NEW GUINEA.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1264, 6 April 1878, Page 3

NEW GUINEA.

[From the Correspondent of the " Brisbane " Courier."! POBT MORESBY, Feb. 8. I have made all possible inquiries about tbe reported gold discovery in New Guinea, and learn as follows :—The first specimen was found by a native of New Caledonia, called Jimmy Caledonia, who, I understand, lias had experiences in dipgings in N«w Caledonia, New Zealand, and Queensland. Jimmy Caledonia did not inform Mr G-oldie of the discovery until four months afterwards, his object being to carry the news to Queei stand himself. Mr Goldie is a collector of plants for an English firm of horticulturists, and has no knowledge whatever on mining affui s. He informed me that, on being told by Jimmy that he imagined gold to exist at the Lalobrie, he took his party inland to obtain further information and that they were absent about a month, during which time they obtained the specimes forwarded to Sydney. Jimmy Caledonia's account is as follows : —" I have had considerable experience at various diggings, and was for some time a mate of Mulligan's while prospecting the country which led to the discovery of the Hodgkinson. I found the first specimen which I thought contained gold at the junction of the Lalobrie and a river (which Mr Q-oldie has since named the Goldie), while inland with the Rev. W. Lawes and Mr G-oldie. About four months afterwards the Bertha schooner arrived, and as some of the crew were going inland with a view to prospecting, I thought it very advisable to inform Mr Goldie that I had found a specimen which I believed contained gold. Mr Goldie then went inland with me to obtain further information. I prospected the bed of the river wherever practicable, and obtained the specimens which Mr Goldie forwarded to Sydney. All the quartz specimens are from boulders found in the rivi r bed. We did not succeed in finding the source of the river, nor did we find any of the reefs from which the boulders have come." From the aboye it will be seen that there is nothing whatever to justify diggers in leaving Queensland, as the specimens obtained are inferior to the pr spects which may be obtained in almostany river of Northern Queensland. It has long been the opinion of geologists and others that New Guinea is an auriferous country, and the specimens forwarded in rely bear out this theory, while the work of finding a gold fi Id yet remains to be done. I woulH further caution storekeepers and others to be very careful in sending any large quantity of goods to Port Moresby, even should any goldfield be di-crvered in the locality mentjonpd' by Mr Goldie, a?, frpm the conformation of the country, I am of opinion that a more suitable port may yet ba discovered, and I should be excessively sorry to witness a repetition of Bowen and Townsville, and of Cairns at d Island Point. Jimmy Caledonia is well known here as an intelligent man, and we'l up in mi"i"£r.