A VISIT TO THE NORTHERN GOLD FIELDS.
FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.
No. 21.
On the long slope at the south-western termination of Mount
Jones is a rude slab edifice, under a calico roof, sometimes used
as a Roman Catholic chapel. In the vicinity of this building
several patches of a secondary deposit have been recently
discovered, but they were of comparatively trifling importance,
and soon exhausted. It was somewhere in this locality that Jones,
who has the credit of being the discoverer of the auriferous
deposit in the hill, traced the surfacing into the drifts lying
beneath the traps. Here, near the same spot, was Ryan's claim,
the produce of which equalled, if not surpassed, in value that of
any claim at Kiandra or elsewhere. A claim designated as the
Frenchman's, somewhat further to the eastward, is still pointed
out as one of the most valuable on the hill. The yield is said to
have been as much as forty ounces of gold to the load. A Mr.
Buchanan, is also spoken of as having been the fortunate holder
of several of the rich prizes in this locality. A party recently
carried their excavations beneath a nest of boulders in one of the
old claims, the surface of which had been mistaken by the
original workers for the bed rock. The result was a considerable
quantity of rich wash dirt. I refer to this as an evidence that
fossickers sometimes fall in with a stroke of good fortune. The
greater number of men now working on the hill are, however,
engaged in raising headings from the abandoned claims from
these they can derive a small, but certain, remuneration when
water is available.
Descending the slope, about a quarter of a mile from the chapel,
you arrive at a collection of huts, situated on the margin of the
water-course formerly described as draining Sydney Flat, here
are two well-built stores, containing an abundant supply of all
that is necessary to make things comfortable in the bush, nor are
those luxuries forgotten which a fortunate day's work might
possibly suggest to the toilworn digger or his family; there is
also a post-office and a respectable inn here, and more important
than either, a good school under able management, which has
been but lately established by the inhabitants of the gold-field.
The more frequent visits of a minister of religion would be
highly acceptable to the people of these diggings, who feel
keenly the neglect that they have experienced in this particular.
Any clergyman of any sect who would endeavour to impress the
great truths of Christianity upon the rising generation, would be
a thrice welcome visitor. Is it not possible to borrow one of their
missionaries from the Fegees for the Northern Gold-fields?
Proceeding still to the westward, you ascend a gentle slope
terminating at the base of the northern extremity of Mount
Welch. Here there is a patch of surfacing, which has afforded
employment to a few families up to the present date, and would,
have been more extensively worked if water was more abundant
on the hill.
Retracing our steps in the direction of Sydney Flat, we find that
many parties are here also occupied in raising headings from
the old claims, and a few on the northern side are adventuring
new shafts. The heaviest deposits of gold on this flat were found
opposite Rooney's public-house, near the east end of Mount
Jones, and the windlass and wind sail may still be observed,
over many a shaft in the locality, an indication that although the
bed rock may have been swept clean, and the richest drift
removed, something yet remains worth bringing to the surface.
A road here crosses the flat, lined on either side with cottages, a
few of which are more neatly built than is usual on a gold-field.
There is a good store, and two or three public-houses amidst the
cottages, which still contrive, notwithstanding the reduced
production of the flat, to keep an open door.
The gold obtained from Sydney Flat, as elsewhere in the district,
is granular and nearly as fine as flour, it nevertheless weighs
well and contains less alloy than that usually procured on the
eastern slopes of the main range, and is consequently of greater
value by from 3s. to 5s. per ounce. I had an opportunity of
examining a small lot through a powerful micro-scope, and
found that what appeared as fine as dust to the naked eye
contained several particles of gold clasped round pure white
quartz, presenting a similar appearance to those larger
specimens occasionally found in the neighbourhood of quartz
reefs, being an evidence that the gold of the Uralla has been
derived from a quartz matrix.
On the trappean elevation forming the north-eastern boundary of
the flat, several experimental shafts are now being sunk; here the
trap rock is decomposed to a greater extent than on the portion
of the ground more to the southward, and is consequently much
easier worked. Two claims were bottomed while I was on the
field, at about 150 feet, and I was informed that the drift on the
rock averaged some three ounces to the lead. I have since
learned that by driving, prospects have been obtained from one
of these claims at the rate of twenty-six ounces of gold to the
load of fifty buckets. The shaft, 189 feet deep, is in the same
neighbourhood; it has not been bottomed, as already stated,
water having risen through the pipeclay which the prospectors
were unable to overcome. Beyond this is a valley of denudation
opening into other valleys that trend towards the river, and about
a mile further still to the northward is Tipperary Gulley, from
which some gold has been obtained, which is supposed to have
been derived from the neighbouring declivities falling from the
table land. This locality is said to be of great promise, but it has
been hitherto neglected. Every person that I conversed with
seemed to be convinced that there was a lead of gold from the
hills to Tipperary Creek, and all appeared to be waiting for some
one else to commence operations and bottom a hole. I did not
visit the place myself, as I anticipated that the examination
would take more time than I had at my disposal.
We next find ourselves on the margin of the Uralla, below
Mount Welch, amongst the Wallaby Rocks. Here enormous
blocks of granite, piled in dire confusion, mark the spot where
the stream first assuming the dimensions of a river, forced a
passage through the range, gradually sinking to its present level
as the huge harriers crumbled before the floods. Both above and
below these rocks the channel contained a large quantity of gold,
but it has been long since exhausted and abandoned by all but a
few Chinese, who appear to be never weary of turning over the
sands and rewashing them; the finer portion of these sands are
derived from the granites, mingled with the drift already
described; but in certain places there are accumulations of
shingle supplied by all the formations present on the
surrounding heights, including much quartz in large fragments.
It is remarkable that the gold in this stream has been renewed, to
a limited extent, by every freshet that has occurred since the
opening of the gold-field; this the Chinese appear to understand
thoroughly, as they are always to be found upon its banks
rooting and delving with indefatigable industry. Some may
desert it for months, but they are sure to return and commence
turning over the sands again as briskly as ever.
On the southern bank, some three or four miles distant, are the
Kentucky mountains -- a range of trappean crested elevations,
which, sweeping round, approach the river at Garland Point.
About seven miles down, the intermediate space is filled up by
hills declining in altitude as they near the stream, to which they
send down long graduated spurs and slopes, forming a
succession of points, all of which have been auriferous. The
gold on these points has been partly an alluvial deposit from the
river, and has been partly supplied from the hills at the base of
the Kentucky Range. Amongst these latter is the Black Knob, a
basaltic columnor pile, on which a shaft has been sunk to a
depth exceeding an hundred feet, but the miners did not succeed
in reaching payable drift.
Several watercourses fall into the main channel from the ranges,
which form the southern watershed of the Uralla. Some of these
are narrow swampy flats, ramifying amongst the fore hills, and
others are running streams that here glide through a deep
alluvial morass, and then wander amidst huge masses of
corroded granite, which indicate the enormous degradation of
the district. Some of these streams contain a little gold, but none
have yet been discovered that contain sufficient to pay for
working, or deserve any especial notice. If they do contain
payable gold, it will probably be obtained nearer the source,
immediately above the granites. There was a slight rush to a
portion of the Kentucky Range a few months since, at the
instigation of a Mr. Buchanan, who is one of the oldest miners
in the locality, and has been amongst the most successful.
Though the precious metal was obtained in remunerative
quantities, in consequence of some difficulties in the sinking, the
nature of which I could not learn, the ground was speedily
abandoned. At Mount Monopoly and several other localities in
the same range, experimental shafts have been sunk at a vast
expense; in some instances the basaltic crust has been pierced,
and the drift reached, but the results were nowhere favourable to
the miner; still they were sufficiently promising to incite further
operations at some future period; in fact, the country on the
south-west side may be said to be a terra incognita, and a correct
opinion of its value could only be arrived at after months had
been devoted to its examination.
Leaving the Wallaby Rocks, as we descend the river we observe
traces of numerous and extensive operations of the usual
character; but, with the exception of a few Chinese, the ground
is now deserted. At Sebastopol Point the sinking was through an
alluvium twenty eight feet in depth near the margin of the
stream, gradually becoming more shallow as it receded, until it
finally disappeared in surfacing about three hundred yards up
the slope. The surfacing was poor, but, as might be anticipated,
the deposit of alluvial gold near the banks in this the first point
below the rocks was heavy, and the miners made some rare
hauls in this vicinity. We next pass Nobbler Point, Barney Point,
and Golden Point, all similar to Sebastopol in their character,
and all exhausted and abandoned. We now arrive at Maitland
Point -- the scene of the most important operations on the river,
which, here making a sharp angle, sweeps round to the
westward. At this spot the channel, much increased in width,
was exceedingly rich, and has been repeatedly worked over. The
point on the southern bank is the termination of a long declivity
from one of the minor ranges. The extremity, in common with
the points previously, noticed, is of alluvial formation, but it is
questionable whether the gold obtained higher on the slope has
not found its way from the neighbouring heights, as the debris
forming the surface ceases to be auriferous suddenly on either
side, and the formation indicates the former existence of an
ancient channel stretching south of west; however, unless as a
guide to new ground, this is of little importance, as the
degradation that has taken place here has extended far below the
original deposits, and re-distributed the auriferous drift. This
locality has been carefully worked; I do not suppose that on the
whole point a square foot of sound ground could be discovered;
but by way of giving it the coup de grace, a race has been cut
conducting the water high enough to re-wash all those spots
which have been most productive. But a very few men are now
employed about this point; three years since it swarmed with a
busy multitude, and it is only rarely now that you meet with a
digger who held a claim upon it in the good times.
He who looks up this river from Maitland Point, and surveys the
scene of desolation spread out before him, the interminable piles
of stones and rubbish, with every foot of ground to a given level,
rooted and turned over, can form a fair estimate of the
permanence of an alluvial gold-field in a granitic district.
A few comfortable-looking homesteads and cottages are
scattered round this vicinity, with some rather extensive
enclosures, as there are several patches of good land. There is
also a respectable inn on the northern bank, which includes
amongst its other luxuries a fine billiard table; in fact, I would
not be surprised if a thriving village sprang up here, as the high
road to the Bundarra country passes along this part of the river.
In a pretty valley on the same side of the stream is the handsome
residence of the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Gold-
fields, removed from the noise and turmoil, but quite near
enough. On an established gold-field it is a mistake to locate the
Commissioner amidst the crowd, as his presence is but seldom
required, and where so much depends upon moral force, the less
he is seen, except when upon duty, the better.
Immediately above Maitland Bar are accumulations of alluvium,
both in the centre of the stream and on either bank; the channel
here has been but imperfectly worked, but there are extensive
operations still in progress, on one of which a horse pump is
employed, with what result I could not learn; I surmise that it
cannot be very important, as the works do not seem to be
prosecuted with vigour. Below this spot for three miles the
operations upon the river are unworthy of notice until you reach
Garland Point, the extremity of the range that forms the southern
rim of the basin; this point resembles the others in its general
features, has produced a large quantity of gold, and now like
them may be said to be abandoned. There are, however, a few
diggers working on the river banks in the neighbourhood. At this
point the operations on the Uralla gold-fields terminate.
Three miles below Garland. Point, the sinking becomes shallow,
and the banks are formed of huge rocks and boulders, amongst
which payable gold could be procured if their removal was not
so expensive. Lower still, the river narrows; rapids succeed; the
rocks are washed clean; then falls, in quick succession, and gold
disappears.
The miners remaining upon this gold-field, a large proportion of
whom have families, are now said not to exceed 200 in number.
The escort returns had decreased with the population, but within
the last few weeks it has increased nearly 75 per cent. The
opinion of some of the most experienced diggers in March last
was that the average earnings was about £2 per week; unless the
gold received by the late escorts has been obtained from other
localities in the neighbourhood, or from the incoming Chinese,
the average is now in excess of £3 per week. If the increase in
the gold transmitted by escort is not the produce of the Uralla
field but is derived from either Bingera or the eastern slopes of
the main range, the varied character of the gold will tell its own
tale.
An association has been recently organized on this gold-field,
the object of which is to institute a correspondence with the
other gold-fields, and to obtain the earliest possible information
with respect to all matters appertaining to the gold mining
interest of New South Wales, to promote a unity of action in
political matters amongst the mining population, and generally
to elevate both the character and occupation of the miner. There
is no doubt that this association will soon extend its
ramifications to every gold-field in the colony, and prove a
powerful engine for good or evil.
However, all the associations that they can devise will not
counteract the possible result of having at least one-third of the
labour of the colony concentrated on the wilds of Maneroo
during the next general election. Things are tending that way at
present.