PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXI, Issue 2781, 28 November 1931, Page 3 (Supplement)

PROSPECTING FOR GOLD

Queensland investigates MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY IN PAPUA.

ACCESS IS DIFFICULT, SO AIRCRAFT ARE RECOMMENDED. The fastness with which Papua holds its mineral wealth is revealed in a report furnished to the LieutenantGovernor of Queensland by Mr B. Dunstan, consulting geologist, after his official investigation of the Tauri, Lakekamu. and Milne Bay goldfields. Mr Dunstan urges facilities for the use of aircraft, man's most modern method of transport, to penetrate the inhospitable country and win its ancient gold. , The Tauri goldfield, Mr Dunstan states in his report, is situated in high country in the Gulf division of Papua, in a direct line about 100 miles north-west from Port Moresby. The field is close to some of the heads of the Tiveri River, a north-easterly branch of the Lakekamu River, but belongs to the watershed of the Tauri River, further west, which flows down to the large delta formed at the mouth of this and the other streams on that ► part of the coast. In elevation the Tauri field is many thousands of feet above sea level, but no definite height has been established, nor has its geographical position been determined, and, says Mr Dunstan, all this part of 'Papua and about the border of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea X- a considei’able amount of investigation before the positions and elevations of the high ranges can be even approximately determined. In travelling through the country to get to the Tauri goldfield Mr Dunstan - found, to begin with, that a landing had to be made through the surf at Koara. One of the landing boats was overturned, and all on board had to swim to the shore. The next stage was a lakatoi, or double canoe, voyage through the intricate passages or channels of the sago swamps of the delta. Then, up the Lakekamu River to the junction of the Tiveri, where a landing place is established about ' 60 miles from the coast. The time taken to reach this spot, against the swiftly-flowing river, was about three days. At the Tiveri landing about 50 native carriers—Gussiagas or Guaribaras —were employed, in charge of four native policemen, to take all the supplies and gear to Hide’s Creek, the base for the mining investigations, the distance being four days’ walk. Travelling was not only diffi i cult on account of the ruggedness of the country, but also because of the strain of getting through the jungle, the track sometimes being over continuous stretches of intertwined tree , roots or along very narrow passes not more than a yard wide, and with precipitous slopes. Occasionally the track, such as it was, went over areas of moss, which formed a springing cover to the roots and made walking quite easy. The crossing of the Olipai Heights, a prominent landmark head of the Olipai River, entailed ' strenuous climbing, and the view from the top revealed very mountainous country all round, with steep gorges and dense jungle everywhere. The ' country to the south-west was said by prospectors to be all limestone, and worn into inconceivable ruggedness, and those who had attempted to get to the Tauri field by coming north-east from the main channel of the Tauri River had always found it impenetrable. That, Mr Dunstan observed, is why the Tauri field is ap- „ proached from the Lakekamu and Tiveri Rivers, and not from any other / ‘ direction. The geological features of the Tauri goldfield, like most other localities in this part of Papua, he adds, are very much obscured. The creeks and waterfalls had to be depended upon for geo- ■ logical evidence, and prospecting for lodes has been successful only where the creeks and gullies have yielded evidence in the way of fragments or by the presence of gold in the debris. A remarkable feature was the presence of gold in almost all the gullies, evidently derived from veinlets of quartz occurring both in the lode formation and in the country rock away from the lodes. It was apparent that these veinlets were the source of the gold occurring in the alluvial deposits in the vicinity of Hide’s and Cathcart creeks, now being worked for the precious metal. The consensus of opinion among those who had had experience was that shingle reaches along the banks of the Tiveri invariably were found 1 to contain gold, and that after floods j gold was to be found right on the sur- ■ - face of the river gravel. They contended that the gold came from a high up in the mountain country. Efforts recently had been made to get up to the highest reaches of the river, but from various causes, mostly m the way of transport and upkeep, ‘and to some extent the hostility of the natives, prospectors had failed to show any good result. They were quite satisfied that the gold was in the alluvial flats about the river, but that, with the limited equipment at their disposal, the rapidity of the stream was an obstacle to investiga- , tion of the gravels below the river level.

Mr Bunstan has suggested that, as a means of examining these river reaches, and also any other areas that may be worthy of prospecting, positions for aerodromes on or close to the Tiv&ri River flats beyond the junction of the Lakekamu River shotfd be investigated, and if sufficient inducement is offered that an aerodrome should fee established. “ With an aerodrome on the head waters of the Tiveri. pr some of its branches, and another one at the Tiveri boat landing for the Lakekamu and Tauri goldfields, 1 ” he adds, “ the distance to Port Moresby could be covered in about an hour.” Dealing with the Milne Bay field, the report says it must be stated that the occurrence of gold-bearing lodes has now been definitely proved, and that the prospects are encouraging. If preliminary tests of the stone from the numerous faces exposed in tbfe tunnels and shaft are satisfactory, from a treatment point of view, '- and the lodes are definitely proved to extend in depth, the permanence of the field will be assured as a reefing area.