The Tairua Goldfield.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2026, 22 April 1875, Page 3

The Tairua Goldfield.

THE PEOSPEOTORB' ABEA JUMPED. (BY OUB OWN BEPOBTEK.) So far as regards actual progress in the development of the resources of this most promising mining district, I have nothing to add to what has already appeared in previous reports, The same sanguine feeling to which I previously referred, and which I fouud so rife on my first visit here,, .still prevails, and is evidenced by the increased population of the place, the number of stores erected, and the anxiety to secure slices of the ground in likely localities; but that which I most wished to see was not apparent, there was no mining work going on. Prospectors are out, certainly, in various directions, and all report favourably of results from creek washings and the appearance of the country generally, but work is at a standstill, and numerous prospecting parties have, I believe, confined their operations to washing dishes of stuff from the prospectors' workings. In fact there is a lethargic spirit generated by the operation of the Gold Mining Districts Act and its provisions, in allowing such large areas to individual companies, which has effectually checked all legitimate operations for the prospecting and development of the field. The feeling is so prevalent that the opinion has gained ground, and is now fast rooted in the minds of the miners, that these large license areas will not be granted, and on the strength of this idea the prospectors' claim was to-day pegged out into, claims by numerous parties who wish to take their Micawber chances of how things turn up, and the very workings from which the recent gold returns were obtained were to-day included in a claim marked out by those people. I have not been able to gather the names of the parties by whom all the pegging out was done, but the south-west portion of the area was pegged out by Cootes, Cleave, and party, JP. Donnelly and party, and others. I may add that the cutting of the sidelines of the prospectors' reserve was only finished to-day. No opposition was made, although some of the claims were on the boundary, I may commence by saying that I have not yet seen the reefor lode from which the recent trial crushings were taken, and. consequently am unable from personal observation to describe its appearance or characteristics. On the occasion of my previous visit the hole was filled up, and I was only able to guess the position of the lode. I subsequently ascertained that I was right in my guess. To-day the hole was completely filled. The prospectors found that allowing every person who chose to do so to come aud wash prospects, and take away the result, was in point of fact a very serious Joss of gold, shut up the shaft, or rather filled it up, and the men who are now in their employ are only clearing a space on which to erect wbares and quarters for the winter. This_ is no easy task in a dense bush country,' with a spongy soil, but the site selected, close to the centre line, and a little to the westward of the workings affords as many facilities as any other portion of this broken, wooded surface. Mrßeeche, the manager of the mine, is expected up to-morrow, and immediately on his arrival a drive will-be started to intersect the lodes at a low level. I have already stated that I have not seen the reef from which the recent trial crushings were taken, but I have been shown the stuff of which it is composed, and it is a most singular formation to carry such rich gold as it undoubtedly does. It appears to be a conglomerate of sandstone and quartz, the former being the main ingredient, and the latter of a soft, friable—in fact, decomposed substance, disseminated through the formation in separate particles, not in defined streaks. Of the fact of its richness, however, there can be no question. It has already been proved by the trial crushings, and some parties who took stuff to-day from the tip outside the shaft washed out good prospects. In regard to the new discoveries to the north and east of the prospectors' claim, I do not think that they are at all equal to those in the neighbourhood of the I prospectors'claim. It is true that good | prospects can be washed from the creek deposits, but I think it should be borne in mind that this creek rushes past and through the prospectors' claim. It is therefore quite possible that the creek washings may have come from this area, and so far as I have been able to learn there has been no reef opened which appears' to supply theaa creek washings. But the Tairua goldfield is still a mystery, and when future operations develop its resources there may _be some marked changes in popular opinion regarding the nature of gold deposits in rock. Mr Cootes and Mr Cleave returned to camp to-day and proceeded on to the Thames with a trial parcel of stuff (a small lot in a handkerchief) from a locality which they iuform me is 1 miles from the prospectors' claim. They believe it to contain gold, and will have it tested to-morrow. George Woodward and party have taken up an area of ten mens' ground to the eastward of the prospectors', which they have named the Eldorado. They are just starting to sink for the dip of the main reef, and can obtain good payable prospects in a body of stuff opened, and from which they are about to have a quantity tested.

The aspect of the country has not greatly changed since my last visit, except that the camps are enlarged, and there are now numerous stores located as closely as possible to the ceatro of attraction, the Prospectors' claim. The track, for road I cannot call it, is many degrees worse than it was last time I travelled it. There has been somo heavy rain recently in the ranges, and' the track is now reduced to a bog, into which the pedestrian sinks nearly to his knees betweon the roots and stumps. There have been some men out improving tho track. I havo been told so, but I think the hands must be kw indeed, for I have seen nothing of any consequence done between the Puriri and the stores. -Beyond that th&y have just started'openiug a track to the prospectors' claim. Mr McLaren, District Engineer,

has been up for the last few days, directing operations, and he has started survey parties to explore another track to Shortland by way of Kauwaeranga. He is not by any means sanguine of being able to discover a practicable track in that direction, and from my own observation of the serrated formation of the dividing ridge, I do not think success in this direction probable. I also met Mr McCarthy en route for the exploration of a route by way of Hape, Waiotabi, Earaka, or Tararu, I suppose. He is not in the employ of the Government. He has been, I believe, employed by the people of the Thames. To-day I had a splendid view of the Tairua Valley from the lookout tree. By climbing into its branches, I could take in a panoramic view of the whole valley, from its mouth up to the mountains, and the view included Whangamata harbour to the southward, and a portion of Mercury Pay to the northward. Of course, judging distances from such an altitude as that I then occupied, 2,000 feet above the level of the Puriri flat, is hazardous, but I do not estimate the distance, in a direct line from the centre of the claim to tho mouth of the river at more than twelve miles. The river flows mostly in a northerly direction, but with many windings, through a comparatively flat open country, almost free from bush, up to within about four or six miles of the claim. There is a very steep descent of about. 500 feet from the centre line to the place selected for a machine site on the branch creek, but up to the site Ido not think there could'be any difficulty in finding a road, with an easy grade, from Mr Jackson's landing. Today I dined at the prospectors' claim on potatoes grown at Tairua; beef raised, killed,"and salted at the same place, and delicious fresh butter from Mr Jackson's store. Without a road at all, Mr Jackson is now delivering flour and other stores on the goldfield at a rate very much cheaper than can be done from Grahamstown. There is no question in my mind but that all heavy machinery, ic, must find its entrance to the goldfield from the East Coast, and the sooner a road is made the better. lam informed that the distance from the landing to the machine site would not be more than four miles, and I am certain that the grade would be easy and gradual. I may add that lam indebted to Mr McLaren for my information regarding the altitude of the dividing range, whero crossed by the Puriri track he found to be 1980 feet above the Puriri flat, but bis observation was taken under difficulties and with a slightly falling barometer, and it is therefore likely that the altitude is somewhat above this estimate.