THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1951, 6 November 1874, Page 2

THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

A letter from the Palmer correspondent of the "Cooktown Courier" contains the ; . following respecting the state of affairs on this gold-field. : :■': - ■•: It would almost appear that the very enterprising merchants of Cooktown had conspired together to draw the. entire digging population of the Palmer .-.to the port, by stopping the supplies ; otherwise: r why have not arrangements been made* ~ for adequately provisioning these digging 3? Paris was scarcely worse off:. during; the latter days of the seige than the Palmer is at the present moment, except in the matter of beef, which, at Is a pound, is the only cheap thing we have on the diggings, and the only thing that keeps body and soul together. Flour (when obtainable) is per lb, 3s 6d to 4s; 1 damper (to travellers) per lb, 4d ; loaf, Is; tea, 6s; sugar, 3s 9d; tobacco, 12s; rice,; 4s; English potatoes, per lb, 3s (on Stony Creek 4s 6d per lb); pickles, per bottle, 4s; jams, per tin, 3s 6d; blucher boots (according to quantity on diggings), 25s to: 45s per pair;, brandy, per bottle, 20s; porter, 10s; vinegar, 20s; salt,- per lb, 3s; candles, per lb, ss; apples, per lb, 3s 9d; preserved potatoes, per lb, 3s 6; oatmeal, per lb, 3s ,9d; horse-shoeing, 30s; and other goods at correspondingly crushing prices. . .... ;>./:; At Pine Creek the blacks made a reconnaissance in force recently, and commenced spearing horses in every direction until they were right in the midst of tfie^i tents, where at least eight horses were seen to fall at their hands.; The blacks were supposed to number no less than 200 or 300, and on more than one occasion men in search of horses were encountered by them, and compelled to ruh for their lives. Things began to look, serious, * and diggers were naturally apprehensive that at any moment a regular raid might be made on the camp. At last, when it was known beyond the shadow of a doubt that fifty horses had been speared, it was. resolved to put a stop to this wholesale massacre if possible. With this object, 22 diggers, well armed, mustered one evening, and proceeded up the, creek in quest of the blackfellows' camp. After travelling nearly all night, their fires were sighted, and the avengers, dividing into two parties, and posting themselves conveniently for the work of disperson, waited patiently for the dawn. When .at last day broke, something like 200 blacks- were seen squatting about the fires. The white men soon made their presence known, and in a mojnaent the yelling of the blacks, thus taken by surprise, was horrible. . . They did not show fight, but ran in the direction where the second party, who had not shown themselves were posted. In the camp were found the skeletons of .14 horses, the flesh of which had been eaten, and the bones cleaned as artistically as Jack Edwards himself could have done it. There were also two or three broken guns, miners' dishes, and other tools, Crimean shirts, and heaps of other articles taken from murdered white men, or stolen from diggers' tents. There were also about 20 mat coffins full of human bones, which they at first attempted to take with them, but gave up the attempt very quickly. . The exclamation * f vrhitefello w " was frequently used amongst the blacks when runnihgaway, ; and it ia thought very probable- that bumaresq's black troopers, four or five of whom bolted some time ago, were amongst them, and directing their movements. Robberies of gold, and other crimes punishable by law, are matters of daily and nightly occurrence on the diggings ; -but not one man in a hundred would go to the expense, trouble, and loss of time involved in a prosecution, let the robbery"^ be what it might, or whatever the nature of the crime. I have only heard of one case, so far, where the services of Judge Lynch were called into requisition. This was at Stony Creek, where a man was robbed of 12oz in one of those detestable shanties that crop out everywhere, and suspicion falling on a fellow who was loafing about, there was a roll-up of diggers, and the supposed thief was taken into custody. The evidence against him was held to be sufficient, and a : rope having been passed around his neck in true Calcraft style, he was about to be strung up, when he disgorged "three ounces and promised to make up the rest, at the same time protesting his. innocence. The poor fellow was so terrified by the fearful peril from which he had escaped, that during the whole of that night he kept roaring like a mad bull. There are no police within 25 miles of the place. Recent prospecting has proved the existence of heavy deposits of black sand, containing a very high percentage of tin, in the creeks falling into the main branch of the river, from 30 to 35 miles above this ; camp (Edwards'). One man (a Sfcanthorpe man) who had saved a panninkinful of the mineral, informs me that he could get as much as 51b weight to the dish, and that he met with nothing at Stanthorpe to eqnal it. The place is within 50 miles of Cooktown, and no doubt, in years to come the discovery will be turned to practical account. , x Here is further evidence of the richness) of this part of the country in the most valuable minerals. ' ; Notwithstanding the rumors that occasionally reach us of; machinery being landed at Cooktown for this place, and. the freely, expressed opinion of such men as Mr King arid ' Mr Parkius-i-both interested in machinery— that: thig will prove to be one of the, richest quartgmining districts ever opened in Australia, it appears but too probable that another wet season will 1 have come, and passed away before machinery will be on the road from, these reefs, . from any quarter. This will throw the reefs back consic|erably. '■