THE KIMBERLEY DISTRICT.

Kumara Times, Issue 3095, 4 October 1886, Page 2

THE KIMBERLEY DISTRICT.

The following private letter has been handed to us for publication : “ Wyndbam, August 24. “Dear Billy—l arrived her# three days ago, and take the first chance of letting you hear from me. We were chucked ashore in the mud, for I could not call it landed, as the landing-place is only a few planks laid on the mod • and the town, if I may call it a town 1 is a miserable place. The people look half-starvod—as in fact they are. The town consists of a few mean shanties, and a swarm of diggers’ tents, standing in a desert of sand and stones, with a few stumps of trees here and there. The flies are a pest; there is no peace for them j every person wears the face covered. I met “ Tommy (nickname),” and he told me that Mansfield and that crowd had started up country. “ Now for the main thing. As far as I could learn from others, and I have spoken to several men from the lit 1.1, they give a ve.y mournful account of the place. There has been very little gold got here. The newspaper

reports are not true. I spoke to a man yesterday, and be tells me he examined many quarts reefs, and found no trace of gold. If a field is to be here, it is not found yet. Do not think of coming here! and warn all your friends not to come ! There is great misery here, and will be more yet, as many came with little or no money. Indeed, if something does not break out soon, there will be a deal of suffering here, as people cannot live here without spending a deal of money. “We will start up country in a day or two to see the place ourselves, and prospect a bit; and that will take some months; so yon must not expect to hear any more from me for some time to come. “Yours trnly, “ William Kak.” Telegrams from Perth, dated the Bth September, are as follow : Mr O’Donnell undertook to pioneer 100 drays from the Gulf to the fields, only ten of which arrived there, and they nearly empty. One party of diggers shot at O’Donnell, who is now under police protection. Many teams are returning from the fields without money or rations. Experienced men have returned to Derby, but intend going back. Parties are going to Derby daily. Warden Price fell from his horse en route to the fields and dislocated his shoulder. The are 2000 men on the fields at the present time, and some of the parties are doing well. The reports of results are conflicting as to alluvial gold. One party sank 20ft. on the reef, and were successful.