Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-03-31

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f States, rowdies are kept down, and th
Sabbath strictly kept. Pistols and othe
S weapons are cheaper here than in Ne,
; York, as they are not needed. The Eng
; lish in general seem a polite and cleve
c kind of people. Their laws are very str;c,
e but not too strict fer honest, decent people
r There is constant crowd Of emigrant
going to and returning from the mines
The public houses charge S. per day 70
, board, but board can be had at privat
houses for $3.50 per week, and at privat'
boarding houses for all prices. So MANI
ships arrive bringing provisions, that the,
are not very dear. Flour 1851. per Dbl.
and other things in proposition. But there
are no lu1uries in the city-not even gar
den truck. had hoped, after our long
voyage over the Atlantic, to find some ap
pies, peaches, &c. But they dom: know
what apples are. A few oranges, dear and
poor-butter, scarce and dear. The prin-
cipal food is mutton-all kinds of salt
meats are imported, bread, coffee, and tea.
Plenty of gingerbread dealers, at 4 cents
a cake. Coffee, l23 cts. per cup, beer l2a
cts. per glass.
can not find one field of wheat, rye,
corn, or oats Even hay is imported and
sold at 500 per ton. Oats was S. per
bushel at one time. These grazing lands
are not like the American prairies. They
bear short, poor kind of grass, but l think
the dry seasons would kill clover. Altho'
the soil looks rich, generally sandy loan,
! think Australia is a poor country for
anything but gold, and the interior is said
to be a wretchcd, sandy desert.
The average number Of sheep kept on
their best grazing grounds is only fifty, to
hundred acres, as l was informed at
sheep station; they say they can not sus-
tain themselves with more, on account OF
the dry season.
There are from 700 to 500 ships lying
in the harbor continually, some discharg-
ing their freight, and others unable to get
away for the want of hands. Wages are
very high, especially sailors. The third
mate on our ship from New York, who
got $40 per month, has hired out for 5000
per month. As high as $500 (32OD
ships came in in one week, so you may
judge for yourself Of the amount of travel
and business.
The natives are poor miserable wretches,
but there are people here from all parts Of
the world and if the mines hold out, Mel
bourne will be very large city. There
is continually great rush and crowd at
the Post Office. The scarcity of lumber is
the great drawback. There are thousands
of people living in tents, which are water
proof, painted, &C., looking very much like
camp meeting at home, only the tents
are of cloth, and much better than ours.
There is place outside Of Melbourne,
called Shantytown," larger than Lewis
burg and Milton together, built entirely of
tents. The people who live in them are
not poor, they have money ir plenty, and
are richer men than we have at home.
They have bought the lots and are waiting
lumber. Town lots are very dear-in
many eases you could not buy them if you
could cover them with gold.
You would laugh if you would see us
sleep in Melbourne-there are as high as
400 in one room, lying every way on the
floor, with insects as thick as hops, and
charge so cts. per night.
The accounts of the gold mines continue
very fattering. Gold is said to be found
in nearly all parts of New South Wales,
and there are thousands of square miles
the precious metal. could
Gil dozens of letters concerning gold and
The mines. l enclose sketch Of the Bal
arat mines, which tore out of a news
,aper* You will find in it the price of
wages there paid. (N b. One pound is
$500 sterling,) Ballarat is one hundred
niles from the Post Office, so that can
lot write often. Bendigo mines are also
;ery rich. There are great many Cali
'ornia diggers here, who say these are the
ichest mines We have formed a firm
,amed Caldwell & Co. and intend starting
o-morrow to try our luck.
In writing letters generally copy them,
,ut can not now, as in daytime We must
,e arranging affairs for the mines, and read
,apers at night and gain information. We
IL enjoy exceeding good health. Der
noodle has joined party Of John Bulls.
Yours, &c. ]. W. II.
sBALLARAT.-Our intelligence from the
Gene of the last great discovery is up to
Wednesday morning. We are now enabled ,
o give more precise information respecting
he alleged "table" of gold, of which in
was expressed to his Excellency