THE WEST COAST MINERS EN ROUTE TO KIMBERLEY.

Kumara Times, Issue 3023, 12 July 1886, Page 2

THE WEST COAST MINERS EN ROUTE TO KIMBERLEY.

By D. 8., one of the Grey Valley Kimberley Party. »♦♦■ To the Editor Kuraara Times. Sydney, June 30. The twenty-six West Coast miners who sailed from Greymouth on June 2nd and 4th, per s.s. Koranui and Maori respectively, for Wellington, thence on the 7th per Hauroto for Sydney, arrived at Sydney on the 12th instant. Beyond all the horrors pertaining to a rough passage, which every West Coaster is pretty well conversant with, no circum. stance happened which calls for special mention, excepting the kindness which we all received from the member for your electoral district, R. J. Seddon, Esq. Immediately on our arrival at Wellington we were met by Mr Seddon, who, after showing us all the wonders of the Empire City, took as many as he could collect to Government House. Every possible effort was made to make our visit attractive ; we were eagerly'shown every room in the House, and every curio which they contained. Several hon. members were introduced to us, amongst them Sir G. Grey. Sir George has travelled the coast of Western Australia, and has been at Derby. He recommended us to take plenty of rice and a little bacon, and above all things to abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks. After this we were ushered into the splendour of Bellamy’s, and there refreshed by its delicacies, first by Mr Seddon, and later by Mr Menteath, M.H.R. for Inangahua, who here joined and welcomed us. A noticeable feature in this tour of the House was the anxiety exhibited by Mr Mansfield (one of the Kumara party) to behold Captain Sutter. Whenever we were nearing a group of hon. members, Mansfield would exclaim -which, by-the-way, brought forth a smile from several of these hon. gentlemen—“l say, Seddon! Is our friend Sutter kicking about anywhere 1” At a subsequent visit to Government House by Messrs Mansfield and Mills (Kumara), and Rasmussen (No Town), the first-named received from Mr Larnach, Minister of Mines, a written introduction and commendatory recommendation to Mr Price, the Government Resident at Cambridge Gulf. News here concerning the new El Dorado is very meagre ; in fact we know no more regarding Kimberley than when we laft Greymouth, Judging from the tone of the Press and the people, I am decidedly of opinion that the majority of the Sydneyites have not got the “ Kimberley fever.” We have had great difficulty in getting a vessel put on the berth to convey us to our final destination. I attribute the cause of this to the avarice of the several shipping agencies. These agencies have issued conspicuous advertisements, setting forth that they would despatch a vessel “on or about” a certain date; the result being that each agency got a few deposits, but none sufficient to despatch a vessel for. Seeing a meeting of intending passengers was convened, whereat 103 names and 61 horses were taken, with £1 deposit for man and horse respectively. A committee of seven was elected, and empowered to make the best bargain they could with the ship, owners, so as to secure a cheap passage and speedy departure. The representatives of the West Coast party on this committee were Messrs Mansfield and D. Baybutt; and the arrangements which the committee made were with Messrs Ponder and Co. for the s.s. Port Darwin to sail on Friday, 25th instant; fares to be—saloon, £2O; steerage, £9 ; horses, £9; stores, £2 10s per ton; drays, £2 10s. Each passenger to be allowed 10 cubic feet of luggage, and same amount of feed for each horse. It may be interesting to those who contemplate undertaking the Kimberley venture to know that the cost of passage from Greymouth and a necessary outfit procured at Sydney is as follows Fares : Greymouth to Sydney, via Wellington, £7 10s; Sydney to Cambridge Gulf or Kings Sound, £lO ; for each horse, £lO ; freight, as above quoted; suitable pack horses range from £lO to £ls ; pack saddle with bags £3 ; canvas water barrels, hobbles and bridle, £110s; packload of provisions, with medicines, tools, &c., £6 ; feed for horse during passage,. £2. Thus, you perceive, the cost of a bare requisite outfit is £SO. You will require a further £lO to procure suitable summer clothing and for incidental travelling expenses; so that if you leave Greymouth with £6O, you land penniless. What remuneration will be received for this outlay it is iuipos&itHo to say. The nearer we approach Kimberley, glomniejj

become the reports thereof. Out of 50 fellow passengers which left Wellington for the goldfields, about half—i.e., men with little more than their bare passage money—have wisely “funcked,” and a great number of these are now up country, looking for a “job”. All the West Coasters, however, with one or two exceptions, are determined to see it through. I hope the reader will not think I am writing to discourage or deter him from going to Kimberley. It is to the man with little more than his passage money that I wish to advise, and to him I say, Defer the undertaking till you hear of a substantial shipment of gold or have news from us from the field. The steamer Port Darwin has been detained waiting for the New Zealand passengers on the Wakatipu. The Wakatipu is now in port, and we sail to-morrow (Tuesday). We land at Cambridge Gulf, and expect to be at the goldfields in five or six weeks from date. All the West Coasters are well equipped; each man, besides having a good personal outfit, takes a horse. We are formed in parties of four and upwards, so that in case one horse dies, the remainder will carry us through. Directly we arrive at the field, all the horses will be sent back either to the Gulf or Derby for more provisions, as all communication between the diggings and the port is blocked during the rainy season. On this return trip we shall have some idea of the extent and richness of the field and of the country generally. In the meantime I advise you to wait, and I will promise you that, barring the fever, &c., I will send as speedily as possible a full report of the country as I find it.