Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-02-23
Australia.

4NSN I'm SSf'S"fNfH3l 80 -''
variety of information respecting this nev
gold region. The Courier furnishes tn
following editorial notes of its contents:
There are four distinct settlements in Aus
tralia, or New Holland, each claiming NOR
or less attention from the Americans ant
the English, viz:-1. New South Wales OF
the eastern side $50 called from slight re
semblance to South Wales in Great Brit
ain.) This colony was founded in 1871, al
penal settlement. III. Western Australia
or Swan River, founded in the years 1929
80. iii. South Australia, or Port AIDE
lalde. founded in 1S35-'36. w. PorHPhIllp
or Victoria, lying to the Southeastern point
of the island, founded in 1886.
Tie gold regions lie in the first and fourth
settlements above named-New South
Wales and Port Philip. The area Of the
whole island is estimated at 2,69O,81O
square miles, and the coast line at nearly
5000 nautical miles-equivalen to more
than three-fourths the extent of Europe.
The climate of the whole territory is re-
markably salubrious. Numerous facts in
dicale the excessive dryness of the central
portions of the islands, where the fleece of
the sheep taken by the explorers ceased to
grow.
In New South Wales, January is the
middle of summer, and July is in the midst
of winter. The summer extends from De-
cember till March, when the thermometer
ranges from 68 to 78 deg. The winter is
of bracing coolness, with occasional frosts
at Sydney and snow in the interior. AS
instances OF the remarkable healthfulness
of that region, i. is stated that not more
than five or six sick persons will be gene
rally found in community OF twelve hum
dred, and at some military stations seven
years have elapsed without the loss of a
man.
Rain at times falls in heavy and contlnu-
Gus torrents. AT one period Of twenty-four
hours in Port Jackson, the fall was twenty
five inches; and ten or fifteen feet above
the ordinary level of river is not an pnn-
sual height during the rainy season.
In New South Wales, the whole line Of
coast presents in general an aspect of bold
or perpendicular cliffs of sand stone, lying
in horizontal strata. In addition to the
vast treasures of gold existing in both set
Elements of New South Wales and Port
Philip, copper and iron have been found,
with extensive mines of coal. The seams
of coal are distinctly visible in the abrupt
face Of the cliffs near the harbor of New
Castle, and can be distinctly traced for
distance of nine miles. According to Mr..
Pattison, who has published some notices
of the country, mlne has been opened
where steel sis dug from the earth with lit
tie boring and of endless extent
The first discovery of gold in the new
regions of Australia has been attributed to
sheI h 'rd boy who after selling his god at
the city, returned to seek for more but
was followed by others. and is supposed to
have been murdered. DR.. Clutterbuck saw
as early as 1849, native gold IN the work.
shop of watch maker al Melbourne. Sir
Roderick ]. Murchison had given his opln-
ion that gold existed extensively in Austria
liza; but 1t was not fully developed or made
known until February, 1851, when it was
found in abundance in Brisbane courty ,ly-
ing about 100 miles North west of Sydney,
the chief town of New South Wales. AT
this period three blocks of quartz were dis
covered, weighing about ga lbs, the pro-
duct of which in pure gold was 106 Ids,
and was sold in Bathurst for g4240 ster-
ling. Tn September following, gold was
extensively found also in the colony Of Vic
toria or Port Philip. In this district was
found the largest lump yet discovered, and
called "the King of the Nuggets, from For
est Creek, Mount Alexander, and weighed
n lbs. 6 OF. Is dwt. This was massive
lump of pure gold Of 4 fine color, and meas
ured eleven inches in length and five in
breadth.
The state Of society in Australia is re-
presented as most deplorable. A cores
pondent of Scotch paper, writing in Sept
last, says:
"Things will not last forever in this way.
There will be an outbreak here before ma
ny years. Nothing but separation from
England is talked of. Thousands OF YAM
KEGS and Californians are swarming in ev-
cry week, and thousands of the rif-raf of
all the world. The country is in fearful
state for want of protection, and robberies
and murders are committed with lmpunlty.
| sleep every night with pair of pistols
under my pillow, my fathers big sword
hung up By the bed-head, and also an A
merlcaa bowie-kn'fe under my pillow
And in another letter he says
ut would be utterly impossible 10 gave
you any idea Of the state Of things in Mel
bourne now. Il is such as the world never
saw before, and perhaps never will again.
With thousands arriving every day from
England, California, and America, &C., we
have still the same number of houses in
Melbourne that we had when The popula-
ton Vas only $4,000. before the gold dis
covery. You may think what It must be
now. A complete wilderness Of tents has
sprung up all round the city, in which all
the most hardened villains in me colony
have their hauats, and through which it is
not safe to walk in broad daylight. The
whole interior of the country is completely
overrun with bands Of bushrangers, mount
ed, armed, and thoroughly organized. The
murders and cruelties they practise on their
victims are fearful. They perform their
exploits quite in the same style as the old
oandlttl; however, they sometimes get
caught"
q The black dress COATS doomed. An
ukase of His Emperial IIighness, Napoleon
Ill, has banshed it from the salons Of Paris
and as Paris gives the vogue TO all the
world, we may soon see it disappear from
this Western hemisphere. Its successor is