THE GYMPIE GOLDFIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 36, 17 October 1868, Page 3

THE GYMPIE GOLDFIELDS.

Wo havo been, favored with a copy of the following latter from a gentleman who left Wetherstones somo time ago for Queensland. Nashville, Gympie Creek, Sept. 7th, 1868. My Dear Friend, — "We arrived here a week ago, and since then have been looking round at all the workings and reefs. There are about 150 reef 3 opened here, but about two-thirds of them are duffers or stringera. but ' a great many of them are first-rate, yielding regular piles. The most of these are however, in the hands of the Banana men (old Identities), some of them wash as much as five and six pounds to the dish, but that is only in odd patches where they get a soft vein between the casing and the reef. There have been a good many alluvial gullies opened here, but they are very narrow, though there has been very good gold found in most of them. The only alluvial that is going ahead now is the New Zealand deep lead, 50ffc. deep alongside of the Mary river ; they have just "managed to bottom one or two holes with twenty men on night and day in quarter of an hour spells, but they will never be able to work it without machinery, in fact, they are getting machinery up now, and are forming companies. People seem to be quartz .reef mad here, and don't seem to look after alluvial ground at all. I would advise no one to come here without money in his. pocket; and the resolution, tp prospect for themselves, for the rest this ia a promising looking country for gold both alluvial and quartz. Liv- | ing is very cheap. Bread, 9d. and Is. [ per 41b. loaf ; steak, 3d. per lb. , and legs of mutton 3d. per lb. I bought to-day a leg of mutton for Is. 3d. The weather here is beautiful, just like -summer in New Zealand. To-morrow we intend starting to prospect for ourselves, and in a week or two will let you know how we get on. They stuck up the coach last I week three miles from here, you will find an account of it in the newspapers I send | you. The most direct route here is to ship direct for Maryborough, Gympie Creek being sixty-two miles from Maryborough, a good road all tho way with water and shanties every four j miles ; it is 150 miles from Brisbane. It is my firm belief that this country will go ahead yet. — I remain, &c,