THE COAL ISLAND DIGGINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 15

THE COAL ISLAND DIGGINGS.

The Southland News publishes the text of the official report on tfce Coal Island Diggings, furnished by Constable Green to Inspector Hickson, The following are extracts :— "The claims in No. 2 creek average about 3gr to the dish. The othere have not averaged so much, but sometimes get heavy prospects. There has been as much as 6dwt to the dish washed in No. 2 creek. M'Namara and Curran got a 4Joz nugget in No. 2 creek, and I have seen a ajoz nugget which Morgan and party found in their claim in No. 2 creek. lam credibly informed that several others have over loz nuggets, and ldwt pieceß are quite common. Owing to the coaraenew of the gold, good payable gold is only found in patches, and there is not the least doubt but some of the miners - will get a rich patch of gold. All the claims in Ho. 2 creek average nearly the same bo far an they have worked. No. 2 creek Btarts at the big lake, and in dry weather haß less than a Government head of water. There is a small lake about three acres at the head of No. I creek. Nos. 1 and 3 creekß are nearly dry in any weather. In the event of many Government heads of water being granted to any person or company, it would give them a monopoly of all the ground. There is wash on all the terraces with little gold in them. Of course there is but very little prospecting done on the high ground. I would strongly recommend that the big lake should be reserved for the use of all the miners. The miners were getting more satisfied every '. day , since my arrival, with their prospects. I have not seen any specimens of quartz or other minerals at the island There is no w sufficient proof of payable gold in the creeks, which will take yearß to work, apart from the terraces. There are at present 68 miners on the island, all well satisfied. Under the present circumstances it would be unwise for any more to come until after the winter. It is difficult to ascertain the correct amount of gold got up to the present in Coal Island, for some miners ttate they obtained a certain amount, which I am satisfied they did not get. Others under-estimate the amount obi ained by them. Some of the gold has been sold in the banks in Dunedin, Inveroargill, and Riverfcon, while some has been sold to private people in Invercargill. From all accounts' I am satisfied that about 300oz have been sold from the island to 11th April. Owing to the difficulty of shifting the heavy boulders in the creeks it requires good prospects to pay miners 8s per day."