PALMER DIGGINGS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1168, 17 April 1874, Page 2

PALMER DIGGINGS.

Tlio Greymouth Argus publishes tho following:—We have tho opportunity of giving to our mining readers tho copy of a letter received in Greymouth from a miner who, at the date of his letter, had returned to Sydney, after a sojourn of three months on the Palmer diggings. His name is Louis Wiclieren

a miner welhknown at Nelson Creek, and brother of a storekeeper generally known as " German Jack," who was a storekeeper in that district. Writing from Sydney on tho 17th March, ho says; —- " I have just now arrived from tho Palmer, after being there three months I made fifty pounds but had to spend ir. Keep everybody back that intends to come hero, because tho ground has been worked out. Over a thousand diggers have been on the diggings for a long while. They have over run tho whole neighborhood, and found nothing new, and you may consider that tho rush is a failure, if nothing fresh is discovered. And, as for the reefs, they have been tried, but little more than the color has been got in different places. I suppose there are about 5000 diggers at Oooktown, Many of them intend

to go to the diggings and see for them, selves in spite of the bad news. Still there is a lot going from Sydney—in fact as many as the vessels can carry away. They will not bo advised not to go, for they want to sec for themselves. The loill sec, and starve, for the famine hag been immense, and clogs and horse, flesh are considered a luxury. Nono of us (our party) will go again, for the gold that has been got is not worth while the hardships we have to go through. The luckiest of the lucky have not made £ 100 per man all the time. The prospectors have given up their claim, which they worked out in fourteen days. They have tried various places, but not finding anything, they have left the place entirely." Wo are of opinion that an independent letter like this is worth far more credence than bushels of telegrams, many, if not most of which are often set going in the interest of shipowners or persons interested in bringing abont a rush. The letter, an extract of which w r e have given above, was addressed to Mr Mullcr, of the European Hotel to whose courtesy we arc indebted for the information.

A naturally good road has been discovered from the mouth of the Kennedy to the Palmer goldfield, no ranges intervening. The distance is about 120 miles. It is generally considered that on account of the extent of the present rush, steps should be immediately taken by the Government to open this route.