THE CAPE GOLDFIELDS.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1717, 4 July 1874, Page 2

THE CAPE GOLDFIELDS.

We have been favored with the following information regarding the discovery of gold at the Cape., It is from a private letter received by a gentleman resident here, from his brother, and may be taken as reliable. The information is somewhat meagre, but it is in a measure confirmatory of the accounts already received through the ordinary channels :—

Pilgrim's Best Creek, New Caledonia Goldfields, South African Bepublic, 23rd February, 1874—My dear G.—We have, just reached the above writteß address, after a pilgrimage of six weeks' duration from Colesberry Kopji Diamond fields. This is a fine looking country, quite different from the Diamond fields—as here, all is mountains, ; rivers, trees, and rocks'; there it was nothing but everlasting flat and dust. These diggings were discovered by an old diamond-digger from Natal, some few months ago, and the discovery of several large nuggets has caused a rush, for it was long known that there was gold in this region; and at present there are about a thousand to twelve hundred diggers at work,-confined to one creek, called Pilgrim's R^stj close to which our wagon is camped. This is about 40 miles N. E. of Leydenburg, amongst some spurs of the Drabrewburg Range, and about 180-miles from,the cpasi;.; -I had * .pleasant journey up as far as Nazareth, but after that, had some difficult and dangerous travelling, especially for wagons, haying 'many rivers and mountains to cross. The climate is generally mild and healthy by all account, but, for the two weeks we have been, here, we have had little else but rain— only three fine days out of that time, this, being the wet season,:and the mist 3 very wetting, and sufficiently heavy te "stop all digging operations. The gold is found in the creek and gullies of-the mountains, i under the boulders in tho creek, bottom, in "nuggety," " small rough *' or " dust." As .all'the ground in Pilgrim's Rest was occupied on our arrival, we have moved on to an adjoining creek, which we are prospecting in company with a few others, but have been able to do very little washing yet owing to the want of sluice-boxes, timber being scarce. My old chumG—, is in an adjoining crfiek, and I paid him a visit the other day and spent the best part of a day washing with him and got 4dwts.. of dust. Doubtless an.older band would'have got more. Flis chum F—— • is on his way up via Delagoa Hay with food from Natal, but we are rather anxious about him as the rivers are up and there' is no transport road yet open, although the Transvaal and Portugese Governments are engaged in making one, but have many difficulties to contend against, as the tetse fly which : kills animals of all sorts, is very troublesome just now. There is also a good deal of fever on the coast. I must now conclude with a. promise, of more particulars next mail.