I heard this claim had been sold to a syndicate for £12,000 cash, and in my opinion and that of many others, they have got a long way the best of the deal. We next had a look at the Highland Mary line, which some think is a continuation of the Caledonian, in which opinion I hardly share as I fancy they are two distinct and separate lines of reef, the Highland Mary running north and south with a dip to the east, whilst the Caledonian runs nearly east and west clipping to the south. I went down the Highland Mary P.C. for 90 feet on the underlay, following a well-defined reef about two feet thick all the way, which seems to improve as it goes deeper—and the next claim visited was No. 2 South, on the same line. This is a grand claim; is down on the underlay 135 feet, with a two foot reef shewing good gold; has between 120 and 130 tons of stone at grass prospecting for nearly 4ozs., their last crushing of 211 tons realized 838ozs., and to shew the estimation in which this line is held I may state that nearly the whole of it has been blocked off and shafts are being sunk to catch the reef at a depth. The line extends some considerable distance, and further south takes the name of the Sir Garnet, which has crushed 326 tons for 873ozs., but there is no doubt it is all one and the same line of reef.
Next day, Friday, we started for Table-top, and I may remark that coaches run to this place daily, so that visitors to the locality will have no difficulty in reaching their destination, passing on the way the Mountain Maid line, near which is erected Bibby’s mill on Belmore Creek, about 3 miles from town; then the Welcome Reef, seven miles out; and about fourteen miles out pull up at the Rising Sun P.C. claim, better known as the ten men’s ground, and as the miners are just having their mid-day meal, we are invited with true bush hospitality to partake of a pannikin of tea and a slice of bread and beef, which invitation we heartily accept. There are three reefs in this ground, which belongs to Thomas and party and the one they are at present working is three feet in thickness; there is a large body of stone at grass estimated to crush 4ozs. to the ton, and I have no hesitation in saying this is really a splendid property, which must become very valuable when properly developed. The road to Table-top from Croydon runs through ridgy country shewing every sign of being gold-bearing, but the dust fiend is with us in all his intensity for the whole of the journey, and we are not sorry to pull up at Busted’s Hotel for a wash and refreshment. In the afternoon we wander about on foot looking at the various claims in the vicinity; visiting “Mount Morgan” and “The Federation,” to the south of the township—the former, a well developed mine with good prospects, and the latter in an embryo stage, but with a very good show.
In the evening we wander northwards visiting the celebrated “Bobby Dazzler” P.C., a grand mine with wide, well-defined reef, situate in the face of an immense bluff, plainly visible from the main street of the little town—The Republic—The Great Eastern—The Surprise—and a prospecting area not yet named, all of which were discovered by an old hand named Jack Murphy; but the travelling is very rough indeed and the ranges are particularly hard on muscles and shoe-leather, so by the time we return to the hotel we feel pretty well tired out.
Table top at night is not the most lively place in the world, there being little or nothing in the way of amusement as yet provided, if we except a shooting gallery and a sort of free and easy held in the dining-room of Bell’s Hotel to the strains of a cracked concertina, where between twenty and thirty men have congregated together to pass a musical (?) evening, and pay their attentions to a lively looking servant girl, who seems to have a kind word and a smile for one and all. The buildings, as well as the inhabitants, are of the rough and ready type, the former being constructed entirely of saplings and galvanised iron, put together in a hurry just to answer present requirements, the native earth still doing duty for a floor, boards being far too expensive a luxury to indulge in at present; whilst the dust, which is thicker and more penetrating even than that of Croydon, envelopes the place like a cloud.
The butcher’s shop, if the term can be applied to an open shed roofed with boughs, contains some splendid beef, in fact, I never remember seeing meat of better quality exposed for sale even in Sydney, and the diggers are to be congratulated on the fact that an inexhaustible supply of that indispensible necessary of life is always procurable at reasonable rates; whilst it is evident that rest and refreshments will not be difficult to obtain in future, there being already three hotels in full swing—Busted’s, Bell’s, and Mulvey’s—with two more in course of erection; but I am sadly afraid the water supply is none of the best, its permanency being a matter of very grave doubt. Coaches run daily between Table-top and Croydon, the service performed by Messrs. Carrington Bros, being thoroughly reliable, whilst others are also available, but for scouring the country in the vicinity horses are almost a necessity—except one prefers to explore on foot—the country being very rough and broken. We obtain a shake-down at Messrs. Black and Co.’s store, who have a monopoly of the business here in that line at present and appear to be doing very well indeed, and as a good supply of blankets is available, manage to make ourselves very comfortable, passing a quiet and peaceful night, and awaking thoroughly refreshed from the fatigues of the previous day.
On Saturday we take a run out towards Laycock’s and inspect a prospecting area known as the “Harry Lee,” or “Bellbird,” which contains three reefs in the ground and prospects very fairly, but as the claim has not yet been developed to any great extent, it is rather hard to predict what its future may be, although to my mind, it appears very promising indeed, whilst the Grace Lee, The Golden Valley Co., Coles’ the Vasco de Gama, Black Diamond, and other lines speak well for the prosperity of this portion of the field. We start back for Croydon in the evening by way of the Twelve-mile and Homeward Bound, and travelling as we are in a light buggy, find the bridle-track we are following fearfully rough and very trying to our pair of ponies, who get stuck amongst some boulders on a rather steep pinch, and trying to extricate themselves with a bit of a rush manage to snap the main bar where it crosses the pole, putting us in rather a fix as we had no tomahawk, but I manage to break down a sapling and inserting it between a couple of trees snap it off about the required length, and by the aid of a few straps doctor it up sufficiently to answer the purpose, but unfortunately a few miles further on one of our nags starts kicking in going down a steep gully, and demolishes the lot. Nothing daunted, we again set to work and succeed in effecting repairs, taking the precaution to drag the buggy across the gully before harnessing up, and from that out get on all right.
We have to climb a nasty spur covered with boulders leading on to the ridge on which the Homeward Bound line of reef is situated, so all alight, and two of us lead the horses whilst the remaining one of our party pushes hard behind; but the ponies are staunch and true, and although during the process everything falls out at the back, including cushions, whip, screw-wrench, specimens, &c., we eventually gain the summit without further mishap.
We pulled up at the Homeward Bound No. 1 and 2, amalgamated, and I was very much struck with the permanent character of the reef running down between remarkably well defined foot and hanging walls, and evidently making and improving as the depth increases, whilst the heap of stone, about 300 tons, at grass augurs well for the prosperity of the shareholders and speaks volumes for the systematic working of the mine, as the stone is of excellent quality, well impregnated with the precious metal, a trial crushing of 40 tons having returned a total of 188oz. 10dwt., whilst in many of the lumps of quartz now in the paddock gold is distinctly visible.
I also have a look at the Homeward Bound P.C., a splendid claim, reef well defined, ground 350ft. by 400ft., trial crushing, 58 tons for 170oz. The Homeward Bound No. 1 South, 10 men’s ground, 500ft. by 400ft., with equally good prospects. The Waterfall Nos. 2 and 1 North on a grand reef about 2ft. 6in. in thickness, the latter claim also shewing a good cross line of reef dipping south into the ground of the Waterfall, P.C., 500ft. by 400ft., one of the best claims on the field, having a splendidly defined reef from 18in. to 2ft. in thickness running right through the ground, which has prospected remarkably well on both the north and south boundaries, thereby proving its permanency, and which crushed 85 tons for 336ozs. of gold, value £3 11s. 10d. per ounce, the highest price yet realised for any gold discovered on the field. This claim has a shaft down 80ft. on the underlay, and they are now putting in levels preparatory to stoping out, and to shew the estimation in which this property is held, the land to the eastward has been blocked off, notwithstanding that they will have to sink over 200ft. to cut the reef, and a shaft 70ft. in depth put down, the shareholders working night and day.
On the south boundary of the Waterfall comes No. 1, “The Ayrshire,” ten men’s ground, belonging to a Townsville Company, land 500ft. by 400ft; No. 2, “The Surprise,” four men’s ground, 200ft. by 400ft., also Nos. 3, 4, and 5, and then “The Pride of the Hills,” P.C., 350ft. by 400ft., and Nos. 1, 2 and 3.