Kimberley Goldfields

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 51, 9 October 1886, Page 2

Kimberley Goldfields

The special correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald gives anything out ra flattening account of the goldfieids ia the following letter — MoFhbe's ( seek, July 12/ This is the main camp in x the centre of what are termed the " Kimberley Goldfields^' Mr Samuel Johnson, one of the men recently speared by blacks, was also there. I had a personal interview with him, and the information I obtained from him .has since, been verified by personal observation^ and also 'from conversation with at least 100 miners, many of whom have been on the fields for months, others for weeks, and others again for only a few days, but all are unanimous in pronouncing the diggings a gigantic failure. He stated tnat he had no hesitation in pronouncing the diggings a huge failure. " What," said Johnson, "is to become of the thousands of poor men whom you tell me are on their way here. There is not suffi-' cien^ alluvial ground in the country to give a hundred men rations. As already stated, Mr Johnson was . one of the men -whose party was attacked by the blacks. His version of the affair is as follows :— Messrs Merriott, Keelan, and himself were out I prospecting. They had been searceiy'lo minutes in a small gully when they were surprised by a shower of spears. Two went through. Keelan's hat, and -two weut through the brim, and anuthw passed talautingly through the crown of Johnson's hat, broke short in his forehead,; inflicting a jagged wound. Auother spear went through Merriott's breast, and entered his heart, killing him instantaneously. Keelan pulled the head of the spear out of Johnson's iorehead. After throwing their spears the blacks decamped, but the tracks of five were traced for. some distance. On the two men reaching the camp a party was collected and sent out to avenge the death of Merriott. The result of the mission is. unknown. ; ' • It is also reported that two other^ .men, named Mackenzie and Donohee, were killed by the blacks whilst re> I turning from the diggings to Derby* ! They had two s horses with them, bui I no traces have been gleaned of either. This latter outrage— if it be such— is supposed to have occurred fully four months ago. A great number of other men.(fully * 20) have been misaing for weeks past. They went out prospecting in different directions, in parties of twa iUnd three with provisions sufficient to last them only a few weeks. They have never been heard of sinoe, and it ia f©ar«d that they have either lost themselves and perished in the liush > oqrh^t9be]Qft mutder,«d by the blaoki.