"THE NORTHERN TERRITORY AS IT IS."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 291, 28 August 1873, Page 6

"THE NORTHERN TERRITORY AS IT IS."

The following interesting letter appears in the Sydney " Empire:" — Much confusion and misconception have been caused in the minds of persons who have perused the telegrams i'rom the Northern Territory, by the numerous contradictory and sometimes absurd statements which have thus obtained publicity. The various telegrams which have announced finds in quartz and alluvial, emanating from different individuals, are colored and worded according to the peculiar views of the writers, most of whom, being Adelaide people, have never had any experience in goldmining, and believe that the finding of a specimen indicates the discovery of a payable reef, and tbe washing of a few ounces of gold, the Opening of an alluvial field. Having just returned from Port Darwin after a four months' stay in the Territory, I would wish to correct the ,falso impressions produced by over-sanguine telegraphists, and the gloomy one-sided scatements of persons who, terrified by the size and number of tbe mosquitos, returned by the vessels they came in without having visited tho diggings, or even strolled into the country adjacent to the township of Palmerston. To begin at the beginning, I should remark that I it is just 12 months ago since tbe first prospecting party (Westcott's) landed in the Territory, having left Adelaide on the strength of the announcement by Warden McLachlan and Government Resident that a " payable goldfield " was ready for occupation at Pine Creek. Mr. McLachlan at that spot obtained, with the assistance of three men, some sozs. of gold in three weeks, and reported tbe existance of " wash " varying from a few inches to 2 feet in depth. The largest quantity of gold obtained by onemr.nwaslo4ouncesuptotbetitne I left, and this was got in a few weeks. Others that I know were doing well but were very reticent as to the exact extent of their fortune, as they were either working upon or about the edges . of the quartz leases. There were on the three places at which gold was obtained — viz., Pine Creek, Yam Creek, and Howley Creek—only abqut

65 miners, for no more had been able to get stores up before tbe wet season commenced, and none whatever were to be obtained on the ground. About two-thirds of the number were engaged upon the reefs, and the remainder in alluvial workings. A telegram which has been forwarded since I left tho Territory states that over twenty pounds weight of gold was obtained at the Howley up to January. I think this is probably the truth, and if so, as there were only about ten men to get it, none of whom were on the spot before the last week in November, it is evident that gold was being got in payable quantities, and not much more. At Pine and Yam Creeks tbe few wbo had managed to get up a few provisions were doing, some of them well, and all of them something, but for the reason before given, few would say how much or how little they bad obtained, and disposing of no gold because there was not Ling to exchange it for, and not even grog to spend it upon — shanty and store being alike wanting. To explain this it is necessary to say that there were only three teams in the Territory that were not the property of the Government ; and the owners of these had enough to do to get a supply of provisions for themselves up before the wetseason commenced. It was the impossibility of getting means of transport that caused the return of half the miners who went up in tbe Condor, Omeo, and Bengal at tbe latter end of last year. They could not get to tbe diggings, and would not or could not wait idling about Palmerston until tbe wet season was over ; the miserable 4s. 6d. per day offered by tbe Government not possessing any attractions for men wbo had left double the money in more temperate climes, I think I have said all I ought to say about the alluvial gold already obtained, for I do not wish to father the statements of others. Comparatively little has been got, for the simple reason there were only a dozen or two to get it, and not for another three months will it be possible to say whether the alluvial deposits are rich or not.- If tbe returns from tbe three places already spoken of are payable there will be room for thousands of miners: for, from tbe Howloy to tbe Phillips, a distance of more than 300 miles, tbe country is identically of the same character, getting more auriferouslooking tho further you travel from the coast. Regarding the reefs discovered up to the time 1 left the Territory I must say what in effect I say of the alluvial workings — they are not yet proved. I think they will pay ; and more than that, some very heavy yields will probably be reported as soon as the machines get to work. A few tons of stone raised from a shaft 20 feet deep, which will yield 3 or 4 oz to the ton, is not sufficient, in my opinion, to justify the sale of claims at the rate of £2 0,000. The Adelaide public think so. however, and tbe 5,000 acres of leases at Yam Creek seem to be rapidly passing into tbe hands of speculators at fancy prices before their real value is ascertained. If the reefs contain throughout as good gold as they show in the trial shafts, they are first-class properties ; but until shafts have gone down for 100 or 200 feet, I hesitate to pronouuee an opinion as to their permanent value. Leaders have been struck which would go 10 oz. to the ton, and all tbe stone raised from some would, I believe, average 3 or 4 oz., so that if tbe reefs are permanent they will be payable. On Yam Creek three lines have been opened, and certainly tbe show upon the surface and in the trial shafts for two miles is first rate. In Westcott's claim tbe reef at a depth of 20 feet was 3 feet wide, and in Winu's claim still wider. On the latter claim gold may be found anywhere in the hundreds of tons of quartz lying on the surface, and from the reef in view a crushing that would go from 5 '.to 7 oz. per ton might be obtained. Several other claims upon the same line are on gold, and firstrate prospects with the dish were readily got anywhere on the line, giving me a very favorable opinion of it. On the Howley, not enough work had been dove to prove the value of the reef found by the agent of tbe Port Darwin Prospecting Company (formed in Melbourne). Several parties had found leaders, and opened up a broken reef showing good gold to tbe depth of a few feet, and a width in places of about three feet — on the whole a very good Bbow. The discoveries at Pine Creek I do not know much about. I find a recent telegram speaks of them as being as good as any of the others, and if they are, they are worth thorough prospecting. There are now nearly 7,000 acres taken up in mineral leases at tbe before-mentioned places, very large arrears having been granted to the first parties on the ground. But any one making up his mind to try tbe goldfields of the Northern Territory need not fear that he will be too late, for there are thousands of miles of reefing country to prospect, and the reefs need only proving to be as good as they are numerous, to make it one of the most important goldfiejds in I Australia. I have very carefully avoided exaggeration in treating of the wealth of the gold-fields in the Northern Territory, because as yqfc pot enough, cart

be known of them by any one to. enable a decided opinion to be given. There is any quantity of auriferous country to open up, but tbose who are disposed to prospect it must make up their minds to look for tbe gold before they get it. By this time I have no doubt that there is a store upon tbe diggings, and supplies are plentiful enough in the port, and as the country is very readily travelled over, tbe difficulties which faced the miners wbo arrived last year are now, to a considerable extent, removed. From Soutbport to tbe Howley Creek the distance is 7o miles the road aa good as could be wished. Tarn Creek lies 15 miles beyond, and > Pine Creek 20 miles south of Tarn Creek. Water is plentiful along the road, which follows tbe telegraph line all the way, and feed is not scarce at any time of the year. The blacks give no trouble, and there are no hindrances to prospecting apart from climatic ones. The climate of the Northern Territory is for seven months of the year salubrious and temperate, the south-east monsoon, which sets in about Marcb, and lasts till September, causing a pleasant temperature. From tbe end of September till January it is, however, very hot indeed, the thermometer frequently recording above 90* in tbe shade before 6 a. m., and occasionaliy reaching 154;" in the sun. The heat of the days is not so trying as tbe closeness of the night, and coupling the heat with the unremitting attentions of the mosquitoes, there is no denying that tbe Northern Territory during the last quarter of the year is not a terrestrial paradise. January and February are tho wet months, and cases of fever occasionally occur. They are not, however, numerous — not nearly of so frequent occurrence as on the Gilbert, Etheridge, or other Northern Queensland diggings. During the yea.'s in which Palmerston has been inhabited there has not occurred a single case of local origin, and all the old residents were unanimous in declaring that it was a perfectly healthy place. I passed the whole of the hot season there, working in the sun for tf>n hours a day, and although the perspiration wa3 fearful to contemplate, I never felt better in my life. The township of Palmersfcon is beautifully situated, being laid out -upon a plateau about 100 feet above tbe sea, commanding magnificent jviews of tho harbour anil anchorages. Port Darwin is without exception the finest port in Australia north of Brisbane, the shelter being complete, and the depth of water, in spite of a rise and fall in the tides of 26 feet, allowing large vessels to find a safe anchorage within a quarter of a mile of tbe shore. In Port Darwin itself there are pearl-beds which are about to be work.cd by a diver who has been prospecting for some time. Beche-le-mer and trepang fishers from the Malayan islands have been working about the coasts on the " quiet " for some time, and row that attention has been directed to the resources of the territory, other than Malays will find employment in the same occupation. To my mind the Northern Territory is a good place for a man of energy to emigrate to ; but no one who fears a little heat and discomfort need expect to be satisfied with the place. The difficulty of obtaining horses and fresh meat will very soon be numbered among the things of che past, since there are several mobs of horses and cattle en route for Queensland; and by December last a large mob of horses had passed the Norman River on their way, via the Roper. Mr. Cobham, a squatter in the Port Denison district, was about starting at the end of May, with a mob of cattle and 200 horses, having been quite satisfied with the pastoral prospects of the country on a visit made last October. kt Cardwell and Townsville also, enquiries were made of me by carriers who were anxious to take their teams overland, and more than one expressed an intention of starting from the Etheridge as soon as possible. A party of miners wbo left the Etheridge last September, and arrived in January at Yam Creek had, as 1 heard, telegraphed back to their mates that they were satisfied with the place, advising them to follow. Take it for all in all, I consider that for tbose wbo are not afraid to face the heat, the Nothern Territory is, or soon will be, a good place to go to. but as yet it is not a place that it is desirable should be the scene of a rush ; and probably, if anything of the kind were to take place, great suffering would ensue. For my own. part I intend "to return to it as soon as my arrangements will permit me. W. E. A.

Some newspaper proprietors in England have been conferring on their liability to be sued for libellous reports. They do not ask for exemption from responsibility, but that tbe law may give tbe newspapers a right to sue tbe speaker of a libel for the amount of the damages and costs. We were told of an instance which occurred a short time ago in Dunedin, which shows that our Victorian friends can teach us a leason in sharpness ; it would appear that a gentleman in the habit of travelling, belonging to the sister colony, bought a draught entire for £150 ; he immediately put it np by auction at Melbourne and bought it himself for £360 ; the next idea was to ship the horse for Dnnedin, where he showed his receipt, and thereby managed to get £500 far the animaj.. Nat so had,