THE GOLD DISTRICTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 629, 13 August 1851, Page 3

THE GOLD DISTRICTS.

A HUNDRED WEIGHT OF GOLD. [From the Bathurst Free Press, July 16.] Bathurst is mad again. The delirium of golden fever has returned with increased intensity, Men meet together, talk incoherent nonsense, and wonder what will happen next. Everybody has a hundred times seen a hundred weight of flour, a hundred weight of sugar or potatoes is an every day fact, but a huuured weight of gold is a phrase scarcely known in the English language. It is beyond the range of our ordinary ideas —a sort of physical incomprehensibility—but that it is a Material existence, our own eyes bore witness On Monday last. Mr. Suttor, a few days previously, threw out a few misty hints about the possibility of » sin g J e individual digging four thousand «??■.s of gold in one day, but no one relieved hi.n serious. It was thought that he a little harmless puffing for his own -soict and the Turon diggings. On Sunday R k e w b*spered about town that Dr. a j j Sator’s brother-in-law, had found it h”i <f gold. Some few believed the J n< i t 0 generally, and amongst storv » 6 WHler ° f lhis arlicle - Seated the and pleCe £ rit,iculous exaggeration of it as a jester wh 9 gave th ’ V

Bathurstomans unlimited credit for gullibility. The following day, however, set the matter at rest. About two o’clock in the afternoon, two greys, in tandem, driven by W, H. Suttor, Esq., M.C., made their appearance at the bottom of William-street. In a few seconds they were pulled up opposite the Free Press office, and the first indication of the astounding fact which met the view was two pieces of the precious metal, glittering in virgin purity, as they leaped from the solid rock. An intimation that the valuable prize was to reach town on that day having been pretty generally circulated in the early part of the morning, the townspeople were on the qui vive, and in almost as little time as it has taken to write it 150 people had collected around the gig conveying tbe time’s wonder, eager to catch a glimpse of the monster lump said to form a portion of it. Th q two pisccs spolcsn of* wero freely handed about amongst the assembled throng for some twenty minutes. Astonishment, wonder,incredulity, admiration, and the other kindred sentiments of the human heart, were depl. ted upon the features of all present in a most remarkable manner, and they were by no means diminished in intensity, when a square tin box io the body of the vehicle was pointed out as the repository of the remainder of the hundred weight of gold. Having good naturedly gratified the curiosity of the people, Mr. Suttor invited us to accompany his party to the Union Bank of Australia to witness the interesting process of weighing. We complied with alacrity, and the next moment the greys dashed off at a gallant pace, followed by a hearty cheer from the multitude. Ina few moments the tin box and its contents were placed on tbe table of the Board room of the Bank. In the presence of the managers, David Kennedy, W. H. Suttor, T. J. Hawkins, Esquires, and the fortunate prietor Dr. Kerr, the weighing commenced, Dr. Machattie officiating and Mr. Farrand acting as clerk. The first two pieces already, alluded to, weighed severally 61bs. 4ozs. Idwt., and 61bs. I3dwts., besides these were sixteen drafts of 51bs. 4ozs. each, making in all 1021bs. 9ozs. 5 dwts. From Dr. Kerr we learned that he had retained upwards of 31bs. as specimens, so that the total weight found would be 106 lbs.—(one hundred and six pounds)—all disembowelled from the earth at one time. And now for the particulars of this extraordinary gathering, which has set the town and district in a whirl of excitement. A few days ago, an educated aboriginal formerly attached to the Wellington mission, and who has been in tbe service of W. J. Kerr, Esq., of Wallawa about seven years, returned home to his employer with the intelligence that he had discovered a large mass of gold amongst a heap of quartz upon the run whilst tending his sheep. Gold being the universal topic of conversation, the - curiosity of this sable son of the forest was excited, and provided with a tomahawk he bad amused himself by exploring the country adjacent to his employer’s land, and had thus made the discovery. His attention was first called to the lucky spot by observing a speck of some yellow glittering substance upon the surface of a block of quartz, upon which he applied his tomahawk and broke off a portion. At that moment the splendid prize stood revealed to his sight. ,His first care was to start off home, and disclose his splendid discovery to his master, to whom he presented whatever gold might be procured from it. As may be supposed, little time was lost by the worthy j-roctor. as horse flesh would carry him, he was on the ground, and. in a very short period the three blocks of quartz, containing the hundred weight of gold, were released from the bed where, charged with unknown wealth, they had rested perhaps for thousands of years, awaiting the hand of civilized man to disturb them. The largest of the blocks was abont a foot in diameter, and weighed about 751bs. gross. Out of this piece 601bs. of pure gold were taken. Before separation, it was beautifully encased in quartz. The-other two were something smaller. The auriferous mass weighed, as nearly as could be guessed, from two to three cwt. Not being able to move it conveniently, Di. Kerr broke the pieces into small fragments, and herein committed a very grand error. As specimens, the glittering blocks would have been invaluable. Nothing yet known of would have borne comparison, or, if any, the comparison would have been in our favour. From the description given by him, as seen in their original state, the world has seen nothing like 'them yet. The heaviest of the two large pieces presented an appearance not unlike a honeycomb or sponge, and consisted of particles of a crystalline form, as did nearly the whole of the gold. The second larger piece was smoother and the particles more condensed, and seemed as if it bad been acted upon by water. The remainder was broken into lumps of from 21bs. to 31bs. and downwards, and were remarkably free from quartz or earthy matter. When heaped together on the table th§y presented a splendid appearance, and shone with an ef-

fulgence calculated to dazzle the brain of any man not armed with the coldness of stoicism. The spot where this mass of treasure was found will be celebrated in the golden annals of these districts, and we shall therefore describe it as minutely as our means of information will allow. In the first place the quartz blocks formed an isolated heap, aud were distant about 100 yards from a quartz vein which stretches up the ridge from the Merroo Creek. The locality is the cominsncsniont of on vsndulating table land, very fertile, and is contiguous,4o a never failing supply of water in the above named creek. It is distant about 53 miles from Bathurst, 18 from Mudgee, 30 from Wellington, and 18 to the nearest point of the Macquarie river, and is within about 8 miles from Dr. Kerr’s head station. The neighbouring country has been pretty well exnlnrpj cinr a tlio /lif/intrn*” 1..-.* ...i.L I uiuuvrdljj uuij Willi LUU OXception of dust, no further indications have been found. In return for his very valuable service, Dr. Kerr has presented the blackfellow and his brother with two flocks of sheep, two saddle horses, and a quantity of rations, and supplied them with a team of bullocks to plough some land in which they are about to sow a crop of maize and potatoes. One of the brothers, mounted on a serviceable roadster, accompanied the party into town, and appeared not a little proud of his share in the transaction.

Our readers are now in possession of an accurate his'ory of the whole affair. The particulars were kindly furnished by Mr. Suttor and Dr. Kerr, and may therefore be relied on as correct. Since the affair was blazoned to the world, several gentlemen of our acquaintance have shown undoubted symptoms of temporary insanity, and the nerves of the community at large have sustained a severe shock. Should the effect be at all proportionate in Sydney to its population, the inmates of Bedlam Point may be fairly reckoned an integral portion of the community. [From the Sydney Morning Herald, July 18.] The report which reached town on Tuesday, that one hundred and six pounds weight of gold had been picked up in one place, came from so many parties that we had little doubt of its truth, and yet it was so astounding that we could scarcely credit it. Yesterday, however, brought confirmation of the report. There is no longer any doubt about it. On Monday the gold was deposited in the Union Bank at Bathurst, by Dr. Kerr, the fortunate owner. The particulars of this most marvellous event will be found in another column. We believe this to be an unparalleled case. In California we believe twentyeight pounds of gold was the largest quantity ever found in one place. In the Museum at St. Petersburg there is a piece of Gold weighing seventy pounds, but one hundred pounds was never found before. It is much to be regretted that in the excitement natural upon such an occasion, Dr. Kerr broke up the quartz in which the gold was embedded. A block of quartz weighing but seventy-five pounds, and containing sixty pounds of pure gold, would have been prized far beyond its intrinsic value. It is useless, however, to regret what is past, nor should we scan too narrowly the acts of one who suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself in possession of a fortune. There can be no doubt that when this unprecedented fact becomes known in England, it will cause the most intense excitement. The news from the Turon is most encouraging. The quicksilver machine is found to answer beyond all expectations. A person who has one, writes to a friend in Sydney, that in future be shall not have to write of the number of ounces but of pounds of gold that he obtains. By the old slovenly method of washing with the pan and cradle, many persons were still procuring upwards of £1 aday each, and there were but few who did not make ten shillings. Many persons arrived in Bathurst on Monday, bringing large quantities of gold: one party of six bad made £4OO in ten days, and a similar party had made £5OO in fourteen days : and Mr. Hebblewhite received a letter yesterday stating that a party of three, who ‘were unsuccessful for seven days, in five days more obtained two hundred ounces. Mr. Suttor’s party had accumulated upwards of sixty pounds of gold. On the whole, tbe news of yesterday is the most satisfactory and the most convincing as to the extent and richness of the gold field which has yet reached Sydney, TO. . l._. .1 .1--nc uciiuvu mui tijciu me at me present time more than one party making prepara, tions for gold-digging on scientific principles, and on an extensive scale. The Turon.—A letter from the Turon, dated the 12th instant, was yesterday received by Aiderman Egan from a working man who lately left Sydney for the purpose of goldseeking, with a perusal of which we have been favoured : —“ I am glad to inform you that my efforts have been successful. I have been at work three weeks to-day, and have averaged £1 12s. 6d. per day. The ground in some places yields a great deal more than in others.

The gold here is nearly all scale gold; as to * na flg ets ,’ I have not seen or heard of any weighing above one ounce.* * * There are several good holes further up the creek, which have turned out well, and some persons are very lucky; one in particular, I heard of from very good authority, who turned but twelve ounces of gold in one cradle, and it is supposed that he had been- working at that rate for several days. He was found ont, and caunrol J ___ si n — „ <aw anuauj uuiug wen away to the golden spot; but, alas, the water will fail them. Twenty yards on each side of the place is good, but for some distance beyond the ground is not worth the trouble of washing. Water is not obtainable within three or four miles, except alone small waterhole, and that is as thick with cradles as it can be, is very dirty, and I am afraid will shortly fail altogether. * * * It is my opinion that the Turon is equal to California. * * The Country is very healthy. We have sharp frosts, and have had very little rain. Twenty-four hours’ rain would do ns no harm, though if there comes much it will be a bad job, as the appearances on the river indicate very severe floods.” Diamonds.—For some time preciousstones have been supposed to exist in this district. One, the other day, was forwarded by Mr. Hardy, the commissioner, to the Colonial Secretary. It has since been inspected by a Sydney lapidary, who pronounced it a diamond of the first water, value £2s.— Bathurst Free Press.

hold Matters.—The gold excitement has not subsided. Every day reports reach town of the discovery of gold in different parts of the district, but the quantities fouud are very small, by no means giving assurance that a profitable gold field is in existence in the "arts indicated. The rivers and Watercourses are at present too much swollen to admit of successful digging,. but as soon as the waters subside, v. e have no doubt that some important discoveries will take place. That we have gold and rubies in the district is beyond doubt, and in reference to this subject the following statement may be relied upon. Mr. Commissioner Lockhart has found gold in the alluvium in the locality of the Abercrombie and its feeders. The country about there has been described by him as having the appearance of being highly auriferous. A stockman of Mr. Thorne, of Brisbane Grove, whe arrived in town yesterday from Belong, states, that when he left the river, a number of persons were busily engaged in digging. He watched several cradles, and in every one there was gold, in some upwards of eleven specks. The river and its tributaries are at present too full of water for successful digging. Gold has also been found by Mr. Wallis and his party in the Shoalhaven Gullies, about seven miles from Bungonia; but the quantity obtained is small, and would not pay seeking for now, from the same cause before referred to. An absurd letter, or rather series of letters, have been published on the subject in Bell's Life in Sydney. It is the general opinion of persons who have visited both places spoken of, that in the summer time, many persons may profitably pursue gold digging. A Mr. Davis has also found gold in the vicinity of Lake George; he has brought some small specks to town, as well as some of the debris.— Goulbum Correspondent of the Empire. Bungonia, July 14.—You must have heard that a rich and extensive gold field has just been discovered in the Shoalhaven River, near this township; a sample of the gold sent to Goulbum to be tested has been pronounced by Mr. Dibdin, the chemist, to be a first-rate sample of pure gold. Mr. Wallis, the young man who discovered it, stops with me; he is now down in the gullies with one of my boys. I was at the river myself three days last week, and saw the gold in every washing. I gave a sample to Mr. Samuel Davis, of Gpulburn, who was down with me, and sent a few grains of it to Mr. Cooper, of Budjong, father to the Messrs. Cooper, Waterloo Warehouse. Several persons who have returned from Batburst say that they were there for several days without seeing any gold, but we have it in every washing. It is found in minute particles as yet, but every person thinks that as soon as the parties can get down any distance Inejesu.s will be Highly satisfactory; for my part, I really believe that the Shoalbaven River, with its mountains and gullies, are as ndl ITV mineralo no atm nori nf aalavk* ••• uomviuiu uw i*uj jsita « va wajixz plenty of the best firewood, and in the season plenty of the finest fish ; besides, the climate down there is much more warm than here, being about fifteen hundred feet below us. Mining in the summer must pay at all events, for then the water will be lbw, and the miners can get al the bed of the river in several places, and still have plenty of water To wash at all times, which viill give it a superiority over all the other gold fields.— Herald Correspondent. ■ Gouiburn.—The Gold Prospectors. —We were misinformed as io Mr. Davi»’< ■

party going on to the Gundaroo ranges at the direction of Captain Hovell. We believe that .on leaving the Dead Mau’s Creek. Mr. Davis set out to explore Reid’s Creek, at the Third Breadalbane Plains, being satisfied that the indications there were favourable to tbeir object ; and on last Friday morning he was fortunate enough to find three grains of gold and two rubies in the first cradle of earth •washed at that place. Mr. Davis having to leave Goulburn, he intends to return again, and is confident that Reid’s Creek will prove a gold field. The distance from Goulburn is twenty-two miles, and the spot is about three miles from the great southern road. Mr. Davis has been to the Ophir diggings, and from experience and observation he fully expects to find the precious metal still nearer Goulburn.— Goulburn Correspondent of the Herald.

Gold in the North. —The following is an extract from a letter received fromMoreton Bay ; —“ I have just received a letter’ from the neighbourhood of Warwick, from a correspondent of undoubted credit and veracity, informing us that after much examination geological specimens have been found, giving the strongest promise of gold being there. The specimens are sent down for me to look at, but in the hurry of writing for this mail I have not yet had time to see them. I have great confidence in the matter, as the neighbourhood is exactly where I expected auriferous discoveries.” — Herald, July 19. Quicksilver from Van Diemen’s Land. —A mercantile house in Sydney has received from a correspondent at Hobart Town a very fine sample of quicksilver, which they are informed is part of a quantity discovered (and still continues to be found) under the following circumstances : —ln the garden of a gentleman whose locale our informants say they are not yet at liberty to reveal, is a waterhole, in which one of his young children was lately bathing. To the surprise of his parents and their medical adviser, the child was shortly afterwards found to be in a state of salivation; and after duly considering the cause, the water-hole was drained, and a quantity of quicksilver found at the bottom. It has since been ascertained that the spring which supplies the hole with water, also supplies the quicksilver ; and measures are in active progress to ascertain the source of this valuable supply. —8. M. Herald. Military.—ln consequence of the reduction of the number of troops in these colonies- the office of Assistant-Adjutant-General is to be abolished. Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Munday proceeded to England by the Mountstuart Elnhinstone.—Sydney Mornina Herald.