Conflicting News from Kimberiey.

Southland Times, Issue 9543, 13 June 1887, Page 2

Conflicting News from Kimberiey.

The steamer Tannidice brought down a large number of minerß who have been trying tlioir luck qa the K'mberley goldfh"l<ls. Amorist the number am a few gentleman *lio have visited the fields with the intention of forcing companies ia Melbourne to work the various reefs supposed to exist there. When the pre--Bot ratn took their departnro there remained only about 300 man oq the fi-ld out of the thousands who reached tb&ro only to couio back disheartened, wi ; h more experience, but no goid,uad a,l th^ir money waste*. Tbe BUtferiogs oa thdfi-.l is are reported to havo beou t»'rnb'fe dozens of strong healthy mau peristiiag mU»-rably from e.ciuvy and dyseot'-ry, while the irickß froui CdinbiiJge Galf aro strewn with the bleaching bones of mm and horee ; and at tbe Gulf, ev<.n, there are soint thing near thirty graves. The information fo'lo wing waa obtainsd frocft aoioo^a' te men, who have been Atw tralian miaers for yeaw, and whoso, opiaioat* ate therefore worthy of siteaiion. They agree, aod thoir utteranoaa bore tbe expressions! of truth that there i 8 little or no alluvial gold to to got, whUe it is yet doubtful whether the country possesses any gOjd quarz reefs. . The expense of testing *ou:d be enormous, from tho givat dia!a:ice of the fiwlda from civilisation. Three ounces of gold obtained there in qnartx-mining would, perhaps, be only equ:i! to one penny- weight obthintd on \\\n Victorian goldii->lds. The ryp >na wu\ a bay that th»qu<4iiK would yield 200055. to tho son these men do not credit, but on this they do not venture a direct d«ai*l. Two »c» who Uft Ada-

laide (in the Khandalh with. a complete outfit, reraained.on the field for twelve months and returned with only 13oz of gold. A gentleman oa board is reported to have obtained 300oz there, while, on the other hand, it is affirmed that the beat genuine take vas 103oz in mx months. Provisions on the field are very scarce. As an instance of how articles of ontfifc have deteilameri;™^^^^ drays, harnesß, horses, *nd several other things- thrown id, were gladly sold for 255. The Tannadics brought L 5736 worth o£ • gold to Sydney,, and L 2345 to Metoqurnp,^If companies are formed to work the fields it will be interesting 1 to watch the results and compare them with the expressed opinions of the alluvial mineria. ■ „. , , Important news from the 'Kimberlejr, ; goldfielda, Western Australia, was recently; - , conveyed, according to- the Perth laduireie, ,. ,^ in the following telegram received-w th'o Colonial Saoretary from the Government Resident, at Wyndham ; — I have much pleasure i in 'informing yon, for bis Excel- ' lency's information, that the complexion of affairs with regard to the goldfieldß has altered considerably for the bettor. Good patches of alluvial gold have been and are being fonni upon the Panton river; I have been informed that almost all the diggers arriving in town have large parcels of goldj averaging from 50 oz. to 300 oz. Good reofs hare also been discovered, and the specimens sent in are magnificent, especially those from the reef on the Paatbn and another reef at Mount Dockrell. Diggers are satisfied with tbe prospects, and are returning to the fields. Packers are cowing into town daily and loading up for the fiaids. It is reported, that a tin lode has been discovered within 80 miles of Wyndham. I believe this to be correct,": The same paper adds that "a. practical * miner, writing to a resident in Perth, under d ate Derby, April 7th, says :— The - from the fields is very encouraging, all the reefs looking splendid, and none- better than tbe Lady Broome. Eight hundred pounds has been refused for one sixteenth share in it. The reef is solid, 5 feet thick, and shows gold right through. This is a ' pile ' claim without doubt."