LATEST NEWS FROM THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 248, 17 February 1875, Page 2

LATEST NEWS FROM THE PALMER DIGGINGS.

Look on this Picture from the Cooldown Courier. Thebe is a new rush. The prospectors are Messrs. Robert Rorey, John Hedley, and George Turner. After many months of laborious prospecting between the heads of the Mitchell, the Palmer, and the Tate, without getting anything of importance, they, about three months ago, came on the creek which is the present cause of excitement ; and having obtained 6oz. for their first one and a half day’s work, they determined to give the place a fair trial. Three of the party were at once despatched to Edwards’ camp on the Palmer, for supplies—the distance being 100 miles —20 miles S.W. to the head of the righthand branch of the Palmer, and 80 miles down the river to Edwards’. As an illustration of the determined energy, under almost deadly privation, with which prospecting is carried on in this part of North Queensland, and of the great expense necessarily incurred in so doing, it may be mentioned that when Turner and his party reached Edwards’ they had been without food for two days, had all the way to guard against blacks — who were numerous —and when they arrived at Edwards’ had to expend no less than £l5O in flour, beef, tea, sugar, &c., sufficient to last them six weeks, flour being 3s per lb. Since then they have been taking washdirt from the bed of the creek, at different points, for a distance of a mile or two, and stacking it high up the bank, to wash when the wet set in. They have about 200 loads “ at grass” (had there being any grass, but there is none) which they purpose washing by means of a couple of leviathan cradles in course of construction. They have “ dry-panned” at intervals, with satisfactory results. Much of the gold is coarse, but no large nuggets have been got, the heaviest piece obtained by the prospectors being 5 oz. (It is said another party got one of 6 oz.) The great drawback at present to the extension of the diggings is the total absence of water for goldwashing purposes, there being only sufficient for the ordinary use of a limited population, and that at a distance of two miles. Further up the creek, the distance from even this scanty supply is greater ; and this is alleged as the cause of the workings not having yet extended beyond the short distance of three miles. The most important portion of the information, and to which the attention of diggers cannot be too forcibly directed, is contained in these facts: That all the gold yet found has been got in the bed of the creek—none in the banks at any height above the river bed, nor in the ravines ; that at this period of the year, and probably for three months earlier, no water is obtainable for goldwashing, and consequently the dirt must be much more rich and it has notyetproved to pay men to work it month after month in the manner the prospectors have done, unless they are possessed of considerable means ; that during the wet season, which may now be expected to commence every week, to work the bed of the creek will be out of the question in consequence of thefloods which rundown these creeks with irresistible force. Since the receipt of the above information, a letter has been received by a gentleman in town from his brother of the Palmer, stating that, in consequence of a party of prospectors having come into Edwards’ Camp, for supplies, and amongst other things in the way of provisions, had taken away the salted dried meat of three entire bullocks, a regular clearing out was going on from different parts of the district. The writer could give no information, at the time of writing, as to where the rush was tending, nor did the diggers know [whither they were going. lake sheep, they were merely following the bell-wether—the prospecting party—but the prevalent idea was that the locality was somewhere in the neighbourhood of the second lefthand branch of the Palmer.