WESTERNS AUSTRALIAN GOLD

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1717, 4 February 1874, Page 2

WESTERNS AUSTRALIAN GOLD

• .nr;h y.+.fi/f [BEKDiab'^DyE&treßßj jan. 21.] Some time 'ago' a; party of '16 'miners were engaged: at' Battarat and Sandhurst for the purpose, of .prospecting Western Anstraliav~ "At -Perth -theH^apty-were divided into three bodies, and were sent by the Government \t© explore different lines of :co«intry.. A *ell ( known resident of Sandhurst (Mr Cdop9r)'nas received a letter / from No. 2 "party,; which is uifder the command of Mr W; G" SimpsbnVand he has placed the . following interesting particulars at our disposal of the progress oftheparfy :-^ < ! 0 !' :i <; 7 i '•: William's River, W.,A», December 25, 1873. We loft ,28th November for the Bannister River, aud arrived there on tbe,2nd instant. The country we gravelled over consisted chiefly of sand flats and granite ranges, with plenty of ir6nstone"-affd ore in various places, biit no .i indication of igold.-gThe country all about' the ißannister j 8 of granite formation, with" occasional .quartz veins. Three miles from the river we came : across some glassy-looking quartz We tried them in various places ; sank^f shafts in tnWjand tried the: washdirFat a depth of 28ft. There was Parity > of staff to bo met with, but not even- the color of gold. We left there oh the ! l6th£and and arrived here on the Ifth instant, all well. We have. not passed over the country where gold is T said to ha.ye.b3en found by travellers. I 'believe; it can4>nly have been mica. The ! quartz all S9ems of ■ a barren nature. The veins are imbedded in granite. We could, see no mundic or other minerals so usually., accompanying gold-bearing quartz";' nor have we met with any slate or fl'anlJatoVoJcob'fifcry, so familiar to us in^th^quarlz/diftricts of Victoria or New South Walesj ■>-. iftq|hing but the everlasting granite. Having travelled in a' SJ2.. direction from Perth, we had been going-nearly-with-theJine of reefs, or. rather, the general course of the ranges. We ino'w proposed to our leader to strike a course due E, to see if, there.wasany change in the appearance of'ihe doifntry. He did bo, and-returned yesterday, Having travelled between 50 and 60 miles in that direction. He reports; the country , to have a farimore likely appearance for gold than that already prospected.' A'telegrain was at otice sent to the Oolbnial Secretary for instructions; and the ..answer;, came promptly, to,' follow thw^ndications without reference to country.' So we leave this camp to-morrow in' the direction above indicated. The' cotfritry'wifr' have travelled through (we are 100 miles from Perth) is very thinly popufated.^j^Three police Stations, one hotel, and three small farms is about the /sum total of all the habitations we passed. It is well timbered, principally jarrahyand red^giim, with numerous shirubs^many of which are ta,A to be 'poisonous to cattle • and sheep,, especially the'latter; r The animal portion; of our food has; chiefly been kangaroo,, shot' for" us by ' : pur ;%lack; tracker.. Our narty are 'all j6Hy/'b\il;J :£ hbi r over sanguine 6i "the country' asT:egards"goid, judging -from what we haveVseen, but I hope to be able to say in my nixt thatour trip east has turned out a successful) one. '-With 1 respect W iW climate 1 *»

have found it very pleasant. To-day the heat is 85deg. in she shade, with a S.E. wind. Tho nights are very cool. — I remain, yours truly, « J. C. H."