The Transvaal Goldfields.

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 1705, 26 July 1884, Page 12

The Transvaal Goldfields.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— l enclose cutting from the Cape Argus of this day's date anent the Transvaal Goldftelds, thinking it would be of interest to a number of your readers. To any anxious to try their luck at these fields I would recommend their first studying well the disadvantages to be met with— the unsettled state of the country, the lack of proper Government administration, the crowding out of individual diggers by the Government concessions (rights granted to an indivit dual for sole right to mine on a large tract of goldbearing country), and further, to any but old, experienced, and fever»seasoned diggers the climate would be very trying, on the low-lying parts espccially(which represents the greattr part of the alluvial diggings), being for some months very unhealthy, camp fever being very prevalent. In conclusion, I would not recommend any «f my late fellow-townsmen to try these fields until more authentic news is received. I will keep you iuformed of any further developments.—! am, to., Rout. Giluoub. Capetown, June 11. We make the following extracts from the descrip- ! tion published by the Cape Argus forwarded by Mr Gilmour, who, we might mention, was formerly a resident of the West Coast, where he is well and ffy,curably known:— ' THE SWAZIBIiAHD DISCOVERIES. Evidence accumulates daily as to the great mineral wedlth lying hidden" jn the recesses of the mountain distiicts of the Transvaal. Yesterday I Ivid the pleasure of an interview with a gentleman well known for hte professional and scientific attainments, who lias just returned from Swazieland. I jotted'down what he said in answer to my inquiries for tlie benefit of your readers, and give his communications as nearly as possible in his own words. So far for a few words of preface. • Down near what is cajled tho Swazie Border there are two peaks, which would appear large were they not overshadowed by the lofty mountain range behind them. On the summits of these js Moodii-'s Kush. The peak* rise almost abruptly from tb,e)o\v country afcihejf fert.' On the one peakts the rich reef you have heard sq much aboujt, an,d on the other is also an ' '-««n of jreof. A stream runs jn between, and there --•'1 feeders running into it. lilted 'slata ' "■* *he.rpefßll»{nthem. Bare arei'oVoral^.. ' * her, formations abound, anu . you seen Bpeeimens from the i«v. .

some more, and note how wrmderfully rich they are, and how evenly the gold seems distributed. There are abo»t th.r l y or more good claims along the reef, besides those at the parallel reef and Durnin's reef further on. Men who have claims and the will to work are doing well by crushing quartz with dollits— very rude imitations of a cra^nm? mill. wi'.h p;oper machinery the reo< should pay splendidly. The quartz as you hae seen, 13 extremely rich. The alluvial claims are few in nnmbe», but paying fairly, I underetand. Water at Moodie's is not so plentif ul'as I heard it was, and lam afiaid the wintar will greatlr reduce the supply, lhe diggers are fairly off for wood. Population? Ab near as I can gueaa-a difficult matter, mini you— between 800 and 600. There is a great lack of sanitary arrangements. There will be an outbreak of fever next summer if 6teps be net taken to remedy the evil. I met numbers of men with wagons and carts, meu with pack-horses and donkeys, men on foot, all hurrying- on to the Rush, eager and excited. I saw a party of young fellows trudging along. In answer to their inquiries, I told them there was no alluvial open, that the reef workings require at least tome knowl-'dv>e of raining, and that, work wa=j not obtainable. They had bat little money and n ) knowledge of mining, they said. Tears stood in the e>esof some, and they would all fain hare turned back home, bat they v/ere too far from it to try that.

The camp is full of idlers and unemployed, and rogues, too, abound Thefts are numerous, and Jod^e Lynch must so n have an ODportutiity of exercidngJurisdiction. As an instance of the bsl.!ne>s of some of the thefts I can Si 11 you of one man who wa4 lying asleep In his tent when a th ; ef wrenched one of his blankets off him, and before the sleeper was thorouuhly awake iht> thtef was far beyond any chance of capture, Kaffir lab .ur is extremely sc.irco. The Swaries ara not inclined for cairn work, and other Kaffirs have not yet flocked in. A Jlr Jar^e i went do',\n to Delag-aand brought up pome labourer* who ate now at wok. All the whites who camo up wth Janne* have the fever. Nearly everyone who came via Delctgoa Bay h in the came plight. For the man witiout money to etarfc wi< h without a constitution able to stand the rough life, and the will and energy to work har J, theae fields are unsuitable The coming of such men at present will entail o*ly misery on themselves and injury to the country The timawill soon arrive when white labour will be required in plenty, but no one seeking workshouM come up until that time arri v es. ' AMAZWASIgIiAND. v -

You haTO no idea what a splendid mineral country this is. Here is a sketch map I made, a-id by it you c»n easily follow m<». The mountains are broken by deep * ell-w atered klo'.fs and gorees". Here (indicating it) is M'LachWs concession, froai tha Swazie Ki^tr Ouabant'een- a very largo area. Th^rs'are pla'cesin it where hu?e quarts teefs ran through it for miles dis. tinct'y and easily traceable. In some places the reefs stand almost abruptly out o! the spar*', and on exawination I loun'l ihe stone specked w ith told. I tested come, and it grave 14oz. to the tin. I visiled M'lntosh'a concession, r>r rather BUb-conces^ion, and I examined one hill tbere and found large quant' tieg of this stuff. It is really qua'ttz'. The hill I speak of is four or five times as large jm, Brown's Hill. The stuff I sow you yields five, six, and ten ounces to the ton. I assurfl you it is really a good thine;. Now for Fo b°s' concession. You know them to be farm are in New Scotland, and great favouriteß with the Swazie King. On this concession the gold is found in chloritic schist Here are some specimens. They ate excellent, and one cf them spechlly to The country ]• wtll watered and fairly wooded. When the Transva>l and its borders aro fairly opned up its mineral wealth will aitoniah peopß But the country i i not going to be prospected by tbe idle and discontented crowds flockint; up heve from various South African towns. It wi:l h^ve to be done by hardwrrking and exparienfei m.n, who come in but slowly. • r by men wro have g lined the r expsrience on the Lydeuburg goldflelds themß3lvea We are in such aa out of-the-wny port of the world that a long time must ulapfe before the right class will fl ick in ; but come they will as soon as things are settled. The Trawvsal, to flourish, needs to be f reed from tnx chanci of frash boundary complications with the Britßh Government. Two members appointed by. the Transvaal; two by the Swazie Kinir, and. if necessary, one by tbe High Commissioner of the Capo, would settle onca aud for ever the boundaries between this State and the Swaztas in a few ■weeks. Men and money will not pour in un'ess there is a greater feeling of security ba to th 9 exact liroi's of our State. Now is the time to do this, b.-fore disputes aris3 between tbe Swazies and the diggers.

Our interview ended here and I hasten to give you the result of it. To my mind it is of great interest. It lifts one earner of the v il which hide 3 our mineral resources from the world, and shadows f jrth, however dimly, the means by which South Africa is to be redeemed from its present state of commercial depression and gloomy foreboding. It is to ba hoped that no rash and inconsiderate rushes, nor hare-brained speculations will intervene to mar, perhaps shatter for ever, our rising hopes. Sfeady peisistent prosperity will show us whether our dreams-of hidden wealth be true, or whether we have been tiu.»tlDg on "a brr ken reed." These fle'ds could well do with lew abortive company raising and more sound honest prospecting. The country ia so extensive, sp iu£ged and broken, as my description 1 ot its scenery will have shown you, that it will take a larg-s number of prospectois and miners years to explore its opsn but* face*, to say nothing of its bush-clad kloofs and deep recesses.