THE GOLD DISCOVERY AT WHANGAPOUA. ARRANGEMENTS MADE TO OPEN THE LAND.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3514, 20 October 1868, Page 5

THE GOLD DISCOVERY AT WHANGAPOUA. ARRANGEMENTS MADE TO OPEN THE LAND.

Wjs daresay that the unfortunate termination of the " rushes " to Kennedy's Bay and Mercury Bay will be a caution to the mining population not to treat Whangapoua in a similar manner. We may say at once that there is no appearance of alluvial gold at Whangapoua, and there is not likely to be any found so far as we can learn. Mr. Mackay reached Coromandel on Wednesday, and started at once over the range to where the men are working. This is at a point in the Whangapoua slope of the range, but which can be reached easily enough from Coromandel. There Mr. Mackay found about forty men at work on different claims, but gold had been only found on the prospectors' claim. There it occurs in vein 9 of ferruginous quartz which run through masses of rotten sandstone. Mr. Mackay brought up with him lome of the gold, which is mostly in thin flakes, and reiembles in colour the Tapu gold. To all appearance, the prospectors' claim — Ryan and party— will turn out well, but let us again repeat that theirs is the only claim in which, as yet, gold has been met with. Mr. Mackay at once proceeded to make arrangements with the natire owners by which the land might be worked. The principal owners are Mohi Mangakahia, of Whangapoua, and Pita Taurua and Te Arakuri, of Coromandel. These natives, and the others concerned, have signed an agreement to allow prospecting for gold, and, if it is found in payable quantities, to enter into an arrangement similar to that which was made with the natives at Shortland. On Friday Mr. Mackay returned from where the men are working, and went to Manaia, where he held a meeting of the natives of the Tawera and .Ngatimaru tribes relative to a disputed boundary, which dispute prevented the opening of a large extent of country for goldprospecting. The arrangement was made by the Tawera agreeing to forego their claim to the land in dispute. There are a few natives at Shortland who have yet to sign the agreement, and when that is done the arrangement opens the last piece of ground in the Coromandel peninsula, and the whole country from Omahu on the Thames to Cape Colrille may be prospected over. In reference to working at Whangapoua, we may state that it has been arranged that miners wishing to prospect should place their names in a list which will be kept by Makoari at Mr. Woollam's store,, Kapanga, or with Mohi Mangakahia, at Mr. Harris's mill, Whangapoua. We hope this place will turn out well, and draw off some jOf those who are waiting for the opening of t the Upper Thames, for which event we are afraid they will have to wait a long time, and .without a tittle of security that, when it is opened, ithey will get a speck of gold in the whole district.