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 18:58. 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 tLe 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 11th 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 gold sent down to Melbourne from the principal
gold-fields singe. the commenement of the year :
' Total from each
Feb.l2'
Name of Gold Field. k nd'e
1n g
gold-field
'
oz. oz.
Castlemaine. , „ 4,550 33,675
Sandhurst'. ::..":'..." ... . . ... 8,851 46,727
Heatheote
Rushworth
Maryborough . . _
.670 9,485
Indigo
Dunolly ......... •• ••• 14,857
•••,•
Ballarat . . ; 7,254 48,454
Creswick Creek 12,907
Beechworth ' - ' — 27,426
Buckland River l,BOO
Yatlandandah
3,052
Blackwood , 315 1,197
Malden
Avoca , BB6 2,028
Amherst , ' , . 1,0.59 . 2,291
Fiery Creek 753 2,611
Ararat
Pleasant Creek: '
Mr. E. Khull's annual Circular, contains the fol.
lowing valuable statistical information pertinent to
the Victorian gold-fields : •
SUMMARY OF PR D7CE FOR THE YEAR 1858.

The ascertained produce of the gold-fields for
1858 is under that of .1857 by 3.1 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 ,
1857
2,421,461 ounces.
Or 100 tons 17 cwt. 3 qrs. 13 lbs. 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., Nhis state of things is to be attributed to
the scant diffusion 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 ppoportiou., to the interest which had been
excited.

The latest discovery, however, of auriferous land
has taken iiiacelsouth 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 they 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 Satuiday last a specimen
parcel wa,s 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'sinall particles of quartz. The colour
is brightniiiid 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 ttansaction. 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 clone nothing yet to protect the
well disposetrof 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 Asserhbly on the subject'of harbour accom-
modation for the port of Melbourne was laid on
the table of the house, on Thursday last, by 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 superintendence 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
Rail Way, 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 proposal 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.

COMMERCIAL. •
During the few days which have elapsed since the sailing
of the Oneida, there has not been any material change ex-
perienced in the stock and share market. Colonial Bank
' shares are very saleable at £6 2s. 6d. Victorian Govern-
' ment Six per Cent. pebentures command .extreme prices.
The English quotations for these securities of 17th Decem-
ber, received by last mail, viz.:-£ll2 to £ll4, include in-
terest due Ist January last.
Our sales include Colonial Bank, at £6 2s. ; Victoria In-
surance Company, £.57 10s. • Victoan Government Six per
Cent. Debentures, due-1860, at £llO ; due 1862, at 4103.
Money continues abundant, and rates of interest remain
without alteration.