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

THE SUTHERLAND GOLDFIELDS.

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 are 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 Kiobreas, 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 party, so that
the modes of working it vary also. Gold has been found
al along the banks of the Kildonan, from its mouth to its
source—a distance of over seven miles ; but the com-
missioners aro not of opinion that goldfields of Aus-
tralian or Californian wealth are likely to be
established. The Sutherland diggings are what are called,
in mining parlance, poor man's diggings, yielding mode-
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 38. 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 ren tor license to be chargedby
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 llelmsdple and back. A party,
desirous of escaping such a pilgrimage, encamped in the
old parish church, which has fallen 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 tho Bth of April at St. PauN: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 XlO,OOO for the foundation of
an orphan asylum.

At Oldham, on Monday, the petitioners aban-
doned 95 objections on the ground of parochial relief. Of
the objections 300 have been exhausted, against 100 on the
other side. Platt and Cobbett continuo level.

The return moved for by Sir James Elphinstone,
of the way in which the business of the Admiralty is and
was distributed among the lord; under the old and now
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 Abergele goods train. Baron Channel!, in charging
the grard jury warned them not to allow the magnitude
of the disaster to influence them in considering the bill of
indictment.

Mr. Baron Martin opened the inquiry on Monday
into the petition against the return of Major Dickson for
Dover. Mr. Sergeant Sargood and Mr. George Shaw were
counsel for th 3 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
subpa3ncad. The petition charges bribery, treating, &c.
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 conducted
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 hardly recognizable. One bad " tho greater por-
tion of her clothing torn off." Considering that the pair
were in cedivary p *ze fi,sl Ling costume, this statement
needs no comment.

The 1 resentatio of a testimonial to Mr. 11. E.
Surtees, the d,feated Conservative candidate for Hertford-
shire, took place at the Shire Hall, Hertford, on Saturday.
Tho 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 Fame. The vase was designed and mo-
delled by Signor Monti, aid the ornamental foliage by Owen
Jones. Mr. Parker presented the vase, and Mr. Surtees mado
a suitable reply.

Mr. Charles Capper, who sat at Sandwich in the
last Parliament as a Conservative, died on Mon-
day. He was first elected for Sandwich in May,
166 G, defeating Mr. Brassoy by eight votes. Owing to
differences among the Conservative party he retied 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 Loudon." Mr. Capper was in his forty..
seventh year.