— 320 — 



round h\ larger flakes & nuggets than elsewhere, & more plen- 

 tifully. Tliere are ai present cióse upon 50 working men in 

 these parts working & doing very well indeed. Most oF these 

 come in small crafl witli supplies of provisions for six or more 

 months. Tliey seek a good beacli, and put up Iheir tents. 

 They remove the upper layers of sand & grit. and wash tlie 

 lowcr |)arts, and in Lliis lind Ihr gnld. In some [larts so Hne 

 as fn require copper }ilates wa.slicd with mereui-y. Many thou- 

 sand pOLinds worth of gold liave Ijeen found, often in consi- 

 derable nuggets. Thei-e seems every reason to helieve tliat llie 

 gold field at Sloggett Bay is praclically inexhaustible, because 

 of the extent and depth of Lhe deposit. This field fronts Slog- 

 gett, Bay as a sloping and abrupt bank of conglomérate niixed 

 witli masses of clay. ít is the waste of this bari'anca 

 eaused by weather and the sea that yields the rich gold dp|iosits 

 of the beach below. Sloggett Bay has been almosl continuously 

 worked for 3 years, and yet continúes to yield good results. 

 1 like not to make a random guess at the aniount gathered liut 

 I know it has been very large. 



The fish of Tierra del Fuego must eventiially becnme ¡m- 

 portant, as they are large in (pi,-inl¡l\. and \ariely, biit ai-e 

 scarce through the w Ínter. 



As regards other metáis than gold tliei'e is every reason lo 

 helieve that in so extensive a región of varied mountains 

 much valuable metal must be stored up for lhe future. No 

 one need be afraid of the climate, as the coldest weather in 

 winter is also the calmesl, clearest & pleasantest, and the 

 winters are much less wimly than the summers. Cresses for 

 salads, & celery foi' soups abound, and the berries are not to 

 be despised. The supply of firewood is most plentiful, and 

 sheltered positions for camps are i'eadily found. 



The chief difficulty of gold workers in Sloggett Bay & 

 neighbourhood are the lack of sheltered coves for landing & 

 securing Vessels. Two vessels have already been lost in Sloggett 

 Bay, & boats have been ovcrliu-ncd by the rollers tlint alrnost 

 constantly get on the shore, yet these parts in spite of these 

 drawbacks present the best prospects to miners, as the yield 

 is so much greater. Persons going to these parts should pro- 

 vi le themselves with stout clothing and boots. I should have 

 said that continued frosty weather in winter seriously inter- 

 feres with the winters work, but this does not extend over 3 

 niitnths. 



Thomas Bridges. 



