THE WAKATIP GOLDFIELDS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 51, 24 October 1863, Page 6

THE WAKATIP GOLDFIELDS.

From Mr PykJs Second Annual Report. S The "Wakatip goldfield is without doubt, one of the richest and most extensive ever discovered. From personal observation I am justified in stating that it contains an orormous acreage of payable alluvial workings. Gold is found in the river beds, in such quantities as to place every other goldfield yet discovered, in the shade. The Shotover itself is incalculably rich, and from its peculiar appearance, passing through deep gorges, over precipitous cliffs, it may be said to be a second Ballarat, devoid of any super-abun-dant soil; but the river itself is a far more formidable guardian of its golden treasures than anv qnantiiy of rock or earth could be. To divert the Tlratcr and lay bare the bed of the torrent has been the object with which time and labor has been expended. The various creeks and gullies on the shores of Lake Wakatip have been comparatively but little worked, owing no doubt in a great degree to their remoteness from the townships, and the consequent difficulty of obtaining supplies. Many of these creeks have yielded excellent returns, "and mining operations aae steadilyand satisfactorily progressing thereon. The workings are carried on both in the streams and on the terraces, many of the latter being more than three hundred feet above the level of the Lake. Fine gold is obtained in the creeks, heavy gold in the terraces, and some handsome nuggets have been discovered. Two instances of individual success were reported to me on the ground, in one of which six miners obtained 700 ozs. in six weeks, in the other a party of four realised 400 ozs. in eight weeks. Most of the main rivers and creeks are plentifully supplied with timber from extensive patches, which occur in almost every gully. A large forest exists at the Head of the Lake, where saw mills have been erected, and there are many smaller patches in the gullies, and on the adjacent banks. Sufficient timber exists in the neighbourhood of the Lake to supply a considerable population for many years to come The mountainous character of this district precludes the probability of its ever becoming to any great extent, an agricultural country, but there are, nevertheless, rich tracts of alluvial land about it capable of producing in abundance any English crop that may be placed upon them. In addition to the Frankton and Arrow flats, there are others of smaller areas, around the borders of the Lake, amounting in all to fifty thousand acres or thereabouts. The land on the ranges is in many places rich, and the soil of considerable depth, but so situated as not to be of any use except for grazing purposes.

Arrow River. —The association of Fox's name 'with*this rush has caused him to be generally regarded as the discoverer of the Arrow goldfield. lam informed, however, that such is not

the case. The first person who became acquainted with the auriferous capabilities of the locality ' was Mr. M'Gregor. He commenced mining operations on the 4th October, and five days later Fox traced him to the spot. But even M'Gregor rather developed than discovered the field. The real discoverer was the well-known Maori Jack, who obtained a fine sample of gold from the same stream in May, 1861. Shotover. —The Shotover is a considerable stream, or rather mountain torrent, the head waters of which take their rise under the Black Peak, near the shores of Lake Wanaka. The fortunate prospector was Mr. Thomas Arthur, who, with three mates, obtained 200 ounces of gold in eight days, by washing the sands of the river beach. No secret was made of the discovery, and miners flocked from all parts to secure a share of the rich spoils. Moke and Moonlight. —The passage up the river was impracticable, owing to the lofty and precipitous rocks which hem in the channel on either side. But nothing daunted the hardy adventurers who had invaded the hitherto unexplored solitudes of this remote region. Armed with picks and shovels, they climbed the rugged mountains —some of which attain an altitude of 7000 feet above the level of the sea, their gaunt sides seamed with dangerous ravines, and their summits clothed in perpetual snow—and wrested the auriferous treasures of nature from the wild glens where probably human foot had never ventured before. Thus the rich locality known as Moke Creek, and its tributary Moonlight, were attained by surmounting the very crest of Ben Lomond. Maori Point. —Higher up the Shotover numerous rich gullies were discovered, principally on the western watershed ; and the beaches of the river itself were successfully prospected for a distance of more than 30 miles, the miners crossing the adjacent ranges, and descending to the stream wherever it was found practicableto do so. One of these beaches is known by the appropriate name of Maori Point, owing to its discovery by two natives of the North Island, Dan Ellison, a half-caste, and Zachariah Haerora, a full Maori. As these men were travelling along the eastern bank of the river, they found some Europeans working with great success in a secluded gorge. On the opposite shore was a beach of unusually promising appearance, occupying a bend of the stream, over which the rocky cliffs rose perpendicularly to the height of more than 500 i'eet. Tempting as this spot was to the practised eyes of the miner*, none cf them would venture to breast the impetuous torrent. The Maories, however, boldly plunged in, nnd succeeded in reaching the western ban!:; but a dog which followed them w?.s carried away by the current, and drifted down to a rocky point, where it rema:." ed. Dan went to its assistance, and observing seme particles of gold in tbe crevices of the rocks, he commenced to search the sandy beach beneath, from which, with the aid of Zachariah,

he gathered twenty-five pounds weight (300 ozs.) of the precious metal before nightfall. A systematic investigation of the locality ensued, and resulted m the discovery of valuable and extensive auriferous deposits. Skipper's. —Other gullies and beaches further up the river were shortly afterwards opened up. The richest and most considerable of the former is Skipper's Gully, which, with its numerous tributaries, may be said to constitute a goldfield of itself. Beyond this the river has been prospected nearly to its sources, but of that portion of the district even yet we possess very little reliable information.

' Lake Wakatip.— The shores of Lake Wakatip itself have also been explored; and on the northern watershed of the west arm, and the eastern watershed of the north arm of this— the greatest of our inland seas—several famous gullies have been discovered, as Few's Creek, Simpson's, the Bucklerburn, and others of less note. Still more recently mining adventure has progressed m the direction of Mount Macintosh (the Earnslaw of the maps) and on the Kees River and its tributaries a considerable extent of payable ground has been struck. ' Material Progress. —Large townships have sprung up on this goldfield, and only await the opening and sale of the lands to become the centres of thickly settled districts. In the distant wilderness, where only three years since an enterprising settler laboriously paddled his lonely raft along the shores of an unexplored Lake—the large and important township of Queenstown has been established, and the solitary homestead of Mr. Rees is now the abode of a busy and euergetic population. Although scarcely seven months old, Queenstown already consists of several streets, closely lined with numerous stores and hotels, with concert rooms and a theatre for the votaries of pleasure, and with churches for the service of the Deity. It has a public treasury and a court-house, with their attendant functionaries. Jetties and wharves are built out into the Lake for the safe landing of passengers and merchandise ; and three steamers, a schooner, and a small fleet of boats and cutters ply upon its waters. At Frankton —five miles distant —a large and commodious Hospital has been erectecj, supported in part by voluntary contributions, and in part by Governmental subsidy. Future Prospects.— Of the future of the Otago goldfields I am able to speak without reserve or hesitation. Little more than twelve months since the gold workings were confined to the district of Gabriel's, Waitahuna, and Waipori, and little or nothing was known of the geological character of the far interior. The discoveries of Hartley and Reilly have effected a complete revolution in the aspect of affairs. Since the Ist of August; 1862, five large fields have been proclaimed, and gold has been found throughout an immense extent of country, and under every possible variety of circumstances. It has been washed from the sands of the ocean, and gleaned from the river beaches. On the hill tops, as in the valleys—on snow-covered mountains as in sunless ravines, gold is alike found in abundance. Large and valuable deposits are known to be concealed beneath the turbid waters of many an inland stream; and ingenuity, aided by enterprise, is busily devisiug schemes for their acquirement. The terraces and drift hills are being penetrated, and their treasures brought forth to the light of day. Quartz reefs, heretofore neglected, are being profitably wrought. And beneath the superincumbent strata of auriferous soil, the existence of older tertiaries, rich with heavy gold, has been amply demanstrated on at least one field. From the Taieri River to the West Coast ranges, and from the Kakanuis to the Mataura, the existence of a geological continent of auriferous rocks has been fully established ; and within those limits it would be difficult to find a creek or gully which does not contain gold in greater or less quantity. Future Operations. —All that has yet been effected towards the development of the resources of this extensive area is trifliug in comparison with what may reasonably be expected in the future. Hitherto our miners have been principally occupied in rushing from one new field to another. The surface of the ground has indeed, so to speak, been scratched over, and a few of the richest and most easily available deposits have been partially wrought. But equally rich ground will, without doubt, continue to be opened up for years to come, and more systematic processes of mining than have yet been adopted will gradually be brought into general operation. For hydraulic mining Otago possesses advantages which are unobtainable elsewhere. The soil is loose and gravelly, and singularly devoid of stiff clays; the supply of water is plentiful, and the necessary elevation is easily attained. The general dissemination of gold throughout large tracts of country greatly favors the successful prosecution of this branch of mining industry; and its more general adoption will be productive of very satisfactory results.