The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-31 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF A GOLDIILI D.

A letter dated Brisbane, October 30, contains the
following account of the important discovery of gold in
Queensland :—" Gold ! gold ! nuggets, wash dirt, and
claims are the sole topic of conversation. The greatest
excitement prevails here. Everybody who can by any
possibility handle a pick and shovel is either going, OT
talking of going, to the diggings. Men who bad no
regular employment, and many who had, have taken
themselves and their swags off to the new diggings. From
all accounts they are of the richest description. The
ground at present being worked consists of a couple of
dry gullies within a mile of the Mary River, about fifty-
one miles from Maryborough, and a little over 100 miles
from Brisbane. Maryborough is deserted. The sugar and
meat-curing factories there are closed, and the Lulk of the
male population are gone to try their luck. This new find
was discovered by an old digger named Nash, who, after
'wandering about the mountain region at the head of Mary,
Caine upon the gullies that are now being worked. Seeing
evident auriferous signs, he tried a dish of dirt, and
the prospects were so good that he went to the nearest
station, and got a supply of provisions, returned to his
gully, and worked away until be had collected about sixty or
eighty ounces of gold. He then came into town and sold
the gold as Cape River gold, but at the same time sent
private information to the Government that it was really
obtained from the Mary district. He then sent for his
brother and one or two friends, bought a horse and dray,
and returned to his find. About a fortnight ago the whole
party returned to Maryborough with about 200 ounces of
gold, applied for miners' rights, and returned to have their
prospectors' claims marked out by the authorities. The
news spread as only such news will, and in two or three
days half Maryborough was on the road, and in a week
part of the unemployed of Brisbane. The road from
Brisbane passes over a fearfully rough country, crossing
the Durundar ranges and traversing the broken country
at the heads of the Mary. The auriferoue gullies
run from a spur on the western slope of Mount
Bopple, and the country for miles round is said to
present the same geological features. Ohl Victorian
diggers, judging from the appearance of the gold, say tint
it bears every indication of coming from an extensive and
permanent field. The gold is of a very nuggety character.
Nuggets varying in size from ioz. up to 41oz. have been
collected, the sinking varying from lft. Gin, to about 4ft.
There is at present only one cradle on the diggings, the
diggers only using prospecting pans; but the yield even
with these inefficient means is said to be satisfactory, from
4oz. to ills. per day per man. Of course, as on every
other field, there are some unfortunates who can find
nothing worth while, and it is very likely, from the num-
bers that are flocking to this El Dorado, that there may be
considerable distress ; but a short time will prove whether
it is only the finding of a rich patch or the discovery of a
most important auriferous region. All who are interested
in the future prosperity of the colony will admit that a
more auspicious time than the present could net be for a
good gadfitti tQ be dismered."

The Coroner read over the evidence taken at the last sitting,
the following being a summary : —The deceased, according
to the evidence of Lavinia Job, the person with whom he
lived, was an excessive drinker. On Wednesday evening
(the 11th instant) he came home intoxicated, having been
so for eleven days. The next morning, as usual, he had a
cup of tea with some gin in it, and then she went out. On
her return she missed him from the bedroom, and on
searching for him she found him in the stable, lying on the
ground, with a rope round his neck. She called in her
neighbours, and, as he was not dead, a dector was imme-
diately called in. Dr. Edward Cottell, of Horusey-road,
attended about eleven o'clock on the Thursday morning,
and saw the deceased lying on his back in the stable,
breathing hard, with livid countenance and pupils con-
tracted. Strangulation by hanging had been attempted, but
previously poison had been taken. The stomach pump and
bleeding were tried, but after a few convulsive fits he
died. An empty bottle was found, which Lavinia Job
said had contained some stuff which the deceased used
for his eyes, and the day before it was three parts full.
Mr. Burden, chemist, of Store-street, Bedford-square, sup-
plied the bottle and its contents, and on being communi-
cated with sent a reply that it contained two grains of
atropia, the active principle of deadly nightshade. Dr.
Cottell was of opinion that if deceased had taken that
quantity of the poison he would have been past hope
He had no doubt died from the effects of the poison
accelerated by the hanging. From the latter he
might have recovered. After a variety of opinions
and suggestions relative to the cause of death, the
jury expressed their dissatisfaction at the medical gentle.
man not having made a post-nzortent examination, and
requested that the same should be performed, as Dr. Cot-
tell had stated that other poisons would produce similar
appearances of the body. They were also of opinion that
an analysis should be made. The coroner, therefore, post-
poned the inquiry, and wrote to Professor Rodgers, of the
London Hospital Medical College, asking him to make a
post-mortem, examination, hot the learned professor wrote
back to say that such was the state of the body through
decomposition, that it would be at the peril of his life if
he attempted to examine the corpse, and he therefore
declined to do so.

Dr. Cottell, who was called in to attend the deceasea,
said the body rapidly decomposed. It was speedily in a
gangrenous condition. lie was a man of over ICst
weight, in full habit, and of drinking propensities. The
few warm days assisted the rapid decomposition.
The jury were dissatisfied at the want of knowledge
as to what poison had been taken. It was said to be
atropia, but other poisons would produce similar ap-
pearances.

The Coroner remarked that it would be absurd to sup-
pose that any one had given the .man poison, and then
dragged him to the stable and hanged him ; or that, having
had the poison administered to him, while labouring under
its painful effects, from another person's hand, he would
attempt to complete the destruction of his life by
hanging.
Further evidence was taken, shewing that the deceasect,
after over-indulging, was depressed in mind, and that he
had wished some one would blow out his brains. His
partner in business had heard him say he was uncom-
fortable at home, and once saw him perform an act
which he considered so suspicious that he would not leave
him.

The jury, regretting that the post-mortem examination
had not been made, returned a verdict that death arose
from atropia and strangulation, but how the deceased got
the atropia there was not sufficient evidence to show.