COOLGARDIE GOLDFIELD.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 13

COOLGARDIE GOLDFIELD.

What One From the Field Says.

Mr William, Mead, of Queensland, who has been making a tour of the colonies and is at present staying at the Princess Hotel, Invercargill, in the course of conversation with a representative of this journal informs us that out of the 5000 people who some six months ago were at Coolgardie, Western Australia, where valuable gold discoveries have been made, there now remain only about 1500. The departures were doe to the scarcity of water, which cannot bs obtained at a lesser distance from the field than 25 miles. He states that the value of the reefs cannot be over-estimated, and the extraordinary returns which would accrue if proper machinery were procured is shown by the yield with the present primitive appliances, as in 31 days no less than 3000oz of gold was crushed. This was the product of what is known as Bayley's claim, named after the discoverer, and which was purchased by Sylvester, Brown, and Co. for £6000, Bayley retaining one-sixth share.

To the north and south of Coolgardie, our informant says, there is a perfect network of reef?, but owing to the want of adequate crushing machinery stone bearing as much as lOoz to 15oz to the ton is lying untouched. Tho alluvial receives the most attention, aud although the absence of water is felt a great drawback, 'good wages ara earned, the dry blowing process being used to catch the precious metal. The Government of Western Australia are takiDg steps to encourage the field, and the SylvesterBrown Company have decided to obtain a battery, which will tend to give the place a push forward A railway is iv course of construction to Southern Cross, which is 120 miles from Coolgardie, and telegraph communication is about to bo established between these two planes and a railway is also spoken of.

The merchants of Adelaide have taken action with a view to opening up trade with the field, and this of course has induced the Westraliaus to be more energetic than they otherwise would bs in the matter of establishing means of communication. The southernera have, however, the advantage, as the field is a distance of 400 miles from Perth, while it is only 100 mile 3 from the southern coast, or Esperance Bay, which is two day3 7 steam from Adelaide. Mr Mead is confident that, as soon as the proper appliances are obtained and water is procured by means of races, that there a^e limitless fortunes in store for the owners of the reefs. There is a gentle fall from Lake Lofroy, 50 miles distant from the field, and, three miles from this, there is Hunt's Dam, made by Hunt, the explorer, 30 years ago, and which would provide an adequate supply of fresh water. Our informant has with him a number of specimens obtained from the field, which contain largo quantities of gold. — Southland News.