THE HIGHLAY GOLD FIELD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 171, 3 June 1862, Page 5

THE HIGHLAY GOLD FIELD.

Our. special reporter arrived in Dunedin last night from the Highlay diggings, but, owing to the lateness of the hour, was unable to write out liis full iincl detailed report of his visit in time for publication in this issue. We have, however, obtained from him a brief verbal account of what he saw, and the substance of this we -will now lay before the reader, deferring the publication of the full report until our next. The route, mi is now pretty generally known, is first by steamer to Waikouaiti, a voyage of three or four hours from Port Chalmers. Leaving Waikouaiti, the traveller finds a good bush road, which passes the Pleasant Stream, skirts Pukitapu Hill, and leads up Shag Valley to Hamilton and Wayne's statin, say twenty miles. Thence the track diverges to the left, across high ranges, to liopkinson's station, a distance of about fifteen miles. Prom Hopkinson's to Saxton's station is about two miles, the road still being what may be called a good bush road, but with occasional patches of snow after passing Hamilton and Wayne's. From Saxton's the track leads past the paddock, and ascends a very steep hill, bearing away to the right, past the peaks known as the Three Sisters, and over a track of high tableland to Timbrell's Gully, a distance of seven or eight miles, for most of which the snow was two fvet deep. The whole distance from Waikouaiti is thus about 45 miles, only 7or 8 of which are really bad, that portion, namely, from Saxton's station onwards, which is full oi treacherous bogs, made more dangerous by the layer of snowthat covers them. There is a road from Dunedin by Campbell Thompson's station, a distance of about 78 miles, which is reported to be good. Timbrell's Gully is a long gully, running down from the Highlay Mountain. The llighlay Mountain is "estimated to^o about 2500 feet high, and the locality of the diggings in Timbrell's Gully about 2000 feet above*tl\e level of the sea. When our reporter was there, there were from fifteen to twenty tents in the gully, and the total populaion was about GO men. The only work in the gully is sluicing. The wash-dirt is nowhere more than live feet below the surface, and consists of a loose gravel showing but a small proportion of quartz pebbles, and resting upon a sort of rotten micacious slate of a very promising appearance. Ihe gold obtained here is rough and irregular, and has the appearance of having been only recently detached from the quartz. It was, as usual, dilncult to arrive at any very definite information as to the earnings of the miners. One party (.1 arson's) said they could make 15s. a-day per man, when able to work, but that it took them two days out of the week to get firewood. Others said that they " could rub along." Our reporter was offered a parcel of 10 or 12 ozs. of gold for Bale, hut the owners would not say how long it took them to obtain it. The wash-dirt is only a few inches in thickness, where it is exposed, but there is hardly any work done as yet. There is one store in Timbrell's Gully, and another store and a bakery are in course of erection. Mutton and flour are at present supplied from Ilopkinson's and Saxton's stations : mutton at 9d. per lb. and flour Gd, but the store prices are higher than these. There is plenty of snow at Timbrell's Gully, and numbers have lelt in consequence, as it is hardly possible to work. From Timbrell's Gully it is about a couple of miles to the quartz reef where Mr. Bailey has taken up a claim." The reef crops out on a slope running down from the llighlay Mount. It is about three feet wide as it shows on the surface, and can be traced at intervals, for a mile and a half. In the quartz fine gold, like pin points, «in be seen. There are two or three other reefs.

There is at present positively no work being done in the way of reefing. All that has been done has been to break away a little stone here and there from the caps of the reefs ; it is therefore impossible to say for certain what they are worth, but our reporter, from his experience of reefing in Victoria, was led to form a favorable opinion as to their probable yields, if properly worked, lie brought away a few specimens, taken almost at haphazard, and in which the gold can be plainly seen. Deep Dell is situated on the eastern slope (f the Highlay, and is distant from Timbrell's Gully about five miles. In this locality,' about a hundred men are at work, sluicing. Most of these are men who have left Timbrell's on account of the weather, and have set in at Deep Dell, because of its being lower down the hills, and less inclement, and not from any preference to the placo. The gold here, unlike that of Timbrell's, is line and water-worn. One party of six had sold a. parcel of 9 oz. There is a heavier stream of water in Deep Dell than in Timbrell's Gully. Prom Deep Dell our reporter made straight for Hamilton and Wayne's station, and on the way saw another quartz reef cropping out. He estimates that there are altogether about 150 or 200 miners on the field ; and the general impression is, that when the weather permits of really working and prospecting, it will turn out a very good diggings ; but no men should go up now who are not in every way well provided and prepared to face great hardships. Of those who have started and returned, very many have never got beyond Hamilton and Wayncs's, being frightened by the steep snow-clad hills.