Forest Creek, May 1st, 1854.

Another week, and we are encamped near the famous original diggings of Mount Alexander, now styled by the name-changing Government, Castlemaine. I do not know on what principle the Government of Victoria proceed in giving unmeaning names to places that before had native names full of meaning and often euphonious, or good rough names given by the earliest settlers. It seems as if on the arrival of each batch of new novels, they set about and selected the names of the most Rosa Matilda character for their townships. Thus, the Ovens has rapidly given way to Beechworth, on the lucus a non lucendo principle, because there are no beeches there; M'Ivor into Heathcote, because there is no heather; Bendigo into Sandhurst, because there is quartz; Forest Creek into Castlemaine, in some mysterious connection with the memory of one of Charles II.'s sultanas; and on the same principle they have a Hawthorne, because the spot is blest, probably, with wattles and tea-scrub. A place with the good native name of Kinlocue is recently turned into Campbell Town—a very original conception. And thus they go on; so that in a while the whole country will be dotted over by caricatures of English towns, and every appellation that would give a character of individuality will have vanished. However, that may concern the poetical ideal of Australia, but it does not concern our journey.