THE BERMAGUI GOLDFIELDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1299, 26 October 1880, Page 2

THE BERMAGUI GOLDFIELDS.

The Bcga Standard says: — " One sees men from all sorts of out-of-ihe-way place*. Our own dairy farmers muster strong ; there are men from New Zealand, from Temora, from Ballarat, and from Port D.irwin, a medley mixture that the THflh for gold has brought together. That there will be many disappointed is only too true, but we can safely say that the rush has been of their own making. The strip of beach reaches from Walluga Lake to Bermagui, say 3^ miles, and of this perhaps two miles is payable, perhaps more. The claims along it will have to be tackled systematically to make work remunerative. The whole of the sand must be stripped from the face and the wa^hdirt paddocked, and then comes tho trouble — washing the gold out. At present there is not even the most primitive " cradle" on the ground. If a digger wants to wash a prospect, -s we saw many washed, he takes his pan to the sea and waits until the receding wave leaves a little quiet hole in the sand. He is, perhaps, half through, when his mate calls out "Look out. Jack," and Jack looks out, and hops out of the way of a breaker, leaving, perhaps, half hiswashdirt for the sea to mako play of. Even in this way valuable prospects are obtai-.ed, and such prospects as justified Mr Keightley's telegrams of Saturday last, but the war -leu should have gone a little further and told people at a distance that all the present availabh ground was taken up."

Soars inquisitive young lady dropped into our letter-box the other "evening a conversation lozenge, on which is inscribed the words "Are you in love." Newspaper men are not a* a rule ladie?' men, although we will not affirm that they have not the inclination to be so ; yet there is one drawback to the development of the loveable part of their nature, viz,, they are always so busily engrossed in other matters. The Goddess of Love has seldom any shafts keen enough toppnetrate the invulnerable hearts of mortals like us, and if the young lady who was shown ho much concern for our welfare were to bestow similar attention in another quarter, we have no doubt before the end of the year she will secure a husband. Wo are sadly afraid, however, it is a case of desperation with her when she has to attack a newspaper office by means of conversation lollies. — The Budget . Baroness Burdett-Cutts' Love Affair.—During the month a great deal of gossip has bjen about the intended marriage of Baroness Burdelt-Cutts and Mr Ashmead Bartlett. The asjc of the former is 67 and the latter 29. The Queen wrote to the Baronets trying to dissuade her from contracting this union, but all t^ no purpose. Mr Ashmead Biirtlott is a brother of the member for Ely, but he is an American. The marriage was to have taken place at Savoy, where a large crowd cillected ; but owing to some (juestiou of nationality of Mr Bartlett, it has been postponed. It. is to take place in October. By the settlements it is understood Mr Bartlett will be put into possession of a fortune of about £10,000 a-year. The Baroness will, unless it can be proved Mr B. is properly naturalized, lose by her marriage with an alien £50,000 a-year. The Baroness first discovered the tender feeling her young friend entertained towards her during her yachting trip to the Mediterranean. The family have tried all they can to dissuade her, but all to no purpose. The ancient maiden will marry her Ashmead. From France we have news of terrible tragedies. A short time since the Countess de Tilly found that her husband had transferred his affection to a young lady of the Bourgeoise class, and the Countess revenged herself by throwing vitriol over her rival. The poor girl suffered terrible agonics — lost the sight of one eye, and the whole of one side of her face is so disfigured that none of her friends could recognise her. At the trial of the Countess | the jury were affected to tears, not on account of the poor girl, but for the prisoner, and gave a verdict of not guilty ! The German Commissioner to tbe International Exhibition has presented New I Zealand with two groups of statuary. The Taranaki Herald says :—": — " Parihaka is at present in a filthy state, and fears I are entertained that another epidemic i similar to that of last year will break out amongst the natives. We learn that a i death occured there yesterday under circumstances which would point, to the presence of fever. Additional cause for alarm is to be apprehended from the fact that the A.C. camp is at present in the immediate vicinity of the native settlement, and the epidemic would almost inevitably spread among the ranks of the ; Constabulary."