The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-28 00:00:00

THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD FIELDS.

( From the Cape Town Mail of Jan. 18.)
Two arrivals from Melbourne have put us in
possession of a fortnight's later intelligence from
the goldfields. One, the Frances Henty, Sailed on
the Ist of December, and has consequently made
the passage to the Cape in 47 days. She takes,
home 70,000 ounces of gold and 58 passengers.
The other, the Lochnagar, has only 4,000 ounces of
gold and 16 passengers ; both vessels being laden
with valuable cargoes of wool for the English
market.

The accounts brought by these vessels from the
diggings show a continuance of the astonishing yield
of gold from the mines lately opened, and Mention
the discovery of fresh deposits on the Koorong
River which bid fair to eclipse all previous disco-
veries, the metal being of exceeding purity, and
found more commonly in the form of small nug-
gets than in the scattered state which renders the
-laborious operation of " washing" indispensable in
other places. From. the Echunga diggings, near
Adelaide, the intelligence is equally favourable.
" Pounds' weight of gold," writes the Government
Commissioner, " are spoken of now as commonly
as ounces were formerly." Still, great numbers of
persons are disappointed, and the general rate of
wages shows a downward tendency in the price of
labour. Provisions bad fallen considerably in the
market, and supplies are pouring in from all quar-
ters, so that the apprehensions of famine at one
time entertained had entirely disappeared.
The local Legislature at Melbourne had proposed
to establish an export duty on gold, which had
caused much excitement, and a popular demonstra-
tion on the subject had been threatened. The
proposition, however, was abandoned.
Numerous vessels were loading for London, but
most of them would probably proceed by way of
Cape Horn, the passage by that route being most
favourable about this season. The Sydney mail
steamer was advertised to start on her return
voyage to the Cape on the Ist of December, and
may therefore be hourly expected. The Great
Britain was to follow on the Ist of January.
We subjoin some interesting particulars from the
latest Melbourne papers :

" THE ADELAIDE GOLD DIGGINGS.
"The following extract from the Gold Commissioner's
report, dated Echunga, Nov. 13, furnishes the latest
particulars of the diggings :
" Windlass Hill and Feltusse's Gully have turned out
to be most valuable diggings. To particularise instances
of success related to me would be difficult, not only from
theirinumber, but because ',the amount of gold stated to
have been raised is so considerable 'that it would be in-
discreet to include in an official report statements which
have nothing but bare assertion to substantiate their
truth. Pounds weight of gold are spoken of now as
commonly as ounces were forinerly. I have seen that
which is evidence of the truth of some accounts of large
gains, and the great activity and energy with which the
work is prosecuted is some guarantee for the truth of
the rest of the reports. The break or vein in the bed of
pipeclay, mentioned in my last rep , turns out to be
only what appears tcl have btetkik • Afttiiibm:g. -27:::.1,.
in the lower bed, and into whin. • ie heavier parts ,
of the upper stratum have settled. These courses
run east by north, till they reach the lower ground,
at which point it will probahly merge into one channel
in the direction of the fall of the .gtzily. If a straight
line were run in a direction with these diggings to the
south, it would cut the upper and higher part of Chap.
man's Gully upon the west. Chapman's Gully is almost
deserted ; that it is not entirely so proves that gold even
now is to be procured there in large and repaying quan-
tities. Mr. Scrown, the finder of the large nugget; men-
tioned last week, has, I understand, since found others
•
of considerable size."

(From the Melbourne Gold Circular of Nov. 27.)
During the early part of the week the doubt that ex-
isted as to the fate of the Gold Export Duty Bill had a
slightly depressing effect upon the market, and the price
fell to 695. 3d., although very little business was done
at that rate. When the fate of the measure became
known, the price rose again, and may now be quoted at
695. 9d. firm.

The new Kooring diggings appear to be turning out
well. That geld existed in this neighbourhood has been
known for some months, and a somewhat unsuccessful
attempt to develope the resources of this field was made
long ago. The recent discovery of several very conside-
rable nuggets near Mount Kooring has now sent a good
many parties thither from Bendigo, and as far as we can
learn they have no reason to complain. Judging from
the parcels we have been, the gold of this district is
found in larger nuggets than in any other place, as
scarcely any pieces of less than a quarter of an ounce
weight have yet come to town.
The quantity of gold received by escort from Mount
Alexander and Ballarat in the week ending the 20th of
N ovember was 65,879 ounces, and the week previous
125,000 ounces.

The exports during the week have been as follows :
Ounces.
3,224
44,704
65,166

Nov. 20—Lochnagar for London
25—Meteor, ditto
26—Frances Henty, ditto

113,794

The arrivals this week are—
Nov. 24—Ballarat (Gov.)
23—Mount Alexander, ditto...—.
27—Ditto (P.B )
27—Ovens (Gov.)

8,637
.... 9,945
... 37,776
3,300

59,558

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