REPORT BY MESSRS. BARRY AND NOLAN.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 93, 3 December 1872, Page 2

REPORT BY MESSRS. BARRY AND NOLAN.

Sru,—"We liave tho honour to report, tor your informal/ton, tii.it in ueeoi\l:moo with t!io instructions which we received, wo started on the 13tli of May last to prospect the Tanpo, and, it' possible, the Tuhua country. We nrrived tit Cambridge on the 1-li.h, and after hiring a horse proceeded on our journey to Oruanui, at wKieli place wo arrived on tho evening of the ISth. Having delivered tho letter which your Honor gave us for the natives of this plnco, we were cordially received, but they objected to some of the terms contained

therein: namely, those relating to prospecting claims, saying that they would not give any prospering claim. Wo had, therefore, to telegraph to your Honor for instructions; having received your reply, and submitted it to the natives they were satisfied, and immediately despatched messengers to Xokiinu, Tuhua, and Whangamafa, and all the surrounding districts, inviting the chiefs to u meeting at Oruanui concerning the prospecting of their land, and they asked not to commence to work until after the meeting, as it would most, probably open the whole country for us, We acceded to their request, thinking it the most judicious course, and being anxious to conciliate the natives, sis by this means only eould we hope to gain access to the Tuhua. The meeting took place, but no deiinite arrangements were made, as one of the principal chiefs of Tokanu was sick nnxl could not attend ; meanwhile, we examined the locality around Oruanui, and from the general appearance did not think it worth while to do much work in this neighbourhood, so as soon as the natives were ready, wo went, to , Whakaipo, which is a bay ou the north side of the lake and proceeded to prospect. "We tried a creek which empties into this buy, also the banks of the lake along the eastern side of the bay—without success. The bottom here is composed of rotten granite, and there is some wash composed of grauito rubble with a, superstructure of pumice stone. At'lov having tried this place, we went on to Kuhue. a place where the natives told us was all quartz. Here we prospected for several days; we found several reefs and leaders, the whole of which we tried, but found none with any gold visible; some of the leaders nre

■ full of mundie, bvi(, most of the roefsarc eomposmi of white ilinty quartz ; the country here is also of granite formation. ! After having tried this place, wo went to tlnv west, side of , Whukuipo bay; here we found some very good black sand on the bonoli, but could not succeed in liuding any gold in ! it The banks of the lake hero rise to a considerable height, showing a vocky granite formation cropping mil, to the .surface, and leaving, but a small probability of much alluvial ,' gold at this place, although the black sand looks well; having i now prospected the whole of the land belonging to the natives who applied to the Government for prospector* and our provisions being . cxhastod, we rotu.mcdto Oruanui for a further supply, as we had arranged with the natives belonging to Whangamata to prospect that place nezt,,but on our arrival at Oruanui the natives told us that they would not allow us to go to Wlinngamatii, as they had arranged with ]?Jain.,who bad oft'ered them better terms —promising them half the reward lie would get from the Government, he also showed the natives some specimens wliieli ho said ho had got in n hole which lie had sunk at the Rohua when ho wris up there- before, and told the natives that we knew-nothing about prospecting. This tended to destroy the confidence of the natives in us,bu(,your .Honor's answer to-our telegram so far restored it that Hohepa Tamamutu, the head chief of Omunui, gave us a letter of recommendation to his friend at Tokmm and Tuhua, ■a copy of' which wo furnish to your Honor, and the Whangauiata natives' now refusing to have their laud prospected by either party, we resolved to proceed at onco to Tokanu and Tuhuu, and went on to 'J.'apuaoliariiru. We found that Captain Morrison was away deposing carp in the Like, and as we required the use of the buat to convey our provisions to Tokanu,and would be obliged to wait her return, we took the opportunity of making a hurried visit to Whmigamata, as we did not lfko to have to return without being able to report on this place, as we had roceiyed information that gold had been found'tliero by some of the Constabulary ; here we found., black sand containing gold, and tried several shovels of it, in most cf which wo got colour. This is at the north-west end "of the lake, and the ground falls from the Hurakia Range, which is a continuation of the Tuhua Rango, "Wo had very little time to prospect here,so wercturnodtoTanuaehtwuruin order to proceed to Tokanu and Tuhua as soon as possible, leaving VVhangamata for some future timo. When -we arrived at Tokanu we presented our letter of recommendation, and the natives there read it, but asked tie if we had no letters from the Government; having none, we had to refer them to some of tho.se who had been lo the Ormmui meeting, as to our having been sent by the Government. They also said (.hoy dirt not belong to the province of Auckland, hut. to 2var>icr and ivoTum «;c»b «-.«p U u. T i rr i, Mill| ; then to tl,« contrary, even alter pointing out the boundum , * en the ">"!' ivjTh'k yom . Honor furnished us with. Even now they have doubi.n on the subject, and require our assertions to be verified through the Napier Commissioner, as it is through him they have all their Communications with the Government. There is a native of considerable influence, named Te Walsn, • Tamaira, who look charge of us—finding us a whare to wirepin, andrendering us every assistance ; he also agreed to dike uh to his land, which is situate at Mongohoho, close lo Tuhua. After prospecting round Tokauu for several days, we started i for this place, accompanied by To Waka. "in going to Mongohoho we passed through"Waihi, where lives"iV Hen Hcu, the head chief of Taupo. lie received us very kindly, and consented for us to prospect his land, which we arranged / with him to do next summer. We also passed through I

Poaru, where a native named Pangr< lives, who has land at Tuliua, at the Punga Punga Creek. This man has boon digging in Otago, and lie assured us that there ivus gold on his land. Ho said lie had found sonic last summer, and given it to his brother, and that ho would take us to it nest summer; ho would not go now as it was winter time, there being too much rain and snow. All the natives round here / agree in saying that gold has been fonnd in the Punga, I Punga Creek, and that at its jnnetion with the Whanganui J River, a piece was found which was carried there by a I flood, and for which they have received £30. Mongohoho I is near Tongariri, and close to the boundary of the province. ; Here we prospected the Ilori Mongi, and all the branch ! creeks leading into it, but found them all of the .same nature—with granite rubble wash, anil rotten granite bottom. We found very, little quartz of any description here, and no gold. We were obliged to do more wprk'i here than the nature and appearance of the gaound would warrant, in order to satisfy the native, as lie ha.3 more lund at Hauhungaroa, joining the Hurakia and Tuliua range, which , he wants us to prospect next bummer. From what we saw here, we are of opinion that there is more Jprobability of gold being found on the Tuhua side of the Kuraf.au creek than on this side;_ but the natives not being willing for us to go

there during the- winter sis they could not accompany u»,' and the weather being now thoroughly broken, we determined to return until the summer, as it would only be a waste of time and' money to remain here, when we could do :no work. We accordingly started back, bearing letters from Te Waka Tamaira and Kingi Herekickc, of Tokanu, and To Tuhi, of Tuliua, which we gave to your Honor. We would f also have brought letters from Tc lieu JTeu and Pungo, only they had no paper to write on, and that which we had take with us unfortunately got wet in. crossing one of the creek: We have no hesitation in saying that, if supported by t) Government, and not too much interfered with by priv.i individuals, v,- e would be able during the ensuing ~ to gain access to the whole of the Tuhua country, and/ , report thereon, licforc concluding our report, wo beg Jcav to say that we have everywhere been kindly received by t! natives, and though being-poor; and having nothing to lii on but potatoes, they have always been willing to share the; with us. We would also suggsst that letters be written I Hohepa Tamamtitu, and all the natives naa«ed in his letto and especially to Te Waka Tamaira, as he took great inter in us, and it would have a very beneficial effect if the Gove menfc wish to send prospectors into the country Thanking your Honor for the prompt attention which i l: have always paid to ou: , communications, and'hoping 4'!w the action we have taken will meet with your Honori approval. We have, &c., Messrs. JTolas a:ne Barbt. To His Honor the ■Superintendent.