CANTERBURY'S GOLDFIELD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4751, 23 July 1883, Page 3

CANTERBURY'S GOLDFIELD.

■♦ An Undoubted Pact. | The Locality. | Extent of the Field. Tlie Prospects. We hava fit length tho pleasure of announcing to out ra&ders that the various rumours which have been prevalent relative to Che existence of gold in Cantarbmy, J have had their foundation on a substan- ' tial basis of faots. A goldfielt!, and ono , that promi?ea to be a payable one, has ] been found. In tka first place, however, j it must be distinctly stated that those who j work this field must not expict to bo able to j .adopt the more simple prooesces. What will be required will be exactly timilar to the process in vogue in working the beach gold on the West Coast. Ttere r-.-ast b3th 9 "•plash," with the quiokiilyer firesfcment, and s long " run " must be used. The discoverer of the auriferous deposit is Mr George Frederick Smith, of Oouthbridge, 1 who has— through bis solicitor', Met sro lzard j and Loughnan— made application to the I Government for the reward which it Lag I baen undcrjiood will be forthcoming. Ab a matter of fact, communication with the Government on ibis subject has beeu praceeding for some time. It will, no doubt, be ; remembered that tho Minister of Mine* mentioned that he had submitted a sample of washdirt to Dr Bkae, who - pronounced a most favourable opinion thereon. . This sample had been forwarded to Mr Bollestoa by Mr Smith. This afternoon Mr | Smith showed us a first- olass sample jof his : find, wbioh seemed fully to justify the yery j JOoderata auertions wbioh he makes. i i

Mr Smith's statement to vi bb to the locality is as follows : The ground extends along the Ninety Mile Beaoh, from tho mouth of the Eakaia river. The auriferous layer of «and may he traced some miles to the southward, but it 'is to the northward that the deposit is clearly and unmistakably defined. 'Ihe extent in this direction is from fifteen to sixteen milou along the beaoh, from the river mouth. The deposit is found between high and low water narks, so as to present a belt of a few chains in width, and the depth of tho workable sand ranges from three inches to three feet, the average depth being given by the discoverer at six incheß. Mr Smith (who is an old miner) estimates that working parties, with proper appliances, will readily make £3 per week per man, but that this result will in many cases bo increased. Mr Smith may be said to have been doubly fortunate. He has found a second deposit of the sand which appears to be equally rich. This last extends from the beach, along the western shore of Lake Ellesmere, running along by the Maori pah and the fishermen's huts, and as far as the lake ridge, — a distance of about two to three miles. Bomo olaims, we are further informed, have already been pegged out on the beaoh, eaoh man taking a length of 90ft. We have been requested to add that all communications on the subjeot are to be sent through Messrs Izard and Loughnan, who have a branch office at Southbridge. At the beginning of next week a sample of the gold will— we hopebe on view at this office, for examination by persons interested. The great importance of . the discovery, j$ may be pointed out, saema to be in the fact that it must be regarded as an unor ring index of a large extent of gold-bearing quartz at the head waters of the Bakaia.

Four men, Nicholas Basse, Dominick Serra, James Fowl and another, inform our reporter that they have taken np a lease of ten aores under a prospeoting license, the locality being near the Ninety-mile Beaoh and Taumutu.