The Sierra citizen., 1854-06-03
Letter icin Australia.

Of May &c, will be read with interest by
many persons in this neighborhood. We
give publicity to it for the benefit Of every
body who is dissatisfied with California,
and believe they can do better almost any
where else; and farther, we believe it to be
true statement of affairs in that Ii
Dorado! cf the South Pacific OCEAN
We had a particular friend Who became
disheartened here and migrated thitbcr
more than two years ago, in hopes OF
meeting with better fortune, but who, Up
to this time, has been ashamed to acAncwl-
edge that he went on such q ton-fool
journey. The closing paragraph, in
brackets, is by the editor Of the Adv0eafs.
SYDNEY, Dec. q, 1853.
I staid in Melbourne one week after the
arrival of our ship, and on the way 70 the
Ballarat mines, met a party of Califor-
mans on their return to Melbourne and
from thence to San Francisco by the first
vessel. They had been in Australia but a
few weeks, had become disgusted and hence
their haste to escape while they had
money to get away with.
To the many errors or mistakes that |
have made hitherto in my life, I must add
that of coming to this county; and | should
have returned before this had ] at any one
time since I landed, earned money enough
to pay my passage. l worked hard at
Ballarat for six weeks and found nothing;
from thence I went to Jones Creek, a
journey of five days in. the interior, new
place where nuggets, according to reports,
were turned out BY cart wheels passing
over the gound This Jcnes' Creek
proved downright humbug-nothing
there! From thence went to oae Of the
gu!iies on the Bendigo. After sinking
shafts for about two weeks, struck a
stratum that paid about S. per day for
some three weeks, when the water failed
and nothing more could be dono at that
point
Owing to my being much exposed, and
Sleeping on the ground most CT the rainy
season, I about this time took a violent
cold which settled on my lungs, and was
told that it was Of nature that render, 1
my stay in the mines not proper. l re-
turned to Melbourne, but the climate and
dust only aggravated my complaint, and
| came to Sydney.
/ have now been in Sydney five weeks,
and have almost recovered my health
This city is quite q pleasant one-the
weather now is very hot, abundance OF
fruits, but everything very dear. / am
now trying to find some employment, but
as the Yankees are in bad odor about here
| stand, am told poor chance Of sue
ceeding. If do not, must, much against
my will, try the Sydney side mines; which,
from what l can learn from parties ro.urli-
ing from there, Offer but little that is en-
couraging.
The diggings in Australia are quite dif-
ferent from the California. rhe gold here
lies mostly in spots, not in veins; and
few are the lucky finders compared with
the many that find nothing. There are.
too many people here in the mines; it is
computed that in every gold field, there
are ten men for every claim-l2 by L.
feet.
Sailors Gully, at Ballarat, has hcen
called the richest place yet discovered.
1t was here that the big lump, la
lbs, was found. 1t was here that 1892
lbs. weight Of god was taken out OF a 2
by II claim; yet, although for many yards
around this claim, not a foot OF earth was
left unturned, not dimes worth of gold
was found.
In this gully there were dug and boz
toned 642 holes, from 60 to 49, feet deep,
and all stabbed from the top; from 6cO .!
this number, not one ounce was taken
From the remaining AZ, the parties work.
ing them made from S5 to S25 per day,
while they were washing the pay DIRT when
got out. So you see after all, this is but
poor mining for the ten thousand about
the Ballarat diggings.
The state of society in this Colony is as
bad as you have at any time heard, war-
rant. Before l came here heard it
stated that Australia was the best country
in the world, for the poor man to go to-
Take it for the truth, that it is the last
place man should think of going to, un-
less he has money.
1.-THE above letter was handed to us by
Q friend. 1t was not written for publica-
tion, but as it contains interesting matter
and is entirely rs!lable We insert it. IT
may tend to MAXI some restless ones a
little better satisfied with this country