A VISIT TO THE WESTERN GOLDFIELDS.
BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER
No. 10.
We are unhappy in the nomenclature of our creeks; in this respect the aborigines beat us
hollow. There are the eternal Oakeys scattered throughout the length and breadth of the
colony, north, south, east, and west; but the Dirt Hole is the climax of bad taste. To what
stolid cranium is it; indebted for the distinction? Nevertheless, it is a lovely spot. I might
tell how its placid stream rolled on but then it has no stream to boast of, and the miners
were sorely put to their shifts for water. At one period two thousand men were encamped
on its banks, but now, with the exception of a few working above and below the two
public-houses, it is abandoned to the solitude that once reigned here undisturbed.
There are now scattered round a district extending from the lower portion of the Turon,
near its junction with the Macquarie to this said Dirt Hole, a population of 720 men; 160
women, 283 children, and a fluctuating mob of Chinese, who are decidedly the most
active and energetic portion of the community, and their success is commensurate with
their industry.
A glorious morning tempts me again to the hills. The sky is of an unclouded blue,
stretched above a landscape embracing every variety of woodland and mountain scenery,
but no water: it is the summit of the tableland. In half an hour you are in the depths of the
forest, pursuing the solitary track that leads to the Merool. The road winds over
undulating ridges, varied by low round-topped knolls, richly grassed. Occasional small
gullies and dry watercourses may be seen trending to the westward, all auriferous,
although they are as yet innocent of the digger's brand.
The structure of this portion of the plateau is schistose, with dykes of porphyry, which are
here and there visible near the crests of the ridges; Coarse clay slate is the prevailing rock
on the highest portion of the district, and this, by weathering down equally where no
harder igneous rocks intrude, forms the many small flats that to be found between the
ridges. As you descend from this high level about 200 feet -- other varieties -- of the
schists, finer in their formation, appear, and the quartzites are abundant. Going down still
lower the strata of the schistose rocks become silicious, and in the vicinity of quartz,
veins much altered and jasperized. The evidence of igneous action, is often present at this
level, where no trap can be detected; but a careful examination of the
conformation of the ridges, and the heave of the strata, will sufficiently indicate its
subterranean presence, and somewhere near at hand there will be an outcrop. It is in such
formations that the presence of the precious metal will be discovered, and alluvial gold
will probably be found on the fall of the land below quartz, reefs so situated. Sometimes
it may be deposited under the shelter of an angle in a water course: at others a long
unbroken spur, gradually descending, will lead the metal to the water level, where it finds
a resting place; Gold will often be obtained below heavy reefs that have ceased to be
auriferous, particularly if they are of the wedge shape, as the upper portions of such reefs
usually contain, the largest quantity of gold as they become exposed and broken up, by
the disintegration of the supports on either side; the gold is disengaged, and the remaining
portion of the reef is comparatively worthless, of this character are some of the immense
reefs on the Louisa, the gold is gone, and is to be found only in the flats and watercourses.
You have now reached the extreme verge of the table land, and are looking dawn upon
the Green Valley, on the opposite side of which is a long unbroken descent from the
plateau to the westward, with few irregularities in its elevation, stretching away to the
north and south, as far as the eye can reach; the western slopes fall with a sharp, descent
into, the vale, and a rich green sward covers the surface, over which a few clumps of
forest trees are lightly scattered, -- a track here winding round a long spur now guides
the traveller into the valley, near, the junction of the Dirt Hole Creek, where it discharges
into the main stream, which is here considerable, and receives the drainage from the
plateau for many miles on either bank. The streams falling into it are small, as their
course is short, and they are all auriferous, consequently the channel of the stream
passing through the centre of the Green Valley is; rich, and would well repay the labours
of the miner; it has been hitherto sadly overlooked, as is generally the case with districts
in the vicinity of celebrated diggings. The digger makes for the central point of attraction,
gets into the mob amongst stores, and public-houses, fossicks round for a time, like a
moth round a candle, and when, he makes up his mind to leave, starts for some distant
point, having first disposed of his, tools, which prevents his prospecting as he goes along.
He sees many places he would try if he had a dish, but he has not one, and resolves, to
return some day and soon forgets all about it.
There is a small farm at the crossing-place, and about 500 yards lower down a party of
about fifty Chinamen are in full work, and have it all to themselves; they have been
located on a very promising point for the last eight months, and have been unusually
successful. Of the whole crowd but one spoke a little English, and they were sorely
puzzled to find out what I wanted, and what was my object in examining their claims.
They have struck upon an old channel, several feet above the present level of the creek,
and have many months work before them. A party of Europeans, opened this point, and
averaged £1 a day for two or three months, when they became disgusted with the
regularity of the yield, and moved off. After a time, finding that they could do no better,
and wearied of rambling, they returned, time enough to find the Chinese in possession of
their old ground, and doing well.
The waters of the Green Valley fall into the lower Pyramul, about two miles further down,
and there are a few parties at work on both streams, chiefly Chinese. These streams
present the most favourable auriferous indications, and receive the waters of numerous small
creeks and ravines in their descent to the Macquarie. The entire district is uniform in its
formation, every variety of the finer schists and quartzose rocks, forming the lower ridges
on both sides, differing in their character from the coarser clay slates in the lofty ranges
behind, which rise to the summit of the plateau; the valley now opens out, and the road
crossing a number of small flats and mounds, leads you to the banks of the lower
Pyramul, which making its way through the mountains to the north-east, flows at the base
of that range, the ascent of which places you on the western tableland. The digger seems
to have neglected this central portion of the Pyramul, notwithstanding that its appearance
is promising. There is no great fall, however, and the water would be difficult to contend
with.
At some of the best looking points it would be necessary to turn it, which might be
accomplished by five or six men in a few days. This creek is auriferous through its whole
course, and intersects the district, the formation of which indicates vast mineral wealth. It
has been much worked near its source, and also near its junction with the Macquarie; and
there is no doubt that the intervening point of its channel and basin will be found to be
equally worthy of the attention the gold digger.
Many months would be occupied in obtaining the information, and making the
exploration. necessary to form a detailed report upon the whole of the district comprised
between the Turon to the south, the Macquarie to the west, and the Meroo and
Cudgegong to the northward. It is auriferous throughout, and but little known, except on
the course of the main waters.
Crossing the Pyramul the track lends you past a sheep station and up a high mountain; the
ascent is long and steep, and about half-way on the right of the road is a large quartz reef.
On reaching the summit a magnificent prospect of hill and dale; mountain and valley,
rewards the traveller for his laborious journey. To the eastward, the immense valley of
the Pyramul expands, as it recedes and stretches far away until all distinction is lost in the
blue haze; on either side round topped mountains descend to the flats in gentle slopes,
while mountain and valley are alike dressed in the brightest green, and a light forest
extends on all sides as far as the eye can distinguish.
Every now and again belts of gigantic gums and a luxuriant undergrowth mark the
winding course of the hill streams towards the valley. Far to the north-east Bocopple
raises his head, towering high above his fellows, and visible for fifty miles round amidst
that wilderness of mountains. It is under this mountain that thc Meroo has its source, and
from its base proceeds the Pyramul and many other auriferous-streams, all well-known to
the gold digger. This is a splendid country, and would carry thousands of sheep or horned
stock, but with the exception of a couple of very small flocks, in the hands of a publican
on the road half-way between Tambaroora and the Louisa, it is said to be unoccupied.
These valleys contain many small secluded spots favourable to the agriculturist, and the
situation is at an equal distance from all the leading diggings on the Western Goldfields.
You now advance over a finely grassed country, gently undulating and swelling into
knolls lightly timbered with the gum, box, stringy-bark, and mimosa, or wattle:
Water-holes are frequent, -- said to be full at all seasons, and, as you advance, the
soil improves, and the vegetation becomes more luxuriant. Watercourses intersect the flats,
amongst which Wordong Creek is the most important: it falls into the Molong, a tributary of
the Pyramul. Gold has been obtained in both streams, but they have not been yet worked to
any extent.
The road now leads along the banks of Dundun Creek, from which gold has been
obtained, in remunerating quantities, of a superior quality. A more agreeable situation can,
hardly be conceived. A little further and, you are at Dundun a roadside public-house,
which is rapidly passing into a head station; at present it is in a state of transition, being
neither one nor the other. Leaving this establishment to the left, the road passes over
fertile rolling flats capable of sustaining a large population. The country now slightly
descends to the north-west; and as you go forward you find that the land on cither side of
the road continues fertile; the timbers of a useful description, and there is little beyond
what would be necessary for improvements.
You have been for the last ten miles travelling over nearly a dead level. The land now
drops rapidly to the westward, and the swelling knolls become round-topped circular
hills: these give place to ridges on either side of the road. The soil is here very rich, and a
sharp turn brings you to a flat, through which the road leads. Here is a chain of permanent
waterholes; and quartz, which had been absent for a long time, now re-appears as you
descend from the coarse clay slate formation. Presently you observe a prospector's hole
on the roadside; a few yards further and there are five or six in a bunch, it is too high yet,
and there has been no driving; a little further and someone else has tried his luck with no
better success; further still, down hill all the time, and you are opposite a pretty cluster of
cottages embosomed in fruit trees of seven years growth, and a lot of children peeping at
you with timid glances from behind a log. On you pass, and now you cross Poverty
Gulley, rooted, pierced, and torn-up on all sides; where ever you turn, holes, nothing but
holes. You are now on the famous Louisa Creek diggings, celebrated as having been the
locality where one hundred weight of gold was discovered on the cap of a monster quartz
reef, in the year 1851. You find yourself in a large open hollow gently descending to the
westward: oval shaped, and encompassed by a chain, of regular round topped hills This
hollow is about two miles wide and three miles long; in its centre is a low ridge, flat on
the summit, and gradually declining to, a point, and the sides imperceptibly sink into the
plain on either side. To the north the chain of water holes become a wide shallow creek,
which flows at the base of the hills, and is known as Lewis's Ponds. On the south side,
Louisa Creek descends from a chain of water-holes on the table land, and flowing along
the base of the southern ranges, both streams form a junction below the point of the
central ridge, and their united waters taking a westerly course for a mile, strike against
the ranges to the north-west, when they double round Hickey's Point, and take a
south-westerly direction. The ranges now become steep on the north-west bank, the bed of the
creek grows rocky, and its banks precipitous. As it forces a passage to the westward, the
mountains rise higher, and the channel is cut deep into their base, forming frequent points
and sharp angles; when after a tortuous course of five miles it enters into a narrow gorge,
amidst frightful overhanging rocks, when bounding, rushing, and roaring, as if in terror at
the desperate leap, it precipitates itself over a mural wall 800 feet in height, and falls into
a dark gulf through which it flows for three miles, when it disembogues into the Meroo.
There are few places can boast of wilder or more magnificent scenery than is to be found
at the falls of the Louisa. Precipitous mountains rise on each side upwards of 2000 feet
above the gloomy gulf, and fling a perpetual shadow over the sombre rocks that
over-hang the stream. The falls can be seen with difficulty from the nature of the ground,
encompassed as they are by precipices, and the roar of the waters cannot be heard until
you are more than a mile distant.
Returning to the eastern extremity of the flat, the descents from the plateau, are very
gradual, wide depressions sinking into the hollow, alternating with round topped ridges,
some of which exhibited porphyritic, and other, transmuted rocks, resting upon the
coarser schists, At the verge of the table land a high broad based hill occurs, near the
summit of which rocks of igneous origin break through the surface, and are to be
discovered on some portion of the sides denuded by the water courses. It is from the base
of this hill that all the depressions falling into the Louisa to the southward, and into
Lewis's Ponds to the northward, and into the central parts of the hollow from the
north-west have their commencement. Many of these depressions have been small creeks, but
are now silted up by the debris from the mountains. In fact all the gullies feeding the rich
lower flats have their source round the base of this hill, and the long low ridge
intersecting the upper part of the flat is its main spur, which has undergone a degradation;
from which the more elevatcd portion of the range has been protected by the presence of
indurated igneous rocks at its summit, these now form its circular crest, the low ridge is
mainly composed of the finer schists, covered with vast masses of quartz, and containing
two or three heavy reefs of the same material, which run its whole length, the largest
being on the crown of the ridge; it is at the base of this ridge; on either side, and at the
point formed by its extremity that the heaviest deposits of gold have been found. The
channel of the creeks under the point where they formed a junction, have produced
immense quantities of the precious metal; and the watercourse, as far as Hickey's Point,
and round it, has been proved to be enormously rich; this small area (under a mile in
extent) has been constantly wrought for the last seven years, and is still being worked
extensively: it originally yielded large fortunes, and now, although repeatedly re-worked,
it pays wages to men who have never abandoned it since it was first opened, and who are
mainly employed in fossicking and breaking up the slate rock in search of the gold to be
found in the cleavage. They have permanent houses and gardens, fully equal to the
cottage homes to be seen in any Australian village, and the majority of the miners appear
to be indisposed to leave the district.
Nuggetty Gulley, a wide shallow depression, with, various, ramifications, descends from
the north side of the hill before noticed, and following the base of the central ridge, is
eventually lost in the flat. This gully was rich, and is worked for an extent of three miles;
varying in width from 200 to 300 yards. It is still a favourite spot, and many men are
re-working their old claims.
Louisa Creek has been also worked from the junction at the point terminating the central
ridge, along the southern side of the flat, until it ascends the table land, and becomes a
chain of waterholes, an extent of about two miles. This has also been very productive,
although the width does not exceed twenty yards. Near the extremity of the hollow.
Pennyweight Flat falls from the crown of the central ridge to the margin of the creek; it
embraces an area of fifty acres and has produced a large quantity of nuggetty gold, and
still gives employment to a few hands, who do not complain of the result of their labours.
This side of the ridge has not proved so rich in its yield as the opposite declivity, but the
creek itself has fully sustained the general character of the diggings.
On the N.E. side of the ridge, near the centre of the flat, is a long low mound, composed
almost entirely of quartz, through the crown of which, an enormous reef passes, taking a
N.E. and SW. direction, this reef dips, and re-appears on the table land at various points,
it was on the crest of this mound that Dr. Carr obtained the hundred-weight of gold from
the cap of the reef, the Colonial Gold Company procured a grant of the mound and the
lands adjacent, at a subsequent period, and erected at this spot the first quartz-crushing
machine that was used in Australia; the kilns and engine-house, with the machinery are
still on the ground, the gold produced having proved to be of much less value than the
expenditure necessary to obtain it, the speculation was abandoned in 1856. The yield
from the reef resulting from the crushing operations was trifling, and the chief resource of
the Company was in the alluvial, deposits at the base of the mound, which although rich,
was insufficient to protect the shareholders from a heavy loss, being the first
establishment of the kind in the colony, and the manager and his staff having had little
experience as practical gold miners, and still less in the management of men in this
country; no other result could be reasonably anticipated. The staff of officials was
extravagant, and the speculation to which the Company was subject by the workmen was
enormous; if but a tenth part of what is told by people now on the spot is to be credited,
men, who had only worked for a month or two at a wage of 30s. per week and who were
penniless when they entered the employ, were never known to want fund's after they left
it.
As soon as the announcement was made public that the Company contemplated throwing
open the ground, there was a general rush from all parts of the colony, and most of the
old diggers, who had previously worked by piece work, being paid by the cubic yard of
dirt removed, secured claims where they had been accustomed to labour; the
arrangement was in the first instance that each digger was to pay a percentage of his gains
to the Company. A month's experience proved that this was not worth collecting, and the
ground was finally abandoned to the public. The yield of gold now became immense, and
nugget after nugget was brought to light in an incredibly short period. An amusing story
is, in circulation with reference to a digger formerly in the employ of the Company, as
soon as he heard that the ground was open to the public, in company with two, friends, he
hastened to the Louisa; after a most careful search, he selected two holes that had been
previously worked, and were now full of water; one he retained himself, and the other he
recommended to his friends; both parties set to work baling, and as his hole contained
least water, it was dry first, and he was observed to be turning over the muddy deposit
with great anxiety; presently his friends were dry likewise; and in the first bucket of mud
they found a heavy nugget: their neighbour had mistaken the hole, and he soon decamped
cursing his ill luck.
Below the Company's works was a large paddock, in which they kept their working
stock; during the furor of the rush, the fence was torn down and the place soon crowded
with diggers; some portions of this paddock proved to be exceedingly rich, and many rich
veins and patches were discovered; but an under-current rendered the working of it in
small claims impossible. Many of the holes were never bottomed, and as it was then left
so it has remained; from its position immediately below the quartz mound most of the
gold from the reef must have passed through it in its downward course, it is quite possible
by cutting a race through this paddock to the bed rock, and carrying it to the surface level
about Hickey's Point, to draw off the drainage, and render it workable, and until this is
done the diggings at the Louisa can never be said to be exhausted.
About three months after their first advent upon the Company's grounds the diggers took
flight in a body and settled down on Stoney Creek, near the Macquarie; since that period
those who, remained have become fixtures, and have had but few additions to their
numbers; they content themselves with reworking the old ground, and no new fields have
been either worked or sought for.
The first diggers contented themselves with skimming the surface, the second went down
to the bed rock and swept it clean; and the third and last have recently discovered that
loam and gravel conceal the slight cleavage openings in the rock, and that by breaking it
up to the depth of two or three feet, they obtain a large quantity of gold, consequently it
pays to work all the old claims over again.