PORT PHILLIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 53, 22 May 1852, Page 3

PORT PHILLIP.

MOUNT ALEXANDER. There are now more than 30,000 adventurers congregated here and along the principal creeks; the Loddon is losing its lucky attractions every day, and has, in my opinion, given occasion to no little exaggeration. That river, however, continues to be used for washing purposes by a large number of persons, who cart the dug up soil from other localities to the water's edge, and are in many instances repaid for their labour. The chief locales of industry are along the banks of Forrest, Friar's, and the Bendigo creeks; some very profitable prize* have lately turned up at the latter. I was speaking with one of a party yesterday, who satisfied me that their gains whilst at work averaged £40 worth of gold each week since Christmas ; they considered themselves rather ;

fortunate, an opinion in which I fully concur, as there are hundreds of others not clearing expenses; in fact, I know several parties literally doing nothing. Two instances of most extraordinary industry, but ill luck, have come under my cognizance— one in a party of Van Diemonians, who have sunk no less than ten holes without obtaining the smallest particle of gold as a reward of their toil ; the other, a party from Melbourne, who have just cleaned out the twelfth hole with a similar proportion of lucklessness. It is a difficult mattfir to estimate with any degree of accuracy any average of success, as Fortune, the blind and changing goddess, has probably since the commencement of her career never displayed so much capriciousness as in the apportionment of luck (good or bad) at our gold fields. The individual cases of success (even the best of them) fall far short of the notions of many people ; and as a rule I should say that such sums as £700, £500, £400, £300, £200 per man, may be reckoned as the luckier prizes in the great goldhunting lottery, and few there are, comparatively speaking, and fortunate do they consider themselves, who, after paying all expenses, pocket such sums, lam firmly convinced that misrepresentation and a desire to exaggerate every "nugget" turned up prevails here, and ■whilst the party who leave with their 101b., 1 5 lb., or 20 lb. weight of gold have their success bruited far to the admiring and envying crowds about them, those who after weeks of the most harassing labour and the most excruciating mental excitement realise not a single grain are allowed to depart in peace, " unknown, unhonoured, and unsung." Many have left, and are now leaving, intending, some to " knock down" at the nearest public house the proceeds of their expedition, others to betake themselves to their homes and respective pursuits ; but all express their determination to return when the weather sets in. The cause generally assigned now for non-success is the dry weather and consequent want of water, and, therefore, if Providence blessed us with an abundant supply of rain, nine-tenths of the diggers fondly imagine they would thereby become as rich as Croesus. My own impression (unpalatable as it may seem), nevertheless, is not that the lack of gold is occasioned by a lack of water, but that the precious metal is not so plentiful as it was when the region was first discovered ; or in other words, because, in my opinion, the Mount Alexander gold field is failing. — Correspondent of the M. M. Herald. A lump of pure gold weighing 27 lbs. S a?.. was lately dug up at Mount Alexander.