IMPORTANT DISCOVERY AT STEWART ISLAND.

Southland Times, Issue 3886, 3 December 1880, Page 2

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY AT STEWART ISLAND.

; . _» : Considerable excitement was manifested at the Bluff yesterday when it became known that an apparently rich gold bearing quaitz reef had been unearthed' at Port William, Stewart Island. It appc&tß a party of miners have been prospecting for some weeks on the beache* at Port^Villiam, and were getting a little gold, .The character of the gold betokened a quartz reef in the vicinity, and every care was taken to note any indication of quartz. Ultimately the face of a clearly defined reef was laid bare on the beach, and samples taken therefrom in which gold was plainly perceptible. The prospectors at once visited the Warden 7 at Riverton, and obtained a grant of land, which they have pegged off, on the supposed line of reef right over to Paterson Inlet On Wednesday night two cutter**, specially chartered for the purpose, came over with the miners, and immediately on thcif arrival at the Bluff oae'Of-^hß'-'prmpectors started to walk to Invercargill, en route for Riverton, to obtain miners' rights. Describing Port William, Mr Deverill wrote as follows in the Weskxy Timbs of April liUh, 1880 :— " This fine harbor is sitiated about six miies from Horse Shoe Bay, and may be reached from thence by a boat io tine weather, or by the track near the sawmill ; the latter rouie terminates at Lee Bay, near a fine fruit garden, with houses, &c, much dilapidated. The fruit. trees here we found loaded with ripe fruit, as also the strawberry beds. The road now lends alougthe beach and around the pohitsfor a few miles till the port is reached. Mr Greig, R.M., resides here with afetir other Europeans. The harbor has certainly a fine appearance, and is one of easy access, without any obstructions. It is said that a vessel could make this port from the Strait with a wind from any /point of the compass. There is a track from • here to Paterson Inlet, ■as well as ■ one .Otet tho headland," •*'.'. i). r