THE KIMBERLEY GOLDEIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7636, 9 August 1886, Page 2

THE KIMBERLEY GOLDEIELDS.

[By Electric Telegraph.—Copteight.]

(Reutee's Telegrams.) Melbouene, August 7. (Received August-7, at 12.40 p.m.)

The Age to-day publishes telegrams from Darwin stating that the schooner which arrived reports that many who had started for Kimberley were returning, and that the field was unpayable. There are 300 men at work, but it is doubtful whether they are making wages.

A Kimberley prospector, writing over the nojn de phnne " Munjog," has forwarded to the Brisbane Courier his diary. He proceeded with his mates via Cambridge Gulf, aud reached Hall'a Gully, at the head of the Elvira, on December 24. He says:—".We washed several dishes of dirt coming up the Elvira, and got colours in all of them. Some ten miles from Hall's Gully one of our party got a halfpenny-weight speck in a crovice on a bar, but we could get no more, ex-c.-pt coarse colours, iv the same locality. Hall's Guily is the place where Hall, Slattery, and party got the Boz. There are several claims nothing to speak of; in fact, they duft'ered out soon after their retr.ni, and are doing a little in the old workings until the rain comes. We picked our camp on Caroline Creek and near Caroline Pool. Christmas Day we were all out prospecting, but Sot nothing more than colours. January 1— Moore's party, they say, are doing nothing, and are simply camped until the rain comes. Hall, < Slattery, aud party are cradling off the bars in the creek, and are getting 2dwt or 3dwt per day. Some of the men are getting downspirited and talk of clearing. Monday—Found a patch where we can get 2dwt or 3dwt per day with the dish. This will keep us out of mischief till the rain comes. We got about 2oz. the last two days amongst the party, and started a couple of men down to the cattle station (150 miles) for beef. This patch has duft'ered out, but we have fouud another where we shall get a little more. Monday, January 11—The wet season has fairly set iv, aud the creeks are running bankers and we are getting a little gold. The men returned with the beef on January 27, having been three weeks on the trip. We are going to divide the gold on Saturday and split up, as this party is too large for such poor ground. January 30—We had a settling up tc-day, aud divided about 20 .ounces of gold among seven men; five men got the gold. Sandy aud fly blight are very bad here, and the [flies are dreadful. March 20— The wet season appears to be over; this is very bad country to hold water. Seven or tight days after heavy rain the country is all dry again, and not so much as a drink is to be got iv the gullies and ravines, and it is too far to carry the dirt to the main watercourses. The bareness of the country accounts for this; of course there is no soakage. I consider the gold getting is about over until next wet seasOD, which comes on about Christmas. A few men are getting a little gold by dry blowing, but they are not getting much. All the gold got up to the present time has been got in small ravines at the heads of the creeks, which, though rich, are very patchy. For instance, Moore's nugget, 19oz, was got in the middle of a Tavine on the surface, and they could not get above a couple of ounces more anywhere near it. So it was with Slattery's nugget; about SOoz was got in this gully, and nothing more than colours could be found for miles around. The best of the gold seems to be in the shallowest ground, say, from Sin or 3in to lft. Anything above that has uot been of much account. The gold does not seem to have travelled, as only very fine gold is to bo got in the creeks. The bottom in most cases is soft slate. The way these patches lie is rather strange. Some of the ravines will have a patch iv the middle, while the next you see may be right at tho head or at the bottom, and they in consequence take a great deal of looking for. The men are leaving Derby every day, some for more rations aud others until next wet; but all express their intention of returning. These men have plenty of horses. April 5—A number of men have left for Derby the last few days. Some of them intend to prospect the Margaret on their way down. April 27—The water is all done. There is no water within three miles of the workings, aud that will only last two weeks for drinking purposes. I leave for Derby to-day with a party of six, including a black boy."