THE KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Shortland, Novedber 11.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3222, 13 November 1867, Page 3

THE KARAKA GOLDFIELD. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Shortland, Novedber 11.

I HA.VB to report that the prospecting paity which went toward* the north oE the peninsula with Mr. Mackay were landed at different place* between the Puta creek and Mauaia. At I Btated in my last letter, Mr. Williamion wa« put on shore at the Puru. Since then I have learned that Hamilton and party were landed at the Mata creek, and Major Yon Tempsky and some others at Manaia. The Puru shows indications of gold, and the formation of the ranges is similar to that of the Karaka block. Mr. Williamson picked up on the beach a splendid specimen of jasper studded withhold. On the ranges, quartz has been found in detached portions ; and as a few specks of gold have been washed out of the rubble, there is reason to Buppose that auriferous leaders may be discovered. Hamilton and party went up the Mata to its source, close to the dividing range, and tried a prospect in the shovel ; the result displayed one coarse speck, water -worn, weighing about four grains. The next prospect contained four or five specks of lesser weight. This part of the country will be systematically worked for alluvial gold. At the Manaia, Mr. Mackay found several men on the ground who interfered with the arrangements he was making with the natives. Those he brought with him were told not to go to work until he had settled the question. I may mention that a party who had gone on a piece of tapu ground, at the mouth of the Waipatukahu creek, were detained by the natives, and one of them who was seen coming off the ground had his clothes taken off his back and wa3 sent away naked. (Until Mr. Mackay has his boards up cautioning travellers as to the road they should take, inquiry should be made ai they go along the beach.) In » few days I expect to hear that the country will be marked off in the same manner as it has been done on the ground lying between Shortland Town and the Puta. Your correspondent having heard that a sensational meeting was to be held at Shortland yeaterday, ho travelled from the Pura to report. The objecb of the meeting, as you are already aware, was to apply direct to the natives for permission to go prospecting towards thesouth. After your special reporter had left the meeting, as the steamer was whistling for her return trip to Auckland, a miner in the crowd proposed that a subscription should be raised to defray the expenses of the deputation that should be sent to treat with the up-river chiefs. Mr. C. F. Mitchell handedj up a one-pound note, stating thai if twenty pounds were wanted for the same objeofc he would be glad to contribute that sum. No other contributors having come forward, Mr. Mitchell was requested to address the meeting. He agreed with Mr. Mackay that no tents should be pitched on Government reserved grounds ; that those persons who had leased ground in the township had to pay heavily for their allotments j and that there was room outride the town where tents could be pitched without being interfered with. Were miners to go on native property, the natives had a* much right to order them away as he had were they to camp on his ground. He wished to see a deputation going up the river to treat with the natives about the opening up of the land. Mr. Williamson, the Superintendent, had failed ; so had Mr. Graham. He concluded by statiDg that, bo far as expense was concerned, he would be one to subscribe towards a deputation to the natives. The next speaker considered that Mr. Mackay had shown paitiality to a few by putting them on the ground to the north. Mr. W. Williamson, who was one of the select few, stated that Mr. Mackay had taken with him the origjnal prospectors, they having applied for a passage in the Government cutter ; and that if as many as the cutter could carry, and in whom Mr. Mackay could have placed confidence, had applied, they would been among the number. At the last moment of departure Mr. Mulligan went on board and requested that he should be taken. Mr. Mackay acceded, and waited for him after the cutter was cast off from the steamer. Mr. Mackay could not take all the crowd with him, but if many who were then present did as others — walked down the coast — they would have had an equal chance of getting on the ground with those who accompanied the Commissioner. As usual at these kind of meetings, the speaker was interrogated by a dozen voices, the questions being anything but pertinent to the real working of the country. After some noise and bustle the people separated, without arriving at anything beyond the pound note that Mr. Mitchell dropped. Mr. Mulligan has shown me quartz taken out of his claim on the north bank of the Waiotahi Creek, similar ia appearance to the famous stone found on the claim known by the Coromandel miners as the Golden Point. "Hitheito, in this locality, the bluestone has not produced gold. The weight of the quartz indicates a distribution of the gold throughout.