KIMBERLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1858, 16 July 1886, Page 3

KIMBERLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

The following Mcoant will interest many vfao are aoxiona to get away to this gold field One correspondent writes : _ 'l'be rush is expected to be the largest since that to tbs Palmer. Biddle and M’Millan bare arrived from Kimberley, vis the Tktoria Eiver. They travelled overland from Boeburne, via Derby, and reached the goldfields oo December 7. They had seven horses and eight mouths’ provisions. The; triad every place where the gold bed yet been obtained, and prospected extensively, bat barely nude wages. They found the colour nearly everywhere. The heavier gold patches were miles apart, generally in narrow ravines a foot in depth, with a alately sandstone at the bottom. The gold is very fine and waterworn, the best being from ths -watershed of the Black Kivire and Brockman’s Creek. They got some larger specimens, apparently from a decomposed reef. The largest of the quartz of ths little obtained was from pipeclay above the ravine and main watercourses, and was unproductive. One hundred and eighty ozs were obtained from ajmullocky leader at a depth of seven feet. The field is fear miles from water. On May 4, when they left the Black Elvire, abeut 55 men were engage! in different parties, the majority having gone to Derby or Cambridge for itorea. It waa estimated that IOOOoz had been raised at that date, about lOOoz being from Saonder's Creek, where Saundera and Johns reported gold prospects five years ago. The elimate is good, but scurvy is prevalent, owing to the absence of fresh meat and vege. tables. Between the Ord and the Victoria riven no trace of gold waa found, the country being mostly limestone. B. B. Young, who formed one of the Hall and Slattery's party, which discovered Kimberley goldfield, and reported it to the Western Australian Government last year, has arrived at Adelaide. He saye : “ Seven of ns loft Derby for Kimberley to prospect from Derby to BaU’e Creek, 371 miles. We had a etvaleads of twenty-aeven pack and seven riding honss, and wera (applied with tents, ■x months' provisions, tools, Ac. We followed tbs Fitzroy river, and found plenty of dry grass and good food for hones. Some* times ws eamped on tba river, and at other times oo a BUlabong. It took ns five weeks to reach Hall’s Creek, but out of this we eamped one week, and wera ton/ days shoeing horses. When we arrived at the Margaret river gorge, in the Leopold Booges, we also eamped a day, and two of the party went abend to find water. This they found in plenty in a large waterhole in the gorge. Thera was generally water to be got from soaking through sand, and though we went op in a dry season, we had' no trouble from want of water. The river came down about January. There were two parties travelling np with ns. On the Fitzroy the natives were very nnmeroos, bat after leaving the river we only encountered two or three, and they were fnaodly. There are fine bream and other fish in the Fitzioy, and one day you may get a good haul and nothing the next. Alligators are found for 200 miles np the river. Only in flood times is it navigable, and then only tor small boats, as there are many ■nags and other obstacles. We bad splendid travelling for 830 miles, and then we got into ths hills. Ws found the spioiftx very troublesome, and we bad only to lig for water between the Margaret and Mount Barrett. When we arrived where the diggings now are wa found the country very hilly, rough and covered with spinifex. Bell's Creek runs into the Surveyed Elvira, aud here prospecting was carried on with more success, and gold was also fonnd in Brockman's Creek. We did nothing the first day, but on the second day some of ths party fixed camp, and others started at oor gold workings. This was oar second vist here, and we had to return onee before to Derby on account of our rations givi-. g out. On oar fiist visit we found Sou in Hall's Creek (the name we gave it), and on getting back to Derby for rations we reported ths field co the Government. Mr Hardman, geologist, bad examined the country for the Government before us, bat he ioandvery little gold. Oor first trip occupied five months, daring which we prospected there, here, and everywhere. We arrived at Ball'a Creek on oor second trip in the first week of December lost. The gold we found then was very patchy, and was little waterworn, and we found it in shallow ravines with a alatey formation. The storekeepers in Derby wera giving £3 10s per oz for gold. We toft in March to prospect. On oor way down to Derby again we were not very successful, hot generally we found the colour. On our way baek we met a party from Derby eamped on the north side of the Fitzroy. They bad been waiting eight weeks for the rivet to go down, ana meanwhile bad run out of rations. Half tbsir party had then to go baek to Derby for fresh rations. When we crossed the Fitzroy the water was just up to tha packages. We arrived at Derby in the first week in May last. The town had grown I in ear absence, having now stores and hotels. Thera wera shoot 150 men there, and a lot mors arrived while we wera waiting. Numbers Ml for the diggings without horses, and carrying heavy swags, and some left with wheelbarrows conveying their stores and goods. With regard to the rival port at Cambridge time alone will prove which is best. Flour in Derby was 3d per lb whenwelelt, and a butcher hod opened a shop, and was ralliag mutton atßd. We seldom got be-f. With regard to the elimate, 1 think it is much on tho fieldi than at Derby, being lugbaraod much cooler. loe is found ou the diggings in July, and in March it was getting very eold. In summer the flies are frightful; they will almost eat the horses' •yes ont. With regard to sport there are very lew kangaroos, and they are hard to get. Going into Fitzroy there are large numbers of docks. I ean’t advise any one to go to Kimberley just now. The wet season does noi commence till December. From the numbers now pouring into Derby sod Cambridge Gulf, 1 anticipate hearing of con. nderabla distress. Prospecting cannot he carried on in dry weather. Those arriving in December may have success, hut gold aseking is at best a lottery. 1 would not advise anyone to throw up a situation for it. The field is very large, and the color can be got easily. No man should start on Lis own aeeonot with less than L2OO, as be will want at laast two horses, and (our are better. Then be should lake six mouths' provisions, and if he hashed no success at the end of that time, be moat buy at ruling prices. Slattery's nugget waa found in a ravine running into the Elvira. We also obtained one nugget of 7<>z ISdwt, and another of 3oz lUiwt. These were found on Slattery’s ground, and we sometimes found gold without any soil, and lying loose. There has practice ly been no sinking as yet, and the gold that hat been found is vary large.