A VISIT TO THE WESTERN GOLDFIELDS.
BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER
No. 16.
We were last at Poverty Point in the Meroo district. Leaving the diggers, just let us now
wend our way up stream. Beyond this the rocks are too precipitous to contain payable
gold, and the river pursues a troubled course, tumbling over rocks and ledges, and
confined by high banks for three or four miles. Here and there a small bar has been rooted,
over by the Chinese, but the produce has been, unimportant, and the working equally so.
The banks of the river, being no further practicable, you now follow the road over
ascending ridges, rising to the plateau, and cross many large reefs, and dry watercourses,
that make their way downwards, offering strong temptations to the prospector, which he
has hitherto resisted. The declivities here loose their precipitate character on the south
bank, while the, ranges on the north bank rise abruptly from the water's edge. You now
pass a deserted sheep station, where the stream, resuming its former quiet course, sweeps
round a broads shelving point, forming many shingly bars, all, of which appear to have
been crowded, with gold-diggers at, some former time -- the remains of old races, stone,
dams, and sluice streams are to bee seen on all sides. A large party of Chinese are here
encamped, under the cool shade of the casuarina. They were employed washing the drift,
and did not appear to be up to their business. After vainly endeavoring, to make them
understand that they were leaving, the gold behind them, I took up a pick, and breaking
up, a portion of the rock, obtained a prospect which, they little expected. In fact, the gold
was in the cleavage of the slatey bars. They were highly delighted, and, honoured me
with an invitation to dinner, which having, no confidence in their; knowledge of Mrs.
Glass's rudiments, I declined. The poor fellows were really grateful and commenced their
work de novo. You here cross the river, and find yourself on the Sheepstation of the
Meroo, round which the stream makes a detour, forming a peninsula of considerable
magnitude. The northern ranges descend to this point with, easy slopes, from round
topped hills verdant from base to summit, and lightly timbered. Opposite the point Oakey
Creek, after a lengthened course over the plateau, receiving many small streams in its
coarse, and descending through long gorges, disembogues into the Meroo. This creek has
never been continuously worked; isolated parties have from time to time taken up claims
upon it, but soon returned to the main waters: nevertheless, some good nuggetty gold has
been procured from the banks in various favorable places.
Sheepstation Point appears to have been for a short time the resort of a numerous
population. Large portions of the surface are stripped-off, and shafts, holes, and cuttings
abound on all sides. The channel of the stream, originally wide, is now still wider, and
everywhere betrays the former enterprise and industry of the miner, but it is now
completely deserted by the European race.
The river has been considerably worked from, this point upwards; it has again become
rocky, and many fine bars occur round the points -- the banks be come more and more
precipitous -- you are passing through a range, and large quartz reefs are frequent.
Every practicable part of the stream bears evidence of the miners' labours, until you reach.
Scotch Point. Here ten or twelve Europeans are sinking contiguous to a large auriferous
reef on a lofty alluvial point; the wash dirt promises well, but they confess to be only
making wages, which here means £3 10s.a week to the hand.
'The lowest and longest points, if falling from the main ranges, are ever found to contain
the heaviest deposits. All these points have been mountains, which have been gradually
removed by the ceaseless fluviatile action of the streams; the rocks have crumbled to
pieces and been carried onwards by the waters to form new levels, and fill up swamps,
and lakes, and valleys, while the heavier gold becoming disengaged in the process of
disintegration, gradually sinks through the detritus until it rests upon the undisturbed
substrata the changing course of the streams redistribute these deposits, and will carry a
portion of the gold round the first angle, When the weakened force of the current on the
inner side permits it to sink and again find a resting place.
Somewhere in this vicinity rocky barriers existed which must have raised the channel of
the river 70 or 80 feet, and have been but recently removed.
You now cross again to the south side, at the deep crossing-place, and find an extensive
flat gradually ascending to the base of the hills, which here again fall back, and give
promise of a more open, country while the river follows the base of the spur above
noticed; and presents one continuous wide rocky bar for a long distance, which has been
rich, and is now exhausted and abandoned by all, with the exception of one solitary
family and a mob of Celestials. Hundreds of men must have been employed on this spot.
As you proceed every favourable indication presents itself; the flats on the south side
become again extensive, and the southern table land appears to be broken into long
mountain ranges having a northerly and southerly direction; the fall of the streams is to
the eastward, and they form a junction with the Meroo some miles higher up. Further on
at a bend of the river; the head of the solitary family, John Sergeson, has coalesced with
twenty Chinese, for the purpose of draining a deep water hole; the banks have been
proved to be rich, but could not be worked to advantage from the pressure of the large
body of water -- a race has been cut, the river turned, and success will, it is to be hoped,
crown their labours. At a bend of the river on the north side, Hutchinson's Point has
produced some good surfacing. Next comes Nuggetty Point, then Jackson's Point where
the bars are extensive, round to California Point. This has been another celebrated
locality on the Meroo, and the workings, cuttings, shafts, and tunnels throw all others in
the locality into the shade; diggers must have congregated here in thousands in the
heyday of its prosperity, but it has been spoiled of its wealth, and is now abandoned in
its poverty.
The country now opens out again into broad plains, the mountains become low sloping
hills, and the river makes a wide detour, as if rejoicing in its freedom. You now pass an
old channel, which has been long worked, and still finds employment for a few men; and,
leaving Chinaman's Point to the left, cross the flat, and find.that you have arrived at
Warratra, better known as Richardson's Point. The north bank here gives evidence of the
miners' labours, and as, at a former period, been very productive, and provided work for a
numerous population; at present but few remain, and the place wears a desolate and
forsaken appearance. There are two puddling machines in operation, and a small number
of Chinese, working old bed claims.
Warratra is beautifully situated on the banks of the Meroo, encompassed by wide flats,
closed in by low swelling hills, sparsely timbered, and clothed with the richest verdure.
The town boasts of one hotel and two public-houses, five stores, a Roman Catholic
chapel, a large slab hut -- performing the double duty of church and school house. A
handsome national school about to be erected, and a brick building; intended for a bank,
is in progress. The plains contain many fertile spots, suitable for suburban allotments; and
the few gardens and cultivated paddocks in the neighbourhood prove the general fertility
of the soil, Warratra is in the centre of an extensive auriferous district, only partially
developed; although the lands in its immediate vicinity are for the most part exhausted, as
far as alluvial diggings are concerned. It is further surrounded by a large number of
quartz reefs, which have, by the destruction of their upper portions, enriched all the
neighbouring creeks and water-courses, and will yet afford profitable occupations to
hundreds, when their wealth is developed by the labours of a more numerous and
energetic population, and the application of capital.
Passing through the town you find that the south bank has been very rich, and it continues
extending in width to the junction of Long Creek, where the workings extend over a large
surface, and prove that every foot was held in high estimation by the digger; from £500 to
£600 worth of gold has been obtained here from a single claim. It is now only occupied
by the Chinese, who confine their labours to the bed of the river, and rework its banks.
Here the stream divides -- one-half flows from the north-east, and the other from the
south-east, receiving many small tributaries, and employing a large but scattered
population. All these tributeries are auriferous, and all are more or less worked. Long
Creek receives the Devil's Hole Creek, Campbell's Creek, and many others of equal
celebrity, and above the junction the Meroo becomes but an unimportant stream, shorn of
half its honours, but still worthy of attention.
On the north bank Richardson's Point, below the junction, formerly held a high reputation,
and has; proved enormously rich, as may be supposed from its position. It has been
worked over and over again, and is now but a memento of the past, and may serve to
remind us of the instability of riches; its gold is gone, and it is abandoned. The
declination of the river is here very great, and a line race has been carried from a point
about two miles up the river, crossing an angle of the divided stream at a considerable
elevation, by means of a canvas flume, and carrying a level above the highest portion of
the point in which gold has been found, payable. A large camp of Chinese are now using
this water, sluicing old ground on both sides of the river. A certain line of elevation
marks the highest point at which gold can be obtained, in payable quantities, in the basin
of the Meroo; it is about 60 feet above the present level of the water, and at this height
passes over most of the richest points, and resembles the Turon in this peculiar feature.
The unexplored wilderness of mountains on either side of these main watercourses are
certainly auriferous, and payable gold will be found in their recesses for years to come.
We have now tracked the Meroo in all its wanderings from Maitland Bar to its junction
with its main tributaries. We will next explore those streams, and then follow the river to
the World's End.