Trove Peer Carriers Packers Blackboy Native Guide 67365460

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--- source_url: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/67365460 source_title: MARGARET RIVER DIGGINS. source_type: newspaper archive_file: /home/ajax/repos/donto/genes/research-notes/cooktown-aboriginal-children-work-archive-2026-05-06/webpages/loops2009-2018-local-trove-peer-carriers-wallace-earle-morris-fox-blackboy-native-guide/15-trove-67365460-margaret-river-diggins.md archive_text_file: /home/ajax/repos/donto/genes/research-notes/cooktown-aboriginal-children-work-archive-2026-05-06/webpages/loops2009-2018-local-trove-peer-carriers-wallace-earle-morris-fox-blackboy-native-guide/15-trove-67365460-margaret-river-diggins.md accessed_at: 2026-05-07T00:47:02+10:00 evidence_label: Bridge candidate project: rosie-reynolds-massacre-connection newspaper_title: The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929) publication_date: Saturday 7 August 1880 article_id: nla.news-article67365460 page: 16 notes: Peer carrier/packer/teamster candidate around Browne Reynolds Bros network from query earle black boy; assess whether Aboriginal-boy terms are related or page-adjacent. --- # Source text / hit windows t would fare ill with him. They soon pop you in the lockup when you can't move about or work. There is a relief party in the district, when 5s. per day ean be obtained. All round the Margaret are good quartz reefs, and machinery is scattered around ; one of twenty stampers is abandoned, another three-quarters of amkaway of ten head all rotting. There are nearly 1000 Chinese on the ground, many of whom are doing very well. Some are starving one day and wealthy the next. No estimate can be found of the amount of gold they take away, as no official records are kept. Numbers work away without a licence, and simply peg out their ground perfectly fearless of consequences. The last wet season was against the diggers, there being little water deposited ; consequently the average yield of gold was less than it would otherwise have been. The weather alternates between intense heat in the day and cold nights. The climate is fair; considering everything, and now that fresh beef is plentiful, life is endur able. The reign of 'Bony' is over, as Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black boys and two gins. The passage money from Cooktown to Port Darwin is £7 in the steerage, and £15 in the saloon. Between the Margaret River and Southport there is a fine reef called the John Bun, where a ten stamper is placed, but only 5 head are working. Two miners own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for --- HIT WINDOW --- 07 Aug 1880 - MARGARET RIVER DIGGINS. Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929), Saturday 7 August 1880, page 16 MARGARET RIVER DIGGINGS. (Cooktown Courier.) Some excitement has been caused owing to the recent reports which have come from this goldfield, and we give a few particulars kindly furnished as by an old resident of Cooktown, who has just returned from the Margaret River. The first big nugget. 70 ounces, was got by John Lowrie and mate. They were doing fairly with small shotty gold, and after finding the big lump became anxious for another streaf of luck. They abandoned their ground, and the Chinkies popped in, and within two feet of where theEaropesns left off unearthed the 24 pound weight. There was excitement and squabbling, as it was reported that a European storekeeper had put the Chows on. The gold is in patches, which when come upon are very rich, and pay well. There are no leads, and it is difficult to the new chum to understand the lay of the gold. There is a vast area of auriferous country which can never be properly prospected by Chinese ; it wants Palmer men to do the trick. No one should go to these diggings without a fall back of £50 or £60 in case of sickness, or it would fare ill with him. They soon pop you in the lockup when you can't move about or work. There is a relief party in the district, when 5s. per day ean be obtained. All round the Margaret are good quartz reefs, and machinery is --- HIT WINDOW --- 07 Aug 1880 - MARGARET RIVER DIGGINS. Capricornian (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1875 - 1929), Saturday 7 August 1880, page 16 MARGARET RIVER DIGGINGS. (Cooktown Courier.) Some excitement has been caused owing to the recent reports which have come from this goldfield, and we give a few particulars kindly furnished as by an old resident of Cooktown, who has just returned from the Margaret River. The first big nugget. 70 ounces, was got by John Lowrie and mate. They were doing fairly with small shotty gold, and after finding the big lump became anxious for another streaf of luck. They abandoned their ground, and the Chinkies popped in, and within two feet of where theEaropesns left off unearthed the 24 pound weight. There was excitement and squabbling, as it was reported that a European storekeeper had put the Chows on. The gold is in patches, which when come upon are very rich, and pay well. There are no leads, and it is difficult to the new chum to understand the lay of the gold. There is a vast area of auriferous country which can never be properly prospected by Chinese ; it wants Palmer men to do the trick. No one should go to these diggings without a fall back of £50 or £60 in case of sickness, or it would fare ill with him. They soon pop you in the lockup when you can't move about or work. There is a relief party in the district, when 5s. per day ean be obtained. All round the Margaret are good quartz reefs, and machinery is scattered around ; one of twenty stampers is abandoned, another three-quarters of amkaway of ten head all rotting. There are nearly 1000 Chinese on the ground, many of whom are doing very --- HIT WINDOW --- . Numbers work away without a licence, and simply peg out their ground perfectly fearless of consequences. The last wet season was against the diggers, there being little water deposited ; consequently the average yield of gold was less than it would otherwise have been. The weather alternates between intense heat in the day and cold nights. The climate is fair; considering everything, and now that fresh beef is plentiful, life is endur able. The reign of 'Bony' is over, as Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black boys and two gins. The passage money from Cooktown to Port Darwin is £7 in the steerage, and £15 in the saloon. Between the Margaret River and Southport there is a fine reef called the John Bun, where a ten stamper is placed, but only 5 head are working. Two miners own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for the dram drinker. Tobacco is 2s. Si, with sU other dutiable goods in proportion. There are three publicans, but litle business is done, from Palmerston to Southport passage can be secured in a small frfwr— ' tor Kku, the distance by water being about 27 miles, while by land it is SO miks. A large field is open to enterprisins men with —nB capital ? with out that, it would be no use risking the experiment. Progbess OF Caibss. ? Cairns is likely to become a very important town before long if present appearances of the great mineral wealth of the surrounding countr --- HIT WINDOW --- wrie and mate. They were doing fairly with small shotty gold, and after finding the big lump became anxious for another streaf of luck. They abandoned their ground, and the Chinkies popped in, and within two feet of where theEaropesns left off unearthed the 24 pound weight. There was excitement and squabbling, as it was reported that a European storekeeper had put the Chows on. The gold is in patches, which when come upon are very rich, and pay well. There are no leads, and it is difficult to the new chum to understand the lay of the gold. There is a vast area of auriferous country which can never be properly prospected by Chinese ; it wants Palmer men to do the trick. No one should go to these diggings without a fall back of £50 or £60 in case of sickness, or it would fare ill with him. They soon pop you in the lockup when you can't move about or work. There is a relief party in the district, when 5s. per day ean be obtained. All round the Margaret are good quartz reefs, and machinery is scattered around ; one of twenty stampers is abandoned, another three-quarters of amkaway of ten head all rotting. There are nearly 1000 Chinese on the ground, many of whom are doing very well. Some are starving one day and wealthy the next. No estimate can be found of the amount of gold they take away, as no official records are kept. Numbers work away without a licence, and simply peg out their ground perfectly fearless of consequences. The last wet season was against the diggers, there being little water deposited ; consequently the average yield of gold was less than it would otherwise have been. The weather alternates between intense heat in the day and cold nights. The climate is fair; considering everything, and now that fresh beef is plentiful, life is endur able. The reign of 'Bony' is over, as Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black bo --- HIT WINDOW --- Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black boys and two gins. The passage money from Cooktown to Port Darwin is £7 in the steerage, and £15 in the saloon. Between the Margaret River and Southport there is a fine reef called the John Bun, where a ten stamper is placed, but only 5 head are working. Two miners own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for the dram drinker. Tobacco is 2s. Si, with sU other dutiable goods in proportion. There are three publicans, but litle business is done, from Palmerston to Southport passage can be secured in a small frfwr— ' tor Kku, the distance by water being about 27 miles, while by land it is SO miks. A large field is open to enterprisins men with —nB capital ? with out that, it would be no use risking the experiment. Progbess OF Caibss. ? Cairns is likely to become a very important town before long if present appearances of the great mineral wealth of the surrounding country shoold not prove completely delusive. The Wide Bay News of last Saturday says : — From a letter received from Mr. W. Jack, dated from Cairns, we learn, that stream tin in large quantities and a payable lode have been dis covered 30 miles from Cairns. Mr. Jack writes, " Although I have been on Stanthorpe and other rich tin fields. I have never yet seen anything to equal the quantity and qsalityofore in this place. The lode tin is close to the surface, and we have only to li --- HIT WINDOW --- own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for the dram drinker. Tobacco is 2s. Si, with sU other dutiable goods in proportion. There are three publicans, but litle business is done, from Palmerston to Southport passage can be secured in a small frfwr— ' tor Kku, the distance by water being about 27 miles, while by land it is SO miks. A large field is open to enterprisins men with —nB capital ? with out that, it would be no use risking the experiment. Progbess OF Caibss. ? Cairns is likely to become a very important town before long if present appearances of the great mineral wealth of the surrounding country shoold not prove completely delusive. The Wide Bay News of last Saturday says : — From a letter received from Mr. W. Jack, dated from Cairns, we learn, that stream tin in large quantities and a payable lode have been dis covered 30 miles from Cairns. Mr. Jack writes, " Although I have been on Stanthorpe and other rich tin fields. I have never yet seen anything to equal the quantity and qsalityofore in this place. The lode tin is close to the surface, and we have only to lift it into the waggon. We have sent some for assay, with a result of 71 per cent, and we are now putting up a store and other necessary bundinfis-' From the fact of Mr. Jack and his mates being experienced tin miners, there can be no donbt of. the reliableness of the above statement Av Electric Gibi* ? It has long been known that certain persons are strongly electric — that is, they are so c --- HIT WINDOW --- they take away, as no official records are kept. Numbers work away without a licence, and simply peg out their ground perfectly fearless of consequences. The last wet season was against the diggers, there being little water deposited ; consequently the average yield of gold was less than it would otherwise have been. The weather alternates between intense heat in the day and cold nights. The climate is fair; considering everything, and now that fresh beef is plentiful, life is endur able. The reign of 'Bony' is over, as Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black boys and two gins. The passage money from Cooktown to Port Darwin is £7 in the steerage, and £15 in the saloon. Between the Margaret River and Southport there is a fine reef called the John Bun, where a ten stamper is placed, but only 5 head are working. Two miners own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for the dram drinker. Tobacco is 2s. Si, with sU other dutiable goods in proportion. There are three publicans, but litle business is done, from Palmerston to Southport passage can be secured in a small frfwr— ' tor Kku, the distance by water being about 27 miles, while by land it is SO miks. A large field is open to enterprisins men with —nB capital ? with out that, it would be no use risking the experiment. Progbess OF Caibss. ? Cairns is likely to become a very important town before long if present appearances of th --- HIT WINDOW --- en. The weather alternates between intense heat in the day and cold nights. The climate is fair; considering everything, and now that fresh beef is plentiful, life is endur able. The reign of 'Bony' is over, as Frank Hann arrived with 100 bead of fat cattle, dis posing of them at about £8 per head. Be travelled alone, excepting his black boys and two gins. The passage money from Cooktown to Port Darwin is £7 in the steerage, and £15 in the saloon. Between the Margaret River and Southport there is a fine reef called the John Bun, where a ten stamper is placed, but only 5 head are working. Two miners own the claim, and are doing very well. The natives are quiet, and are let in every where, performing various duties, for winch they get small wages, which they spend in procuring rations, such as flour, sugar, tea and tobacco. Hundreds are to be seen in Palmerston. Not long since the Chinese quarter was completely destroyed, and there was great commotion with the aliens. Everything is cheap in the grog line : Rum, eight shillings per gallon, and square gin only £1 12s. per case, a perfect paradise for the dram drinker. Tobacco is 2s. Si, with sU other dutiable goods in proportion. There are three publicans, but litle business is done, from Palmerston to Southport passage can be secured in a small frfwr— ' tor Kku, the distance by water being about 27 miles, while by land it is SO miks. A large field is open to enterprisins men with —nB capital ? with out that, it would be no use risking the experiment. Progbess OF Caibss. ? Cairns is likely to become a very important town before long if present appearances of the great mineral wealth of the surrounding country shoold not prove completely delusive. The Wide Bay News of last Saturday says : — From a letter received from Mr. W. Jack, dated from Cairns, we learn, that stream tin in large quantities and a payable lode have been dis covered 30 miles from Cairns. Mr. Jack writes