THE PALMER RUSH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 352, 2 May 1874, Page 3

THE PALMER RUSH.

A Brisbane correspondent, yrho has visited the Bgper diggings, supplies us with the following letter and extracts :—.: — . (To the Editor of the "Brisbane Tcleyraph") Sib, — From the glowing accounts 6ent from this river by no less a personage than the Gold Commissioner, I was induced to go to it; firmly believing thafc, ere such telegrams were sent, the sender had either been an eye-witness of what he had stated, or at any rate had for his information some other than an odd straggler who had found his way to the township to knock down his few ounces, and when half drunk had magnified ounces into pounds. I think thafc such conduct ought to be condemned, that a Commissioner should be permitted to send one-sided statements, half of which were false. According to his telegrams, £1 per day could be got as wages at any time. No such>thing. Wagesmen were not wanted, but in about two instances. lam sorry to see the telegram of the P.M. Cooktown, March 24th or 25th — I am not certain as to date, only thafc ifc is a few days later than that on which I left Cooktown. This telegram, to a person residing at a distance from the goldfields, is very enticing, but is far from conveying the whole truth j for, to my certain knowiedge, on or about the 18th March, a few men, who had just come down from the Palmer penniless, went to the P.M. and begged of him to render them assistance in procuring a passage to some other port, stating at the same time that they spoke on behalf of some 50 or 60 similarly situated. But this energetic individual, as the " Courier is pleased to call him, said he could do noing, and the consequence was that about 25 stowed away oil board the steamer leaving, and some of them now are perhaps in Rockhampton gaol, or perliapa the A.S.N. Co. have shown pity. And another thing — there was but very little gold being got, for the Palmer was only fordable, and therefore impossible to work, and the left-hand branch had about three feet of water in it. All tho ground that was workable consisted of back gullies, that were all but worked out, and I am positive thafc the average earnings of ninety men out of every hundred did not exceed 3 pennyweights per day, 2 pennyweights of which ifc takes to victual a man. It is strange thafc we have not seen any telegrams of men lying down and dying in a most miserable manner — one on a heap of palings, where he lay two days unattended, uncovered — thafc is without tent or shade — and died. Another lay down to die on the baro ground, both in sight of the Courthouse. Nothing we hear from these Government officials about the numerous and horrible deaths that have occurred on the road. I counted eighteen graves. Nor yet do we hear of tho terrible amount of sickness in the shape of dysentery and fever, that is now raging on the Palmer, though the Commissioner and P.M. have had every opportunity of knowing it. They cannot but have noticed the poor d) ing unfortunates who have struggled their way down to Cooktown, half of them to die. A great many have gone to Cleveland, till the Hospital there is full, i daresay a great many start for the diggings under the impression that the " telegram " was true stating that " Sub-Inspector Douglas had discovered a good road to the diggings : distance 110 miles, might be reduced to 90." What a delusion this Sub must have laboured under ! If he spoke according to his conscience, the very least it can be made in is between 170 and 180 miles, and over a country that it will be almost an impossibility ever to take a dray across. On behalf of the numerous sick persons who of necessity will be obliged to travel by themselves, mostly singly, I would like to draw attention to the unprotected state of the road. It is natural to suppose thafc a detachment of Native Police in a country like that would occasionally patrol the roads — partly to keep them clear of blacks, as well as to render assistance to sick men. About the beginning of last month a party of men going to the diggings camped about 35 miles from Cooktown ; one man was killed within " cooey " of his mates, and the murderer has escaped. About a week prior to this, a poor man sick with dysentery, lay down within 40 miles of Cookfcown, and died in tho middle of the road. Both of these cases were reported to the police and one black boy or trooper was sent to the scene of the murder to look for tracks, which, for his own convenience probably, he failed to see. One would think humanity would induce the " Sub "to move about a little. But no ! ever since his return from the attempt to find another road, he has been spelling. Poor fellow, his duties are very arduous ; but if he is not strong enough to perform his legitimate duties, why don't he send his corporal ? He is there to keep the blacks from murdering white men, and he must be made to do it— or resign. Perhaps the public would like to be informed to what extent the Government officials went in rendering assistance to the starving diggers hemmed in by rivers. Absolutely nothing — not one pound of flour— nor an iota of assistance was given them. At the last extremity two men who where going to the Palmer swam across to the starving crowd as many times as their strength would permit, taking flour each time. After taking all the flour they could get they started back to Cooktown, swimming three or four dangerous creeks, and bought a rope, and .sufficient pine boards to make a flat-bottomed boat. These they carried up, and with them rescued some thirty or forty men from starvation.

In conclusion, I would caution any more people from going to the Palmer. The place is already terribly over rushed ; and if I am not greatly mistaken Government will soon be called on to render assistance. People must not run away with the idea that because it is represented that there are fifty or sixty miles of a gold country, the whole of that country is gold bearing, or rather payable. Not so. It is a series of patches — neither more nor less, and some of these patches are from three to fifteen miles apart. The main deposits are on the bars ; the beaches may run two to five pennyweights per day — and this with a cradle, for which article you must pay £7. Rations of all sorts will be very dear for six or eight months to come, as two trips will be as much as a horse can stand. And if "the supply was to depend on drays being able to travel from Cooktown on the present road, it would be years before they that could be accomplished for when I passed the road party there were eight men employed, while in Cooktown one hundred men at the least could be found glad to get employment of any sort. Edward Williams.

The special correspondent of the "Empire," writing from Cooktown on the 27th ultimo, says :—": — " I will mention a few cases that will give you an idea what men have suffered, which will be only a fraction of what actually has occurred. One party declared they took the girths off their saddles, green hide ones, cleaned them as clean as possible, and stewed them, after being three dajs without food. The same party, when they came to the Normanby River, had to camp several days, when many more situated the same as thornsolves joined together and between them collected £16, and paid it to one of- the men that was detained who had a wretthe Ut poor horse, described as so poor thtifc you "could hang your hat upon his ribs. They killed it for food. Some stewed ifc. Those who did so generally got the dysentery. Others roasted their portions upon the coals, when the froth thafc came out of it was astonishing ; but, on the whole, it was not such bad eating Another party of three left their horse°behind, and, after being several days without food^ gave £5 for what they consumed in one day between them. How men can be so madbrained,, in the face of the news we have, as

to move away from where they can be be provided with rations, without some positive proof that provisions are there, or will shortly come after them, puzzles me. Fancy a man in latitude 15 degrees south from the Equator facing 180 miles, with flooded rivers, nothing up there to eat, and nothing to fall back upon, through miles upon miles of swamps, loaded with from 701bs. to lOOlbs. of swag. No one woidd say but that such a man was mad. There is one thing certain, cost what it would — money, health, life — no warning will daunt them. I verily believe, if ifc was possible to be known with certainty that onehalf would perish, they would try it. A friend of mine here arrived in Cooktown five weeks yesterday. Two of his •shipmates went vp — young, healthy-looking, full of vigor, buoyed up with hope. One came back yesterday, barefooted, jaded, care-worn, and. pitable, and, to use my friend's expression, looks as if he had just come out of a fever hospital — everything in the world he possessed gone. The fate of the other was still worse ; he was drowned in the left-hand branch of the Palmer while swimming it to procure rations. His body has never been seen since. We have heard of several that havo lost their lives trying to swim the rivers for provisions. The last few days they have been coming down very fast. Ifc is the general belief that a considerable portion of the camps at the diggings will have to come down, beat out for provisions, if not the whole lot. A friend of mine informed me that sixty-five miles from the Palmer, on the Etheridge side, he passed a waggon loaded with sixteen halfhogsheads of brandy and only five bags of flour ; another waggon arrived at the Palmer with eight horses, but not an ounce of provisions — all brandy. The miners were so infuriated that they proposed knocking the heads of the casks with then- picks ; but after further consideration tliey left tlie wretched owner to Ins own reflections. Another party thafc came in last night stated that it was seven weeks since they left Cooktown. Between going up and coming down occupied four weeks ; had never tasted any meat since they were about twenty miles from Cooktown going up. Almost all who have come down state that they have not tasted meat these two months. Any one who has had to rough it knows how he feels after a day or two without beef or mutton ; what must it be then for those who have been living upon flour these last two months, and in many instances not much of that ? The majority of those returned are wearing slippers, their feet being swollen so much with the wet thafc they cannot get their boots on. Another party arrived here to-day, who, when they left the Palmer, gave £5 for thirteen pounds of flour — to face 180 miles between three. In 6pito of all this, however, and all the advice given them, you may see them every morning rolling up their swags — no one would credit it — from 701bs. to 901bs. — much as they could stagger under. The first swamp they come to they commence to lighten their load. Away goes unnecessary clothing. After a few miles further, clothing tbey actually want. When they arrive at the Palmer, a few days rations is the most any of them have preserved ; so that they can only have a look at the diggings, and are then forced to come back." The Gympie " Times " says :— Mr. John Corry has kiudly handed us a letter from Mr. Thomas Bearup, late of Gympie, dated Rockampton, March Bth. The following extracts vi reference to the Palmer Di<«rinfs, expressing the opinions of such an Experienced miner as Mr. Bearup, will be found interesting : — Since I last wrote I have spent nearly eight weeks on the Palmer, and I am sorry to say 1 did not get much gold during my stay, though from the exaggerating accounts you have had in the papers, &c, you would be thinking I was making a pile. The gold workings at the Palmer are principally confined to the river bed, the left hand branch, a few creeks, and a number of ravines or gullies ; in most cases ravines were soon worked out. The miners were flooded out of the workings in the river since about the middle of December, that was about three weeks before I got up, and since then it has never been sufficiently low to allow the working of it, Previous to the river rising a good few had got payable prospects in some of the creeks and ravines, and in some cases got good patches of gold considering the short time it took them to work out the ground. It was thought when the wet season set in and plenty of water was obtainable that a large tract of back country in the shape of ravines and gullies would be found payable ; but such did not prove the case, as no fresh descoveries have been made since T went up. At that time nearly all the gullies or ravines were worked out, in some cases being worked the second time. Indeed I can safely say very little gold has been got on the Palmer since Christmas compared to what was got before, and I don't think much will be got until the lefthand branch and the main river bed be workable, which 1 will not be for nearly two months from this ; so parties intending going will be in plenty time to leave Gympie in a month at the soonest. From where the prospectors were granted to a distance of 35 up the river payable gold has been got at a many places in the river all the way, but principally on the shallow bars. A good portion of the river contains large water holes, and if they should find papable gold running into them machinery will be required to pump them out. Gold was followed into one or two of them previous to the river being flooded. Very pure gold has also been got on the beaches at those places. lam of opinion that the gold^got in the river has not travelled a great distance, as it is of such a coarse description , and it would bej impossible for it to cross the waterholes. All along the river the slate and saudstone is a mass of quartz leaders, running north and south ; the course of the river is nearly east and west. The gold is nearly all in " specimens," and I saw some very nice bits when I was up there, I have no doubt some good leaders and also reefs will be found here, especially up towards the head of the river, as large blows of quartz — some 8 or 10 feet wide — are in every direction ; but no attention is paid to them yet, and not likely for some time. I found gold in one leader of about six inches, and another party found one that would go 4 ozs per ton, but no attention was paid to it.

The left-hand branch junctions with the river about 18 miles up from the prospectors' claim, and for 20 miles up it payable gold has been got. The gold in this branch is much coarser than in the river, and in the ravines emptying into it the gold is coarse also. The largest nugget got was one of 80 ounces. The left-hand branch will be workable before the river, as it has a much greater fall.

My opinion of the Palmer is that it will be a very extensive goldfield, and that a great deal of new country will yet be opened if provisions ran be got at a reasonable rate, but it will not be this year that any great alteration will take place. I think that any man willing to work can make one ounce per day, witli a chance of something better should he get on to a crevice ; but at the best I consider the Palmer only a good wages diggings, and nothing more. I only know a few who have made over 100 ounces per man during their stay, and that was from the first of it ; the majority made from 30 to 90 ounces per man. But there would not be such a chance after the river is down on account of ilie rush setting in. I would not advise anyone who is settled and at steady work, say at 50s. per week, to go to tho Palmer, as that sum on Gympie is equal to 100s. on the Palmer, and there will be a good many chances against their making the ialtcr. But on no account should a man start without a good 'nugget of a pack-horse and a pick, shovel, and dish, for ifc is only fossicking. There is no wash further than what is between the crevices. So if any one wants any further information they will

require to get ifc from some one else, as I am nearly exhausted after the good feeding I have had since I went up to the Palmer. The following items of news are from the first issue of the Cooktown "Courier": — Dutiable goods were first collected upon in this port last month, and the receipts for February amounted to £789 8s Id. — An investigation was held by the Police Magistrate on Wednesday last, touching the death of a man named Joseph Gordon, who was found dead on the Normandy Range by two returning diggers named George Pratt and William Mengin. The examination elicited that the deceased's mates had been obliged to leave him and seek succour ; that he at the time was suffering from dysentery, and desired to be taken from the horse he was riding, and allowed to rest by the roadside ; that he would in the cool of the evening proceed a few miles, and make Cookfcown the following day or so. The men who discovered and buried the deceased found on his person £22, and it was stated at the examination that he possessed £800 in a bank and an interest in a reef in Victoria. — On Thursday the Police Magistrate held an inquiry into the circumstances attending the discovery of the body of one Bernard Horisk, who was found dead^on the Normandy Range, about 33 miles from Cooktown, on the 3rd inst. Two men named Chai-les Teary and Robert Weir deposed to first seeing the deceased, and that a crowd of men behind them coming up assisted in searching and burying the body. The evidence disclosed the fact that several wounds had been inflicted on the deceased, and that there was blood on his clothes ; also that the spot where he lay was marked with prints of a naked foot like a blaekfellow's. The wounds were described as a scalp wound oh the head, several bruises on the body, neck much bruised, wound on the back of right ear like a spear wound. The inquiry is still proceeding. From a private letter received by Mr. M'Devitt from a friend at Cooktown we have been permitted to make the following extract : — " We made the Palmer from Cooktown in a little over three weeks and two days, and although it may appear a long time, still we did not do so badly, considering the state of the roads, creeks, and weather. Some of the creeks we had to swim ; miles of boggy country we had to traverse, and over the ridges the horses had almost to hang on to the stones by their teeth to keep ther feet. When we got to our destination, about a fortnight's rations were loft us, through having given too much away to fellows who wero starving on the road ; so I made an arrangement with some we knew to see that mj mates would not be short of rations for a few weeks, and I tackled the road to go and get more. I took a little over six days to get down, and here I am. . . . The new road — Douglas track — is not one inch less than 160 miles, and every one who has been on both roads will take the old one next time they do the journey ; provided the weather is not too wet, for there being such an extent of flat country on the old track it is more boggy in wet weather than the new track. I left the Palmer the day after reaching it, and therefore don't know much about it from personal observation ; bufc from what I hear, there are no large piles to be made — nothing like what was made on Gympie, although I believe it will turn out a good general diggings, and a very great many will make small rises ; but it will be over-rushed, I feel certain. The Palmer is a fine healthy place ; but I hear that sickness has set in since the arrival of beef ; the men had not had any beef for such a long time that the change of diet brings on diarrhoea and dysentery. I have noticed the same : men coming down from the Palmer, gorging themselves with beef after having been without ifc for so long a perio 1, generally suffer. . . . There are several chemists here, and Dr. Doudney and two German doctors have just arrived ; there is also a Dr. Bourk on the Palmer."