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198701 [2015/12/14 11:31] sbw198701 [2016/01/14 08:25] (current) tyreless
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 It was Billy Wilton who told me that Joe Wallace told him that he had seen Jimmy Russell with a lump of quartz with gold in it as big as peas that he found on the Kowmung, and Joe was a man you could swear by. Others saw the "other fellow" with a matchbox full of gold; and didn't that hermit "Lanky Lannigan" who died at Limeburners Creek, have a mustard tin half-full of little nuggets; and in the last words he uttered he was trying to tell where he got it. Now all this testimony went to prove that gold had been found on the Kowmung; but when I saw Christy Creighton starting off on his third expedition, and listened to his sanguine assurance "There's gold there all right. I got it in Christy's Creek, and I'm going to find where it comes from", I resolved to follow him on the first opportunity. Poor Creighton was drowned whilst crossing the treacherous Wollondilly on his way out, but I never lost sight of the matter, and in the month of February I set out with a chosen mate armed with a letter of introduction to Maxwell, who was Mr. Chas. Dunn's head stockkeeper on the Coxs River run. Maxwell was generously instructed by his kind master to guide me wherever I wished to go. It was Billy Wilton who told me that Joe Wallace told him that he had seen Jimmy Russell with a lump of quartz with gold in it as big as peas that he found on the Kowmung, and Joe was a man you could swear by. Others saw the "other fellow" with a matchbox full of gold; and didn't that hermit "Lanky Lannigan" who died at Limeburners Creek, have a mustard tin half-full of little nuggets; and in the last words he uttered he was trying to tell where he got it. Now all this testimony went to prove that gold had been found on the Kowmung; but when I saw Christy Creighton starting off on his third expedition, and listened to his sanguine assurance "There's gold there all right. I got it in Christy's Creek, and I'm going to find where it comes from", I resolved to follow him on the first opportunity. Poor Creighton was drowned whilst crossing the treacherous Wollondilly on his way out, but I never lost sight of the matter, and in the month of February I set out with a chosen mate armed with a letter of introduction to Maxwell, who was Mr. Chas. Dunn's head stockkeeper on the Coxs River run. Maxwell was generously instructed by his kind master to guide me wherever I wished to go.
  
-We breakfasted on new milk, eggs, and sweet milk-bread at sunrise; then Maxwell readjusted the pack and removed the acids that I had brought for making wet tests of minerals, from possible contact in case of accident with the tucker, which consisted of a large piece of boiled corned beef, several tins of preserved meat, about 25th of flour, salt, and tea and sugar. The pick, shovel, digger's dish, pestle and mortar, we distributed between us, and +We breakfasted on new milk, eggs, and sweet milk-bread at sunrise; then Maxwell readjusted the pack and removed the acids that I had brought for making wet tests of minerals, from possible contact in case of accident with the tucker, which consisted of a large piece of boiled corned beef, several tins of preserved meat, about 25th of flour, salt, and tea and sugar. The pick, shovel, digger's dish, pestle and mortar, we distributed between us, and leaving the Cox on our right began to ascend the main range, following the flying survey of Mr. - - - -(illegible) very closely.
-leaving the Cox on our right began to ascend the main range, following the flying survey of Mr. - - - -(illegible) very closely.+
  
 I was somewhat disappointed to learn from Maxwell that it was impossible to get into the bed of the Kowmung anywhere near its junction with the Cox and follow it up on horseback. He assured me that it was walled all the way, and for the greater distance almost impassable on foot. We travelled over stony undulating country. The stones for the most part being water worn, probably belonging to the upper marine stratum, until we arrived at The Mare's Waterholes. Here you get a glimpse of the quartz reefs, good looking horneblendic quartz, too; but I only tried a few surface pieces in the mortar, and panned it off without results. Maxwell told us of another reported find of gold in quartz made by one of the stockmen when they were drafting at the yards close by, but he did not appear to place any reliance on the story. If you care to ride about two miles northerly from here you can look down into that awful rent in the earth's crust and see the waters of "Big Kowmung" as it is called here, still digging it deeper, as they roll on unceasingly to the greedy absorbing sea. I was somewhat disappointed to learn from Maxwell that it was impossible to get into the bed of the Kowmung anywhere near its junction with the Cox and follow it up on horseback. He assured me that it was walled all the way, and for the greater distance almost impassable on foot. We travelled over stony undulating country. The stones for the most part being water worn, probably belonging to the upper marine stratum, until we arrived at The Mare's Waterholes. Here you get a glimpse of the quartz reefs, good looking horneblendic quartz, too; but I only tried a few surface pieces in the mortar, and panned it off without results. Maxwell told us of another reported find of gold in quartz made by one of the stockmen when they were drafting at the yards close by, but he did not appear to place any reliance on the story. If you care to ride about two miles northerly from here you can look down into that awful rent in the earth's crust and see the waters of "Big Kowmung" as it is called here, still digging it deeper, as they roll on unceasingly to the greedy absorbing sea.
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 From the Mare's Waterholes we ascended the range to find the aneroid reading 4300 feet. The view from here eastward is one of terrific grandeur. Ochre red sandstone walls, deep and dark wooded ravines seem interwoven by a confused struggle to find some outlet in the primeval past. Northward the view is blocked by the towering columns that cap the Kowmunq's walls, but southward the eroded amphitheatre that has its centre at romantic Church Creek, is a scene unsurpassable in Australia. From the Mare's Waterholes we ascended the range to find the aneroid reading 4300 feet. The view from here eastward is one of terrific grandeur. Ochre red sandstone walls, deep and dark wooded ravines seem interwoven by a confused struggle to find some outlet in the primeval past. Northward the view is blocked by the towering columns that cap the Kowmunq's walls, but southward the eroded amphitheatre that has its centre at romantic Church Creek, is a scene unsurpassable in Australia.
  
-After we had descended a spur for about one mile, Maxwell dismounted, and tightened the girths, crupper, and all the fastenings on the pack horse, and quietly advised us to do likewise. "We can get down here into Christy's Creek, and save about 12 miles of rough, uninteresting country. It's rough, but I've been down it a few times, and it's the only point I know of that can be descended on this side of the mountains or river. We'll tie everything on the +After we had descended a spur for about one mile, Maxwell dismounted, and tightened the girths, crupper, and all the fastenings on the pack horse, and quietly advised us to do likewise. "We can get down here into Christy's Creek, and save about 12 miles of rough, uninteresting country. It's rough, but I've been down it a few times, and it's the only point I know of that can be descended on this side of the mountains or river. We'll tie everything on the pack now, and when we get a start I'll go ahead, and let him go, then you fellows can tail up". "'Spose he won't keep the track?" I asked. "Don't worry. He'll have to. There's only one and that's straight ahead."
-pack now, and when we get a start I'll go ahead, and let him go, then you fellows can tail up". "'Spose he won't keep the track?" I asked. "Don't worry. He'll have to. There's only one and that's straight ahead."+
  
 The handle was knocked out of the pick, and a neat bundle made of the tools. The dish was the worst. The ring in it would not stand the strain. It was not good enough to trust it, and to put a hole through the rim of it was not to be thought of. That would spoil a digger's dish. If it got loose we could say goodbye. It might roll for miles, or get damaged beyond repair. A spare bag to put it in we had not. Then I thought of how I had carried a swarm of bees in my shirt, and I suggested that we make a bag out of a new one I had in my The handle was knocked out of the pick, and a neat bundle made of the tools. The dish was the worst. The ring in it would not stand the strain. It was not good enough to trust it, and to put a hole through the rim of it was not to be thought of. That would spoil a digger's dish. If it got loose we could say goodbye. It might roll for miles, or get damaged beyond repair. A spare bag to put it in we had not. Then I thought of how I had carried a swarm of bees in my shirt, and I suggested that we make a bag out of a new one I had in my
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 Please add the name of Sutton, David, 9/2-8 Park Avenue, Burwood 2134 Phone 744 1628 to your List of Members. Please add the name of Sutton, David, 9/2-8 Park Avenue, Burwood 2134 Phone 744 1628 to your List of Members.
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198701.txt · Last modified: 2016/01/14 08:25 by tyreless

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