West Australian Goldfields

Bruce Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 2625, 30 October 1894, Page 3

West Australian Goldfields

CCOLGARDIE. (From Oub Own CoaBBSPONDKNi.) Hannans, Ootober 4. We are at Hannww, 24 milea from Coolgatdie. We made the journey by e»»y stages, camping out one night. Just before we left Coolgardie a delioious rain fell and continued for a few hours. The populatian made a general turn out to catch tbe water. Every available utensil was pressed into the service and a delightful few hours were spent midst the moderate downpour. We had our full share of enjoyment at about 8 miles from Coolgardie, where there are a number of flatieh rooks, in the hollows of wbioh the rain had accumulated. It Is such deposits as this that prospectors depend upon Here we had a lovely wash and filled our water bags for we knew we would not find more water until we reached Hannans. Of course, wo boiled the traditional billy before making another start and did not fail to note how muoh better the tea waß than when made with condensed water. We reaohed Coolgardie at 11 o'clock on Sunday morning and soon ascertained that water was very scarce. The prioe had rieen to 81 per gallon. A team had just oome in with a load of the fluid fetched from Hannans Lake, 8 miles away. Some fifty men were around it with water bags in hand waiting their turn to be Berved. There is plenty of salt water at the lake, but the condensers cannot treat enough, so muoh being sent to Coolg%rdie. However, more condensers are being ereoted and it is expected that the prioe will fall as the supply inoreases. Hannans is a comfortable little township mostly confined to one long main street, in whioh sections are high prlood. At a land sale this week one fetched the neat sum of £220. There are many more miners working about Hannans than at Coolgardie and those who are properly equipped with dry blowers make good wages. We have ordered a maohine and expect to be at work in a fortnight. I may observe tbat a good machine costs £16. Everybody's aim seems to be to hold their own until rain comes and then go further afield prospecting. That is what we intend to do. Tho best formation for gold here, and it seems to prevail, is rotten slate bottom overlaid with iron stone gravel ; but I shall be able to tell you more on that point by and bye from actual experience. Lifo here is made almost unendurable by the flies. They simply swarm. They struggle into your eyee, mouth, nose, and ears, and it takes a very decided movement to frighten them. A wink or a twitch of the mußcles they pay no heed to whatever. They fall into the tea, take possession of your bread and butter, deposit themselves in the preserved milk and treacle, and a fellow daren't bless them for fear they should walk down his throat. Happily they disappear with the setting sun and peace reigns till the next morning when we begin de novo. 1 counsel everyone coming tbis way to bring a pair of thoso dark specs that completely cover the eye. I hardly know what I should do without mine. I am wearing tbem now with a neckerchief over my mouth and ears. Something about commissariat matters may perhaps not be out of place. We have given up the baker and have taken to " damper," which an old party, of much bush experience camped near v«, taught us how to make. The baker* bread was prohibitive, a t*ro pound loaf only one and a-half pounds weight, and is not nearly so good as damper. But the shopkeepers cay that with water at 6i aDd fl>ur at 12< or 13i the 501bs it does not pay to give full weight, and at lOd too ! At Coolgardie where flour is only lis fid, or if bought from an auotioneer 8i 6d, bread is sold at 81 Here potatoes and onions are 5d per lb, fait sd, baking powder 9d per tin, Sunlight soap 5d per tablet, oatmeal 2s 9i for 7 lbs?, golden syrup ls 61 the 2 lbs, Medi. ice and medical advice are not out of the way. Oue of ns who wa? not very well obtained advice aad a bottle of medioine containing quiolne for sa. C*rtag.' from Coolgardie to Haonans is Id per lb. A notioe ever a store made me smile. It waa simply M Bread and water," and is so app->---site to this place. A party with whom 1 was conversing one day suggested a tioopener and a water bag as felicitous in their application as a coat-ofarms for this oount'y. The '" blacks " are not very numerous. I saw one youngster running about the street the other morning quite naked. A family passed our tent yesterday morning and begged for water ! They are a miserablelooking race. After all, standards of excellence are merely comparative, you know When 1 was at Milton I heard a lot of grumbling about the well water. It would be nectar here. Wo drink any water that does not stink and ia not absolutely black. New Zealanders are very thick in this district. I waa talking to one the other day who knows the Bruce Herald well. Oar correspondent has sent na a copy nf the ' Coolgardie Miner,' a six pages orown paper, in its very early infancy, the figures under the hca'iog reiog Vol. 1, N '-. 23. Gold and Water with comments up in Government, General and Looal, are the main topics. If the comments are only half jaatinYd despotism and oligarchial rule are indeed In the aicendant in West Australia It is not the land for the people there bueverything for tho land grabber, the monopolist and tha capitalist. Tne Perth correspondent of the ' Miner ' writes that a motion was introduced in the House to resist the granting of freeholds and the adoption of a system of leasing in connection with lands in", and near, established gold field towns so a 9 to give the poore-: miners a chance to prrmaneDtiy eettle. The writer in a fiae vein of irony continued: "Sir Jo'.n Forrest read a slab from one of his printed speeches which tended fco demonstrate th->t the adoption of such a policy would check enigratioa to the colony and stifle that laudible ambition to land grab which was the birthright of the true Britisher. Such expressions as ' becoming proprietors of their little plots,' ' a spot they c^uld call their own,' 'give a man the freehold of a rock and ho wou'd turn it int > a garden but give a man the leasehold of a garden and ho would turn it into a rock " were thrown about the Houae anyhow. And those of Sir John's supporters who were not asleep swallowed them. Eventually the motion was lost and the country was thus Bayed from the perilous itep of adopting something in tbe direction of timely legislation." The warden is the magnate of the Goldfield and is described as a very ill-tempered knd domineering person Evidently a deal of adjustment has to be effected bsfore West Australia will have been converted into a " working man's Paradise." For the sake of the thousands of people located in the terriSle Coolgardie desert, we are thankful to be told by the 'Miner' thit "avast Improvement has taken place io our poaition in regard to the water eupply during the past few daye." A " serious scare" waa brewing when fortunately a magnificent supply was struck in Mount Barges flit. The water is described as of excellent quality, and the supply permanent. Thia reads strangely to New Zealanders when it is ooneidered that this exoellent quality la as salt as the sea. Condensers were to be ereoted at the wells. The apparent anomaly is explained further on, and is simply comparison again. Water had been struck at a place oalled Castle Swamp where a 24 feet deep well yielded 4000 gallons a day, and a seoond well was sunk. But, alas, when tested the water was found to contain 42 per cent, of salt ! One load of it put through a condensor absolutely choked tbe latter with salt and as the ohronicler naively observes •' Under these circumstances the discovery is not of such an important charaoter as it at first sight appeared to be." Menoe water of highclass quality, at Coolgardie, is that whioh contains the least percentage of salt. Well water, absolutely fresh, is unknown in Central West Australia. The mining news furnished by the 4 Miner ' is very good indeed. Tnere can be no question about the general distribution of gold in reefs, easy to work when the Indispensable water and machinery beoome sufficiently available. But it is as apparent that the " diggings " are not for poor men. 'Tis a oase of wait and hope under trying circumstances even for the man of some means. But if tbe supply of water were as abundant as in Victoria the country would a miners' paradise. With the reefs in full blast and long tom and sluice box at work In tbe alluvial the yield of gold would surpass tbat pf Victoria tn its pal mint dap,