THE KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Shortland Town, September 1.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3160, 3 September 1867, Page 4

THE KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Shortland Town, September 1.

1 niVB observed during the last few days the arrival of men of a stamp that is known in the Southern goldfields as the right sort. They nave not remained in the township looting around them, but started right away to prospect, irith the intention of setting in and giving the ground a trial. On the Karaka and the creeks to the north, work has been progressing steadily. A looker-on (whose experience in other places should enable him to judge correctly) would infer that the men who have now been sluicing fora fortnight, would not continue stripping the banks, and in some spots doing an amount of labour which must entail an outlay of money, unless there was an equivalent return. These men are not necessitated to sell the gold obtained, and, as the storekeepers are generally selling their stores for cash, it must be held back until there is a sufficient quantity to make it worth their while to dispose of. The value of the gold is not known here ; £2 9s. 6d. has been offered for that obtained from what has been washed into the creeks, but as Dr. Hector eitimates the value of this gold (from the sample Assayed by him) as similar to that found in the Middle Island, where the price is quoted at £3 155., the men will not be disposed to part with what they have got, at the price offered in Kauaeranga. It would have been more specific had the Government geologist described the •mall samples sent to him for assay, giving the proportions of other minerals, and the real value of it as taken from the dish. Until a quantity it taken to the banks and sent to the assayer, and the oarat value ascertained, no price can be fixed. The prospectors in the Shotover claim have received a certificate of protection from the Warden, while two of the party are away in Auckland with the quartz sent by the steamer on the 30th inst. The party working above the prospecting claim towards the South have struck gold in the solid quartz. There are four claims now on the block of high land situate between the Kuranui and Moanataiari Creeks, producing gold in the stone. This portion of the Karaka field alone, when gold is found in payable quantities, and the extent of leaders known, will give employment to more men than it was estimated would find wages at the outset of the rush to this place. At present there are about 75 men quartz-reefing, half of whom have become proprietors of ground for which high prices are asked. The others are on the same line of reef, and hope to strike the auriferous quartz daily. The oreeks flowing from the range through whioh the reef runs are not yet thoroughly tested, bnt, as T have reported on a former occasion that I had heard from the men sluicing that they were satisfied, and as there is plenty of room left, the grumblers should hesitate before they express so decided a veto against the Karaka goldfield as I have heard some have done who have returned to Auckland. No. 2 olaim on the Karaka has been sluiced to the bottom. It is situate close to the gorge, the stream running over a terrace formation. A large amount of labour has been expended on this olaim in consequence of some clean waterworn gold haying been obtained. I was shown over an ounce of a mixed reef gold of different qualities, and amongst it a few heavy specks of alluvial gold. The men are determined to sink a shaft, to see what their claim is made of, in from the creek. They will not have to go to the depth that the holes on the flat will have to be sunk, but the boulders met with will be heavier. Some of the funds now being subscribed towards the development of the Karaka might be well invested in assisting the working of this olaim. For the satisfaction of the Auckland subscribers towards the working of the shafts on the Karaka flat, I giye the following report ; — "To the Chairman and Committee of the Kauaeranga. prospecting party : " Sir, and gentlemen — I beg to forward you the following report for the week ending August 31. "Commenoed operations on the 19th inst., fourteen men employed, and have erected cook-house 18 x 14 ; cut timber for logging up shaft ; cut race into creek to carry away water; sunk the shaft — name 'Nonesuch' — to the depth of 5 feet. Have received from Mr. Butt 483 feet timber for slabbing. Twenty-four claims have been pegged off according to the instructions of Mr. Mackay. Two prospeoting claims are held over to be pegged off at a future time. Enclosed are Touchers for provisions received, and a list of names of diggers employed at the present time. —We have, &c, "Geobge Holland, Manager. " Wameb Deans, Assistant Manager." By the steamer ' Enterprise,' which arrived in the river at 6 o'clock this morning, we are informed that subscriptions are received at the offices of the Daily Southern Ceoss and the JVew Zealand Herald ; also that Messrs. Macfarlane and Gibbons have given a quantity of timber suitable for slabbing. An advertisement appears in the Auckland daily journals headed " British Claim, Karaka Flat," calling upon the inhabitants of Auokland to give pecuniary assistance to enable the prospectors to slab their shaft. I have to inform you that the men subscribing their names, William Coppell and William Button, are in no way connected with the proipeoting party got up at the public meeting held here last week. There was no resolution proposed to assist the slabbing of the British, and these men have had no authority whatever from the committee to ask for subscriptions. It is to be regretted that they have deceived the public, as a really serviceable undertaking may suffer in consequence. J The committee will advertise a protest in the daily papers, a copy of which I send you for in- j sertion. The Auckland visitors have had a wet day to go round the diggings and the reefs ; but, bad as the weather was, they were not deterred from visiting Hunt's reef .