The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-17
MINING In AUSTRALIA.
Hard Times I'm America Not 20 BE
Compared With the Hardshsps
Tbere-Grain Crops Also q Fsfiare
Last Year-Buf Mr. Hughes VIII
Go Back, 40 Enter . New AfnfaK
Dfs4xfct.

Jack Hughes. formerly Of Seattle bat
Tow Of New Zealand. l. IL the city visiting
w. n Cows He gave q Post-fnte!ligen-
Ger reporter a very interesting account OF
the country and mines % New South
Wales. the islands OF New Guinea, and
New ZEALAND
Sfr. Haxnes left Seattle about year and
a half ago, going by way OF San Francisco
10 sydoey. thence up L1s coast OF QueeEss-
land 70 New Guinea. lie found the eo1n-
try 90 be In an slnaos, uuciviiized state.
the enIy civilized people being q few rnis~
sfonarses VINO we're ssattoaed on the
smaller Islands. and the government OF
fbcials az me port Of entry, or police sta
tons. The gold mines are OF TWO KINGS
fhe aliuviai or placer rninss. and the reef
or quartz mines. The islands al being OF
vc1cansc origin. no great beds OF ore are
found as IN tnfs country. but there - an
occasional vein that holds OUT for some
time and then suddenly ceases. or, IN the
placer fields IL IL washed down by the
rivers and found along the beds and banks
OF TIE streams.
Mr. Hughes was engaged in a,iuvial min
ing on the Woodsark islands. near New
Guinea, until the fields were nearly ex-
hausted These fields are along a stream
and are about ten miles long. There were
IN al about 20 white miners. Tffo mined
in parties Of two or four, each party en-
Tl0yfng from six 10 eight natives The dig
glngs yield In fine gold and pay on an
aVay-e< Sc per day 20 the man Mining in
"a s~~ III IL great deal more or hard
ship thsn 10 America
Tie weather h very warm. and during the
greater portion % the year there IL
heavy rainfall Gu; OF hundreds who 20 TO
the gold felds bur few are able 10 stand
the hardship. many snccumoing 70 the
prevalent fever. Last March parry or
about forty miners left the coast for the
Interior, exploring the country and search
fag for gold fields. They penetrated
great distance into the interior ana
brought out with them 500 ounces OF gold
ranging from the fine grain gold 10 small
nuggets. They reported the discovery or
about forty miles OF gold fields that would
yield from Sc 10 $40 per day. IL was th@
intention % the Hughes party 10 attempt
20 reach these fields, bar they were unsue~
cessfui. as Governor AcGregor. who IL III
charge Of the island, determined 10 open
up the country during the winter months
with natives and cut a road Into the mines.
50 ne forbade parties attempting to reach
the fields until next spring. The news has
spread rapidly. and there are thousands or
miners ready. waiting unth they are al
lowed To rush In.
Tie attempt 20 reach these new fields is
surrounded with almost impossible diff
euItia@ The natives are always at war
white men as did our redskins in the early
days They are determined TO keep the
secret or their mines to themselves. To at
tempt going into tho country IN small par
ties Is almost suicidal II Il impossible 10
obtain native boys as servants or carriers
or the mainland. SO they have to be
brought from the missionary islands.
These men are very treacherous and diff
cult to handle. The only thing that keeps
them IN subsection Is fear OF the hercer
men who live In the interior. About three
times year the natives are al peace win
one another for a few days, during which
time they trade az the different Islands.
obtaining articles for food supplies. etc.
After these few days have expired no two
villages are az peace. They are always at
war and masSacres OF whole villages are
often reported There Is no meat TO be OBJ
tanned IN tho country, 80 the warriors nat
nra1ly resort to the remaining course and
are cannibals. eating their prisoners or
war and whatever white men fall into their
hands. They dwell IN huts built IN trees.
The dense foliage conceals them, and the
explorer passing under their dwelling Is
often killed before he II aware OF their
presence.
Besides these dangers. the country Is al
most impossible being covered with dense
thsckefs and swamps. The brush and
shrabnery Is 50 thick that a dog could not
20 through When the streams are aban-
,F1nae every inch az the way has 10 be cut
rough. and great difficulty Il experienced
ia making more than ten or Twelve miles
ter day. the country IL also mountainous
s.. the extreme and a man is unable TO
,trTy a load OF more than thirty pounds.
81 Is estimated that Il costs one pound OF
f7od for every mile, and where food Is 50
searen the cust of travelling IS no small
stem. To reach these new gold felds the
party must go up the river forty miles 20
tne head or navigation, then about sixty
nT9aa IA canoes, and after leaving the
stream FROM 81 10 100 miles has 10 be
traverss3 through The Wild country.
Nlr Hughes returned ~ way or Sydney.
Australia visiting Rock Hampton and
other Australian mincs. The aliuvial
mines are s1mos; entirely worked out and
tne auartz mines are worked under cOnsld-
yrab.e expense, So nt the present mining
81 Australia s. on .he decline. lie says that
s,.s -sr.etaffl 81 hard times IN this country.
bue the harasairs here are nothing com
pafsd 20 those in Australia. The grain
-rane taere are e failure and the country
fae iusf BEEN swept over by The tick pest,
killing shets,. horses. cattle aud even dogs
sbe peoYs. themselves suffering severely
They and themselves now reduced 70 a.
most abfect starvation. AMI tn the FARMING
rs.rl1rs many of the Inhabitants have dtel
or are slowly starving
Er Hughes says e Is quite probable ~
Nh return In New zealand to 50 into the
fcN mining country iu the spring. In con
rluslen. he spt1 that n De were 70 tell o.
Some OF the things he had Witnessed and
,'te wonders ~ thnt country people would
brand him a. a romance aud this Inter
yiaw ss a fake,