WESTWARD HO I"

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 16

WESTWARD HO I"

(By Tkebohllien.)

Now that 60 much attention is being attracted towards the colony of Western Australia, hitherto looked upon as the Cinderella of the colonies, I should like to place betore your readers some extracts from Gordon and Gotch's "Handbook of Australia for 1893" Cprocurable from Messrs Prictor and Co., Stafford street), which may prove interesting. Western Australia includes all that portion of the Australian Continent situated to the westwardof 129 eastlongitude, between the parallels of 13.30 and 35 8 south. From Cape Londonderry to Peak Heads, south of King George's Sound, is 1490 miles. Its extreme breadth from Steep Point to the 129 th meridian on tbe east is about 850 miles. It contains an area of over 1,000,000 square miles, or more than eight times the size of the United Kingdom. It is also the nearest of the Australian colonies to England, the distance to Fremantle being 10,950 miles.

Several trips across the continent have been made by various explorers since 1826, when the colony was first settled, from Sydney, by Major Lockyer. But its history contains little of interest till 1850, when it was made a convict settlement. The first Governor was Mr J. S. Hampton, formerly Controller-general of Convicts, Tasmania, whose name promises to be well kept in remembrance. The now famous Hampton Downs was purchased by a powerful London syndicate to the extent of 1,500,000 acres, and rich gold has been traced into their property, which is now being leased and sold to miner?, squatters, &c, on favourable and reasonable terms. Tbe area of Western Australia is 1,060,000 square miles, or equal to 678,400,222 acres, of which in 1891 only 131,900 acres were under cultivation.

There are two seasons, the wet starting as a rule in April and lasting till September, the dry from December till the end of March. The mean of the barometer, 30015, taken at Perth daring 1891, showed the rainfall to be 3033 in in 93 days, and tbe mean of the thermometer above 64deg. Exposure to all weathers is stated by universal experience to produce no. ill effects on the constitution. Epidemic diseases arc almost unknown, dysentery infrequent, snow is never seen, and the Rev. G. Nicolay states ; " It is no exaggeration, speaking generally, to say that the climate is one of the most healthful in tbe world. The soil is as good and of as great variety as any part of the world. Cereals are grown asfar north as lat. 29, and on the hills to the east of Perth 40 bushels to the acre is common. According to Sir Francis Weld, West Australians' land is the m-sfc fertile in the world. Timber is plentiful."

The minerals are coal, copper, tin, silver, andgald. Daring 1891 30,3140z of the latter were exported, although then only three fields had been prospected — Kimberley, Pilbsrra, and Yilgarn. Since then Coolgardie and the Murchison fields and their branches have been discovered, and the phenomenal yields from Bayley's Reward claim, through the pluck and enterprise of Mr Sylvester Browne, brother of Mr Thomaa Browne (" Rolfe Boldrewood "), has caueed the goldfields of Western Australia to attract more attention from the British public than any discovery since the rush to Victoria in 1854. With the daiiy application for mining leases no one but tb9 veriest pessimist can believe that the many representatives of syndicates now formed in London for that purpose, and acting on their epecially-sent-out accredited experts' advice — men with American, South African, and Australian certificates of competency— are investing their employers' money without due care and circumspection, and everything points to a prosperous time for Western Australia. Owing to the promptness with which the Government have grappled with the water difficulty and provided wells, tanks, dams, and condensers, besides large reservoirs amounting to lakes, this water famine is not likely to occur again. It has been proved that at 200 ft water in quantity can be got by sinking anywhere, and as machinery is daily beii)g pushed forward to the various fields, ths dolly and dry blowing business will be euperseded by the din of the stamp batteries and the miners' cradle, as every digger who has an alluvial claim will, as was done in the fifties, have stacked bis washdirt and constructed bis dam to be ready to oaten

the heavenly rain. If by dry blowing and dolljiog— slow processes and hardest of work to the uninitiated — results so phenomenal have been obtained in the past, what may one not expect to see in the near future. Camels and Afghan drivers can venture 1400 miles into the vast unexplored and socalled desert without risk, and who can predict what wonderful tracts of good pastoral, agricultural, or mineral-producing country may, witbin the next 12 months, be brought; into occupation. It would seem as if some special dispensation of Providence had been ordained to give Australia through her despised and ugly duckling a chance to rehabilitate her good name and fallen credit through the boom reversep, bank and other land companies' failures, and that the " birds may sing, and the sun shine " on the Australasian colonies once more.

Who can foresee what an effect this prodigious gold discovery may have on the denizens of the old world? 'Tis said the "eagles or vultures swoop where the carrion is." With these mining strikes the world over, may one not expect to see an inilux of that class, attracted by tbe higher wages and better food and other amenities. A miner who understands his work need fear no more difficulty in opewing on quartz or alluvial mines than tin, lead, copper, or coal. Tbe cheapuess ot transit, by the foresight and prompt action of tbe Government in forming water conservations, enablirg teams to travel without interruption, places food and supplies of all kinds within reasonable price?, and the energetic manner in which the West Australian Premier is prosecuting railway construction and tele graphic commnnition is beyond praise, he has truly profited by the experience the hitherto Al colonies have taught him, aud is not Blow to avoid their mistake*. Let it be hoped he may be long spared to rule and conduct affairs as he has in the past, and avoid being overborne by the political element which has proved so disastrous in the sister colonies. His. borrowicg policy is modest and legitimate, and as population flows to bis shore?, which it must and will, the country will progress by leaps and bounds.

It Queensland, Naw South Wales, and Victoiia can produce fat cattle and fat sheep, why nod Western Australia ? In the northern districts, it is well known, cattle and sheep and horses thrive as well as in any of the other colonies, and, depend upon it, Western Australia will be a serious competitor for the frozen meat and preserved meat trade ere many years elapse, and presumably her wool will come further to the front as improved flocks get placed on her runs. Another industry will be fruitgrowing. The soil has hitherto without irrigation produced orange?, lemons, peaches, plum 3, apricjts, pears, quinces, figs, applts, medlars, cherries, gooseberries, citrone, currants, guavas, mulberries, raspberries, shaddock?, bananas nectarines, loquats, limes, nuts, filberts, almonds, pears, &0., and tbe grape. West Australian wine is first-class, and fruit-preserving and fruit-drying it is specially adapted for. Dairy produce, butter, cheese, bams, bacon, eggp, poultry, potatoes, onions, and- all vegetables pay to produce ; and in the near future the export of dairy-fed pork — frozen, salted, and in other forms— is looked forward to as likely to be large.'

Coolgardie is .surrounded by land quite capable, if cultivated, of supplying a large population with tbe necessaries of life without depending entirely on importation, and will compare favourably with some of the best wheat-growing districts in Victoria— viz., the Goulburn Valley. As the water famine is now over, teams ■ are now beiDg daily despatched . thence, via the Dandas goldfield.

Over 600 muting leases have up to date been applied for on the Coolgardie field alone, representing, say, 6000 acres of mining leaßes ; and, according to tbe regulations, these must be within a certain time worked full-banded, or tbe lease is liable to be jumped or forfeited. Some 350 mining leases have been issued at Hannan's findn, and at Moor's, Broad Arrow, and the Twenty -five Mile, Thirty -seven Mile, Forty-five Mile, and other new finds daily applications are coming in. The prosperity of the field depends upon the assumption that the Government will enforce the labour conditions and compel work to be gone on with in the spirit of the regulations, granting reasonable concessions where proof of bona fide progress has been made, but severely and promptly cancelling all shepherding leases, and insisting on work being done and the full number cf men put on. Only in this way can they check the swindlers who have taken up claims merely for rooking purposes — that is, float a company, sell out, and let tbe pigeons hold the baby. Firm and honest supervision of the Mines department by sufficiently paid and competent officers can alone, by constant inspeclion, give the public fair play, and a show for their money. The mining regulations', amended to 12th July, 1893, are now procurable, and are framed on the lines of those obtaining in the other Australian crlonies. A miner's right costs 20s per annum. A business license costs L 4. The alluvial claims for one miner are, 50 x 50 dry ground and 50 x 100 wet ground. Reward claim?, if beyond limits of a goldfield.are 25 acres, but if within a gold field two to 10 men's ground. For prospecting a miner may mark off and hold 400 x 4GO yards if beyond the limit nf a proclaimed goldfield ; 300 x 300 yards witbin a goldfield; under tbree' miles, 200 x 200 yards; under one mile,- 150 x 150 yards. Quaitz claims, 75ft along reef by 400 ft wide for each miner. Gold mining leases not exceeding 25 acres for 21 years, rental £1 per acre per annum ; one miner must be employed for three acres or part thereof, and no lease can be worked by less than two miners.

The distance from Fremautle to Cool? gardie is 364 miles. The distance from Fremantle to Southern Cross by rail is 240 miles ; from there coaches run daily (fare £5) to Coolgardie. Hannan's, Broad Arrow, White Feather, Twenty - five mile, Dead Finish, Scq. are all in daily coach communication. The direct route from Esperance Bay to Coolgardie saves something like 1000 miles.

THE MOUNT HUXLEY MINE. The circumstances connected with the alleged ••salting" of tbe Mount Huxley mine, Tasmania are singular in the extreme. Mr MonU

gomery's report was read in the Tasmanian Parliament, and is published in the Hobart Mercury. He says : " I have been driven to the conclusion that there has been foul play iv connection with this mine ; in fact, to use an expressive and well-understood mining phrase, that it has been 'salted,' gold having been covertly introduced into the samples which I was examining, in spite of what I thought strict vigilance. As this is a most serious and damaging charge it is incumbent on me to fully explain the grounds on which I base it. During the four or five daj s' visit to the mines the total amount of stuS handled was about half a ton. The material, which iB of a clayey, tenacious nature, was crushed in a mortar. The results of the tests were, on the whole, extremely satisfactory, the yield of gold ranging from 3oz 12dwt to the ton down to, in one instance, less than a grain per ton, but rarely falling bslow 2dwt, the average of the whole being 6dwt lOgr to the ton. This , result from stuff only roughly crushed, and u treatedly only by the simple and crude process 'of washing, would mean that the property was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ot known gold mines. Recognising the possibility of deception being practised, Mr Montgomery with his own hands took samples of solid rock in lumps from four different parts of the mine, and sent them to the Government analyst in Hobart. No gold was visible in any of the samples, but by request the analjst washed them with a little water and a nail brush before commencing his assay. The result was to detach quite a quantity of gold distinctly water worn from the outside of two of the samples. After this the assay proceeded. In No. 1 sample two or three small colours were got from outside, but no visible gold in the washing powder, which yielded an assay 16gr per ton. In No. 2 and 3 samples gold was again got from outside, but only traces from inside. The stone thus yielded 83oz to 103oz per ton from outside, while the interior was very poor. The waterworn gold from outside could aot be accounted for, especially as Mr Montgomery had noticed that the gold in his own washings was also waterworn. On returning to Hobart Mr Montgomery was shown a sample of gold, which, to his astonishment, proved to be of a different character, being crystaline, or reef gold, with' quartz adhering to some of it. In all his own tests, not a single piece of gold with quartz attached was found. As it was absurd to suppose that one man could get reef gold and another man alluvial gold from the same deposits, the natural conclusion was that in "salting" sometimes one kind was used and sometimes another. The gold got from one sample consisted of one small shot and two colours, the stone being somewhat soft and spongy. A di?h of rubbly stuff from the same place previously washed gave no more than a minute colour, and the conclusion forced on Mr Montgomery was that the samples had been • ' salted " after they were chosen. The highest return from a number of other test 3 was 2dwt 7gr per ton. Six tests gave ldwt ygr per ton, and four or five other tes»t3 gave nothing, or a minute colour. Some stone containing pyrites, was tested. One gave lgr to the ton of rock, and a second yielded 18dwt to the ton of concentrates, equal to two-tenths of a grain to the toa of original rock. The conclusion is, that there is a little gold in the stuff, but owing to the circumstances related, Mr Montgomery cannot estimate how much with any defioiteness—pretty certainly there is not enough to make working profitable.