TASMANIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 86, 24 February 1862, Page 2

TASMANIA.

DISCREDITABLE GOLD-FIELDS' HOAX. On the 13th inst, the Conuoa,'' Chronicle, publishes an extraordinary, containing the following news, in a telegram from its own correspondent in Ilobart Town :—" A most important discovery—that of a payable gold-field, within ten miles of the city— ha« iust been'made. The discoverer has broug.it m specimens so rich that no doubt is entertained ot -lie fact. He states that the gold is in great abundance, and has already put in his claim for the reward nltJivil by Parliament: The news has produced the greatest j excitement nttiongst al! cla=ses. and tho steamer City of ilobart has been engaged to proceed direct down the Derwent, to the nearest landing point in that locality " The Mvrcnn/, in an extraordinary, aildoil tho following information :—" The have been placed in. possession of the following important information :—' An auriferous quartz, reef has been discovered hy Mr. L. Johnston, superintendent ot the Iron-pot Lighthouse, who has forwarded a specimen to the Treasury; and through C. M. Maxweil, lvsq., Chairman ofrhe Marine B.mrd, lodged a claim to tlie reward of £J0.000.' Mr. Johnston says that the quartz exteiub from the island through the rects to the mainland at the southern extremity of boutn •Yrrnn The specimens arc beautiful. Tim stca-nslnp City of Hobart proceeds to the Iron-p it, to the scene of the new discovery, in the course of the afternoon, lor the conveyance of all who choose to avail themselves of the opportunity." "The announcement of this alle.n-ed important intelligence," says the Cornmall Chronicle of Saturday last, "of course caused very mvat excitement. In order to gratify tin; public, •md alford thorn the earliest information, the tele-n-raph-ofKce was opened at ten o'clock, by which hour

it, \ra supposed that the City of llolisirt wotiM hsy* ,rctnnipfl from tiie Iron-put Lijrljtli«a*f. A larc*« iiumlier of ptreous, nil more or luss interested m the result of the expedition to tim supposed auriferous ircprinii, wcr'.1 in atteiuiaiu-n at tin 1, ivlcwaph-ofticc at ! the appoints! hour. Affnr h lirinf flclny it was anjnounced that the City of Holiart, stf-amer, hafl not jprocpedetl to thn Iroii-pot, but the- Culloden br.d, and irsiiiJivtl— \x\Va the brief, hut liia-h'y interesting- information, tiint tli-i discovery of jro'd at Iron-pot Island was an unmifignted soil or hoax."