562 



Gregory — Gold in South Africa. 



reasonable expectations of the success of the seekers of gold in this 

 part of the world. 



I will mention a few facts that came under my own observation. 

 For instance, while I was at Hopetown, a trader came in from the 

 so-called Bamangwato diggings. This is the most southerly of the 

 gold districts. He showed me and put in my hands one evening" a 

 piece of quartz on which gold-leaf was fastened. I immediately 

 detected the imposture, and exposed it at the time, several persons 

 being in the room. Yet, in the next issue of the Colesburg Advertiser 

 for July 14, 1868, was the following paragraph : — '' We (Colesburg 

 Advertiser) have received the following, under date Hopetown, July 

 9 : — ' Lishinskey has arrived from the Bamangwato, and brought 

 down some specimens. Mr. Gregory, the mineralogist, who is here 

 from England, pronounces them very rich. At the place where they 

 are now searching for gold there are old diggings, as they have 

 found furnaces which appear to have been built hundreds of years 

 ago,'" etc., etc. And again: ''Capt." Black and his party have 

 obtained about two to three ounces of gold dust as fine as snuff, and 

 have been digging two to three months, and expect to get nuggets as 

 they go deeper! (there are six or seven persons in this party). 

 Now we see by a mail that came home about three weeks ago that 

 Capt. Black and his party had returned from the diggings, not because 

 there ivas no gold, but that they could not agree among themselves. 

 Is this a reasonable and satisfactory excuse ? And by the last mail 

 which arrived here on the 6th of November we learn that the Cape 

 Government have not yet organised a commission to enquire into 

 and examine the auriferous districts, but that private commissions 

 have been organised, and have started to the gold districts. Does 

 this look altogether satisfactory as to the private opinion of the 

 Cape Government ? Another fact : When I was on my journey home 

 in the steamer from the Cape, a passenger from Natal, in presence of 

 myself and several others, said that he considered it perfectly fair 

 and legitimate to represent that pieces of gold quartz, from Australia 

 or elsewhere, were found in the South African gold-fields. This will 

 give a further idea of the commercial morality of these colonies, and 

 show that they are not behind other countries in bubble schemes. 



I merely wish to call the attention of persons about to visit or 

 embark in the gold- digging speculation, to carefully read and digest 

 the various reports from the gold-diggings before venturing too much 

 on the faith of newspaper paragraphs. And one thing especially, 

 don't believe any specimens you see of gold quartz that are said to 

 have been found in South Africa, without knowing personally the 

 finder and receiving them direct from him. Many persons have 

 quartz said to be from there ; but none have had it direct, and gene- 

 rally it has passed through several hands. Finally, look in the money 

 article of the Times of any date, and compare as a fact the so many 

 thousand ounces of gold now on the way home from Australia, &c., 

 witli the very unsatisfactory accounts from the Cape. 



What I complain of is that these gold-fields are too much puffed 

 and advertised, before anything whatever is known of their capa- 



