The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-15 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES.

We have received files of the Sydney papers to
,he sth July.

The folloi"ving very important announcement ap-
peared in the Sydney Empire of the sth July as an
extract from the Bathurst Free Press :
A great deal of excitement has prevailed in our town
during the last few days, owing to the rumours which were
disseminated far and wide of the large quantities of gold
said to have been dug up on Stoney Creek, and trans-
mitted per mail to Bathurst. Some of the stories afloat
were altogether so incredible that it was only necessary
to hear to disbelieve them. Others wore more of as air
of probability, and when traced to their fountain head
were found to be nearly true. Upon reference, however,
to trustworthy and available soul ees of information, we .
find that a great deal of exaggeration has been bandied
about, arid that the truth has been somewhat highly
coloured. It is a great mistake to call the Stoney Creek
diggings a new gold field. They have been worked for
many months with greater or less success, but the doings
there, for reasons best knowntsib
to the dAigtgleernsgtaht
awork,
have been kept as secret as po
dividual, known by the sobriquet Bothered Harry, hit
upon a 28-ounce nugget in a small tributary of Stoney
Creek, known as the Stockyard Creek. The news spread
upon the wings of the wind; a rush was the consequence,
and a large tract of the adjacent country was laid out in
claims. From one man, of whose veracity we have no
' doubt, and who has spent four months upon these dig-
gings, we learn the following particulars. After a steady
omrse of sobriety and industry during the time men
tioned, our informant, who was generally believed to
have been uncommonly fortunate, had saved ten ounces
of gold, which he brought with him to Bathurst,. Being
upon the spot at the time of the rush, he was the third
upon the ground, and got the selection of the third
claim, but although witbin a " stone's throw " of his
bothered friend, his claim proved an unprofitable one.
Besides the 28.-ounce nugget already mentioned, a n.an
from Orange had pounced upon one of 44 ounces, and a
Chinaman another of 13 ounces. Bothered Harry'i
claim was worked out when he left (last Tuesday), and
several of the most profitable ones had ceased to yield
gold. A majority of the diggers were doing well ; some
few were exceedingly lucky, and, as usual in alt these
rushes, a considerable number of the unfortunate were
wandering about from place to place. The gold is coarse
and nuggetty, and runs in patches, thus rendering the
digger's earnings a matter of some uncertainty. Two loads
of earth taken out of a neighbouring claim produced 16
ounces of gold, and a report was current that one tub of
earth produced 16 ounces, but upon inquiry the quantity
diminished to 8 ounces, so far as his observation went.
At the time our informant left the number of his licence
was 105, and after taking it out an increase of some 200
arrivals had taken place. The Mookerwa, which is
about three miles distant, was completely deserted, and
diggers were arriving from Tambaroora and the sur-
rounding country in considerable numbers. There was
a large quantity of gold upon the ground wanting pur-
chasers, but money was scarce. The diggings were well
supplied with provisions. Beef 'was 3d. per lb ; flour,
21. per 100 lbs. ; tea, 2s. 61. per lb. ; sugar, 7d ; and
other necessaries proportionably cheap. The diggings
are distant about 30 miles from Orange, 16 from Pif olong,
and eight from the Macquarie.
• From Mr. Joseph Aarone, who arrived in Bathurst
at the latter end of last week, with 37 ounces of the
Stoney Creek gold, we have learnt the following parti-
culars :—Mr. Asrons visited the diggings on Sunday,
the 15th ult., when he estimated the population at about
600. From the result of inquiries made upon the spot,
all were doing well, and some were exceedingly fortu-
nate. He heard of one tub of earth producing 14
ounces of gold, and there was a good deal of talk about
a nugget weighing 54 ounces, but he did not see it.
There were large quantities of gold wanting purchasers,
and if disposed to purchase he oouid have bought 3,0001.
worth on the spot. there was no postal communication
at the time he was there, but steps had been taken to-
wards its estab Diggers were pouring in from
all skiff, promising speedily to form a very large popu-
lation. Business in the neighbouring townships had in
consequence become brisk, and nothing was talked of
but the diggings. Prod Sergeant Cassidy' of Tamba-
roora, we learn seat the diggers are as fast deserting
that side of the ( oantry for Stoney Creek.
Toe Sydney Empire publishes statistics of the traffic
on the
.Sydney and Parainatta Railway during the
quarter just terminated. In publishing these figures
(remarks the edit-r), it is right to premise that the pre-
sent line is intended to be the main channel of internal
communication, and that it can only sustain a prospe-
droisTriter,.asfil. cpbeyndmingeans of tributaries from the
prosuc.ng
such extension, no very large in-
crease can be looked for upon the average traffic of the
. .e mouths during which the line has been open. The
total reesipts fur the three months ending June 30 were
7,5871. iGs. 7rl. ; those for the quarter ending Marcie 01
were 7,0241 15s. 6d. ; there has therefore been an in
crease of 563/ ls. H. The passenger. traffic, h
s_ows an
advance of 2N./. 10s. 11d. on the former qtnrter, the
receipts for the quarter ending in June being 6,8901
15s. 83., while those for the previous three months were
6,599/. 4,. 9d. A similar increase is shown by comparing
the numoer of passengers during the two quarters ; in
the previous quarter there were 90,930, in that just ended
there were 98,817. From the causes above
referred to
the amount of goods traffic is still irconsiderahle ; it ha.,
however, during the last quarter, increased more than

This being the middle of the Australian winter, or
, rainy season, the roads are all but impaesab e, traffic
andoftrloacdael iwnaMntesl-;
wboiuthrnteheisinctieirki;yiscnoneafirnl
y
there is, consequently, very little change since the date
cl suspended,t
o t e supply
of our last circular (per Sardinian), June 23J. This
season the rains have been unusually heavy, and the
roads have been worse than last year. The consequence
has been that cartage, as compared with the rates pre-
valent at the same period last year, has advanced about
20 per cent. This, of course, has further restricted
operations, and we regret to report that the market
for a month past has been unprecedentedly dull.
At the same time, however, it is an undoubted
fact that stocks on the diggings are low, and the
storekeepers are forced to send orders to complete
assortments. During the last fortnight some slight
impetus has thus been given to business ; and it is
fully expected that in about six weeks a strong trade
will commence. Some alarm has been felt on account
of competition from Adelaide by way of the Murray
River. This "competition, however, bas operated to a
very limited extent ;it z.-.an only last during the winter
months, and so long as the roads are in bad order.
With good roads Melbourne will for a long time com-
mand the trade of the god fields ; and railways, it is to
be hoped, will, in a few years, connect this city with the
Murray, and the vast southern interior of the continent.
The past week having been broken upon, as far as
business was concerned, by the holidays appointed to
celebrate the anniversary of the separation of Victoria
from New South Wales, and to commemorate the peace,
very few transactions of any magnitude occurred.
Liquors.—Brandy has advanced a shade, and is firm.
Nicholson's gin, in bulk; is somewhat scarce, and the
price is maintained. Lowndes's old Tom is still unsale-
able. Whisky is declining. The stocks of Geneva are
low, and prices firm. Wines continue without change.
Bottled beer ofinferior brands is far from lively. Ales
have the preference of sale ; a sale of Allsopp's bottled
by Friend, at 133., is reported. A parcel of ByasS's,
two-thirds porter and one-third ale, has changed hands
at 12s. A sale of Harper's porter has been effected at
12s. A large quantity of bulk porter has been bottled
hero for the diggings' trade, which affects the imported
article.

Tobacco.---Stocks being large this ar::icie is dull of
sale, and held fur our quotations. Considerable arrivals
are reported. Any quantity forced on the market would
not realise the prices quoted. Good Havannah cigars
have come in more freely ; the best brands are saleable.
Groceries, &.—Coarse Liverpool salt has been offered
'at 41. I.os. on the wharf. The prices of sugar were alto-
gether nominal. There are no transactions in oilmen'a
stores. Candles are slightly on the decline.
Flour continues nominal.
Provisions.—Cheese of good quality maintained its
price. A sale has been made of a parcel of prime Cork
butter at 1.8. 4J., but as a large proportion of the stock
of Cork butter now on hand is not of first quality, our
quotation of ls. 4d. is above the value of the bulk of
that on band. A sale of Irish mess pork is reported at
.5/. 10s. per barrel. Lower prices generally are expected
to rule in the market. in many articles colonial produce
now competes with imported. Stocks generally are full.
Metals generally remain as last quoted.
Tinab-r.—As noticed in our last, American lumber is
on the ris-, And we now report sales at 171. taken from
the wharf, and consider prices firm and still advancing.
Ttiere is still speculation in lumber.
Soft Goods are, like most other articles of import,
very dull f sale, though our quotations are maintained,
sales having been made at these rates.

MELBOURNE WOOL MARKET, &O.
The supply still continues to be on a limited soak,
and not adequate to the present demand. Prices, which
are firm, still rule at our last, viz. :
For scoured wool
For handwashed :end slope ditto
The quantity shipped has been as follows :
From Oct. 10, 1855, to June Value.
14, 1856, 11,054,692 lb. £714,526
From June 14 to 28, ... 78,440 4,395

Total, ... ... 11,133,132 lb. £718,921
Tallow.—This article has experienced a further de-
cline, and prices now, according to our last English ad-
vices, show a margin for the shipper.
Hides still continue in good demand, but in the ab-
sence of a vessel offering fur freight of the same, only a
few offering.

MELBOURNE LABOUR MARKET.
TUESDAY, July 8, 1856.—There is no abatement in
the steady demand for agricultural labourers and road
men. Female servants are offering more freely.
FREIGHTS.
To London.—Wool, 9ad. per lb. ; hides, 455. to 50s.
per ton ; gold, 3d. to 4id. per oz. ;ditto, in large quan-
tities, 3d. per •oz, ; bones and horns, 481. to 58s. per
ton ; dead weight, per agree., 30s. per ton; light goods,
50s. to 603. per too.
To Liverpool.—Wool, 9d. per lb. ; tallow, 40s. to 50s.
per ton ; hides, 408. to 455. per ton ; gold, 4d per oz. ;
ditto, in large quantities, 33. per oz. ; bones and horns,
48s. to 50s. per ton ; dead weight, per agree., 30s. per
ton ; light goods, 50s. to 60s. per ton.