,library of ,australia47 ,notes of a ,gold ,digger1 and ,gold ,diggers' ,guide ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects4 ,italics are delimited with the '' character as italic4 ,illustrations and maps are indicated as ,illustration3 caption4 ,minor errors1 attributable to the printer1 have been corrected4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,notes ,,of ,a ,,gold ,,digger1 ,,and ,,gold ,,diggers' ,,guide1 ,by ,,james ,,bonwick1 ,author of 8,geography for ,australian ,youth10 c41 c4 ,,melbourne3 ,r4 ,,connebee1 #agd1 ,,elizabeth ,,street1 ,,and ,,sold ,,by ,,all ,,booksellers4 #aheb4 ,illustration3 ,diggers ,illustration3 ,routes to the ,victoria ,diggings ,,the ,,road ,,to ,,the ,,diggings4 ,gold ,fields have a most bewitching influence upon fallen humanity4 ,the very name begets a spasmodic affection of the limbs1 which want to be off4 ,then man1 as a mere lover of beauty1 cannot help wishing to look upon the pretty mineral in its virgin home of seclusion1 and his acquisitiveness pants for possession of the loveliest darlings ever rocked in a cradle4 ,but the ,australian ,gold ,fields put to the blush the very fairy tales of old4 ,the ,genii of the 8,arabian ,nights0 would have stared1 had they winged their flight over the ocean1 and taken a quiet evening's stroll under our ranges and gullies4 ,need we wonder that the dull eyes of the sons of earth twinkle with delight at the chamber of treasure4 8,they come--they come40 ,well1 let them come2 and ,i for one will be glad to see them as lucky as their hearts can wish4 ,in order to give the embryo digger a little insight into the wonders of this wonderful region1 ,i have noted down a few facts1 the result of my own experience as a ,gold ,digger4 ,some simple hints before you start1 my friend4 ,do not encumber yourself with too much luggage4 ,the drays will not carry it for 8thank ye40 ,there is no necessity for laying in a stock of everything1 as storekeepers at the mines do not now desire a thousand per cent upon every article4 ,this may arise from a principle of benevolence1 or1 as some ill-natured people say1 from competition4 ,if you lay in a stock in town you are likely to buy too much1 as you are surrounded by good things1 and the difficulties of the journey are unknown to you4 ,should you reserve the purchase of most of your requirements1 till you arrive at the ground1 you will have no trouble in carriage1 you will know what you really want1 and1 from the high price1 you will only buy what you want4 ,by all means1 however1 provide yourself with good stout clothes and boots1 a coat and trousers of oil-skin cloth1 a roll of canvass for your future home1 not forgetting a decent shooting jacket for ,sundays1 when you ought to appear civilized4 ,tools are dearer up than in town4 ,a cradle may be carried in parts without much trouble4 ,take up a few choice books1 7not on ,metaphysics or ,mathematics17 because you should be prepared in some degree to keep up your intellectual position4 ,a packhorse will ease the toil of a party1 or a bundle might rest on the top of a passing dray4 ,unless positively obliged1 spare yourself the anxiety of having your own conveyance4 ,otherwise a solemn warning--beware of a gibber1 as that genus is not an uncommon one on the road4 ,there are few things in life more undesirable than pushing behind a cart at every foot of rising ground1 extricating a load from a chasm1 or watching a vehicle approaching a precipice1 impelled by an animal that will persist in going crabwise4 ,now1 ,i will suppose you are fairly started4 ,you are rather nervous1 yet sanguine4 ,sundry brave stories keep up your spirits4 ,by one you are told of a fellow benighted in the bush1 who could not sleep by reason of the hardness of his bed1 but who ascertained by morning-light that he chanced to throw himself down upon a nest of big golden nuggets4 ,another tells you of a bullock driver in want of a stick1 who pulled up a young wattle1 and found hanging at the root1 a whole family of nuggets like a brotherhood of potatoes2 but that he was in too great a hurry to stop to pick them up4 ,on the way you are passed by lots of returning diggers1 some of whom carry down bags of treasure1 and a few are carrying aches and pains to the hospital4 ,there is some difference between your smooth chin1 and their rough beards--your prim appearance and their soiled garb4 ,you may possibly reach the ,deep ,creek1 twenty miles from ,melbourne1 on the first day4 ,of course you camp4 ,a fire is lighted1 the meal is taken1 and the romance of your first night out is enjoyed4 ,you are wrapped in a 'possum rug or blanket beside your fire1 or1 if you are wise1 beneath a canvass thrown over the shafts of a cart4 ,never start without a good breakfast4 ,the dreary1 crab-hole1 five-mile plains are to be crossed4 ,i had the satisfaction1 when coming down1 to be lost in this quarter1 wandering about hungry and tired nearly all night1 because my geological curiosity allowed the cart and my mates to get some hours a-head of me4 ,it is to be hoped that you have a dry season in which to pass over ,jackson's ,creek4 ,on the other side an excellent dinner may be provided for you by ,mr4 ,rainy at the ,coffee ,house4 ,the hills now rise on each side of you1 and through one of the loveliest countries in the world you gain the ,bush ,inn at ,gisborne1 thirty-six miles from town4 ,there are two inns there4 ,charges are no object to the successful digger1 but usually a consideration to the up-going4 ,a baker's shop and store will there supply you with necessaries4 ,i paid #bs #f;d for a good loaf1 #bs #f;d for a pound of butter1 and #g;d for a pound of sugar4 ,prices vary according to the state of the roads4 ,near the ,bush in winter you have to wade through a 8slough of despond40 ,going some miles hence1 round the foot of ,mount ,macedon1 a pretty watering place is obtained4 ,you may1 however1 pass at once into the mysterious ,black ,forest1 fourteen miles in extent4 ,being no alarmist1 ,i shall give you no legend of powder and ball pertaining to those realms4 ,in the ,black ,forest are many rises1 no surface stone1 a great number of stringy bark trees1 some fine cherry trees1 and the modest cup of the beautiful epacris4 ,at ,five ,mile ,creek1 at which are two inns1 you pass over a wooden bridge4 ,soon after you come to sweet ,carlshrue4 ,here are a ,police station1 a blacksmith1 and houses of accommodation4 ,on my way to town1 early one morning1 ,i beheld an icy forest on the plains4 ,the arborescent icicles were about half-an-inch high and a twelfth diameter4 ,each top gently curved over4 ,a vast number of these beautiful crystals standing together reminded one of a miniature giants' causeway1 or stalagmites from some sparry cave4 ,going up1 our party spent a pleasant ,sunday near a water-hole at ,carlshrue4 ,you now approach the important township of ,kyneton1 fifty-six miles from town4 ,here are inns1 stores1 cottages1 a wooden church1 a pretty stone parsonage1 and a neighbourhood of the finest alluvial black soil4 ,passing the ,campaspie you gain the bridge of the ,coliban3 that is1 if the awful quagmire permits your passage4 ,a thriving township is just formed here called ,malmsbury4 ,this is about twenty miles from the ,forest ,creek4 ,attempting to get a short cut to the ,loddon1 my party were three days stumbling with a gibbing horse among the slate ranges4 ,we had1 too1 the excitement of a twenty-four hours fast on that occasion4 ,but you are less aspiring1 and1 following the beaten track1 you come at last upon the scene of scenes4 ,it is quite a beehive4 ,men are flitting about in strange disguise4 ,heads are popping up and down in various holes around you4 ,the population are digging1 wheeling1 carrying or washing4 ,but ,i have to conduct you through the diggings1 so we must hasten forward4 ,the old ,post ,office ,square1 the entrance to ,adelaide ,gully1 the ,montgomery ,hill1 the ,white ,hill1 the ,private ,escort station1 the ,little ,bendigo1 have to be passed in succession before reaching the junction of ,forest1 ,barker1 and ,campbell creeks2 at which place is the ,chief ,commissioner's ,quarters4 ,this is a walk of four or five miles to the west4 ,desirous of seeing other digging regions1 you must return to the neighbourhood of the ,square1 enter ,adelaide ,gully1 and keep alongside the ,adelaide creek till you come to the dividing range4 ,once over that1 you approach the head waters of ,friar's creek1 and you may follow down that stream to the south till it unites with the ,loddon4 ,the ,golden creek flows southward into ,friar's creek2 it has the interesting neighbourhood of ,golden ,gully1 ,red ,hill and ,windlas ,hill4 ,turning once more to the east you reach the junction of the ,campbell ,creek and ,loddon ,river4 ,pursuing thence a northernly course along the banks of the former1 you again behold the ,commissioner's ,tent4 ,what with genuine soldiers1 pensioners1 and police1 there is a force of about #bjj men4 ,there you will see the depository of ,gold1 awaiting the ,escorts to carry it to town1 and there is the place where for thirty shillings you may procure the talisman of a license4 ,but perhaps you want to go further4 ,you have heard of ,bendigo1 and you would like to try your luck there4 ,then on we go to ,bendigo4 ,the direct road from ,melbourne to ,bendigo ,creek is about #ajj miles1 but from ,forest ,creek about #cj4 ,you keep the side of ,barker's ,creek on your progress to the northward4 ,now and then you pass some encampment in the wilderness4 ,the presence of bottles of various character1 innocent and suspicious1 is always on the trail of the civilized man4 ,on your right you have the long range of ,mount ,alexander4 ,upon a lovely evening my senses were feasted by a delicious scene4 ,all the forest trees before me were in darkness1 but beyond them and through them were caught glimpses of the granitic walls of ,alexander1 brilliantly shining in the last red rays of the setting sun4 ,it was as though ,i was approaching by night some illuminated enchanted castle4 ,the ,porcupine ,inn is nearly half-way from ,forest ,creek to ,bendigo4 ,it is often the place of tumultuous revelries among lucky diggers4 ,some people think it wise to camp beyond that locality4 ,the country beyond ,gibson's station is finely timbered4 ,the pasturage greatly improves as you progress1 and few districts present such softness and gentleness of beauty in the landscape4 ,bendigo has a noble ornament in the fluted1 ,doric-column like trunks of its magnificent iron bark eucalypti4 ,there is majesty1 there is even sublimity in the solitude of an iron bark forest4 ,then1 in the day a variety of pretty songsters awaken the air with pleasure1 and the evening is closed in with the wild and ringing chuckle of the laughing jackass4 ,bendigo is the ,carthage of the ,tyre of ,forest ,creek4 ,the diggings there extend nearly twenty miles in length4 ,the ransacked gullies are many2 as1 ,golden1 ,spring1 ,jim ,crow1 ,dusty1 ,poorman's1 ,blackman's1 ,iron ,bark1 ,picanniny1 ,long1 ,american1 ,californian1 ,eagle ,hawk1 ,peg ,leg1 and ,sailor4 ,though most of these may be wrought out1 a good living may be got in either by the new comer1 in a little tin-dish fossicking in deserted holes4 ,once upon the spot you are ready to go with the rush to any newly discovered gully of wonders4 ,,the ,,digger ,,at ,,work4 ,arriving on the golden ground the first impulse is to secure a good spot for future operations4 ,upon enquiry you resolve upon some lucky gully4 ,the other day1 you are told1 a fellow nuggetted ten or twenty pounds weight1 and1 of course1 you see no reason why half a hundred weight might not be lying snugly ensconced awaiting the revelations of your pick4 ,you walk to the place1 strike in your claim as near the centre of the gully as possible1 mark your boundaries1 determine upon the size and character of your hole1 and at once to vigorous exercise of muscle4 ,your mate spells you with the use of his spade or shovel4 ,the top soil is off1 the sands and clays are entered1 and all goes on pretty smoothly until the pick comes into contact with something that soon drives it back again1 with the loss perhaps of its steel point4 ,at it again with good heart4 ,a harder thrust is made4 ,again the tool rebounds4 ,never despair4 ,blows thick and fast descend until an entrance is gained1 and some insignificant pieces are knocked off4 ,you pause to gather breath and strength4 8,why ,i have got into some iron here10 you exclaim4 ,some neighbouring bearded digger turns round and condescendingly remarks1 that it is only the 8burnt stuff10 and that you must 8drive away40 ,but the points of the new pick are sadly robbed of their glory4 ,the blacksmith is sought at his primitive looking forge4 ,after paying only half-a-crown for each point being steeled1 you return to your claim and dash into it once more4 ,but the day is closing1 and the aching back and arms assure you that it is high time to think of home and supper4 ,day after day the toil is continued4 ,a little relief comes after the burnt stuff1 in the shape of some more agreeable1 separateable conglomerate1 or some yellow or blue clay4 ,soon the necessity is seen for steps being cut in the side of the hole1 and the back is rather tried with the throwing up of the stuff4 ,afterwards a few sticks are laid across one side of the top1 as a footing place for the drawer up of the bucket1 which has now to be employed4 ,several awkward lumps of quartz give a little trouble and test the patience of the miner4 ,as you go on1 your hopes are more strongly exercised4 ,eagerly do you notice the progress of your neighbours4 ,anxiously do you enquire about their luck when they have got down4 ,in proportion to their success1 so is the elevation of your spirits4 ,should any one strike upon a rich vein1 you are very inquisitive about the particular direction of that vein1 and the possibility of its running through your domain4 ,but the bottom is not gained and you begin to fancy that you never will reach there4 8,never mind10 says some encouraging friend1 8the deeper you go the more chance of luck40 ,then you feel as though you would like to delve to the antipodes4 ,on you go1 looking cautiously round occasionally1 in hope of catching a peep of some stray nugget or other4 ,at last a little yellow spot attracts attention4 ,it seems of a brighter colour than clay--a nearer look satisfies you that it must be gold4 ,with what delight then does the embryo digger seize upon his first treasure4 ,more excitement and pleasure are experienced at that time then in subsequent seasons of pocket scraping4 ,his first impulse is to cry out 8,eureka0 with as great a zest as did ,archimedes when he was dealing with gold4 ,other glittering spangles are in the maggotty stuff4 ,some greasy substance with streaks of yellow sand1 is at once concluded by you to be the pipe clay bottom4 ,but this is not the case1 you have further to go4 ,yet console yourself with the idea that most of that through which you are now digging may prove 8washing stuff40 ,but you approach the termination of your downward course4 ,some light and friable sandstone is seen studded with interesting looking shining spangles4 ,seizing a piece with avidity1 you soon drop it with a dejected air as you recognize only mica4 ,ah6 but there is something different surely4 ,you are half disposed to doubt4 ,no1 it is no mica1 but beautiful little specks and nuggets of gold1 stuck all about the piece like currants in the ,christmas pudding4 ,there is no mistake about it1 as you break bit after bit and let the little darlings tumble clumsily into a pannican4 ,true1 some of them are rather dirty2 but you cannot help regarding them with peculiar affection4 ,well1 the pipe clay floor is cleared1 scraped and swept4 ,the precious dust is carefully stored above with that layer immediately over1 and preserved as washing stuff4 ,the revelation of its wealth is to be made another day1 though many and serious are the speculations as to its latent worth4 ,one will hope there are two ounces to the load1 another confidently asserts that there must be four4 ,but as yet1 perhaps1 there has been no important manifestations of pockets1 with their glittering contents4 ,several dips of the rocky base gave you hopes of leading on to fortune1 but the fossicking knife cleared out the pipe clay1 and harshly scraped against the slate in vain4 ,on repeated occasions some purple sandy veins with bright red spots in the pipe clay1 like syrens of old1 induce you to follow them in their course1 promising all the while a rich feast at the end of the journey4 ,most trustfully you suffer yourself to be led along1 until all at once your conductor gives you the slip1 and leaves you staring at a wilderness of dirty white pipe clay4 ,half tempted to despair1 you languidly turn to another place and carelessly plunge in the knife4 ,there is a subterranean beauty1 a perfect nymph of the hidden world1 softly reclining1 though not upon a violet bank4 ,you hasten to obtain the lovely stranger1 and to reveal those long neglected charms to the wondering gaze of devout admirers4 ,suspecting the fact of other fair creatures being similarly confined in these enchanted regions1 you rush forward to the rescue with all the ardour of a knight of chivalry4 ,with the sword of sharpness you penetrate long passages of gloom1 until at length you reach a dark chamber4 ,an entrance is forced1 the light pours in1 and a sight presents itself1 which well nigh upsets your reason4 ,talk of the secret chamber1 where suspended ranged the sweet wives of hideous ,blue ,beard6 ,tell of the dungeon of darkness1 round whose damp walls were chained ten of the fairest dames of ,christendom1 mates of war-like knights1 whom the giant thief of old had caged6 ,these were nothing to the view that now unfolds itself4 ,there are not ten1 but tens of tens of the dear creatures most adored by men1 and for whose release from the degradation and pangs of imprisonment down below1 such zealous and such benevolent exertions are being made in the colonies of ,victoria and ,new ,south ,wales4 ,may those worthy and disinterested labors be crowned with abundant success6 ,lord ,rosse may say what he pleases about the intense gratification which he experienced1 when he first resolved the filmy nebul of ,orion into the galaxy of sparkling orbs1 but ,i mean to declare that that is perfect moonshine to the delight of the gold seeker1 when he first drops upon a good pocket of nuggets4 ,the tunnelling work now follows4 ,the head stuff is removed to make way for you to get under1 to work at the latent treasure of specs1 nuggets and washing stuff4 ,the constraint of body in work1 the damp1 the closeness of the atmosphere1 the gloom1 the fear of impending rocks1 with occasional raps of knuckles and skull against the sides and roof1 altogether make this wombatting not the most amusing operation in life2 though1 like other uncomfortable things1 it now and then leads to some important and profitable result4 ,it is often annoying to find your hopes of veins in a bank so thoroughly blasted4 ,a week's labor brings you to your boundary in a certain direction without a single glimpse of gold4 ,then perhaps1 you may be placed in a peculiarly puzzling condition4 ,you trace a pleasing vein to the verge of your claim2 honesty says1 8stop10 and self interest cries 8go on40 ,to some lofty minds this position makes no manner of difficulty2 they see the gold1 and they simply follow it1 reserving to a more convenient season the consideration of the precise whereabouts of their neighbour's ground4 ,cases have been known of a poor fellow delving for weeks in a hole1 and when quite sure of dropping on the gold1 he all at once disappears in a cavern1 which his friend of the next claim has constructed with much ingenuity to lighten his labors and load4 ,but the business of washing has to be thought of4 ,that heap of dirt has to be passed through the cradle4 ,if in the dry season1 this must be done at a distance of from three to nine miles from the hole1 paying1 perhaps1 one shilling a bucket for cartage4 ,there is the loss of time going so far1 and the inconvenience of having the company split into digging and washing parties1 each having a separate establishment4 ,unless1 therefore1 you immediately require cash1 you prefer carting the stuff home to your tent beside the dried up creek1 waiting for the time of rains4 ,when that joyous harvest of diggers does come1 all is bustle and merriment4 ,if a sensible man1 and not putting off till to-morrow1 you have secured your washing station beforehand4 ,you now cut a place in the bank for your tubs and cradle1 drive in two posts by the edge of the water1 and roll down against them a log of six or eight feet long1 against which dirt is put1 to serve as a firm footing and embankment4 ,the cradle is made to swing easily and unshiftingly1 by the rockers resting in the grooves of two blocks of wood firmly fixed in the soil4 ,by giving the cradle a slight slant to the lower end1 the water will run off the quicker2 but if it dips too much a little gold may wash off with the sand4 ,all being ready1 you take your iron bucket and carry the stuff to the tubs4 ,the ,aquarius with his long handed dipper1 supplies the liquid for puddling4 ,the stuff is kept well stirred about with a spade1 so as to set the metal free from the adhesive soil and pipe clay4 ,the dirtied water is gently poured off every now and then1 and1 with a fresh supply from the stream1 you puddle away4 ,be not afraid of too much working1 remembering that good puddling makes easy and profitable cradling4 ,when this is done1 you fill the hopper of your cradle with the stuff1 keep on pouring water with the dipper1 and rock carefully and evenly1 using with the right hand a short stick to break any clods that may be in your hopper1 but which your tub ought not to have sent there4 ,the tubs being emptied1 one of the party can be filling and preparing another1 while you take out the residuum at the bottom of your cradle4 ,the gold ought to rest on the wooden shelf under the hopper1 but much will run down with the sand into one of the compartments at the bottom4 ,but this has to be washed by the hand in the tin dishes4 ,now this process ,i cannot describe4 ,it is one of the deepest mysteries of the gentle craft of gold digging4 ,the uninitiated cannot possibly divine how the dish washer is able to separate the soil from the precious treasure4 ,this art requires a watchful eye and skilful hand4 ,many men from careless washing lose much gold4 ,two men were in a great hurry to get through their heap1 a party afterwards went over the washed material and extracted ten pounds weight of metal4 ,the day's work over1 you put your gold into the digger's treasure chamber1--a matchbox2 and you retire to your home to get dry clothes and your supper4 ,but the gold has to be dried4 ,a spade is put on the fire1 the contents of the box poured on it1 and the moisture soon disappears4 ,the dust is then carefully blown away1 the magnet is passed over to take up the iron particles1 the little gathering is weighed and the result is known4 ,some interesting guesses are made as to the value of your heap4 ,if thirty buckets made a load1 if six buckets fill a tub1 and if ten tubs shall have produced you that day eight ounces of gold1 you can form a tolerable idea as to the value of your heap4 ,but you know that while one part may bring but an ounce a load1 there will be some rich tubs when that locality is reached1 where the currant pudding lumps were deposited4 ,the washing season is a lively time1 as nearly all are abroad4 ,the merry joke is heard1 and the loud laugh mingles with the rattling of stones in the hopper1 the grinding of cradles1 and splashing of water4 ,there is some amusement in quizzing the machines employed4 ,one day ,i saw an unfortunate ,irishman without a mate1 who had a most original contrivance for conducting his washing operations4 ,the cradle1 a very rude one1 was two feet long1 his dipper was a tin pannican cleverly fixed in a slit stick1 and his puddling tub was a hole in the ground4 ,some in the dry season have taken known good stuff1 put it over a fire and blown away the dust to get at the gold4 ,in ,california1 some have chosen a windy day to sift the dry stuff1 placing a blanket or cloth on the ground to catch the heavy metal4 ,a few at our mines have taken advantage of occasional summer showers to turn the water from a hill into a deserted hole1 which they converted into a washing station4 ,though as a rule small parties had better pay cart-hire than keep a horse1 yet ,i knew a couple of diggers who managed in the following manner4 ,one got each day a load of stuff from a hole1 which his mate carted to the creek1 eight miles off1 washed1 and came in the next morning for another load4 ,the latter1 having his wife at head-quarters1 would not only bring a supply of water to his worthy bachelor friend of the little oilskin tent1 but now and then a loaf1 a cake or a tart4 ,the chief washing stations in the dry season at the ,mount were1 the ,forest and ,campbell ,creeks1 and the river ,loddon4 ,those of ,bendigo were the ,sheepwash1 ,emu1 and ,bullock ,creeks4 ,there is a story told of an old man1 at ,friar's ,creek1 who put on his spectacles1 and examining some stuff out of his hole1 observed no gold in it4 ,he was prevailed upon by somebody to wash a little of it in the morning1 when the metal appeared4 ,the old gentleman persisted in believing that none was there when he looked for it1 exclaiming1 8then sure the divil himself came in the night and put it there40 ,when the wet season sets in1 the holes are often filled up and rendered useless1 if not1 the walls become insecure1 and serious accidents have occurred in consequence4 ,surface washing then becomes the rage4 ,the country is explored and hills are tried4 ,where favourable the surface is skimmed over1 carted to the water1 and washed4 ,though not so rich as that from holes1 the stuff is got at less labour1 and the water is nearer at hand4 ,the holes at ,bendigo are the shallowest1 and those of ,ballarat the deepest2 many of the former are under six feet1 and the latter1 more than thirty feet4 ,in ,california to save time in prospecting1 a number will form a miners' club1 pay down a certain sum each1 select two or three good men and true1 and send them prospecting1 while the others remain at steady work4 ,quartz crushing is not likely to pay here like in some places1 as ,brazil1 where labor is cheap4 ,the size of the claim differs from that in ,california1 where no regular system is adopted1 but where it is determined by the miners1 at the several localities4 ,here one man is allowed eight feet long by eight broad1 though no party1 however many in number1 can have a portion larger than sixteen feet long and the same in breadth4 ,the care of animals at the mines is no small difficulty and trial4 ,food in the dry season is confined to oats and bran for the horses1 and these at such prices as to make the weekly cost of a horse from #c to #e4 ,some men close their work early1 and take the beasts perhaps four or five miles to some scanty pasture1 and stopping there in their 'possum rug for the night1 bring them in the next morning4 ,there is the great nuisance of animals straying1 and the loss of time to parties looking for them4 ,not a few of the better kind find their way to sales in ,melbourne1 for the profit of those who have had the trouble of bringing them all the way down from some run near the diggings4 ,it is a mistake to imagine that none but diggers do well at the mines4 ,without regarding the gold buyers1 and storekeepers1 who do sometimes realize a few hundreds per cent per annum1 the blacksmiths manage to hammer a good many ounces out of the diggers4 ,one told me that he gave his men #bes a day and their board and lodging1 and that he would willingly give #ejs4 a hundred feet of sawn stuff1 and pay cartage himself4 ,excellent wages are made by others at hut building4 ,several trades could there be conducted most profitably2 such as shoemaking1 harness making1 c4 ,of course medical men collect a little of the gold dust4 ,of all employments1 that of carter in the dry season appears to me the least enviable1 walking continually beside their bullocks or horses in one cloud of dust1 and tormented by myriads of flies4 ,the routine of toil is not a monotonous one4 ,the engagements are various1 and constant excitement attends them4 ,occasionally a rush gives animation to a gully4 ,the seizure of a grog-tent1 a squabble about claims1 the horn of the news-vendor1 a visit from the commissioner1 give a diversion to the scene4 ,license time gives good opportunity for talk4 ,instead of the thirty shillings for the monthly license1 a man may pay half-an-ounce of gold4 ,usually the first ten days of the month are days of grace2 after that1 enquiries may be expected as to the possession of the document4 ,though the risk is not great1 few are without their licenses4 ,the five pounds penalty is often not so bad as the loss of time4 ,a policeman one day demanded a sight of his license from a digger at ,friar's ,creek4 ,the man civilly said it was in his waistcoat down the hole1 and that he would go and fetch it directly4 ,he departed1 and forgot to return4 ,the hole was visited1 but the bird had flown4 ,as it happened1 there was much tunnelling in that part1 and the man had quietly passed along the subterranean passages1 and raised his head from another and distant cell4 ,now1 as to success at the diggings2--although cases1 plentiful as blackberries1 occur in which parties have been two or three months up and more1 without doing anything beyond paying expenses1 yet ,i am not expected to talk of these4 ,we all want to hear of the fortunate1 and make no enquiry about unlucky diggers4 ,it is1 however1 a fact that many who have dug nineteen holes in vain1 have dropped upon the gold in the twentieth4 ,a party that ,i knew were five weeks wholly without success2 in three weeks after they got #ijj4 ,four men were weeks without luck1 when they fell in with #gelbs weight4 ,another was four months and in debt1 when a bright day came suddenly in the shape of a #ejj share4 ,there were two parties1 friends of equal strength1 working in the same place for three mouths2 the one did not pay expenses1 the other walked off with #ihlbs weight4 ,at the foot of a tree three fellows took out #ahjj worth2 they went down to ,melbourne1 and stopped till they had knocked it all down4 ,i knew a man at ,bendigo who washed out #ilbs of gold from a nosebag of stuff4 ,at ,ballarat two tubs yielded #bdlbs4 ,the surfacing at ,golden ,gully1 ,friar's ,creek1 was so immensely rich1 that to talk of sums would appear speaking fables4 ,holes have been bought for an ounce of gold which have realized many pounds weight4 ,a friend of mine met a man whom he knew1 walking in rags and dirt behind a dusty dray to town1 and yet carrying #aejj worth of gold4 ,in ,peg ,leg gully #ej and even #hjlbs have been taken from holes three or four feet deep4 ,several companies of sailors have been remarkable fortunate1 and so have those of our sober and worthy ,german fellow-colonists4 ,a hole at ,forest ,creek produced #fjlbs in one day1 and #djlbs more the day after4 ,the ,burra miners are no luckier than digging tailors4 ,from one of our golden gullies a party took #aihlbs in six weeks4 ,the largest ,victorian nugget weighed #belbs4 ,perseverance will accomplish wonders at the diggings as elsewhere4 ,men must not be down-hearted if not successful at first4 ,they must try1 try1 try again4 ,even the aborigines are wealthy in these times4 ,i met a party of them at ,bullock ,creek well clothed1 with a good supply of food1 new cooking utensils1 and money in their pockets4 ,one remarked with becoming expression of dignity1 8me no poor blackfellow now1 me plenty rich blackfellow40 ,,the ,,digger ,,at ,,home4 ,the new comer may wish to know how we diggers spend our time at home4 ,we boast no courtly halls1 nor woodbine bowers4 ,we glory not in rosewood cheffoniers nor ,turkey carpets4 ,our festal board is not decorated with embroidered cloth1 nor laden with viands and tasteful vases4 ,we live in canvas homes1 or huts of bark and logs4 ,free ventilation is universally adopted on ,hygean principles4 ,our furniture is of a simple character4 ,a box1 a block of wood1 or a bit of paling across a pail1 serves as a table2 though a few among us scorn such indulgence4 ,some luxurious ones positively have rough stools as seats2 the majority recline upon their beds1 or make use of a log1 the ground1 or a pail turned upside down4 ,our dinner service comprises not many pieces4 ,we have those who indulge in plates1 knives and forks2 but it must not be supposed that all are so fastidious4 ,the washing of the plates1 and cleaning of knives and forks1 require an appreciation of cleanliness most foreign to the lofty genius of the diggings4 ,besides1 the chops can be picked out of the frying pan1 placed on a lump of bread1 and cut with a clasp knife that has done good service in fossicking during the day4 ,in the rooming the diggers rise from their hard beds and prepare for breakfast4 ,happy are they on a wet day who have a sheltered fire place4 ,fortunately wood is cheap enough1 though the havock made in the ,bendigo forests will certainly clear the land4 ,the eternal chops are cooked1 the pannicans of scalding tea are filled1 and the first meal passes over4 ,active preparations are now made for work4 ,the several dinners are tied up1 the travelling pot of tea got ready1 the tools gathered together1 and with the never to be forgotten pipe1 forth they sally into the world of adventure4 ,at twelve or one1 a hasty repast is taken1 and the pannican and pipe again called in requisition4 ,before sundown parties are observed branching off from the gully homeward4 ,after a hard day's work one is not disposed to be too particular about the evening meal1 and the mode in which it is prepared4 ,something has yet to be done4 ,the morrow has claims4 ,the damper is eaten4 ,taking a washing tin dish1 and clearing off the dirt a little1 six or eight pannicans of flour are thrown in2 a half table spoonful of carbonate of soda1 the like quantity of tartaric acid1 and a spoonful of salt are mixed together in a pannican1 and then well mingled with dry flour4 ,water is then poured in1 the whole thoroughly knuckled1 rolled into a good shaped loaf1 and tumbled at once into the warmed camp oven4 ,fire is applied beneath and above the oven in a way to insure uniform heat1 and a couple of hours or less will turn out a loaf fit to set before the queen4 ,saturday afternoon and ,sunday morning are especially consecrated to cookery4 ,the same camp oven has1 perhaps1 to turn out two loaves1 a baked joint for dinner1 and1 mystery of mysteries1 a boiled plum pudding in the bargain4 ,add to all this1 potatoes when you can afford to pay for them1 not forgetting a few boiled onions1 should you chance to boil in your oven a leg of mutton4 ,a good cook is recognized at the diggings as well as at a club-house4 ,some men will not take time to make a wholesome loaf1 but content themselves with dry or fat ,johnny cakes1 which are simply of flour and water1 or with the addition of greasy accumulation of cookery1 hastily prepared in the frying pan4 ,many lose health by inattention to meals4 ,by a little forethought and prudent management much waste could be prevented1 excellent dishes be obtained1 and an increase of comfort be produced1 which would make the probation at the mines much more endurable4 ,it is here that the skill and economy of a woman are seen to advantage in a tent4 ,the cost of provisions varies greatly4 ,i knew two men at the ,loddon1 who lived for seven shillings a week each4 ,afterwards1 when flour at the ,bendigo rose to two shillings a pound1 the board was rather more expensive4 ,meat is seldom more than fourpence a pound4 ,cheese1 butter1 pickles1 ham1 bacon1 sardines1 and eau de ,cologne1 are enjoyed only by successful miners4 ,amusements are not in harmony with the diggings4 ,men come there usually to work in earnest1 and they have no time for play4 ,yet now and then a song is heard1 with the notes of a flute or violin4 ,at ,bullock ,creek a sick friend was charmed on the one side by ,kate ,kearney1 and on the other by the whole range of ,wesley's hymns proceeding from a most indefatigable ,burra songstress4 ,in one tent near me there was an occasional concert of a fife1 a dish-bottom drum1 and a primitive sort of triangles4 ,as a sample of a diggings song1 a selection may be given4 ,it is said to be set to the air of 8,coronation40 ,in bush attire let each aspire ,by noble emulation1 ,to gain a digger's chief desire ,gold1 by wise regulation4 ,with spades and picks we work like bricks ,and dig in gold formation2 ,and stir our cradles with short sticks ,to break conglomeration4 ,this golden trade doth not degrade ,the man of information1 ,who shovels nuggets with the spade ,of beauteous conformation4 ,what mother can her infant stock ,view with more satisfaction1 ,than we our golden cradles rock1 ,which most love to distraction4 ,let those who dare try thwart our care ,at our gold occupation2 ,they with bewilderment will stare ,at golden incubation4 ,we dig and delve from six to twelve1 ,and then for relaxation1 ,we wash our pans and cradles' shelves1 ,and turn to mastication4 ,it is common in some places for a fellow who first rises to come out and crow like a cock2 this is taken up by others1 and the diggings are soon wide awake4 ,some amuse themselves with going out 'possuming4 ,the shrill scream of the marsupial1 flying squirrel1 and the plaintive howl of the wild dog1 follow the last note of the incomparable laughing jackass4 ,there used to be fish in the creeks1 but our washings must have choked them all with gold dust4 ,a stray kangaroo once got chased through ,iron ,bark ,gully4 ,the poor creature took refuge in one of the holes1 but was soon converted into some exquisite soup for mutton and damper diggers4 ,a sailor lad at ,golden ,gully was accustomed to give us the eight bells on the frying pan4 ,it is not usual for visits to be made after dark1 as a fall down a twenty feet hole is unpleasant4 ,the stupid custom of firing off guns1 pistols1 and revolvers night and morning is fast going out of fashion4 ,a good fire1 a short pipe1 and a long story are the usual evening accompaniments4 ,the diggings would be more tolerable if there could be cleanliness4 ,but with water sometimes at a shilling a bucket1 and that not easily obtained1 the incrustation has to remain longer than agreeable4 ,coloured shirts last a good while without shewing decided blackness4 ,the bed clothes will sometimes catch the dust1 and a puff does not certainly improve the appearance and taste of our uncupboarded eatables4 ,there is1 also1 a peculiar unctuous touch about the interior of most tenements4 ,but then what matters8 no visitors but diggers are expected1 and neighbours are no better off4 ,in the wet season it is only a change from dust to mud4 ,but the nuisance is the flies1 the little fly and the stinging monster ,march fly4 ,o6 the tortures these wretches give6 ,in the hole1 out of the hole1 at meals or walking1 it is all the same with these winged plagues4 ,when washing at a waterhole1 the ,march flies will settle upon the arms and face1 and worry to that degree1 that ,i have known men pitch down their dishes1 and stamp and growl with agony4 ,the fleas1 too1 are not of the ,tom ,thumb order of creation1 and they begin their blood-thirsty work1 when the flies are tired of their recreation4 ,the first good fall of winter rain seems to lay not only the dust1 but the destructive powers of the insects4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and yet1 in spite of weather1 exposure1 dust1 mud1 filth1 flies and fleas1 the diggings have such attractions1 that even the unlucky must come back for another trial4 ,the wild1 free and independent life appears the great charm4 ,they have no masters4 ,they go where they please and work when they will4 ,healthy exercise1 delightful scenery1 and clear and buoyant atmosphere1 maintain an excitement of the spirits1 and a glow of animal enjoyment peculiar to bush life4 ,married men1 particularly young married men1 are too much bothered with thoughts of an absent home1 to realize the pleasures of the mines1 which their mates of the bachelor order possess4 ,to them the ,post ,office is the most sacred spot on the diggings4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is a clannish spirit abroad4 ,the ,irish mostly dwell at one encampment4 ,we had ,tipperary ,gully at the ,bendigo2 an ,irish row near our tent consisted entirely of families1 conspicuous for their order1 cleanliness1 kindheartedness and happiness4 ,the ,adelaide men hang together1 and the ,derwenters of ,tasmania are strongly influenced by party feeling4 ,i was much amused one time by a stentorian voice that rang through the forest1 near ,friar's ,creek4 ,it proceeded from a man in a cart passing by4 ,the burden of the cry was this3 8,ere's your ,van ,demonian ,happles1 and them as don't like the country needn't buy 'em40 ,as a sincere admirer of the 8,isle of ,beauty0 ,i had a hearty feast on the pippins4 ,,health ,,at ,,the ,,diggings4 ,although the part of the country in which our mines are situated is almost unequalled for salubrity1 yet the miners as a class are not of robust health3 most of them look pale and haggard4 ,the work underground1 excessive toil1 discomforts1 and neglects1 too often bring on disease4 ,singularly enough1 accidents seldom occur4 ,cramps1 colds1 rheumatism1 bad eyes1 diarrha and dysentery are the prevalent complaints4 ,the sitting on the damp ground induces piles4 ,most attacks of sickness resolve themselves into fevers of the low typhoid type1 as the powers of life are soon exhausted there1 and medical men have but few appliances4 ,a great mistake arises from persons delaying a visit to the doctor4 ,in many cases recovery is hopeless1 from long continued neglect4 ,some will be for six or eight weeks under dysenteric attack before seeking relief4 ,then1 too often1 though they offer all their gold1 no aid can be rendered4 ,the doctor's fee is usually ten shillings at his tent1 a pound for a visit near1 and two or five pounds elsewhere1 according to distance4 ,when a medical man is consulted in time1 he may often see it right to send his patient at once to town1 as from experience he knows the difficulty of providing proper nourishment and attendance during the period of convalescence4 ,yet instances are not unknown1 nay1 they are common1 of kindness and christian charity towards the sick1 even from strangers4 ,an old man1 that from ill health was unable to join a party1 was tended by some neighbours for three weeks1 who not only paid all expenses of such sickness besides1 but actually gave #bj to get the poor creature conveyed to an hospital4 ,if the diggings are so unpleasant a place for ordinary attacks of illness1 it may be supposed that they are not the most comfortable home for a new mother4 ,yet on some occasions neither doctor nor nurse has been present4 ,deaths at the mines are by no means so frequent as may be imagined4 ,at the ,loddon cemetery ,i saw but eleven graves1 four of which were unenclosed2 no memorial appeared over any mound4 ,my friend and mate at the diggings1 ,r4 ,t4 ,tracy1 ,esq41 ,m4,d41 has favoured me with a few hints which he thinks may be of service to his old friends at the mines4 ,he desires to enforce upon their attention the necessity of regarding their mode of living2 as1 carelessness in preparing meals1 lying on the ground1 not guarding against night chills1 neglect of damp clothes1 and want of variety in articles of diet1 are the fruitful sources of disease4 ,he would recommend them to get potatoes1 beef1 onions1 preserved fish and things called luxuries as often as they can4 ,a filter in the dry season is invaluable2 as bad water produces dysentery4 ,in attacks of diarrha and dysentery1 much mischief is done by persisting in the use of soda-damper and fat mutton2 broths1 arrowroot and leavened bread ought then only to be taken4 ,dr4 ,tracy would1 also1 recommend that a store at the diggings be allowed to sell port wine for strictly medicinal purposes1 upon orders from medical men1 as at present the sick can only obtain this stimulant by sanctioning the sly grog shops1 at which1 too1 a bad article is sold at an exorbitant price4 ,,moral ,,state ,,of ,,the ,,diggings4 ,the moral state of the ,diggings1 and the moral effect of the gold discovery1 are subjects of deep interest to every well regulated mind4 ,it is but natural to suppose that1 amidst the extraordinary excitements of these times1 there should not be great progression in social virtues and refinement4 ,it is equally natural to imagine that1 among a community of men1 out of the pale of civilized life1 removed from restraint1 surrounded by degrading and deteriorating influences1 and constantly excited by the very character of their occupation1 there would be found much that is repulsive and much that is condemnable4 ,at the same time ,i must confess1 that residence at different parts of the gold region1 and continual enquiry and observation1 have satisfied me that what is commonly called open crime does not exist there to a greater extent than in towns1 if at all to so great an extent4 ,life and property ,i believe to be as safe there as in town1 if not safer4 ,even as to coarseness and incivility1 in all my wanderings there1 ,i never experienced any conduct but courtesy and kindness4 ,there were by no means the absorbing selfishness1 and the disposition to triumph over the educated1 which had been represented to me2 on the contrary1 acts of obliging good nature proceeded even from the roughest of ,tasmania's rough ones4 ,i simply speak as ,i found4 ,then as to treatment of females2 ,i never heard of an outrage or of an incivility4 ,women seemed to be tabooed at the diggings2 and however a man may regret taking a wife there on account of the discomforts of such a home1 he need be under no apprehension of the safety of her person or her feelings4 ,the manner in which ,sunday is observed1 is highly creditable to the district4 ,the utter desertion of the holes and washing stations1 the quietude and propriety of the tentwalks1 and the readiness with which a congregation is collected1 whenever any person could be found who had benevolence and zeal enough to shew an interest in the religious welfare of the poor miner1 present very pleasing features to the visitor4 ,only upon one instance did ,i observe tossing on a ,sunday4 ,never did ,i hear of an instance of interruption of divine worship1 nor even of private religious meetings4 ,with no ordinary feelings of pleasure have ,i heard in the calmness of a ,sunday evening1 voices from several tents mingling in sacred harmony4 ,stopping for a night on ,campbell's ,creek1 ,i was delighted with the sounds of psalmody proceeding from an opposite tent4 ,several favorite airs were sung1 and the several parts well maintained4 ,all at once a company near struck up a song4 ,immediately loud cries issued from the neighbouring tents of 8lay down1 lay down40 ,the revellers yielded to the pressure from without1 and again the sweet notes of praise to ,jehovah resounded through the quiet glen4 ,all this is the bright side of the picture4 ,the reverse is not so pleasing4 ,swearing is an almost all prevailing vice4 ,the recklessness begotten by the wild and uncomfortable life1 induces this licentiousness of speech4 ,that kind of existence1 also1 is peculiarly antagonistic to habits of reading and reflection4 ,no retirement is to be found in the tent4 ,fatigue indisposes one for mental exertion1 and there is not the great incentive to reading--a wish to please4 ,the evening's talk is about the work of the day1 the probability of success1 arrangement for future labor1 and1 too often1 some coarse and spicy anecdote to sustain that excitement of spirit natural to men4 ,no woman's soft voice is there to soothe and to refine4 ,under no circumstances could ,i have known better the moral influence of woman in the element of civilization1 than in a sojourn at the gold fields4 ,the filth1 the disorder1 the domestic misery give place at the presence of a female to cleanliness1 regularity and comfort4 ,when ,i passed a tent in which there was a swept floor1 a bit of furniture1 nicely washed plates1 bright pannicans1 a sheet to the bed with a clean counterpane over1 with here and there a sack or piece of old carpet laid down1 ,i knew that the genial influence of woman had been there4 ,a man once alluding to his home under these circumstances said to me1 8you can't tell how comfortable we are40 ,there was a pretty sight to be witnessed at ,bendigo2 a young1 and not an ugly wife1 standing under the green bough porch of her tent1 playing with a pair of beautiful canaries in a cage4 ,the lovers of order and the friends of humanity must surely rejoice at the noble stand taken by the government1 to sanction no sale of alcoholic drinks at the ,diggings4 ,the miners themselves too well appreciate the security and peace this gives1 ever to desire a change of the system4 ,true it is that tents still exist as 8,sly ,grogshops10 and true it is1 also1 that scenes of riot and bloodshed are only to be found in their vicinity4 ,men1 otherwise agreeable mates and quiet neighbours1 become under the influence of drink1 tumultuous and quarrelsome4 ,the destruction of those nests of crime at ,friar's ,creek1 soon made ,murderer's ,flat and ,choke'em ,gully associated only with the history of the past4 ,many parties before going up1 make agreement to be ,total ,abstainers while at the ,diggings4 ,one prominent and most common evil to be apprehended from the diggings1 is the sense of degradation induced by the uncomfortable and often disgusting associations of the place4 ,even gentlemen of refinement and education have been so oppressed by the circumstances around them1 as to become reckless of their personal appearance1 and even their language and demeanour4 ,they have sunk to a level with the mass about them4 ,this loss of self-respect is the precursor of a deterioration of moral feeling4 ,the same causes operate in producing disunion of parties4 ,always together1 and always in contact with the same irritating circumstances1 they sometimes lead the life of ,kilkenny ,cats1 which are said to be eternally devouring one another4 ,a very sensible digger made the following judicious observations to a new party he had formed4 8,now0 said he 8we shall have hardships1 and we are sure to lose our temper2 when this happens1 let us lay it to the circumstances and not to each other40 ,the effect of this life upon youths is most disastrous1 and many parents may have to rue the day they suffered them to leave their homes of comfort and of moral control4 ,the condition of children at the mines is to be particularly regretted4 ,exposed to scenes with which their young eyes ought not to be conversant1 knowing little of the sweets and privacy of a well ordered household1 with no means of daily instruction at hand1 and with no ,sabbath bells to call them to the place of prayer1 they fall into habits which materially and sadly affect their future course4 ,it is not impracticable to have even ,itinerant ,government ,schools at the ,diggings for the young2 it is not impracticable1 and it would be highly desirable1 to establish good circulating libraries1 of light and useful1 but not trashy1 books for the adults4 ,could nothing more be done for the moral and religious welfare of the poor diggers8 ,the ,bishop of ,melbourne1 while ,i was up there1 made an earnest appeal to the miners at ,bendigo to get a church erected before the wet season came on4 ,but it is comparatively of little use urging this duty upon men who know that they are to leave next week4 ,it is a deeply interesting sight to witness a number of rough1 unshorn1 and toil worn men assemble around some spreading gum tree in the wilderness1 in the newly trodden gold fields1 desiring to worship the ,god of their fathers with their brethren of a kindred faith4 ,how pleasing1 and yet how sad the emotions which rise in the breast during such an exercise6 ,we love to think of that ,house of ,prayer now distant from us1 and of that dear company with whom we met to worship4 ,visions of sweet home appear1 and each familiar countenance passes in review4 ,and then we are anxious and concerned about the friends we left behind us4 ,a tear starts in the eye at the thought of a wife or darling little one4 ,it is well if we then can feel that a ,father above is watching our absent home4 ,the moral effects of the ,diggings is an important subject4 ,we may and do regret the debauchery and extravagance consequent upon the sudden accumulation of wealth1--the interruption to the regular course of business1--the indisposition of the miner1 whether successful or unsuccessful1 to resume his accustomed occupation in the field or in the workshop1--the absorbing thought of gain among all classes1--the neglect of literature1 and the indifference to religion4 ,but there is a serious social evil which is too often lost sight of2--the breaking up of families4 ,how many a bitter tear1 and how much domestic trouble have the ,gold ,fields occasioned4 ,wives separated from husbands1 and children far away from the care of fathers4 ,the object of love in a happy home has a stranger to close his eyes of death4 ,some there are of whom no tidings arrive4 ,the depths of the forest alone can reveal the sad tale4 ,one evening1 coming down from the ,bendigo1 ,i encamped near a party also returning to town4 ,some children playing about drew my attention4 ,falling into conversation with the mother ,i learnt the following story4 ,her husband1 a ,burra miner1 had gone to ,mount ,alexander4 ,having sent for his wife1 she proceeded with her family overland4 ,after this trying journey1 she arrived only to hear of the death of her partner4 8,when dying in the hospital0 said she1 8the children lay heavy upon him2 he was always calling out for them40 ,and that man was buried without a follower in the graveyard of strangers4 ,there are not wanting pleasing moral features of the ,diggings4 ,at the same time we must bear in mind1 that in this our embryonic state as a ,golden ,land1 we see the first fruits only of disorganization2 by and by we may1 if we use proper means1 witness happier effects4 ,it is highly gratifying to observe many who had been honestly contending with pecuniary difficulties become by a visit to the mines freed from debt and care4 ,many such have quietly returned to their bush homesteads1 and are now busy in preparing for the ,golden grain4 ,as friends of progress we may congratulate ourselves upon the development of the ,anti-feudal element4 ,in spite of the confusion of the times1 and the dissipation of lucky diggers1 we must feel proud to live in a time when the sons of toil1 without bidding or control1 may realise the means of competency4 ,it is to be hoped that such persons will let their children be benefitted by this change1 in the improvement of their education4 ,this is preeminently the occasion1 when true patriots and philanthropists should awake to an earnest feeling of the moral wants of the times1 and when they should in stern resolve prepare at once to do their duty4 ,the future condition of our colony1 and its influence upon the safety1 comfort1 and happiness of our own homes1 greatly depend upon the efforts of the few and the unselfish1 amidst the whirl of excitement and the rush for wealth4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,diggings4 ,sir ,r4 ,murchison1 from observations at the ,ural gold diggings1 and his knowledge of the geology of ,new ,south ,wales1 concluded that in our eastern ridge the treasure would be found4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,b4 ,clarke of ,sydney1 some years ago made a similar announcement1 and in fact discovered gold in the valley of the ,macquarie4 ,mr4 ,edward ,hammond ,hargraves arrived in ,australia from ,california1 resolving to find a gold field in our adopted land4 ,on the #abth of ,february1 #ahea1 he sighted the favored locality4 ,disappointed in his application for #ejj bonus from government1 he at length threw himself upon the liberality of the authorities1 and made known the lucky spots on ,april #cjth4 ,the ,government geologist reported favorably of the discovery1 and ,mr4 ,hargraves afterwards received #ejj and an appointment of ,commissioner of ,crown ,lands4 ,the first party of diggers left ,bathurst on ,may #fth4 ,the scene of labor was ,ophir1 at the junction of the ,summerhill ,creek with the ,lewis' ,ponds ,creek1 near the river ,macquarie1 and #cj miles from ,bathurst4 ,the ,turon became known ,june #afth1 and ,louisa ,creek the month after4 ,the metal is now known to exist more or less from the ,manero ,plains to ,moreton ,bay4 ,the ,bathurst gold was found alloyed with silver in the proportion of #cj grains to an ounce4 ,platina and the precious stones are also found4 ,the ,port ,phillip people were alarmed at the good fortune of their neighbours4 ,a gold committee offered a reward for the discovery of a gold field here4 ,it was known that the precious material had been seen4 ,the ,clunes diggings were announced on ,july #hth1 #ahea4 ,they were on ,deep ,creek1 a tributary of the ,loddon1 #ajj miles to the west of ,melbourne4 ,the ,buninyong followed in ,august #ith1 being #be miles nearer our capital4 ,but the great revelation was made at ,ballarat1 on ,september #hth1 which was #ge miles from ,melbourne and #ed from ,geelong4 ,on ,september #agth1 the press declared that 8,geelong is mad1 stark staring gold mad40 ,the following 8symptoms of insanity created some amusement at the time3--0 #a4 ,rising early and proceeding to the creek1 pulling the stones about1 and washing the sand and gravel1 then placing it in a box resembling a cradle1 imagining the stones and sand to be a child of earth with golden hair2 rocking the child to sleep2 then taking the mud and gravel out1 and putting it into an expecting dish1 mixing it with water and shaking it1 all the while looking at the slush with the fondest solicitude for its safety2 ultimately throwing it away with disgust1 and assuming the appearance of intense disappointment4 #b4 ,repeating the above strange proceeding day by day4 #c4 ,troubled sleep at night1 with frightful dreams of being pelted by ,midas with lumps of gold1 upwards of #ajf lbs weight1 and being unable to pick them up1 or of smaller nuggets sticking anywhere1 but in your breeches pocket48 ,the wonderful ,mount ,alexander diggings were visited in ,september #ajth4 ,bendigo followed soon after1 but remained for a time in obscurity4 ,the ,jim ,crow range diggings near the ,loddon have recently attracted attention4 ,the following licenses were taken out at ,ballarat2 in ,september #ecb1 ,october #bbfa1 ,november #hhe4 ,at ,mount ,alexander there were in ,october #bba1 in ,november #dfgh4 ,the number of late on the ground has ranged from #cj1jjj to #ej1jjj4 ,what will be the number on the return of the ,colonial emigration in ,spring1 and on the advent of the ,english gold diggers8 ,it is not easy to calculate the produce of the mines4 ,in ,august last we exported #ah ounces1 and for ,july it rose to #ahj1jjj ounces4 ,the escort is no criterion1 as many men convey their gold to town themselves4 ,the amount raised in #bd years from the only paying ,english gold mine in ,south ,america was worth #a1cjj1jjj4 ,only a few years ago the total value of the world's gold was estimated at nine millions a year4 ,now ,russia produces four millions and ,california above a dozen millions annually4 ,australia is eagerly competing with the ,american ,el ,dorado1 and it is thought that in ,victoria alone the yield for #aheb will very nearly equal that of ,california1 if not exceed it4 ,but how long are our ,gold ,fields to last8 ,some will talk of hundreds of years at the present amount4 ,this is impossible4 ,it is highly improbable that as they are now wrought they will continue twenty years4 ,but even should they continue as briskly as ever for four or five years more1 this colony will be placed upon a very comfortable footing4 ,even when the scrambling and wasteful diggings are over1 and the lottery runs out1 it will be discovered that judicious and systematic working of places not paying now1 and even going over the old claims again1 will in the hands of gold companies profitably employ a large population at excellent wages1 or furnish individual miners a most respectable maintenance4 ,having then no fears of the future1 we can with joyful voice exclaim1 8,advance1 ,victoria40 99 99 99 99 99 ,a few stories were given as connected with the discovery of certain gold localities4 ,a shepherd was the first who brought gold to ,melbourne from the ,pyrenees4 ,a boy at one of ,dr4 ,barker's huts1 ,mount ,alexander1 is said to have brought in some shining stuff which he had found to his father1 and that originated a gold field4 ,gold districts have been made known by holes being dug for posts4 ,a horse's hoof1 or the wheel of a dray1 unfolds to view a glittering lump4 ,a bullock driver spied a nugget at the foot of a tree2 he scratched up a handful of beauties1 and the gully was soon known as the rich ,eagle ,hawk4 ,the celebrated ,peg ,leg ,gully yielded its gold through the surfacing of a man whose wooden legs forbade him sinking4 ,part of ,friar's ,creek became an ,ophir through some passing shearers who washed some of its sands in a tin plate4 ,golden ,gully1 near there1 gave up its hidden wealth through a man idly pulling up a root of grass1 under which was a lovely nest of nuggets4 ,mr4 ,gibson is said to have been scratching with his knife on the banks of the ,bendigo1 and accidentally turned up a piece of gold4 ,telling his men1 they feasted awhile by themselves upon this dainty repast4 ,but ,i had another story given me1 which ,i must tell1 although conscious that there is a fearful scandal in it4 ,mr4 ,gibson's shepherd there told his wife privately of the treasure4 ,she told it in the strictest confidence of secresy to another woman1 who conferred a similar favour upon a female neighbour of hers1 who might in the fulness of her heart have bound a friend in the same ties of anti-revelation1 and so it went on1 ,i suppose1 till a man knew it1 for it soon got blazed about far and near4 ,,geology ,,of ,,the ,,diggings4 ,when a man of observation walks over the ,gold ,fields1 his attention is arrested by the following facts4 #a4 ,the prevalent rocks are observed to be of a crystalline1 or what is called igneous1 character2 as1 granites of all varieties1 quartz1 mica1 slate1 felspar1 sienite c4 ,some felspar is seen decomposed into a soft white finger-staining mineral1 or into fine porcelain clay4 ,at the 8,gap0 of the river ,macquarie the sienite is flanked by precipitous silicious slates4 ,the ,mount ,alexander range is of a granitic character1 and the beds of the streams running from it1 on the ,bendigo road1 are filled with huge boulders of granite on a granite floor1 containing parallel veins of crystallized felspar1 having usually a north and south direction4 ,no detritus of other rocks is found on the granite by the 8,porcupine40 ,some of the rocks bear fantastic resemblance to ,beehives1 ,logan stones1 and ,scandinavian ,tumuli4 ,granite is the bed of the ,macquarie at ,bathurst1 and the base of the ,mullion range1 near which were the first diggings of ,new ,south ,wales4 ,the quartz is of all kinds2 black1 white1 yellow1 pink1 green1 red1 spotted1 streaked1 mosaic1 porous1 fibrous1 clinker like1 and crystallized4 ,carbon makes it black2 copper or chlorine1 green2 oxide of iron1 red or brown2 manganese1 rose colour4 ,the crystals are hexaedron pyramids1 single or double1 of different sizes and degrees of transparency4 ,some rise from the surface like wedges1 having a singular appearance4 ,the prisms are triangular1 quadrilateral or pentagonal2 some crystals have others attached to their sides4 ,veins of black quartz are observed with the centre very vesicular4 ,carious quartz1 or swimming stone1 is not common4 ,the granulated quartz or grindstone schist has often minute transparent crystals in cavities4 ,from a hole in ,golden ,gully1 ,bendigo1 ,i obtained a specimen of soft sandstone1 with most exquisitely beautiful veins of crystallized quartz running in all directions4 #b4 ,the ,crystalline rocks are observed gradually changing into what is called the ,sedimentary rocks1 as slates4 ,such a transition from the crystalline to the laminated form is by insensible degrees4 ,the experience of the miner is often opposed to the theories of geologists4 ,he cannot help noticing the different kinds of slates1 as presenting proof of their being transmutations of1 or some among the many kinds of developement in1 crystalline rocks4 ,there are slates as amorphous looking as any ,huttonian can desire4 ,others are so silicious1 as to be denominated by the ,new ,south ,wales geologists1 ,quartzites4 ,on the ,bell's creek the clay slate changes into jasper4 ,the chlorite slate of ,ophir is so full of quartz veins1 and dykes and bosses of quartz1 as to be called by ,sir ,t4 ,l4 ,mitchell1 ,quartz iferons schist4 ,instances are numerous of slate with embedded quartz1 and quartz entangling slate4 ,at the cathedral rock1 near ,specimen ,hill1 ,bendigo1 numerous veins of chlorite slate are seen running unharmed and unchanged amidst that huge block of so called1 igneous rock4 ,the same specimen of quartz has exhibited in different parts not only different colours1 but the clinker1 the calcined1 and the transparent conditions4 ,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,b4 ,clarke1 of ,sydney1 hints at the probability of quartz1 greenstone1 basalt1 and slates1 by the influence of segregation1 chemical affinity1 galvanic or other forces1 being 8derived from the same original source1 and indefinitely varied in the order of their arrangements and relations to each other at different intervals40 ,mr4 ,clarke's observations on the ,diggings' ground1 would seem rather to have confounded his geological creed4 ,the absence of ordinary stratification1 even in the holes1 is a remarkable feature4 ,the character of stuff through which we have to go on the tops of hills resembles that in the gullies4 ,though much of the soil bears evidence of diluvial action1 yet a considerable portion clearly results from the decomposition of the rocks near4 ,the great irregularity of mineral beds in the holes1 no two holes being alike1 would not present the idea of gentle depositions1 nor are we warranted to assume volcanic dislocation4 ,such fantastic changes in the order and depths of these mineral beds1 were compared by a diggings' friend to the alternations of the eight notes of music in different bars4 ,our slates in ,victoria are elongated1 amorphous1 crystalline1 contorted1 laminated1 with or without cleavage1 red1 brown1 white1 blue1 and chocolate color4 ,some are very talcose and soapy4 ,in others grains or streaks like rainbows are seen4 ,mundic or ,iron pyrites' crystals are found in dark1 friable1 unctious slate of ,forest creek4 ,at ,miles' creek1 ,bendigo1 are fine curvillinial lines in red slates4 ,near the old square1 ,forest creek1 and beside ,fryer's creek is some splendid blue book slate1 resembling the leaves of a book4 ,the cleavage of the slates is evidently made by magnetic agency4 ,sometimes1 as at ,bendigo1 the cleavage planes preserve a true parallelism while passing through contorted hard slate4 #c4 ,the rocks of the diggings are observed in successive bands of various colors and compositions with a great vertical inclination4 ,this is the same as in other gold countries4 ,intelligent miners are much struck with this fact of rock succeeding rock over a country side by side1 and all with a perpendicular direction4 ,the slate has some odd changes of position1 influenced doubtless by local disturbances4 ,on the road from ,bendigo to ,bullock creek1 the rock may be seen in one place dipping #hj to the east1 a little further #hj to the west1 then #aj to the west1 c4 ,in ,iron bark gully ,i noticed in a square yard of space the following different position1 in some blue roofing slate2 #de to ,n ,e1 #cj to ,es #gj to ,n4 ,the ,pipe clay1 which1 being silicate of alumina1 is decomposed from siliceous slates and granites1 has1 like the neighbouring rocks1 this same vertical inclination4 #d4 ,the ridges of rocks are observed to run nearly in a ,north and ,south direction4 ,this is the same as in all gold countries1 and establishes the theory of terrestrial magnetic agency4 #e4 ,there is a remarkable abundance of iron4 ,crystals of iron pyrites are common4 ,the carburet of iron or emery1 like iron sand1 is always associated with gold4 ,oxydulous masses of iron form a precipitous waterfall of #fj feet near ,oaky ,creek1 ,new ,south ,wales4 ,ferruginous1 or iron bearing1 conglomerate1 overhangs the river at ,ophir4 ,auriferous bands of argillaceous iron ore traverse the limestone of ,bungonia4 ,large nodules of peroxide of iron1 and magnetic iron ore of all kinds1 are taken out of our ,victoria ,diggings4 ,the burnt stuff1 or burnt quartz of the miners1 is a ferruginous cement binding quartz pebbles4 ,there is no need of referring this compound to volcanic or electric fire4 ,chemical action with moisture will make any mixture hard enough4 ,roman cement when dried is not very soft4 ,in the ,ballarat holes the 8,burnt ,quartz0 has been found ten feet thick2 it is less at the ,mount1 and less still at ,bendigo1 though on some ,bendigo hills it occurs six or eight feet4 #f4 ,the ,gold is found in positions where there is a transition from the ordinary crystalline rocks to those of the sedimentary character4 ,this remark leads us at once to the interesting and debated subject of the 8,,origin ,,of ,,gold40 ,some say that the gold of our gullies and hills is washed down from a matrix or source1--that is from certain golden lodes in a mountain4 ,others affirm that a volcano once burst forth and showered gold instead of cinders1 and they direct us to the shot like appearance of nuggets4 ,it is believed1 also1 that mica is the mother of ,gold4 ,without doubt some is washed down by rivers1 and more was deposited by ancient floods when covering the whole country1 but a large amount is found in situ as it always had been4 ,it is assuredly a fact noticed in all auriferous countries1 that the gold is seen in positions where the sedimentary looking rocks come in contact with the so called igneous rocks4 ,it is also1 always found associated with iron1 and commonly in the decomposition of rocks4 ,it is in auriferous sulphuret of iron in ,chili2 ochreous decomposed silicious rock1 adhering to specular iron1 in ,columbia2 ferruginous sands in the ,niger2 decomposed reddish granite in ,thibet2 honeycomb quartz and rotten slate in ,virginia2 black peroxide of iron in ,ceylon2 pyrites in decomposed felspar in ,hungary2 sulphuret of iron in quartz in ,france2 ferruginous clay slate in ,granada2 with iron of all kinds in ,wieklow2 decomposed crystalline rock with iron pyrites in the ,ural2 so in ,california1 so in ,australia4 ,it would appear1 then1 that the gold was the produce of certain changes in certain rocks4 ,the formation of crystals is somewhat analogous4 ,the wall of a mine previously bare is seen gradually to get covered with crystals4 ,even crystals of iron pyrites are so produced1 and are known by miners as 8,young ,mundic40 ,there must be1 then1 constant activity going on in the apparently inert mass of mineral matter4 ,there is no rest in creation4 ,the heavens above us speak of eternal movement4 ,the animal and vegetable kingdoms reveal an incessant round of change4 ,and now the dull rock unfolds to us the existence of motions and transformations that know no stay4 ,there may be death upon the earth1 there can be none beneath4 ,we sweep off crystals only to make way for more4 ,and may it not be so with metals in general8 ,we may not know the particular elements and circumstances necessary for the formation of the yellow treasure1 but some approximate conception may be gained by observation4 ,if crystals are the flowers of the earth beneath1 metals are unquestionably mineral trees in gradual development1 and dependent upon certain acids1 alkalies1 and other materials1 for sources of their transformations4 ,moisture seems essential for these chemical changes4 ,the production of gold is observed to take place chiefly towards the surface1 though at a considerable depth in the compact rock very minute particles may be detected4 ,when the crystalline rock disintegrates1 iron sand is developed and accumulated4 ,mr4 ,hopkins1 of the ,port ,phillip ,gold ,company1 the ablest practical mining geologist of the day1 and who calls clay slate 8oxidated crust of granite10 observes1 that it is 8within the limits of this transition of the crystalline base into the oxydated compound that the minerals become principally developed in veins1 c40 ,an interesting illustration of this is afforded at ,specimen ,hill1 ,bendigo1 where the metal lies between the quartz and the slate4 ,again1 at ,clunes1 the fissures in the quartz are filled with greasy red earth1 highly impregnated with iron1 and in this was the gold4 ,sir ,t4 ,l4 ,mitchell1 in his most interesting report1 tells us1 that the gold of ,summerhill ,creek was 8in incrementitious portions and separate increments of quartzose crystals40 ,in fact1 the metal is often detected in considerable masses in the solid rock apart from any veins1 which could not be1 unless formed in the very place4 ,it is not often1 however1 that a lump of #ajflbs1 as at ,louisa ,creek1 is found thus detached4 ,our ,gold deposits of ,victoria1 then1 are not the products of washings from distant rocks1 but of certain friable metalliferous rocks1 which gradually wearing away unfold their treasures2 and the gold itself is a sort of crystallization or growth in ferruginous crystalline formations1 acting under regular1 though at present unknown laws4 ,our rocks are at this moment producing gold4 ,the metal is found on the tops of hills and in all possible situations4 ,we never are sure where to drop on it4 ,all we see is that where it is1 there it is4 ,in some gullies the sides of the hills are not favorable2 in others they are4 ,long ,gully1 ,bendigo1 received a return of visitors1 after being wrought out1 to have the hills ransacked4 ,then1 with regard to the ,pipe clay1 the gold is in it1 on it1 or under it1 according to the locality2 that is1 according to the period when the metal was formed1 and rolled off from the parent rock1 whether before1 or after1 or during the development of the decomposed felspar4 ,some men who came down to pipe clay in a certain gully found no gold1 and retired4 ,another party pierced through the white floor1 and brought up the wealth4 ,in ,californian gully more than six feet of it contained gold4 ,the pipe clay varies much in depth1 from an inch to forty feet4 ,occasionally1 as in the shallow1 lucky1 holes of ,peg ,leg ,gully1 there is no pipe clay at all4 ,the character of the gold changes according to the locality in which the transmuting agency has been more or less active4 ,the lumps1 however1 are not larger in proportion to proximity to some matrix1 as supposed1 or when nearer to the volcano1 which others think threw out the lovely1 weighty1 cinders4 ,notwithstanding all this uncertainty which exists as to the whereabouts of gold1 ,i believe that with the progress of science it will be quite possible at once to know the precise place in which to discover the hidden beauties4 ,o the delicious yellow crystals6 ,who does not love to view them1 whether in the form of fibres1 scales1 or nuggets6 ,the poet well may sing2 ,or 'midst the darksome wonders ,which earth's vast caves conceal1 ,where subterranean thunders ,the miner's path reveal2 ,where bright in matchless lustre1 ,the lithal flowers 7crystals7 unfold1 ,and 'midst the beauteous cluster1 ,beams efflorescent ,gold4 ,,advertisement4 ,,notice ,,to ,,gold ,,diggers4 ,mr4 ,,connebee ,publisher1 #agd ,elizabeth-street1 in directing attention to ,mr4 ,bonwick's judicious suggestion1 in page #d1 of the preceding work--8,take up with you a few choice books because you should be prepared to keep up your intellectual position0--begs to inform ,gold ,diggers1 and others1 about to visit our mines1 that he has procured from ,london and ,sydney for their especial use1 pocket editions of almost all our eminent authors1 and that he has several thousand volumes now on sale at his ,establishment1 exactly adapted for those who desire to obtain valuable information or rational recreation1 compressed in the smallest possible compass4 ,mr4 ,c's ,catalogue of ,new ,works may be obtained gratis at #agd ,elizabeth-street4 ,transcriber's ,note ,errors in the text have been corrected where they can be reasonably attributed to the printer or editor1 or where the same word appears as expected elsewhere4 ,inconsistencies in punctuation or the spacing of characters have been resolved with no further notice4