"snack"
after my journey, and my friend, who did not happen to be shepherding, apologised for not being able to give me anything to eat -- from the fact that his cook was out shepherding -- that he could only engage one on the condition that after he put breakfast on the table he was allowed until twelve o'clock to shepherd. You hear the shepherds at night talk about what they expect to get out of their claims, what they want for a share, what such a claim got or expected to get, how one bought a claim for £50 and would not take £500 for it if offered -- ounces of gold seldom being mentioned, pounds weight alone being thought of. But where has the large amount of gold already forwarded to Sydney (upwards of 50,000 ounces, to this date) been obtained, many will ask. The answer is, out of the first ground opened; for more than nine-tenths of it has been found in the main or first lead discovered, and out of the block claims at first opened and now nearly worked out. On the south end, or continuation of this main lead, now on the frontage system, gold has been found for a considerable distance; claim No. 74 having struck gold about ten days since, and reports say equal to any yet discovered. The claims up to No. 100 are now working, and there is no want of confidence in the continuation of the lead ; shares not to be purchased except at extravagant prices. So that, judging from present appearances, there is now a greater extent of ground tested, and proved to be equally rich as the first ground, opened and worked upon the block system. So that for months to come this ground will yield an amount of cold equal to that already produced upon this field. At the north end of this main lead, some of the old block claims that were deserted have been again taken up, and payable gold is being obtained; but at this end the gold is more scattered, and interspersed with quartz. At present they have not succeeded in striking gold on the north frontage claims, although they are still shepherded. Farther north of the main lead a shaft is now sinking; it is nearly 200 feet deep, and great hopes are entertained that gold will be struck. But there is a peculiarity about this field that seems to reverse all previous experience; for in this deep shaft a water-worn drift is obtained, and in no instance at present on this field has payable gold been found in this kind of drift; the wash dirt in the first lead being obtained at a depth of from 110 to 130 feet, and consists of red mullock clay, and angular quartz -- the gold presenting no appearance of being water-worn. The old water courses that have been struck with the water-worn drift, and at a greater depth than the first lead, at present have not been auriferous. With the exception of Nos. 3, 4,5, and 6, on the South lead, all the shafts now working in the main lead will be enabled to bottom without machinery; but these claims being situated near a lagoon, cannot be bottomed in consequence of the water, and steam machinery is about to be erected, and from the richness of the claims on either side of them there is but little doubt that when the machinery is erected these claims will equal any yet worked on this field. The Victoria lead is not at present in a very flourishing condition, the difficulties to contend with in the way of water having been very great. Several claims have been bottomed, and gold obtained, in some instances good size nuggets. At present it cannot strictly be called a lead, although there are numbers who still assert it is. No. 28 claim is 115 feet deep, and No. 47 prospecting claim, is 112 feet; should either of these claims succeed in striking gold, the shares in this lead, already high, will be double the price in a few hours. The Caledonian lead, excepting the main lead, is the favourite of the day; the prospectors on this lead have struck rich ground, but on either side of them shafts have been sunk with but little success, they being shallow compared with the prospecting shaft, which is 130 feet deep. No. 5 on this lead is now 139 feet deep, without bottom, and the claimholders are in great hopes they are on the run of deep ground, and would not sell a share except at a very extravagant price. I was yesterday speaking with them, and they told me they considered every foot they now sank raised the price of a shore £20. The Red Streak lead, running parallel, but some distance from the main lead, seems to be particularly unfortunate; the prospectors have now been working five months, and, in consequence of the water, have not been enabled to bottom, they have lost four shafts after sinking several hundred feet, but with indomitable perseverance they are sinking the fifth, which is now nearly 200 feet in depth, and should they be enabled to keen the present shaft a few weeks will test it. This sun posed lead is a great favourite with numbers; a great extent of ground is marked out and being shepherded It is the opinion of many that should gold be struck it will be impossible to work the ground without machinery. The Canadian, Arcadian, and several other leads are at present mere names given to ground marked out. Last week the Canadian was a great favourite -- a little gold, I believe, was obtained -- the excitement was very great, and the report, as a matter of course, stated it was a distinct lead. At present little is thought of any of these leads. Every week brings reports of the discovery of shallow ground, first in one direction, then in another. Up to the present time no shallow ground has been discovered in this district. The prospectors on Strickland's Reef are still getting excellent stone, but at present the other claims have not succeeded in striking the reef. On the Britannia Reef the proprietors are now in full work; they are about fifty (50) feet down with a clearly defined reef about sixteen inches in width, the quartz improving. The stone at present crushed averaged four (4) ounces to the ton -- the tailings are supposed still to contain a quantity of gold, for the machine erected is very small and imperfect. It is stated that a larger and improved machine is about to be erected. From the above it will be seen that at present the gold being obtained on this field is entirely from the main or first lead opened, and that a great amount of work is being done on speculation; by far the largest proportion of our population being engaged sinking and shepherding. In my previous reports with respect to this field, I have cautioned miners that this is no poor man's field, and I again repeat it, for out of a population of, I should think, 15,000, including all classes, it is only the few that are getting gold. Those that did succeed in getting claims on the main lead, certainly had some of the richest claims ever opened in the colonies. I know one party who in four months took out £20,000 worth of gold. At present without men are prepared to shepherd six or nine months and take their chance, or to buy in a claim getting gold, the Lachlan is no place for them. Sickness very prevalent lately, and what is called colonial fever has in many cases proved fatal.