A RICH GOLDFIELD. (Per Moana at Auckland.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 19

A RICH GOLDFIELD. (Per Moana at Auckland.)

The official report, now nearly ready for publication, will show Cape Nome to be the richest gold countiy ever discovered, not excepting California, Afiica, or the Klondyke. Several million dollars' worth was taken out last summer by comparatively few miners without appliances for working. The season lasts but four months, but it is expected that fully 50,000 ppople will leave San Francisco for the region when the spring opens. The Government is iiow considering how to take cpre of these when they reach Nome. There is a good natural harbour 60 miles from the gokmekls, and a railway may be built this distance. Another plan is to build a portable pier. No pier could stand the ice pressure of. the, winter, season. The country is

absolutely devoid of gTowth, as even trees cannot withstand the cold. There are littla bushes in the valleys, but not enough even for firewood. SUMMARY.

The following are the weekly returns so far repoited this year: —

LAST YEAR'S RETURNS. The following is a summary of the returns of the dredges making known their earuingi and returns for the year 1899: —

NEW DREDGING COMPANIES. The following new companies have been floated during the past four weeks: — Gieat Beach, with a, capital of £8500, to work a river claim on the Molyneux, near Rankleburn. Golden Butterfly, capital £6500, to work a claim on the Molyneux below the Golden Reward Company's claim, near Crookston. Horowai, capital £3000, to work a claim of 35 acres a,t the junction of the Arrow and Kawarau Rivers. Prince Arthur, capital £8000, to woik a claim of one mile on the Upper Shotover. Prince Albe/t, capital £8000, to work a river claim on the Molyneux, at the junction of the Cardrona Stream. Golden Gutter, capital £9500, to work a claim on the Bengerburn, near Roxburgh. Upper Fraser, capital £11,000, to work a claim of 100 acres on the Fraser River, near Alexandra. Golden Ripple, capital £10,500, to work a claim on the Molyneux adjoining the Fourteenmile Beach claim. Saltwater Creek, capital £9000, to work a • claim of 90 acres, adjoining the Leviathan claim, south of Greymouth, West Coast. Stillwater Creek, capital £8000, to work a claim of 128 acres, including two miles of Stillwatcr Creek, a tributary of the Grey River, West Coast. Moke Creek, capital £3000, to work a threequarter mile claim, on the Upper Shotover River. Criffel Lead, capital £GSOO, to work a mile of the Cardrona River. Ross Flat, capital £12,500, to work a claim of 100 acres adjoining the Ross United claim, West Coast. Watterson's Consols, capital £10,000, to work a mile of the Ahaura River, West Coast. Trafalgar, capital £9000, to work 80 acres on Nelson Creek, West Coast. Inehdale, capital £7000, to work 84 acres adjoining the Inch Valley claim, near Palmerston. Island Block, t capital £60,000, to work the well-known Island Block claim by sluicing and dredges operated by electricity. Otarna, capital £10,500, to work a special claim at Otama, near Gore. Gold King, capital £10,500, to work 100 acres in the Benger district. Garibaldi, capital £8000, to work a mile of Moonlight Creek, a tributary of the Grey River, West Coast. Wpiora, capital £8000, to work a claim on the Kawarau, between the Eclipse and Metallic Companies' claims. The following companies have been placed on the market for notation: — Tyson's Beach, capital £8500, to work a claim of 93 acres on the Molyneux, near Rankleburn. Scottish Chief, capital £8000, to work a river claim on the Molyneux, at the junction of the Tuppeka River. Lady Charltcn, capital' £13,000, to work 170 acres on Charlton and' Croydon Creeks, near Gore, with two dredges. Hokonui-Charlton, capital £7800, to work 100 acres, on Charlton Creek, near Gore. North Beach, capital £9000, to work 80 acres, a mile and a-half north of Greymouth. Day Dawn, capital £7000, to work a claim on the Upper Waikaia. Golden Cradle, capital £10,000, to work a river bank claim, near Roxburgh. Gold Star, capital £10,000, to work 50 acres at Island Block, on the Molyneux. Shamrock Lead, capital £12,750, to work 70 acres at Addison's Fiat, near Westport. Dumbarton, capital £11,000, to work 32 acres on the west bank of the Molyneux, near the Moa Flat and Gold Queen claims. Diggers' Pride, capital £8500, to work a claim of 43 acres below the Ettrick Domain, fronting the Molyneux River. Kohinoor, capital £^12,500, to work 100 acres on the Mikonui River, four miles from Ross, We°t Coast. Homeward Bound, capital £14,000, to work a river claim on the Molyneux, adjoining the Vincent and Unity claims. Willoughby's Cardrona, capital £6500, to work a claim of 80 acres, adjoining the Rolling Stone claim, Cardrona. ■* % M'Bride's Freehold, capital £8000, to work a rlnim of 85 acres at the junction of the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers. Mystery FJat, capital £10,000, to work a claim of 150 acres on Mystery Flat, Waikaia River. Rise and Shine, capital £24,000, to work two special claims of 95 acres and 74 acres in the Wakefield district, including about two miles of the Clutha, a mile and a-half above the junction of the Kawaiau. Cardrona Bonanza, capital £8030, to work s claim of IQO acres on Branch Creek, Cardroni Valley.

January 8 Jauuary 15 January 22 January 29 February 5 Februaiy 12 Dredges. .. 9 .. 25 .. 32 .. 37 .. -35 .. 29 Oz dwt 232 13 613 18 1021 3 1197 1 902 3 693 0 t g; 3 9 13 0 12 23

vv January 17 Febmary 14 March 15 .. .. April 12 .. .. May 10 .. .. June 7 .., . . June 13 .. .. June 19 .. .. June 26 .. .. July 3 .... July 10 .. .. July 17 .... July 24 .. .. July 31 .. .. August 8 .. .. August J5 .. August 22 .. .. August 29 September 4 .. September 11 .. September 18 .. September 25 .. October 2 .. .. October 9 .. .. October 16 October 23 October 30 November 6 November 13 . . November 20 . . November 27 . . December 4 December 11 . . December 18 . . December 31 Veeks. I 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i i i l i i l l n Dredges. Oz dwe gt 18 884 6 19 22 1472 12 1 31 2505 14 6 27 2577 7 8 30 3284 17 3 38 3418 10 20 26 837 5 23 27 1270 12 14 25 1097 8 20 26 993 11 23 27 1178 19 21 24 1223 15 8 24 1255 4 21 9 92S 11 15 21 1252 2 15 20 1259 19 3 26 1855 2 6 23 1282 13 6 31 1594 12 '12 27 1126 3 18 27 1321 19 14 24 134G 4 17 23 1112 3 11 28 1201 13 23 32 1389 8 7 29 798 10 19 29 644 12 1 30 GBB 18 8 27 742 14 17 35 757 2 1 33 1020 1 22 34 1187 13 2 32 788 7 23 27 869 7 10 30 950 13 15 Total .. .. 46,152 10 20