Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Wednesday 18 January 1854, page 2


THE NORTHERN GOLD FIELDS.

THE ROCKY RIVER.

(Front our Correspondent.)

January 7th, 1854,

At length these diggings are beginning to assume something of the appearance of some of our older brethren. A Turonite or Bendigonian, finding himself suddenly transplanted to Mait-land Point, would almost fancy himself, from the number ot bhafts sunk, on Ration Hill or on White Hill, and the quantity of levers generally denominated "whips," would almost cause a "new chum" to imagine himself, from the similarity they present to the musts exhibited there, awaiti on the «?ve of embarkation irom tne

East India or London Docks.

A baker's Rhop has lately been opened, and I have no doubt vi ill succeed well ; and an imita-tion " Soyer's Symposium" has been established in a very spirited manner by a Mr Symonds, who deserves very great credit for the manner in which he is carrying out what he has under-taken. These two establishments will prove a very great convenience and benefit to tlie dig-gers, who will thus be enabled to avoid at a very small (if any) increised cost, the greatest nuisance that miners »n» troubled with, viz., the lime and trouble universally attending the mysteries of the cuisine.

On Saturday last, being the last day of the

year, an attempt was mado by Sir. Clyde, pro-prietor of the Maitland Point Store, to establish some ot the old English sports. Tlie fit st was a greasy polp, on which was placed a hat and handkerchief, and £1. Onlv one man attempted the feat, and failed , nobody else tried at all, and in consequence ot the tnltire ot this the other sports were not brought forward.

A heavy thunderstorm tell here on Friday last, and in the evening sevt ral ot the tunneK on the Maitland Point tell in. Very tor Innately it was about sundown when they tell, and the miners had only come up about hilt an hour, otherwise serious consequences might have en-sued. There are now tour stores on the liver belonging to Air. Ganami, Mr. Clyde, Mr. M'Crosstn, aud Mr. Quinlan, and two more aie in course oi erection belonging to Mr. Ihn kell and another peinon , two butchoi»' shops, belonging to Messrs. Garland and M'Crossin, two public houses, only awaiting the arrival ot their licenses to be opened, belonging to Messrs. Kirkwood and Rvan, and another is now being erected ioi Mr. Cohen. These tacts speak tor themselves, and although there is no escort here, and buyers and diggeis have to run the risk of having then ¡,oid stolen in its transit by the mail, yet the yield must be veiv great when it affords an

opening to so m my houses of business and en-

tertain nient.

Mr. Mullel, of Armidale, lins purchased within the last month 494 ounces of gold, and this is nothiüg to what has been bought by Mr. tiil christ and other storekeeper on the river. A report has just reached me that new diggings have be« n found at Glenelgin, some shoit dis tiuces lrom Dundee, Beardy Plains.

HANGING ROCK.

(From the People's Advocate, Jan 14 )

Tuesday, January 3rd, 1853.

The Californian party have sold their interests at the head of Nundle for upwards of £400, to Mr. Leiven, an experienced miner. The pur-chaser intends employing a large number of men to work this extensive piece ot ground on a grand scale by sluicing. The old dry dig-gings are still being successfully sluiced by a branch of the Californian party.

Mr. John Gibbon, a publican, has employed a number of men to work a flat on the Swamp, which we expect will give a good return for the outlay. The surface diggings in the neighbour -hood of Black Man's Creek, on the Peel River, are being sluiced by the Californian party with the greatest success. The Water Company intends, conveying water by means of races to this locality, winch will open another branch of

the Rock diggings, and give employment to a

number of hands.