THE BUSHY POINT DIGGINGS.

Southland Times, Issue 544, 20 August 1866, Page 7

THE BUSHY POINT DIGGINGS.

During the month another diggings has broken out near Campbelltown, Bluff Harbor, at a place called Bushy Point. The following official communication has been handed to us by the Chief Commissioner of Police, T. K. Weldon, Esq. :— Campbelltown Police Station, sth August, 1866. Constable Tuohy reports that at 11 a.m. on this date, two men named Stewart and Quinn, arrived here from Bushy Point Beach Diggings, and brought with them 120 ozs. of gold. The men left here at 1 p.m. per Mr Lockyer's coach, for Invercargill, to dispose of their gold. They stated that there were twenty men working on Bushy Point Beach Diggings, all of whom appeared to be doing well. Mr Waddel, storekeeper at Campbelltown, showed the constable 16 ozs. of, gold, purchased from the same men a few days ago. The Bushy Point Beach Diggings is situated on the open sea beach, about ten i miles from Campbelltown, and about one j mile and a-half from the head of the Arm.

Some short time since two parcels of "mineral products obtained at the Pahi the value of which it was difficult to estimate, was forwarded by the manager of the Bank of Otago to Sydney to be tested at the Royal Mint of Australia. The Bender considered that the ore and sand contained platinum and with a desire to obtain the best authority in the Australias, upon the point, forwarded. the specimens to Sydney: The report of the Acting Master of the Royal Mint is now before us, from which we learn, that this valuable metal has been found to exist in the sand in large proportions. The Acting Master of the Royal mint ; under date the 19th July, reports, upon the ore and sand forwarded to him as follows : — " Report. On two samples of mineral, N, No. [231-66] referred to the assayers for qualitative examination with instructions to ascertain if platinum was present in either : — No. 1, sample of ore contains no platinum ; No. 2. — a sealed sample of sand contains a large proportion of platinum." Tlii« report coming from the Royal Mint of Australia must be reliable, and should be an inducement to the miners of the Riverton G-old fields to carefully preserve the sand from which it is obtained.