LAST WORDS ABOUT KLONDYKE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11046, 25 February 1898, Page 7

LAST WORDS ABOUT KLONDYKE.

(Br Our Wakatipu Cobkespondent.)

By lafcesb information to hand, some itoms have percolated that are of .considerable importance to those about or intending to go to tha new Dorado. First, as to route, there can be no shadow of a doubt that the best way to take from any of these colonies is to go to Victoria (8.C.), to outfit there, and then to proceed to Wrangle and take the Sfcickene trail. Although this trail is about 100 miles longer than.the Chilcoot or White Pass trail, it has the advantage of avoiding the White Horse and two other more or less dangerous rapids, where the great majority of the miners unload and make a portage of their boats and provisions. All this is saved by the Stickene route, which more than naake3 up for its extra length. In addition, it must be taken into consideration that timber for boat and raft-building on the Chilcoot and White Pass trails is getting very scarce and dear, while on the Stickene trail the material is still plentiful More thin all this is the feet that the btickene trail passes within 50 or 60 miles of the Cassian mining district, a rmwly-di covered held on the great gold b«lt of I{.,rth America, stretching from Klondyde to California and Mexico, and passing through the auriferous States of Colorado. Nebraska, Idaho, &c, and enters British Columbia, where Cariboo and Ominflca.&ave established for thtirnselves a high refutation as goldflelda. North of Oraineca gold has receutly been found in the Cassian Mountains, a short distauce east of Lake Teshin. Some miners claim to have struck it quite a 3 heavy at Cassian as any of the reported finds at Klonuyke. It would, of oouw, be the height of folly for anyone to go to Kloiidyke with the intention of obtaining a claim in that golden neighbourhood. All the ground on that field has already been taken up and surveyed, and most of it has become freehold, as mining claims do in Canada, ao that there would be no other show than to buy a claim or a share in one, which will take a good deal of money. Any new arrival will have to prospect along the gold belt, which is pretty well defined on most of the maps of the locality. The distance b? twe on,o tbe Oarib(>o and Omineca fields is about 240 miles, and that between Oraineca and Cassian is aboufc 280 miles, and that between Cassian and Klondyke is about 400 or 500 miles. Itu here, no doubt., where are the 100,000 square miles of unprospected auriferous country referred to by Mr Ogilvie, the surveyor of those regions.

For nearly the whole distanco the Stickeno and Hootalmqua route luua parallel with this latter portion of the gold belt at a distance varying from 40 to 60 miles, throughout the entire length of which the gold belt is uncx-; plored and unprotected, and it is here where the new arrival has the best chance of success. Ihia belt may be.reachod within '<J2O miles from Tort Wrangle, 150 miks of which are by river

boat. Any miner going into those regions who does not take the Wrangle and Stickene route is certainly standing in his own light. . All the country above referred to is in the Dominion of Canada, and Ctasian, lying from 400 to 500 miles south of Klondyde, or, say, about the aixtieth degree of north latitude, h*s a pomewhab less rigorous cHmite and a longer summer than the northern field.

Anyone going to those frozen zones should not neglect to provide himself at Victoria with a sufficient outfit and provisions, on, none of which duty will be charged ou the" Stickeneroute, as it is entirely inDomiuion territory. 'Norshould a complete set of the Oh&diari mining acti? be omitted, as the Canadian mining law differs very much from that in force in these colonies. Good maps of the country aud Dr Duwsou'k and all ot&er reports upou it should be procured at Victoria, 8.C., as the information th^y contain »re of the grentest value to the prospector in those inhospitable latitudes. *■