QUEENSLAND.

Southland Times, Issue 982, 8 July 1868, Page 3

QUEENSLAND.

The " Maryborough Chronicle," June 16, writes: — "Tho escort brought yesterday 4,2210z.. 14dwt. Bgr. gold, the fortnight's produce of Gympie. Some good parcels have arrived at Maryborough during the fortnight from Kilkivan* the actual quantity we have not been able to learn — but several hundred ounces. The quantity of gold per escort, though very respectable, does not increase as one could wish, but this is to be accounted forT>y the want of crushing machinery, the accession of which will be marked by a corresponding increase of the yield of gold until the limits of profitable reefmining are reached, and practically the field is in this way unlimited." The following is the report of Mr King, commissioner at the Gympie diggings, dated June 15 : — " I have the honor to inform you that no event of any importance has occurred on the Gympie diggings during the past week. Many of the alluvial claims in the bed and bank of the Deep Creek were stopped working, owing to the rise of the water in the creek and river. The weather has now cleared up apparently „and by the end of next week all those claims will probably be workable again. Several new quartz reefs have been discovered, and the total number of the reefs now being worked on this goldfield is seventy. Many of the claims still continue to raise very rich stone, and the returns from large quantities of unpicked stone crushed at the machine are extremely good, one lot of fifty tons having averaged eleven and a j half ounces to the ton. I have received one report from Mr Commissioner Townley at Vabber ; it was written the day after his arrival onthe diggings, and he was not able to give his own opinion of the Btate of that goldfield, as he had only seen a very small part of the workings. He stated, however, that he believed that gold was being got in payable quantities, and that the miners he had seen appeared perfectly satisfied with their claims. The storekeepers also were buying considerable quantities of gold. I have also received a report from Mr Commissioner Clarke at Kilkivan, giving an extremely favorable account of the progress of that goldfield. The population there numbers about 800, who are all getting gold. Stores, however, (flour and sugar particularly), are scarce and dear. Several fine nuggets have been brought into Gympie from Kilkivan during the past wee k— one of twenty-eight and one of thirteen ounces, and several smaller ones, together with a considerable qu^tjt}^ § old; S^^^eT^rSr^^ie S^TSE and one buaine** licence.