The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-15 00:00:00

THE WESTERN GOLDFIELDS.

Immense excitement and dismay were created here at the
beginning of the month, by the sudden loss of the lead, or
course taken by the gold. At first everyone was in despair,
and the Commissioner for a time dreaded the effect that the
news would have on the excitable minds of the miners.
Luckily, however, before matters came to the worst, it was
picked up again at the southern end, where it had broken
off short, and then made so sudden a turn as to throw its
followers co mpletely off the trail. We have said that the
area of the payable ground is only small, and that upon this
some 300 persons only have claims. These claims are so
rich that they are reckoned to be worth from £4,000 to
£6,000 each. As this calculation is made by a gentleman
who looks with disfavour upon the Lachlan as a generally
available goldfield, it is all the more to be depended upon.
But, while individuals are making such large sums, thou-
sands are walking about doing nothing, looking with rueful
faces at the rich pans of earth brought up from the 'jewel-
lers' shops,' but unable to earn a pennyweight for them-
selves. Several attempts have been made to discover shal-
low diggings and surfacing ; but, though gold has been ob-
tained, it has been only in such quantittes as barely to
furnish ' tucker,' meaning in digging parlance sufficient to
furnish the means of living. Although the lead has been
discovered at the southern end, it is not so extensive as the
main lead, while as yet it has not been picked up at the
northern end. Thus, even as regards those on the supposed
lino of the lead, all is uncertainty. On the south it may
break off at any moment and leave, while on the north it is
all a lottery, and 20 holes may be sunk and still the lost lead
may not be struck. If with this uncertainty be joined the
fact that to sink a hole 120 or 130 feet deep, to slab it down
for more than half the distance, and to clear it of water,
requires an outlay of from £lOO to £l5O, besides the labour
of the party, it will be seen that the prospect is not the most
encouraging. And yet the hard struggling, persevering
digger sinks and sinks, despite every discouragement, until
when his last shilling is gone, he is obliged to clear out
to accumulate by the toil of months sufficient to enable
him to have another go in' at some new rush, per-
haps to be again disappointed, perchance to realise
his long cherished expectations, and to make his pile. The
amounts received from the Lachlan have been very small,
and not at all commensurate with the amount's that
have been given of the extraordinary yield of some of the
holes ; but the reason of this is alleged to be that very little
dirt has been washed, owing to the scaroity of water, and
that the gold sent down is only the produce of the very
richest earth which the miners have been able to hand-wash,
obtaining the gold from a tin dish and a bucket of water.
Within the last week or two more than half the population
have left, though numbers still continue to arrive; while
all the signs of a failing goldfield are shown by the deserted
stores and buildings and the little business doing.
From the other western diggings the only items of in-
telligence are the continued migration of the Chinese from
all parts, en route towards Lambing Flat, and the opening
up of some payable ground in the immediate neighbourhood
of Mudgee, at Cudgegong, and Carwell.
THE NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS.
The miners at the Hanging-rock and Peel River still
complain of the want of water, and owing to this scarcity
there is but little work being done, except in the bed claims
of the river.

The Rocky River has begun to show signs of renewed
life; the gutter struck at Ryan's-point, Mount Jones, is
yielding gold in good paying quantities, and a number of
Chinese have obtained extended claims on the old ground
of Sydney Flat, which is to be worked over with a horse
whim.

Of the claims on the quartz reef at the Ironbark, it has
now been clearly ascertained that only a few are payable,
those that are so are paying well ; as an instance of which,
it may be mentioned that 51 tons of quartz from the claim
of Messrs. Plaint and Co. yielded 306 ounces of gold after
crwhing,

" New auriferous ground is still being occasionally opened
on the heads of the Clarence and the table land, but in no
instance has anything more than wages been made out of
it. The whole country seems to be one vast goldfield, but
the precious metal is so generally diffused as to offer to the
regular digger no temptation to set in for what it is his con-
stant expectation of obtaining=—a heavy find.