

their te'its.
The Ovens' River escort, which arrived at the
Treasury on the sth of Pol cuary, brought 11,655
ounces of gold ; and the Mount Alexander escort,
same date, 6,132 ounces.
The gold dispatched from the Ovens on the 15th
of February was 4,4780 z. ; on the 16th 1,5000 z. •
were deposited for the next escort.
Up to the 12th of February many persons were
leaving Fryer's Creek for new diggings discovered
reported on the Loddon, which were to be very
rich, and called the Bendigo diggings, though