THE PALMER GOLD-FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1998, 2 January 1875, Page 2

THE PALMER GOLD-FIELDS.

The following letter from an old mining resident of the Grey Valley gives a' graphic and very interesting account of the great rush in Northern Queensland, and the statements contained in it may be relied upon. The communication is dated Cooktown, Endeavor River, 18th Oct., 1874, and is as follows : — I have been on the Palmer gold-field since I wrote you last. It was not my intention to come down to Cooktown so soon, but illness compelled me, and 1 thought it was as well to try a change of air. lam all right now. When I went up I was a fortnight before I got on to anything, but I was making about an ounce a week when the Sandy Creek rush, which I dare say you have heard of, broke out. Evj3j&y man, traders and all, cleared out for 'the sjsene of the new find. The rush had beetfj-pn fora fortnight before we got to it, and I lost the best of it, through not having horses. It is worked out e ttQjVr^fjitii;. fact, would be before you heard of it^n NeSrZeala'nd, for the workings being so shallow and easily wrought, they are run over in a very short time. There is gold scattered over a great extent of country, but there is nothing permanent in these Queensland alluvial diggings. A man's only chance ia to go out prospecting for himself. He requires to have horses to carry a month's tucker, and he must be well armed besides. As the Palmer gold-field stands at present, I. believe it to be the beat show for easily getting a little gold in the colonies, but one requires to be better paid here, for sickness is the rule and not the exception. And yet they tell me this Palmer is a healthy locality for Queensland; if so, then God help the unfortunates who try to exist in these admittedly unhealthy parts of the Colony. I can only say that I have never seen so much sickness and misety on a diggings before. You will hear men talk of their particular days for having tagueifits, in the-same way that you will hear sailors tallipf their regular days for fplum-duff, 'and suoh like delicacies. The great specific amongst the "Bananamen" (as the old Queenslanders are called) is quinine, and they say that the immoderate, or even the free use of the drug will make one deaf, blind, or idiotic. I have dropped across many of these Bauanamen who appeared to me to be afflicted with each or all of these complaints. It is the custom here for every man to carry a Schneider rifla or a revolver, but the blacks have not been at all troublesome lately. I have been told that some diggers came across a darkiea camp one day on the upper part of Sandy Creek, when the blacks were roasting a "Yarraman" (horse), whereupon the diggers rolled' up and shot: they won't say how many. fi %There is one thing certain/however, Douglas (the commander of the black corps) and his troopers, have kept the road to the diggings pretty clear ot them. I was told of a gully close to the road, where there were the ghastly remains of eighteen -blacks ; thia is all done quietly — all you would see ia the papers with reference to one of these, onslaughts is that "Douglas encountered some blacks at ao and so and easily dis? persed them. Most of the old hands who can afford it have gone South, to put in the rainy season. It is the general opinion that there will be new country opened after the rains, towarda the head of the Mitchell and Tait rivers. This, of course, is only a matter of speculation. I believe, myself, there will be a greater number on the Palmer next season than there was the last. Provisions have been very dear ; since I want up I have been paying from Is 6d to 2s 5d a pound for flour, and for other articles in proportion. A man taking up his own tucker would save L2O or L 25 on a load, which would nearly pay for a horse. Horse are selling at from L 25 to L4O. If you have any notion of coming this wayjit will be time enough if you get here in March or April; of course the proper time depends entirely on the length of the rainy season. As horses are selling at present it would pay a man to bring his own from Sydney, or any of the southern ports. . . . . . . ..'... .... We intend going back to the diggings again, and as we have purchased a horse we will make a fresh Btart in a week or so. I do not like the idea of spending

the rainy season up country, but it cannot be helped. I did look forward to enjoying a few weeks in Sydney, and to perhaps meeting you there, but " man proposes," &c. I have made good wages all the time I have been on the Palmer, but it cost me nearly an ounce a week to live for the last two months, so that it would be a piece of folly for me to go on the rampa«e under the circumstances, and probably come back from Sydney hard up. Remember me to the Buckley's and Bill, to Andrew. Dicol, and any of my friends you meet. With kind regards to yourself, I remain yours truly, ,/ Alex. Hay Miller. P.S. — Tom Longmore left for Sydney in the last boat. • A.H.M.