OTAGO GOLD FIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 951, 21 December 1861, Page 5

OTAGO GOLD FIELDS.

By the p.s. Geelong, which arrived at one p.m. on Thursday/we have news from Otago to the letlj. The Geelong, was detained 22-hours at Timaru. The weekly .escort arrived on: the 12th instant, with 16,141 ounces. The Aldinga had arrived in Otago after a passage of only 4 ;days 22jhours/fro*n Melbourne. "Another rush had commenced at.Melbourne for Otago. iri" consequence of the receipt of 40,000 dunces by the Aldingai! . Owing tb thlsy there" is no prospect of the' English mail 'coming 'via .'Otago, as all the steamers were; fully engaged both with'- pas• sehgers and cargo. We extract the following 'from the 'Otago Daily Times'; .i-^ .*;>/>< ■..;-.'.<■ ■■•, v ;!-:,: 1 Arrival op the Escort with116;141 Ounces--The weekly escort arrived at Dunedin yesterday, with ;16,141 'ounces g01d,5 of which 10,953 ounces were from GabrielJs Gully/and 5.188 ounces' from Waitahuna; alspi six prisoners. ,o; i: ;j - j .; „::!-.,; =/ ■■.■■i.aili GOLD In/tHE NORTH. ;.-■ .' "'■'.' Mr. Reyman who has been prospecting for; Mr. J. Jonesfd.n the,nbfth,-has just: rreturn.ed with:hisreport w.hichwe.subjoin;),there <»n be no. doubt that a.fine; field exists in the direction he has ; been, but possibly iVmay take some time to develop., Some regulations, should be made , encouraging prospecting, aiicl doubtless many experienced inirie'rs would disperse1 tlie'ihselves over;; the country, and. new~gbld fields would 1 he found; -Mr/ Reyhian has l brought' down half an ounce of fine gold, which he obtained during bis tour. He returris!at once, with' proper equipmerits{ to the/gully :rurihing< into Dutfstan creek, whfcreihe:found therbest-prospect.,* IThe;;*deep/holes he could not bottom, owing to the foul air and: want of nrope-; ; In Dunßtan gully he and/his mates, sunk fifty^ fee^withoutfinding a bottom.j He will, however, direct;his attention*to the .shallow sinking or sur-; fach^?"-rhb ; gpliy=is about two miles long, by a, quarter'of 1 a mHe/wide. and he could wash gold' uiider-the'isbii all over it. 'Dunstari gully is situated thirty miles from the Lindis. oh Mr. Black's run. The1 following is. Mr/ ReymanV report:— • guis *■■•-,;<. t-j :,'««l3uhedinv!l2thDecemher/lS6i. :^ "Sir, —I am pleased to inform you, that I have.' discOvered^gbld to the north of this province, in the Mainuherikia.'valley/but not in paying quantities at present..;l'found' gold oveha large extent of country, and I firmly believe before, long I shall discover, a< good lead, as the country; has every appearance .Of a gold field; I should nqtirecbmniend any one,to go there until I return./On,^Monday next I intend to return north .with tools/arid provisions, and inVthree or. four weeks. I will send ybii the gold, and let you" know what a man can earnper day. I left Dunedin on the 30th Sept., and prospected for six or seven miles round Waikbuaiti, but found no gold. I then pushed oh to the Dunstan mountains. In aJlargel gully running to the Dunstan creek, I sunk one hole 17 feet, and got a half penny weight off the bottom.; T.wft hole 3 further down gave the same result/ I thenwent a mile and a half further, down, sinking t.wo feet, andipu a ; false bottom found two feet of wash dirt/yielSirig about tlie same'result of gold. Under that' is hard cemented gravel. We sunk 50 feet and found no bottom; it; was dry. We then tried ,the false bottom*in twenty places; all gave the same, results. I should say they would go l£ dwt. to the' load. I have.sent you half an ounce for a sample-' it is fine gold, waterworn; there is plenty of :water, no wood, only'firewood and plenty of coal. WecouUL npt gtt provisions there; we were three days without1 food;- we made: to a. Mr. Black.s station, but that, gentleman's servants had received'orders not to let < us, liave,anything to eat, sb we remained without food for two more days, although we had had nothing , but grass roots for,three days previously, andnffered to pay for what they' would give us. He did hot. want gold diggers there. You will see prospecting is no joke in New Zealand. ■/'. . '■■ I remain/your obedient servant, .■■:•'■■■.■.■''■ A. G. Reyman. J. Jones, Esq." ; '■ '■■ : • : ,- We would caution returning digtrors against taking gold on which the duty has nbt been paid, the consequences of detection are forfeiture of the" gold, and a liability to a heavy fine in addition. We believe that the police have instructions to take'the necessary steps to prevent the'smuggling of gold in tbis manner: and we, .must confess that, taking - into consideration/the; fact that the property.of; miners is brought down at a, great cost, by escort, and kept at the bank free of charge, we can liave no ; sympathy with thosewho attefnpt to evade the payment of export duty. .';/:/./*' A The Southampton too„ from-Melbourne to London 37,078 ozs. of gold from New Zealand. This willbe a conclusive proof tb our English friends, " that the. New Zealand bubble has not .burst," as the' Age,', ventured to insert in its last extraordinary" to1 England. '' •;- ■ - ---;;/