THE PALMER RUSH.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1166, 10 April 1874, Page 4

THE PALMER RUSH.

The Sydney Empire's special correspondent gives particulars relative to this rush, as to prices of provisions, distances, &c. We extract therefrom the following information. The distances overland from Sydney arc thus calculated. Starting from Teuterfield, a border town on the river Dumaresq, and on the main northern road, 431 miles to the north of Sydney, the distances are from Miles. Tenterfield to Warwick ... 32 Warwick to Toowoomba ... 70 Toowoomba to Dalby ... ... 21 Dalby to Jondaryan Plains ... 21 Jondaryan Plains to Jimba ... 15 Jimba to Government Tele-

graph Station ... ... 22 G. T. Station to Cadoigy Cattle Station ... ... ... 18 Cadoigy Cattle Station to

M'Nab's 36 M'Nab's to the Dawson ... 42 Dawson to Gordon Downs ... GO Gordon Downs to Peak Downs 52 Peak Downs to Ravens wood ... 360 Ravens wood to Dairy mplo ... 70 Dairymple to the Palmer ... 420

1239 Between Dalrymple and the Palmer there are several stopping places—merely camping places—no rations for the greater part of the road. The camping places and distances are as follows: Greasy's, Stewart's Dingo Creek, Sheep Station Creek, James's Shanty, Seventy-seven Mile Waterhole. Myall Station to Collins's, 25 miles; Cassidy's, 16 ; Telegraph, 18 ; Forthe's, 9; Lind, 45 ; Tait, 35 ; Walsh River, 50 ; along the Walsh ltiver,so; Mitchell River, 30 ; Palmer Diggings, 3-A. The latter are only an approximation. (Starting from Brisbane the distance to Dal by, as given in the Australian Handbook, is about 140 miles, Dalby being the present terminus of the Western Railway). The following are the prices upon the Palmer: Hour, 2s to 2s Gd ; sugar, 2s 6d; beef, Is ; tea, 6s ; potatoes, 2s 6d ; rice, Is 6d ; dried apples, 2s Gd per lb ; soap, 4s per bar; horseshoeing 30s, blacksmith finding everything. Taking into consideration that the distance from Townsville (SOO miles north west of Brisbane,) to the Etheridge is 340 miles, from Etheridge to Palmer 300 (some call it 280), with very large rivers to cross, and 180 miles on this side, all packing the whole distance, there is not much probability of provisions being much cheaper for some time. On the Townsville side, the Mitchell and the Burdekin, two large rivers, have to be crossed, besides any quantity of smaller ones. Last year the Palmer prospectors had a difficulty in crossing the Mitchell. In May last it took the horses up to the saddle flaps. " Even while lam writing I hear that five out of six of the Charters Towers prospectors have been drowned. Several that could swim well made a good thing of it by swimming the Norman by during the late flood with flour upon their heads.

" HATTERS." Most of the men on the Palmer are what is termed in mining phrase, " hatters " —that is they work singly by themselves —no one to divide any gold with. The ground being so shallow, it is only fossicking ; and they all seem to say they can manage better by themThey generally camp in numbers from six to twelve for protection, taking it in turns to watch the camp. There is not much time lost by the miner, for he can at the same time cook three or four days' rations, and it prevents a considerable amount of grumbling. On the goldfields, frequently, there is a class of men that will not do a hand's turn at cooking if they can help it. These men, generally speaking, are neither vise nor ornament at this or any other work. CHANCES OF GETTrXO GOLD. What the actual state of the diggings is in respect to getting gold is hard to say, It will have to be something more than common to pay. Not one of those who came down expects there will be any provisions there for sale for the next two months. There is a strong desire prevalent to be there first; but the ground only being fossicking at the best, I cannot sec that it makes much difference who is there first. The longest that I have heard of one party working in one claim is a week ; the majority of them only a few days. I will write shortly after I have seen the diggings. Several admit that small wages could be made if provisions were reasonable. I do not think there will be any material difference there for the next three months, and most probably not in six.

DEPLOBABLE STATE OF RETURNED MINERS. To relate the whole of the sad cases that 1 have heard from reliable sources would take too long. A large number of men have come down from the diggings during the week, and several during the last day or two. Some have been kind enough to give every information ; in no one instance do I remember one refusing. There seems a general reciprocal feeling that one and all are in a pretty hard country, and each should do his best to prevent any unnecessary privation. You can tell those that have

como down as they pass, at a glance. Q-enerally they are skeletons—careworn, showing the effects of fatigue, frequently bare-footed, mud up to their knees, with only a small blanket around their neck; and to hear from each of the number of days without food of any description, the number of days previous upon flour and water, and the number left starving upon the road, shakes the nerves of the stoutest listener. " How is the road ?" '• Frightful bad—so many days jammed here and there." " How does it look for getting a little gold?" Various answers, some getting a little, but no provisions—none procurable at any price. "Is there much stripping ?" " Little or none—sometimes a foot; sometimes a little more, but generally the rock exposed." '• Do you think there will be much country opened ?" "I think there will • but owing to its being so shallow, will soon be run over, and will not hold a huge population." Many that have come back have not reached the diggings ; some turned back after proceeding only twenty miles, and some even less; some forty, and some have even got within a few miles of the Palmer, lost everything they possessed, and got back the best way they could.