not in that state I should have been in; for with the officers I felt valorous, talked of Cambridge and Harry Smith, and even of the Duke as "old Velly," and said, the man who could not beat little Bonaparte, or spit an American through with his sabre, was not worth the price of a keg of pickled herrings. After that, I don't recollect much further than hurrahing a good deal, and joining a chorus of

Let the toast pass, drink to the lass:

I'll warrant you'll find an excuse for the glass.

Next morning I was very bilious, and took soda-water to a great extent, and swore the only salvation for Ireland was-its immediate disfranchisement, and then handing it over, on a five years' lease, to Nicholas, Czar of Russia. Torrents of rain falling for the next two days, the town was quiet.

Hang the Cork Exhibition! To Islington immediate! What an unfortunate fatality hangs over this unfortunate country! With what fair prospects did that exhibition open! Did not the queen, and half England, intend to troop over to see Munster? A foul priest-ridden fiend stalks abroad, and overthrows the weak intentions of man! Next year, we are told, an exhibition is to be exposed in Dublin. Will it succeed? My Lord Derby (in my opinion) will be overthrown, Lord Palmerston and Sir J. Graham in power, and a fresh election—the issue, and the consequence, another series of riots. Form your own surmises. Poor Ireland! Believe me, faithfully yours,

JEREMIAH TUBBS.

No. 2.-From Tubbs, at Ballymactarbarry Castle, to Pumpkin, High-street,

Islington.

DEAR PUMPKIN,-When I wrote you my last communication, I vainly flattered myself our next should be a vocal one in the bar of the Peacock. How vain is man's proposals! Alas! no, my dear fellow. Although a free and independent subject, I am still confined to this hated land. Sad, sad doings have been enacted within the very precincts of my threshold. I think I fully explained to you in my last the nature of these aborigines Celts. They are like a herd of wild buffaloes, and go trooping, and screaming, and whirling their shellelahs about wherever their priests choose to holloa them on to-ay, be it their own destruction— as the sequel will show.

The priests this year were fully determined the Derby government should not stand. The unfortunate riot at Stockport was a handle not to be despised, and inflammatory placards, headed with-“Hell broke loose in England," containing such a tissue of lies and calumnies as none but a blind and jesuitical society could string together, was posted up in every direction; as an instance, one bill was a large wood-cut, representing a row of nuns with upstretched arms, appealing for mercy, while two priests lay on the ground apparently dead, and another was beseeching two dragoons to have pity on these holy women!! while, how much the more must every right-thinking and rational man's disgust and indignation be aroused, when he was further told, by a notice beneath, that a convent of English nuns had been handed over to gratify the licentious and lustful passions of a troop of dragoons for their bloody work on the Irish at Stockport! The poor fanatics believe ALL their priests

tell them!

It was a Thursday-the polling-day at Six-mile-bridge—that a long line of ten cars and vans, filled with voters, had to enter that town. Now let me explain to you how the soldiers were placed (as explained to me by an eye-witness). There were forty soldiers altogether; ten were placed in front of the cars, under command of an officer, and ten in the rear, under command of another officer, and the remaining twenty men were placed two-and-two to guard the ten cars, and it was upon these men the attack was made-the twos-and-twos guarding the cars. (And here, an officer informed me, was the error, as this part of the soldiering ought by rights to have been done by cavalry.) The priests excited on the people, who attacked the twos guarding the cars, and many of the voters were pulled off their cars, and a corporal had his musket broken, and himself treated in a brutal and savage manner, while the mob was about to treat others after the same Celtic fashion. Now it appears these soldiers, with their officers, had fought and conquered at Ferozeshah, Moodkee, and Aliwah, and were not likely men to see their officers and comrades treated in such a dastardly manner by a herd of creatures not one whit more civilised than a tribe of niggers. A fire was opened upon them, and it is worthy of remark that the first shot fired was by a Roman Catholic, and he shot his own cousin.* We must at all times deplore the loss of life, but in this instance it was absolutely necessary as an act of self-defence. If a mawkish sentimentality is to raise every Irish ruffian with a blunderbuss at full cock, aiming at his landlord's head from behind a " ditch," into an interesting object of pity, or every murderer who sends the "image of his Maker," unshriven, at a moment's notice, into eternity, into a zoological specimen of natural history, to be seen (by an order of a magistrate) whenever the curiosity of ladies lie in that direction,-why I then consider Feargus O'Connor quite fit for the post of King of England, and the Exeter-hall saints had better form his cabinet. The radical press and the people of Munster are entirely governed by the priests, and upon these priests' souls lie the blood of these unfortunate creatures who were shot on that day. One priest, I see by the evidence on the inquest, urged his poor fanatics to the muskets' mouths, but seeing the soldiers about to fire, wisely "dodged' down, and crawled away! Wise precaution! Another priest had his hat perforated by a Minié ball; and but that the soldier fired too high, there can be but little doubt the quasi-holy gentleman would be now disputing the gates of purgatory with Saint Peter, instead of promulgating curses against heretics. But you will really think, my dear sir, I am becoming a monster of cruelty and blood. Living and associating with men, however, whose profession leads them to slight death, my mind has, of late, become quite imbued with the impressions they have made on it, though perhaps, after all, I have only been giving you a dish of opinions which Jully's French dictionary calls "réchauffée." There is a large encampment, consisting of horse-artillery, cavalry, and infantry, under canvas, within sight of my drawing-room windows; poor fellows! they must feel the rain sadly, for, during the last month, it has come down incessantly; but it is very picturesque to see the different uniforms of the different branches of the service-the stalwart Highlanders mounting guard and keeping sentry, and the horses picketed, and the cavalry and artillery sol

* A fact.

diers mounted on duty. The inquest is now going on, and a facetious friend informs me the jury are determined to bring in a verdict of wilful murder against some one, but whether Lord Derby, Sir Edward Blakeney, or the soldiers, like all Irish juries, they are as yet undecided. I leave immediately for England, so believe me, faithfully yours,

JEREMIAH TUBBS.

No. 3.-From Miss Julia Tubbs, at Ballymactarbarry Castle, to Miss Fanny Jones, Woodbine Villa, St. John's Wood.

DEAR FANNY,-I have had such a delightful trip! and you, or any of our old schoolfellows at Mrs. Delaporte's seminary, would have thought same, I am sure.

the

of

Our post-town is full of nothing but officers, tall and short, thin and fat; and there they lounge about the streets, having nothing to do but ogle the girls and look so delightfully bold-but à bas les militaires. On our way here, a tall, stout, very handsome gentleman, with a beautiful face and such a duck of a pair of moustaches, got into our railway carriage. He was very attentive to both mamma and myself, joked papa much, and invited John over to his property to "slate" the snipe (as he expressed it). It was, therefore, only natural papa should invite him over to our castle, which he accepted, you may be sure, particularly as a certain lady, who shall be nameless, threw in her support to the invitation. His name is Lucius O'Loghlin; and though the name sounds rather bizarre to our English ears, I can assure you I shall have no objection to becoming Mrs. L. O'L. at the fitting opportunity. He has a rather provincial way talking, calling "I" "oi," and "my" "me," and all his "a's" he pronounces like "r's ;" but you soon get accustomed to it. Then he is such a noble fellow; he told me one day he would shoot every man that came between him and his love for your humble servant, with no more thought than he would a quail or a woodcock, while he looked so fierce, just like Ajax defying the lightning! He is very talkative and amusing, but after dinner, when he and papa have sat rather too long over their wine, nothing will prevent his singing his national ballads, and more particularly that one of "Who fears to speak of ninety-eight ?" and he does so in a very loud and unmusical key; but he has promised me to give up all these naughty habits of drinking when he is married, and to be a dear good hubby. He has an immense property in the north, and is a great friend of Lord Eglinton's and the Duke of Leinster's; and when we are married, we are to have a splendid mansion at Merrion-square, in Dublin, and I am to be presented at the Lord-Lieutenant's levees, and go to all the balls and parties. Hark! I hear the dear creature humming an Irish air, which is the signal for our walk in the shrubbery; so, with every kind wish, believe me always affectionately yours,

JULIA TUBBS.

P.S.-The wretch!-the false-hearted villain!—the lying impostor! Lucius is no gentleman at all, but only a pawnbroker's errand-boy! Oh, Fanny! I am broken-hearted, and shall never survive the cruel injury! The wretch has written a cool and impertinent letter to papa, to he has instructed his solicitor to commence an action against me for a breach of promise.

say

PP.S.-Lucius is off. Four silver spoons, two of papa's best shirts, and John's diamond studs, are missing.

(76)

DIGGING FOR GOLD.

THERE are now twenty-six well-defined gold regions that have been discovered in Australia; twenty-one in New South Wales, and five in Victoria. The greatest of these are Turon and Ophir, in New South Wales, and Mount Alexander, in Victoria. Turon and Ophir being on tributaries to the Macquarie river, which fall into the latter from opposite directions, at a very short distance from one another, and the interval being all auriferous, they may perhaps be considered as one and the same district; so also with regard to a district lower down the Macquarie, which would reduce the actual gold districts of New South Wales to twenty. The gold district of Meroo, although upon another tributary of the Macquarie, is in a totally distinct transverse valley; and that of Dubbo, or Digagunny, also upon the same river, is so remotely connected, both physically and geographically, with the others, as to make them constitute decidedly separate regions.

Looking at these gold regions, districts, or placers, as far as they are yet known, one of the first points that strike the observer is their grouping at considerable geographical distances one from another. Thus we have, northwards, Kentucky, Hamilton, and Cockburn, placers with which the Buddle may be associated, all in New England, within an area of 100 miles. Then we have the great central diggings of Ophir, Turon, Meroo, Macquarie, and Digagunny, nearly 200 miles to the west of south; next the Abercrombie, the Narrawa, Lambton Creek, and Mount Fitton, nigh a hundred miles south of this. All these districts lie on the western side of the hilly and mountainous ridge of New South Wales, or at least in regions where the waters flow westward. The Hamilton placer is the only exception; it lies at the head of the Apsley, which flows eastward. Then we have the isolated placer of Bungonia, on the picturesque Shoal haven; the Araluen, Bigbadja, and Bunyan group, the first on the Dena river, flowing eastward, the two last on the remotest sources of the Murrumbidgee; the two isolated placers of Bomballo and Jenoa; that of Albury, on the Murray; and finally, the great groups of Mount Alexander, Ballarat, and Mount Blackwood, in Victoria, and the solitary but rich and extensive placer of Lake Omeagroup run into one. The two groups of Victoria are only rivalled by the Turon and Ophir, in New South Wales; but hitherto they carry off the palm for productiveness and concentration. It must not be omitted, that four isolated gold districts have been found at remote distances in the north. The first, on the Canning Downs, near Mount Sturt, is upwards of 150 miles from the group at the head of Peel river; the second on Stanley Creek, a tributary to the Brisbane, off Moreton Bay, nigh a hundred miles north-west of the last; the third, called Burner, or Burnen Placer, about sixty miles to the north-west of the latter; and finally, a placer in Grafton Range, 160 miles west of this. We thus perceive that the gold districts of Australia are actually diffused over a region of upwards of 1200 miles in extent!

a whole

The district at the head of Peel and Apsley rivers, and north of Liverpool Range, is marked in the map attached to Count Strzelecki's valuable work, the "Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land," as being entirely eruptive and composed of crystalline rocks that

have been upheaved amidst superincumbent sedimentary deposits. Liverpool range is decidedly granitic. The gold district of Ophir and Turon, at the head waters of the Macquarie, is another isolated region of similar physical characters. It is evident that the riches of this central gold district have not yet been fully brought to light, for the basin of the Cudgegong is included within it, and yet has not hitherto been determined to be auriferous. The Cudgegong Company might, however, have as good a chance as many another, and, notwithstanding its repulsive name, better than some that have been adopted, apparently, without a single scientific datum, or even a practical fact of actual discovery in their favour.

The Abercrombie placer is at the southern foot of the same geological region, the culminating points of which are Mount Lachlan and Canabolas; the latter attaining an elevation of 4461 feet. The Narrawa diggings are in upper sedimentary rocks, and are derived from that portion of the Blue Mountains which is represented by the culminating points of Mount Fitton, Mount Dixon, and other surrounding hills of crystalline formation. A mass of crystalline rocks, chiefly granitic, protrudes to the eastward of the Blue Mountains at Shoalhaven. The placer at Bungonia owes its existence to this geological peculiarity. The gold districts of Araluen, and those at the sources of the Murrumbidgee, do not appear to have been explored by Count Strzelecki. The latter, indeed, to judge by the map of Arrowsmith, attached to the "Further Papers relative to the Recent Discovery of Gold in Australia," are most incorrectly placed in Strzelecki's map; as they take their origin, not from the western slope of the great Australian axis, but from uplands to the east of the anticlinal line, and at a distance, at one spot (called Jenabroda, or the Brothers), of scarcely twenty-five miles from the ocean, to rejoin which they have to flow upwards of 700 miles. There is no other example of a similar hydrographical phenomenon in a country which rather abounds in peculiarities of that description. The Bigbadja diggings are at the point in question. The diggings on the Snowy and Jenoa rivers, and the great deposit of Lake Omea (a secluded mountainenvironed sheet of water 3700 feet above the level of the sea), and those in the high uplands from whence the Murrumbidgee derives its furthest sources, are all connected with the great granitic group of which Mount Kosciusko, the highest mountain in New South Wales, forms the culminating point, attaining an elevation of 6500 feet. The diggings at Albury, on the Murray, which has its sources from the western foot of Mount Kosciusko, are apart from, and yet associated with, the same system. The two other great placers in Victoria-those of Mount Alexander and Ballarat-occur both, in hilly or mountainous districts, where rocks of igneous origin have upheaved, dislocated, and metamorphosed, superincumbent quartzites, clay-slates, sand-stones, and iron-stones. It may be remarked here, that there occurs in Australia a mass of porphyritic granite-a granitic structure of quartz and mica, with large, oblong, and irregular crystals of felspar, confusedly embedded in the masses-which shows evident traces of a flow, similar to that of a nappe de basalte. It presents very often the appearance of an intumescent paste, and forms extensive tracts in New South Wales, more especially at the Vale of Clwyd, at Guantewang, Gidley, Ellersbie, Lake