The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-23 00:00:00

THE SUTHERLAND GOLDFIELDS.

I The North British Daily Mail contains an interesting
report of the Sutherland diggings, furnished by its special
commissioners, who are, it tells us, practical gold diggers
and mineralogists, well acquainted with the gold regions
of Australia and California. The principal burns as yet
worked arc on the northern side of the Strati), and
Kildonan. The Kildonan is the most important gold-
field, having at present nearly 200 miners working on its
banks. Next to it comes the Suisgill, employing from
GO to 70 men, where the gold is rougher than on the
Kildonan. Gold has been found in the Kinbreas, but
the farm proprietors have as yet discouraged working.
The Duke of Sutherland has been very liberal to the
miners, having allowed them to cut in the banks of the
Kildonan flats to a distance of 15 feet. The commissioners
report the general conduct of the men to be very orderly,
and it is said to have been so from the first. The gold
discovery has been very fortunate for them, since the
last fishing season was so bad that many of their families
were reduced to great distress. The township which
has grown up in the vicinity displays some curious contri-
vances, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
An old van, with the wheels sunk in the ground, and the
half of a fishing smack inverted, are among the shelters
for the night. The miners have, however, already collected
a good many various utensils for washing, cradles now being
obtainable at Helmsdale at a day's notice. The ground,
of course, varies in character in different parts, so that
the modes of working it vary also. Gold has been found
all along the banks of the Kildonan, from its mouth to its
source—a distance of over seven miles ; but the com-
missioners are not of opinion that goldfields of Aus-
tralian or Californian wealth are likely to be
established. The Sutherland diggings are what are called,
rate wages, with occasionally a lucky find, but the maxi-
mum returns are not likely to exceed £1 a day. In-
experienced men earn about 3s. a day. A royalty of 10 per
cent. to the Crown will be enforced, and compensation
will be required by the Duke and his tenants, but the
amount of this cannot be fixed until the arrangements can
be completed with the Crown. It is estimated that the
royalty to the Crown and the rentor license to be charged by
the Duke will amount to about 20 per cent. The fields now
being worked are limited, and thus intending miners would
do wisely to wait until the terms upon which future diggings
are to be conducted are made known. The miners have
now to endure great hardships. As we have said, the
accommodation is very limited, and most of them have to
walk twenty miles to Helmsdale and back. A party,
desirous of escaping such a pilgrimage, encamped in the
old parish church, which has fallet into disuse.
They lighted wooden fires on the earthern floor,
round which they grouped themselves. Many had no
blankets, some had no tools, having expected to find
the gold on the surface, some crept into the pews, others
mainly tried to dry their wet clothes. Altogether the scene
is described as a dismal one, We learn from other
quarters that wooden huts are being imported both by
land and water, so that we may hope the diggers will fare
a little better in the way of accommodation. The gold
found in the Berriedale River is said to be darker in colour,
with the scales of a larger size than that found on the
Sutherland side.

The enthronement of the Bishop of London will
take place at noon on the Bth of April at St. Paul's:Cathe-
dral.

Sir Wentworth Dilke, late member for Walling-
ford, will shortly be presented with testimonials from the
working men and the wives and daughters of the working
men of that borough.

Mr. Crowley, of Birmingham, in addition to
various liberal bequests to the charitable institutions of the
town, has bequeathed a sum of £lO,OOO for the foundation of
an orphan asylum.

At Oldham, on Monday, the petitioners aban-
doned 05 objections on the ground of parochial relief. Of
the objections 300 have been exhausted, against 100 on the
other side. Platt and Cobbett continue level.

The return moved for by Sir James Elphinstone,
of the way in which tho business of the Admiralty is and
was distributed among the lords, undor the old and new
arrangements, has just boon published.

The Assizes opened at Ruthin on Monday morning.
The calendar includes the names of the stoker and driver of
the Abergelo goods train. Baron Channel!, in charging
the grand jury warned them not to allow the magnitude
of the disaster to influenco them in considering the bill of
indictment.

Mr. Baron Martin opened the inquiry on Monday
into the petition nga'nst the return of Major Dickson for
Dover. Mr. Sergeant Sargood and Mr. George Shaw were
counsel for the petitioner; and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and
Mr. George Francis aro for the respondent. There is great
excitement in the town, and a hundred witnesses have been
subpaonead. The petition charges bribery, treating, dc.
The New York Herald gives a lengthy account of
a disgusting prize fight between two women in Massachu-
setts. The fight, which was for fifty dollars, was couducted
in regular prize-ring form, and lasted an hour and a quarter.
Both combatants were so disfigured at the end of the contest
as to be Lardly recognizable. Ono had " the greater por-
tion of her clothing torn off." Considering that the pair
were in o: dinar; p •'zo fizi ting costumo, this statement
needs no comment.

The ircscntatio . of a testimonial to Mr. 11. E.
Surtees, the d. Late(' Conservative candidate for Hertford-
shire, took place at the Shiro Hall, Hertford, on Saturday.
The testimonial consisted of a splendid silver vase, of
Greco-Etruscan form, parcel gilt, ornamented with subjects
of classical and mythological characters, surmounted by a
winged figure of nine. The vase was designed and mo-
delled by Signor Monti, and the ornamental foliage by Owen
Jones. Mr. Parker presented the vase, and Mr. Surtees made
a suitable reply.

Mr. Charles Capper, who sat at Sandwich in the
lact Parliament as a Conservative, died on Mon-
day. Ho was first elected for Sandwich in May,

1866, defeating Mr. BraE soy by eight votes. Owing to
differences among the Conservative party he retire;] at the
last election. Mr. Capper was chairman both of the South-
ampton Dock Company and the Dagenham Docks. Ho was
a merchant and shipowner, a Commissioner of Lieutenancy
for London, and was the author of a work entitled " The
Port and Trade of London." Ur. Capper was in his forty.
semat year.