THE TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5520, 3 May 1875, Page 3

THE TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

The bpccialrepoiterof the Tltaiiwi Atlw fisfr thus writes from Tairua on Friday Last : — " In t'10 prospectors' claim work has steadily p 'ogressed since my visit on Tuesday, and, on arrival this morning, I found that the old shaft had been cleaned out, and a few feet of sinking done. The manager, Mr. Beeche, was engaged in panning off some of the mullock and sandstone that Hanks the rich seam. Soveral dishes were tried, each of ■which gave fine payable prospects of a few grains to the dish. Duriug the time occnpied in doing this, the men were steadily engaged sinking, and it was shortly noticed that a change of ground was making in the west side of the shaft. This turned out to be a forinatiou of a wall, and, to all appearances, that which will, henceforth, form the hanging one, as the strata of the country appears to be dipping westward. This wall is of a fine browu sandstone, and hugging it was a seam of cement with small streaks of quartz running through it. Mr. Ncevcs, the prospector, came up just at this moment, and his keen eye at once detected the tine gold which was disseminated profusely through the cement. Piece after piece was sent u^i * from below of exactly the same quality, so much so that the manager felt it incumbent to send for several bags in order to stow it away carofnlly. This latter work is almost necessary, for visitors have hitherto been frequent, and it is usual for many of them to pan off a dish and take away the proceeds. A little of the loose rubble of quartz and cement that had fallen during the breaking out of the above was then placed in a dish, and from it we panned off close upon 4dwt. of gold, a result which has not yet been equalled, 'either by Mr. Neevcs or any visitor who has hitherto tested the stuff. Several dishes were then tested from the near or hanging wall, and the result, although nothing approaching that from the seam, was very good. The footwall at this point had come in very sharp, and contracted the seam, hence the stuff of t<wlay is a pocket. The nature of the seam stuff is very peculiar, consisting of cement, and through which streaks or veius of quartz exist, and is altogether different from anything I have seen in a quartz-reefing district. Mr. Beeche states the seam to be about 15 or 18 inches wide, but one can scarcely form any idea either of its size, or what it is likely to eventuate in. Many are of opinion that th s rich stuff is the cap of a reef, and ultimately the lode will be found a little deejier. This latter' theory was propounded freely this morning, when the change in the shaft was noticed. A few days more will probably make us better acquainted with what the rich conglomeration of dirt now in the shaft really is. It is, however, evident that there is a heavy deposit of gold about hero, for the whole of the dirt thrown out from the shaft will pay handsomely whdh crushed. So far as can be judged to-day, the strike of this lode is within a point or two of N.N.W. by S.S.E., with the underlie W. A low tunnel was commenced this morning, which will give 50ft. of backs, with little over 30ft. to drive ere the lode is intersected, which should be done in about a fortnights time. No. 2 reef is the larger body of stone that was recently tested, and, as before stated, its discovery is due to the uprooting of a large kauri tree. It is a defined and pure quartz reef, of a nature that would attract very little attention at the Thames, but here the moat un-likely-looking stuff gives the gold. It is over 3ft. wide, with a strike N.E. by S.W., underlie W. We broke out a little quartz therefrom, and also some from the cap, and* in the dish it yielded a first-class payable prospect. Several loose pieces from the cap were picked up in different places, and in each can be seeu numerous but minute particles of gold, many of them visible to the naked eye. This, 1 believe, will turn out a splendid lode, and the value which the manager recently put upon it — viz., loz. per ton — will be found under the mark, judging from the show of gold you can obtain all along the cap of it. Neither expenses nor trouble seem to daunt the proprietary, for there is already a stamper battery on the way, via Tairua, while a contract for cutting up the timber at 20s. per 100 feet was given out this morning. The Eldorado is a lease of about 25 men's ground, owned by Messrs. Frater, Hewitt, and party, and is situated peg-and-peg with Kenuan's and Ajax's lease, north of the prospectors.' The continuation of the prospectors' reefs cannot fail to strike through this ground, but independent of these, they are reported to have a firstrate show. At usual in these discoveries, a fallen tree has been the means of showing the cap of a reef, from whence some golden stone has been obtained. Little work has yet been done, merely fossicking, but not a dishful of stuff from the casing or reef is tried, but nearly a grain of gold can be got. What is better, they broke up some yesterday, and gold showed freely through it, while a little was brought to tho camp, which may fairly be called specimens. — Paddy Bonfield, with Catran and Trewheela, arrived on Tuesday night, and they acted 'in such a strange way that it got wind that they were on some lay. lieid, who has been prospecting in this locality for some years, and who claims No. 1 South of the pi'ospectors, came on Wednesday night, and he at once chummed with the Catrans, so that the supposition that something was in the wind gained in strength by this companionship. Measles-town was very lively all that night, everybody on the alert, and it was not until nearly two a.m., when people began to think of retiring. Not so, how ever, with all, for during tho night you could hear the stealthy walk in the vicinity of the tent where lleid slept. At early morning these men went out, followed by a whole crowd of men, who went as far as Jackson's store, Tairua, whore Reid's party made thomselves comfortable, and with every intimation of doing so for a few days if necessary. Most of the men were sick of it by this time, as Catran told them they knew of nothing. Not ao with Tom Baird and Nolan, who said they would follow them over the whole peninsula. Neither of these have yet returned, and it is evident they intend to be true to their word, and shepherd Reid aad party until he either takes them in with him or lay* them alongside. The weather has been frightful again during the night ; raining in torrents, and some of the men who went out after Catraus had neither tucker nor tents ; in fact, as the day was line, went out in their shiit sleeves."