scouring-parties within his cordon; and was offering
the pay of 5s. a day for privates and 7s. 6d. a day
for officers.

By the overland Indian mail there is intelligence from
the Australian Colonies to the middle of April—from Port
Philip to the 17th. The gold-finding reports continue
very favourable, and the extent of the produce was daily
increasing, new spots being constantly discovered of
extraordinary richness in various directions. The produce
of gold for the Victoria district for five months is given
at 653,270 ounces, or about £2,600,000 money value;
and the exported produce of the Bathurst and Turon
districts to the 20th March was 1,125,317 ounces, or
value £4,500,000; in all, about seven millions sterling.

At a time when all letters from Australia are eagerly
read, perhaps the following copy of one received from a
lad sent out from the Union Mews Ragged School, in
1850, may not prove uninteresting:—

"Melbourne, March 5, 1852.—Dear Father,—Enclosed is a
bill of lading of one small box of gold dust, which I send you as
a present per Benjamin Heape. I have written you at length
by other vessel, and send this in case it may be lost. You will
receive the box on board the B. Heape from Captain Hodgson,
or at the ship's agents.—J. M."

The bill of lading states the box to contain 24 ounces
of gold dust. In a letter lately received from him dated
December 16, he mentioned his intention of proceeding
to the diggings after Christmas; consequently this must
be a portion of the "first-fruits" of his industry.

Accounts have been received of the wreck of the
Isabella Watson, passenger-ship to Port Philip, which
sailed from Plymouth on the 3rd of December last. She
was lost off Point Nepean, at the entrance of Port Philip
Heads, and we regret to say that the following lives were
lost:—Mrs. Derrick, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Langford, Mrs.
Orphelt, all young married women; Miss Allen, Miss
Patterson, Mr. Orphelt, and Mr. Langford in endeavouring
to save his wife. The .captain was saved with difficulty.

PROGRESS OF EMIGRATION AND COLONISATION.

A Parliamentary paper has been printed respecting
Emigration to New South Wales, Victoria, and
South Australia. For seven months, ending the 30th
of April, the number of vessels that sailed to New South
Wales (both unassisted and ungovernment ships) was
27, the aggregate tonnage of which was 18,605, and the
number of emigrants 4583. In the like period of the
preceding year the number of vessels was only five, the
tonnage of which was 3425, and the number of emigrants
852. The available balance in the hands of the Emigration
Commissioners for New South Wales on the 30th
of May was about £61,000. For Victoria 27 vessels
sailed in the seven months ending the 30th of April last.
The tonnage was 18,840, and the number of emigrants
7634. In the like period of the preceding year the
number of vessels was 11, of 10,541 tonnage, and the
number of emigrants 1941. The available balance for
emigration was £127,200. For South Australia 19 vessels
sailed in the seven months ending the 30th of April
last, of 11,127 .tonnage, and the numbers of emigrants
was 3822. In the like period of the preceding year the
number was 17, of 12,310 tonnage, and the number of
emigrants 2833. There are two letters in the document
to the Colonial Office from Captain Stanley Carr, Chairman
of the Committee of Australian Colonists, urging
extensive emigration.

From a late report of the Emigration Commissioners,
it appears that 103,216 persons emigrated in the first
four months of the present year from the twelve principal
ports in the United Kingdom. In the corresponding
period of 1851 the number was 103,554.

From official returns, just published, it appears that the
Irish Emigration in ten years (1841 to 1851) numbered
1,289,133 persons. The decrease in the population of
Ireland between 1841 and 1851 was 1,659,330.

The government of Holland has sent notes to all the
German governments informing them that they are
ready to grant peculiar facilities to German emigrants
disposed to settle in Suriman.

Mr. Ellis, the well-known caterer for public amusement
at Cremorne Gardens, the Flora Gardens, and other
places of entertainment, has just sailed from Plymouth
in the Coldstream, for Port Philip. Mr. Ellis takes with
him scenery, properties, and the necessary adjuncts for
a portable theatre, to be erected at the diggings, a
complete band of musicians, and a Thespian company. Mr.
Ellis proposes to introduce casinos into Geelong and
Melbourne, and thus combine pleasure with gold-seeking.

A meeting of intending emigrants to Australia, under
Mrs. Chisholm's Plan, was held on the evening of the
26th, at the British Institution, in Cowper-street, City-
road. Mrs. Chisholm addressed the meeting. She said
as there were a number of females present, she would
call attention to the necessity of not uselessly expending
money in outfits. In all the books in which outfits were
spoken of, people were advised to prepare themselves
for hot and cold weather, but she was anxious to do
away with the mystery about these outfits, whereby
money was expended which might be carefully preserved
against landing in the colony. For a female, two gowns
were sufficient for a voyage. She wished to caution
them against wearing thin shoes in the morning and
evening, when the deck of the vessel was more or less
damp, and diarrhœa frequently resulted from cold feet.
After entering into some necessary and minute details,
she said the ship Chalmers would leave the London Docks
on Sunday, immediately after divine service had been
performed on board. Another ship was about to proceed
from Southampton, and another from Cork, being
the first that would sail from Ireland in connexion with
this system of emigration. She approved of the plan of
small remittances being sent home, and she hoped soon
to see the English emulate the Irish in aiding their
relations to emigrate. After further observing that she
would closely follow her plan of watching over the comforts
of the ships, Mrs. Chisholm took leave of the meeting
amidst much applause.—Mr. Sydney afterwards
addressed the meeting, which then adjourned.

The mania for emigration to the gold mines of
Australia is most prevalent in South Wales. From Neath
a number of persons have taken their departure, and an
increasing number are preparing to follow their example.
At Pontypridd, likewise, a number of hardy young men
are about to seek their fortunes at the Antipodes; and
from Laugharne and St. Clears, many farm labourers
have quitted their homes for the diggings. Large parties
will soon leave the more populous towns, such as
Swansea, Carmarthen, &c., in addition to the persons
who have already left. Hitherto, the exodus has been
to a large extent to the United States; but the current
has now been turned to Australia.

NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The session of the French Legislative Assembly was
closed on the 28th of June, with a message from the
President. He thanked them for the loyal co-
operation and support they had given to the new
institutions, and said that "the first trial of a constitution
completely of French origin must have convinced
them that they possessed the conditions of a free and
strong government:—

"On returning to your departments, be the faithful echoes of
the sentiment that predominates here—confidence in
reconciliation and peace. Tell your constituents that in Paris, the
heart of France—that revolutionary centre which scatters over
the world alternate light or conflagration—you have seen an
immense population labouring to efface the traces of revolutions,
and joyously applying themselves to industry with
confidence in the future. Those who so recently, in their
madness, were impatient of all restraint, you have heard
saluting with acclamation the restoration of our eagles, the
symbols of authority and of glory. At that imposing spectacle,
where religion consecrated with her benediction a great national
festivity, you have remarked their respectful attitude. You
have seen that proud army which has saved its country rise
still higher in the esteem of men, and kneeling in devotion
before the image of God, presented from the summit of His