Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-26

is list of its articles: "God, its natural and civil
history; Life of Niebuhr; Thomas Moore; My No
vel, or varieties in English life, part 3D. Our
London Commissioner, No. 2; the Gold Finder;
the Vineyards of Bordeaux; the Democratic Con-
| federacy.
After looking through the number we can cor
daily recommend it to the perusal of our readers.
The following extract is taken from the first arti
Gle. 1t contains history of the events that led
to the discovery of gold i'll the Australian possess
sions. We all remember the lucky accident that
revealed the concealed wealth of California. But
the auriferous treasures lately brought to light in
| the East, have been made in ful6lment of prog
nostications of science. The inventions of Moore
and Fulton have not done more to bind together
and consolidate large empires, than these gold dis
coveries have done to build up other great empires
| upon the confines of civilization. The rapid or
ganization.of powerful State on the borders of
the Pacific is without parallel in history. But
it appears that the present century is destined to
| behold apenal colony of Great Britain, in OBJ
scure and distant quarter of the globe, suddenly
metamorphosed into a splendid empire and rap
idly but securely constructed on the basis of re-
publican principles of the English Government
1t has been through her colonial establishments
that England has ever been able to plant and nou-
IRISH the principles of representative freedom. 1t
is for this reason that the flag of England may be
hailed as blessed augury when it approaches
savage coast She has many dark and bloody
chapters in her history, but amid the ruin she has
made, impartiality must admit that she has won
the proud appellation of being the scotsman of
republican liberty
1.-THE preliminary history of the Australian
| discovery is peculiar From what he had seen of
| the Ural and had learned of the composition of
the chiefmeridian mountain ridge of Australia Sir
Roderick Murchison publicly announced in 1845
his belief that Australia country in which
gold was likely to be found-recommended that it
should be sought for and even memorialized the
home government on the SUBJECT But although
| this opinion and recommendation were inserted
| and commented upon in the colonial Newspapers
although the Rev. w. B. Clarke published letters
predicting for reasons given, the discovery of gold
deposites in California and Observation-Disclosures
Sir Francis Forbes of Sidney subsequently pub
| lished and circulated in New South Wales
| paper, in which he affirmed in the strongest man.
ner, scientific data, the existence of gold forma-
tions in New Holland-although colonial geol-
| oglst had been sent out some years before and
was settled at Sydney--and lastly, although one
part of the prediction soon wonderfully full
filled by the California discoveries-yet even the
discoveries in California did not arouse the New
Hollanders to adequate researches though reports
were spread of wonderful discoveries in Victoria
and South Australia, which were speedily dis
credited. 1t was reserved for a gentleman of New
South Wales, Mr.. Edward Hammond Hargraves,
to make the Definitely discoveries. He appears to
have acted independently of all previous views on
the subject; but having acquired experience in
California, and being struck with the resemblance
between the California formation and those of
New Holland, he determined systematic
search for gold which he brought to Il successful
issue on the 18th of February OF this year 1850,
by the discovery of gold diggings in the Bathurst
| and Wellington districts, and which he prosecu-
ted until he hal ascertained an existence of gold
sands in no less than twelve paces." Wild, p. 80.
When this was made known by MIR. Hargrayes
in formal report to the authorities at Sydney, in
April 1850, they then @ despatched the provin-
cial geologist 20 examine the localities and con-
firm the discoveries of Mr.. Hargrayes But the
public did not wait for such confirmation On the
LIST May the discoveries became known in Sydney.
In thousands the people forsook the city, the vii
| lagos, cattle stations and FARMS in the interior,
for the neighborhood of Bathurst where the gold
had been found. Summerhill Creek alone, soon
numbered its four thousand diggers, who thence,
speedily spread themselves along the other head
waters of the Darling and Murrumbidgee-rivers
flowing westward from the inland sope-of the
mountain ridge, (Bue Mountains and Liverpool
range,) which runs nearly parallel to the south
eastern coast OF Australia; aud ut the distance
from it of about one hundred miles. Near Ba-
thurst the summit of the ridge atJains. in Mount
Canobolus, height of 446l feet. In numerous
places among the feeders of these streams, which
themselves unite lower down to form the main
| channel of the Murray, gold was speedily found.
| 1t was successfully extracted also from the upper
course Of the Hunter river and from the channel
Of Coxs river-both descending from the eastern
slope of the same ridge within the province of
| New South Wales. In the province of Victoria,
the feeders of the Genelg and other rivers which
descend from the Southern prolongation of the
same chain, the Australian Pyrenees, have yield
ed large quantities OF gold; and recently Geelong
and Melbourne have become the scene ofanexcite-
ment scarcely inferior to that which has longer
prevailed in the country around Bathurst. South
Australia also, where the main river, Murray
passes through it to the sea at Adelaide has been
reported to contain the precious metal So sud
denly does the first spark of real fire spread into
great flame of dscovery-so clearly can all eyes
see, when taught how to look, and what to look
for, and in what circumstances.
But in New.South Wales and in the province
| of Victoria, the excitement and the zeal and sue
cess In digging, have up to the latest advices
been the greatest. In the beginning of June
| 1850, the Governor General had already bestowed
grant OF $500 upon Mr.. Hargrayes, and an APP
polntment OF ee350a year, acknowledgements of
| his servces-acknow Judgments he we'll de-
served, but which might have been saved honora-
bly, to the colony, and credtably to science, had
the recommendations made five years before by the
geologst at home, and by scientific colonists been
| attended to. In the same month the Sir Thomas
Arbuthnot sailed from Sydney to England with
$4,000 worth of gold already among her cargo.
The success of the explorers continues unchecked
up to the latest advices from Australia. "When |
left on the 10th of August, 1851" says the Cap
tain of one of her Majesty's ships OF war, in a
letter before US, 'there was then weekly
| comi no into Sydney. e 900 of gold one hmm