THE PALMER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 421, 30 December 1874, Page 3

THE PALMER.

The following cescription of the Palmer diggings, we extract from the "Cooktown Courier 1 of Nov. 21ft Within the hut mree or four weeks I have visited every part cf the district from some distance below the {lower township to Sandy Creek and after alljthere ia very- little to add to previous report! < In a shallow diggings like the Palmer, where there's so much sameness, unless there's an extraordinary nugget got, or a aensatioaal " find" of some Bort, or a new rush, a flood, very little, remains on which to base an interesting report.' But there has been none of them. At Oakey Creek I found that a rush on a moderate scale had set in, ' about three miles above the township to the junction of the two branched, where a rich patch or two had been got easily, as nearly all rich patches on the Palmer have been. The number working in the creek had considerably decreased, but still there were about 300 men at work from beginning to end, and several parties were following the gold far into the -banks. A number of diggers, principally "hatters,", were still working claims which they had occupied for three months or more ; and ' many were doing well. That a yet greater number was making little more than sufficient to meet current expenses— which means something like £3 or £4 per week— is more than probable. The main European population is scattered along the course of Stoney and Sandy Creeks and both these localities continue to produce large quantities of gold, notwithstanding that there "glory" is not such as it. was some. three months ago. At Sandy Creek a " hatter" friend of .mind informed me he could average Soz a week with the tin dish, and a party o! three on the same creek said they had made 28oz the previous week, but that the dirt was not shaping so well the week then going on. At Stoney Creek, near its junction with Scrubby, another party of three with whom I am acquainted stated the result of their previous week's- work to be considerably over 28oz, and judging from the splendid sample of coarse gold obtained by them on the day of my visit, they were in a fair way of being still better rewarded for their labours. But digging in neither of these creeks is altogether child's play, inasmuch aa besides, the great masses of rock that have to be shifted in order to reach the auriferous deposit underneath, a considerable quantity of water has to be contended against, and as there no pumping appliances on the Palmer, such as are met with on other goldfielda ; baling with the tin dish has to be resorted to, and this takes one man of the. party all his, time. This was- the case three weeks ago, before the heavy rainfall. I fird that the rain which fell on the 28fch nit. completely flooded out for the time nearly all the claims working in these creeks but since then the creeks have been g:aduaily falling, and in several work has been resumed, while numerous others are being closely shepherded. McLeod's, Jessop's, and Mistake Creekis each maintained a considerable- number of diggers at the time of my visit, but water was then very scarce, consequently the diggers were labouring unJer a very great disadvantage. Since the rain a. considerable addition-has been made to the number working on each of these creeks and their tributaries, and no doubt when an adequate and continuous supply of water is obtainable for washing purposes, these lopalities will again richly remunerate a fair proportion of diggers, as they each have done before now. . Below EdwardVGamp; the main river, the Left-hand Branch, and' the tributaries of the river are exclusively in the occupation of the Chinese, who on the' whole, are undoubtedly doing well. The -first* move of John Chinaman, when he desires to extend his sphere of .operations, is to start a garden, which in a short time becomes the nucleus around which his countrymen congregate, and these very soon commence digging — at first in such small numbers as not to attract attention ; but haying felt their way and experienced no opposition, the big mob, ■ fully armed and equipped, then make their appearance, and the whites have either to skeddaddle or "roll up," and* do as the diggers of Lambing Flat, the Buckland, and 'other gdldfieldshave done before now. The .thin end oi the wedge— the garden — has been inserted at Stoney Creek : and : ere -long a reconruziiance in force, by the Celestials; may be looked for in that part of the district — right in the centre of the workings of the European pipneor miners. The hopes/ of the miners iorj the coming wet season _are based on a faith, which appears universal- amongst the old hands, that in the vicinity of the present workings, gullies and ravines innumerable which have been dry, and consequently unworkable at a profit during, tie dry season, though known by pot-holing and dry-blowing to be auriferous—r will give rich returns as soon as a plentiful supply of water is available. This question will soon be put to the test, as, with the setting ia- of the wet season^-which in the ordinary course' of things' we may expect next mouth— two thirds of the diggers will be driven from their present chums in the creeks to seek for fresh ground either in the -ravtaes. adjacent, oc> on the new field on the "Mitchell Fall," which it appears is to be' developed' when the rains oome, ' Of the <i ACiteUeU FaJX "—which,, of course, meant , the watershed of the Mitchell, and which is not'«/great way from Stoney Creek there are great expectations, both on phe part of the business people and diggers ; and while the former are hurrying up .stores in large quantities from both Cooktown and Townsville, to a iocah'fcy 30 miles above the crowing of the Mitchell from the Eth«ridg«, in anticipation of the rush that's inevitable, hundreds of the latter are only' awaiting the signal, to be given by the first heavy December rain, to ''take up their beds and walk." Some very good v patches were got on the Mitchell when theliuh net in there two or three month* ago, and a large" extent of auriferous country was partially prospected. The result was so far satisfactory that it proved the existence of payable (ground orer a large territory, provided a sufficiency of that indisprosible element-crater— was Stained. The gold, generallyi§i fine, but of the same excellent quaility as the .Palmer gold. One of our Jooal. storekeepers, who is shifting his business altogether from the Lower Palmer to the tiitchejl, has no less than 40 tons of goods on the road there from Townsrille at a rate of carriage from £75 to £100 per ton, the distance being 600 miles. In this, provided the Mitchell '" tinnur out," -he will have a great •drantage over the Palmer toffbkeepers whose loading comes from Cooktown at from £105 to £185 per ton, and who wffl have to pay an additional £46 or £60 for conveyance to ', the Mitchell, if they extend there business ' to that quarter.. ' ' - I understand tksj|:£l6o per ton has been paid for carraige touthe Left-hand Branch— (tome 40 mils*, by the road, abovo the.Loweiu ?slme»)-ishe loading Wing now on thq roa&?