THE INDIAN GOLDFIELDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 218, 13 September 1881, Page 4

THE INDIAN GOLDFIELDS.

A correspondent of the limes of India, writing from South Wynaad, says :— ln Kolar, as in the Wynead or auy other part of the South of India goldfield, the natives have been aware of the occurrence of gold about them, and native workings are plentiful. The'natives seem to have prospected the place well bo far aa they have gone, and no safer guide to the existence of a good reef can be had than a line of old workings. The native mining operations have been primitive, as is the case in all their mining operations of whatever kind throughout India j thßy do not understand the timbering shafts and galleries ; the result being that their workings soon fall in ; sometimes fatal accidents occur, and the people, thinking the place cursed by the devil, give it up. It is astonishing, however, to what extent they have mined formerly in Kolar — in one place it has been found that they have gone to a depth of 70 feet ; in another place they have quarried along the length of a hill for nearly a quarter of a mile ; and in another they have drijen a gallery an unknown distance, it being now impenetrable beyond s, certain point, owing to foul air and snakes. The entrance to this gallery has been worked into a large cave. Although now the natives have been frightened out of mining, yet, when the women have nothing else to do, and wish to earn a few annas, they sit down by a stream and wash for gold until they have got sufficient to satisfy them, when they take it for sale to the nearest bazaar, and buy what they want with the money, Many might make what for them would be respectable fortunes did they care to do so • but indolence prevents them. It is curious to see hovr indifferent the people are to the matter. On the west Bide of the goldfield^ where the people live on the granite country, it is impossible to find one woman who understands washing for gold, although the gold-bearing rocks are only a few minutes' walk from them. This leads to the consideration of the question of labour. So far as that is concerned, Kolar a considerable advantage over the "Wynaad ; it possesses indigenous labour; indeed Mysore is the district from which the Wynaad draws most of its supply. One would have imagined that the sudden demand for an increased labour supply caused by the appearance of the gold industry would have resulted in a rise of the price of labour. It has not done so, however, and there is reason to suppose that the supply will continue to meet the demand. Another advantage possessed by Kolar over the Wynaad is the presence of a railway j and now that a loop line is about to be constructed right through the goldfields the expenses of carriage will be reduced to a minimum. As all timber and fuel, not to spedk of machinery, have to be imported, the advantages of this railway are obvioue. The eiimate of Kolar seems to be healthy and bracing, and trea from the sickness which is characteristic of the Wynaad during the months of April and May. If, however, the miners will persist in going out bare-headed, or with nothing more than cloth caps, they must expect to be knocked over with fever and the sun.