THE KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELDS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1532, 15 July 1886, Page 3

THE KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELDS.

Melbourne, July 5, Somewhat discouraging news continues to arrive with regard to the Kimberley goldfields. A Port Darwin telegram states that the steam launch Victoria returned from Victoria river . on Friday evening, bringing Messrs Biddles and McMillan, who have just returned from the Kimberley goldfields, where they have worked with indifferent success for six mouths, They readied the Kimberley goldfields on the 7th of December, and started prospecting at Falls Creek, where they worked four days for small returns. After covering a large tract of country, they decided to ' relinquish work till the wet season set in. The water is ncarce. They only made bare wages. The color could be found everywhere, hut the heavy gold was in a patch much water worn, and the best is f end in narrow ravines. They left t • Black Elvire on the 4th of May. At that time about sixty men were employed on the fields, but most of them bad gone to Derby or Cambridge Gulf for provisions. They state there is little use in diggers going till after the wet season, and they should be well provided with horses. The Derby correspondent of the 5 Argus, writing on June 7th, says : Tbs men who hav* come down from the fields profess to be by no meant sanguine of its turning out good payable alluvial country. I say “ profess to be,” for of course it is to their own interest to discourage a large influx before they have time to go back them- ; selves and fill their pocket* a second time. Where parties have come down with 250 z, 60oz, 80oz, 120 oz, 160os, or oven mort, and not a single party without some gold, it would seem that

there must be some alluvial working to ’* be found. On one point, and that a most important oa*, all tbs miners are agreed, and that is that (bis will give a . magnificent reefing field. Ail the indications are very rich. Adelaide, July 6,

A reporter at Port Darwin, who inter- ' viewed the yisitora from the gi>ldfi»lds, elicited the following statement :—I he present position of the goldfield is about 400 piles from Derby and 300 from Cambridge Gulf, but the former being f the best market, the longer trip is preferred. The road affords fair travelling - The place which Headley, Moore and Co,.have been working, where they ohtamed the gold, was Brickman’s Creek, about ten miles above the junction of ... the Elvire JKiver. Gold has been got

in small patches, but as yet there are no signs of a permanent field where ’ ’ Ihey have been working. There is no water within three miles. They «lso Stale that although possibly a good

reefing district might be opened up in future, there is no warrant of a big rush -.of diggers to Kimberley, and none h should come unless well equipped with horses and rations.

The statements regarding the goldfieldiareof the most conflictingcharacter. It is rumored that in order to prevent ■o increased rush to Kimberley the miners are simply sufficient gold to procure provisions, and most of the parties bare gold to a large extent in camp. 'I he actual gold brought into town up to the present time amounts to 800< z, As 50 men are supposed to have been four months prospecting, the quantity stated would not produse a very rich average,