"Melbourne, August 20, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 778, 2 October 1852, Page 3

"Melbourne, August 20, 1852.

" I am sony to say I have not yet been successful : I have only cleared myself this time. I had an attack of dysentery : 1 was obliged to call in a doctor before leaving the diggings. This illness kept me a fortnight, and made the journey to Melbourne a serious task. I got down, however, all safe, though the roads were in a fearful state from the late rains. Six men had been drowned at the different creeks the same I came down : it rained or snowed the whole four days I journeyed. I cannot say that lam altogether right yet in health. I got cramped latterly in the damp holes, so I thought it better to come to town for a short time. I think that I shall get something to do here : if not, I shall probably go to Sydney, and have a trial of the diggings there ; for I hear those are improving. I should say that one-fourth of the diggers here do well ; another fourth, or possibly half of the whole, barely keep themselves : the rest get nothing. Even this is pretty fair. Many people are preparing for a summer campaign : it is expected many new places will be opened. lam still inclined for a third trial, which I hope may be more successful. « who left Wellington about the same time (Nov. 3851) I did, has been at the diggings all this time, but has done very little, he says : some of his mates bolted too (as happened in my own easel carrying off more than their own. The world is surely getting more depraved ! — men are shot like partridges. I have seen a mob standing round a shot-dead robber, passing their jokes as if it were a convivial meeting."