QUEENSLAND,

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 707, 30 July 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

QUEENSLAND,

Gympie. [GYMPIE TiJfES, JUNE 22.] The escort from Imbil returned having in charge only about sCozs of gold. It appears that the diggers are fully impressed with the idea that they can get a better price than they are offered in Gympie. The parcel of tailings sent down to Gympie by Mr M'Ghie from the Boyne reefs crushing machine has been assayed by Mr Joseph; and found to contain gold at the rate of 25ozs to the ton. These tailings, which were collected from the machine itself, . fully demonstrate the richness of the Boyne reefs. There are only two claims working on the O'Connell line of reef, which was at one time famous for its yields. In No. 2 north, Cooper and party have a shaft down 21ffc, and are driving on a leader from 4in to sin in thickness, to the east ok the old O'Connell ; their drive is in 25ft, and the leader, which is patchy, is dipping to the south. Our reporter was shown some very fair specimens got out of it. The party have about eight tons of stone in their paddock. In No. 1 north, Mark, Lawson and party are at present driving westward out of a shaft 35ft deep, and expect to catch the leader. No. 1 has in another 12f or 14ft. The holders of No. 1 north, Russel reef, since they discovered their splendid nugget, have been making preparations for sluicing the surface by constructing a dam across of One-mile Gully. They do not however intend to -sluice the stuff, of which they take about 100 tons, until the dam has enough water in it, and in the meantime they a c sinking a leader 14in thick. The whole of ihe other claims on the line are apparently looking for the proper reef, either by trenching or sinking. Columbia. — On this line only three claims are at present working. In No. 3 south, Dowd and party are driving on a 50 level, and are raising some very good golden stone. Our reporter was shown some got by them on Wednesday; it was thickly impregnated with coarse heavy looking gold. The claimholders stated that they were getting some like it every day, and that their reef is about 18in thick ; their shaft 62ft deep ; the claim is being worked full-handed as the red flag is flying. — No. 2 south, Byrne and party, are sinking for the reef, which they expect to catch in another 10£t, their shaft being at present 38ft deep. In No. 4 south, Brown and party have a slwft down 40ft, and have the reef, with a little gold in it, from lft to 18in thick. The claim is at present temporarily registered; pending the settling of a dispute among the shareholders. No. 5 south is registered. Imbil. J une 16. The prospects of this field are every day brightening, notwithstanding that a good many "duffers" are bottomed, but this is the natural consequence of tracing a lead. lam glad to say that the lead is gradually lengthening. Yesterday a shaft at the south end was bottomed by O'Connell and party, who obtained 14dwt by washing the bottom ; the dirt is about three feet thick. The lead seems to run in almost a straight line to the north. Great activity is displayed by the miners ; we could not have a better set of men to open up the new field. Now that shepherding is .knocked on the head the men are sinking in all directions ; a shaft has been bottomed near to the western creek ; a few colors were obtained ; the men intend driving ; they have good faith that it is near the right run. Patterson and party are getting just as good gold as ever. As high as an ounce to a trough has been got by a party of Germans near to Turner's, the prospector's ; a rush took place yesterday, and the ground is marked out right to the tcp of a long gully at the back of the slaughter-yard. This gully seems to be in a straight line with the lead on the flat. On the eastern side of the creek, nearly facing Brown's Gully, a party of men are sinking on a spur and are down about 20ft. The place is marked in all directions. Some good prospects are being got from one reef ; though they are few in number, we are in hopes of making a decent show by-and-by. Imbil diggings may be said to be progressing steadily ; but mind, the place will not stand an insane rush from all quarters,. The men who come must bring some cash as they will have to prospect ahead. June 19. The day before yesterday we had an unfavorable change in the weather ; it commenced raining and continued without intermission uutil mid-day yesterday. I am afraid that it will render many claims unworkable for at least a week, for the water has risen in the ground some three or four feet. Breakneck Creek maintains a good population, which is, if anything, on the increase. Some very good patches have been got during the past week. One party below the prospectors washed out 14oz. I understand that this claim has hitherto given indifferent returns. No doubt that a much larger extent of ground than is at present payable will ultimately prove so. When the rush took place many claims that gave good prospects were abandoned on account of the difficulties the men had to contend with during the frightful weather we had at that time. The prospectors of the Tasmaniau Reef are steadily working away ; they were washing this week, the result being satisfactory. The prospectors of the Pride of Imbil Reef continue to get some nice gold in the casing ; they have sunk down on to the hard rock, but have to send for drills and blasting tools, powder, fuse, &c. The reef is getting better defined, and is at the present depth about 18in thick. No. 1 east and No. 1 west are trenching for the leader ; as yet they have not found it. Boyd, the prospector, is working and still getting gold. He has struck a leader in his claim ; he has got from the casing a nice flat piece of gold weighing 17dwt,

J une 16.

besides some rough specks •, he has great faith in the new find. Several parties during last week have been sinking on the hill to the west of his claim, but they have not been lucky enough to strike the metal ; a few colors only have as yet been their reward for the labor expended. There have not been any shafts bottomed on Imbil Flat since my last. The one I mentioned as being down about 20ft ■ on a spur to the east of the creek has been bottomed ; a few graiiu were got by washing about half a dozen dishes. Those | who are on the run are getting good gold; one party washed four ounces out of the dirt obtained the day before yesterday. An ounce to the trough is not an uncommon yield. I have been told that in one claim they have four feet of dirt that will average Joz to the trough, and six feet on each side of it will pay good wages. The best of the gold seems to be in the centre of the lead, and gradually gets poorer towards the outside. There is not much gold being offered for sale ; the miners will hold what they can till the problem as to the value is solved. A very small quantity went away yesterday ; ] should say not more than 50 or 60oz. The Stanton Harcourt Rush, [maryborough chronicle, june 18.] Sergeant Gallagher arrived from these diggings yesterday, bringing us better news than we have had for some time past. The gully on the other aide of the spur from thai first rushed — that is, the Degilbo side — has been prospected and found payable. The gully or creek is about three quarters of a mile in length down the spur, and then through a flat into the main creek flowing to the Burnett. The gold is obtained by sinking from Bft to 10ft, in about a l£ft of washdirt, in which is found a considerable quantity of black sand. Sergt. Gallagher brings us letters, to which we refer for additional information :— Our own correspondent says : Good payable gold has been found to-day in a gully over the ridge, where Ryan's (the prospector) party are at work. Some of the miners that rushed there have got idwfc to the dish. All working are satisfied with what they see. Our population does not now number more than 50. lam sure we could do with at least 100 more. The new gully was opened by Royston, who is doing 'pretty well, and. we shall call this place Royston's Rush, after him. On the old ground the prospectors are doing well, washing an ounce to the load, sometimes more. I had a nugget in my hand to-day, which weighed loz I7gr. When these lumps are found, one is incliued to believe there must be plenty more not far off. There has been a rush here to-day to a gully directly over the old workings, with, I think, good prospects. One party washed eight buckets, and it turned out about ; but I think Jdwt to the dish would be the average. There are only from five to six holes bottomed at present. The sinking is from 10ft to 12ft. The creek is of some length, ending in a splendid flat. There is too little known of the place for me to recommend you to come yet. I shall know more in another week, when I will write to you. HIGHFIELDS. The D. D. Gazette says :— Several of the gold prospectors have returned from Highfields, and the reports vary from fair to gloomy. The scrub party are still confident of future success, and speak in very mysterious terms of the prospects on Herrlich's statement, but we have very satisfactory proof that he is anxious the discovery should be made previous to his trial. He states that he had been working on the gully for about two years, and during that period met; with average hick, sufficient indeed to remit LIBO to his friends at home, independent of several loans to acquaintances at Highfields and Toowoomba. On one occasion, only a few weeVs before the " unfortunate accident," he obtained, within the space of three hours, a quantity of nuggetty gold', which was sold on his visit to Ipswich for the sum of L 72, and he had " great expectations" of finding the reef. He has communicated very fully on the subject with Mr William Murphy, and given plans and explanatory notes respecting the lay of the country to Mr P. Degen ; but up to the present time there has been no report of payable gold received by the Commissioner.