The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-08 00:00:00

"THE GOLD FIELDS.

" The deficiency of the escorts for some weeks
was, to people at a distance, an unsatisfactory but
convincing evidence of the dulness prevalent of late
on the gold-fields—that is to say, among the actual
miners. There have been no important discoveries
or extensive movements of the population to break
tho monotony of the digger's life. It has loag been
said by men who have taken the trouble to search
for themselves that the bed of the Yarra contained
gold in considerable quantity from a short way
above Melbourne to a long distance upwards, and
that for a length of many miles it could be worked
. most profitably with suitable appliances, but the
idea was scouted until very lately. A company
has, however, now been formed to work the bcd
of the river near Anderson's Creek, and a few days
since the directors and some friends proceeded to
the spot chosen with the object of judging for them-
selves how far the surveyor's reports were true.
Dishes full of sand from the bed of the river, and
earth from its banks, were taken at random, and
washed in their presence, and at every trial gold
was obtained in a proportion promising great re-
sults to the efforts of the company. The portion of
the river channel chosen for the experiment has the
advantage of offering great facilities for the diver-
sion of the water, but has no indication of being
more auriferons than miles of the bed above and be-
low this particular spot.
"As we have already stated, there have been no
very important discoveries during the last few
weeks. A sample of gold was shown in town lately
as portion of a parcel of some ounces that were taken
in a short time from a claim on a new gold-field
near Mount Baw Baw, on the road from Melbourne

to Gipps Land, but nothing is yet known of the
extent or richness of the deposits in this lo:•ality.
Another deep lead has also been proclaimed in the
Indigo district, and in various parts of the country
new patches of auriferous ground have been struck,
but nothing has occurred forn some months past to
cause a rush on anything of an extensive scale.
The usual number of now reefs has been opened
up, and the old ones are yielding their average
produce of gold ; but the intelligence from the
miarr has of late been barren of incidents calling
for more than a passing remark.

" lt AILWAY S.
" The Melbourne and Murray River Railway, the
most important of the Government Victorian line,
both as regards the extent of the country to be tra-
versed and the portions of the interior with which
it will open a communication. is progressing satis-
factorily. It has for the last 'nine month's been

opened for traffic to Sunbury, a distance of 23 miles.
There the engineering difficulties of its con Mt ruction
may he said t commence. That portion of the line
already completed crosses the level tract. known as
Kellor Plains, but at Sunbury it enters upon the
elevated country formed by the Mount Macedon
Ranges. At Sanbur3, and at the Big Hill, near
Bendigo, about 100 mile: from Melbourne, the
efforts of the contractors are for the present concen-
trated. The works to be constructed at these two

points are of !inch a character as to require the exer-
tions of aboxt.2,ooo men, in order to complete them
within the period limited by the contract. A stone
viaduct, 30 feet in height, and 60 feet in length, on
the Sunbury section, is now nearly completed, and
a girder bridge of about the same elevation to cross
Jackson's creek, the foundation stone of which his
Excellency the Governor laid some months since, is
in course of erection. The embankments here are
about 60 feet in height, and somewhat more than a
mile in extent. The most formidable portion of
work is an excavation of a mile in length and 40
feet in depth through an almost impenetrable mass
of basaltic rock. It is, however, being proceeded
with, and about one-third of the distance is ent the
requisite width, a gullet having been formed some
100 yards further.
• "The Geelong and Ballarat line is also progress-
ing as rapidly as the engineering difficulties will
allow ; but some time must elapse before any im-
portant section can be opened for the public. The
stabilityof the works on both these Government lines
is unquestionable, and they would contrast favour-
ably with some of the best constructed lints in Eng-
land. The excess of their cost over those of an in-
ferior character will be more than counterbalanced
by the small cost which will be necessary to main-
tain them in repair.
" The Geelong and Melbourne line is not yet in
the hands of the Government, but the accounts are
being gone through, and it is probable that our
next monthly report will convey the intelligence
that the arrangements with the directors are ap-
proaching completion. Another Geelong line has
been protected-,-the Geelong and Queenscliffe Rail-
way, which is meeting with some support among
investors.
" The returns of the Melbourne and Hobson's
Bay Railway continue to exhibit the usual substan7
tial results. The traffic from the Ist of May to the
13th of October has been :

Passengers, parcels, &c., receipts, as per last - s. d.
statement, September 8
Ditto, from September Bto October 13 4,619 8 10

22,516 8 4

Merchandise receipts' as per
last statement, Sept. 8 ... £12,090 4 6
Ditto, from Sept, Bto Oct. 13 2,458 3 9
--- 14,518 8 3

Total receipts
Tonnage discharged from shipsand steamers, Tons.
as per last statement, Sept. 8
From Sept. Bto Oct. 13 ... 12,650

Total tonnage 72.414
" The number of ships discharged at Sandridge
Railway Pier, exclusive of colonial steamers, as per
statement during this period, has been 65.
" The following ships have been taken along-
sidethe railway pier since our last summary :
The Sussex, the William Kidston, the Ida, the
Argonaut, the Roxburgh Castle, the Spark of the
Ocean,: the Saldanha, the Exodus, the Zambesi,
and the State of Maine.• •
'rho -Brighton • and St. Kilda Railway, which
joins the Melbourne and Hobson's. Bay line at St
Kilda, will be completed, in a few weeks. This line
will provide accommodation for the numerous resi-
dents along the picturesque shores of the bay. The
Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company are
pushing their works vigorously in the direction of
Hawthorne, And the Melbourne and Essendon Rail-
way Company are engaged in the heaviest of the
cuttings and embankments alon,-; their lice. .