the
Governor of Victoria, however, finds it necessary to count the cost as
regards his manner of living, since his official salary is by no means
sufficient to keep up a royal court. The ball-room of this residence is
somewhat famous for its size and general appointments, being of such
proportions as would easily accommodate a marching regiment under arms.
It is however on certain occasions thrown open and lighted throughout
for its original purpose. The public park which joins the grounds of the
Government House is beautiful indeed, being a botanical garden in
itself, and the one redeeming feature of the establishment.

Victoria is the special gold-field of Australia, and has produced two
thirds of all the precious metal which statistics credit to the country
at large. One of the localities which has proved to be most prolific in
gold is Ballarat, now a charming and populous city, and next to
Melbourne in importance. It lies nearly a hundred miles north of the
capital, at an elevation of some fifteen hundred feet above sea-level,
and is accessible by rail. This is thought to be the centre of one of
the richest gold-producing districts in the world. Beechworth, one
hundred and seventy miles northeast of Melbourne, at a higher elevation
than Ballarat, is nearly as populous and well-nigh as prolific in the
precious metal. The diggings of Maryborough district, situated a hundred
and fifty miles northwest of Melbourne, are also of great extent and
quite famous. There are over eight thousand miners at work here.
Castlemain, some seventy-five miles north of the capital, has proved to
be very profitable in its yield of gold. Nearly forty square miles of
auriferous lands are being worked by Europeans and Chinese in the
district of Ararat, about a hundred and fifty miles from Melbourne,
northward. From these several sources of mineral wealth there flows
constantly toward the capital a stream of riches, making it the greatest
gold-producing locality on the globe. There are about fifty thousand
people in all engaged at gold-mining in the several parts of Victoria,
at least ten thousand of whom are Chinese. The latter operate almost
entirely in the alluvial workings, while the Europeans are occupied
almost wholly in quartz-crushing. Some of the shafts sunk for procuring
paying quartz are over two thousand feet in depth. The Stawell mine is,
to be exact, two thousand four hundred and twelve feet below the surface
of the ground, from