NEWS FROM KIMBERLEY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7542, 13 August 1886, Page 3

NEWS FROM KIMBERLEY.

Mr George Spenoe, who has just returned to Hawera from the Kimberley district, lias furnished the Jlaioera Star with the following information, the result of his own experience. While in Sydney he was offered a chance of joining a_ party of four, one of whom was an experienced digger and miner, and kucw something of the country and district. He accepted the offer, and' joined the party. They left Sydney with four horses and full supplies of food, but one of the horses died on the way, so that on landing they had only three horses. They landed at a little bay on the coast known as Port Jackson, or Jackson Bay, and as they, in the first place, only proposed to explore and prospect, they " planted " a largo part of the stores near where they landed. The party travelled from seventy to eighty miles from the coast, and tried a great' number of dry gullies for gold. On the rivers, where water in holes at that season is plentiful, they could not strike gold ; but at the heads . of creeks and watercourses the wash-dirfc was easily got at, lying within six or seven feet of the surface, before bottoming on the slate. They found many patches where "tucker" could be earned, but only one gully where at that season payable gold could be got. In this gully they stayed three days before turning back, and earned fair wages. In fact, the bulk of the gold got by the party was found there, and besides specimens and a little allowed to each man as personal property, they divided up about £25 worth of gold at the end of the trip. The gold is rough, nuggcty pieces, not much, if at all water worn, and was readily visible to the naked eye in the wash dirt. This dirt they had to pack about five miles on horseback to water, before washing it out, in two ordinary digger's prospecting dishes ; they cleaned out the patch before leaving, although they were then running short of food. After the rainy season, Mr Spenco believes that much better returns might be got; but, not being an experienced digger, he does'not profess to know of his own knowledge. Old diggers regard it as likely to prove a veryrich Held. Quartz, apparently gold bearing, crops out in many places, and, judging by specimens brought over, the prospect of rich reefs being opened up seems excellent. The party took tea, oatmeal, rice, and Hour, kc, as provisions. They had no dilliculty in shooting plenty of game, as ducks, kangaroos, possums, and lish are plentiful. They were never short of water. During tlio first week's stay they found no alluvial gold, and their prospects looked very bad, but from that time on they more than once found gold in quantities which, with more water, might prove payable The olimato, though hot, seemed tolerably healthy. The party could make ten or fifteen miles a day when travelling ; the pack-horses could travel almost anywhere, and it would not bo difficult to open a lot of the country for dray traffic. Where there was grass it was long and rough, and in the valleys the soil seemed rich, though inclined to be swampy. Where the soil was bare, it was very bare —sandy or naked sandstone rock, with little or no vegetation. Most of the -laud near Jackson's Bay is onen ; in the larger valleys thoro is a little timber, with many birds and possums. It was warm at night, and in the day clothes were not much required, and a swag, of blanket, fly, billy, mid tools, was hard to carry. The fever and ague did not trouble thorn much, except when camped on low or swampy ground. With quinine it could be easily Kept well under. They only saw a few natives on their hunting grounds, and tiie latter always cleared out when they saw the white men. The blacks camp anywhere under a sheet of bark, and do not appear to have any regular villages or camping places. . Mr Spcnce thinks that the cjosc of the rainy season, in six months' time., would bo tiie best time for would-bo diggora to start.

A digger should have £200 in order to make a good start ; "though Mr Spence got from ' Waiijianui to Kimberloy and back for about £130, all told. ' There is plenty of room for prospectors to strike out their own line and. get {.'old without going to Derby, or Cambridge Gulf, or to the diggings proper on Dcnison Plains, where prices are extremely high and the most likely claims pegged out. He does not recommend anyone to go to Kimberley, but docs not wish to say that it would be air altogether bad spec. "Let every man judge for himself," says Mr Spence. "Any informamation I can give I shall be willing to impart."