The “Wampit

Rush”

First Authentic Account of New Find on Morobe Goldfield

From Our Own Correspondent

Edie Creek, T.N.G., Dec. 23.

ON November 9, the well-known pros pectors, Messrs. Babbington Brothers, reported finding payable gold on Wom bombo Creek.

Their arrival in Wau with over 100 ounces of sluggy gold for a month’s work created excitement and the news spread rapidly. Within a few hours, many miners were en route, or preparing to depart, for the new El Dorado.

About a hundred Europeans, with per haps one thousand native labourers, have visited the new find. Most of them re mained only a few days. Thus, at no time, were there more than fifty men on the field.

Actually the “find” has proved a duffer.

Excepting the Babbingtons’ six reward claims, possibly not more than a dozen claims are likely to prove payable.

The discovery of this entirely unknown “shed” is worth reciting. The Babbing ton Brothers have been “battling” hard for five or six years, having their ups and downs —but mostly downs. System atically trying stream after stream, con tinually shifting camp, living on tinned and native foods —a hard, inglorious and usually unrewarded life —always seeking the foot of the rainbow.

Prospecting the Wime country, they established a camp there, and it was ar ranged that the elder would take a three weeks’ trip on the Wampit fall, whilst the younger, Alf, continued the good work on the Wime.

Working along the right bank of the Wampit, testing each tributary, Mr. Bab bington found a colour in Wombombo Creek. Following the stream up about a mile, he “specked” a slug, and, within an hour or two, he was returning to the main camp in the Wime with 3J ozs. of gold.

Great was the excitement in their camp that night. We can all imagine their dreams. They could pay up the debts at last . . . have a trip away . . . perhaps to their home town, London . . . what a lift it would be to this cobber and that . . .

Establishing themselves at Wombombo, they thoroughly prospected the creek, finding the rich area much more confined than would be anticipated. As was their just due, they pegged the six best claims and duly reported their find —warning all and sundry that the remaining ground was unlikely to be payable.

When the rush started—small as it was —it taxed the hospitality of these very generous brothers. No less than four teen guests shared one meal. Every man who visited Wampit appreciated the generosity and helpfulness of the dis coverers. Hardy, persevering pioneers and gentlemen, T.N.G., or the Empire, cannot go far wrong whilst this type exists.

Wombombo Creek flows in a general westerly direction, and empties into the Wampit River about twenty miles from its confluence with the Markham. Three hours’ walk from the find is the Wampit ’Drome, forty minutes’ flying time from Wau, but less than half that distance from Lae. The Wampit ’Drome is an emergency landing ground, and only Moth ’planes carrying three hundred pounds can use it.

Wombombo Creek is a puzzle to the

miners. From the mouth, a mile up stream is not payable; the next mile is rich, or portends to be; then the gold cuts out, only very occasional specks being recovered. Why no gold is found above or below a confined area, half way up the creek, mystifies everybody, —perhaps excepting our Government Geologist—and his report is eagerly looked for. Even in the richest area no prospects can be won from the wash. The gold—which is all sluggy and well water worn—lies on top of bed-rock, but none appears to have penetrated it. The country is mostly blue slate, with occa sional hard bars and soft patches. There are a few granite boulders in the lower reaches.

The biggest slug so far recovered weighed 4 ozs. 18| dwts. The assay ap proximates 874 parts gold per 1,000, net ting here about £7/3/- per oz.

Numerous streams on the Wampit shed show colours, and prospecting of the whole range is now being undertaken by numerous parties of disappointed “rushers.”

The Wampit flats have been pegged as dredging claims by Messrs. Graham and Smeaton, and a Mining Lease on the range has been pegged by Mr, Chas.

Booth.