THE WAIEAEAPA GOLD DISCOVERIES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 950, 9 June 1868, Page 3

THE WAIEAEAPA GOLD DISCOVERIES.

(From the " Independent," June 2.) The caution which we gave our readers ' on Saturday relative to the telegram about the Wairarapa gold-bearing quartz reef, has been .since, more than justified by the tenor of ]M[r. Grove's report. The sensational character of the telegram is by no means justified; by, tHe tenor of the report. From, that document, we learn that Mr. Grove left Mastertp'n on May Bth, accompanied by two men, and on the 12th struck on to the .Mungiturako, four miles from its source. He then, prospected the beaches without success, and on May 10th prospected the caps and casing of the large reef of the Buamahunga. On the result of this Mr. Grove writes: — The reef is cut by the river about thirty feet deep, and measures about forty feet in width on onesided and twenty' feet on the other. We could not obtain any gold at that spot. We tried the same reef about half a mile south', 5 the cap about sixty feet wide; raised the color from some sort of pipeclay, slate, and nibble on the western dip ; took a sample of the stone — which I believe to be gold bearing— for transmission to Dr. Hector for, his opinion. It is very thickly impregnated with seams of mica, and in fact looks as likely quartz for gold as ever I have seen. Westwood went to the top of the mountain to choose a leading spur for our next route on the western water shed. We are united in the opinion that this large reef would require two or three months prospecting before a proper opinion could be risked upon its value ; it is evidently a main reef, and' worthy of the attention of reefers possessed of means to test it On May 21st the party, started at daylight,, arid arrived at a creek they fancied to be a northern branch of the Ohau. On the 22nd the creek was prospected and the color raised in many places. " Then," writes Mr. Grove, " our hopes slightly re- . vived. „W estwood prospected another branch about a mile and a half further north, and also got three or four specs to the dish. 'He commenced a shaft which Thomas and he, agreed to bottom if possible. We'fancy,;we are about twelve miles from the Manawatu gorge, where we intend .to purchase pur supplies in future, of which we nave only lour days' supply."