THE WAIHO COUNTRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 534, 4 February 1870, Page 2

THE WAIHO COUNTRY.

The Timaru Herald of Feb. 2 contains the following, being an account of a visit to the supposed auriferous conntry about the Waiho, by a special reporter :— * . ... TLb the Wa<bo country has been for months past a source of interest to many, of your readers, as being a locality where gold has been repeatedly found in sufficient quantities to give promise of richer discoveries, I will endeavour, from a personal visit to the country, to give such a general description of it as will enable one to form a fair idea of its (•resent capabilities, and of tbe likelihood of its ever turning out a payable gold-bearing country. Last week I visited the field, in company wiih a gentleman well versed in mining matters, and together with the men engaged by the Timaru Prospecting Association, went over a ; considerable part of it. This party of men is the only one now engaged prospecting the Waiho country.

Howard's and other parties -having long since given up the work. . The general aspect of the country would not lead Anyone to suppose that it was auriferous. It is wanting in those features generally looked for in gold-bearing countries; the presence of quartz considered as an indication of gold, though by no means to be depended on, is looked for in vain on the hillsides and gullies and in the beds ofthe creeks and river (the Waiho). Now and again a piece of quartz is seen amongst the shingle, which is everywhere met with, but at no place we visited was quartz visible in masses. The first impression given was that it was needless waste of time and money for the Association to equip a party to prospect such an un- j promising locality, but after personal] inspection of the country, and by the reports of the men, we were induced somewhat to modify this opinion. On account of all outward signs being wanting- to indicate tbe presence of gold, the prospecting of the country is rendered very difficult, and is such a hap-hazard proceeding, that considerable time could well be lost in its prosecution. Taking this circumstance into consideration, it is no matter for surprise that so little result is as yet obtained. As far as could be judged I should say that the men had honestly carried out their agreement with the committee, and that the money subscribed by tbe Association had been well spent. We arrived at the camp last Wednesday evening, and the next morning we started, accompanied by three of the party to visit tbescenes of their principal labours.

About half a mile north-west of our camping ground we arrived at the deep shaft sunk in a hill-side, which was commenced about three weeks since. This shaft is about 50ft. in depth. The different strata passed through, which cut the shaft at an angle of about 45, consist chiefly of ironstone, shiugle, sandstone, and lignite. The present bottom reached consists of sandstone and a species of pipeclay, below wbich is supposed to be another layer of lignite. About nine feet from the surface some black sand was come upon, which on being panned, yielded a few specks of gold to the dish. Black sand was also found below tbis depth, but only in very small quantities. Tho men wish to bottom this shaft before testing otber ground. They have given up the idea first entertained of driving on the chance of hitting a reef, supposed to run somewhere in the direction of the abaft— the discovery of a reef outcropping among the hills in the vicinity being the cause of the, abandonment of this work, at the best but a speculative undertaking.

After inspecting the shaft, we visited a creek where every party that has prospected this country has found gold. The gully is but narrow, averaging barely 60ft in width, with a stream of water in the bottom of about 24in. wide. The creek runs into the Waiho. From its mouth to about half a mile up where it narrows to a few feet tbe banks are dotted here and there with prospectors' holes, and in two or three places up the gully tbe water of the. ct^ek has been turned by cutting side channels, to allow the bed itself being prospected.- In a paddock originally taken out by Dow and party, and enlarged considerably by the Association's men, we first tried for gold in some washdirt which bad a likely look. .Iq some dishes of dirt washed there were one or more specks found, some of fair size and of a nice brigbt colour, whilst in others, although the stuff was exactly similar, not even tbe colour could be obtained, and the men told us that this patchiness of the gold applied to every other place tbey had prospected. After we had spent a short time on the banks of the creek, we followed it down about a quarter of a mile to where it debouches into one of tbe branches of the Waiho. Close to the junction of the creek and river, the men again washed out a dishful of washdirt, and colour was obtain*, d. We then went down the river about two miles to a place where the men said they bad previously found heavy shotty gold. At tbis place the underlying slate reef is exposed on the surface of the ground, and portions being taken off with the pickaxe, and washed, gave gold to a good many dishes. We did not, however, come across much heavy gold, such as had been found, and the men we're on the whole disappointed at their ill-success. Strange to say that this shotty gold has hitherto been found only on the north bank of the river, the prospecting on its south bank having only brought to light small scaly gold. After remaining in this locality for about an hour or a little more, we returned to camp, distant about two miles over a somewhat rough country, steep ascents and descents following in rapid succession.

After a baßty meal we again started in another direction to that of the morning. It was supposed by the men of the party that a block of rock cropping out on a hill-side not far from the camp might prove to be quartz, and it was determined to visit the place. On arriving two of the men set to work, and soon established beyond doubt that the stone consisted largely of quartz, and in all probability it was a reef. At some little distance and opposite on the neighbouring hill-side another . outcropping of rock was observed. That outcrop was tested the same afternoon, and was found to consist of precisely similar stone and quartz as at the first-named place, thus • clearly ; proving- that the two outcrops were but cappiogs of the same reef. A. small portion of the stone was brought into town. Being taken from the outside, it can hardly be said to be a fair sample of the reef itself, which can only be properly tested by the analysis of stone taken from the heart of the reef. '1 he men were instructed, after bottoming tbe shaft they are at present engaged at, to sink alongside this reef, and send into Timaru stone taken at some depth underground to be tested. If this reef should prove gold-bearing it will ,be a lucky thing '.for the Association, as the reef, lying «s a great Sortion of it does on steep bill-sides, would c easily and inexpensively worked— the stone being got out with very little labour.