The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 194, 14 March 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1868.

Ik this issue we furnish the latest news frorn Queensland, which it will be seen is of an extremely meagre character to say the best of it. In an article extracted from the Queensland Times, a newspaper whose interest it is to support the new diggings, it will be found that the prospects are not encouraging. "Wo have searched in vain our Sydney files for information, but the Morning Herald is wonderfully reticent on the subject, and the only news, with the exception of that above referred to, is contained in a telegram from Sydney to Melbourne, which states that one vessel sailed from Sydney with passengers, and two more were laid. There was no excitement at all felt in Melbourne respecting them. We are in possession of private letters from a gentleman, formerly

connected with this journal, in which he states that some little excitement was occasioned hy tlic finding of the Curtis nugget, hut with the exception of the diggers who arrived from, the West Coast per Nightingale and Susan, who not knowing where to go were glad to jump at anything, nohody had arrived worthy of notice. Another letter hears out, not only the article extracted from the Queensland Times, but our leading article of a few days since, in which we stated that as rule, heavy nugget diggings were poor diggings for the multitude, for since the finding of the nugget above alluded to, nothen& had been found, and hundreds were all bat perishing from destitution and exhaustion. We were shown a private letter from a digger, which gave a glowing account of the place; but from several suspicious circumstances we were inclined to doubt the genuineness of it—the letter was not dated—we could not see the envelope, and nobody knew how the letter came into the possession of the person who showed it to us, who, we no doubt, was imposed upon. We publish it below in order to show that we do not wish to keep back any information, but at the same time we very much doubt its genuineness. Our Sydney and Melbourne files are open to the inspection of any who may choose to look over them. The following is the letter above referred to, which we publish verbatim:— " Gumpers Creek " Queensland " Dear Bob—l hopes this leves you well as it dos me at present —its horful hot hear but thear is plenty of gold quarts and luvyel. I am on a reef such a stunner my pile is made Come hear at once and leave the b west cost you have had enuf of it the prospects ar splendid. Tell Jim wade and Patsy to come dont wate its horful hot though—our parti is Sidney Harry parti. " Yours mate " Tom Macfablane." Such is the letter, and as it is, no doubt, a fair sample of the majority of private letters, we leave our readers to judge for themselves.