Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-07-09
OLD SERIES VOL. ~, no. AZ.
australia as SEEN BYA cALrroRs1As,

The following !esct was written 0nder
date OF January 10, 1853, from the Eureka
Diegings," Australia, by Mi. w. II Cooper
late city Surveyor, Of Sonora, 10 the friend in
the latter place, by whom it wsS furnished
10 The Sonora Herald. It is conclusive Of
the question as TO The relative merits Of ,he
two great gold fields of tho world, aud being
written by an intelligent and observing mae,
and willIai u PRACTICAL miner, is entitled 10
full consideration. No one WHO reads i, wtlI
ever think of quitting California for such a
prospect as is here Depicted. In fact, We
learn hat hundreds who were in this city or
their way 10 Australia, have changed their
minds since the arrival of he passersets by
the Jesse Byrne, some having even forfeited
their passage money alteady paid, rather
than go They ate wise --, ,.-l e.fi Cd
This county Is low and fiat, and is great
deal worse wateted than California. What
water here is, is neatly all brackish. Some
times # is iincurcd with sulphur and iron,
ont mostly with salt. The flies are an intol-
eraole nuisance. there is no eud TO them in
'he mines. Many petsons have almos, lost
their sight on account of their darting into
their eyes. preserve my eyes and face by
continually wearing veil. - s9 & r
"ihe laws oil this county are exceedingly
opprcssiSe 10 the poor laborer, taxing him to
death all The time, and leaving him no chance
TO accumulate wealth, BY any fegulaf course
oil industry. Hence his only hope is 10 strike
what is here termed "a dollop,' or in our Ian
guase, "a pie,' in the diggings; and even
then his license;money, and the percentages
OF getting it through to Ire settlements, and
converting it INTO specie, eats up a grea, deal
OF his godsend To get this 'dolloP,' in the
first place, he stands only one:ff,h the chance
tha, he would do in California so You may
judge that it is all a loitety. And yet there
are men who have made themselves inde-
pendent and comfortable for life, by spend
ing only few Weeks in these mines.
81 am a, present in the Victoria Diggings.
The gold here lies IN much heavier deposits
than in California; be-, these are fewer and
further between. My diggings are fifty
feet in depth, while in the vicinity, ,here
are places from seventy 10 eighty feet deep,
and even more. Al the Ovens; two hundred
and fifty or three hundred miles northeast
from here, there are new diggings Of a shall
low character am going 10 start for there
in few days, and if do not make more
than have been making, l shall leave and
return to California
! 81 will give you the key 10 the e&ciiemen,
al present going on in regard 10 this county
Years ago many English noblemen and gen.
tlerien came 10 this colony, and located all
the most desirable lands and water ptivi-
leges for farms, stalions. sc. Since then,
they have been growing wool, and rearing
sheep, cattle Sc. They havo, however, be.
come crowded and labor Was little TOO high
for them. They therefore started a great
ou,cry abou, the richness Of the Australian
, gold-feldS; which, as foreseen, has caused a
) rush OF immigration from all points Of the
, world. They artitei and find the mines 10
+ be complete lottery and no, having the
means to sustain either heightened pros:
4 peci,' or 10 return home they embrace the
| alternative 10 accep, fam work, for little or
F. no pay. The landed proprie,ors TINS secure
slaves for considerable time perhaps f..
life. They are the class hal is rrakin, ~
r. most money, and far the most noise II The
: colony. Furthermore, the country is filled
s up with conticls-lhe offsconrings Of Eng
$ land-who are mostly the most iawless anc
S worst thieves and vagaoonds In the knowr
+ world. California is, III comparison, per
h fec, paradise. might write pages on lhi
!, subject, and then like the Queen of Sheba,
o should not have told you the half.
1t %Take the advice of bosom friend, an,
l. do not come here. Keep from under Joh
d Bulls dominion as long as you can. Afie
:. paying all expenses, escort, per eentage, &c
g &C., you have no security either for life G
v money. hope that all my friends will n
A. main al horne, unless they bring with the
the means to return when they choose -ihs
IN will be as soon as they find how things rea
10 ly are."