Page image

C—l 3

16

Talus formed by Partial Destruction of Barrytown Lead —The Barrytown lead, between Fagin's Creek and Canoe Creek, partly by the action of the creeks breaking through it and partly by the formation of a talus at the foot of the terrace cliff, has yielded up a considerable percentage of its gold, and this now lies buried in or under the more recent accumulations formed as just described, or that have been brought down by the different creeks that intersect the lead. Canoe Creek to Buller Biver. —lt is somewhat remarkable that scarcely any of the small rivers between Canoe Creek and the Buller Biver have yielded payable gold from the recent gravels of their present beds, and this in the face of the fact that many of the high-level teraces have yielded handsomely. Lower Buller Valley. —-In the Lower Buller itself little or no gold has been obtained till its sands came within the action of the tide. In the Waimangaroa Biver, above the township, most of the gold-workings are being carried on in the recent gravels of the bed and banks of the streams. The gold is of a coarse description, and, probably, has been derived from the auriferous Maitai slates that, east of the granite belt, are developed throughout the watershed as the fundamental rock, on which rest the Cretaceo-tertiary or Cretaceous coal-measures. In the Buller Valley from the foot of the Gorge to the Inangahua Junction. —Below the junction of the Little Ohika the shingle of the river-bed and of the terrace-banks, where any such are formed, are mainly granite detritus brought down by the Big Ohika or by lesser streams, or mere falls of granite rock from the precipitous mountains on each side of this part of the gorge. There are no gold-workings on the beaches of this part of the gorge. At and opposite the Twelvemile, gold-workings have been and still to some extent are carried on. Above this point, to the " Old Diggings " at Berlin's, a few miners are scattered along the banks of the river working portions of the banks, but preferably washing on the beaches when the river is low. At and near Berlin's a number of claims are still being worked, all of them situated on what must be regarded as recent deposits by the river. Above Berlin's to the Inangahua Junction there are, at the present time, no workings on the bed or in the immediate banks of the river; but at Grainger's Point, near Coal Creek, one or two claims are being worked on the point, at an elevation considerably above the river, so that properly this has to be considered under a following heading. Buller Biver from the Inangahua Junction to the Lyell. —Within the past twelve months beachworkings were in operation on the river-beaches opposite the Inangahua Junction. Further up the river a number of river-claims are being worked, and here also is situated the Cock Sparrow Dredge. Alluvial flats of moderate width continue up the river to the bridge, a mile and a half from the Lyell Township, and on the northern bank of the river there are also bush-clad terraces reported to be gold-bearing that must be considered as coming under this head. In Neio Greek, making junction with the Buller, below Lyell Bridge, the alluvial deposits of the bed of the creek are mainly derived from the auriferous slates that form the neighbouring ranges and hills, but they do not seem to carry much gold. Upper Buller Valley. Buller Gorge from Lyell Creek to Fern Flat. —From the bridge below the Lyell to the mouth of Lyell Creek there are a number of claims working on the east bank of the river, but the watersupply being limited, the present workings are less extensive than the ground available might warrant, though this at best is but a narrow strip along the brow of the deeper part of the gorge through which the river flows. Above the junction of Lyell Creek the same character of deposit prevails—namely, a ledge on the slope of the range on one or other side of the gorge (usually on the north side), below which, in a narrow channel, the river makes its way. These deposits are mostly worked for gold, but with appliances, and such a water-supply as makes it evident that with improved means far greater returns might be obtained. These deposits, though generally above high-flood mark, are, nevertheless, to be regarded as having been deposited by the river during the modern period. In Lyell Greek the recent alluvial deposits are mostly confined to the bed and immediate banks of the creek, where small flats lie upon one or other side of it. Lyell Creek and some of its tributaries were rich in gold, the greater part of which has been directly liberated to the shingle of the creek from the auriferous slate ranges, along which it finds its way to its junction with the Buller. Part of its gold, however, and certainly that of some of its tributaries, has been derived from older gravel deposits, a remnant of which is preserved on Manuka Flat, a high-level deposit situated between Lyell Creek, the Eight-mile Creek, and the Buller Biver. In the Maruia Valley all the narrow flats that lie along each or either bank of the river must be considered as belonging to the series of deposits under consideration. That at and above Castleana's is the largest in extent, and also the highest above the present channel of the river; but, having regard to the volume and power of the stream, these river-flats are as much due to recent action as are others along the valleys of lesser streams that, holding the same proportionate relationship, are undoubtedly regarded as due to the action of the stream, in such times and manner that they are correctly treated of under this head. To the junction of the Warbeck all the deposits along each bank of the Maruia come under this head. Wherever along the banks of the river there are gravels, they are gold-bearing. In the Middle Valley, extending from the junction of the Warbeck to the junction of the Alfred Biver, at the foot of the Cannibal Gorge, the recent deposits of the valley lie along the lower grounds as narrow river-flats as far as Walker's Homestead. Above the junction, of Station Creek the low river-flats expand, and at places have a width of two miles. Gold is found on the banks of the river in the lower part of this division of the Maruia Valley, but it does not appear to be present in paying quantities above the junction of Station Creek.

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert