THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4240, 22 October 1874, Page 3

THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

(From the Thames Advertiser.) An old Thames miner, Mr J. W. Winters, who has been absent some two years, having visited both the Port Darwin and Palmer diggings, has returned here, and has favored us with the following interesting notes : “I left Port Darwin on March 1, with sixtyone other passengers, on board the Black Hawk, schooner, for Cookstown, a distance of about 1200 miles. We got short of water the second week out, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. We induced the captain to steer for Cape York, where we bought three bags of uushelled rice, 2001bs. of damaged flour, and IGlbs. of corn flour, which was all that station could provide. Five weeks after this, we were picked up by the mail s.s. Jeddah, in a starving condition, in Princess Charlotte’s Bay. There eight miners had left the schooner, on account of starvation, the day before the Jeddah hove in sight, and one. of the party (Thomas Reubens) was speared by the blacks five minutes after landing. The blacks were fired upon and then dispersed, the rocks .favoring their escape. The wounded man was brought on board. The party of miners proceeded on their journey through a country never before ti'aversed by a white man, their intention being to make Cookstown or the Palmer overland. Next day we arrived in Cookstown. The rain had ceased, but the road was in a very bad state. Hundreds were leaving Cookstown for the right and left hand branch of the Palmer, the distance being 132 miles to Edwardstown, or Commissioner’s Camp. When I got to Hell’s Gates, a man was there who had been speared. He was alone, coming down, when two blacks attacked him, and one spear entered his side, another his abdomen, and one his thigh. One was also driven into his swag, having been aimed at his .head. When we arrived at the left-hand branch, I and my mate worked for several weeks, averaging 2dwts. a day, excepting two kjays, when I got Bgrs. All pr-ovisions were at that time 2s. a pound, except tea, which was ss. per pound ; apples, 3s. ; and potatoes, 2s. Bd. Fever and dysentery were in almost every other tent. I have a vivid recollection of one poor fellow X called to see when going to work each morning. He complained of being starved, and asked me not to leave him, as the tent was full of men wanting to murder him for his money. I asked him how much he liad, and he said he had £l, which had been given him by some good Samaritan. But he did not want it, as he -was dead in a few hours after our conversation. Another case was that of a man who was lying outside of his tent the same day at dinner time. He was not able to get up, and avas unable to speak. I made enquiry about the poor fellow, and found he was a West Coast man, but had refused to let his next tent miner assist him. He had given 21ozs. of gold to a storeman to look out for his wants. I went to the tent store and found the story was true, when Thompson, the owner, came down, and we carried him into the tent, where he died immediately. Twenty men left that day for Cookstown, .amongst them being one I had known on the Port Darwin diggings, and an old West Coast miner. The latter never reached Cookstown, as he fell sick and died in two days on the Normanby. I got tired of the place, the scenes of sickness and death, and so left. I got into Edwards’ Camp the first night, and next morning, with my mate and two shipmates, struck across from the Chinaman’s garden south. At noon we came to water where a few tents were, and found the owners to be Jessep and party. They said they were looking to find Byers and party on Sandy Creek, who were reported to kg making 2ozs. a day. We got into a creek next day, where there were four tents, but six men were sick with fever, and had worked two months on the bars until it was exhausted. The report was that they had between 251bs. and 351bs weight of gold a man. I averaged from ll)ozs. to 2ozs. a day, but some of our party made lozs, and Sozs. This'creek was afterwards called Oakey Creek. Several rashes now set in. as men were coming in by hundreds. McLeod’s Gully, emptying into Oakey Creek, was the best spot found, several men (I knew some of them as Now Zealanders) making a pound weight a day, and some IGozs. I worked one claim out, and then struck south for eight miles and again found gold. Jessep came next day, and was very lucky, as he got into a little gully about 100 yards in length, and half a mile above us, where he made GOozs. a day. The least on that claim a day was 30ozs. between four men. But the blacks were very troublesome. On the head of the Stony and Sandy Creeks one party of six were attacked, when one was speared and killed. ,The body of the unfortunate man was borne away by the savages, who show no mercy, but roast and eat their victims. Immediately after this, another miner, while going along with his mate and two horses, at the head of Oakey Creek, was speared through the heart, but his mate shot the black on the spot. The natives were so troublesome that we could not prospect further in that direction. We then prospected the Mitchell, but got no payable gold there. There were about six men on payable gold, four miles from the Mitchell. Provisions here were reasonable, as they came from the Bridge ; but on Stony Creek they were very dear. Tea was 6s. per lb.; sugar, 35.; rice, 35.; salt, 2s. 6d.; potatoes, 3s. 6d.; apples, 3s. Cd.; and plenty of beef, at Is. per pound. I warn those who intend to go to be cautious.”