INDIAN GOLD DIGGINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 150, 9 May 1862, Page 3

INDIAN GOLD DIGGINGS.

(From a Correspondent of the London Times.) ' Bombay, January 27.

The telegraph must, long before this, have made known to you the discovery of large deposits of gold iivthe southern districts of • the Bombay Presidency. Por years the puzzling question where all the gold comes from that the natives are in the habit of converting into ornaments for their women and their gods, has engagedjhe attention of speculative men, irad the general belief has been that the Indian gold fields, once so prolific, could, not yet be exhausted, but that they must still he worked secretly, as the diamond mines have been'ever since the political troubles in the Deccan, and the grasping nature of Mussulman arid Mahratta rue taught the people to fear their princes, and to conceal sources of wealth which; if known, would only have exposed them to ceaseless exactions and cruel tortures. The Malabar coast, in particular, it was thought must be rich in gold, for the geological formation of the country is very similar to that'which led Sir Roderick Murchison to foretell the existence ofgold in Australia. Moreover; tradition indicated the mineral wealth of tliis part of India; and some enthusiasts set forth the opinion—an opinion by the way, which is strongly advocated by Mr. Max Muller in his recent lectures oa the scignce of lanpagerrthat Malabar is th,e Ophir of Scripture. '''■ ~■~ The first positive evidence of the existence of gold on this coast was given, I believe, by Major Wingnte, some 15 years ago, when that officer was employed in preparing the new revenue survey of Bombay. But all the revenue officers of Dhavwar and the neighbouring districts have long, it seems, been aware of tlie fact that native goldwashers are in the habit of going out after tlie monsoon and washing the heavy deposits of crushed quartz (detritus) which the rains bring down from the Kupputgood Hills. What is more curious than all elfe, however, is the fact that Dr Clarke, of A ustrlia, wrote to the Bombay Government informing them that, having studied a geological map of India, he could point out to them with certainty where gold exist. This letter was answered by Mr Lumsden, the Secretary to Government at the time, but by one of those mistakes, common enough in India, the reply was wronglyjiddmssed, and nothing further was ever heard from Dr. Clarke. The ' Government, however, appointed Captain Aytoun, of the Bombay Artillery, to survey the Kup-. putgood Hills, and report, whether they contained gold or iron. Captain Aytoun went out in 1852, and Found gold in the sand lorming the beds of nullahs, or streams which are mountain torrents in the rainy season and almost dry during the rest of the year. The particles of gold were almost infinitesimal, and, on a specimen of them being sent to the Master of the Mint here to have a chemical test applied, the opinion Biven was that there was no gold at all. C.iptein Aytovm maintained that a chemical test might not to have been applied, and showed that by simply washing the sand in a saucer the gold oould be discenned; he also took him some specimens of .quartz, and was assured by an eminent analyst of Wasgowthat the proportion of gold, though small, was undoubted, and the quality excellent, btrange to say, nothing further was done in the matter, wdfor seven years the gold was as much neglected as it it had been so much dirt. '■'"■«■ A few months ago, an Australian gentleman, Mr. Le Souef, who had come to India on other business, heard, at the Artillery mess table, some mention of Captain Aytoun's discovery, Having been a goW

digger himself, he was not inclined to laugh fit what ho heard as the dream of a visionary, and .he straightway went vigorously to work and aseertiiiued nil that was known on tlie subject. Ho then offered to go on an expudi ion to discover if the gold could bo worked at a profit, the only point still in doubt. A company of adventurers, or- " promoters," was so n formed, "and M. Lc rtouc:", tying guaranteed nil expenses, and assured that, he -.vould not bo thwarted by Government, loft Bo:nbny for Dhawar about two months ago. The result of his expedition I will give in the wonts of his own report, which, I should add, was purposely drawn up so aa not to ex' ite too Minftuiue hopes. He says:— " I have found gold in payable quantities in the bed of a small rivor, cl»s« to tho village of Soortaor, and bearing about west from it. Tnis river extends forinany miles, and' at every place—say every 000 i yards, for about eight miles in the bed ot the creek, where I washed the drift, I found gold. I also sunk two shafts, to make sure that gold existed m the bed rock, and from n liamlful of dirt taken from one of these holes I obtained gold.- The other pit rilled with water so rapidly that I was unable to descend to the bottom. To work the bed of this river with advantage and profit it will be necessary to have it drained. * * * * In one of my letters from Dhonee I stated that I had found a promising quartz reef, and that in a few days I should be able to report upon its gold-bearing qualities j but upon reflection 1 thought it better to abandon the idea of opening up a reef until I had mode sure of the existence of fluvial or alluvial gold. Now that I have ascertained this fact, I wouid advise that one reef be opened at Dhonee aud the other at Huttee Kuttee. It is my firm opinion that the part of this territory I have surveyed for gold hf d not been ocean-submerged, and consequently, that these quartz reefs will give a more constant return of gold than those of Australia. I may mention that the majority of the reefs in the Kupputgood Hills ruu nearly north and south; all goldbearing reefs in Australia aud California run in this direction." - ' ' ■ Mr. Le Souef was compelled to return to Bombay for pump 3 and other necessary toots for going on with the works alluded to in his report. It will be another month before we shall know certainly whether he is right in thinking that the deposits in Dhawar are as rich as.those of Australia, Should the gold be realiy as profitable as he believes, his discovery will work a*reater revolutions in this country than could be effected by a dozen American wars. Everywhere irold is found to be the best colonizer, and, while other and more favored fields are still open for agricultural and industrial enterprise which shall cause English emigrants to hesitate before coming to. settle in India, the attraction of that univeral maget, gold, will bo sufficiently strong to draw to this country thousands of vigorous Anglo-Saxons. The new port of Sedasheghur may. before many years have passed, become a second Melbourne, unless Mr Le Sguef has dreamed dream 3. I may warn you that the Bombay Government contemplates with alarm the possibility of such a revolution. I believe it would rather have given Mr. Le Souef £100,000 to leave the country ana keep his secret, than it would give him £10,000 for discovering a nan- source of wealth for the State. Our civilians have not yet overcome their ancient horror of interlopers; aud, in truth, one cannot wonder that the rulers of the country dread to witness the irruption into India of a host of strong-limbed Englishmen, who have no belief in equality of races, and do'not understand the " policy of conciliation." Yet, if gold be''here, what hnmnn efforts can stay the rush of adventures to the new diggings ?