Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-04-20
From the Boston Journal.
AUSTRALIA AND ITS SOLD MINES.

away IrOm u, anu VIC nave 80 iltic III
rect communication with It's inhabitants,
that we have not that familiar acquain-
lance with its wonderful resources, and
its rapid growth in population, wealth and
civilization, which we should have
There is much that is deeply interesting
in the history and condition of this out
post of civilization. As compared with
California, Australia has annually con-
tributed more gold to the commerce Of
the world, while it has outstripped the
former in rapidity of settlement. An ar
ticle in the last number of the Lon
don Quarterly enables US to present some
interesting facts concerning the condi-
ton and progress of this important Sec
ton of the British Empire.
The province Of New South Wales,
which before the gold discoveries in 1851,
contained only sparse population, now
numbers $4,000 souls. It's live stock
numbers 1885, horses, upwards of p
100000 horned cattle, and nearly g.
100000 sheep. In 1857, eleven hun
dred vessels entered its ports. The
commerce of Sydney increased from less
than f2,4O0,OOO in l64S, TO nearly ELL
10000 in 1857. The province of
Victoria has made still more rapid
progress. Before the golden era, its
entire population was but 77,345, while
it now contains 2ll post towns, and in
1858 numbered 477,345 souls-proba-
bly, since increased to upwards of half
a million. Melbourne, the capital, has
become a metropolis of hundred thous-
and inhabitants. The imports Of the
province in 1851, were 9l,056,437; in
1867, fl7,256,209. The number of
vessels entered inwards in 1851, was
40, in 1857, 2l90. With this increase
in population and wealth, have come the
usual appliances of civilization--churches,
universities, railroads, telegraphs, &C.,
and both provinces give unmistakable
evidences that they are fully imbued with
British ideas of progress.
The conformation of Australia is re-
markable. The auriferous region is ex.
ceedingly mountainous, but the whole
interior Of the country was unquestion-
ably once sea-bed, and the process oil
slow elevation has so changed the confg
uration of the whole as to make con.
tinuous continent of that which had once
been an archipelago of islands. The int
rior, in various places, possesses vas
stony deserts and sandy plains, which
exhibit regularity and surface which
water alone could impart. The course,
of imDetuous currents that existed age
ago, are distinctly traced. In conse
-I---- v0uurrTou VI TnIHgs, but
comparatively small portion of the cont
nent presents inducements for COLOMBIA
ton. But ifthe action of water has don,
much to impoverish the land, it has, il
another sense, greatly enriched it. Wa
ter has been the principal agent, through
long ages, in breaking up, pulverising
and dispensing the great mountain mass
es and scattering their golden treasure
that are specifically difused over tn
continent or buried deep under ii
trackless sands.
Australia has been the scene {
: volcanic action on an enormous seal,
and the most prolific gold fields of Vic
toria are in regions where the old fol
nations are pierced by igneous rock
which have flowed from extinct volcs
: noes, and some of the richest alluvis
: deposits have found covered by beds
lava, many feet in thickness, throug
i which the miner has had to sink h
e shaft. These subterranean deposits of til
IS precious ore exist chiefly in quartz weir
which largely traverse the Lower Silt
e Wan strata. In Victoria the gold drift
81 constitute at least three distinct deposit
Il the result of successive upheavings ar
e depressions, and these three aurifero,
J. deposits sometimes occur in the san
locality. The last deposit is alwa,
found on the solid and unmoved pc
p eozoic rock, from which all the gold b
been derived. The richness of son
v of these deep drifts or cutters"
d gold almost exceeds belief. One of Il
lie most celebrated shafts in Victoria
~ ~ called the Jewellers shop" 1t W
| sunk by party of blacksmiths, but
such an angle as to render descent al
working in it absolutely dangerous. t
party of smiths, eight in number, bei
he ignorant of the proper way of workiI
IS the mine, sold out, after dividing f16'
IN each per man, (fl2,s00) for the palt
as sum Of Ell. The place was so da
a gerous that people were unwilling to r.