THE Otago Daily Times.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 319, 27 December 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Dail y Times.

"Inveniam viam aut faciam."

DUNEDTN, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27.

Owing to the press of other matter we have not been able to consider the. various departmental Reports which were published in the Provincial Government Gazette of the 26th. Prominent amongst these is the very interesting and able report, by Mr. Vincent Pyke, on the Gold Fields, in which the history ofthe discovery of gold in Otago, and the progress, condition and prospects of the gold fields are severally and skilfully dealt with.

In reference to the first discovery of gold in Otago, Mr Pyke has collected a variety of information, which, although not authoritative, still satisfactorily establishes the conclusion that the existence of gold in Otago has been known for many years. It is of course more than probable that the Maories were aware ofthe existence of gold as a metal, long before the first appearance of Europeans in the Island, and Mr Pyke quotes, in support ol this probability, a statement made by a Native chief named Tuawaiki to Mr Palmer, of Moeraki, several years prior to the settlement of this Province, that "plenty ferrofi or yellow stone, such as the watch seals of the white men were made from, could be obtained in the interior. This probability is strengthened by the .Chief having indicated as a favored locality lor this yellow stone the country .of the Upper Clutha, now constituting the Dunstan gold field and district. ■ These assertions of the Maories as to the existence of gold, prompted the settlers to attempt its discovery, and Mr Pyke gives an account of one of these expeditions, the particulars of which were furnished him by Mr Archibald, of Pomahaka, one of the settlers who took part in it. This party appear to ha,ve been mainly prompted by the accounts of a native named Raid Raid, who had Resided for several years on the Wakatip Lake, - This native told a story of having once picked up a piece of " simon". (gold) the s'ze of a small potato, on the banks of the river, and also pointed out the sands of the river as being productive of gold. This expedition was not successful, although the " color" was obtained. The party started in a whale boat up the Molyneux and reached as far as the Beaumont, the rapids and obstacles in the navigation of the river preventing their proceeding any further. This was March 1852. Gold appears to have been found occasionally by the settlers themselves, but the discovery was not considered of any moment. Mr. Pyke says he has been shown a sample of gold obtained in 1853, in the neighbourhood of the rocks, known as the " Fortifications."

The first official intimation ol the discovery of gold is alleged to have been given by Mr. C. W. Ligar, the present Surveyor-General of Victoria, who then held the same office in New Zealand. This was in 1856, and the gold was found " very generally distributed in the gravel and sand ofthe Mataura Kiver;" and Mr: Ligar expressed the opinion that a remunerative gold field existed in the neighborhood. Owing tothe disinclination ofthe Government at that time to encourage the search for gold, Mr. Ligar's report attracted little attention. At various times gold appears to have been iound in small quantities iv the mountain streams ; and the Chief Surveyor; Mr. Thompson, fully established the fact of the existence of gold, but in inconsiderable quantities. Among other places, the Waiau River, in the Western part.of the Province, was indicated as a gold-producing stream. In the latter part of 1857, and., beginning oflßsß, the late Mr. Garvie, at that time Assistant Surveyor, engaged in a reconriaisance Survey, discovered gold in several places. In his report on the survey Mr. Garvie said: — Traces of gold were found in the gravel of several;of the streams and rivera. The trials were all made *on the very surface, at such odd time 3 as would not interrupt the proper work of the survey, by one of the party who happened to have previously visited the Australian g-old-fields. The gold found was in every case small and scaly, varying from the smallest specs to about the rougnness of bran. ... It was found in the Clutha river, above the junction of ; the Manuherikia, and in the Tuapeka stream, in sufficient quantities to make it probable that it would pay to work if set about in a proper manner, with some wholesale system of washing, such as slu chig. Specks were also found in the Manuherikia, Poma- . haka, and Waitahuna. . . . Along with the gold li was found black sand, in some places fine, and re- , Vembling emery ; in otber places coarser, and sometimes in square black crystals. V Referring to Mr. Garvie's discoveries Mr. Pyke says—v I cannot but regard this as the " first practical demonstration of the mineral " wealth of Otago. Earlier explorers had "merely ascertained its existence, but here " was sufficient evidence to have satisfied the " most incredulous. The announcement was " however unheeded at the time, and it was " reserved for Mr. Gabriel Read and Messrs " Hartley and Ijteilly to develope the hidden " treasures of which Mr. Garvie undoubtedly , "intimated- the presence, although he was " probably unaware of the importance of his " discovery." Gold was also found about this time iv the south branch of the" Tokomairiro River, onthe site ofthe present Woolshed Dig- '■ gingß, and also, near the locality of Gabriel's Gully,, on the Moeraki Beach, and in the landi^

Kiver. In spite of these numerous discoveries there was no systematic search for, gold until 1861, when the rush took place to the Lindis but no great results were obtained and the district was afterwards all but deserted. Mr Pyke is of opinion that " the Province was then upon the " verge of a very valuable discovery, and that " a payable goldfied of large extent" will yet " be discovered in the country north of the " Lindis Pass, and between Lake Hawea and " the head waters of the Waitaki River." Mr Pyke then proceeded to notice the discovery of the Tuapeka goldfield by Mr Gabriel Reid, which took place in June, 1861. Ofthe immediate results of that discovery we need scarcely treat, the facts must be still vivid in the recollection of our readers. We may however quote the following from Mr Pyke's report:— In a few montlis Otago was elevated from the position of a comparatively unknown settlement to the foremost rank araong3t the Provinces of New Zealand. In 1880 only 69 vessels were entered inwards. In the following year 256 vessels, many of them.of large tonnage, arrived at the Port. The population computed in December, 1860, at 12,691, had increased by December, 1861,' to 30,269 souls. The Revenue advanced from L 83,046 2.3, the amount received for the year ending September 30, 1861, to L 28.,097 2s, in 1862, whilst a comparison between the half-year ending 31st March, 1861 (prior to the discovery of the Tuapeka Goldfields) and the corresponding period oi 1862, shows an increase of L1'28,234 14s, the exact figures being :— 1861 . . . L 33,509 6 4 1862 . . . . 161,744 0 4 We have afterwards the discoveries of Munroe's and Wetherstone's Guliies by the miners, and that of the Waitahuna gold field by Mr Gabriel Read, who at the time was accompanied by Captain Baldwin and Mr Cargill. This field is an eminent instance of the sudden changes to which gold fields are liable, and which several gullies on the Dunstan are now undergoing. In Mr Pyke's account of the Waitahuna discovery he says :—"The first dishful of earth. " washed by Captain Baldwin, yielded a quarter of an ounce; the next, washed by Ga"briel Read, yielded half an ounce. The "place was "rushed" by about 500 men, who " speedily deserted it, and declared the Wai"tahunato be "a duffer." For some time "there wer© only three parties on the field. " On Ist September there were about 200, and "on the 30th, 4000 men weie at work there " and doing well. . Since then its prosperity "has been continuous.". A month or two later there came a reaction, and from then until winter large numbers left Otago, some thinking the gold was worked out, others afraid of the winter. Early in 1862 came the discovery ofthe Waipori and the Woolshed, and in the winter months those of the Highlay, Shag River and Murphy's Plat. We now arrive at the dis-r covcries of the Dunstan and Nokomai gold fields, which we need not detail as they are of so recent occurrence. We may close this first notice of Mr Pyke's valuable report by quoting the remarks by Mr Pyke on the actual results of the discoveries. After stating that the quantity of gold exported during the period from August 1861 to July 1862, inclusive, amounted to 458,448 ounces 18 pennyweights, Mr. Pyke says:— ult is worth while to remark that the "Escort Returns for. the same period only " amount tb 394,599 ounces 18 dwts., being " 62,640 ounces 8 d\yts. less than the quan"tity exported; a difference equal to 15 " per cent., irrespective of gold on deposit at " the ofiice of the Gold Receiver, and that "in the hands of the Banks and private " holders. We may, therefore, reasouablyi ** assume that not more than four-fifths of " the ,gold actually raised is transmitted to <; Dunedin by the Government escort. " Reckoning 20,000 ounces to the ton, " the total aggregate of the years produce, "as exported, amounts to 19 ' tons 204 " pounds, representing a value of "£1,833,792." We propose continuing our notice of. this report in a future issue.