QUEENSLAND.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 351, 15 September 1868, Page 2

QUEENSLAND.

GrYMPIE CREEK, August 19th, 1868. (To the Editor of the Westport Times.)

Sir,—As an old West Coast man I deem it my duty to convey through your columns, to the miners of the West Coast and New Zealand generally, a warning voice against the stampede that is now taking place from the New Zealand provinces to the Gympie diggings, on what information I know not.

The prospects of the Gympie goldfield are not such as to warrant the influx of one fourth of the miners who hare come here.l hundreds of whom haveleft steady employment andbroken up comfortable homes to take their chance here.

This field differs very much from any similar large rush that has ever taken place in the colonies. There has been but a very limited extent of payable alluvial ground opened up, and being so shallow it was quickly worked out; in fact the whole of the alluvial workings on Gympie never employed more than 1200 miners. Since the large influx of population the old ground has been thoroughly fossicked, so much so that the greater part of the puddling machines erected to work it are now lying idle, the ground not proving remunerative. The " West Coast Lead " is a supposed lead running parallel to the Mary River. It is as a matter of course very wet, and the sinking varies in depth from 40 feet at the prospectors shaft to No 24 north, the last claim ahead bottomed, payable prospects are reported to have been obtained, but though the prospectors have had their claim granted over two months and at work every day they have not yet a load of wash dirt " to grass." About 150 claims are taken up on this fron- : tage lead ; seven eights of which are shepherded daily from 10 to 12. Quartz mining is the principal stand by here, but though the reefs look well on paper from the array of names, I can safely state that ,of the scores of reefs now named, not more than twenty are possessing payable stone ; if there is that number. The reefs are principally worked on the plan of paying three men one pound a week each and a share to hold six mens ground ; some are even working for ten shillings a week, just to keep starvation off. Ou very fewreefs istheremoretbantwo or three claims on the reef, which is so narrow, and the rock so hard, that a liberal expenditure of powder is required to rais one ton of stone per week. Many of these reefs are named and nominally worked in order that

mushroom companies may bo started for the Brisbane and Sydney share markets. The escort averages about 3500 ozs. a fortnight, but this is mainly the gold obtained from new claims on the crack reefs, such as the Lata Mary, .'Caledonian and .Perseverance. There is at least nearly one half of the mining population now idle, wachfor some alluvial rush to open up, and give them a start. Iluudreds would willingly leave here if they had the means, but lacking the needful they must remain and light it out as best they can.

I would earnestly advise no one to come here, the place is completely overdone, and Queensland being now in a very shaky condition, and overrun with bush savages on the look out for work, the new chum miuer has no chance of getting work, even for his tucker. Trusting you will insert this warning to the miners of the West Coast numbers of whom know me. I am Sir, &c. Jeeemiaa Creed.