VICTORIA. [From our Correspondent.] Fryars' Creek, April 27th, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 820, 11 June 1853, Page 4

VICTORIA. [From our Correspondent.] Fryars' Creek, April 27th, 1853.

Dear Sir, — It is several weeks since I last wrote, for I find the diggings by no means a convenient place for letter writing, and my time is also pretty fully occupied ; moreover the unfavourable accounts which will ere this have reached Wellington will probably have in a great measure put an end to the excitement caused by the gold discoveries, and reduced the interest which would otherwise be felt in any communications from this colony. An experience of five months does not enable me to materially alter the views I expressed in my former communications, and nothing has transpired to lead to any very sanguine anticipations • for the future. The Ballarat nuggets of which you have no doubt heard, and the few diggers j who make large sums are the great prizes in the lottery, which has a very large number of blanks, and I am confident that few indeed are making any considerable sum — at the same time I think that working men make better wages here in general than they could do as labourers or mechanics either in New Zealand or most of the other colonies. This, however, would scarcely induce so many thousands to sacrifice every comfort for such a pursuit, were it not that each hopes to fall in with one ■of the great prizes which do occasionally fall to the lot of some lucky digger. Fryar's Creek is now pretty well worked ont and a large proportion of the diggers have already left and few will remain here through the winter. Bendigo -and Mount Korong- {the former 30 and the -latter, about 80 miles distant) are the chief resorts now. I mean to leave in a few days for one or the other, probably the latter, which is -comparatively a new field, as for want of water there is little doing there in the summer, but now that the winter is approaching ihis want will be supplied — and it is said there are already 15,000 diggers at work there. Bendigo is the most extensive district yet worked, but the tlarge number of diggers who have been there during the last winter and summer have already exhausted most of the hills and gullies at that place. Forest Creek is little better than ■this place ; but little new ground remains and -the diggers are mostly employed in re- working the old holes. There are frequent reports of new diggings, but they seldom turn out very favourable, With regard to ourselves (that is to sa) the party I was with for the first three months,but which is now dissolved) we had some . little success shortly after my last letter was / •sent ; one hole gave us twenty. five ounces, the greater part of which was obtained in two days. This cheered us a little after six weeks want of success. Our next hole gave us seven ounces, and then our lack deserted us again, and we , .got no more with the exception of a few penny weights. Our party broke up on the 24th Feb., that being the expiration of the term for -which we had agreed to remain together. One member had left some time previously and returned to Melbourne and he has since commenced practice as a medical man in the neighbourhood of that place. On the. dissolution of our partnership one of my mates went to Melbourne to resume his profession as a surveyor, -and the other joined a party of men from New Zealand and has gone to Bendigo. I have joined no party as yet, and I do not contemplate doing so. — — resided with me in the tent for three or four weeks and since he returned to Melbourne I. have remained alone. Two persons are quite sufficient for a party in -a, general way, although in cases of wet holes more may, be required ; .but 1 should not be in--clined again to join with more than one mate. BOne 8 One mate is necessary where the depth of the .holes exceed 7. or 8 feet, but for shallow holes -and surface washing a man may do very /well by himself if he pleases, and this plan I think of adopting for the winter. There is no difficulty in procuring a mate, I could have had at least half a dozen within the last two months, but it is not so easy to procure a trustworthy and agreeable companion, anil where two persons are shut up together fqir! weeks in a small tent and working together all day, some degree of similarity; of tastes and habits is essential. I have lately been employed surfacing, that is to say washing the soil on the surface in places where it contains gold in sufficient quantity to pay. I found I could mrnke an ounce a week or rather more, Working every day, but this is considered poor work, arid few will stick to it long, even though tliey may not have done so well at sinking, but the surfacing offers no chance of large finds, and there is the secret. Even this work is precarious as the gold lies in patches. I washed lab'but a cart load of soil daily, and "some loads would yield 6 pennyweights and others only two, and three. This latter would noi'payif'it were, not that some turn out better. Much of 'tHe 'soil 1 contains gold in less quanti-

ties but will not pay at present, and it is only in a few places that any as good as I have mentioned can now be found, at least at Fryar's Creek. I worked at this because I could not find any ground here for shallow sinking, and I was unavoidably detained here, partly because I could not get my luggage conveyed to Bendigo, and partly because I was expecting letters from Melbourne to be sent to me here, and I did not wish to miss them, but I shall be off to a better field in a few days. We have now had three wet days successively, which looks like the approach of winter. The weather has become very mild, sometimes very cold in the tent without fire. The flies have almost vanished. Cartage is now £35 and £40 a ton from Melbourne, the distance about 75 miles. This arises from the demand for «arts to bring up large supplies before the winter sets in and the roads break up. Fiour is selling at £8 per 200 lbs. bag; Bread Is. a pound; sugar Bd. per lb, ; candles; tallow; Is. 6d, per lb, ; sperm 3s. per lb. ; meat 6d. per lb. ; salt butter 3s. to 3s. 6d. ber lb. ; potatoes Sd. to lOd. per lb. ; onions Is. 3d. per lb. ; other vegetables not to be had. I fear these prices will rise much higher, but as soon as I get into winter quarters 1 shall lay in a stock. This is the general plan, but it acts as a rather inconvenient tie to any locality. The diggers generally build bark huts for winter, with canvass roofs, and clay or stone chimneys inside. I have never received a New Zealand or English paper since I landed in this colony. I believe the inland post does not forward papers, and the Melbourne post office is reputed to be a vast literary Cbarnel house, in which nearly all the papers and many of the letters received are deposited until the time arrives when the for- | mer are destined to supply the Melbourne grocers with cases in which to dispense their tea, coffee, pepper, tobacco, snuff, and sundries. I hope for your sake and all others who are doomed to be incarcerated in that little corner of the Antipodes, Wellington, that the place is not quite so dull as it was when I left, although the latest accounts I have heard, — namely to the end of last year certainly do not give at all an improved account. However I think New Zealand is destined to derive advantage eventually from the vast influx of population into this country, especially as the suicidal policy of this Government prevents the sale of the land here in "anything like adequate quantity. I see by the, papers that there is already a considerable trade between Auckland and Melbourne, and some also with Welliugton and Nelson. I am, dear Sir, yours truly, S.