The Kimberley Excitement

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1838, 31 May 1886, Page 2

The Kimberley Excitement

The Kimberley goldfields are drawing away a large number ot persons from different parts of New Zealand, even tbe Wairarapa contributing to tbe number. The Union Steam Ship Co. announce that if tnfficient inducement is forthcoming their well-known steamer, the s.s. Hero, will be despatched irom Wellington to King’s Sound for tha Kimberley goldfields, on or about the 18th June next. The steerage fare is £ls. Them is little doubt that every berth will be taken up. From the West Coast of the other island we learn that several miners have left for tbe new field, and private and press letters from the mines agree that tbe excitement is increasing, many waiting to realise on mining property in order to get away. Tbe Melbourne Age of 16th instant ssys : —“ The reports which have been received with tbe regard to tbe existence of a large area of gold-bearing country in the Kimberley district, Western Australia, have drawn a considerable amount of attention to that portion of tbe Australian continent, la the mining districts of this Colony, especially in the case of Ballarat, Sandhurst, dunes, Stawell, and Castlemaine, the subject has created a groat deal of interest amongst miners. When it was announced a few days ago that the Australian Steam Navigation Company and Messrs Howard Smith and Son* bad decided to despatch steamers from Sydney to King Sound, and that tbe Adelaide Steamship Company had also arranged that their steamer Albany would run round the west coast to tbe same port, the agents of those Companies were inundated with letters from miners residing in various parts of tbe Colony, requesting information with regard to tha psasage rates, and tbe steps necessary to bo taken to reach the goldfield. The agent* have also been interviewed by several hundreds of men anxious to try their fortunes in the West. The Melbourne Argus hss compiled tbo following information concerning the new goldfield, and tbe best means of aoosss to it, from an official report andfrom private letters received iu Melbourne : The gold is being found on the Elvira River, which flows into the Panton, about thirty miles above the junction of that river with the Ord. The Ord is afterwards joined by the Negri, ton Bow, the Behn, and the Fen-* ham, and it 'wa into Cambridge Gu ( at the east arm. The head quarters of the Resident and towns!to on the gull is supposed to be inland from the west of the Bastion Hille, where the Admiralty surveyor recommended the construction of a j- tty. The rainy sensm c.nnineneos in December and lasts f rth r-- month*. The cool season is in Apr!, May, June, and July; the hot season in Scp:e üb.-r,October, m i November. Mr llany Joliu.-i "is, w’i > hj been in command of the survey p it Kimberley fur the last few yi-nr*., and wii i n,s s'livnyed the country from Derby on Knit's S .mid to Upper Etvire, snd from that to tbe (Vobridge Gmf. stales tb.it tbe aisto. -en ■ n '■ • Bastion Hill leading to t!i» Dp-xir Eb.r< is 2UU miles, and the distance i.om Ehue to Derby 350. “ Country proved by tbe pro .p. ct us (o b.r gold bearing," adds the Smvevoi, " -xteude for a long way to tbe north ami north o-t«t of where gold was found by lisll, thus lessening' tbe distance of the auriferous ooimtiy from Cambridge Gulf. Fresh meat ought to lie procurable, as it is estimated that there are over 12000 head of cattle in the valley of Old. Fish are very plentiful in the p ails of that river. No stores are to tie procured on tbe road or at the diggings, therefore everything lias to bo earned from the port. Aa the country has only been lately one tpted, no Imrees arc to tie had for lure or purchase, and therefore, it is urged, no man need think of going to the goldfields unless he imports hit owu horses. All stores or hull lings ought to he of iron nr iron framework, as the white an:s often destroy wooden buildings. la Port Darwin the only wood that resists tha white aut is a pine something like the Murray pine. The climate is said to be healthy, but patties are advised to provide themselves with a supply of medicine. LATEST. REPORTED RICH FIND AT KIMBERLEY. Mblbocbne, May 29. News is to hand from the Kimberley goldfields stating that one man lias struck e rich patch which has yielded him ore* 600 ounces of gold.