AT THE PROSPECTORS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1924, 4 March 1875, Page 2

AT THE PROSPECTORS.

From early morning men arrived here, some oanio for the pegging out, others to sco tlio fun. All around the reserve, parties were collected well supplied with pegs and only waiting for the rights to arrive by tboir males from the township. The Warden's camp can be seen 'rom the hill, and the crowds about it. Every watch in tho placo was out, and 10 o'clock anxiously looked for. The horse men coming up the trnet set all excited and along the road which is very steep near the projectors could bo seen relays of men waiting to pass tho rights along. At the foot oi the steepest part of the spur there is a small swamp, and in this numbers of tho horsemen came to grief, the horses sinking up to their bellies and the men going over their heads.. A Native came up nearly one of the first almost stark naked, but Adam Porter was the first with his rights direct from the Township Why I say direct, is that Howard one of the party pegged out his claim a few minutes past ten o'clock, just as the first of the horses were seen coming up the track. It was thought at first that it was a fictitious one, but all had a look at it, and there was the genuine signature of the Warden and Ohinemuri goldfield on it. There is every probabilty there will be a row about this circumstance and others of a like nature. Mr W. D. ."Reid followed Porter with the rights of Connon and Watson, Naval Brigade men, and they got ground next the prospectors. In a very few minutes after the first arrivals numbers got their right, and pegging out was, the order of the day. While this was going on Mr Buckland, in his hurry to get down the spur, stumbled and fell on a projecting rock, cutting himself on the knee in a very bad manner. All around the Prospectors the ground was very soon taken up, but a great many went in other directions. Messrs Austin and Johnston took up a piece to north of the reserve, which they say is better than the reserve. Catran and party also received a good position, and most of the old Thames miners are not far away from the reserve. There was very little quarrelling except among the Natives, who were flourishing tomahawks about each other's heads, but did little harm to each other. There will however, be considerable litigation, several parties pegging out the same ground. The Prospectors' reserve will, it is supposed, be questioned, for Logan and party have lodged the following PROTEST with the Warden:—" Sir—l beg formally to protest against a piece of ground marked and surveyed at Karangahake for a prospectors' claim being granted to any other person than myself, as I was the first to find payable gold in the said piece of ground, and this I am fully prepared to prove in any Court of law."