D—No. 6

the Dunstan Mountains. It has, therefore, received the name of the Dunstan Gold Field, which more nearly indicates its precise locality than any other. 24. In September another discovery was communicated to the Provincial Government by Mr. James Lamb, one of a party of six Victorian miners, who brought to Dunedin about 28 ounces of coarse nuggetty gold, obtained at Moa Creek, on the Nokomai Eiver, itself a branch of the Mataura. Contiguous to this creek there is a large extent of auriferous country, bordering on the Nokomai, and extending over the dividing range through the valley of the Nevis to the Kawarau .River, throughout the whole of which parties of miners are working with satisfactory results. The Dunstan, Xokomai, and Wakatipu Gold Fields are therefore united by a continuous scries of gold workings. 25. Before the close of the year 70,000 ounces were transmitted by escort from the Dunstan Gold Fields, but this was not all derived from the river workings. Towards the end of September, the Clutha, flooded by the melting of the snow in the far distant mountains, whence its sources are derived, covered the beaches, and drove the miners from their claims. Then they began to explore the surrounding country, and numerous rich gullies were discovered amidst the ravines of the Carrick Eauges. One of the first and most important of these was Conroy's Gully, so called after the name of its discoverer. 26. The Carricks, a bold and lofty chain of mountains, separate the Dunstan Gold Field troni the valley of the Nevis, the latter being comprised within the boundaries of the Nokomai district. Three miners, crossing this range, discovered payable auriferous ground on the Western watershed, near the short track to the scene of Lamb's" discovery at Moa Creek. In one day with a shovel and tin dish, they obtained two ounces of rough gold, and immediately reported the circumstance to the Warden at Dunstan. As usual a rush took place. Some exceedingly rich finds were obtained, and the locality received the name of Potter's Gully, in honor of one"of the prospectors. 27. About the same time several gullies were opened up in the Umbrella Eauges, and on the banks of Waikaia—a tributary of the Matawia—a permanent gold-field of some extent was also ! discovered. It is worthy of note that shortly after the discovery of Tuapeka, Mr. Eeid reported the existence of gold on the Weudon and other streams, but little note was taken of it at the tune. There was indeed a small" rush" to what was termed the Blue Mountains in the early part of 1S62, but the prospectors failed to discover a remunerative gold-field, and the development of an extensive tract of auriferous country was thus reserved for a later period. 28. Discoveries of greater importance were shortlv after made. In the month of October it < was rumoured that a miner named Fox had found a gold-field of surpassing richness in some remote and unexplored region, and this rumour was confirmed by the statements made by Fox himself during a brief visit to the Dunstan township. Numbers went out in quest of the new field, but for a time their researches were baffled, and the disappointed miners be.'an to regard the report as a delusion. One party, however, whilst roaming through the country on this°errand accidentally lighted upon auriferous deposits of considerable value and extent. The scene of this discovery was the Cardrona Creek, a tributary of the Upper Clutha ; and the attendant circumstances are thus narrated in a letter addressed to the Warden of the Dunstan -old-field by Michael Grogan, one of the fortunate prospectors :—" On the Oth November, whilst a crowd of C diggers wore camped on the banks of the Cardrona, Mullins and myself took a walk to see how that part of the country looked, and in walking along the river, where what I call a slide had occurred, there had been a track formed by the cattle. I being a little further up 'the creek sat down until he came up, and he immediately told me that some person must have lost some gold and produced about tour pennyweights that he got on the cattle track. We still continued up the creek, until we thought it time to return to our camping ground; and on our wav back he showed me the place, and on searching for more we could get none ; and from the appearance of the black soil we certainly thought that it must have been lost by Fox or some person * * * # " # * On Tuesday, the 11th, after receiving some information as to whereabouts Fox was workim' myself and mates were a-head of the others ; and on coming to this place I took my 'mrac' and laid it on the bank. ' There,' said 1, is where the gold was got.' Then I walked to the spot and on breaking up the surface, the first thing that I discovered was a bit of about three dwts •' and that afternoon we nuggcted out 9 OE. 6 dwts. 12 gnu, which all hands which were there could see. 29. An expression used by Groan, in referring to the site of this discovery, accurately L describes the appearance <»t the locality, and accounts for the peculiar circumstances under which the discovery was made. The valley of the Cardrona is characterised bv a series of "slides" or landslips by some of which the lower strata have been projected to the surface in the form of . ebns It was in this that Mullins first observed the gold, which, having been washed bare by the water that oozed from the hillside, was lying bright and clean about shoulder high. 30 A number ofW>le hastened to the new field; but in the meantime Fox had been F, tracked to his haunts, and the fame of the Cardrona was quickly eclipsed by the greater attractions of what was termed « Fox's rush." At the time Dr. Hector, the Government geologist, was on a tour through the country, and he happened to be a spectator of Grogan's discovery Following up the Cardrona to its source, he crossed the Crown Eanges, on the western side of which he .,iinc upon * ox * party, and about forty others, quietly working in a secluded gorge of the Arrou E.ver. A few days after Dr. Hector's visit, a large party of miners, pursuing the same track observed the smoke of the camp fires, and following the clue thus given, suddenly presented them'

Discovery of Nokomai.

Produce of Dunstan. Flooding of River

Conroy's Nevis Valley,

Potter's Umbrellas and Waik»ia.

Cardron».

rogan's discovery

Landslip.,

Fox's rush

5

GOLD FIELDS OF OTAGO.