The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-13 00:00:00

THE AUSTEALIAN DIGGINGS.

Among the passengers brought home by the
Brazilian packet Teviot, which arrived at South-
ampton on Saturday, wore about 50 belonging to
the Australian liner Bombay, which put into Rio
in a leaky condition. The following notice of the
Bombay appears in the Melbourne Argus of a late
date :

" THE VICTORIA EXODUS.—Amongst the numbers of
old residents now leaving the colony, the passengers by
the fine old Indiaman, the Bombay, occupy a position
worthy of remark. Amongst them we have Mr. John-
eton, late member for the city and long well known in con-
nection with public business in the colony. As an active
anti-transportationist, and identified with the popular
and progressive party in our political world for years,
Mr. Johnson leaves behind him many sincere friends.
Another passenger is Mr. Green, whose activity and
promptitude in the conveyance of our mails in the earlier
stages of colonial history, rendered very great services
to his fellow colonists. Mr. Green has been a great
patron of our public institutions, and has always dis-
played a kind heart and energetic temper Iment. We
also notice Mr. James Murray, very well known as
one of our oldest colonists, and very generally and
universally respected. Mr. Macredie, his son-in-law,
Mr. Condell, first mayor of Melbourne and member for
the city ; Mr. Collyer, of Green Hills ; Mr. Furloege,
and others. It is rather a sorrowful thing to find so
many of our oldest residents leaving us, but it is
some satisfaction to know that few of them go with-
out a fair share of the good things of the richest
country in the world ; and if we can only succeed in
stirring up our empty mockery of a government into
securing some approach to a better condition of society,
we have a very strong conviction that numerous as are
the desertions at present from our shores the time will
come when most of our runaways will be glad to come
back again."
The Bombay left Melbourne on the 27th of February
last, a few days after the Atraveidi, which brought the
latest news we have received. She le with a very rough
and inadequate crew, not one of wlltim would join the
vessel without 451. for the run home. The name of the
captain of the Bombay is Flamonsk. She had on board
about 80 passengers, 27,000 ounces of gold, 2,400 bales
of wool, and thirty tons of tallow. She made a good run
to Cape Horn in five weeks. Near the Falkland isles one
of the crew became mad, and attempted to murder the
captain and wounded him mo dangerously that the mate
was obliged to take charge of the ship. Abeut two days
afterwards the Bombay sprung a leak of an alarm-
ing nature. The crew were unwilling and unable to
manage the ship and manage the pumps, and the latter
duty was obliged to be undertaken by the passen-
gers. The gentlemen passengers worked at the pumps
incessantly for eight days and nights, while the ship
was making 20 feet of water in 24 hours. The lady
passengers were obliged to act as cooks and stewardesses.
While in this fearful extremity a gale came on, and
carried away nearly
.every bit of sail. At length the
Bombay reached Rio, and about 50 of the passengers
took a passage to England in the mail packet Tevict,
which put them to some hundreds of pounds additional
expense. Mr. Murray, one of the wealthy colonists, above
alluded to, went to Melbourne about 12 years since, when
there were not a dozen houses in the place. He built
the first large building there. Since that period pro-
perty has risen in that town a thousand per cent. The
gold on board the Bombay was not sent home in the
Teviot. Just before the Bombay left Melbourne the
ship Blackwall sailed for Melbourne ; on board of her
was Mrs. Latrobe, the lady of the Governor of Victoria,
and family. The Blackwall had also about 50,000
ounces of gold on board.
By the Bombay mails, which were sent home in the
Teviot, we have news from Melbourne up to the 26th
and from Sydney to the 18th of February last.

The Melbourne Argus of Feb. 23, supplies the follow-
ing items of local and commercial interest :
MOUNT ALEXANDER.

Another of those distressing accidents so common now
upon the diggings, and which are made still more pain-
ful by the carelessness through which they happen, oc-
curred on Friday last at the Golden Paint. Notice was
taken, as they passed the Herald office, of a large party
of Germans on their way to Bendigo ; they had a num-
ber of drays with them, and were accompanied by their
wives. The men carrying their guns with their usual
nonchalance, one went off, lodging its contents in the
breast of one of the unfortunate females, who was killed
on the spot.
Through the late active exertions of the police and
troopers the diggings are in that state during daytime
that the carrying firearms is perfectly unnecessary. I
wish I could say the same of them in the night ; but the
next paragraph will show that several bad characters
are still lurking about, watching their opportunity for
plunder. One of the force assured me the other day that
however much they might pursue the bushranger in the
outskirts, as soon as he entered Forest Creek they en-
tirely lost all track of him. in consequence of so many
infamous dens existing in many of the sly grog-shops.
One most desperate character, who, without r.d exagge-
ration, they have followed for 2,000 miles is thus lost
sight of.
A robbery, surrounded with mystery, took place of

Saturday night at the store and eating-house of a Mr.
Briant, Montgomery's-hill. Briant's house has lately
been known as the rendezvous of the set above mentioned,
and it appears that about 12 o'clock, Briant being in a
state of drunkenness, his wife was obliged to go to an ad-
joining tent. During her absence an iron chest, containing
about 6001. and 30 ounces of gold was removed. Imme-
diately on her return the loss was discovered, a nd informa-
tion conveyed to thepolice station, at the rea r of the Hera'd
office. Four men, whose horses were stabled at Briant's,
were given into custody, and the horses secured as sto-
len, Briant himself admitting the fact. Active exertions
have been made by Captain Berkeley, and six other men
were on Sunday consigned to the lock-up. I am in-
formed that the misring chest has just been discovered,
minus the contents, buried within a short distance of
where the robbery was committed.
The last government land sale took place on Thurs-
day, at the Castlemaine Police-court; 41 lots in the
township of Carisbrcok, and other country lots, were
disposed of, and to speculators, with most profitable re-
sults. lam credibly informed that in the case of ono
lucky storekeeper, for land that he purchased at 355. per
rood, 15/. has since been refused. Carpenters will again
be fully in activity ; already bush paling and fencing
have risen in price. Several are laying in good stores
in expectation of another increase.

DEATH OF MAJOR-GENERAL HOWARD VYSE.—Th;s
old and distinguished officer died on Friday last, at his
seat, Stoke, county Bucks. in the 70th year of his age.
He was the father of Captain Vyse, of the Royal Horse
Guards, the M.P. for the county of Northampton, his

second son. The successor to the estates is Captain ____

George Vyse, of the 2d Life Guards. The deceased
filled the office of Sheriff of Bucks. in 1829. Several of
the ancestors of the deceased served with distinction in

the army.
WEYMOUTH—Loss OF A VESSEL BY FIRE. —ton
Saturday, the 11th inst., at midnight, the schooner
Commodore, of Blakenese, Schutt master, whilst about
eleven miles from land, was totally destroyed by fire.
The crew took to the boat, and shortly after the vessel
went down. They were picked up by the Duke of Corn-

wall, bound to Penzance, and landed at Weymouth on
Sunday afternoon. The unfortunate vessel was laden
with a general cargo from Hamburg to Vera Cruz.
THE SLIGO BOROUGH ELECTION.-It is stated that
Viscount Palmerston intends to give his support to Mr.
Somers at the ensuing election, although Mr. Sadleir is
a Lord of the Treasury.

REPRESENTATION OF SOUTH DEVON.—It is reported
that Sir Ralph Lopez, M.P. for South Devon, is seri-
ously ill—that a vacancy in the representation is con-
templated—and that Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart., of
Pynes, is to be brought forward as his successor. Sir
Stafford is a disciple of the Right Hon. Mr. Gladstone,
both in respect to political and religious opinions.—

Western Tilhes.
PETERBOROUGH ELECTION.—Mr. George Hammond
Whalley, who was unseated on Wednesday last by the
select committee appointed to try the merits of the
Peterborough election committee, upon the ground that
he, by his agents, had been guilty of bribe: y, has again
become a candidate for the representation of that city.
In his address, he chiefly alludes to the accusations
brought against him before the comir-ttee, and calls
upon the electors to defend him against " a system of
persecution, tyranny, and falsehood, which, in the
House of Commons itself, has been declared to be dis-
graceful to the country."
THE ROYAL SOCIETY.—On Saturday evening the
Earl of Rosse, as president of the Royal Society, gave
his fourth and last concersazione this season, at his lord-

ship's mansion, Connaught-place. An unusually nume-
rous and brilliant assemblage of gentlemen eminent in
the various walks of literature, science, and art hon-
oured his lordship with their presence. Most of the
leading members of the Royal Society likewise attended
to pay their respects to their noble president. Among
the visitors we also noticed many members of the House
of Peers, and several artists and foreigners of distinction.
A. number of scientific objects, together with maps,
drawings, and plans were dispersed about the saloons,
and attracted much attention during the course of the
evening. The party separated early.
ROBBERY AT WINDSOR.—On Thursday afternoon two
strangers entered the Two Prewers Inn, at Windsor,
and asked to be supplied with refreshments, stating they
had engaged beds at a shop in the town. They had
their dinner in a small sitting room upstairs, and when
they left the landlady discovered that the cash-box, which
was in the adjoining room, had been robbed of money
to the amount of 1001., together with two watches. An
express was immediately sent by the electric telegraph
of the North-Western Railway, to catch the robbers at
the London terminus, but unfortunately the clerks were
then employed in transmitting the account of the races,
and some delay took place, in consequence of which the
two men escaped, and have not since been heard of.
MARINE INSUBANCES.—A return has been printed by
order of the House of Commons, showing the amount of
revenue derived in each year since 1830 from the stamp
duties on marine insurances. In 1831, the amount was
225,4931. ; in 1836, 255,5581.; in 1841, 287,7621. ; in
1846, 151,5411.; in 1851, 174,148 t.; in 1852, 193,7881.
The, highest amounts were in 1839 and 1840, viz.,
296,3431. and 302,9511.; and the lowest was in 1845,
148,7201. The sums, however, varied considerably be-
tween these two extremes. The total amount of ton-
nage belonging to the United Kingdom, in 1831, was
2,190,547 tons; in 1836, 2,312,846 tons; in 1841,
2,886,626 tons ;in 1846, 3,148,323. Since that time
the increase has been steadily advancing, as follows :-
1847, 3,254,353 tons; 1848, 3,344,764 tons 1849,
3,427,140 tons; 1850, 3,504,944 tons; 1851, 3,601,729;
tons ; 1852, 3,098,004 tons.