The Mines.

Otago Witness, Issue 1585, 8 April 1882, Page 11

The Mines.

In connection with.the question of exploring the country beyond the Waiau, Mr W. H. Homer, of Riverton, who is well known as a West Coast explorer, writes to Mr T. Daniel, M.H.R.',' urging that ,tho Government should , " allow me to, proceed with, say, three men, with the specific object of cutting a track from Prioe's Boat' Harbour to some point at the head 'of Dusky Sound. , Of course ,the country will ' be well prospected for gold and minerals, and reports would fee furnished as circumstances allowed.' . This would enable' surveyors and scientific experts to follow and extend operations as may be 'deemed desirable. ' „ j < The Extended. Water-race . and 'Sluicing Company's property, Mount Ida, has been sold ■by auction, at, £2035, t0 Mr John Hore, who has ibought (the Chronicle .understands) for a company consisting of liimself, and Messrs.* L. Hore, 'R. Lawer, S. Ash, and James Brown.

The Hokitika correspondent of the Lyttelton Times states that a load of washdirt from Curnick's claim, 'which the previous day was thought to- be a V duffer," actually produced ■ 15dwt of gold. It is also said that three or four more claims have bottomed, all on payable ," gold,, and' every claim on .which a shaft been sunk is showing gold. He adds :— > It seems now to be considered that the nela is ' , one of those flats where the gold is pretty ' equally diffused over the surface', without any particularly defined leads. ,As may be easily, 'imagined, the news has produced great excitement in Hbkitika,.and you hear nothing else at the corners of the streets' but .talk about le&ds, and shafts, and washdirt. . , It is really am'afcing , to. find the number of people who .aMays said there would be a great goldfield , m. that part of Westland. It>.,a pity that some of them had not the .courage pf their' opinions. If they had sunk a few shafts the field would have been opened long ago." , j „