SOUTHLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 209, 9 August 1862, Page 5

SOUTHLAND

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

THE WAKATIP DIGGINGS.

THE TIBBETS TRAGEDY.

Invercargill, 2nd August, 1862. The Chief Surveyor and Chief Commissioner returned this week from a visit to the Whakat»pu diggings, via the North road, on the East bank ofthe Oreti. I subjoin the substance of what they report. Leaving Invercargill by Dee-street, you proceed along what is called the Main North Road, turning off along the Riverton, via Wallace Town road, and across the Makerewa, at the place which is shortly to be bridged. The shorter road will be due north, crossing the Makerewa, near the Mossburn Bush, but at present there is nothing on the Estimates for bridging the river at "this spot. As far as this, the Government has made and formed the road. From Wallace Town to the Northern boundary of the New River Hundred. Proceeding along the Western side of Ryal Bush, the natural road is generally good and sound ; a few small bridges and calverts, at trifling expense, would make it easily practicable for drays. The-road then extends along the East bank of the Oreti, through the two thousand acre blocks, to the foot of the Moonlight Ranges. The country through which this road passes, is some of the finest in the South ; thickly grassed with the finer descriptions of grass. It is well adapted for both agriculture and pasturage for cattle ; while the miles of bush frontage on main bushes, and various detached bushes, ensure a plentiful supply of timber; it is also well watered by creeks of various sizes. The present track crosses the Oreti some four or five times, close to the foot of the Moonlight Ranges; this may, and will, be avoided,"by taking the road through a bush. Proceeding along a hard gravelly plain on the East bank ofthe Oreti, at the foot ofthe Ilokanui, you cross the Oreti about opposite Dipton Bush, and thence along a good natural road on the West bank of the same river, till reaching the North end of the Moonlight Ranges, you wind round them to the left, and crossing by a rather circuitous route the Five River Plains enter the Dome Pass. The road up to this lies on nearly a dead level, and pretty sound ground; from the north end of the Moonlight Ranges to the Dome pass, by crossing the Oreti near the Elbow, and making a straight line for the pass, the road would be shortened by ten or twelve miles, and I believe be equally sound. This for a permanent road, would involve the bridging of some creeks, though not Mire than the present and longer route would require. From the Dome pass to Messrs. Rogers' station, at the foot of the Eyre mountains, in the immediate vicinity of which are tbe present diggings, the road is more hilly and swampy. I believe it is the intention of Government to take immediate steps to open up this road, for, irrespective of a payable gold field being discovered at or near the present supposed site, this road is tlie main artery of the Province. Its construction will open up a tract of county unequalled in every advantage and inducement to the agriculturist, as regards quality of land, bush, water, and pasturage for cattle, and, at the same time, greatly facilitate the transport of wool from the interior.

About three miles from the Messrs. Rogers' station, in a gully leading out in a northwesterly direction on to a flat, through which flows a small tributary of the Eyre River, are the present diggings.

The Chief Surveyor reports having seen some eighteen men at work in the gully, which is steep, and, towards the top, shallow, with a small rivulet at present running through it, though"", in summer nearly dry. The parties (generally of two) worked the bed of the rivulet, turning it from one side to the other as suited their convenience, passing through short sluices the detritus on the top of the slaty rock, in thickness from two and a half to three feet —(this at the top of the gully.) While the wash-dirt was passing through the sluice, specks of gold were easily discernible. Lower down the gully the soil was deeper, and where it reached the flat or valley, or rather, in the flat itself j the depth has not been ascertained ; Stirling's party having sunk 40 feet without reaching bottom. They were prevented by water, the Flat being swampy. A party of two showed a sample of rather more than two pounds weight, obtained in the Gully. Another party had some four ounces, and several parcels were heard of as being in possession of diggers —all got from the Gully. The general impression amongst the diggers being that the gold was better than that of the Tuapeka, they were holding for a higher price. That this Gully has turned out well forthe few it could accommodate is pretty patent; that it can accommodate no more is equally so ; the question for the future being: Is this the only auriferous Gully in a large tract of country ? I understand there has been little or no prospecting in any other place; the few up there preferring to work where they were sure of some success. In the few instances where they have prospected, they have not been able to reach the bottom, on account of water.

The slate abuts on a formation of pipeelay and greenstone, not far to the westward ofthe present diggings; while to the east the slate ranges seem to extend a considerable distance. Tba east slopes of the same ranges, on the western side of which are the present diggings, seem to be more likely to prove fertile; these

lead on to the valley of the Mataura. Gold has been found along the banks of that river for miles from its source; it is not unreasonable to suppose that it is more likely to have come from the country adjacent to its source, than have been washed into it by its tributary the Eyre; there are slate ranges also on the east bank of the Mataura. There seemed to be an impression on the diggings that payable gold fields would be found bn Mr. Rees's run, on the Whakatipu Lake. The difficulty of reaching the ground, which cau only be done by boating up the lake, will be considerable, while tbe abundance of timber for fuel and slabbing will offer great facilities for the development of a gold field, sbould one be discovered. The want of timber on the present (or supposed) field, will make slabbing expensive, should it prove a permanent one; the nearest bush of any considerable extent, being at Mr. Wentworth's home station, distant some thirteen miles, on the present line of road; tliere are however, I believe, some small patches in gullies, on the ground.

I have been given to understand on good authority, that where two formations join one another, ores are more likely to be found in quantity than in the heart of tlieir specific formation, This is particularly apparent in copper—it is not unlikely to be so with gold. The abutting of the slate on the green-stone formation, may be indicative of a large yield ; one thing seems pretty clear; from what'l can learn, if there is a gold field found at all, in the vicinity of the present supposed one, it will be a rich, lasting, and extensive one. Those who go to the diggings in spring must be prepared to spend a considerable time in prospecting without a return, and at considerable outlay, for although sinking in the flat, is a reasonable, and not unpromising speculation, it will take time and money. The only gully at present in which gold has been fouud, has room for no more; new comers will have to find new ground; that they will succeed in doing so cannot be considered apocryphal. The gully wliich is now being worked is evidently paying; there is a large extent of country of similar formation, while the most likely place—the hills and gullies at the source of the Mataura—have not, as yet, been tried.

A most shocking tragedy,—for it cannot be called anything else—was enacted last week, on and in the vicinity of the Waimea Plams. Captain Tibbets, who has for some time been considered of unsound mind, left the hut at the lower or southern end of Messrs. M'Kellor's run, where he and his brother have been living lateh', for Mr. Switzer's station on the east bank of the Mataura, armed with a revolver and double-barrelled gun, with the avowed intention of shooting all the men there; some word of his intention seems to have reached the station, and most ofthe men had decamped before his arrival. He stopped that night at the hut on the station; and finding no one came, next morning sallied out iu quest of them ; his dog scented out an unfortunate German shepherd concealed in some scrub, and Captain Tibbets shot him deadfiring twice at him with fatal precision. It is reported that he shot at a woman, but missed her. He then returned home—where his brother and Corporal Morton, of the Southland Police Force, had arrived. Mr. Tibbets told his brother, the captain, to lay down his arms, otherwise he would be forced to shoot him, he (the captain) having already killed a man. Captain Tibbets immediately fired at his brother, missing him, and, while in the act of again firing at him with the gun (which was loaded with ball), his brother shot him dead, the I all having perforated the heart. Air. Tibbets then, being greatly excited, tried to destroy himself, but was fortunately prevented by Corporal Morton, the pistol goin" off without doing him any further injury, than slightly wounding his hand; he was brought down to Invercargill, in charge of a constable; the Coroner, Dr. M'Clure,proceeds ou Monday, to hold an inquest on the body of Captain Tibbets The unfortunate shepherd's body is lying on the East bank>f the Mataura, and consequently in your province.