GOLD AT DEEP LEVELS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1466, 20 December 1879, Page 19

GOLD AT DEEP LEVELS.

A'RETEOSPECt':— PioSPECTING, IN THE^HOM p- • | waed Bound Claim, Lucknow); IT. S".V^., Seventeen Yeabs; ago,, as told by one. ov the pbospectpbs in -town andjcoun•TßY.-, '} - ;(! „.,,/ i - : '],[ ' , : I have been working and associated with'ttie--work'ingV of this side', for sonic ' 17' years. ! I/ started the first shaft about' that '■■time on 'the Once : renowned iHomewardtVßound Hill, and had to use great persuasion before I'cbuld'get ' one of my three mates to assist me in putting down, the shaft, inducement being offered -me by a 1 few colonrs on the' surface i 'which' «I' traced to be dipping into the hilL So little was 'thought of the speo, and-so ! ab&'urd the idea of going on to a rocky hill such as that to Bink-a Bhaft f^r goldi that it was proverbially known as ' Madman's Hill during the sinking of the first shaf b on'tHis portion of the gqldfleld.-' We had gr4at difficulty in getting down,' 1 owing to ihe 1 immensebasaltic boulders, some weighing at leaßt 11 and 12 cwt, and before we reached a depth of 20£b had turned the shaft three time's round 1 , leaving in some places" just 'sufficient room for a bucket or the body of ainan to pass' through. ' At that .depth a_ change in the.sinking presented itself,, and- as is always the case,' an experienced miner 1 as Ralph" the Geologist informed us that J he' had seen plenty of stuff such as we were then sinking in', • and- that the best' thing we could do was to "elingifc',as we might go a

I 1000 ft without a change." Had we accepted | his advice, as did nianjr tbe # opinions of Sir R. Mnrchison and other imminent men, who said gold deposits would be found always richest on the surface, some tons of the precious metal wo aid hare remained in the bowels of the earth (tons were taken out afterwards). We heeded not his warning, being determined to prosecute our search for at least another 20ft deeper, but our perseverance was rewarded within sft, and even while the " practical geologist" was sitting on the heap of mullook, my mate was below at the time, and Ihearinghis pick strike something hard, knew at once a change was coming in, as last few feet had been remarkably soft. I looked down the shaft only to see nay mate standing up with his hand raised as indicating his wish for my silence. I mas convinced now. Our friend still sat on the heap. I laid down and looked below while my mate just scratched over the bottom of the shaft with the pick to show me that it was covered with wash dirt. As an excuse I called him up to have some crib and a smoke, getting rid of the experienced miner (who by the way in Dine cases out of ten is a fraud). 1 went below and found that wash diet was plentifully distributed over the bottom of the shaft, and was about Bin or lOia thick. I drove ont the end of the shaft and sent the mullock up so that I might have room to put wash in, not wishing it to be known' that we had struck something until we had tried its value by washing, a project which wedid not care about doing in daylight, as we wished to take our two old mates in if it was right, and this of course would necessitate the shifting of the pegs. Accordingly after tea we carried a bag containing about four dishes of wash down the creek, about a quarter of a mile, which upon washing shewed about 12 or 14 dwt to the load. We took one old mate in with us, but considered the prospects 'hardly good enough to take up two more men's ground, which would entail an extra 2 per cent, per month. We therefore decided to drive out some of the stuff and' try it in bulk, ao, what we drove out the other two used to wash, and as we anticipated, it gave a yield of about 12 dwt per load. We continued on this way for about' two weeks, when a supposed mullook bar presented itself across the face of the drive, which was going into the hill,' the bar apparently running yearly east and west. The wash rose over the bar,- and dipped 'on the other ■ide,- and prospected far better, as, much as a penny weight to tho dish. We then came to the conclusion that we had found the proper ran of dirt, and commenced sinking a new shaft in the uphill aide. This was bottomed in about a fortnight, being worked night and day. The result off the bottom was'BOt up to our anticipations. We started the drive towards 1 the .supposed bar, and in about four days, my mate being below, called,' telling me to go down the old a bait and •ouud in the face, as he believed we were- going wrong, as ,wq should have broken through before that time.. I ran the ropa off the windlass and fastened the end round the stand, loweriag the spade 'down the old shaft. I slid down, taking a candle and pick with me. I Boon found the face, which was very wet on account of the seakaj e from the surface, it being covered with snow a,f opt deep. I could hear. my. mate working away, and got up on the bar to help him break through. The bar was exceedingly slippery, and after making a few .blows with the pick I, slipped, down the bar and brought my elbow in contact with a large boulder which had .been cast aside.- I turned round in a rage i to pick a hole in-the bar to sit in^ and fixing my candle; made a gpitefol'dig at the-bary I turned out a great slice of it, and to my Surprise it was glittering with goldi'-My mate's pick point coming through the face - extinguishing my candle with the rush of air. Before I,could 'speak (for.l was, as j;he boy Said, "hawfully oxcited"), my mate cried out, " By jove, Harry, I've' got gold in any amount!" I remember 'the reply so well. < I said, " Goodt God, you don't say so, Tom, So have I." Now, the sequel will show what in 7 a few 'short months turned 'out "thousands upon thousands of' ounces of gold could have' been in a quarter' of- 1 an' hour perhaps lost for ever— and Bhould' : ac6 : as an incentive, jbo qthers^; while, tryingj ,, their lack at "mining, so.iong'as jbfieyT have any thing, like a show, never' to despair. <•'■•'-'-''- " Well, go on up," he cried, " and send down the zinc bucket, I will give you a. prospect that will open your eyes." ,I, went up and it was raining torrents, lowered the^bucket clowa, and, in a few minutes '' up," he , cried, "I am on." I pulled him up, and/m the hook,was the bucket also. He was just as "excited aY myself. I looked at the stuff, <br6wn dirb } .yes, just the same as mine, only 1 couli not Bee any gold. Off we run, half tumbling down the slippery hill, my mate never -waiting. even to put his coat on. Stood the bucket in the greek, and puddling it with a stick/while I gently, poured the water in. By degrees 'the matter got less and less, and we' expected a great show of gold every second. Being reduced, it was poured into the dish to.;be,pann,edpff. • " Why, Tom," I cried, ." There is nothing in ifc," " " " " "Hold hard' now," he said, quite crabbedly, " Can't yow see it's too sludtry. Do you expect to see gold in all that stuff ?" "Wash" ifc off! wash it off!" 1 impatiently cried, for I was sadly disappointed, Iv a few minutes the whole was cleared out, and holding the dish up to within aninch of his nose, peering .into. the very- crevice in the bottom, he cried, - . ,i • " Well, I'm r ; not a. colour ; I could have 'sworn I had a couple" of ounces " " Come' on up" and let me down ; I am not satisfied," I said, "I believe mine is gold." ' "Not if T know' "it," he said," I'm wet through." , " ' . s - ' "Oh, coma, on," I 'said, "What's the odds now ? I want to see my stuff." ;He 'came. ,1 went below. I looked at the, dirt, I was sura if was gold, but very very, fine; Dut there was , too much of it to be^ real, I thought. Trying -to prove it ; by. rubbing it between 'my thumb nails .was occupying too much time, and my mate crying put,' " If" you'don'fc send that bucket up .I'm off," "roused'me to the factl'had not put a bit in it I hastily half filled the bucket,, hooked it,6'n,.akd he. pulled ifc up hand over hand, looked' at a piece, and. condemned it as beiDg all the same, threw down the rope", J and off He went to get' 'some dinner,- and, I suppose/ tell our mates "of the sell we had. I gofc-up, „and the rain pattering on the dirt showed to .me. something very like scold. I trudged off to the creek without the dish, scooped up some water in the bucket, and gave ifc a good stirring,' and was in . the act of pouring, off the sludge, when, to my eager eyes, was displayed &. lot ; oj£ fine gold. I did not knqw at the time what to do. .1 pourad off the sludge quietly, and took 1 up a little clean water, and had another look. Yes, ib was gold. I looked up the creek and down the. creek to see,if any one was about., I did not want ifc known. Oar tents were' 3oo or 400 yards away,, 'and how to get there with the 'prospect was troubling me exceedingly. There "was no' time to hesitate, for two men were coming down the road, and see me they must An idea struck me. I filled the bucket with water, and faced them. My face, ,1 am sure, was that of a madman, for , they cried as I passed," Well, Harry, what the devil dQ.'you'do carrying' that bucket of water, up tibfche tent when its. running r oufc "alTove'r the 'hill?' By'jove,, they might well call that hill Madman's Sill I'J^'l wasjonljtoo glad to get along. I mumbled aonie 'reply as

to the creek water being softer, and in a few minutes was at the tent door. To describe the sensation is quite beyond my power. To keep it dark while tho two extra licenses were taken out and the pegs shifted was the idea. One of roy mates was looking into the bucket, -when a cbap came to the door. " Lend us pan fry, BilL What the devil have you got in the bucket?" I didtoot hear the reply. I saw him sit down on the bucket and point to the pan. While I ran as fast as I could to the claim, intent upon the pegs, my mate ran to the commissioner's house, a hundred and fifty yards away, and tendered the two one pound notes. Poor Rae I — he is dead now. I have often heard him relate how Bill looked when he held out the cash without a word. "What's up, Bill?" " Two licenses, please." " What' up ?" " Quick— two licenses please." " Follow me." Getting them, off he ran, and so did poor Jack Rae, and so did everybody else that saw them, and in about a quarter of an hour I assure you there was more than one madman on Mad man's Hill. I had shifted the pegs, and we were right; the prospect was then cleaned and weighed 9oz. Several others were then taken out varying from 4oz to a pound weight of clean gold to the dish of dirt. Of course in the next issue of the local paper, the Western Examiner, there was a most flourishing account of the lucky diggers in the Homeward Bound claim at Lucknow, then called the Wentworth Goldfields, but only the issue previously it had remarked :—": — " The prospectors on Madman's Hill qaveno thing payable, and the general opinion is they never will." - :

The weekly drill of the Dunedin Naval Brigade took place at the Garrison Hall on the 11th. ..Six commissioned officers, ,8 petty, officer*, and 74 gunners attended. Lieut. - Colonel Stavely was present for the passing {of the newly-elected officer*, who. went through their examination. in a very creditable manner. After .the. drill, Ctptain' ' Smith presented second : cla*B Patty-officwr AyA v Jack with* cup presented by Mesirs Kohn and Co, , to be competed for by members of the Brigade. . Gunner J. Nicholson was presented withi a Maltese cross, offered for competition" by Lieut.' Worsop, of the Dunedin Naval Cadets , ' '' \

The Naval Brigade's schooner- Defence made her first trip for the , season' down the harbour on Saturday. The, officers in charge were Captain Smith, Lieutenant Jamieson, and Lieutenant Naughton. In addition to the crew about 40 gentlemen, including a number of honorary members ' oi the Brigade, were on board, and a . most- pleasant afternoon was spent. A tolerably strong breeza was blowing up the harbour, and the schooner beat .about between the Rattray street Jetty and RaveDß. bourne, returning to town at about 6 o'clock. Mr Finlayson, the Brigade's did good service during the afternoon, and several ot the company,including a well knpwn n^edical man, distinguished themselves as step-dancers. |The sea was not particularly rough, and, contrary to expectation, no one displayed the slightest equeaimshness. The crune over, three cheers were given for the Naval Brigade and -Captain Smith- and his officers, and the company adjourned to the mansion of the "First Lord' in Crawford street, wh&rt) a number of toasts were drunk. ■ v

A battalion parade of the Dunedin Volunteers took place on Monday. • There' wa9. ja good muster,' and; as usual, the men acquitted themselves with credit. M&jor Wales, .who w<is assisted 1 by Staff sergeant Harrison, was in command. The several corps . were represented as fellows ; — City Guards— i Lieutenant .Macgregor, 1' co'our-sergeant, 5 Berv geawts, 1 armourer-Bergpant, I'Tbiugler, and 39 rank* and file ; , North Dunedin"' Rifles.—Captain Reeves, 1 lieutena»t. 1 eub-lieutsnant, '1 bugler, 3 sergeant?, and 33 >"rank and file. Wakar.i Rifles— Lieutenant TeJford, 2 'sub-lieu-tenants, 4 sergeants, 1 bugler, and 23 rank and file; City Guards^ Cadets— Captaiu Wilson, ]l lituten&nt, 3 sergeantsfajad 22 rank and file.' After- the inspection M^jdr WalesT presented the Challenge Belt of the City, Guards to Vuluuteer Creagh, and the North Dunedin Champion Belt to CoruoraLHutchinson.