GYMPIE DIGGINGS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 349, 12 September 1868, Page 5

GYMPIE DIGGINGS.

The following letter appears in late issue of the Argus : " Nashville, July 29. M Dear It is now about ten days since I came here, and having seen all the weft and everything else worth seeing, I think I am in a position to give an impartial opinion of the place. It is quite true that there are a few very rich Teefs. The gold Mtherto taken from them was from picked stone, or rather specimens but when crushing takes place, in the opinion of competent judges and miners from Sandhurst, &c, it may turn out very differently. A good many speculators from Victoria have been here, but they would not risk their monoy, as the reefs are too much like those of Wood's Poin*- ; in fact they considered the place looks very ' dickey,' and they have returned to Victoria after a stay of only a few days. Scores of reefs have been and are still being opened, no gold found, and deserted. All those yet worked are very narrow, averaging about eighteen inches and several of the rich ones are one and the same reef, but called by different names; there will be any amount of litigation when they drive into one another. The place has been greately overrated ; there is no chance for a man unless he has plenty of money, and can afford to lose it, and no possibility of buying into a payable reef except at a very long figure. The Queenslanders are the poorest lot of rats it has been my unfortunate lot to meet —all more or less insolvent —and expecting capitalists from Victoria to develop their mines; when they see a bit of gold in their claim they think their fortunes are made. 1 hope the rush from Victoria is at an end, as that back again will be as great, if something does not soon turn up. Gym pie iB but a small diggings, and can only support a very limited population ; the country round has been prospected for thirty miles, but nothing of any consequence has yet been discovered. I erred most greivously in coming here, as there is no employment for a man but mining, and if unsuccessful at that he may starve, as there are no situations to be filled nor work to be got. You may imagine Gympie is very poor when I tell you that every thing is as cheap as in Melbourne —meals Is, consisting of soup, joint, and pastry, better than can be had a£ the Scotch Pie- shop (I wish I was there at this moment). In a business point of view, the place is simply worthless—nothing stirring, all stagnation, and not even a Fenian about to wake us up ; every store, or rather shanty, overstocked and underselling each other. The only people who do any business are the butchers, bakers, and publicans. Nashville consists of a long narrow street, not so wide as Little Bourke street, and in wet weather, is simply a mud gutter and quite impassable, even for a team of twenty bullocks with half a ton behind them. A great many swindles are being got up, and shares are being rapidly sold in Brisbane," &c.