THE REPORTED GOLD DISCOVERY IN THE MANGAPAI DISTRICT.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3352, 14 April 1868, Page 3

THE REPORTED GOLD DISCOVERY IN THE MANGAPAI DISTRICT.

To the Editor of the Daily Southesn Caoss. g IBj I waB somewhat startled by the letter of the Whangarei correspondent of your contemporary with rpgard to gold having been discovered in thii district. lam sorry to say that, having contributed my assistance as ODe of the party who went out to to prospect, I am not in a position to recommend a rusb. Mr. Ross did not succeed in finding in any other portion of the jaspoid quartz, which abounded where he picked up the piece in his census rounds, any farther indication of gold either visible to our naked or aided eyes. Passing that place a mile or two, we came to the Taipua river, which we followed up for some five or six miles on a hard bottom of various-coloured qnartz land, mixed with atones of several degrees of hardness—from almost mud to exceedingly hard blue alate— no glister of mundic, pyrites, or mica to give us even false hopes. la a dry creek leading into the river we found a solid quartz rock forming the bottom— no indication to our available means. Necessarilyjwading in the bed of the river, as little progress could be made on its banks, we were at length brought to a full halt by the depth of the water, between high precipitous sides o£ land, dark blue stone, showing no veins or slatiness. Mr. Ross had pinned his faith somewhat on the jasper district, and, being disappointed, our very superficial prospecting tour was easily daunted. A day or two was given to the Tang.hua Ranges with equal success. As it is contemplated to try again with better promise,of weather and more adequate preparations for a lengthened stay, I would not have thought it necessary or of much use to acquaint you with the above, bat for the notice alluded to. From Mr. Ross having *«»* -«°jj here (which I am certain of on his statement), and fromtJe formation of the country being as teg we have seen identical with the Thames, I would think ft highly probable that a thorough search would not meet with disappointment, and even yet within the bounds of possibly, though in the interest of the neglected North, to have sufficient public spirit evoked not to leave the exploration of the two extensive ranges of mountains, Mareretu and Tangihua, to weak private enterpriser The country is not remote, or difficult of access from here— ls miles of Great North Koad, ouffioiently. level for a cart, and cren now in such a state that I rode it easily in 2\ hours. The twelve unnecessary > additional miles to, Whangarei make the HeraW* . statement of difficulty somewhat correot. —I am, &<s., • -« •' ■ YOUB COBBBSPONDXHT.