The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-28 00:00:00

GOLD DIGGING IN SUTHERLAND.

The Times has sent a special correspondent to Helms-
dale to see what has been going on in the matter of gold
finding. The goldfield is inland, and at a distance of ten
miles to the west of the village of Helmsdale, which is on
the north-east coast. The winters in this high latitude
are usually very severe, and though the present season has
so far been rather erteptional, the frost for the last few
nights has been intense. The aura sacra fames is a
universal passion ; but men who have gone through
years of '" roughing it" in Australia declare that
nothing but Scotch perseverance, combined with the
love of gold, could have proved sufficiently powerful
to induce the native diggers to endure what they have
borne in the Kildonian Strath during the past week.
From morning till night all the diggers are wet to the
knees. Little boys and women are undergoing this hard-
ship; but such is their eagerness in gold-searching that they
seem to be insensible to cold, wet, and even hunger. Up to
this there has been no boring, blasting, or shaft sinking.
The operations have been confined to mere surface digging
on the banks of the burn. All the gold brought to light has
been found in the alluvial deposits washed by the stream
into the crevices of the rocks. The diggers break up the
deposit with pickaxes and crowbars, and throw it into
basins, dish-covers, frying-pans, shallow tubs, or any other
such article as they may have been able to procure. They
carry the filled vessels into the river, and holding them
against the stream, " dodge " them in such a manner
that the earth and sand are gradually washed out, while
the gold, if there be any in the " stuff," is supposed to
remain behind. All the gold that has yet been brought
to the local market has been obtained in this way ; but as
most of this is in minute flakes, resembling nothing more
than broken spangles, there can be no doubt that much
of what is dug up is lost in the rude process of washing
the alluvial deposit. But few nuggets have been dug
up, and the largest of these weighs only five penny-
weights. It has been purchased by Mr. Peacock, the
Duke of Sutherland's factor, and sent to the Duchess.
Very exaggerated accounts are in circulation as to the
gains of the diggers, and these rumours have had the
mischievous effect of bringing poor people from great dis-
tances to join in the search. For instance, it was stated
in print that the Helmsdale branch bank of the British
Linen Company had purchased gold from the diggers to
the amount of £3OO. This bank had not purchased one
grain. Again, it was reported that the value of all the
gold found up to Thursday last was not short of £BOO.
From all I can learn I believe that not more than £lOO
worth, if so much, has been discovered. Mr. P. G.
Wilson, the Court goldsmith and jeweller at Inverness,
has arrived among them, and offered £4 an ounce
for all the gold that anyone could bring him, the
present market price being £3 Us. Gd. Some of the gold
had previously left the locality, but he believes that most
of what was in the hands of the diggers then and up to
last night has been brought to him. The largest of the
nuggets weighed only from two to three pennyweights.
The highest amount paid by Mr. 'Wilson to any one digger
or party of diggers was £3 4s. This payment was made
to a party of three diggers. They had spent eleven days
at the diggings, but they stated that they had dug up the
gold in four or five days. The sums paid by Mr. Wilson
ranged from Bd. up to the highest sum I have named.
In one instance, a tradesman, who when at his ordi-
nary work earns about 30s. a week, succeeded in making
2s. 4d. in a week at the diggings. He dug for several
hours, and walked twenty miles each day in going to and
returning from the scene of his gold-seeking. It is pretty
evident, therefore, that goldfinding at the new diggings is
anything but a paying speculation conducted as it is
at present ; but all the old hands—the profes-
sional diggers, if I may so term them—who have
been in the strath, have the best opinion of the prospects.
After a trial of several days, they are convinced that there
is nothing to be made of merely gathering up the surface
deposits ; but they say they would he prepared to make
experiments on a large scale if they could get some of the
hill land for themselves. It is admitted on all hands that
the gold is of excellent quality. In colour it is like the
Australian gold, and it works up admirably. It is very
clean when merely washed from the sand. The foreign
particles which remain are, the Australian men say,
" emery," and these arc easily drawn out of the gold-
dust by means of a magnet.

The Irish Law Times understands that the
Government are taking steps to have a return made of all
advowsons sold by the Landed Estates Court.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH. —Last week the rate of
mortality in London and in thirteen other large towns of
the -United Kingdom was 27 per 1,000. In the metropolis
the rate was 26. Birmingham chewed the lowest rate,
with 21, and Edinburgh and Glasgow were the highest,
each with a death rate of 33. The deaths regis-
tered in London were 1,573 ; these were 195 less
than the estimated mortality for the third week of the
year, but exceeded by 88 the number recorded in the pre-
vious seven days. Of the 1,578 deaths, 631 were those of
children under five years of age. The mean temperature
of the week was 36.6, or 0.5 below the average. The
entire range of temperature during the week was 22.4
degrees.

ANECDOTE OF NAPOLEON L —The Paris corre-
.'pondent of the Telegraph relates the following anecdote :
" On the sth of January, 1791, several young pupils from
the Ecole Militaire were skating on the deep moat that
ran along by the Fort of Auxonne. As it struck five one
of the party proceeded to take off his skates. Don't go
—one more round !' cried his companions. 'No, no ; I
have had enough of it ; besides, I am hungry, and want
my dinner.' After the departure of their comrade the
rest continued to skate, when suddenly the ice broke, and
one and all fell into the water and perished. The young
man who so miraculously escaped by going off a few
minutes before was no other than young Bonaparte !
THE DINNER TO MESSRS. LLOYD AND EVANS.
—The following noblemen and gentlemen have already
accepted invitations to be present at the dinner to be given
on the Bth proximo, in recognition of the services of Mr. S.S.
Lloyd and Dr. Sebastian Evans in the late election :—The
Earl of ShrewsburyandTalbot, Right lion. C.B.Adderley,
M.P., Messrs. R. P. A mphlett, M.P., C. N. Newdegate,
M.P., J. Hardy, M.P., E. Greaves, M.P., Bromley-Daven-
port, M.P., and Colonel Dyott, M.P. ; Earl Howe, Earl
Dartmouth, Sir John Pakington, M.P., Sir Smith Child,
M.P., Mr. Meynell Ingram, M.P., and Mr. c.
Caldecott, have declined. Invitations have been issued
to Lord Cairns and Mr. Gatlorne Hardy, and it is hoped
they will be able to attend.
BROTHER IGNATIUS AND HIS MONASTERY.
Brother Ignatius, accompanied by two gentlemen, visited
Norwich on Monday evening, for the purpose of asserting
his rights to his socalled monastery in that city. A par-
tially finished chapel in the rear of the monastery has, it
appears, been let to a Miss Robinson, who has for some
time held religious services in Norwich. Miss Robinson
hired the property from a Mr. Robert Liddlelow, the agent
of the mortgagee ; but Brother Ignatius claims to be law.
ful owner and purchaser, and as such has authorised Mr.
C. Lamb to use the old chapel for the religious meetings
of the third order of Benedictines in Norwich, on payment
to himself of the sum of ls. Gil. per week. On Monday
evening Brother Ignatius forced an entrance to. the chapel,
where he was confronted by Mr. Liddlelow, who told him
that he had no business there, as the chapel had been let to
Miss Robinson. To this Brother Ignatius replied that he
had a right to be there, as it was his property ; that he had
brought his lawyers with him, and that he intended to
remain there all night. Mr. Liddlelow has telegraphed
to his principal for further instructions. Meanwhile
Brother Julius remains in possession.