The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-24 00:00:00

O UEENSL AND GOLDFIELDS.

The following is an extract from a private letter, dated
Rockhampton, November 8, 1867 :
" I have seen a little of bush life out here, having been
to the Crocodile diggings, and also to several gold-bearing
reefs. Yesterday a party of horsemen started off to a
reef, and I will endeavour to describe the nature of this
gold country, and the difference between a quartz reef and
an alluvial digging. The weather was exquisite, and the
route lay through an unbroken expanse of tree country,
with no scrub or low bushes, and often the undulations
resembled English park scenery. At the distance of eight
miles from the town we came upon some bush huts. The
road through the bush is, strictly speaking, a track.
Some one had discovered the diggings, and ' squatted
there. Others arrive, having 'blazed' their way along the
trees—that is to say, they cut out a large piece of bark to
mark the road. At these huts lived the men who were
working the reef. Nothing could possibly look more un
promising for gold, it being a flat, hard, forest country,
covered with ties. But certain indications had shewn
these experienced miners that a vein of gold hearing, quartz
ay below. We soon sunk shafts, some 201 t., some 50ft,
deep, and struck the vein. In this way they worked day
after clay, bringing to the surface tons of hard rock, whicb
lies piled up round every hole. There is the gold, sure
enough, but how is it to be got at ? The quartz must be
crushed, but there are no machines. In Victoria gold
produces 3dwt. per ton, and pays well, but this quartz
produces 3oz. to Goz. per ton, and even more. You can
see the gold in every piece. A number of enterprising
men in Rockhampton have formed a small company,
and purchased a quartz-crushing machine in Mel-
bourne. It is now on its way here, and the object of our
ride yesterday was to come to terms with the miners re-
specting it. A meeting was held in a hut yesterday, but
it was difficult work dealing with these hard-handed,
though rather thick-headed men. No decision was come
to, but the thing is set in train. Before leaving our
friends of the quartz, I will just try and describe their
huts, which are of bark, so hard that it is called iron
bark. For a few shillings the natives will cut enough to
make a large hut. They cut it in lengths of about Oft.,
the width depending on the size of the tree—often it is
6ft. or Bft. wide. It is then a roll of hard bark, nearly an
inch in thickness. They spread it out while damp, and
put logs of wood upon it to make it straight. It then be.
comes a solid board, and of these placed side by side, and
strengthened with poles, a really good cottage, with sitting
and bed rooms, is speedily built. A sloping roof defies
the heaviest rain. The floor is earth ; but no matter, for it
is as hard and dry as stone. There is a door which can be
made quite fast, and another to the bedroom. In fact, it
is a strong, well-built cottage, that would take a thief
some time to break into. All the cooking is done at some
distance outside, as the invariable bush rule is—no fire in
the house. So, with no rent to pay, no rates, no taxes,
these rough men seem thoroughly happy in their rough way.
After the meeting we went off to the Crocodile dig-
gings, which we found all but deserted, the English
having rushed off to some new discoveries adjacent. A.
few hundred Chinamen were patiently at work, washing
small modicums of gold from the dirt and rubbish left by
the English. The latter had covered the country for miles
with thousands of holes, varying in depth from 20ft. to
100 ft. ; and as they are never refilled, they form fearful
pit-falls, as the entrances become grass-grown. John
Chinaman is a patient animal. He goes on quietly working,
and makes a living on diggings that the English have
already washed out, and, moreover, he saves his gold when
he finds it. At a quartz reef we visited on our return, we
found a party of four men, whose captain had but one arm.
A piece of stone on the root of a tree that hacl been blown
down attracted his attention, and on looking at it he saw
that it had gold in it. He searched, and soon found more.
Ho and his three mates sunk three shafts, and raised
some tons of ore, and there is little doubt this reef is
even richer than the others. We sat for nearly an hour
and smoked a pipe with these men, aknov, well whatnd
.heard,,, all th •
r
story. They are experienced miners,
they are about, and it is quite striking to see the perfect
calmness with which they sit and talk about this ore under
their feet, all their own, and teeming with wealth if only
they could extract it. Thus they live, or, rather, half
starve, for months, quietly working at raising the ore, and
trusting some day that they may -get it crushed. They
would sell a share for £5O now. When the `crusher'
commit may bo Worth thOgallda.",

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