The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-22 00:00:00

STONEY CREEK.

Tee miners are spreading over the country, and a
great deal of new ground is being opened, with pretty
fair results. Of course very exaggerated accounts are
abroad, and these should be received with caution unless
well authenticated. Stoney Creek is a rich and prospe-
rous district, but it is not a Bendigo. Amongst the
many who have arrived not the least important are
two large mobs of Chinamen. These gentry came in
their national costume as seen on the willow-pattern
plates, and excited much merriment by their grotesque
appearance as they marched in long single files,
carrying on their, bamboos " swags" which made the
Europeans open their eyes in astonishment. The
celestials at present are not very troublesome, but
when the summer comes on and water gets scarce, it
is to be feated that serious inccnvenience will arise
unless most stringent measures are adopted to keep
them in check. Those who have bad experience on the
Victoria gold fields, where Chinamen are numerous, will
readily understand this. There is no sign of any post-
office yet, and correspondence is still a difficult and un-
certain matter. Stores are getting pretty numerous,
which is a great relief to those who have been long
obliged to put up with the wretched affairs, initcalled
store, whicn existed prior to the " rush." Gold sells
on those diggings at 31. 14s. to 31. 15s. per oz.
The Vaitland Mercury of Saturday says :—The intel-
ligence brought down by the last mail appears to be very
scanty. One letter received yesterday speaks in general
terms of the Rooky River Diggings as giving every pro-
mise of "going ahead," and adds that many were ar-
riving from the Victoria side.—The following is extracted
from another letter, dated Ricky River, July 31st
" Some time ago there came a few days rain, and the
people not being prepared for it, and the ground being
bad, some twenty-five holes fell in. It frightened many
away ; and people coming here with nothing are forced
to go away again, and give the diggings a bad name.
The sinking is very deep and hard, tatting from one to
three months to sink a shaft. In many places, if they
get down six inches per day they do well. Some are mak-
ing a fortune, while others are starving, which is prin-
cipally their own faults. They are striking the gold
very rich in many places, all round within a mile and
a-half. I saw one man wash from half a dishful of stuff
2i ounces. He had two loads alongude his shaft, and
he would not take 1001. for it. It appears to be a dig-
gings that will last longer and better than any other in
this colony. There are upwards of a hundred people
arrivin hre every day." It is reported that additiont!
means g ofe protection have been furnished to the mail

guards.
The Hanging Rock diggings are said to have had
considerable accessions to the numbers working there.
We were on Saturday favoured with the sight of two
letters from the Rocky River, vq hich arrived by that
morning's post, addressed to a mercantile firm in this
city. They were of the most encouraging character. A
gentleman who had purchased a quantity of gold writes
—"I took my seat on the mail to-day to bring down
the gold, but the driver seeing the quantity I Gad de
dined bringing me, assigninc, as his reason that he was
afraid of our being robbed. I hope to be down in a (ivy
or two with it. There is a talk of the Government sup-
plying additional guards to the mail." The second letter
was marked confidential.