A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, Issue 17, 12 October 1894, Page 3

A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

F. Hamer and party have (writes the ' Times ' correspondent at Preservation Inlet) just returned from a prospecting trip into previously unexplored country over 20 miles from the head of Chalky Inlet. -Tbey give a most favorable aooount of the country and prospects. -Many likely looking reefs were seed, but they had no time to properly test them, except one, which carried a few fine colors of gold in the stone. They also 'got traces bf gold in most of the creeks §nd rjivers all the way up. Tbey took a N.E. course frojn the head of Chalky lulet, and after proceeding abo^. a $ile up the river catne to two grand waterfalls. Aftor carrying their boat overland they cirne into a large lake fully six miles long aud one iv width, which tbey traversed until they came to a river up which they proceeded, finding it connect with another Jake about two miles long and a mile .wide, ?.his bas a river running into a third lake which is about the same dimensions as tbe second, 'The" seeneyy around theso lakes is described by them as most beautiful. The waters are ?nvftred with ducks and swans, and the lakes ard ve *S d ee P« These would make charming resorts for tourist?, and if Shocked with trout, ana i f deer were placed oja the ranges would tempt many a sportsman to yi^t tjjip locality. After reaching, the head of the tliird iGjko the party was compelled to return' to get another boat and fresh supplies, having run out of all food, living on birds only for the last week or so. They are very anxious to got back again as soon as possible, as $£r Hamer state, that they are nearly oia tlie second Mjb of slate country after passing through the gpanijfce district, wbere they hope to strike good t gold. This party havo discovered another : B,ee.ip of good coal. Mr Hamer is bringing a pa.jnpJe tfl tpjvn with bim ; it looks enuul to Westport jpoa} ; £t j§ surely high time that adventurous prospeefcora in such rough and unknown districts reoeived some encouragement from tho Government, if only in the shape of a subsidy to keep them even in a supply of food, to say nothing as to their loas of time and .the £f pens* of outfits and of tools. If such a grant was made there is little doubt many valuable mineral dig. wet'w would be wade in these Souode-