A LADY'S VISIT TO THE GOLD-DIGGINGS.'

THE leading characteristic of this volume of Australian experience and ■adventure-consists in its minute picture of daily life, from the first landing at Melbourne, till the writer, after gaining a husband as well as some gold, departed for England. Affected by the uni- versal mania, the present Mrs. Charles Claey in 1852 accompanied her-brother -to Victoria. From the capital the two departed for the Eagle Hawk Gulley ; the brother having joined in a mercantile speculation with some shipmates and others, to purchase drays and load them with -goods for the Diggings. By this means, they not only formed a -strong party en route, but made a good profit by the adventure. Of the particulars of these proceedings, as well as of their subsequent fluctuating 'fortunes in gold-seeking, Mrs. Claey gives,a description, and of sundry adventures with a touch of clanger—as "their narrow escape from bushrangers in the black forest, or of human interest—as the story of the orphan Jessie. There is also an account of the voyages to and fro, with some Colonial information at second-hand.

As 'regards novelty of 'matter there is not much in any part of the voltime ; but there is a good deal of freshness in the manner. Mrs.'Clacy looks at things with a 'feminine eye ; rather limited to externals, it is true, but they are externals that bring the reality before the mind. The material condition of Melbourne in bad weather, anti: its social and moralstate at all times—the roads to the Diggings, with the views, the inns, the company, and risks along-the roads—the appearance of the Diggings—as an Irishman woad say, the luck of them—and the modes of living there—are painted slightly, but with spirit, and in an easy readable style. From the established-state of Melbourne previously to the gold- discoveries, the -Various -classes of society which the report of the Diggings brought thither, and the element of felonry introduced by the proximity of Tan Diemen's Land, it is probable that the ,capital of Victoria exhibited, and may still exhibit, one of the most singular scenes on the face of the globe : for California was mote-consistent throughout, the whole population being better adapted to the outward circumstances. The following was the

first experience of the fair writer.

" Our.,party, on returning-to-the ship the day after our arrival, witnessed the French-leave-taking of all her crew ; who, during theubsence of the cap- tainwitemped overboard, and were quickly picked up and landed, by the- en- nowt bats about. -This desertion of the ships by the sailors is an everyday c'oolurelloe; the Diggings themselves, or the large amount they could obtain .1111dW.Visit to the old,Dtgings of Auattalia, In l$52-'53. Written on the Spot. 'y lite:Oharles &eq. Published brifurit andlilackett.

_ for the run home from another master, offer toomany temptations. Conse- quently, our passengers had the amusement of hauling up from the hold their different goods and chattels; and so greatwae the confusion, that fully a week elapsed before they were all got to shore. Meanwhile, we were:get- ting initiated into Colonial prices—moneydid indeed take to itself wingsand fly away. Fire-arms were at a premium : one instance will -suffice—my brother sold a six-barrelled revolver for which he had given sixty shillings at Baker's in Fleet Street, for sixteen.pounds, and the parting with it at that price was looked upon as a great favour. Imagine boots, and they very second-rate ones, at four pounds a pair. One of our between-sleek passengers who had speculated with a small capital of forty pounds in boots and cutlery, told me afterwards that he had disposed of them the-same evening he had landed, at a net profit of ninety pounds—no trifling addition to a poorman'a purse. Labour was at a very high price ; carpenters, boot and shoemakers, Milers, wheelwrights, joiners, smiths, glaziers, and in fact all useful trades, were earning from twenty to thirty shillings a day—the very men working on the roads could get eleven shillings per diem ; and many a gentleman in this disarranged state of affairs was glad to fling old habits aside and turn his hand to whatever came readiest. I knew one in particular, whose bro- ther is at this moment serving as colonel in the army in-India, a man more fitted for a gay London life than a residence-in the Colonies. The Diggings were too dirty and uncivilized for his taste; his capital was quickly dwind- ling away beneath the expenses of the comfortable life be led at one of the best hotels in town ; so he turned to what as a boy he had learnt for amuse- ment, and obtained an addition to his income of more than four hundred pounds a year as house-carpenter. In the morning you might see him trudging off to hie work, and before night might meet him at some ball or soiree among the-elite of Melbourne."

These are some of the street scenes that greet the new arrivaL

"You may see, and hear too, some thoroughly Colonial scenes in the streets. Once, in the middle of the day, when passing up Elizabeth-Street, I heard the unmistakeable sound of a mob behind ; and as it was gaining upon me, rturned into the enclosed ground in front of the Roman Catholic cathedral, to keep out of the way of the crowd. A man bed been taken up for horse-stealing, and a rare ruffianly set of both sexes were following the prisoner and the two policemen who had him in charge. 'If but six of ye were of my mind,' shouted one, it's this moment you'd release him.' The crowd took the hint, and to it they set with right-good will, yelling, swear- ing, and pushing, with awful violence. The owner of the stolen horse got up a counter-demonstration, and every lbw yards the procession was delayed by a trial of strength between the two parties. Ultimately the police con- quered; but this is not always the case, and often lives are lost and limbs broken in the struggle, so weak is the force maintained by the Colonial Go- vernment for the preservation of order. "Another day, when pleasing the post-Office, a-regular Tropical-shower of rain came on rather suddenly,-and I hastened up to the-platform-for shelter. As I stood there, looking out into Great Bourke Street, a-man, and, I sup- pose, his wife, paned by. He had a letter in his hand for the post; but as the pathway to the receiving-box 'looked very muddy, he.-made his com- panion takeit to the box, whilst he himself, from beneath his umbrella, complacently watched her getting wet through. 'Colonial politeness,' thought I, as the happy couple walked on.

"Sometimes a jovial wedding-party conies dashing through the streets: there they go, the bridegroom with one arm round his lady's waist, the other raising a champagne-bottle to his lips : the-gay vehicles that follow contain company even more unrestrained, and from them noisier demonstra- tions of merriment may be heard. These diggers' weddings are all the rage; and bridal veils, -white kid gloves, and, above all, orange blossoms, are gene- rally most difficult to procure at any price.

"At times, you may see men, half-mad, throwing-sovereigns, like half- pence, out of their pockets into the streets; and I onee saw a digger, who was looking over a large quantity of bank-notes, deliberately tear to pieces and trample in the mud under his feet every soiled or ragged one he came to ; swearing all the time at the gold-brokers for 'giving him dirty-paper- money for pure Alexander gold: he wouldu't carry dirt ,in thimpoeket—not be—thank God, he'd-plenty to tear up and spend too.'" We hear a good-deal-about the disorder and violence at the Dig- gings; but the new comer, who has no established business, con- nexion, or place to go to, and who-must seek an employment,* probably better oft at a -wooded digging-than at Melbourne. Prices are not higher ; he can build himself a hut, while At the capital he must pay for leave to pitch a.tent ; -he has the-means-of work before him—very hard, no doubt,.but-more exeiting, and not much 'harder than at Melbourne if he is to live by labour. The mode of life is rougher, but not•rougher-than at the city for a new corner with slender means ; and it may be doubted whether the disorder is greater. Before-Mrs. Claey-left theicolony, "fifteen men were robbed in one afternoon on-the public road-from Melbourne -to*. Kilda, and tied to trees within sight of one -another"; and riots or rescues in the streets, attended with loss. of -lith, were not =- frequent. At the Diggings, the lex. talionis established better rule. Cheating or imposition went on, but muchof that was-by "respectable "persons who victimize the. diggers.

There are several stories illustrative of the • crimes 'or hardship of Victoria ; some, .perhaps all of them, a little coloured, but-the following seems an " ower true tale." "My favourite walk, whilst in Melbourne, was-over Prince's Bridge, and along the road to Liardet's Beach; thus ,passing close to the can- vass settlement, called Little Adelaide. One day, about a week before we embarked for England, I took my accustomed walk in this direction, and as I passed the tents, was much struck by the appearance of a little girl, who, with a large pitcher in her arms, came to procure some-witer'froin a small stream beside the road. Her dress, though clean and neat, bespoke eatreene poverty ; and her countenance had a wan, sad expression upon it, -which would have touched the most indifferent beholder, and left an impression deeper even than that preduced by her extreme though delicate beauty. "I made a slight attempt at acquaintanceship by assisting to fill her pitcher, which was far too:heavy, when full of water, forgo -slight s ebi/d to carry ; and, pointing to the rise of ground on which -the tents' stood, Inquired if she lived among them.

"She nodded her head in token of anent.

" ' And have you been long here ? and do you like this new country ?' I continued, determined to hear if her voice -weeas-pleasing as her coun- tenance.

"'Nor She :answered quickly.; 'we starve hem ;There wacidesaref food When we were in England. -And them her childialereservearivingway, she spoke more fully of her troubles; and a sad thougha common tale it was. '" Some of the 'particulars I learnt afterwards. lierlather had held an. appointment under Government, and bad lived' upon the income-derived-from It forlorne-yeani, wisest he was tempted to try-and do better in the Colonies. His wife (the daughter of a clergyman, well-educated, and who before her marriage had been a governess) accompanied him with their three children. On amving in Melbourne, (which was about three months previous„) he found that situation, equal in value, according to the relative prices of food and lodging, to that which he had thrown up in England, were not so easily procured as he had been led to expect. Half desperate, he went to the Dig- gings, leaving his wife with little money, and many promises of quick re- mittances of gold by the escort. But week followed week,. and neither re- mittances nor letters came. They removed to humbler lodgings : every little article of value was gradually sold ; for, unused to bodily labour, or even to sit for hours at the needle, the deserted wife could earn but little. Then sickness came ; there were no means of paying for medical advice, and one child died. After this, step by step, they became poorer, until half a tent in Little Adelaide was the only refuge left.

"As we reached it, the little girl drew aside the canvass, and partly invited me to enter. I glanced in—it was a dismal sight. In one corner lay the mother, a blanket her only protection from the humid soil; and cowering down beside her was her other child. I could not enter ; it seemed like a heartless intrusion upon misery : so, slipping the contents of my purse (which were unfortunately only a few shillings) into the little girl's hand, I hurried away, scarcely waiting to notice the smile that thanked me so elo- quently. On arriving at home, I found that my friends were absent, and being detained by business, they did not return till after dusk ; so it was im- possible for that day to afford them any assistance. Early next morning we took a little wine and other trifling articles with us, and proceeded to Little Adelaide. On entering the tent, we found that the sorrows of the unfortu- nate mother were at an end ; privation, ill-health, and anxiety, had claimed their victim. Her husband sat beside the corpse ; and the golden nuggets, which in his despair he had flung upon the ground, formed a painful con- trast to the Beene of poverty and death.

"The first six weeks of his career at the Diggings had been most unsuc- cessful, and he had suffered as much from want as his unhappy wife. Then came a sudden change of fortune, and in two weeks more he was com- paratively rich. He hastened immediately to Melbourne, and for a whole week had sought his family in vain. At length, on the preceding evening, he found them, only in time to witness the last moments of his wife.

"Sad as this history may appear, it is not so sad as many, many others ; for often, instead of returning with gold, the digger i never heard of more."

Mrs. Clacy's advice as to emigration to Victoria does not differ from that of other writers, only it is illustrated in a more lively manner. For mechanical or hard labour there is plenty of demand ; a good workman, willing to work, will do better than at home. Clerks, shopmen, 8re., are worse off for engagements than in Lon- don, with the addition of enhanced prices for everything. An old hand gave in Mrs. Claoy's hearing a sententious test for the gold- diggers. "Every young man, before paying his passage, should take a few days' spell at well-sinking in England; if he can stand that comfortably, the Diggings won't hurt him."