The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-06-05
DAILY PIONEER.
SAINT PAUL:
MONDAY MORNING, JUNE s. 1854


By the arrival Of the barque Sping hook from Cape
Town, March 18th, have further particulars OF
the discovery Of what to be extensive gold
fields in Southern Africa. The Cape papers have
hitherto alluded to the subject with great caution but
they now contain numerous letters from reliable per-
sons, leaving doubt upon the subec that pure gold
has been found. The Cape Town Mail Of March
18th says Letters from Burghersdorp, from respec.
table parties, remove all doubts respecting the dis.
covery Of gold and copper deposits near Smithfeld
One letter, dated March 10Th, says: Gold is now
found in large nuggets. We have some splendid spe.
cme~s here that have been dug up the past two days
Copper mixed with gold is found in abundance upon
another farm
The Graaf-Reinet Herald, of March Sd, says that
the taat River Government have closed the dgsings
unit, il is decided whether they shall coin their own
gold, aud whether the sovereignty will he retained Or
abandoned by the British Government. The sau,e
paper says Smithfeld is about 324 miles from Aga
Bay. Ii is the most southern point at which gold
mae been discovered while PatcheistrOOm is the most
northern. The distance between the points is at
least 500 miles, the whole Of which, it is highly
probable, will be found auriferous. The whole Of
Shis immense tract Of country almost unknown, with
the exception Of a small strip.
The Cape Town papers Of March 22d contain the
following additional particulars
The reports from the d'ggings received at Bloom
Fountain are to the effect that it is hoped that the
golden depos;tes extend the whole sovereignty
and Transraai county. person returned from Smith
Ueiu rcts toAt seVefai nuggets Zone OF the SIZE oil
"A small nut) pure gold. party Of diggers were
expected at Smiihfed from GERMANTOWN.
The Cape Town advertiser says The fact has
been asccrained that prolific gold diggngs have been
discovered, and by yesterdays post six or eight
nuggets. one weighing forty grains, have been re-
csived here.
letter in the Eastern Province Herald, saws
Gold seems to Ike found every where the Koesberg
IN MOshesh's country, and on the Smiihfed Dixie
What the end Of all this will be, / cannot tell.
A letter in the Cape Town Mail, fom the Smith
field digsings, says:
''The hole dug by Finlay brought them down to
the bed of old river, where agates and other waltz
able stones found. Here the largest nugget was
found, hut the water entering great abundance stop
ped further operations. Other holes have yielded
gd and it has been found in such quantity as to
warrant the expectation of larger discovery. The
gold in some places is found in the Of ridge
OF iron stone, (Which has evidently been thrown up
ty volcanic acton) in vein Of quartz. The upper
part Of the vein is small, which gradually widens as
the shaft is sunk The mos, profitable part, the
clay, is thrown away, the dig,ers not having the
proper washing cradles. From accounts ] have re-
ceived Of California and Australia there his been
more gold ound the surface here than there
The deepest shaft that has been sunk is sixteen feet
Copper has also been found of purity which
will astonish you. believe the copper ore will con-
tribute much to the enriching of the territory as
the gold discovery. The copper is found the sur
face in wagon loads, and contains a considerable per
cenlage Of god.''-Boston Iia,eiir.