On the road to the Diorite King, which is about 40 miles from Leonora, there was nothing much to see except a good many swampers. A “swamper” is a man tramping without his swag, which he entrusts to a teamster to bring on his waggon. Arrived at the camping-place, which is recognisable by the old fires, the swamper awaits the teamster’s coming, recovers his swag and spends the night at the camp. While on foot the swamper will generally leave the track, and prospect, and shows wonderful skill in recovering the track again, after these deviations. The country, however, was certainly prettier than that of the Coolgardie district. I was somewhat surprised when the coach pulled up at a small-looking hotel, called the Kurrajong, with a few houses about it, to find that I was at Diorite King township. It is certainly the smallest place I ever stayed at. However, I was not sorry to get to my journey’s end, for the heat and red dust had made me long for a refreshing cup of tea, which I got at the hotel. I was fortunate in getting a nice comfortable room, which, however, I was told was reserved for the manager of a mine who was expected soon, but I was allowed to have it until he came, and I am thankful to say he did not arrive while I was there, so that I remained for a few days in undisputed possession.
At Diorite the township consists of one hotel, one store, one baker and butcher’s shop combined, one blacksmith’s forge, a few mud houses, and two galvanised-iron ones, the house of Mr. Williams, the manager of the Diorite Mine, and a post-office. My readers may perhaps wonder why I stayed so long. Certainly of all the uninviting desert-looking places I ever saw, Diorite is the worst, but mines of wealth lie close to it. There are only four women in Diorite, the landlady, the barmaid of the hotel, a shopkeeper, and the wife of one of the men on the mine. Women, being so few, are looked upon in these parts as goddesses, and are treated with reverence, and I was made quite an object of adoration. Of course there was no chance of getting a horse and vehicle here (how I regretted leaving my bicycle at Menzies because I would not pay full coach fare for it!) so one mine was explored by the medium of the grocer’s cart. However, the day after, Mr. Williams kindly lent me his horse and buggy, and safe transit to the other mines was then assured.
Camels at Diorite King
The Diorite King Mine is about two miles from the township, and lies between two hills. A great deal of gold has been got there. I found myself most hospitably entertained, as the men were all at their “crib” when I arrived, and being invited into their dining-room, a bough-shed with two benches and long table, I took the mug of “billy” tea offered me, but did not feel disposed to partake of the corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, although everything looked very nice and well cooked, and also well served up by the cook of the day. This mine, and another called the Middlesex, have both turned out good results, and while I was there I saw some of what is called “surface stone,” freely splashed with gold all over. On the way back to Diorite a long string of camels, over eighty passed on their way to Lawlers with stores. What would the people in these remote places do if it were not for these “ships of the desert”?
On one of them, in a kind of wicker basket, was a poor little lamb, looking wonderingly around with its head out of the cage. I thought, perhaps, it might have been a pet of one of the Afghans. “No fear, ma’am, it’s to be killed at sundown; they won’t eat any meat killed by Europeans, drat them,” said the grocer, for like all Westralians he had a hatred of the wily Afghan.
The Calcutta Mine is not far from Diorite, and has a splendid reef. It adjoins the Little Wonder, owned by Doyle and party, who a few years ago had a find of gold so rich and phenomenal that thousands of pounds worth of gold were taken in no time, and the men are working in daily expectation of cutting a rich leader again.
Mount Stirling is another mine held by a Perth syndicate. Very rich ore was lately struck there, and the syndicate have now erected their own crushing battery. Plenty of fuel and water is available in the vicinity. Hundreds of tons of the valuable ore lie on top waiting to be crushed, and thousands more are plainly to be seen below waiting to be dug out. This is the richest stone that has ever been found near here, and is causing much excitement on the lease adjoining Mount Stirling. A lode was being worked by some miners at a depth of 90 feet, a pocket of some of the stuff assaying the immense value of 100 ounces to the ton. A great many more men have claims about the vicinity of Mount Stirling Mines, but it is almost impossible to know what is being got, as they keep silence over their findings. The manager of the store says that a large quantity of alluvial gold is sent away from the district of which the warden knows nothing. His firm, being buyers of gold, often purchase from the men as much as 100 ounces a month, £390 worth, sometimes more.
