A Lady's Visit to the Gold Diggings of Australia in 1852-53 Part 11

The Turon diggings soon followed those of Bathurst. This river flows into the Macquarie after a course of a hundred miles. Along the entire length auriferous discoveries are constantly being made, and it bids fair to last for many years to come. The gold is not found, as many erroneously suppose, so much among the sand as by digging in the soil.

It also exists in paying quant.i.ties on the sh.o.r.es and in the rive flows of the Macquarie, the Abercrombie, and Belubula rivers. Major's Creek, too, is a favourite locality, and was first made known by a prospecting woman.

According to Mr. Stutchbury's report, he found gold ALMOST WHEREVER HE TRIED FOR IT, and whilst traversing the Macquarie from Walgumballa to the Turon, he found it at EVERY place he tried. Surely Midas must, once upon a time, have taken a pleasure-trip to Australia!

The delirium of the Sydney gold-fever reached its height when it became publicly known that a piece of one hundred and six pounds weight had been disembowelled from the earth, at one time. This immense quant.i.ty was the discovery of a native, who, being excited by the universal theme of conversation, provided himself with a tomahawk, and explored the country adjacent to his employer's land. He was attracted by a glittering yellow substance on the surface of a block of quartz.

With his tomahawk he broke off a piece, which he carried home to his master, Dr. Kerr, of Wallawa. Not being able to move the ma.s.s conveniently, Dr. Kerr broke it into small fragments. The place where it was found is at the commencement of an undulating table-land, very fertile, and near to a never-failing supply of water in the Murroo Creek. It is distant about fifty miles from Bathurst, thirty from Wellington, and twenty from the nearest point of the Macquarie river.

Dr. Kerr presented the native and his brother with two flocks of sheep, two saddle-horses, a quant.i.ty of rations, a team of bullocks, and some land.

About twenty yards from the spot where this ma.s.s was found, a piece of gold called the "Brennan Nugget" was soon after discovered. It weighed three hundred and thirty-six ounces, and was sold in Sydney for more than 1,100 pounds.

But it would be useless to enter into fuller particulars of the diggings of New South Wales. Panoramas, newspapers, and serials have made them familiar to all.

Chapter XV.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, was the last formed of the three sister colonies. In 1834 an act of colonization was obtained; and land, both in town and country, sold rapidly. The colonists, however, were most unfortunately more engaged in speculating with the land, than grazing upon or tilling it; and the consequence was, that in a few years the South Australians were only saved from a famine by the unexpected arrival overland of herds and flocks from Victoria. As it was, horses and cows of a very indifferent kind were sold for more than a hundred pounds a-piece, and sheep for five pounds a head.

The discovery of the copper mines alone saved the country from ruin.

The first was the Kapunda. It was accidentally discovered by a shepherd, who picked up a piece on the surface of the ground, and showed it to his master. Pieces of copper ore may even now be found in the same way.

Next followed the far-famed Burra-Burra. In the latter mine there is a great quant.i.ty of malachite, which, when smelted, gives copper at an average of eighty-five per cent.

South Australia possesses the finest river in Australia--namely, the Murray, on which steamers will soon ply as far as five hundred miles up the country. On either side of this river is a thick and dry scrub--sometimes ten, sometimes thirty miles wide. In this scrub, manna is not unfrequently found, to the great delight of the natives, who are very fond of it. It is of a very excellent description, and in colour has a slight tendency to pink.

Adelaide itself is a well-laid out town. The streets are built in the same manner as in Sydney and Melbourne; but those in Adelaide are much wider. Many of the buildings and warehouses are highly creditable, particularly when we take the juvenile age of the colony into consideration.

Adelaide has never yet been "a transportation colony," and the society there is usually considered more RECHERCHE than in any other city in Australia. The climate is very good, and the vine flourishes as in the south of France. The princ.i.p.al export of South Australia is copper, to which may be added some wool and tallow.

The roads about are excellent, and the small farms in the neighbourhood are more in the English style than one could expect to meet with so many thousand miles away from home.

The overland route from Adelaide to Melbourne is about four hundred miles in length. In summer the road is pretty good, but in winter, a lake or swamp of twenty miles extent has to be waded through.

The scrub about South Australia is very thick, and any one may easily lose themselves in it. This has in fact often been the case, and a fearful instance of it occurred some few years ago. A young lady--the daughter of a gentleman residing near Adelaide--started out one Sunday afternoon with a book as her companion. Evening came, and she did not return, which alarmed her family, and search was made far and near--but in vain. On the fourth day, they at length discovered her lying dead at the foot of a tree. The pages of her book were covered with sentences, p.r.i.c.ked in with a pin, expressive of her sufferings and of her unavailing efforts to retrace her steps. She was only three miles from her father's house when she sank down to die of hunger, thirst, and exhaustion; and probably during the whole time of her wanderings had never exceeded that distance from her home.

The Adelaide gold-diggings began to excite attention in the months of August and September, 1852. In October the following report was made:

"Camp, Echunga, Gold-Fields, "October 2, 1852.

"Sir,

"I have the honour to state for the information of his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, that since my last report sixty licences have been issued, making a total of three hundred and fifty-six. * * * * Many families of respectability have arrived, and are now living in comfortable and commodious tents. The presence of well-dressed women and children gives to the gold-fields, apparently distinguished for decorum, security and respectability.

"From the feeling of greater security and comfort, combined with cheapness of living, all cla.s.ses of diggers are unanimous in their preference of this place to Victoria. * * * *

"The nugget of gold which I have forwarded for his Excellency's inspection, weighing about an ounce and a half, was found about seven feet below the surface.* * * *

"There are some few amongst the lately arrived who expressed dissatisfaction with the result of their labours and observations, while others, who have been working for the last month, have promptly renewed their expired licences.

(Signed) "A. J. MURRAY, "a.s.sistant Gold Commissioner.

"The Hon. the Colonial Secretary."

In the month of October several pieces of gold, weighing each half an ounce and upwards, were found, and a few of the holes that had been abandoned by inexperienced hands, when taken possession of by old diggers on the Turon or the Bendigo, were found to contain good washing stuff. The diggings were well supplied with food of every kind; and during the summer months there could be no lack of fruits and vegetables in abundance, at reasonable prices, supplied from the numerous and well-cultivated farms and gardens around. This is certainly an advantage over the diggings of Victoria or New South Wales, if gold really does exist in paying quant.i.ties; if not, all the fruit and vegetables in the world would not keep the diggers at Echunga.

The following "Lament" was circulated in Adelaide, but not one of the newspapers there would print it. They were all too anxious for the success of their diggings, to countenance any grumblers against them:

A LAMENT FOR MY THIRTY SHILLINGS, DEDICATED TO THE ECHUNGA VICTIMS,

My one pound ten! my one pound ten!

I paid as Licence Fee; Ah! cruel Bonney! pray return, That one pound ten to me.

When to Echunga diggings first I hastened up from town, Thy tent I sought with anxious care And paid the money down.

And though my folly ever since I bitterly deplore, It soothes my mind to know there were Three scores of fools before.

Then, Bonney, listen to my lay, And if you wish to thrive, Send back the money quick to me, To number sixty-five.

Who wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long, Had better to Echunga go, And not to Mount Coorong.

But as for me I like a swag, At least a little more Than what we got there in a week-- Eight pennyweights 'mongst four.

For that, of surface earth we washed Of dray loads half a score; I'll swear that cradling never seemed Such tedious work before.

To sink for gold we then commenced, With grief I must confess, 'Twas fruitless toil, although we went Down thirty feet or less.

All you who've paid your one pound ten, Are on your licence told That then you are ent.i.tled to Remove alluvial gold.

But if the alluvial gold's not there I'd like to have it proved By what ingenious process it Can ever be removed?

Then back to Bendigo I'll haste, To seek the precious ore; Although my one pound ten I fear Returns to me no more.

Yet as the boundary line I cross, My parting prayer shall be-- Ah! cruel Bonney! pray return My one pound ten to me!

ANTIGROPOLOS.

Adelaide, September 1852.

With a short extract from the "South Australian Register" of February 7, 1853, I shall conclude my remarks on the Adelaide diggings.

"THE GOLD FIELDS.--Although there is at the diggings everything to indicate gold in large quant.i.ties, none have succeeded in realizing their hopes. The majority content themselves with what they can get on Chapman's Hill and Gully, knowing that, if a fresh place is discovered, they will stand as good a chance as those who have spent months in trying to find better ground.