ADVANTAGES OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD FEVER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 686, 28 February 1852, Page 4

ADVANTAGES OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD FEVER.

[From Punch, September 13.] Good friends, let us shake hands; but that is not enough. Let us all embrace as out foreign friends do, and make a Great Exhi. bition of ourselves, by rushing into each others arms. Ring your bells, good people' send up your rockets, let off your crackers and your cannon, blow your trumpets, beat your drums, hurl your hats aloft, and hoorsy with all your hearts, and with all your lungs! We have got a California of our own, There is a colonial El Dorado near Bathurst in New South Wales. The Times says that the Sydney Morning Herald says that th Bathurst Free Press says that a Mr. Hatgreaves has discovered the fact that “ibe country, from the Mountain Ranges to an iodefinite extent in the interior, is one immense gold fielJ.” Literally, no end of gold in t British dependency! The most precious ell minerals —Britannia metal! Happy mother! country ! Happy, happiest of colonies! Australia Felix — Felicissima ! Hooray, l ! hooray ! hip ! hip ! hip ! hooray ! One/ cheer more—hooray ! j And what are you making all this noise about Mr. Punch ?— you, a philosopher—at least I always thought so—to fly into these exstasies about a discovery of yellow metal—of which—not to call the substance itself dross —the very abundance will soon destroy the value ! —I am surprised at you. You, rto sell me —give me, I should rather say—your weekly miscellany of wit, poetry, and wisdom for 3d. —4d. stamped—for mere copper—whence all this enthusiasm on your part at the prospect of gold ? My dear Subscriber! only think of tbs rush to the diggings, In Australia, crowds of persons, of every description on how, or foot—with pickaxes, crow-bars, cradles, shovels, spades, rakes, tents, grubbing hoes, buog at their saddle-bows, or at their backs, or around their waists—hasten to the mines. The blacksmiths can’t make picks fast enough forthem —and fathers of families take their wives’ fenders and fire irons for mining tools, and run off with the pokers and tongs, and domestic cullenders, and pots and kettles, life travelling tinkers. Away they go —“people of all trades, callings and pursuits.” soon be the same in this country. I don’t see why we should congratulate ourselves on the expectation of the gold fever —which you yourself seem to have caught, Mr. Punch No, my dear sir! Consider. Think of th® emigration that must ensue. People of ell trades, callings, and pursuits. Wbat peopleOf course those to whom gold is the pd® e object. All the lawyers and doctors practice chiefly with a view to fees. All t“ e divines who look, in the first place to the loaves | and fishes, . AU and sundry who labour their vocation principally to get money. respectable solicitors, honourable barristers, reasonable tradesmen, disinherited authors, exemplary parsons and bishops, fair dealers, and well-paid workpeople, will all h® e hind—and will be, if not very numerous, W very select! What a blessing it will b® l have all the sordid and selfish members 11 every profession at the Antipodes; self-tran* ported I What a clearance of the system J the gold fever 1 what an extremely gow 11 dance of bad rubbish !