THE GOLD FIELDS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 653, 5 November 1851, Page 4

THE GOLD FIELDS.

Gold Close to Goulburn.—On Saturday last, a small piece of gold was found by Mr. Wood of Towrang, and a person named bummerill (most appropriate name for a gold discoverer), within four miles of Goulburn, we believe on the Towrang road at the back of the Governor’s hill. It was placed in the hands of Mr. Dibdin, analytical chemist who has pronounced it to be a very beautiful sample. It is very solid in appearance, and though not large enough to deserve the name of nugget, possesses more of its character than that of grain gold. It is of the shape of a man’s foot, and, according to the doctrine of Mi. Hargraves, of the appearance which indicates great abundance. Prospecting in this quarter is being carried on with vigour. ■ Goulburn Herald, October 4. TURON. Neale’s Point, Sept. 30.—T0-day, Mr. Grahame on our point obtained, amongst other small nuggets, one weighing two ounces fifteen pennyweights, and two men and a boy in the next hole to me got two ounces and threequarters of coarse gold. The whole of this was found about eighteen inches under water, which shows that when the river'js low enough for the bar to be properly worked, considera-

ble quantities will be found to lie hid there. Some of the bank workings are still paying well when you sink low enough. Some of the holes have been sunk from twenty-five to thirty feet. Two or three are yielding a pound weight of gold per day. A good many holes are however of little value at present, whatever they may turn out eventually.

October I—Mr.1 —Mr. Commissioner Johnson was here to-day issuing licenses, and settling boundary disputes. A greater number of licenses were taken out for this point than have ever been before taken out for the first of any month, which at any rate seems to speak in favour of the prolificness of our bar. A party of four, on a claim about fifty yards below me did very well in the bank diggings last week, clearing £36 each man. Some of the others near them are doing very well, but they were the most successful that I have heard of at that spot. Sly grog selling and gambling is still being carried on to a great extent at the Turon. October 2. —Mr. Commissioner Johnson was here again to day, and was all the afternoon engaged in settling boundary lines on the lower part of our point. Mr. Icely was in the morning at the quarters of the Commissioners on Maitland Point. A man working at one of the bank diggings bad the lower part of his body jammed between a quantity of loose stuff and stones, and the gravelly vein in the bank; it was full three quarters of an hour before he was extricated, but fortunately he sustained no injuries. There is considerable talk about the gold at Dirty-water Holes, where it is said parties are getting from twelve to twenty-four ounces of coarse gold per diem. Several parties are about making a move in that direction. October 3. —Very little news of any consequence has reached me to-day. Some of the diggings at Munday Point are still turning out very prolific, one party yesterday netted ■eighteen ounces for their morning’s work. Dr. Lang arrived to-day at the Turon, and is stopping at V ood s, at Sofala. A. good many persons are just now leaving the Turon, as the busy time is coming on. A great many are going to the shearing, which it is believed will be a very profitable occupation this season. October 4. —At the upper Wallaby Rocks, about three miles down the river from us, some new diggings have been opened on the banks but none of these have proved very productive as yet; the best holes having produced no more than two ounces per diem, but they are all quite new openings, and consequently have not as yet had a fair trial. There are also several holes in the bed, but none of them appear to have been fairly worked yet, although, in a little time there will be most probably a great improvement in the system of digging. A marked difference is noticeable in the diggings on our point, to the old system which formerly existed of making a hole here and there, in what are esteemed likely points. People are now beginning to first put a clean face on their yvork, the whole breadth of their claim, and then working straight a-head, as deep as the water will allow them. OPHIR. October 4.—The success of the miners during the past week, generally speaking, has been, as far as I can learn and judge, tolerably good ; in some few instances, great returns for their labour have been the fruits, A new allotment was opened the other day by a party who had been previously rather successful, on the Summerhill Creek, about hait-a-mile from Lang’s Point, and they had not turned up very much ground before sundry nuggets presented themselves before their eager eyes, one of which weighs upward of twenty ounces, having only a small proportion of quartz embedded in it. At Mr. Northwood’s party, a few days ago, a lady who was inspecting the various operations of the miners, was asked oy Mr. N. if she would like to wash a bucket full of earth, and whatever was the result, the golden produce should be hers. The lady in question agreed, and to Mr. N.’s astonishment, there was a nugget more than an ounce, and sundry others of small size. Of course, although Mr. N. insisted upon the lady appropriating the golden treasure, she would not accept it, but insisted upon becoming the purchaser. Now, it happened, that his cradles had been fully employed that morning for several hours, without any produce. The fact is such is the lottery of gold digging that while one man makes a fortune in a month or even a day, others may toil away till their their bones are fleshless, and glean nothing but disappointment,