LOST GOLDMINES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17231, 24 December 1923, Page 6

LOST GOLDMINES.

RICHES THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED. PROSPECTORS’ DEATH ROLL (By Frank Reid, in the Sydney “ Sun.”) In the early clays of Australian gold discoveries certain prospectors found the precious mineral xn close proximity to what arc npw are capital cities, but they refused to reveal the whereabouts of their claims, and. although many miners searched for the source of their wealth, it was never traced. In 1844 Alexander Tolmein was sent J>V Governor Grey to Kangaroo Island to capture a- gang of bushrangers, and, on his return to Melbourne, he reported that when he was about twenty miles from the city he saw a quartz reef with vellow metal in it, which he was afterwards convinced was gold. Later on a prospector worked a mine at this place, and made a considerable fortune, but at his death, the spot could not be traced. TRAILED THE' CHINAMAN.

Shortly after gold was discovered at Croydon, in Northern Queensland, a Chinaman come into the township every fortnight with small nuggets of gold, and on one occasion, when under the influence of drink, he boasted that he could bring a sugar bag of gold to Croydon within three months. On several occasions small parties of men tried to follow the Chinese prospector, but h? always managed to elude his pursuers. At last a clever black tracker was employed to trail the Chinaman, but three days later his body was found in a dry creek bed riddled' with bullets. The Chinaman was probably the murderer, as he was not seen in the district again, nor was his gold mine ever found.

There is a legend amongst the old inhabitants of the Burragorang Valley and Cox's River districts that somewhere at the head of Cox’s River lies a rich deposit of the elusive metal. The story has it that the pocket was found by an old prospector, who died before he had time to work it. and beyond telling that it was located well up the river he was silent. That there is gold in the vicinity is proved by the strata and by the small nuggets sometimes ■washed out bv the river. Time after time efforts have been made by prospectors to locate the pocket, but so far the search has been fruitless. In the early seventies gold was found at Emu Greek, near Crow’s Nest (Q.), by a prospector, Lloyd. So delighted was he with his discovery that he placed his pick, shovel and pan on the spot where he had discovered the gold, and then departed for his home. On his way he called on an old friend, with the result that they decided to join forces and make a beginning at opening up their claim the following Tuesday. The appointed day saw Lloyd’s mortal remains buried in the little cemeter}' at Drayton and the discovery was soon forgotten. Some years later a woman, Mrs M’Kelleg, whose husband was the owner of Emu Creek cattle station, was walking along the creek alter a heavy downpour of rain, which had washed much sand and grit from the banks, when among the debris she icund an oval nugget, which she subsequently sent to Brisbane for analysis, and the returns gave 83oz of gold. Old prospectors in the district were much impressed by the discovery of this nugget, and interest was awakened in the story ot Lloyds find- However, their search did not meet with success, and the gold is i still there. FOSSICKER S CHAMOIS BAG. If one can put any faith in prospectors’ stories regarding the littleknown Cape York Peninsula, there are fortunes in the earth still waiting to bo picked up. One of the most pathetic stories regarding this territory concerns an old fossicker who staggered into the late Frank Jardine’s homestead at Somerset, iate one afternoon. He was a very sick man indeed, and, despite the kind attention he received from the Jardines, he slowly sank. When he realised that death was draw, ing near he produced from the interior of his tattered shirt a. small chamois bag which was filled with small lumps of gold. The dying fossicker told Jardin© that he had a claim in the vicinity of the Batavia fliver, and that when he became ill he had touched on gold richer than he had ever seen before. He asked for pen and paper, and drew a rough plan of the country in which the claim w,as situated That night he died. Jardine placed the map amongst some hooks in liis library, believing that this was the safest place to conceal it until he found time to go forth and locate the dead fossicker’ claim. Two months later, while Jardine and his sons were seeking beche-de-mer on the Barrier Reef, his homestead at Somerset was burned to the ground, and the map was destroyed. A prospector. Carmody. who had heard the story of the destroyed map. started for the Batavia, River, and. after fossicking m the vicinity for several months, located the claim. Shortly afterwards he returned to Ebagoolah with SOoc of gold and, aftei purchasing supplies, started out. again for Batavia, River. Eighteen rsonths later his skeleton was found at the junction of the Coen and Archer Rivers. Probablv he ran foul of myall blacks, who wore vein- troublesome in those parts at. this time, and, after spearing him, thev looted his Supplies. The gold mine on the Batavia River which brought death to two prospecinr* is -till u -Autinsi to fce to mid again.