In our overland summary of 25th March 1854, the actual work accomplished so far was summed up as follows :—
The
Gold Discovery announced in our last has continued to engross the
attention of the Public and the Press, and in our columns will be found
all the information and much of the discussion to which it has given
rise. The result seems to be that Ceylon numbers Gold amongst her
Mineral products, although not in quantities to render the search for
it remunerative, or pleasant in such a climate as ours. The scene of
the Diggings is in the bed of the Maha Oya whose sources and
tributaries rise amidst the Dolosbage and Kadu-gannawa Groups of Coffee
Estates : while not far from its embouchure in the neighbourhood of
Negombo are tracts of Coconut and Cinnamon cultivation. Curiously
enough Girooella in the neighbourhood of the Diggings is the spot where
Dr. Davy closed those journeyings, one of the results of which he
authoritatively declared to be that no Gold existed in Ceylon. Bennett
corn-kited this opinion. Dr. Gygax, it appears, found traces of Gold in
Saffragam, and Dr. Kelaart stated recently that some grains had been
discovered at Nuwara Eliya. To the latter gentleman we owe the
information that Mr. Hopkins, a great authority in Gold Mining, touched
at Galle and pronounced it as his opinion that though Gold might be
found in small quantities no profitable Diggings could be expected. The
"practical" Diggers entertain a different opinion, but the results
hitherto are in favour of the less sanguine view. Disease has already
attacked the Diggers and within the last few days rains have set in
which will probably put a sudden stop to their operations. The Maha Oya
and many other rivers in Ceylon very nearly resemble those of
Australia—their beds, which are nearly dry in the hot season, filling
up rapidly when rains fall as they do in the Hills at the rate of 5 or
6 inches in a day. The result of a " prospecting" tour towards the
Hills on the part of Mr. T. Power, accompanied by Drs. Ellery and
Bradley, seems to be that auriferous sand been found in the bed of the
Hingool Oya, a tributary of the Maha Oya, and in the bed of the Main
Stream about 40 miles up from the original discovery near Girooella;
but we hear of no nuggets even at that near point to the Hilly Ranges.
Further search must now be stopped by the heavy rains which have
fallen. In view of the result to which the search for Gold seems
tending, Government have rendered themselves the subjects of much
jocular remark by the issue of solemn Proclamations vindicating the
rights of. the Crown and forbidding all persons to dig without a
License—a Special Gold Commissioner being appointed to grant such
License at 10s a month. No Licenses have as yet been applied for, we
believe.
Passing
over details, we come to the next summary—April nth—by which time the
excitement and exploration (in consequence of heavy rain and bad fever)
had pretty well subsided—and accordingly here is what was said:—
We
cannot yet number Gold amongst our exports, the furor consequent on the
discovery of flakes of metal in the Maha Oya having subsided as rapidly
as it arose. The duty of a public Journalist in such a case is to
collect and lay before his readers all the information possible. This
we did, taking no oversanguine view of the possible result but the
contrary. We are, therefore, not open to the animadversions of certain
sage writers who can preach very wisely to those who do not need their
teaching. The fact has been established that Gold exists in the rivers
of Ceylon, but sickness and the rains have prevented such a thorough
search as would settle definitively the question of quantity. A
thorough exploration of the country with reference not only to Gold but
to other Minerals and Metals is a highly desirable measure and one more
worthy of Government than the issue of repressive proclamations.
Previous to this, the Observer had
to take special pains to reassure the planters, many of whom are
described as in an anxious state of suspense, lest gold-digging should
be established as a rival to coffee-planting. They seem to have been
greatly relieved when sickness drove the explorers away with so poor a
return in
