Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-10-10
MISCELLANY {.
Discovery OF Gold I'm Australia--
Great Excitement.

Great Excitement.
The steamer Pacific, which arrived at
New York from Liverpool, on the 10Th,
brings accounts of discovery Of gold
in Australia, near to the town of Bath
urs,, which seems to have set the peo
pie almost crazy with excitement. Bath
ursi is about 200 miles interior from Sid
ney the principal city and seat of gov
ernment of the Colony. The Bathurst
Free Press of May l7,h, gives the fol.
lowing account Of the state of things in
the community in consequence of the
discovery:
"The discovery Of the fac. by Mr..
Hargraves that the country, from the
Mountain Ranges TO an indefinite extent
in the interior, is one immense gold field,
has produced tremendous excitement
in the town of Bathurst; and the sur.
rounding districts. For several days af.
ter our la. { publication, the business Of
The town was utterly paralyzed. A COM
pleie mental madness appears to have
seized almost every member Of the COM
munily, and, as natural consequence,
there has been an universal rush to the
diggings. Any attempt to describe the
numberess scenes, grave, gay. and ludi-
erous, which have arisen out of this
state of .hings, would require the graph
ic pen Of Dickens. and would exceed
any limit which could be assigned to il
in, a newspaper. Groups of people
were to be seen early on Monday NOR
ming a, every corner of the streets, as
sembled in solemn conclave. debating
both possibilities and impossibiities, and
eager to pounce upon any human being
who Was likely to give any Information
nbou, the digglngs. People Of all trades.
cailings, and pursuits were quickly trans
termed into miners. and manv a hand
which had been trained to kid glove,
or accustomed to WELD nothing heavier
than ihe gray goose-quiil, became ner-
! yons 10 clutch the pick and crowbar, or
crock the cradle" at our infant mines
The olacksmiths OF the town could not
turn off the picks fAs. enough. and the
mandatory Of cradles was the second
hriskes. business of the place. A few
lef. town on Monday equipped for the
T diqgings; bu. on Tuesday. Wednesday
and Thursday the reads 10 SumtAer-hi
Greek became literally alive with new
made miners from every quarter. some
armed with picks, others shouldering
crow bars or shovels, aud not few
strung round with wash-basins, tin pots
and cnllenders; garden and agricultural
implements OF every variety either hung
about the saddle bow or dangled abou,
the persons of the pilgrims to Ophir.--
Now and then respectable iradesman.
who had Jus, left his bench or counter,
would heuve in sight, with huge some
thing in front Of his horse which he cali
ed cradle. and with which he was a.
hous TO rock himself into fortune
Scores have rushed from their homes,
provided with blanket, "a damper.
aud pick or gruhhing hoe, full OF hope
that day or two's labor would fill their
pockets with the precious metal: aud we
have heard of great number who have
star,fd without any provision but a
blanket and some rude implements TO
dig with. Such is the intensity of the
excitement that people appear almost re-
gardless OF their present comfort, and
think Of nothing bu. gold. We have
the authority Of an experienced man in
stating that from the imperfect and un
suitable Supplements used by all who
have left for the diggings. coupled with
their miserable provision in other res
pecis, success is impossible; that the la
hor necessary 20 success is extreme
ly. severe, aud he ventures, as his
opinion, that no more than three
per cent. will become permanent miners
One of the consequences has been q
rapid rise in the price of provisions
Flour. which ranged from 26s and 2ss
per 100 lbs, has been sold for 45s; tea
sugar, and almost every other eatable
commodity have advanced in equal pro
portion.
"What assisted very materially to far
the excitement into flame was the ar
rival OF a son of Mr.. Neale, the brewer
with piece Of pure neral, weighing l
ounces, which was purchased by Mr.
Austin for a3O, who started to Sydney
by the following days mail with th'
gold and the news. Since that an olt
man arrived in town with several pieces
in mass weighing in all from two to three
pounds. He also started for Sydne,
with his prize.
n II the Spring put forth no bios