NOKOMAI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 277, 8 November 1862, Page 5

NOKOMAI.

MR. WORTHINGTON'S REPORT.

The following official report upon the Nokomai gold field has been placed at our disposal by the Government:— Commissioner's Office, JNokoinai, 31st Oct., 1862. Sir, —I have the honor to forward you the following detailed information respecting the workings on this gold field -.— Victoria Gully is about 3£ miles long, taking its rise in the boundary watershed-of this district. The lower portion gradually commences to wide n about two miles from its junction with the Nokomai river, varying from a quarter to one-third of a mile in vidih, and forming a flat which is distinguished by the name of Moa Flat. The workings up to.the present time have been principally i.\ the upper portion of the gully, from the great difficulty experienced in bottoming below, on account of the water. Sinking is generally through loose boulders and shingle, varying from six to twelve feet to the wash-dirt, which consists of a slaty gravel of an averagp depth of one and a half feet. The diggers now working seem to lie generally satisfied, and are making what they term wages, which I should estimate at about £'i per week. There are, however, individual instances of men doing much better, and I know of parties who arc earning o<; much as £6 and £7 sterling during the same jvjriod. The reef is a hard slate, on end, and nearly flat, but the pre iter portion of the gold is nor, al /ays found there ; in fact, it seems to he more plentiful at one particular level, which level is sometimes on the reef, but more frequently in the wash-dirt. This peculiarity is not understood by any miners to whom I have spoken on the subject.

Moa Plat has not been worked up to the present time, but I am organising a party to pros; ec both it and that of the Nokomai, such party to be >:s isted with the money given for that purpose by the Government. A few holes have been bottomed on the latter, and in one instance, on a small termce ten feet high, a prospect of 3dwts. to the dish has been obtained.

The source of the Nevis Valley is situated about twelve miles from- here in a northerly direction. I visited this place on Wednesday last, and found about 250 men at work, most of them disappointed with their prospects. The workings are, however, confined principally to two small gullies. No attempt has been made to follow a lead systematically, and they are of so recent a nature that, of course, the prospecting has been very limited! Miners seem to have a good opinion of the place from its general appearance, and some of them entertain the idea that gold will eventually be •found in the numerous made hills in the immediate neighborhood The sinking is about eighteen feet at the head of the gullies, through soil of a boggy nature, and graduating down to their lower ends to about two feet. The washdirt varies from one to four feet, and seems to consist of a mixture of gravel with a sandy clay. Further particulars respecting population and other matters will be found in my weekly report, forwarded by this chance. Miners complain greatly of the inconvenience experienced from the absence of postal communication. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, CIIAKLES WORTHINGTOJT, Commissioner. To his Honor the Superintendent, Dunedin.

The weekly report referred to above specifies that the estimated population of the field is 820 persons, divided as follows:—Victoria Gully, 360; Nokomai River, 2GO; Nevis Valley, 200. Two prospecting claims were granted during the week, one on Monday, 27th October, at the head of the Nevis Valley, twelve miles from the camp, in a northerly direction. The prospect obtained was one dwt and four grains to four tin dishes. On Tuesday, the 28th October, a prospecting claim was granted on the-Nokomai Flat, or rather on a small terrace about ten feet above. The prospect here was ia one place 3 dwts to the disK, but only averaged half a dwt on the. whole— one and a half to three feet of washdirt; stripping six to twelve feet. Rushes (as mentioned in the letter) took place in both instances, but the majority of those who went to the Nokomai River returned, and a few of those who went to the Nevis did likewise, la addition to the escort of 247 oz 13 dwts which has been received in Dunedin, about 500 oz coiild be traced as having recently been sent to In/ercargili aud Riverton. There were also about 200 oz in the hands of the diggers at the date of the report working in Victoria Gully .alone. The diggers were unwilling to part with their «old inconsequence qf the low price offered (L 3 10s), and they considered theix paicelfi too small to send by escort.

In addition to the above, we have received the following letter from a private source :—"■■ ~ (■ ■■---.■ Victoria Gully, Moa Cieek, 31st October. I

• " Ca!l-p. tiog-mnd and shoot him" is a wise saw, like many others capable of pretty general application. Thismuch-abused jjolq fkld is at present in the position of the unfortunate dog, and its uu- ; lucky occupants have to pay the penal :y. Supplies are deficient as to some thiigs, totally j wanting in many, redundant in a few ; there are no clothes, no cheese, no butter, no pens, no paper, i no ink, no pipes to smoke, nomatchtsto light them, i audit is only lately that we have been relieved irom the miseries of tea sugar. Flour has always been abundant, biscuit was sold out but a little hr.s lately come in, and—to the immortal honor of our caterers be it spoken—we have large suj nliea of phi, rum, and brandy. We have said thet is no burler because we could find* none, but^ as recent events have shown we must be careiul m all our statements, we must add that inert is a tradition of a ke- of butter having madeonce its api.earance, bu. in regard to it do the reverse o ommending its balmy sweetness.

hvery thing has been against the successful opening of this gold fiVld. Tl» chief cause of. all the evil was the g.eat rush of Victoria diggers totally unprovided for the difficulties of the t r.,und, diggers attracted t> this country by t..a reports of the Dunstan, and who expected ai= immediate reward for their labor. Ihtse men were easily frightened, the g eat majority turning tail before they rein hed the JSoknmai, and most of those who'did reach it simply «• had a look" and then fled. To meet returning diggers is cha-aefnstu: of every rush but what we found peculia in this case were the large "camps of execration" .forn --A on the banks ot every river that impede*, he <.;,irse. If curves and imprecations have an. eric- „in helping one to the iniernal regions, Mr St. John Branignn has a good diauce of a plunge into the warm waters of Avernus. At the Clutha, when we" passed there were about seven hundred diggers camped! at the Mataura not quite so many, more then setting out at once on the return tour. At Scott's accommodation house we met many Victorians who said they stopped at the Mataura iuiendin-' to have a look at "Gabriel's,'' then go down to -Duncdin and ship the ''sanguinary next day" for Melbourne. Of course these men were loud in abusing the Otago gold fields in general, the Aokomai in particular, although they had not or.cc " put in a pick" in the province. Some assured us we would find the place deserted ; others recommended us to throw away all our supplies, as we would get all we wanted for a mere song, from returning drays. As to the present state of the gold fields we ehall be brief. The largest number of diggers are working up the Moa Creek, the works ex-1 tending from the township up to and past the timber spoken of in Mr Branigan's report. The difficulties of the ground are great, the water preventing the successful bottoming of claims ; indeed, all sinking below the township has been unsuccessful from this cause. Confidence in the fiai/is pretty general, and arrangements are being attempted to raise the sinews of war to have it properly tried. In the meantime the diggers are rushing about a great deal, the Nevis, about twelve miles from this, being at present the favorite. Opinion in regard to it is divided, but many have gone from this in that direction. Scrub is said to exist on the ground, but not in such quantities as on Moa Creek. The escort leaves to-day for Dur.edid, but it is not expected to take down much gold, lor the doubie reason that "a good deal has been and will be sent to Invercargill, and the claims are not yet got into. ! In conclusion, we must press upon you the claims of an afflicted stomach, and request you to tell your Southland rivals that, if they would supply a gold field, they mast send something besides flour, gin, and brandy.