The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-06 00:00:00

OUR GOLD.

Our miners have begun the year well, a greater
yield of gold having been produced by their exer-
tions in January than was obtained during the cor-
responding period of 1858. The quantities brought
down by escort were respetively 168,609 oz., and
157,603 oz, The advantage over last year has been
maintained up to the present time, the escort re-
turns for the two weeks of the current month, and
for the first fortnight of February, 1858, being
260,716 oz., and 227,350 oz. The shipments have
also increased ; for while we find that for the six
weeks ending the 11 th inst., the gold exported
amounted to 289,273 oz., the aggregate quantity
shipped during the parallel 'period of 1858 was
230,273 oz.

The following statement indicates the quantities
of geld sent down to Melbourne froin the principal
gold-fields,since the commencment of the year :
Total from each
Week ending gold-field
Feb. 12. since Jan. 8.

Name of Gold Field.

Castlemaine........
Sandhurst,: .4
Heathcote
Rushworth
Maryborough
Indigo
Dunolly
Ballarat
Creswick Creek
Beechworth.:...
Buckland River
Yachandandah
Blackwood .
INlaldon
Avoca .
Amherst

oz. oz.
4,550 33,675
8,851 46,727
(3,035
1,031
670 9,485
8,844
_ 14,857
7,254 48,454
~.... 12,967
27,426
1,806
3,052
315 1,197
3,306 9,068
886 2,028
1,059 2,291

. 4 •

Fiery Creek
Ararat
Pleasant Creek

753
3,237
1,211

2,611
11,412
;5,62G

Mr. E. Khull's annual Circular, contains the fol-
lowing valuable statistical information pertinent to
he Victorian gold-fields

SUMMARY OF PRODUCE FOR THE YE 1R 1858.

The ascertained produce of the gold-fields for
1858 is under that of 1857 by 31 per cent., while it
is rather over 7 per cent., under the total produce of
that year, including the estimated or unrecorded
quantity.
By Table I.:—
No. 1.
2
216,501

2,728,113
Less on hand 31st Dec ,
1557

2,421,461 ounces.
Or 100 tons 17 cwt. 3 qrs. 131bs. 5 oz. at 80s. £9,695,844.
The attractions of ;new gold fields at the Indigo
Creek, a small tributary of the Murray, in the Ovens

district, are rapidly waning. The population has
decreased, and the yield of gold has sensibly dimi-
nished. This state of things is to be attributed to
the scant diffiAsion of the auriferous deposits, a
single lead only having been discovered. There has
been a rush lately to Crowlands, a locality in the
neighbourhood of the Pyrenees ranges, but those
who joined it have had reason to repent their ad-
venture; the deposits being thin and altogether
out of proportion to the interest which had been
excited.•

The latest discovery, however, of auriferous land
has taken place south of Melbourne. Since the
opening of the year intelligence reached the city
that profitable gold workings were being prose-
cuted in the Dandenong ranges. The news, how-
ever, did not excite much interest, as, from the
experience hitherto had of the value of the gold
deposits in the same district, the general belief
was, that the last discoveries were of no extraor-
dinary nature. More recent information, how-
ever, has, established quite a different creed,
and although even now it may be premature
to state that the Dandenong gold-field is likely
to prove a very rich one, the disclosures
of auriferous treasure which have already
appeared justify at any rate a prediction more mo-
derate in its terms. Several samples of the gold
found at -the locality in question have been exhibited
in town, and'so late as Saturday last a specimen
parcel was brought to the office of this paper by
Mr.Haysom, a well-known resident of Cheltenham.
This particular sample, which was taken from the bed
of the Little Yarra Creek, is coarse in grain, and
mixed with small particles of quartz. The colour
is bright, and altogether the sample indicates an
excellent quality of gold. The specimens shown to
us were 'obtained by a Mr. Peters and party, per-
sons well known at Cheltenham, and conse-
quently there is no question of the genuineness
of the transaction. Mr. Haysom further informed
us that claims had been marked out along three
miles of the Creek, and that there were about 200
people on the ground.. The distance of the diggings
from Dandenong is about 18 miles, and from Mel-
bourne 43. The importance of the new goldfield,
considering the proofs already afforded of the rich-
ness of the auriferous deposits, exceeds that of Port
Curtis in the height of attractiveness ; but the
Government has done nothing yet to protect the
well disposed of the miners and storekeepers from
the effects of the disorder which invariably accom-
panies -what may be termed the inauguration of a
new goldfield.
The report of the select committee of the Legis-
lative Assembly on the subject of harbour accom-
modation for the port of Melbourne was laid, on
the table of the house, on Thursday last, 13y Mr.
Service. This document sets out by stating that
the discharging of ships in the < bay' by means of
lighters is inconvenient, expensive, and unsatisfac-
tory. It recognises the facilities afforded by the
railway, and -the pablie pier at Sandridge, but
shows that those points of discharge are too far
distant from the warehouses of the consignees ;
and, in support of this view, cites the evidence
of Mr. Lord, Mr. Franklyn, and Mr. Shilling-
law. The fourth resolution embodied in the
report is to the effect that the evidence
taken before the committee exhibited the
desirability of constructing docks for the discharge
of ships of the largest tonnage in the " immediate
vicinity of the city." The substance of the remain-
ing
resolutions is, that there is no serious engineer-
ing difficulty in the way of, constructing doCks on
the south side of the Yarra; that farther engineering
investigations are required, and should be con-
duCted under the superintendenee of some board, a
corporate body ; that such a body would be found
either in a private company, incorporated by act
of Parliament, 'or in a river and harbour
trust ; that,• in the meantime, all the land lying
in the bend of the Yarra, between the Falls and
the Bay, to the northward of the Hobson's Bay
Railway, should be reserved in the Crown, with a
view to a liberal grant of the same, or portion
thereof, being made to such body as may hereafter
undertake these important works ; that, with a
view to a practical development of this scheme of
harbour accommodation, and in the absence of
any: immediate propOiul to establish or 'Originate a
'private company, it is desirable that a commission
be forthwith appointed' to continue the investiga-
tion entered upon by your committee, with a view
of their report being laid on the table of the Assem-
bly at an early period of the ensuing session. That
these resolutions be reported to the house.