LATEST FROM THE PALMER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4297, 29 December 1874, Page 3

LATEST FROM THE PALMER.

We make the following extracts from the correspondence of the Cooktovm Courier of the 28th November : ON THE PA7.MER. In the matter of absolute necessaries, it seems almost incredible that the digger visiting Cooktown can load his three horses with GOOlbs. of flour for £6, which at Sandy Creek, when I was there a week or two since, would cost him over £9O ! But such is the fact ; and in many other articles—apples and potatoes for instance—the same extraordinary margin for freight and retailment is drawn from the pockets of the digger, be lie successful or otherwise. Numbers are now returning with heavily-laden puck horses, bearing supplies for several months to come. Private letters from diggers to their southern friends aro also bringing numerous fresh faces on the diggings. It is probable, therefore, that there mil bo no" diminution in the digging population of tho Palmer for the next few months, as tho number who will go down before the wet commences in earnest will be about counterbalanced by returning prodigals and fresh arrivals. The present population is estimated at 1000 Europeans and 1000 Chinese. OAKEY CHEEK. At Oakey Crock, a rush on a moderate scale set in about throe miles above the township to tho junction of tho two branches, where a rich patch or two had been got easily, as nearly all rich patches on the Palmer have been. Tho number working in the creek had considerably decreased, but still there were about 300 men at work from beginning to end, and several parties wero following tho gold far into tho tanks. A number of diggers, principally "hatters," were still working claims which they had occupied for three months or more ; and many wero doing well. That a yot greater number were making little more than sullicienfc to meet current expenses—which means some-

thing like £8 or £4 per week—is more than probable. STONY AND SANDY CEEEK. The main European population is scattered along the course of Stony and Sandy Creeks, and both these localities continue to produce large quantities of gold. At Sandy Greek, a " hatter" friend of mine informed me he could average 3ozs. a week with the tin dish, and a party°of three on the same creek said they had made 2Sozs. the previous week, but that the dirt was not shaping so well the week then going on. At Stony Creek, near its junction with Scrubby, another party of three stated the result of their previous week's work to be considerably over 280z5., and, judging from the splendid sample of coarse gold obtained by them on the day of my visit, they were in a fair way of being still better rewarded for thenlabors. But digging in neither of these creeks is altogether child's play, inasmuch as besides the great masses of rock that have to be shifted in order to reach the auriferous deposit underneath, a considerable quantity of water has to be contended against, and as there are no pumping appliances on the Palmer such as are met with on other goldfields, baling with the tin dish has to be resorted to, and this takes one man of the party all his time. This was the case three weeks ago, before the heavy rainfall. I find that the rain which fell on the 28th October completely flooded out, for the time, nearly all the claims working in theso creeks ; but since then the creeks have been gradually falling, and in several' work has been resumed, while numerous others are being closely shepherded. " MITCHELL FALL." Of the "Mitchell Pall"—which, of course, means the watershed of the Mitchell, and which is not a great way from Stony Creek—there are great expectation, both on the part of business people and diggers ; and while the former are hurrying up stores in large quantities from both Cooktown and Townsville, to a locality thirty miles above the crossing of the Mitchell from the Etherbridge, in anticipation of the rush that's inevitable, hundreds of the latter are only awaiting the signal, to be given by the first heavy December rain. The gold generally is fine, and of the same excellent quality as the Palmer gold. One of our local storekeepers, who is shifting his business altogether from the Lower Palmer to the Mitchell, has no less than forty tons of goods on the road there from Townsville, at a rate of carriage from £75 to £IOO per ton, the distance being 600 miles. In this, provided the Mitchell "turns out," he will have a great advantage over the Palmer storekeepers, whose loading comes from Cooktown at £lO5 to £125 per ton, and who will have to'p;'.y an additional £45 or £SO for conveyance to the Mitchell, if they extend their business to that quarter.