THE BIG BAY DISTRICT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7648, 23 August 1886, Page 4

THE BIG BAY DISTRICT.

The Legend op Ancient Discoveeiesi

The report submitted to the Red Hill Minerals Company of Christchurch by Mr J. Durward, the leader of the company's prospecting party of which Carey and Hyndman were members, throws something more'than doubt on the interesting legend which has always attached to the district. The story of how the French Royal Mail called at Nelson, then saiied for Sydney, and disappeared from human ken, of how one of the crew who had a relative at Nelson disclosed the fact that the vessel had gold on board to the value of £100,000, obtained in the Big Bay district through the agency of the Maoris, has been told too often to need recapitulation. It has, however, from time to time raised dreams of caves of untold wealth to bo discovered in the district among those who are ever seeking new fields for their energy, and these are practically put an end to by Mr Durward's report, who believes he found the exact spot indicated by ancient records: as the place where the great find of gold had been made, but was unable to discover any trace of the drive or cave from which the gold was extracted. me dtjrwasd's report.

In view of the great interest taken in the district, we give the substance of Mr Durward's report to the Red Hill Minerals Company:— Mr Durward states that he left Christchurch on December 8 of last year, and on the 19th the party of six landed at Big Bay. The steamer anchored within 200 yards of the beach, and a landing was easily effected from the'boats. A start was made to cut a track through the bush to the Red Hill, which lies about 12 miles as the crow flies, in an easterly direction from Big Bay. The track, however, through the hilly country is about 24 miles long. White birch is the principal timber, and the undergrowth and scrub is of the nature usually met with on the West Coast. Mr Durward then says:—

Grassy Flat, about eight miles inland, our first stage, was reached ou the 7th January, the two following days being occupied in building a " fattah.". This flat is about a mile long by 300 yards broad, Pyke's river forming its southern boundary. The hut being completed, we transferred to it sufficient provisions from Thompson's to last us ihree months. After a stoppage of two days from wet weather, we resumed operations on the track. Here Mr Medway, the mineralogist of the party, left on account of ill health.

The colour of gold can be found in branches of Pyke's river, but not in payable quantities. This river cuts through the Red Hill range, about three miles south from the pass, bringing large quantities of stone from the olivine formation above. From Grassy Flat our trade strikes north-east for a distance of three miles, when a spur is reached, and hard climbing begins. The following table will 6how the dates on which we reached our various stages and thenrespective altitudes:—

Height above sea level. Feet. ... ITO ... mo ... 1970 ... 3030 ... 3130 ... 4100 ... 3383 ... 4000 ... 1620

Jan. 6-Grassy Flnt 20—Hat Camp ... 30-PainklUer Camp Feb. 2—Last Bush Camp Edge of bush (ou track) Telescope Hill 7—Lagoon Onmp Hed Jlill Pass 11—Cascade Camp

Very great difficulty was experienced in transporting our impedimenta, consisting of picke,

shovels', hammers.axes, grindstone, anvil, bellows, drills, provisions, &c. Getting clear of the bush, at !a, height of 3430 ft, our track led over an open piece of almost level country, about a square mile in extent, having Jerry's river (a tributary of the Gorge river) for its northern and several small branches of Pyke's river for its southern boundary. This flat has a good depth of soil carrying snow grass and mountain lillies in profusion. Leaving this- point, a range of hills about 700 ft higher has to bo crossed, from the summit of which, 4100 ft above sea "level, a magnificent view is obtained. Looking northwest in tho direction of tho Gorge river, low rolling hills extend for a considerable distance. This part of tho country has every appearance of being auriferous, and should, I consider, tw prospected, although the difficulties that will have to be encountered will be considerable on account of the thick bash that entirely covers it. the bed mix. Two miles to the east of Telescope Hill lies tho strange-looking Red Hill range. It is from one to two miles in breadth, and from twenty to thirty miles in length, the highest point, the Red Hill itself, being about 6600 in height. This range is quite destitute of soil or vegetation of any kind, and stands out with its scorched coppercoloured appearance in strange contrast to the dark, bush-covered mountains on either side of it. Lagoon pamp, our highest camp on the west side of the range, was situated about half a mile from the Red Hill Pass, and from there prospecting was carried on as far north as the Westland boundary, and thenco to a point two miles south of the pass, a distance of about four miles along the west side of the range. The country in this part, being bare and broken, is very much in favour of its being easily prospected, and looking upwards from the pass and surrounding country outcrops of lodes can been seen running down the sides of the hill for hundreds of feet, uutil covered by debris that h- s fallen from above. On the east and north sides of the company's area I traced 16 lodes, and took specimens from each. The Red Hill has four separate peaks, and just below the most northerly one is a pass, running nearly due east, its length being about one and a-half mile, and its breadth from 100 yards to 400 yards. The highest point in this is about 4000 ft above sea levol, and from there descent on the east side begins and is so rapid

that iv a distance of three-quarters of a mile the fall is from 4000 ft to 1620 ft.

We first "reached the Cascade river on l'ebruary 11, but the weather being so wet it was three weeks later before our permanent camp could be pitched and stores brought down from where they had been stowed in a large cave near the highest point of the pass. For about six weeks it rained almost incessantly, and very little prospecting could be done outside; but having two spare Uies I had them rigged so that four men could get to work clearing a slip at a point in the terrace where the old drive was said to be. On every day the weather permitted, prospecting was carried on along the east side of the lease, from the Westland boundary to as far 6Outh as it was possible to get on this side of the range, a distance of about two and a-half miles south from the pass. On account of the rough nature of the ground it was impossible to get along the lower terraces, and I am now convinced that two miles of the southern part of the lease can be more easily prospected from the other side. I found the eastern side of the Eed Hill to be easier of access than the western, the lodes being more exposed, the result, in my opinion, of glacial action. I took specimens from fifteen well-defined lodes on the eastern side of the range, several of which are double and of different kinds of stone. One half the number of these lodes strike east

aud west and dip north, the other half striking north and south dipping east, the east and west lodes being well opened out from a height of nearly 3000 ft above the river-bed of the Cascade, down to where they disappear in the loose rubbish of the terraces, nearly 2000 ft

below. Their thickness at the highest part of the outcrop is about 4ft, increasing gradually as they go down until, at a depth of 1500 ft, they are from 10ft to 15ft in thickness. Other loose lodes centaining minerals are several hundred feet thick.

A terrace formed of very hard cement runß along the whole front of the hill from the river bed below to a height of nearly 500 ft, and varying in thickness from 15ft to 50ft. If any of these lodes are found to be of sufficient value they can be worked very economically. Water for motive power can be got in any quantity and with any fall up to 500 ft, as there are within an area of one square mile five creeks, carrying from three to five heads of water each in the driest season. Good timber for mining purposes can be got ■within a few hundred yards, the Barrier range on the opposite side of the-Cascade river being heavily timbered down to the water's edge. THE SITE OF THE SUPPOSED EICH FIND. We pitched our permanent camp on the western side of the Cascade river about 200 yards north from the pass, as it was here the supposed ricli find o£ gold had been made some 40 years ago. We were, however, unable to discover any traces of the drive, or in fact any indications of its existence. At the same time I am not prepared to say that the report is not without foundation, owing to the length of tima which has elapsed since the party were said to have been on the ground. Extensive landslips are everywhere apparent, and aaiy artificial changes wouldhave been rapidly obliterate a-iij—mmm —imtcttd—are'eontmuauy" changing their beds, and causing material alterations in the landmarks of the country, while the exuberant growth of vegetation characteristic of the West Coast would effectually efface all trace of any workings. I should mention that at the spot where the drive was supposed to exist the bush is particularly thick, situated as it is at the base of the terrace. Higher up, of course, as I stated before, the hill is completely devoid of vegetation. A large amount of work was done by us, and the face of the terrace proved for a distance of over 100 yds, leaving 30yds of the heaviest part still to clear. One hundred yards north from our camp the Cascade falls about 100 ft. Some five miles lower down is the White Slip, and just below it the large falls, about 200 ft in height. A considerably quantity of quartz can be seen in the river bed. This has been brought down from the Barrier range by creeks, but no gold was found in it. Many prospects were tried in the river bed and creeks, but with the same result. . iackson's bay. On 16th June the party left the Red Hill, 23J miles from Jackson's Bay, at which date there was about 2in of snow at the camp. It was possible to return to Big Bay by the route by which we came, but I determined to go to Jaekson'sißay, so that I might gain some information re communication overland. The distance from the Red Hill is 28 miles, but is very much more by the route we travelled. After crossing the Cascade, about one mile above the big falls, we had two miles of very rough travelling, being compelled to cut our way throughout. Our progress was greatly impeded by heavy and tangled undergrowth, but by keeping our course at a height of from 3300 ft to 4000 ft, we were able to push forward more easily. After descending into the river bed two miles below the falls we proceeded down the Cascade valley for some eight miles, reaching M'Kay's creek, a tributary of the main river, on the morning of the third day. Hence we took a north-easterly direction; and, to avoid track cutting, crossed the shoulder of Mount Riddle at a height of nearly 2000 ft, and on the same evening encamped in Woodhen creek, about a mile from where it joins the Cascade. Very difficult travelling was again met with when crossing a spur which lies to the east of Jacksoa saddle. Crossing Martin's river at the foot of- the saddle, we struck the surveyor's track and arrived at Jackson's Bay, 10 days out, during three of which we were stuok up by bad weather. The countryjpassed through appeared to be more of a mineral than an auriferous nature;

The timber on this route consists of red birch, red, white, and silver pine, cedar, and rata, but, with the exception of one or two small patches, the quality seemed to me rather inferior, improving, however, as we travelled northwards. At present the only part of this district suitable for grazing purposes lies between the Cascade and Martyr's rivers. Immediately to the north of the Hope river ranges is now in course of formation a track from Jackson's Bay to Lake Wakatipu, part having been already surveyed and a contract let for the section through Jackson saddle. After leaving this point the glaciers are easy, and no difficulty should bo met with until Fyke's river is reached, bringing. Jackson's Bay within a six hours' ride. We experienced rather Tvet weather, as the following table will show: —

December (19th to 31st) January February March April May June... July (Ist to lGth)

Wit dab. ... 6 " ... 0 ... 12 ... 18 ... 13 ... 11 ... 8 ... 6

Thus it will be seen that the climate is very moist, and consequently prospecting must be carried on under this disadvantage. With respect to future work, the most likely dirtrict, in my opinion, for gold prospecting is that situated on the cast side of the Gorge river plateau. The terrace on the northern shore of Big Bay has also a very promising appearance. For minerals other than gold the Red Hill and Olivine ranges certainly offer the most encouragement. From the foregoing you will gather that the expedition has not been productive of anything very definite as regards discovery, and I should impress upon any party proceeding to the district the fact that gold and other minerals, if they do exist in payable quantities, can only be secured by the expenditure of considerable capital. It is also imperative that a properly qualified mineralogist should accompany any party prospecting for miuerals, in order to save time and, possibly, vexation. In our case, the gentleman who was mineralogist of our party unfortunately had to leave us in the early part of our journey, so that in selecting specimens we were placed at a disadvantage.

As you will obsorve from the accounts now before you, the total cost of the expedition is £-194 4s 3d.

Iv conclusion, while unable to state that payable gold was found by us, I am decidedly of opinion that the field is a most promising one for those who go prepared to put up with the hardships incidental to its climate and rugged nature.

Mrs Shine, owner of large estates in Kilkenny, has sold her Galmoy property to the tenant B, at prices varying from fifteen to seventeen years' purchase, forgiving all arreare of rent,