THE TASMANIAN GOLDFIELDS.

Kumara Times, Issue 874, 19 July 1879, Page 4

THE TASMANIAN GOLDFIELDS.

COLLAPSE OP THE NEW DIGGINGS. [Tasmaniai Mail, June 21.] Mr Edward Barry writes to the Cornwall Chronicle declaring that the goldfields at the Pieman are a failure. He has visited the place and tested the field for himself. He says;—“There is but one payable claim on the field, and that belongs to Fogarty and patty. Sweeney and party who came back overland with us, worked out two men’s ground on the best of the gully, and: only realised 13dwt. 13grs of gold. Now the prapectors have got a fresh swindle on, reporting the discovery of a better gully than they were first working. Middleton, one of the prospectors, has published a letter to that effect. The report of the new discovery was made known on the day previous to the mailman leaving on his last trip, so as to have the nawa conveyed to Mount BipchofF and spread about. About fifty misers rushed the new gully, sunk thirteen holes above and below the prospectors’ claim, and could get no gold. We then went to the prospector’s claim, where he found six inches of loose shingle,, the yield varying from a strong ; coiop to a grain to the dish. A crowd of miners gathered round the mailman before he left, and cautioned him strictly against spreading a report in favor of the place to deceive others ; but when he reached the Mount he did all he could to create a fresh rush in favor of the place, for the benefit of Mr Cullen, the storekeeper,, who was in a dangerous position when we left on Monday week, as the miners were threatening to hang him!. He had armed himself with revolvers for his'protection, and had taken refuge iu a digger’s hut. Fortunately for him, a constable had gone to arrest him for non-attendance to a summons to attend in a, case at the Latrobe Police Court. I came Back overland in company with 20 more miners, and 16 more have gone round by the beach to Circular Head. Many others are only waiting for the rivers to go down to return. We had a very heavy snow on the return journey. In fact, it rained or snowed almost continuously foi six days and nights. My advice to miners is, for the future, to take no notice of the maiman’s reports or Mr Cullen’s, as their statements are rank swindles all through the piece.”

We have been favored with the perusal of a private letter which has been received from Mount Bischoff, and is dated June IS. The writer says:—“Since Sunday last (Bth instant) it has never ceased raining, with the exception of the time it has been snowing. Some men who came in from the diggings yesterday report that even when they crossed the White River on Monday, it was so high that it was with extreme difficulty that they got across. It is not known when the mailman will get away from Mount Bischoff with the party that will go with him. Of course, if the river was as it was staled to be on Monday last, it, with all the other creeks, must be quite impassable by this time. The mailman states that the water in the rivers falls very rapidly, and if there was only one dry day he would make a start. At present there is not much appearance of a cessation in the fall of rain even for one hour. It has been raining copiously all day, and snow is now falling. If the party don’t get away soon it is thought that they will have to abandon their in tention to do so. The men who came in yesterday were the advance guard of a party of sixteen or twenty, who, as already stated, succeeded in crossing the White just ip time. Their experience and acoopat of the place are anything but encouraging. They concur in the statement that the yield of gold is such that it will not pay wages, and they would, not pass the winter in such a country {or any money.,” 1