THE PALMER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1777, 16 April 1874, Page 2

THE PALMER.

Mr John Corry has kindly handed us (Gympie Times) a letter from Mr^Thomas Bearup, late of Gympie, dated: Rockhampron, March 8. The following extract in reference to the Palmer diggings, expressing the opinions of such an experienced miner as Mr Bearup, will be foundinteresting :— * " Since I last wrote I have spent nearly eight weeks on the Palmer, and I am sorry to say I did riot get much? gold during my stay, though from the exaggerated accounts you have had in the papers, &c., you would be thinking I was making a pile. » The gold- workings at the Palmer are principally confined to tne river-bed, the left hand branch, a few' creeks, and a number of ravines or gullies'; in most case 3 the ravines were soon worked out. The miners were flooded out of the workings in the river since about the midd^^ of December, that was about three weeK^^ before I got up, and since- then it has never been sufficiently low to allow the working of it. Previous to the rivejrrisbg a good few had got payable ! prospects in some of the creeks and ravines,;, and in some cases got good patches r of: gold consideritig the short time; it took them to work out; the ground. , It was thought that when the wet season set in aud plenty of water was obtainable that a larg» tract of back country in. the shape of ravines and gullies'Twould be found payable ; but such did prove to be the case, as no fresh discoveries have been made since I werif^up. , At .that time nearly all the gullies or ravines i were worked out, in some cases, being worked the second time. Indeed, I can safely say very little gold has been got on the Palmer since Christmas, compared to what was got' biefore, and I don't think much will be got until the left-hand .branch and the main river bed W workable, which will not be for nearly two months from this; so parties ■ intending going will be in plenty of time to leave Gympie in a month at tbe soonest. From where the prospectors' claim was granted to a distance of 35 miles up the river payable gold has been got at a good many places in the river all the way, but principally on the shallow bars. A : good 'portion of the river contains large water, holes, and if they should find payable gold 'going into them machinery will, be required to pump them out. Gold wa3' followed into one or two of them previously to the river being flooded.; 'Very pure gold has also been got on the beaches at those places. lam of opinion that the gold got in the river has not travelled » great distance, as it is of. such a,jcoarse description ; and it would be impossible for it to cross over the waterholes. All along the river the slate and sandstone is a mass of quartz leaders, running! north and south ; the course of the river is nearly east and west. The gold is nearly all in 'specimens,' and I saw some very vice bits when I was up there. I have no doubt some good leaders and also reefs will be found here, especially up towards the head of the river, as large blows of quartz— some Bft . or 10ft wide— are in every direction ; but no attention is paid to them yet, and not' likely for- some time. I found gold in one leader of about . Oin, and auother party found one that would go about 4oz to the ton, but no attention was paid to it..- '-*' " The lef c-hand branch ' junctions with the river about 18 miles up from the prospectors' claim, and for 20 miles up it payable gold has been got. The gold in this branch is much coarser than in the river, and in the ravines emptying into it the gold is coarse also. The largest nugget got was, one of 80oz. The lefthand branch will be workable before the river, as it has a much greater fall, " " My opinion of the Palmer is that it will be a very extensive goldfield, and that a great deal of new country will yet be opened, if provisions can begot at a reasonable rate, but it will not ,be this year that any great alteration will take place. 1 think that any man willing to work can maks loz per day, with a chance of something better should he get on to a good crevice ; but at the best I consider the Palmer .only a good wages diggings and nothing goiore. I only know a few who have made over lOOoz per man during their stay, arid that was from the first of it ; the majority made from 30oz to 60oz per man. But there would not be such a chance after the river is down on account of the rush setting in. I would not advise anyone who is settled and at steady work, !say 60s per week, to go the Palmer, as that 1 sum on Gympie is equal to 1003 on the Palmer, and there will be a good many chances against their making the latter. But on no account should a man start without a good nugget of a pack-horse and a pick, shovel," and dish, for it is- onlyfosricking. There is no. wash further than what is between the crevices. So if any one, wantg any further information they will require to get it from some one else, as I am nearly exhausted after the good feeding % have had since I went up to, the palmer,

Messrs David Oppenheimer and Co, of Watling street, London, state in the money article of the Times \ that their firm is in no way connected with a recently-established house styling itself D. Oppenheimer and Co, of Elizabeth street, Melbourne. (For remainder b/^etwj «c« 4s pdge>)