The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-27 00:00:00

3001. was refused for one of them, out of which it is known
that nine ounces of gold have been taken in six buckets of
earth. As before stated, the gold is found in the quartz
matrix, and at no considerable depth. The first layer is
sparkling duet
daunadt
igenerallyo foundre ea
cast
taowbsey tao: psot or
irp tpoi
npga,y,
bfuo
tbhree
is ari,y
whoree t has
in invariably
casaeby disappointed found theth co
e hopes
sd lo f
theaye layer,
lwdhhi euhn taesr,
they have been confined within moderate limits.
The same journal adds :
" The news of these new diggings has inspired fresh life
intotheframes of our business people, who were fast settling
down into a moody despondency under a growing but
groundless conviction that our goldfields were exhausted,
or that their slender attractions were powerless to draw
hither a population from Victoria. The idea now appears
to prevail that, with a large accession of diggers, diggings
equally rich would be found over a surface of country com-
prising hundreds of square miles, and we are as hopeful as
we have hitherto been desponding. The future looks bright
from the reflected light shed by the quartz ridges of Tam ba-
roora, and the views of some of our business people have
undergone, within the last two or three days, a most
thorough and surprising change. Some few scintillations
of the electric excitement which in the early days of the
gold discovery were wont to rouse us to a temporary deli-
rium have manifested themselves in our hitherto quiet
town, and many who were looking towards Victoria as their
next theatre of action have philosophically resolved to wait
a little and watch the course of events."
The best review of the facts connected with the
goldmines for the past year is given in the last gold
circular of Messrs. Lloyd and Co., from which the
subjoined particulars are extracted
"The northern mines, consisting of the Hanging Rock,
Rocky River, and Bingera, have been worked with consider-
able success. The favourite method has been the system of
sluicing, which was established by some Americans from
California, and has been carried on upon a very large scale.
By its means water has been brought to spots previously un-
workable for want of it. New diggings have been found in
the northern district of Cameron's Creek, near Armidale.
It is difficult to give any proximate estimate of the amount
of gold obtained from this district, as it has nearly all been
brought down to Sydney by private hand. In consequence,
the Government escort to the north has been discontinued.
A very large amount is, nevertheless, believed to have been
obtained. The produce of the western mines has been fluc-
tuating owing to the uncertainty in which the question of
the gold license fee was left during a large portion of the
year ; but the average brought down by the escort per week
from these mines for the year may be stated at 1,600 ounce.
Some new diggings have been discovered here on the Mac-
quarie river at Burrandong ; these promise to turn out the
richest diggings in our western goldfield. The southern
mines near Braidwood have not been so productive this
year, having sent to Sydney by escort, on an average,
only about 600 ounces per week. Some new fields have
lately been discovered here also, the richness of which has
not yet been tried. On the southern boundary of the
colony, near the far-famed Ovens, but on this side of the
Murray River, some new diggings have been opened at
Adelong Creek, which have yielded a large amount of the
precious metal. One spot, to which there is at present an
immense rush, is named Buffalo Range. Some thousands
of miners are on their way thither, and the older worked
deposits on the Ovens are comparatively deserted. On
the whole it is believed that, under the reduced amount of
license fee, a much larger development of the mineral
wealth of the colony will take place, and that many of our
miners, who had gone over to the Victoria fields, will re-
turn. The more moderate price of the necessaries of life,
the greater degree of security and order, and the more ,
equal distribution of remuneration being taken to counter-
balance the splendid prizes and numerous blanks that cha-
racterise that district.

"Asa proof that the general produce of the New South
Wales mines is sufficient to afford ample remuneration to
all the diggers employed, the following statistics may be
produced :—The number of licenses issued to diggers in
New South Wales for the first 10 months of 1853 was
32,670, or, on an average, 3,267 miners per month. The
total arrival of gold per escort and mail (exclusive of the
amount received from the Ovens diggings, which belong to
Victoria) is 145,036 ounces for the twelve months. This
divided by 3,267 will give as the individual earnings of
each digger a sum of 421 ounces, or, in value, about 1501.
per annum. But it will be seen that in this estimate only
the amount of gold brought down by escort and mail has
been taken into account, and that the amount at present
in the hands of diggers has not been estimated. There is
little doubt that the real produce is double the amount
stated, or, in other words, that the average earnings of
each digger is about 2501. per annum. Another calcula-
tion, founded on the export of gold from Sydney, produces
the same result, making the earnings of each person em-
ployed in digging 73 ounces of gold, or 2501. to 260/. per
annum. By several old diggers this is regarded as a very
moderate estimate ; and, from the unquestionable data
on which it is founded, it is capable of proof that it is
not itoo much, though it iis impossible to be certain
that it is not under tins mark. Tt is very much to be
doubted whether the colony of Victoria can exhibit an
equally large return per man. The escorts provided by the
Government for the pretection of the gold during its tran-
sit from the mines to the capital have been conducted at
a heavy loss to the revenue, as they have not received
the encouragement from the public that they deserved.
In consequence, the northern escort has been discon-
tinued ; and we already hear of one robbery of gold hav-
ing taken place upon that road, and another of the
southern mail. The price of New South Wales gold has
fluctuated considerably during the year, having been in
Jan., 1853, as low as 70s. 9d., and in Sept. 775. 9d.
" The extreme fluctuations have arisen from the altera-
tion of the exchange in London, which has varied from 6t
per cent. dis. to 26 per cent. prem., and is at present 1 per
cent. pm. The highest rates have been paid for shipments
to the East, where the exchange has lately operated most
heavily against bills on England. Our present quotation
is 77a. to 778. 6d. for Victoria, and 755. for N.S.W. gold.
" The total export of gold from Sydney for the year end-
ing 1853 has been 824,9470unce5, and the total export from
its discovery to the end of the year 1853 has been 1,615,555
ounces, which, valued at 31. 15s. per ounce, gives a total of
6,058,3311. ss. There is calculated to be at present in Syd-
ney upwards of 50,000 ounces."
The produce of the fields of Victoria does not in-
crease,,,and the " bad luck" of many of the diggers
is no doubt at the bottom of much of the agitation
against licence fee and general regulations. But
there is still no evidence that the old diggings are
actually exhausted, though the correspondence of
the Sydney journals contains very gloomy predic-
tions in regard to them. There is a little jealousy
between the provinces on the meritsof their respec-
tive fields; those of New South Wales, though the
earliest discovered, have long been eclipsed by Mount
Alexander, Bendigo, and Ballarat, by which Mel-
bourne is maintained. Still, it is evident from the
crowded population on those fields, the increasing
discontent among it, and the stationary or even
slightly diminished quantities of the escort returns,
that the discovery of a new field equal to either of
the old ones is beginning to be very desirable.
Mr. Forster, the Colonial Secretary of Victoria,
has visited Bendigo ; notwithstanding their differ-
ences with the Government, he was generally well
received by the diggers. It was remarked, as
something like an omen, that in the week before
Christmas the number of departures from the co-
lony of Victoria exceeded the arrivals, the difference
the wrong way, being 150. The last Melbourne
Gold Circular is to .Tanuary 7. It states :
" From Ballarat a slight decrease has taken place this
week, and the same has occurred at Mount Alexander and
Bendigo. From M'lvor a small quantity has been received,
while the neighbouring field of Waranga or Goulburn has
ceased to be productive. Favourable reports have reached
town of a new and rich field having turned up about 12
miles from Mount Mellagull, on M'lntyre's station. The
numbers at work are not given, but those employed are
doing well. The reports from the Buckland are contradic- •
tory, one party stating that, from the success of the dig-
gers, a very large increase of gold may be looked for by
next escort, while another states that numbers are return-
ing to their old quarters at Reid's and Spring Creeks. The
escorts brought from—

Mount Alexander and Bendigo
Ballarat, including Geelong
The Ovens ...

" Gold shipped from Victoria iu 1854 :
Per Evadne to Calcutta ...

3,613

t Or 3qrs 11b. loz., at 755. ... ... ... £13,548
" Exchange on Loudon.—Draughts against gold taken
at 1 per cent. discount.
r " The banks advance from 50s. to 60s. per ounce.
" Freight of gold delivered at the Bullion-office, London,
4id. per ounce.
" Insurance, 2i guineas per cent. free of war risk."
A little stimulus has been given to the out-of-
doors agitation againt the Caastitution Bill by the
reappearance of Dr. Lang in the arena. He arrived
from Europe when the discussion in the Council was
about to close, but immediately launched against
the plan some letters in the journals. But it was
not till last week he addressed a public meeting on
the question ; it was called by himself in the Circus,
and was numerously attended. Considering the
doctor's ..fame as an agitator, his speech did not '
justify his reputation. He nearly wearied his
hearers by a long and pointless introduction, with-
out connection with the matter in hand ; he got
beyond their depth in a laboured parallel of the
landed aristocracy of Rome with the squatters of
Australia, and between the fall of that empire,
under the invasion of the Gauls and Germans, and
the probable result of a supposed invasion of the
colony by the French. He declared that, in case
of such an invasion, the people, under the projected
new constitution, would have nothing to fight for,
and, consequently, would offer no resistance. The
audience, not at once perceiving the doctor was
putting an assumed case, thought he was asserting
a fact not complimentary to the national spirit, and
showed signs of dissent, on which he was obliged to
explain. All this part of his address was a failure.
He succeeded best in an analysis of the present
electoral law, bestowing on the authors of it, how-
-1 ..justify.
ever, coarser terms of abuse than political contro-
versy can • •
His remedyfor all politicalevils
, and separation of the colonies
has come over society ;
under a federal governmentbut a great change
since Dr. Lang first started
his agitation. The colonies were never less disposed
to quarrel with the mothers country than now. All
yeaTrshehas tended
the immigration of the last two
to strengthen the bonds of union
the home Government is considered pow
ebreof
protection against the undue influence of thet
4, great interest" of the colony. Fresh blood,
quicker, or, at least, more frequent communica-
tion, and the removal of most of the chief causes
of colonial discontent, especially the cessation of
convictism, have done wonders in changing both
opinions and feeling. Another generation has
arisen that knows not Dr. Lang ; and a theory
which gained attention a few years would now ex-
cite no interest beyond the circle of the Doctor's
personal partisans.
The Sydney public had scarcely done laughing at