PROSPECTING THE KING COUNTRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3519, 8 January 1886, Page 3

PROSPECTING THE KING COUNTRY.

(By Telegraph.) Auckland, Jan. 7. The Native Agent h»s been euccescful in completing arrangements with the nativeß for a thorough prospecting of the King Country for gold. There are to be six parties, conlisting each of three Europeans and two Maoris. AH are to share alike. Tf gold ib discovered by the parties, they will be entitled to the Government reward of £500, and each party may earn this reward proTided their discovery is five miles from any other field. The discoverer of a new goldfield is entitled to a lease or claim, the area of •which is to be determined by the Government. In Te Aroha the area allowed was five acres. The prospecting parties will possess a good deal of information regarding the district, no small advantage in a new country. The men have been ielected by the Warden, and are to go out on their own cost. Ho has twelve good experienced miners and prospectors and fifteen or twenty others on a supplementary list to fill vacancies. It may possibly happen that eome of the twelve selected would not Buit, as the natives havo insisted that one at least of each party should be able to speak a little Moo i, but this condition has been mod fied, provided ono Maori in each party can speak English, and in eachinstance the natives selected by the Native Committee possess this qualification. Soreral of those selected by the Native Committee are halfcaates. The prospectors have been •elected from Coroinandel, Te Aroha, and from Waikato (old miners), and the romainder from the Thames. The country has been dividod into six districts as follows: — No. 1 Hautartarn, No. 2 Upper Mokau, No. 3 Taumaranu, No.4Tuhau, No. 5 Miroa, No. 6 Rangitoto. It is decided that all the parties are to leave Kihiliihi this day weok, and arrangements havo.been made to coach them to Otorohanga, pack horses being provided to convey their tools and swags, and arrangements havo all been roado with the natives for the supply of provisions, &c. No. 1 party will take the district close to Otorohanga, extending towards the west and south ; No. 2 commences about 25 miles from Otorohanga, on tho Waipawa, working up towards Mokau; No. 3 and 4 parties will take two days to reach their sections, which extend to Taupo, and are about 50 or 60 miles from Ototirohanga, and No. 5 and 6 each take about thirty miles of country, which can bo reached in a day. No. 1 party will comprise Patterson and Thomas, and as the native the Committee have nominated Tookey, the half-caste son of D. Tookey, son of the first prospector of the Thameß ; No. 2 party — R. Workman, formerly of Thames, and Wilkinson ; No. 3 party — Cbas. McLean, of the lhames, and Tupiri Mere Mana; No. 4 party — Bullivan, of the Thames, and Theodore Brown ; No. 5 party — Griffiths, of Waikato, and John Fenton, of Te Aroha ; No. 6 party — The two well-known Coromandel miners and prosppctors, McSweeney and McDonald. These lists are subject to alteration, in conßequence of the conditions attached by the natives. Mr Kenrick has received a communication from the Hon. Mr Larnach, statisg Government is prepared to grant a subsidy in accordance with the proipecting regulation, of 7s 6d per man per week, provided a similar amount is contributed by the local bodies. Dunbdin, Jan. 7. The following telegram has been received by the Hon. the Minister of Mines from Warden Kenrick, of Alexandra : — " Have just (January sth) returned from Otorohanga (King Country), eighteen miles from here, after a very satisfactory interview with the Native Committee and a large body of natives. All objections to prospecting are now withdrawn, and six parties of prospectors, each party consisting to two Maoris and two Englishmen, the latter Thames men, start on Thursday week to begin in six differ, nt localities, about fifteen miles from each other, ranging from Mokau to Tuhua. I will report on detailed arrangements I drew up an agreement based upon the Thames and Te Aroha agreements, for consideration by the nativeß, and after a long discussion, and explanation the matter has been left in the hands of the Native Committee, who have undertaken to lose no time in considering the same and sending in their views. They have promised to do their best to set'le an agreement with tho Crown so that no delay may occur in opening the goldfields. .should gold be found it is possible, porhapa certain, that many objectors will be found among the native owners, but a great step has been gained in obtaining consideration of tho subject by them and the Native Committee. Your telegram re subsidies received, and much appreciated. Thanks for good wishes, which I heartily reciprocate. Our success with the natives is largely due to Mr Wilkinson, the native agent. Mr Ormsby, Chairman of the Native Committee, has also given valuable assistance."