GOLD-PROSPECTING AT THE WADE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3428, 11 July 1868, Page 3

GOLD-PROSPECTING AT THE WADE.

SINOE the stone brought down from the Wainui district by Mr. A. P. Jacobs turned out so well, one or two of the settlers in the locality have occasionally gone out prospecting. This has been done, in most cases, with the disadvantages of inexperience, and want of the proper materials. Traces of gold have been found, and we think it a pity that no well-organised prospecting party has been set on foot. We have received the following letter from a settler in the district : — " The Wainui is situated about six miles from the Wade bridge. I first went to Mr. King's, on the Tokatoka Creek, and prospected the creek and gullies on the west Bide, leading to the Flat Mountain. The ranges are about 700 or 800 feet high. The creeks are all stony, with large and small bonlders. The hills are composed of brecoia, plum-pudding stone — the same as at Coromandel and at the top of the ranges at the Waiotahi Creek, Thames— and boulders of trap, trachy tie granite, quartz, Ac. They are broken and precipitous. 'The p'.um^pudding stones extend to the top or-nearly ; they are very hard, and one ban do "nothing* without the gads. By external appearances I should 'say there would be alluvial gold in the vicinity. •On the other side of this range the boulders are much larger and more o£ them, of the same character, but of a far superior appearance of a gold- bearing- oountry. The Flat Top Mountain is covered with large and small boulders— some yery large — right up to tbe top, covered with bush. Oa the top there is a perfect flat of about.two acres, and from this one can see the Kaipara harbour, and have a splendid view alj over the country, I came across a good many ' pieces of quartz, but principally trachytic rocks. About a mile from Mr. King's, on the Tokatoka Creek, Mr. Griffin is at work putting down a hole in this'plum-puddiDg stone. He has found gold, in three distinct layers, but not payable. He isy i still going on, but cannot devote all his time "to it,' so he gets on very •lowly, but is very sanguine, and I think he will hit it Mr. jacofis obtained gold in a blue' bandstone, 1 hut not in payable quantity j and also in a silicious, limestone Tboulder, but not payable. Mr. Caldicot and his mates are working, but are troubled with water. Here gold was found, but not in payable quantity. , Mr. Ellis, and his mates are sinking, and have fdund qW'tz arid tracby tic rocks. They have not got deep enough^ ' The ranges on the righthand side of the creek leading to the Flattop Mountain are well worth prospering. I scratched over with the pick some of the hills, and found some of, them composed of mullock, similar to that at the Thames. There are also pieces of quartz about the gullies, and also pieces of crystalline q iiartz, and silicioui matter wifh .Veins of crystalline quartz. I think some of

these might lead to a leader, as gold has been foil -id not many hundred ) nrds from them I only touched the outside. I think that, m all probability, a gol Ifield will be found here, aid 16 is at any ia'o worth the while of the West C< a,3& men to pay us a vKit, and look at this part of the count) y."