fifty feet wide, when surrounded on every side with malachite, red oxide, and green and blue carbonates mingled in rich confusion, the miners asked our experienced friend if he had ever seen or heard of anything like the Burra, and were evidently not in the least surprised at his energetic negative. After four or five hours' hard travel through this labyrinth we reascended, leaving still a very large portion of the mine unexamined."

The Burra Burra mine, however, though the most valuable, is not the only one which is in working order. There are several others, as the Montacute, the Murkurta, the Yattagolinga, which will all at one time or other become of great value to the colony. In one of these mines, a short time after the section on which it was situated had been purchased, while sinking a shaft in search of copper, one of the men suddenly broke in upon a vein of metal of a bright yellow colour, totally different in appearance from copper, and which was embedded in a dark chocolate-coloured earth. The vein was about two inches wide, yielding metal in the proportion of about a quarter of an ounce to an inch, and showing a tendency to enlarge in size. An analysis of this metal proved it to be gold, and although the specimen tested was simply separated from the matrix by the fingers, but

not washed or otherwise purified, it yielded ninety-four per cent. of pure gold. This was in the early part of 1846-more than six years ago; but, although the product of this discovery has not been of much practical importance, it had the effect of demonstrating that South Australia, in common with the sister colonies, possesses a share of auriferous

treasures.

The state of affairs at the present time in Adelaide, in consequence of the abundance of gold found in the neighbouring colony of Victoria, is certainly by no means pleasant. The following extract, from the circular of Messrs. J. Stebbings & Co. of Adelaide, dated February 2d, of this year, gives us a vivid impression of the present state of the colony, while it also shadows forth hopes of greater prosperity for the future:

“The excitement caused by the gold-finding among the inhabitants of this colony has been intense, nearly the whole of our labouring population having left, and those who have not yet done so, intend leaving as soon as possible. The principal part of our male adult population consisted of about 17,000 from twenty-one to forty-five years of age; and it is computed that out of this number 10,000 have left the colony within the last few months. There were from

twelve to fifteen vessels regularly laid on at Port Adelaide for passengers to the Victoria diggings, and from 1,000 to 1,500 souls were leaving the colony weekly. But few females have hitherto left, though they are now beginning to leave. Such a flood of emigration from this place is producing the most disastrous results. The average drain of specie from each of our three local banks, exclusive of the Savings Bank, is just now from 40,000l. to 50,000l. weekly. Trade is completely stagnated; the stores of the port are filled with wool, copper, tallow, &c., all waiting for shipment. Owing to the scarcity of labour, it is with the utmost difficulty anything can be put on board ship. Seamen are obtaining from 107. to 15. per month for the run to London, and many decline going to England on any terms. Freights are in consequence looking up. Should this state of things continue much longer, it will be questionable whether any ship can leave our harbour for England at all. Landed and household property have become depreciated at least 75 per cent. on their former value. Our mining and smelting interests are suffering severely; most of the men from the works of the Patent Copper Company and the Burra mines are leaving for the diggings. Burra shares have fallen from their maximum point of

2251. to 50l. per share, and will decline still further. Fortunately, out of the 15,000 bales of wool which we annually ship to England, about 12,000 of this season's clip have already gone, leaving only 3,000 bales or so to be shipped, and it will be no easy matter to get the remainder away.

"The next wool season is likely to be a trying one to the flock-owners, as their shepherds are all leaving; and we fear there will be a great falling off in the export of this staple from these colonies during the ensuing season. When we consider that Australia furnishes half of the entire quantity of wool imported into Great Britain, this is of serious consequence, and must influence the home market.

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Although gold in large quantities finds its way here from Victoria, it nearly all goes back again, owing to the determination of our banks not to allow purchasers of gold to draw against shipments of this article. The consequence is, that all the diggers who have returned to the colony, however much inclined to remain here and invest their earnings, are soon obliged to leave us again when they find that their gold-dust and nuggets have no exchangeable value with us. This has produced the most baneful effects on business. Our merchants and tradesmen have been petitioning and remonstrating with the Governor,

praying to have some kind of an assay office established, where an exchangeable value might be given to the gold, by converting it into ingots of a certain value, which would circulate as other coin. Although this petition met with a cool reception, it is now all but certain that it will be granted in some modified form; nothing else could save this colony from the verge of utter ruin-for a length of time at leastthough eventually we have little to fear but that we shall find South Australia in a better position than ever, owing to the many advantages she has over the other colonies in her mines and agricultural productions.

"All practical geologists are struck with the similarity of our auriferous indications to those of Bathurst and Mount Alexander. Probably at some future period gold will be found here in equal abundance.

"Quotations for all kinds of merchandise are nominal, with nothing doing but for actual requirements, the greater part of our usual imports being now unsaleable; and nearly all shipments coming here are transshipped to Melbourne. Although, whilst penning this, an enactment has been passed by our Legislative Council declaring gold a legal tender in this province at the rate of seventy-one shillings an ounce, still we cannot expect any improvement

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