The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

NORTHERN COPPER DISCOVERIES.

For some weeks past a rumour has been current
in Adelaide of a further discovery of copper to the
northward. This rumour has now settled down
into a fixed reality.
Mr. Bull arrived on Monday evening from the
seat 'of the reported discovery, which has already
been surveyed, and taken on a mining lease, and
he has furnished us with particulars, of which we
proceed to give a digest.
The situation of the mine is east of Mount Stuart.,
and bearing 100 miles N.N. E. of Port Augusta, the
road to which is easy of access, and well supplied
with water from springs at intervals of ten or 15
miles the whole of the way. . .

The samples from the mine, exhibited to us by
Mr. Bull, are of malachite and silver grey ore of
the richest description. Mr. Bull reports his hav-
ing traced the lode at surface for 50.fathems bear-
ing a continuous course of-ore the whole of the way,
and on his breaking the group on the course of
the lode 'southward 50 fathoms further on, he found
the same rich character of ore existing. .
. But what is more remarkable than the whole of
the foregoing, is the cropping out of the. ore on the
surface at the base of one of the adjoining hills. A
large ba,in is formed there comprising several acres,
say ten or twelve. • Over the whole extent of this,
nodules of copper ore are extensively dispersed and
lie scattered among the debris. This can hardly
exist without large and important' underground
workings.
This discovery,ge-laarn, was made by Mr. Bull's
eldest son, who, in conjunction with his father and
Mr. Whitington, has secured the mineral lease of
the property referred to above.
Large samples of oro are, we understand, on the
road clown with the cart, and will be exhibited on
arrival.

(From the Sydney Morning Herald of Feb. 10 .)
It is a common, opinion abroad that it is very
difficult to purchase land in 'tlie Australian colonies.
A certain portion of the Australian press has done
its best and worst to propagate that absurdity. It
has b.en asserted over and over again that all lands
available for cultivation are "locked up" by leases,
to a tribe of grasping monopolists called " squat-
ters," who make no use of them save to raise those
useless commodities, wool, tallow, and meat. There
can be little doubt but that the constant declama-•
tion against our land system has deterred immigra-
tion here to a considerable extent, and that it con-
tinues'to do so. Apart altogether from the Govern-
ment lands—the extent of land for disposal bring
almost illimitable—there is always a large' quantity
for sale by private individuals, so large indeed and
at such moderate prices that it is not easy to
believe in the alleged pressing demand for it,
The Herald of 31st of January last, for instance,
shows that there is no lack •of sellers. It an-
nounced for sale, by auction and by private bar-
gain, sixty-six different lots of land, varying in size
from three acres up to 14,4)00, the whole amount-
ing to upwards of 33,000 acres, some .of it, the
greater part indeed, ready for occupation, with the
clearings, fences, and houses. This' quantity does
not include several farms where area is not men-
tioned, nor any of several hundred city, town, and
suburban building allotments. For lease there aro
12,683 acres, in lots varying from 6 acres to
10,000. Wth these public advertisements before
us there can be no great difficulty in obtaining
land, unless people want it for nothing, which is
too often the case with thosewhose delight it seems
to be to revile our land regulations. If the whole
truth were known, it would be found that it is as
easy to get land, to settle, and, to live on it, in
Australia as' in any other part of the world. In
the Herald, just referred to there are a few adver-
tisements of squattages. There, are 11,000 sheep
in two lots to be sold without stations. There are
55,350 sheep and 5,850 cattle to be sold with sta-
tions, in six different lots. The quantity of stock
and stations at present on sale is about the usual
amount. There is often much more in the market,
seldom less. Judging from the number Of sellers
and the quantity of stock, it is evident that there
are plenty of opportunities of buying out the so-
called monopolists, upon advantageous terms.

THE PASSENGER TRAFFIC FROM AUS-

TRALIA TO ENGLAND.

• (From the Sydney. Morning Herald of Feb. 10.)
A finer vessel than the Simla never graced the
harbour of Port Jackson, yet she will take her de-
parture to-morrow with a mere handful of passen-
gers. The Oneida was no better patronised. She
left Melbourne with 65 passengers and 10,000
ounces of gold. This was the total Australian
freightage, unless some solitary passenger was
picked up during the coaling at King George's
Sound. 'Of this number only 43 were booked to
Southampton, or Malta, the remainder stopping
short at intermediate stations. Sixty-five passen-
gers fora splendid vessel of over 2,000 tons ! Why,
the crew alone would muster double that number.
The passage-money received would not pay for the
coals, to say nothing of stores, wages, expenses of
wear and tear, or interest on cost of the vessel. It
is quite clear that this cannot pay. Not even the
postal subsidy, heavy as it is, will compensate for
,:such a loss.
The scanty patronage given hitherto to the Ve3-
sels of the European and Australian Mail Company
does not arise from the fact that there is but little
passenger traffic between the mother country and
these colonies. There is a very large passenger
trainL., both outwards arid homewards. - A glance at
the shippiri: columns of the colonial journals will
show this in a'finment) but the passengers choose
other vessels, and other routes, less commodious,
but more economical: It is the high rate of Ras:
Money charged for
he. overland voyage that
shge,
t bulk
makes travellingby it imposstt;..
e for the great
ofpassengers. • • -be Horn is
The voyage to England by Way of Car.
• has Jona:keyed
not a pleasant one. Nobody who
repeat the
that way once has any especial desire to
experiment. The first part of the voyage is cold,
espeoially to one just quit-
miserable, and cheerless,
Ling the warm and:sunny plains of Australia. Any
other way home would be preferred by a returning
colonist if equally economical. But all the sailing