KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1324, 25 August 1886, Page 2

KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELD.

LETTER FROM AN ASHBURTON RESIDENT.

Mr Hardley, of this town, has kindly placed at our disposal a letter whith he. received yesterday from -his son, who, it will be remembered, together with some others, left Ashburton for tho new El Dorado in tbenorth of Western Australia a few weeks ago. The latter is dated “Derby, July 27,” and the writer, after stating that he is in the enjoyment of good health, goes on to say:—“We arrived here last'. Friday night, but did not get off the steamer until 4 o’clock on Sunday morning. J and I went ashore, lowing ——- and —— on board to see the goods put off. The Triumph had to lie off Derby, 16 miles, and we were taken off in a small steamer named “ The Dickey.” I thought at one time that we were likely to go round to Cambridge Gulf, as we had a case of scarlet fever on board. The Government Resident Dr Lovegrore, came out to us in the little steamer, and ordered us to be placed in quarantine for seven days. The passengers made a great row on board, and threatened to

take the Triumph’s boats and forcibly land. Ultimately the Resident allowed us to land. He came on board, and saw the man who was ill. The passengers would not have allowed the Resident to leave the ship until he had givqn the captain a clean sheet. If we had been placed in quarantine I believe the captain would have gone round to Cambridge Gulf, which seems to bo the place where all the people are landing. People are leaving Derby and going round to the Gulf. We are told here th*t nineteen persons out of every twenty are going there, and surprise was expressed that we also had not taken that course. The last steamer that arrived hero landed 130

passengers at the Gulf, while only three were set on shore here. This is a bad port; the little steamer when she goes out to take stuff from the Triumph cannot get alongside the jetty or wharf until the tide rises; The landing place is about three miles from Derby- and about one and a half miles from the Point, which I think will eventually become the site of the town. There are altogether about 600 persons here ; there is no trade here, and no news from the diggings No one has been down here for fom months, with the exception of the Sergeant of Police, who came down a fortnight ago, and repoi ted that about 5( men were on the field when ho left, all ol whom had a little gold I be'ieve the people in Ashburton know a great dea! more about the goldfield than the people here. There is no defined goldfield, and there is onlv “gully scraping,” and al

I that can be done by those who go up to the goldfields just amounts to prospecting. In fact, it looks as if wa had arrived hero too soon, and if a goldfield is to be found, we, who have arrived by the

Triumph, will have to bear our part in finding it. There is no stir here at all ; nothing like the West t Coast. Until the Triumph came in the place was as quiet as Ashburton. There is a good road from Derby to the fields, and water about every twelve miles, and plenty of grass. Thare is a company called the East Kimberley Supply Company, which has got twentyfour camels in Derby to take stores to the diggings, and establish stations every sixty miles on the road. Stores are almost as cheap here as in Ashburton. Matches are Id and 3d a box; sugar, 6d a lb; tea, 2s 61; candles, Is 3J ; fl Mir, 10 fid pet 501 b bag ; cheese, 2s per lb; butter, in one lb tins, 3«; salt, Is 91; bacon, Is 9d; mutton, 81; billies, 4 quarts, 3j 6d ; jam, 91 pet tin ; biscuits, 6d per lb. The place is overstocked with pro visions. No one is allowed to put up a public house ; one man was fined £3O for selling lipuor. Sections are fetching pretty high prices; the best are wonh about £2OO. This I cannot understand,

as the e la nothing doing and it is not definitely known whether the diggioga are any good or not. The town of Derby is not much of a place. There are abtut twenty buildings—regular shanties ; but there are a good number of tents. The climate is not bad at the present time. The past two nights have been rather cold and in the day time the weather is not unlike an Ashbmton summer, without the hot nor-westers; in place of which there is a nice oocl breeze. We are camped close to the Government well, which is aboot 25 feet deep. The three miles from the landing to Derby are through a sort of stumpy bush country with ant hills about every fifty yards and from 6 to 8 feet high, honey combed and the color of hematite. I have seen no snakes ye f , but there are some in the losaliiy ; one of our party saw one among some boulders. We have seen no kangaroos, but I expect wo shall shortly, There are any amount of birds, and, we are told, plenty of game on the way to the digging*. Wages here are, for laborers working for Government, 10s a day, but there Is no work for laborers out of a job. Carpenters are getting from 12s to 15s a day. . . . It is my intention to go np to the diggings and see for myself. If it is no good I shall go down to the Gulf and from thence go away. 1 trust It may turn out good, but in any case there is not much hirm done; It may yet tarn oat good, and if it does wa stand a good show. will see by this that it Is not advisable for spy one to come here until there is more reliable hews; I had a loz nugget of gold from the diggings iu my hand—a nice little piece—l should have liked to have sent one l:ka It home.

Men are leaving hers and are taking their stuff in a wheelbarrow; ia that way they csn carry about 2 cwt, Some fellows who came with ns 1" the Triumph at going back In her, but I know that there are always sure to be some croakers at all rushes to diggings. It has not rained here for three months. We hsd to pay 10s for landing the horse from the steamer and 10s a ton for other stuff, besides duty. Freight on goods and swags from here to the diggings is £6 lOi per cwt." The writer then goes on to give a description of the trip from Lyttelton to Derby, daring the course of which, he says, 9 horses died, and concludes by saying that the amount of gold found hss been greatly exaggerated In New Zealand. aleturning- Dlg-grer*. Melbourne, August 25 The steamship Tag’iafarro has arrived from Cambridge Gulf bringing 45 diggers. The majority of these had not visited Kimberley but they generally give unfavorable reports of the field and urge others not to go.