At present this place is almost deserted.  Sometime ago a rumour got about
that gold had been found in payable quantities at the Ashburton, and
although nothing definite could be heard about the find, a regular
stampede set in for Roebourne and the Ashburton.  Some men are said to
have gone straight from here and the Forty-mile, instead of going round by
Roebourne.  This of course is the best route for those that have horses,
and it will save a lot of travelling.  Up to date there has been really
nothing heard to induce men to go tearing off from here, but all sorts of
ridiculous yarns have been going about.  The supply of flour is very small
here, and lately no tobacco has been obtainable.  This last want is felt
almost as badly as the want of flour.  At the Four-mile, as Surridge and
Walters’ find is called, a good many got a little gold, but although it
extended over a large extent of country it was very patchy.  The reefs I
spoke about in my last letter, will no doubt turn out well.  One claim
belonging to Bingham & McArty, seems to promise well from the show on the
surface.  These men have dollied out a good few ounces of gold and seem to
have an immense body of stone.  There have been several other leaders
found that have turned out some very rich stone, but as a rule they have
had to be abandoned for the want of tools and water.  There is no mistake
about the richness of some of the surface stone.  The gold and some
specimens actually holds the quartz together.  There is a good opening
here for a battery of some sort, and also several machine sites could be
obtained.  All hands have had to come in from the Four-mile; as the water
is done in the clay-pan. There are still a few men fossicking about the
Forty-mile, and some men are said to have got a little gold on the
Congdon, a tributary of the De Gray River.  About the Congdon very little
is known here, and if anyone is getting gold, they keep it quiet.  At the
Conglomerate, as the main camp is called, I suppose there are still fifty
or sixty men left.  Some of them are making a living, and some are doing
fairly well.  Although the place is comparatively deserted just now, I
would not be the least surprised to see a bigger rush than ever set in
here.  There has been no rain here for a long time and the country is
beginning to look pretty dry.  It is to be hoped there is some truth in
the rumour about the Ashburton, both for the sake of the prospectors and
the many poor fellows that have started from here.  The latest paper I
have seen was dated the 20th March.  So you can tell how much we know of
the outside world.

MINING NEWS FROM KIMBERLEY

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Mining matters here are almost at a standstill.

The shareholders in the Mount Bradley Claim have purchased machinery that
was brought up here for the St. Laurence, and are busy erecting it.  It is
expected that it will be up and in working order within two months' time.
It is certainly a pity that there has not been a (head?) battery erected
on this claim long ago. [Note: this sentence occurs on the fold line of
the article and has been torn.] Now instead of our ten stamper battery, it
is an eighty stamp battery that should be put on.  It is a well-known fact
that there is an unlimited supply of stone, and what has been crushed up
to the present time has gone two ounces to the ton.

The Jubilee has again started to work after the exemption.  Very good
results were obtained from this reef, when it was worked before.  The West
and Left Reef claim at Ruby Creek, has also started to work, with only
three men who are doing work under contract.  Very good gold can be easily
seen in stone in this reef, which is two foot four inches thick.

The Ruby Creek claim is suspended, as they have no water to carry on
crushing with.  The manager, Mr Rowe, has gone south.

The Rising Sun Claim, on Ruby Creek line of reef, is also suspended.  This
is the only one with machinery on it, that took advantage of the general
exemption granted by the Government.  But it was only suspended for the
last month of the exemption.  As the claim did not start work again after
the 1st of June it has been jumped.  The hearing comes on, on the 20th inst.

The Golden Crown Reef claim, at Reefton, is also suspended, pending
negotiations with Jackson's Gold Mining Company, which have been greatly
delayed in consequence of the continued interruption of the telegraph
line.  In fact, the present depressed state of the field is mainly due to
this continued interruption.

At Mount Dockerel nothing has been done in mining matters for some time.
There is only one claim with machinery on.  It was originally known as
Donald McNeil's fifty foot claim.  There has not been any work done on
this mine for nearly a period of twelve months.  The difficulty of
obtaining men is said to be the cause.
Derby, June 5.

MINING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

A NEW REGULATION.

Yesterday's Government Gazette contains an important additional regulation
with respect to mining on private property.  Under this regulation the
Crown waives its right to minerals on alienated lands, provided that the
owner of the land complies with certain specified conditions.  The terms
of the regulation — which came into operation yesterday — are briefly as
follows: — The Governor may, on the recommendation of the Commissioner of
Crown Lands, grant a permit to the owner of the land to mine and remove
minerals.  The quantity and the value of the minerals raised from the land
must be entered in a book by the owner, who is also required to forward to
the Commissioner a quarterly return within the first seven days of
January, April, July, and October, accompanied by a statutory declaration
verifying the return and the entries made in the book.  A royalty attaches
to the raising of the minerals as follows: — Coal 6d. per ton; gold 2s.
per ounce, and for other minerals not less than £2 10s. per cent of the
market value of such minerals.  The Commissioner of Crown Lands has full
power to inspect the lands and check the entries in the book.  Failure to
comply with the terms of the regulation involves suspension or
cancellation of the permit granted by the Governor.  We publish the
regulation in full, in another column, in our summary of yesterday's
Government Gazette.