THE PALMER GOLDFIELD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 19

THE PALMER GOLDFIELD.

Tha -alluvial workings scattered over this vasfc field- exetiuii g for upwards of a hundred nntes —Would, bad tho Chinese not been allowedto spread like lomsta o'e<"thepboe so soon after it Was opened, have afforded many years' remunerative employment to a Urge population of Europeans, who, aa upon other goldfield*. wosl*

'ioltimately have opened other resources and in due course have formed various permanent settlements, to the material advancement and future prosperity of the Colony. Bud in consequence of the influx of hordes of Celestials, these Europeans, who would have inacL> good settlers, have become scattered over different parts of the Colonies, excepting only a few who still adheje to tbe alluvial, and are gaining a precarious livelihood by working at the heads of the tributaries of the Palmer. The rivor itself at the present time is occupied by none but Chinese, and, as there is a limit to the alluvial workings, the ground bids fair to become again trie wild sterile waste it appeared previous to its discovery by Mulligan and party. Nor is this the only objectionable featuie of the ■Chinese invasion, for, had the Europeans remained in undisturbed possession, other valuable goldfields would doubtless have been discovered, because the diggers would have spread over the country and thoroughly prospected it, with the knowledge that, in the event of iheir being unsuccessful, $hey could have returued to the Palmer with the certainty of getting gold. All this, however, is past, and so also — unless other fields are opened by Europeans— is the Chinese harvest at the Palmer. Even now they are turning ■ever ground prieviously worked by themselves. This must be very unprofitable, for it is wellknown that they do not leave much gold in the " jyround after they have gone over it the first time; indeed, some of the ground has been "worked several times, It is certainly hard to predict what their fate will be when their present means of living is exhausted, for they have no sympathy with each other's sufferings, and if one falls silk, weary, or hungry, he ia left by ids unfeeling countrymen to die like a dog, -rothout the prospect even of a decent burial. At Byerstown, the first crossing of the Palmer from Cooktown, and which is about eighty-five miles from there, the white population has dwindled down to one European storekeeper and a few constables. Upon the other side of the river a Chinese camp has been formed. The few white men located at the head of the Lefthand Branch and other places prooure their goods from Byerstown. — Special reporter of the -Queenslander.