this
morning with Bradley and another to prospect up the country, taking
Gordon's bridge, so the diggings may approach Cotta Galle. That there
is gold in the Maha Oya at the old Morrotie ford I've not the least
doubt, only if it pays to wash it; to natives it may, but at present
decidedly not to Europeans."
Mr.
Power, we understand, wrote in to Government on Saturday to say that
"apiece of gold" (size and weight not afforded) had been found 8 miles
above the diggings, " with more to come." We hope to hear further
before going to Press. The fact of two of the diggers, being down
already with fever, is ominous, and we have heard that some sailors who
had left their ships have asked to get back again.
Henry
Temple, one of the diggers, has just been in our office with a
companion who is very ill from fever. He demurs to our suggestion that
the diggers are likely to find more fever than gold, and at our request
gives us as follows the names of the now historical seven, rendered
famous by the exception made in their favour in the Government
Proclamation: Henry Temple, Wm. King, Charles Langley, James Mabley,
John Wilson, John Philips, Wm Bradley.
Thirty
of the police force are already at the diggings, and we have heard that
a company of the Ceylon Rifles are under orders, if required for the
same destination.
P.
S.—Since writing the article on the reports by Dr. Gygax, we find that
there was a subsequent Report, dated Jan. 1849, in which he announced
the discovery by him of gold in connection with iron pyrites. Another
fact is that Mr. Talbot, the Government Agent of the Southern Province,
has forwarded to the Colonial Secretary what appears to be a nugget of
gold, but which bears the appearance of having been hammered. The
native who presented the piece of gold to Mr. Talbot states, that he
found it in the state in which it exists near Ratnapura. Then it seems
that gold actually does exist in the rocks at Nuwera Eliya, and that
specimens are about to be analyzed to settle the quantity. And finally,
a letter from Kandy asserts that 24 miles from that town on the
Trincomalie road, gold has been found in larger quantity than at the
original diggings.
We
now find that the piece of gold reported by Mr. Power was produced to
him by a headman—that Dr. Ellery pronounced it to be entirely without alloy—that
it was found at the village Dambedeniya (an ancient capital, where
coins of gold and copper were formerly struck)—and that the headman had
promised to return with more specimens and with the persons who had
found them !
