PORT PHILLIP.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 661, 3 December 1851, Page 3

PORT PHILLIP.

Gold at Mount Alexander.—More Extraordinary News.—The Daily News says:—A Mr. Leete called at our office on Monday night, and kindly communicated that he had just arrived in town from Mount Alexander, bringing with him 250 ounces of gold, which he and four others had obtained in the short space of one week. He had 61| ounces with him, which, on inspection, wo found to be precisely similar to that obtained at Ballarat, with this slight difference, that none of the particles were smaller than the head of a pin, and gradually ascending to nuggets of about the size of a Turkey bean. Mr. Crate was in the office at the time, ind pronounced the sample to be equal in quality to the Ballarat, being obviously also an alluvial deposit, .and not mixed with, quartz, as has been generally supposed was the character of the gold obtained .at thia place. Mr. Leete also states that the gold is found in the bed of an almost dry creek, at the bottom of the Mount Macedon Ranges, which extend for several miles in the direction of Barker s Creek. He and three others had been engaged in gold hunting a fortnight without success, and it was not till Monday last that they happened to open a hole which encouraged them to proceed in their labours. The first spadeful of earth they dug out was found to contain gold, and they extended the excavation 12 by 8 feet, carefully washing the earth. They further deepened the hole next day, and the piecious deposit was found mom abundantly as they descended. On Tuesdsv iiight they had, obtained about 151 ounces, and they enteied into a book the produce'of the subsequent days of the week, fron> which we were permitted to make the following extract:— z Wednesday, .64| O zs. Thursday ............ 771 Friday , gjs Saturday ••.. 30In all 234 j ounces, which, with the quantity formerly obtained, makes 250 ounces. It should also be observed, that this party left off work about 11 o’clcck on Saturday. Mr. Leete further states that he obtained one nugget, weighing 1| ounces, and that he saw three pounds of gold taken out of one tin dishful. The creek adjoining the bed m which the gold is found wili'be dry m about- ten days or a fortnight, but Barker’s Creek, containing a never failing supply, is only distant about four miles, to which the earth might be removed and washed with advantage. There are alnut 200 miners now employed at these diggings, and he met about two hundred more proceeding thither, on his roa I to Melbourne. Spades are selling at 20s. and picks at 30s. each ; Mr. Leete wouhl therefore recommend intending miners to take these, and all other necessary supplies with them. Their hole has only yet been ex-i cavated to the depth of three feet,' and thi further they go down :the- richer seems to be the auriferous deposit. ■ Gold has greatly fluctuated in price during the past week. '1 he lowest. pries given was £■o 1/s. 3J., but the last two d*ys has witnessed a marked improvement -j large quantities have been purchased at £2- Ifi»..

and «ome good clean samples at 60s. The price may be quoted now at £2 19s, at which figure any quantity will meet with ready purchasers.

The gold diggers are now scattered far and wide over the country. At the slate quarries, twenty-six miles from Geelong, up the Moorabool, there have been parties at work for the last fortnight. Considerable numbers are now proceeding thither. At the crossing place of the Leigh, near Mount Mercer, forty miles from Geelong, there are four cradles at work, but we have not beard of the yield. The eastern source of the Wardlyallock is also being tried, the country between that and Ballarat being rich in gold. Mount Pleasant (near Buninyong) is spoken of as a very rich fifid, but there is no water now. Mount Mercer and the slate quarries are likely to be favourite summer diggings.

The following extract from a letter addressed to the Cornwall Chronicle contains some very useful information respecting the Port Phillip gold fields. The writer, after alluding to the discouraging prospects attending his arrival, and the conclusion he formed from those who were best informed, of the uncertain gain coupled with the certain discomfort and probable loss of health attending the search for gold at the diggings, continues: —

"Subsequent information, from a great variety of sources, has quite confirmed the correctness of this conclusion. A thirty shilling license confers the privilege of digging, for a month, in a hole eight feet square. The depth at which gold is found is uncertain—the deepest hole at the mines is said to be 30 feet, Others ire from 20 to 22 feet deep, and there are intermediate depths almost as numerous as the holes. The 8000 persons at Ballarat are said to keep between 1500 and 1860 cradles going; both these estimates are probably beyond the mark; according to the depth of the hole, one or two persons are employed excavating and casting out the soil; one of the party carries the earth, and another rocks the cradle at the edge of the creek. The carrier is fortunate if his party possesses a barrsw is wheel the soil to his comrade, a bucket or tin dish carried on the head is the general mode of conveyance. The washer has to keep the hard lumps of clay brought to him profusely saturated, as, unless they are completely dissolved, the gold will not separate from the clay, and remain behind iti the cradle ; the arms and hands of the washer are therefore constantly in the water, and bis feet are never dry. The water in the creek, from the incessant cradling, is nearly of the colour and consistency of peasoup, and those Who want anything better must travel beyond the scene of operations, and draw from the upper stream. There is much reason to fear that, in a few weeks,'the supply of water will fail altogether ; already, the stream has much diminished, and the frequent use of the water is producing an amount of evaporation that will cause the stream io disappear long Before its usual period. This apprehension exists so generally that no attempt is made to erect'permanent buildings; those 4 who have stores or refreshment booths are content with the most wretched huts, and are prevented from erecting more attractive buildings, by the conviction that the want of water will Soon lead to the abandonment of the mines. >tf - >: t .

The agitation 'of the water bv r.radlinrr. ... .. ... ° w- .- • . not only renuefs it turbid, but by dissolving the aluminous and other soluble chemical matters in the clays and earth, imparts to it purgative and other disagreeable qualities. Two passengers returned to Van Diemen'S Latid in the same vessel with myself who suffered severely from the unwholesomeness of the water.

The uncertainty of the pursuit, after all hardships have been encountered, is its most remarkable feature. The Cavenaghs took up an abandoned claim, and in a day or two procured gold to the value of £l6OO ; they were, it is said, offered £lOOO for the hole after their success, but they refused the offer, and never got a shilling’s worth of gold out of the same spot, although they sunk it to the depth of 24 feet. The case of an individual, nob ten yards from the same spot, was related to me who sunk 22 feet and got no gold at all. No experience or skill will enable the miner to predict the richness of any given spot. At the Bathurst diggings, it is said that the Bu„rra Burra miners from Adelaide have been singularly unfortunate. Hardship is.disiasteful enough to mechanics and tradesmen used to home comforts—but uncertainty and disappointment is worse than all. , A man may gamble with a little spare money, but he does not like to stake bis toil and time, nor to rest, bis: jchance of food and clothing on a hazard where the odds are so much against him.

. The harassing uncertainty will always render the pursuits of gold digging a distasteful one to the English mechanic—it is the great safeguard at the present time to the agricultural and pastoral interests of Victoria. I believe

that all operations connected with these pursuits are likely to go on unchecked by scarcity or dearness of labour. Shearing is proceeding as usual, at about 2s per hundred over Van Diemen's Land prices. The wool is coming into Melbourne rapidly, and there will be as little want of labour for the harvest as for the shearing. The crops look well and there is an unusual breadth of land in wheat, so that with all her great staples of production in abundance, and gold in addition, the progress of Victoria must be rapid indeed. It is estimated that there are 3,000 emigrants yet to arrive this season from England, and at least 2,000 will be over from Adelaide, so that there will be an abundance of labour as of every thing else.