NEW GOLDFIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 254, 26 October 1899, Page 6

NEW GOLDFIELD.

RICH FINDS AT KAPOWAI

For some time past an amount of prospecting work has been going on in the Mercury Hay district, and results have -recently been obtained which point to the opening up of what will practically be a new gohliield in the Hauraki Peninsula. The find is on the Kapowai Block, nt the head of the- river of that name, which run; into Whitianga Harbour, Mercury Bay. This is really in the vicinity of what is known as Gumtown. About two months ago .Messrs Meikle, MrIsaacs and others who had been prospecting on the Kauri Timber Company's leases, discovered very rich gold in a creek on the .Kapowai Block, the exact locality being about six miles from Gumtown. The find in the creek was really very rich, and it is supposed the gold came from an old decomposed reef. Such old prospectors as those named were not long in locating gold-bearing stone, and a leader of brown quartz was discovered, which has since proved to be very rich. Practically very little work ha,a been done as yet to show whether the gold goes down, but, the surface show is reported to be really lirstclass. Some bags of quartz from this property which were lying for some time at Gumtown were recently despatched to the Thames for treatment. One miner who visited I he property considered the show good enough to warrant him offering £100 to be allowed to break out a bag of quartz, but the owners did not accept the. figure. It is stated that some prospects washed from this property went as high as Joz to rhe dish, and Hie bullion is worth about £3 per oz. Loose prospects of gold are also obtainable in the sandstone country encasing the reef. During the past week another reef was discovered on Messrs Me.ikle and Mclssacs' property about, 30 feet distant, and running parallel with the former one. It ranges from 6 to 24 inches in thickness, .and gold is visible in the stone, and it is believed this reef would prove payable if a crushing plant was available to treat if.

Gold was discovered in this locality some seven years ago by a. man named Lee, who applied to the Kauri Timber Company for permission to work the ground, which at that time was not granted. Lee brought up bottles containing rich prospects that he obtained, but not being able to get a title, he finally gave up trying, and nothing more was heard until the present discovery again attracted attention to this district. At fhe same time other prospecting parties had been quietly Avorking, and important discoveries had been made prior to that of Meikle and Mclsaacs. The next property to the Prospectors' claim is an area of 100 acres taken up by Mr George, Lindsay, a well-known mine manager. He has also pegged out two other-- sections on the same line, that is N.E. of Mclsaacs. On the. Jppposite side the Rangihou claim has Been taken up in the name of W- Gray, and on the other side is the Kapowai, pegged out by E. Ryan. Mr Lindsay has'already picked up a reef on the surface of his property, and is still continuing prospecting.

A good deal of pegging out has been going on in the vicinity during the last few weeks. J. McNaughton has taken up 100 acres some distance away from the Prospectors' claim, and it is reported he has got a very rich leader four inches in width. This adjoins a claim of 100 acres known as the Welcome Jack, which was taken up. some time ago by Messrs Murphy and Nicholson. This i^ located fully a. mile from the Prospectors' claim. On this property what is described ns a very good pnyable reef has been discovered, which so far has not been worked at a greater depth than 30 feet. The reef, it is stated, varies from 3 to 18 inches in width, and is solid stone of the character that is calculated to live, whereas some of the leaders found, in this district; though very rich, are soft brown rubble. In the Welcome Jack the country is very hard, bn the reef so far seems strong, and where worked imon is as rich as where found upon the surface. This reef has been followed on the surface for some distance, and ils course fakes R. into Hie property called the Golden Reefs, pegged out by Mr Ceorgc Lindsay. Whercevrr tried on the surface this reef, it is stated, shows gold. Stone, from the Welcome Jack mine has also been sent to the Thames for treatment, but the test is not yet completed. Other reefs have also been found on this property. The reefs run east and west.

Tf may be of interest, f 0 mention that this very ground which is now being pegged out was for some. Hme lield under option by the N.Z. Explor-

ation Co., but their prospectors failed to find anything encouraging, so the option was abandoned. This is only another instance of the uncertainties of gold mining. The Kauri Timber Co. has agreed to take a percentage in shares in each company for their interest, so it- is anticipated there will be no difficulty as regards title. To reach the new find the visitor requires to go by steamer to Mercury Bay, and then in a launch to Gumtown, after which about four hours' hard walking reaches the Prospectors' claim. The country is very rough, but there is ample water, 'and also timber for mining purposes. Messrs Kenny and Murphy, prospectors at Gumtown, Mercury Bay, completed crushing of 2_ tons of quartz and 2621b5. of stone at the School of Mines for the excellent return of 131 ounces of gold valued at £2 0/6 per ounce, total £263 15/6. A similar parcel is being treated at the -May Queen Extended mill. The quartz was won from the Welcome Jack claim (Gumtown) on a section of an old forfeited claim.