Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/201

 but in the meantime the Murray is open to us, and the Black Forest is impassable to the Melbourne carriers. Bendigo, therefore, invites our trade, and is even contemplating the formation of a tramway between Maiden's Punt and the diggings to meet us."

From the "Herald" of the 4th of July, we take the following account of the Victoria Gold Circular:—

"The price during the week has been steady at 76s. per oz. for Castlemaine and Bendigo gold; 77s. 6d. for Ballarat, and 73s. 9d. per oz. standard. A considerable quantity of amalgamated gold has been melted and assayed by us, principally, however, of low quality. A parcel of Steiglitz gold has not turned out quite as well as some former assays made by us, but this may be accounted for by the quantity of other metals allowed to remain with the gold. Our friends on that field would find a very different result if more care were taken in the cleaning; at the same time saving all the waste stuff, so as to obtain by amalgamation any particles of gold that may be carried off in the process.

"A new reef has been opened at the Caledonia diggings, which promises well; but there is a very great drawback to the working of the reefs on that field, as the stuff at present has to be carted to town to be crushed, the expense of which is thereby increased to £8 per ton. Some of the Anderson's Creek quartz has lately yielded nearly 20 ozs. to the ton, samples of which we have inspected. The alluvial diggings on these fields are not prosperous.