GOLD-DIGGING IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 485, 1 April 1869, Page 2

GOLD-DIGGING IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND.

By the last mail it waa reported that gold had been discovered in the Strath of Kildonan, on the east coast of Sutherlandshire, Scotland. The discovery seems to be one of importance, and there has been a regular rush to the locality, and to streams in the county of Caithness, in the bed of which gold has also been found. Several of those at work on the ground are returned diggers from New Zealand. The event is of such importance that the local newspapers the John 0' Groat Journal despatched a special reporter to the diggings, and from his account we have the following particulars:— Our first impressions of the geld fields were very favourable. The gold workings at present are in a burn, or ' creek' as some of the old hands call it, leading into the river of Kildonan, some short distance to the north of Mr Rutherford's house. "We travelled up the burn until we came to Mackenzie's Point, (called after Mackenzie, a colonial digger from Lybster), when we came upon a gang of diggers from Wick, who were easily distinguished in the distance, by their colonial appearance and ' rig.' There could not be fewer than a hundred and fifty men working on the creek that morning, and the gross amount, judging by what we saw collected at night among them, would not be under fifty pounds in value. The largest amount collected by one man in a day was about twenty shillings' worth. Some gangs, however, make much more, and others again, green hands, barely make wages. The average yield to each digger seem* to be about five shillings a day. The majority of them have only tin dishel to wash out the gold, and we saw only one cradle on the 'flat.' It i« the

opinion of the experienced diggers that, with proper machinery, the gold workings would give handsome returns, but at present there is no encouragement for the diggers to spend money in machinery, as they will not be allowed to break ground on the terraces of the river. We counted as many as nine colonial diggers on the flat, including Messrs Gilchrist, the discoverer; Sutherland, from Latheron; Murray, Farquhar, &c. Some of these men were merely out E respecting, and informed us that they ad seen better prospects that day than theyhadseenin New Zealand afterthree days working. The greater number of diggers return to Helmsdale at night, where many of them reside, and proceed out again in the morning, those owning carts and horses driving out and home, a distance of twenty-two miles. Some of the diggers from Wick came down with us to Helmsdale to sell their gold, and buy provisions. They sold a half-ounce, for which they received two pounds, which is considered very fair value. The largest piece of gold yet discovered is about the size of a sixpence. It was found by Little and his mate, the owners of the •cradle. Such is the demand for the indispensable wash-dish that were a tinsmith presently established he would drive a roaring trade of it. One poor wayfaring follower of this craft was worked and bought out of his entire stock-in-trade in less than no time, whilst our brawny sons of Vulcan have been turning out night and day like mushrooms the iron implements required. The morbid impatience of «ome, however, will not brook any delay, in spite of the increased exertions of those obliging craftsmen, and, accordingly, we find them making use of all sorts of queer substitutes, from a four-cornered shallow wooden box -to a soup tureen.

On Wednesday last an experienced gold digger, recently returned from Australia, succeeded in finding traces of gold near the Dunbeath river in Caithness, a short distance above the bridge. Since then several persons have been searching the strath of Dunbeath, and have found gold in such quantities as can leave no doubt of its existence there, though whether it may be found in such quantities as will pay ■working expenses, remains yet to be seen, as a proper trial has not yet been made.

It is added that a petition has been sent to the Duke of Sutherland, praying him to afford facilities for working the auriferous ground in his county.