I next visited King Solomon’s Mine—not Rider Haggard’s famous one but an exceedingly interesting namesake. Here there are quantities of the diorite mixture of felspar and hornblende, with gold distinctly showing through. This is an unusual and peculiar geological formation, and the best specimens found on the field are at this mine. The gold has been found impregnated in the diorite at a considerable distance from the reefs, probably deposited there by water. I presently passed the Golden Queen, and thought this such a nice name for a mine that I had to get down and inspect it. I was lucky in just being in time to see two bars of gold come up from the smelting works, and felt very covetous. The manager told me that if I liked I could take them. I tried to do so and found they were too heavy for me to carry, so perforce had to leave them, much to my regret. I now approached Hampton Plains, a very flat part of the country, as its name indicates. I looked around in vain for a hostelry where I might put up and refresh myself and horse, but no sign of anything of the kind appeared; about a dozen nice-looking houses in a line were all I could see, the rest was plain, plain, plain. I summoned courage to open the double gates of one of the houses and drove up to ask for a drink for my poor horse, who seemed almost overcome with the heat of the day. A man seeing me came to inquire what I wanted, and while I was speaking to him a lady appeared on the broad verandah and kindly invited me to enter. I was really glad to do so. Mrs. Ridsdale—for such was the lady’s name—kindly told the man to put the horse up and go and try and find enough water for a drink for him. They were really without water on this dreadful hot day, waiting for the water-carts to come with supplies. However, I was hospitably entertained with soda-water and claret and biscuits, and after a rest, finding that my horse had been refreshed with water, and also with some food, the carts having arrived, I started off to investigate Hampton Plains. I did not find a great deal to see. Several claims have been taken up, with no very great results so far, except at the Italians Reward Claim, where some very rich stuff has been got from the mine. There I was shown some handsome specimens, which were kept in pickle-bottles, and very much admired one large nugget, weighing 15 ounces. The land around here seemed suitable for pastoral pursuits, if it were not for the scarcity of water, a difficulty which will be overcome when the river of fresh water arrives at Coolgardie, and there will no doubt in time be plenty of gardens and orchards, for the soil is most productive. I saw a finger-post marked, “To Red Hill.” That is another goldfield likely to be rich in the future.
CHAPTER XVI
The Golden Butterfly—Norseman—Gold Exhibits—Coolgardie—Alluvial Treasures.
Before leaving for England Mr. St. John Winne, the manager of the Butterfly Leases at Red Hill, showed me some marvellously rich gold specimens that he was taking with him to show the English investors. One particular piece from which the mine derives its name is in the shape of a butterfly—wings, body, even the little horns are perfectly like one. I have read the “Golden Butterfly,” and have seen many golden butterflies careering in the air, but never thought to have one of natural solid gold in my hand. Mr. Winne has now returned from England, and I believe the English shareholders’ eyes were fairly dazzled with the samples of the prospective wealth before them.
Golden Butterfly Nugget
It is 40 miles from Coolgardie to Red Hill and Lake Lefroy, and the journey is anything but pleasant; the “Brumbies,” however, knew their way, and the manner in which they got through the bush was astounding. There was no road, only a track, but they took us safely over fallen trees, &c., for which we were duly thankful. There were several camps of prospectors about and the men seemed to be quite contented, and were getting gold; they were, however, like all alluvial miners, rather reticent about the quantity. Water is very scarce; it was a good thing we had provided ourselves with water-bags and a good hamper of provisions, otherwise we should have fared badly, for the only bush hotel we came to was made of the proverbial tin, and everything inside was nearly at boiling-point, so we preferred camping out under a tree. Water-bags are a great institution in Western Australia. They are made of canvas, and have a metal spout; as you drive along they swing in the air, which makes the water delightfully cool. Lake Lefroy is a beautiful-looking lake, and I longed for a bathe after the intense heat and dust of the day; but, alas! the water was but a mirage, and you could only look and long. It was, however, a beautiful sight; the white salt on its surface, stretching for miles, seemed to reflect the blue sky with the sun shimmering on it. There are a great number of lakes in Western Australia, but they are nearly all dry and salt; no water can be obtained except by boring, and then it has to be condensed before it is usable. After being condensed it is quite palatable, and many fortunes have been made on the goldfields by people owning condensers.
The Main Shaft, Butterfly Leases.