THE WAITOA.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2204, 19 October 1887, Page 2

THE WAITOA.

?0 TEfB EWTOS. Sir. — Please give me space in your paptr, for a few remarks con r cerning the Waitoa deposits, J hare during tbe past week, been over a pprtion of Messr9 Sinitb and Parr's properties, both gentleman hare numerous shafts or boles sunk on their lands, many of which are a long distance apart, and are of various

depths, from 5 to 25 feet. The depotitf are in strata varying in colour of quite a sandy appearance, when viewed by tho naked eye, but when seen through a glass each and every strata is a mass of fine quartz. There are a great many opinions as to how the Waitoa deposits came there, (some say former heary currents of of water placed it there), my firm belief, is that heavy currents of air placed it all over the Waitoa country, through some heavy volcanic upheavals from some auriferous Jcountry, witU but short intervals between each upheaval. The deposits are the same formation on the higher lauds as well as on the low. If water carried it there, the high ground would be stripped, and the deposit being of such a fine nature would get swept into the sea, nor yet would it have the same regular formation. Alluvial miners will find a great mistake hy visiting the Waitoa, expecting to meet with anything resembling the alluvial fields of Australia or other parts of New Zealand such as shaft sinking and driving. It will be all surface work, stripping, paddocking, and stacking. The deepest stripping is four f#efc. Tho deposit in may places reaches the roots of the undergTowth. As it reaches towards the Matamata or Eotorua country, it becomes of a coarser nature. Any colours that are obtained from dish prospects are of rougher gold, so that leads me to; believe the deposit came from that country. There has been a teat made of the deposit from the banks of the Waitoa river, towards Matamata, and not far from the Katikati ranges and this test yielded the same amount of gold or bullion as all the other tests from Messrs Smith and Parr's lands. I would not advise people to go there as yet, looking for work, 1 until a start is made with the erection of machiuery. Price and Co. are about erecting a large plant, on Mr Smith's property. When the fi«ld is properly opened it will employ all the surplus hands in this part of the country, A man who was never on a gold field, could go to work there and in a few days have as good a knowledge of what he had to do, as the oldest digger. The Auckland Star does not speak very encouragingly of the Waitoa, and I can well guess the reason, for many extensive alluvial rushes I have seen in past years, affected for the time being large towns at a distance. I have sent you samples of the Waitoa deposits for inspection at the office of your paper. —1 am &c, Jas. Sletin.