SYDNEY GOLD CIRCULARS.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 708, 26 January 1853, Page 2

SYDNEY GOLD CIRCULARS.

[From the " Sydney Herald," January Ij The sun has set on the year 1852. a year memorable in the annals of this colony as one of almost unexampled prosperity I In the brief space of 18 months, Australia has sprung forward to a prominent place in the galaxy of nations ; from a distant though not unimportant colony of Great Britain, she has become the " Land of Promise" to thousands of the enterprising and industrious. She has given a hearty welcome to myriads of expectants, and can still afford to cry, " Come, come, there is yet room 1" Want and poverty are unknown within her borders, and the glorious beams of hope in the future diffuse an invigorating warmth througbont the land. The cause of this rapid movement has been the immense, we may almost say boundless, stores of wealth which lie buried in her bosom. Great, as a pastoral country, she has become still greater as an auriferous one ! And what she may yec ascend to, it is impossible to foresee. , On the first of last year we took a review of what had transpired,during the previous months, but as the close of our " Golden Year" will arrive in a few weeks, we shall defer till then a more complete epitome, and and merely notice now some of the important events that have sprung up from our position during the space of time which has just receded from our grasp. Not the least important of these events has been the opening up of steam communication with the mother country, —a consummation anxiously longed lor, but which would have been still unattained if the grand magnet had not been discovered. To the Peninsular and Oriental Company belongs the honour of first sending a Mail Steamer to these shores, and their sweet and powerful little Chusan entered our Heads under a salute from her own guns in August last. In September we had the pleasure of greeting the Royal Mail Steam Company's ship Australian; and, as a climax, the month of December witnessed that noble steam-ship the Great Britain, floating proudly on the waters of our harbour. We have since had the Sarah Sands, and look hourly for the Cleopatra ; and although we cannot yet boast of receiving English intelligence only 60 days old, we confidently expect the year now commenced will witness this triumph of science. Our gold fields, as a whole, have worked satisfactorily. We have passed through clouds and sunshine, success and failure ; at one time, the Turon in great power, at another time overwhelmed with water ; but in looking back we have reason to be thankful, and can honestly affirm that the instances of failure are isolated, whereas the instances of success are general. Of course we do not include here the case of men who were utterly unlit for the task, and never did a day's work in their lives ; such could never expect to succeed, and we have told many before they left this city that they never would ; there are, however, other occupations more congenial to the habits of these men, in which they may and do succeed, after having discovered their error. It will be seen by the number of men employed on the mines, and the quantity of gold produced, that the average return is greater than could be obtained in any other employment. The northern gold fields have been gradually rising in repute during the year, and the quantities sent down by the mail and escort steadily increasing. S .mn lull has taken place during the last few weeks, but from the favourable report of the Rev. W. B. Clarke, a notice of which will be found below, we are of opiniou that the present year will show a vast increase both in the numbers emplojed and the quantities obtained. The western mines have been subject to great fluctuation during the year, owing to the wetness of the seasons, some weeks in August being without return of gold by escort, and that ending 4th September without return by mail or escort. This district, in common with all, has suffered from the drain of population towards the far-famed fields of Victoria, the shipping returns below showing a constant emigration to that colony until the last three months, when the tide began to turn in our favour. The gold fields of the south have been highly favoured during the year, rs having afforded more universal remuneration to the miners than any other. The numbers at the diggings near Braid wood have fluctuated considerably, and the produce varied in like proportion. The Ovens, which were first discovered in March, have at length proved most productive, and promise to outstrip many of the older diggings. It is the opinion of competent men that gold fields, equal, if not superior to those of Bendigo and Mount Alexander will be found existing on this side the border, and indeed the Ovens is now beginning to prove the truth of this opinion. The Rev. W. B. Clarke has made some very valuable surveys in the Northern and Southern countries during the past year, which call for especial notice. Mr. Clarke's footsteps were turned, in the first instance, towards the South, where he discovered that the gold was not confined to quartz as a matrix, but was also found in granitic formations. In these the metal is widely distributed in grains, instead of running in veins as when in conjunction with quartz. This was the ca.se in several of the counties in the South Eastern corner of the colony, and also on the Victoria side. The same features are noticed as prevailing on the South West, beyond the plateaux of Maneroo; and from the absence of the schists and quartzs so prevalent in the Western parts of the colony, Mr. Clark predicts that the gold will all be found of a very fine quality. Altogether the gold fields in the South occupy an area of about 16,000 square miles. The more recent investigations of Mr. Clarke have been in the North, where the ground is of a totally different character to that just noticed. The gold in these fields is found almost entirely in quartz veins, more especially in those bearing E. and W. There is scarcely a creek or tributary around the Hanging Rock in which gold is not found to some extent: although from the nature of the formation it is very unequally distributed. Mr. Clarke gives as his opinion, that if the diggers were of a more active and intelligent c'ass, more satisfactory results would be obtained. He also observes as follows,— " Looking at the space of ground that has been worked, and the amount obtained from it, my opinion is that it has paid a better average return than many fields of larger extent; and those who have given it a bad name have failed from adventitious circumstances." The fact of the alluvial diggings being of limited extent is adverted to by Mr. Clarke, who points out that the quartz veins themselves will no doubt prove remunerative when properly worked. The conclusion to which he arrives in his last report is, that New England is decidedly auriferous, and that the Hanging Rock diggings are only the " outskirts of a field of far wider extent. The licenses issued during the year amounted to 22,500, value about £30,600. Very many of these are for private hands, at 15s. each, more especially those issued in the south, and but few are for storekeepers. It is also observable that from the comparatively small number of diggers, and the large staff employed in collecting and enforcing the claim for licenses, there can have been but a small number evading it. Setting off, then, the amount brought down for sale by private hands against this number, which will be far within the mark, we have an average of 1870 diggers at work during the whole year, and the quantity brought down by mail and escort 233,860 ounces, giving 125 ounces, as the average earnings of each individual, or an income of £4OO per annum ; a result which we have yet to see realised in any other diggings. The amount received as escort fees has been as under:—

The quantities brought down by tlie escorts and the mails are also subjoined :—- Ounces. Western Escort 133,207 -., Mail 29,120 Southern Escort 47,519 Mail 9,176 Northern Escort * 10.970 „ Mail .. .. •• - 3,868 233,860 The exports for the year 1852 have been 856,188 M <« " " 1851 '* 134,420 Total exported to this date 990,608 Which, at 70s. per oz., givesTotal value of gold exported to this date .. .. .. - £3,467,128 0 p It will be seen by the above'that we have increased tbe value, which we consider that we are fairly entitled to do, as we are now giving here a higher price than the value affixed. Before we knew its value, we estimated our export at 655., but we shall in future calculate it at the rat© now attached. The price during the year has been steadily on the rise, the receipt of account sales from home having exhibited the values of the different descriptions of gold, and deprived the market of its speculative character. The price for all kinds of gold, the production of the colony, was quoted on the 3rd of January, 1852, at 625.; since when it has risen gradually to the present high rate, which may be quoted at 725. 9d. for Victoria, and 70s. 9d. for New South gold. Perhaps the most important event of the year has been the concession by the home Government to our Legislative Council of the control of our gold revenue and consequent management of our gold fields. The subject has been brought very prominently before theCouncil, and a large mass of evidence taken, the result of which is that an Act has been passed, confirming, with one or two trifling exceptions, the regulations promulgated by the Executive. Thus a high and deserved compliment has been paid to the Colonial Government, for the wisdom displayed in framing those regulations, and the energy manifested in carrying them into effect. There will be grumblers in every community, and there are men who would object to laws, even if framed by angels ; but we must say, as we said before, that considering the emergency of the position in which the Government was" placed, they have acted with an energy and prudence which entitle them to the confidence of the public. The arrivals during the year have been, from Great Britain and Ireland .. •• 6,443 Australian colonies .. •• •• 9,886 Other countries .. .. • • • • 5,487 Total arrivals .. •• •• •• 21,816 The departures have been, to — Great Britain ar.d Ireland . . . • 478 Australian colonies . . . . . . 13,511 Other countries . . . . • • • • 943 Total departures . . . . . . . • 14,937 Showing an addition to our population, within the year of . . .. «. • • • • 6,879 George A. Lloyd. 474, George-street, January 1.

January . 444 s. d. £ s. 17 4 Brought up 3,465 10 d. 5 February . . 618 17 4 August .. 178 18 0 March . 32? 3 10 September 688 11 2 April .. . . 577 1 1 October .. 630 14 4 May .. . . 556 18 5 November 567 1 0 June .. ,, . 495 1? 2 December 438 12 4 July .. .. 444 15 3 Total ,£6,026 7 3