Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/71

62 Reliable information being wanted as to the state of the goldfield, and I having been requested to furnish same, I wrote the following letter to the Melbourne manager:—

“Since I last wrote you no great change for the better has taken place in this far-famed gold region. With the exception of a 320-oz. nugget no large discoveries have been made. Several new rushes have taken place, but have not turned out of any account. Our local paper, the Alpine Pioneer, copies of which I have occasionally sent you, asserts these are the most extensive goldfields yet discovered. There is no doubt but that there is a large tract of auriferous country here. Gold is to be found everywhere, but not in payable quantities. No payable ground having been discovered, the miners are compelled to work in the old ground in order to procure a living. Some of it is now being worked for the third time, and paying as well as it did when first opened, clearly showing the careless manner in which it was worked. A quartz reef has been struck on Surface Hill, but of no account. Several parties have commenced deep sinking, varying from 20 to 40 feet, but are just getting wages.

“The weather for the last month has been very unfavourable to the miners. On Sunday morning we had a very severe hailstorm, accompanied by thunder and lightning. A party of nine who started from here to visit the Four Mile diggings, were overtaken by the storm, and took shelter under some trees; four were killed on the spot, and the others knocked down by lightning, but are slowly recovering. The population is daily increasing, but numbers return within a week of their arrival, being utterly disgusted with the place (Victorians especially).

“The township of Kiandra is daily improving, good substantial buildings being erected in all directions. Business, I am sorry to say, is rather dull. However, we may expect the rush here very soon now, then we shall have our hands full. For my own part I don’t expect to see more than ten thousand persons here at any one time.

“I have no doubt you will think this a gloomy account; but I can assure you it is a correct one.

“I should be sorry to advise any of my Victorian friends to come here—that is to say, the mining portion of the community. Storekeepers stand a very good chance; they (and the publicans) will be the ones to make money out of the Kiandra rush.”

[My surmise turned out correct, and by the end of the year the majority of the miners had left for Lambing Flat.]

1st January, 1861.—Great day at Kiandra. Horse races, which were well attended. The racecourse was a few miles out of town, and not a particularly good one, there being rather a short run round, and a rise at the “run home.” However, it answered the purpose.

Those present seemed satisfied, and not a few were