THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 3484, 23 April 1874, Page 3

THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

[From the Grey Eiver Argus, April 13.) The information given by the Australian papers regarding the Palmer diggings, although most probably genuine to a certain extent, is liable to the suspicion that the attractions of the goldfield have been exaggerated. At the best, the temptations offered to the miners of New Zealand can scarcely compete with the genuine realities of this part of the world. It is possible that a very few persons may be lucky enough to drop upon a “pile” at the Palmer, but the evidence generally shows that the conditions of mining on that part of the Australian continent are not worth the highest possible results in the mining lottery. We have the opportunity of giving to our mining readers the copy of a letter received in /N . . A 1

Greymouth from a miner who, at the date of his letter, had returned to Sydney, after a sojourn of three months on the Palmer digging. His name is Louis Wicheren, a miner well known at Nelson Creek, and brother of a storekeeper generally known as “ German Jack,” who was a store-keeper in that district. Writing from Sydney on the 17th March, he says : “I have just arrived from the

Palmer, after being there three months. I made fifty pounds, but had to spend it. Keep everybody back that intends to come here, because the ground has been worked out. Over a thousand diggers have been on the diggings for a long while. They have overrun the whole neighborhood, and found nothing new, and you may consider that the rush is a failure, if nothing fresh is discovered. And, as for the reefs, they have been tried, but little more than

the color has been got in different places. I suppose there are about 6,000 diggers at Cooktown. Many of them intend to go to the diggings and see for themselves, in spite of the bad news. Still there is a lot going from Sydney —in fact, as many as the vessels can carry away. They will not be advised not to go, for they want to see for themselves. They will see, and starve, for the famine has been immense

and dogs and horseflesh are considered a luxury. None of us (our party) will go again, for the gold that has been got is not worth while the hardships we have to go through. The luckiest of the lucky have not made I*4oo per man all the time. The prospectors have given up their claim, which they worked out in fourteen day. They have tried various places, hut not finding anything, they have left the place entirely.” We are of opinion that an independent letter like this is worth far more credence than bushels of telegrams, many, if not most of which are often set going in the interests of shipowners or persons interested in bringing about a rush.

Tho late Mr \V. O. Hutchinson, of Newcastle, a coalowner, has bequeathed LSO 000 to Various charitable institutions, L 25,000 being given to the Neweastle^nfirmary.