The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-02 00:00:00

THE GOLD.

We subjoin, in the first place, a statement of the
amounts brought to Melbourne and Geelong by the Go-
vernment escorts, from the various gold-fields, since the
date of our last summary :

GOLD FOR GOVERNMENT ESCORT.

Mount
Alexander,
Bendigo,
and Tar-
rengo wer.

16,457
10,964
13,504
11,453
14,552
11,880
11,927
9,170

In order the better to thow the position of the gold
interest, we likewise subjoin the following comparative
statement of gold received and shipped, respectively, in
the past six months, with those in a similar period last
year.

GOLD RECEIVED BY ESCORT AND GOLD SHIPPED IN THE
FIRST SIX MONTHS RESPECTIVELY OF 1853 AND 1854.
Gold Received Gold Shipped.

1853. 1854. 1853. 1854.
937,873 oz. 929,367 oz. 1,103,634 oz. 1,077,431 oz,
N.B.—ln 1854 the amounts ar• to Ist July inclusive.

Judging from the above returns, and taking into ac-
count the fact that since last year the escorts to Ade-
laide and Sydney have been abandoned, it might with
some show of reason be supposed that our gold-fields are
exhibiting signs of exhaustion ; but we are of opinion
that this would be a very rash assumption. Indeed,
from the facts that have come to our knowledge, we are
more inclined to think that the development of our gold-
fields, wonderful as it has already been, is yet only in its
infancy.
On glancing at the map of Victoria our readers will
perceive that the country is intersected by a series of
ranges, commencing at the Australian Alps and ending
at the Mount Gambier Hills, on the border of South
Australia, extending from east to west across ten de-
grees of longitude and upwards of two degrees latitude.
These ranges are stated by geologists to be all volcanic,
and likely to be more or less auriferous. The progress
of the gold discovery has gradually demonstrated the
certainty of this most important fact. It is as fol-
lows :

- -
Year. Longitude. Locality.
1851 ... 143 deg. 50 min. ... Ballarat.
1851 ... 144 „ 20 „ Mount Alexander.
1851 ... 144 „ 20 „ Bendigo.
1852 ... 146 „ 20 ... Ovens.
1853 ... 145 „ 0 „ M`lvor.
1853 ... 145 „ 50 „ Goulburn.
1854 ... 144 „ 5 „ Tarrengower.
1854 ... 147 „ 40 Omeo.
1854 ... 143 „ 30 „ ... Avoca.
1854 ... 142 „ 35 ~ ... Mount William.
Thus it appears that our known gold-fields, which in
1851 extended over less than half a degree of longitude,
are now found in a traot of country extending over no
less than five degrees of longitude. In 1851 we had
three gold fields, and now we have ten. If we mistake
not, the Ballarat or Bunninyong range and that which
which extends to Mount Alexander and Bendigo are
connected, or rather identical. In 1851, therefore, we
had discovered gold on only one range. But now, in
1854, gold fields have bdtn found on four others—viz.,
the Grampians, the Pyrenees, the M‘lvor, and the Aus-
tralian Alps.
Though not directly connected with our subject, we
may here remark that, according to the estimate of a
scientific gentleman who has traversed the whole ceun-
try, the sides of these ranges thus traversing this colony
comprehend about twelve millions of acres of volcanic
soil, which in point of richness and suitableness for agri-
cultural purposes is not surpassed by any region of simi-
lar extent in the world.

With reference to the comparative richness of our
various gold-fields, we are of opinion that this is a point
which will not be determined for many years to come.
The Avoca gold-fields, which is on a spur with the Pyre-
nees, is apparently nearly as rich as Bendigo. As yet
we have only received two amounts by escort. The first,
received on Ist July, amounted to 6,433 ounces ; and
the second, on the 15th, to 8,544 ounces. We are con-
vinced that further and still more important discoveries
will be made in the higher ranges of the Pyrenees.
Front Mount William, in the Grampians, no escort has
yet arrived, but the diggers there (several hundreds in
number) are known to have been successful.
It will be observed that in the latest escorts the
amounts from the older gold-fields have fallen off. This,
however, is explained by the fact, that thousands have
rushed from them to the new diggings at Avoca.
More than ever it is found that gold digging has be-
come a settled pursuit ; but at the same time the num-
bers of the digging community working are not increased
in proportion to the general increase of population ; for
many, as before stated, have engaged in cultivation, and
the preliminary fencing and erection of buildings would
of themselves largely occupy their time. Besides this,
the extraordinary development of other branches of in-
dustry throughout the country, and the ample remune-
ration of labour everywhere received, have seduced great
numbers from the exciting scramble for the precious
deposits.
Another most important consideration in reference to
our gold fields is quartz-crushing, with regard to which
especially we have come to the conclusion that the deve-
lopment of the gold interest is only in its infancy.
Hitherto in this colony the applications for extracting
gold from the soil or from the rock have been of the
rudest description, and in this respect, from all accounts,
we are very far behind California, where we understand
operations of very great magnitude, and requiring the
combination of wealthy companies, are conducted. Here
it is found that the samples of quartz are twenty times
richer than the best found in Brazil, and it is certain
that a few of Berdan's machines would yield an enormous
profit on any of our gold fields, and furnish an impetus
to our production of gold, of which it is impossible to
predict the effects. On this subject we subjoin a report
by Mr. Birkmyre, of the Port Philip and Colonial Gold
Company :

"Port Philip and Colonial Gold Company,
Melbourne, March 29.
" Sir,--The sample of quartz from the M'lvor con-
tains at the rate of 7 oz. 19 dwts. 5 grs. of about 23
carat gold to the ton, or the value of the gold in 116. of
rock is 3d., or 6 cents.
" This is twenty times more gold per ton than is
obtained at Morro Velho, in the Brazils, from a harder
and more intractable rock ; but, notwithstanding, it has
been very profitably worked for many years by English
capital, the profit last year being 50,0001.
" Till the success of the mine alluded to, it was sup-
posed to be quite ruinous to extract gold from rocks ;
but this was mere prejudice, as, of course, the success or
noil-succe/is of a mine depends chiefly upon the quantity
of gold which a rock contains, and the abundance of the
gold-bearing rock.
"Your sample being comparatively very rich in gold,
and as you say there is great abundance of gold-bearing