Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN MOVEMENT
FROM rnr LONDON rrMEs OF OCT. q.


is it all necessary, for have only suppose the
yield of gold actual ascertaned and regular at the last
date to continue for years without further increase
and there is enough to justify the widest speculaons
the commercial and social results. AT the last date,
the weekly produce of gold district, seventy miles
from Melbourne 100000 ounces equivalent to
e20, ,000 900 year; and, at moderate estimate the
whole yearly produce of Australia would not be less than
e40, ,0000 900 As II natural consequence, Australian
ciey had resolved itself great association Of Dig
gers In Victoria Port Philip, used to be called the
men, with few strong minded women, to the number Of
about O00 at work on the various operations i'm
hediaely necessary for getting at the gold while many
thousands were engaged in subsidiary empoyments Or
dinary occupations were neglected. The cattle were
driven to the dggngs from the distance OF hundreds OF
miles, before be shorn for their wool killed
for their taow the rest being thrown away, but TO be
killed for their meat; the skins and wool being now the
ndisposable refuse and being accordingly burnt the
spot Wages for all kinds Of labor had risen keep
pace with the profits of gold hunting and carriage from
Melbourne to the diggngs was elO0 to-, hisher
OF course great Inducements required to prevent
sailors from deserving and to get ships out Of port The
population of Melbourne had already increased to such
extent that thousands living in tents in the sur
rounding fields, and the cry still they come How
far that expectation was likely be further fulfilled We
in this country, have OF judging 1t is esti
mated that in the Of this year 600 persons will
have left the British Isles for the different Australian
colonies nearly all these first or last destined to reach
if the dggngs at least the neghboring dependant
cities The greater part of these 900 already
their way, in mid sea, and in the southern hemisphere
The rest are certain to follow.
The above not probabilities but facts and what do
they to? They this that the population of
all our Australian colonies, which previous TO this dis
coyery considerably under half million, will be in
creased by next springthat is by next Australian au
turnn-to somewhere about 650 900, of which 100000
must be set down the abnormal increase and above
the natural increase and the ordinary immigration Now,
the question which beg to ask and to which the above
remarks Introductory is Where these 100 600 to
get bread? Supposing there to be about enough for
550 000 there would remain great deficiency to be filed
up from quarter other Every body knows that
deficiency that appears small compared with the total
amount of the supply and the whole number of mouths
to be filed may easily produce an actual famine for
large proportion of the people and viii get enough
leayng the deficiency be borne by those who cannot
The deficiency which caused own dreadful famine in
1876 Az which cost 300 900 deaths, and fl0,00000O,
not larger compared with the whole British popua-
ton and resources than what have just described
likely between this and the next harvest if it is
not already felt in our Australian colonies. To many
the idea of famine in Australia, except by some failure
of the crops viii the height Of absurdity because
people have accustomed to think its capabilities in
exaustbe Its capabilities however, nothing TO the
purpose just now, seeing Chat men cannot live capa
bilities Bread esse not IN posse is what we want to-
day. and in fact TIL next harvest whenever that may be-
So must put the fertility Of the SOIL the regularity Of
the seasons and other such future considerations wholly
out of the question: and conne ourselves to the actual
supply.
In the absence Of information the produce of the
last Australian harvest the quantity of land under
wheat and other white crops for the next have TO ask
whether it is likely TO be much larger than usual? Not
at likely should think. Sixty thousand abebodied
can't be digging for gold in place, and some
twenty thirty thousand in other places, besides many
thousands eIHa}sa IN building houses carrying stores
and materals ~iv.s arsining the 11bor market and
suspendng many ordinary cperaons III hoeks of eheep
have gone unshorn, and unattended, Tor want Of
hands, tillage which demands much more labor, must
have suffered in proportion, and we may too confidently
conclude that the aggregate yield of the last harvest and
of the would be above the average but rather
below Australia, a whole, has only produced enough
for its purposes. What it might have done, as we
have already Observed is question quite beside the pur
pose few thousand quarters all that il has
exported TO other countries Ii it has hitherto only pro-
duced enough for half Million it win not during its ap
preaching summer produce enough for 100000
But Chill, told, is within reach and can supply
unlimited quantity Of corn does already to Cali
fornia Here three distinct considerations. From
Melbourne Valparaiso and back about IL 900 miles,
being right across the Pacific, and cannot be done in
much less than three months under the most favorable
circumstances Deficiencies seldom found cut quite
in time, unless they customary aud expected which
this is not but when the remedy takes three months
to operate, it will be of little use when the famine has
already set in. Then there appears be great difficulty
in getting ships Of the Australian psrts, when
they under engagement to return to port Of their
own Much greater difficulty will there be TO get of
ships on voyage altogether.
The difficulty indicated and measured by the wages
demanded by Sailors is much greater in the Of ships
bound to the ports Of the Pacific than in the Of those
bound to the United States the British Isles
to India Yet in the face Of these difficulties forty ships,
each Of 500 burden would be necessary to bring
from Chill the quantity of required to make up the
probable deficiency Of the next Australian harvest But
supposing all the difficulties got over, there remain two
other rather adverse consideratonsthe limits TO pro-
ducton in Chill, and the fact that its redundant pro-
duce is already engaged in California At the last date
from Valparaiso, September 2 vessel had arrived from
Port Philip, which il left July 2S, in quest Of -four
and provisions, and disappointed to find them high
in consequence Of the California demand The price Of
-four at Port Philip, at the above date only six months
after the last harvest e25 ona price that would
amply remunerate any importer from the shores Of the
Atlantic. These advces therefore present with the
fact Of short supply at Port Philip, attempt 10
cruit it from Chill, and certain amount Of disappout
ment caused by the effect of the large Californian demand
the Chan market. We justified, then in feeling
apprehensons the possible state OF things be-
fore the next Australian harvest is got in with than
hundred thousand mouths added TO the demand,
with the regular operations Of industry much interrupted
and with the population much displaced disorganzed
The only practical object which these remarks can
tend is that while send out additional mouths Aus
traa we ought also send out additional food If for
every five emigants there also shipped ton Of -four
or even half ton that would each cargo Of emi
grants from being perhaps, serious inhction on the
port il arrives 10 true that by the time the vessels
now about sail arrive at Port Phillip harvest
will have been got in, and there will be immediate
danger but under the circumstances have described
the produce Of that harvest may not suffice for than
nine months consumption and the deficiency may not be
discovered till il is late TO make il up Last wear il
true sent from England and proved loss TO
the merchant by the time il had arrived at Port Phil
lip the price had declined eS GO per ton As Il has
since rsen however to G25 at the same place. il is evil
dent that with proper commercial arrangements and
with due patience, the speculation would have been
failure But at that time there had not been any thing
like the immigration we now witness from tha mother