A Talc of the Kimberley Country.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 142, 19 June 1886, Page 4

A Talc of the Kimberley Country.

One afternoon early this week I called; in company with a well-known Sydney newspaper man, on the governor of ono of the N. S, Wales penilentiaries or long sentence gaols of the colony. My friend introduced me as from New Zealand.

"Indeed," said the aged and well-known head of the establishment. "Do you know an old friend of mine, named Smith ?" I thought I had heard the name beforo oven in Maoriland, and told him all about tho particular member of this numerous family referred to. I then said my friend had introduced mo as from New Zealand, but I was later from Western Australia.

" Ah !" he said " have you been toJKim

berloj '*"

" .lot quite, but I know as much about it as most people." " Well, do you know, I havo a wonderful story to tell about that quarter that will make your bairstanduponondwith astonishment. I have kept the secret, to which 1 was sworn, for ton years past, but as the porson who swore mo to secrecy ia now dead, I consider that I, in revealing it, do not break my trust or honour—yes, it is a very extraordinary Btory. If I show you a map of Australia you can point out the spot whero the Kimberloy field is situated ?" I assured him that I could. He then took down from his library an old atlas, and asked me to place my finger on tho spot. The map, which was of tho whole of Australia, must havo been published 15 to 20 years ago, as the north coast of Western Australia was a complete blank, and did not show tho rivers upon the Foreßt track of 1875. I had nothing, therefore, to guide mo but tho relative bearings from King's Sound and Cambridge Gulf. However, judging the position of tho goldfields therefrom, I placed my finger as requested upon tho spot. " Well, that is really an extraordinary coincidence," said tho gaol governor. "Do you sco that poncil mark ?" I had not previously done so, but upon examining the map more closely noticed^a fuint poncil line just where my finger had been lifted from.

" That mark," said ho, •' was made in this room 10 years ago by a prisoner namod Hume, a Scotchman, who was committed as an accomplice of Thunderbolt, tho noted busbiangor. He was a Victorian,and knew the blackfcllows' lingo to perfection, and was aa much as ho possibly could be in tho company of the blackfellows in gaol—his fellow prisonors. Ho was, in fact, moro a blackfellow than a European, and when breaking up firewood V7ith thorn, you would sco Hume watching for tho white grubs in tho firewood and swallowing them quite as greedily as tho blackfollows, Ho came to me ono day and said ho had a great secret to toll mo that ho had discovered in his travels with the blackfellows, I was very busy that day, and said, I can sco it will bo a long story, come and foil it mo somo other day. Shortly thoroaftor Humo was announeod as desirous of seeing mo, and was ushorod into this very room. Ho said that boforo telling me the secret roforred to, I must swear fealty to the trust and not reveal it to a living creature. I did 80, holding up ray right hand aa requested. Ho then said, 'I know where the romoinsof Leichardtare.*' Isaid 'Nonsonso,' and looked him hard in tho face, knowing that ho got the namo of being the biggest liar in the goal. ' Where did you find Loichardt's remains V ' I discovered thorn whore tho sun sots in tho ocean. No ono has beon thero but mysolf. I've been among tho blacks since my boyhood. I brought down this samo atlas from my library, and opening out this same map asked him to point out whero ho had found Loichardt's remains. Ho replied, 'I don't know anything about maps, but I found them in a cavorn within sight of tho sea whero the sun sets in tbo ocean.' Following tho coast line, I askel him if it was in N. S. VValon. He said, No. It was far away from N. S. Wales.' I carried my fingor round to York Peninsula, and said ho would thoro soo the sun sotting in tho west Ho said, ' No. It was ou tho othci sido, far away from thoro.' I then asked him whero ho had come from. He answered, 'Queensland, and havo travelled 70 or SO days, at about 10 miles a day.' I followed tho map across through Queensland, South and Western Austtnlia between 1.") and "JO dog. of south latitudo, and said that would about ngreo with his distance, and then tho sun would sot in tho ocean. Ho then said 'ho though*, that would bo about tho place.' Well, in a cavorn thereabout he said 'he had found a parcel, tied up in stringy bark, containing a tolcscopo, charts, and sextant.' 'But,' said I, * granting that you did find tbeso things, how did you know that they had bolonged to Loichardt'.' ' CJausson told mo so,' ho roplied. 'And when did you sec Olausson ?' ' At tbo River of Gold. 11a was nn old man then, and tho blacks wore carrying lum about—l know,' continued bo, ' whore thero'sn rivor of gold. I know a hill, the wholo i-ido of which hn« fallon out, exposing ono mass of white quartz. Pieces of gold aro scattorcd around as big as my list, in ono placo as big aa a -■boo trunk. I did not know it was gold at tho timo. Onr tribo saw tho romuins of anotbor tribo coming after us, so wo mado oil for our lives I'vo seen gold since and know it wm gold. I tried to broak it up liko brass, but could nof broak it up. It was toughor thnn load,' I then asked him to mark with a poiicil whero tho Rivor Gold was situatod as compared with tho positon of tho cavorn where ho had found tho Loichardt remains, judging from the country bo had passed over and thotimotakon ; liothon marked the spot at which I had placod my lii:gor, as being tho position of tho present Kimborloy rush, flume told mo chat in returning through N.S. Wales ho was arrestod as an accomplice of Thundorl ot, but knew nothing at all about him. Tho Governor told Humo that|no|doubt he would liko to regain his liborty on tho ploa of going after Leichardt's remains. Aftor his timo was up, and Humo had loft prison, ho returned ono day, nnd again swearing tho governor to secrecy, said ho could not, now that ho waa froe, say ns beforo, still ho was about to leavo, and would again find tho Rivor of Gold. Ho loft Sydney with that intontion and perished on tho way. I give you tho story a? I got it from tho governor of tho gaol referred to, who stated to mo that ho believed Humo actually discovorod gold when he professsd to havo dorm so. I do not nrotond to be posted up in the evidence that has been brought to light regarding the efforts made to discover tho Loichardt remains, and havo not had time einco to look up the mattor, but was told by the newspaperman prosont, before reforred to (who will, no doubt, moro fully ontor into tho subject in duo course), that cortain confirmatory facts nppearod to lend credence to the story. Mr Hardman had similarly described a mountain containing silvor oro in S. Australia. Ho also mentions the existonco of many caves near the coast-line of Western Kimborloy, at tho ontranco to ono of which are some curious native drawings representing n hunting scone. Dr. Claussen, a Dutch doctor, accompanied Loichardt. Dufour's name was also mijsod np in tho subject, also Sturt's Creek, and Royal Commissioners who sat upon the inquiry, but I did not follow up tbo mattor intelligently, farther than concornod "The River of Gold."— T. M. Perth, W.A.