KIMBERLEY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1402, 9 November 1886, Page 2

KIMBERLEY

FURTHER NEWS. A letter received on Friday from Mr J. W. Hardley, who, it will be remembered, left Ashburton some time ago for Kimberley, has been placed at our disposal. The letter is dated Fitzroy River, August 23, and though the writer was not quite on the field at that time, he speaks in a hopeful strain. He eaya his party left Derby on August 3, and had at the time of writing accomplished about 215 miles of the distance. The road is a good one, with plenty of water and good feed, and he expressed bis astonishment at finding, in the face of the bad reports,

fine character of the country. He says major portion is splendid grazing country. The soil in some places is very rich, and if rain could be depended on grand crops of wheat might be grown. During the journey Mr Hardley and another of the party bad gone out with their guns after game, which was very plentiful, there being ducks, pigeons, quail, pheasants, and kangaroos in abundance. They did a little prospecting, but so far without any success, not getting even the color. Fishing was good, and they had caught plenty of bteam. They had seen no alligators, and only one snake. Mr Hardley goes on to say—“ We have met about eighty fellows, all told, coming back from the diggings, and we heard many different stories. The most satisfactory was that told by two men, who said they had made an ounce a day. The rest had been making from nothing to 2 dwts a day, and we were advised to go no farther, but sit down and eat our ‘ tucker’ where we were. According to these men’s stories, it does not seem a very promising outlook. We are told, however, that there are plenty of provisions on the field, to be bought at a reasonable rate, so that if we can manage to stay through the wet season, we stand a show of doing a little good. The men we met said a lot of the diggers were going back by the Cambridge Gulf road disgusted, but in another fortnight I will be able to get at the true state of affairs.” Blacks appear to be fairly numerous, but from Mr Hardley’s account, they are friendly, but very shy. They do not like the look of a gun, but are very fond of old clothes, which when given them by the diggers, they put on and “strut about like peacocks.” One who was given e waistcoat put it on over an overcoat 1 In a postscript written on the following evening, Mr Hardley says his party intended prospecting on the next day, as they were then close on the gold-bearing country.