KARAKA GOLD-FIELD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1306, 22 January 1868, Page 2

KARAKA GOLD-FIELD.

(FBOM OtTE SPECIAL. COBBESPONDBNT.) January 21,1868. For the first time since the holidays, I have paid a visit to some of the claims. Amongst those I visited, were the Edinbro' Castle, the Star of the South, Flying Cloud, Carpenter's, and Dixon's. In all these claims, I found the men well satisfied. I cannot say that there are any very remarkable finds ; but there was that that sort of show in all cases; that tends more and more to satisfy me that there is really here an almost inexhaustible goldfield. Not more than six weeks ago, not one-sixth of the claims I visited were known; now the men are talking of having lome ten years work on -hand. The Carpenter's, although a good claim, did not strike me as quite maintaining all that has been said about it; ; but there is this fact to be considered —that seventy (70) ounces of gold have been got out of a claim which is nearly the furthest back of all the claims now in work on the line of the Moanataiari Creek. All the others which I have mentioned are on the Monataiari and they are all included in tho rush which tookplace just .before ; Christmas...; : . In the Star of the South Claim, there is a sandstone reef; it is just the sort of stone that Dr. Hochstetter and Dr. Hector say that gold ought not to be found; but, nevertheless, the gold is there. I should like to see more before venturing the assertion that this is the same line of reef that runs through Hunt's and Barry's claims, but from all I can now see the inference seems a fair one, that it is the same line of reef. Messenger's claim is doing well, but in all these cases I like to see a result. Probably under the head of a result might be placed a 121b. weight specimen from the Star of the South Claim, the more particularly so as it was well, studded with gold, and under the same head would 'come a cake of retorted gold from Barry's weighing over 600 ozs. troy Goodall is crushing for Tookey's claim. Gibbons' machine is well forward, and will most likely make its trial crushing before this day week. Scanlan's machine will be a few day's later. David Graham's machine, or King's patent, at the foot of the Waiotahi, is looking more like work. The Great Expectation's is standing still, as is Butt's one stamper. Things are looking a good deal more lively than they have yet done since the holidays. Hunt's party are waiting for the machine to commence crushing. They could send 15,000 ozs. this month if there was crushing power ready.