Reliable Information Relative to Mt. Criffel Goldfield.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 19

Reliable Information Relative to Mt. Criffel Goldfield.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Doubtless many vof your readers ardently peruse accounts concerning Mount Criffel, and I trust you will insert the following intelligence regarding the new field. My remarks apply to that part of Criffel in which the claim's that have caused the rush are situated. There are old workings not far distant from the new ones. The gold was discovered fully two years ago, and a few parties managed to work away and "keep it dark" until the latter end of last summer. These parties applied for extended claims, and in consequence of there being no one to object to the applications being granted, they obtained them. Work cannot be carried on during the winter season, therefore the men got their claims protected until November 1, 1885. The claimholders then left the field to pass the winter in a, more genial clime. They had made " good rises " in a short time, and one or more of the fortunates allowed the news which has caused so much excitement to leak out. Jam one of a party of four who arrived on Criffel about five weeks ago. We camped about a mile and a-half down-hill from the workings, for on. reaching the site of operations we found everything covered with snow, and the ground sheathed with ice and frozen as " hard as- bell-metal " to a depth of 2ft. The workings at that time were temporarily abandoned ; not a living thing save ourselves was to be seen, and I think that we were the first intruders on the field. There is a large area of land in the neighbourhood of the present workings,, the formation of which one might term a series of low hills and blind or dry gullies. It has the appearance of being " golden country," but when one is acquainted with the ground it is found that such is not the case. The gold is a distinct lead. The gold, no doubt, was deposited at a time when the ground was of an entirely different formation to that which it now presents. The lead — as far as it has been traced at present — is about a mile in length ; it is broken in many places, especially where gullies run across it. Ido not know of gold having been got on terraces here, but I notice that gold is obtainable in gullies which run parallel with and in the course of the lead. The washdirt is quartz-gravel, among which there' are brownishcoloured boulders, also conglomerate boulders. Water within close proximity of the claims is scarce, but men will not be at a loss for want of water if they can only get dirt sufficiently rich enough to pay for shifting. The sinking as a rule is shallow, varying from 2ft to 18ft ; yet I know of many shafts having been lately put down, the depth of which vary from 18ft to 60ft< but I don't think any of these deep-sinkers have come on payable gold. A party here who style themselves " Salvationists " lately put down a shaft in their claim 60?t deep. They say that they are on payable gold, but the men here believe their prospect to be nothing better than "a stringer." The ground along both sides and at both ends of the lead has been riddled with holes, but nothing payable got in them — in fact, only a few of them can produce washdirt. The ground along the lead, excepting duffer patches, is swallowed up by the extended claims; and many men are of opinion that the gold is only a patch, and that the extended claims monopolise the lot. Some of the men here think very little of Criffel, but I consider it a rash act for a man to pass a decided opinion on the field at present. There are a few excellent claims on Criffel, and who can say that the lead will not be traced higher up the range ere the coming summer is past ? Mind, Ido not wish to write anything tending to induce men to come here, nor have I basis upon which to pen anything praiseworthy for Criffel, for I know that several practical miners have been prospecting vigorously during the past three weeks (not " buzzing round the few rich claims like flies round a sugar cask," and that not one of them have struck payable gold. Displeasure is evinced by the men here owing to the granting of extended claims on rich ground oh a new field. There is yet some difficulty in breaking the surface of the ground; but men would take little heed of a frozen surface if they were inspired with the knowledge that someone was striking gold. At present there is neither a store nor a hotel on the field.

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A store is in course of construction, and that is th.c only building work now being carried on. Orders for provisions, &c, are sent to Messrs M'Dougall and Son, of Pembroke and Cardrona, which: firms forward 6tores on packhorses ; no extra charge is made for packing. The price of articles, considering the distance ihey are packed, is moderate. Only a few parties werf on the field previous to the 24th ult., but since that day the number has steadily increased. There are now about 150 on the field. — I am, &c., Heney A. Boueke. Mount Criffel, September 3.