THE NEW RUSH NEAR WEST WANGANUI.
(FROM OVll OWN COBKESPOHUENT.) "West Waxgaxui, July 29. Having paid a visit to the new rush on the Anatori Creek, I now hasten to send you the fullest aud most reliable particulars. The diggings are situated on the second right-hand branch of the Anatori Creek, and they are as yet of a very limited character. There arc, I believe, ten claims which will pay small wages at the least. The gold'is of a poor-looking quality, being the worst samples I have seen out oi* Auckland. The land on which the miners are at work is Native land, so that miners from other parts of the Province have to take out another miner's right, the money for which goes to the Natives. The claims are taken up under the Collingwood rules, namely, 72ft by 72ft per man, so that even if there were ten times the quantity of ground, there are plenty of miners on the ground already to take it up. The population, I should say, is over three hundred, and there are parties out in all directions prospecting. If there is any more payable ground in the immediate viciuity I believe it will be shortly found, but it must be remembered that the country around has been prospected some years ago, though perhaps not thoroughly. Some of the miners are anything but pleased at a report which has appeared in the Nelson papers about some party having obtained 140 ounces in four days, and I don't believe there has been many more pennyweights got up to the present, but the dulness of Nelson may fully account for their desire to create a rush. There is some talk of another small gully close by, in which payable gold is said to have been struck, but I cannot give you particulars, and 1 hardly think there is any truth in the report, as I was all about for the past few days. If there should be any thin onew, I will let you know at the earliest opportunity.
We believe our correspondent's information to be thoroughly reliable, as he is -well acquainted with the character of the different diggings throughout New Zealand. We quote, however, what a correspondent of the Nelson Colonist has written. He says:— " Knowing how anxious your readers will be to hear the latest from the new rush to the Big river, twenty miles south of West Wanganui, I will,
as far as I am able, give you a truthful account of what is doing. There are about 300 men at present on the ground, a large number of whom have secured good claims on the Anatori Creek, a few miles north of the Big river, and the others are sanguine of obtaining good ones very soon. The country has a very promising appearance ; and another creek, from which some two pennyweight prospects have been got, will betaken up by the time you receive this, some parties having started at daylight on Sunday morning last, to mark out claims, wishing to get first choice of the new ground. Prospectors are all over the country, and everybody is sanguine that this will turn out a very valuable goldfield. The Pear! got in on Saturday morning, being hauled over the bank by a large number of diggers, who happened to be there, and landed her cargo all safe ; the other vessels had to run to Wanganui, being afraid to cross the bar."
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Bibliographic details
Westport Times, Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 539, 5 August 1869
Word Count
578THE NEW RUSH NEAR WEST WANGANUI. Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 539, 5 August 1869
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