Te Aroha Goldfield.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3219, 13 November 1880, Page 2

Te Aroha Goldfield.

[BY TELEGKAPH, OWN COUEESPOHTKNT ] GRAHAMSTOWN, this day. Kich gold was struck in the prospector)!' reef yesterday afternoon. I arrived here on Wednesday evening lut after about eight hours hard steaming froa the Grahamstown wharf known as Cartia'. The river here is as wide as at the Pttke and continues for many miles further, 'tin our passage we had to pass through or between several eel wiers erected yean b£o by the natives, and which they will art allow to be removed. Some of thepttw of the weirs are decorated with rode, very, rude, carvings of the Maori form diWnV but they don't look it, for the native idea of representing the human figure in wool is to have the mouth wide open and a mo*-; ster tongue lolling out. It may be itypifljl, of the well known garrulity of theraM,; The southern extremity of the. gSunt Te Aroha falls abruptly not far from the; riverside, and at its base bubbles up tie celebrated soda springs. The prospecton', claim is on a steep spur directly over ttd: flat, and can easily be discerned by .the traveller corning up the riyer some tinioj before he arrives at this embryo townshipti Gold was obtained in the prospectoreNMß last Wednesday, when the leader was cat higher up and gave on the cap gObdoish, prospects, but no specimens, but; until the: reef was opened upon I hesitated to forward the news. Yesterday, when the reel W opened, this stone at first did noti»K promising, but iurther development !Udfev covered rich gold, the stone being jMtoUat: to that found on the spur, and the ldei that; Te Aroha would turn out a rank dtiffer wai swept away. The etone as it was itwcejßj out was bagged. Mr McLean, lato.oj • Coromaudel, has charge of this mine, and v was mainly due to him that the/gold-JW ; picked up when it was. The reef, which II about six inches wide, is rutmiDjrinveiy ; tight country, which will require blasting. I have not yet heard of any other find«,»OTt if there are any they will probably unknown until after the field isopenw There are about sixty diggers hew at present, but the tents being scattered we.; visitor would at first think there was n«i: that number. Many travellers coma 1«S» ; way and cross this part at the landiDft ftt route to Waitohe-Hamilton, and Ca»bridge, and the one hotel at this landing,, kept by Mt G. F. O'flalloran, i» ««»«&;■ crowded. More accommodation in.,|Bi»; direction is required. A GoVennw! v township has been laid off, but as J«t only one allotment applied.!" a store erected. There is a bnteber a{MOP, and MrVealc, of Pollen-street Shortland,, is erecting a baker's oven, also a store ne«| the landing. The first batch of bread m expected to bo taken out ot the new oven;; on Monday next, and Mr Veale adverting the cheerful and|philanthrophicintelugenM { :.. that it will bo given away, so it is »!WjS superfluous for me to say that we shaliau:; be there. [ADVERTISER'S CORRESPONDENT.! FfiATERVILLK, October II« To those unacquainted with the g;'-. and geographical position of Fratervuie« ; ; is necessary to state that it is situate BJflffl| way bctwe'en O'flalloran'a Hot »Pr"*J ' Hotel and the prospectors'ground. «J»" named after Messrs Frater Bros., *»«' pitched the first tent upon the site ot W| now are built the canvas homes^ 01 gw».■.,seeker*. The flat which lies botwoeo . O'Hallorau's Hotel and the landing m scnts, this morning, quite a lively sceoe. f Look which way you will, building* .a"^be seen in various stages of cotopiewwj,;; comprising butchers, bakers, wholesale an« retail shoo* and stores. Jn short, ■w*week henco we shall be able toinowy in all the etceteras ot civilised »»cv During the past week the prospectors Ba»». driven their tunnjl a distance of 15 «»* The country in the face has now become «v ; hard as to necessitate the ure ot the nam™<» . and gad, indicating that the s Pur,^ f j t V< landslip from higher country, buttnai» -, composed of solid formation, which, Jn^;f| estimation of mining men, enhances ■* | value of the prospectors', F°Zl\ Our population is rapidly incieaswg. are here at present about sixty me^Ks< rcspectivelv from the West Coast,.OJWJS; Tanranga/ Katikati, \Vaikato, A°cKl«L and Thames, the majority being "°™^|t. latter place, and all, or nearly all, 0"" are experienced prospectors.