NOTES FROM ALFORD FOREST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1038, 3 September 1883, Page 2

NOTES FROM ALFORD FOREST.

As this district has elicited a good deal of interest of late, I thought that a few notes from one who is a comparative stranger would prove of value, and I therefore sit down to write my impressions of the place and its future prospects, so far as mining is concerned. In the first place the weather for the last three weeks or a month has not been ut all favorable, most of the time heavy nor’-weaters with snow storms by way of variety, and to-day a most decided southwester with rain has set in and likely to last some days. The soil in this vicinity seems chiefly boulders, but I am told that on its being ploughed up the boulders disappear, and that the soil is very gwod; where the bush has been cleared the land seems much better than on the flats away from the hills-

I have had several conversations with holders of freehold property in the vicinity of the diamond fields (I don’t say “ so called,” as the inhabitants here are thorough believers in the genuineness of the discovery, though, according to Mr Kelsey’s telegrams, they are intensely deceptive), and they are confident that their fortunes will shortly be made, and talk of immense sums, such as L 4,000 for 20 acres, as the prices they are willing to sell out for. I have seen specimens of stones from various localities, some very brilliant ones of good shape from the north branch of the Ashburton river, near Mr McFarlane’s, some 50 or 60 of which wore tested by Mr Jacobsen last week. Some of them crumbled up together, but others were only discolored and pronounced by him to be zircons. At the same time he said that they must have been obtained from some spot where there was limestone, and that this accounted for their softness. On this point he was correct, as there is a quantity of limestone where they were found. There are numerous holders of other specimens from Taylor’s stream, and it is rather amusing to hear the different ideas as to their value. Some consider them worth 2d each, and others up to as much as 5s to 10a ; some will freely give a stranger a few specmens, and others will watch their darlings like a cat does a mouse, and if there is any suspicion of a wet finger tip there is an uproar at o-ce. Messrs Jacobsen, Webber, senior and junior, of the Pioneer Company, arrived from Christchurch on the 23rd inst., with tools, etc., for prospecting, and a house ready framed to be put up, and proceeded to the ground on the 25th, having to pack their materials’ part of the way some four miles from here. '1 hey have not been down since, but their men, two in number, engaged here have been down for “ tucker,” and perhaps a little-spiritual refreshment, as it is very cold up amongst the snow hills. The last news we had from them to-day was that they had obtained from 3,000 to 4.000 specimens, mostly from a blue clay formation, and some as large as small peas, that they have commenced working in. This is good news, as according 5 to Mr Stanley, of the Juvenile troop, whom we thoroughly believe in up li re, and also Mr Herman Of Cape renown, whom we are notquite so sure about, this is the formation they are found in at the Cape. Everything now depends on the result of Messrs Jacobsen and Webber’s expedition. I need not say that Mr Jacobsen has a thorough conviction that diamonds are to be found here, and up to the present time has not made a penny out of the affair. He said the other day that he would sell his interest for L 12.000, but not a penny less. The party is expected down to-morrow, and then we hope to have more news. Already there have been one or two , parties up at Jacobsen and Co.’s camp trying to find out what they are at, but Mr Jacobsen is of course reluctant to have any one fossicking about their worki ings. There,is one man, an old West ■ Coast miner, at work in the bush here, and during his spare time he is driving a tunnel into the hill less than a mile from the hotel. He is also in the blue clay formation, and I saw a nice brilliant that he had obtained from the clay the other day. There have been rumors of quartz containing gold having been found, and 1 saw a piece picked up by one gentleman that showed gold most distinctly, but, unfortunately, it was lost. If the diamond fever does nothing else, it will have educated the people to distinguish between a genuine diamond and an ordinary crystal. Nearly every one carries a pocket magnifier, and on being shown a fresh specimen discourses learnedly about the lights, number of sides, etc, adiamond should have, and especially the cleavage, and on being asked what the latter means,

say, “ Well, it is the way the thing would bust up if hit hard enough.” One infallible teat according to the natives, is to take the diamond between your teeth, and if you can crunch it up, swallow it, for it is nota genuine diamond, and if you can’t make any impression on it or on your teeth it may be the correct article, and should be at once sent Home to be further tested. Most of the original inhabitants (I won’t say the recent) of this district appear to subsist chiefly on whisky and mutton, excepting, of course, the good templars, who number a good many here, and who taka it out of a “ Sairey Gamp ” teapot ; and judging by the height of some of them—three I saw would tot up to about 19 feet —it agrees very well with them. I must draw this to a conclusion, and hope very shortly to have much better news to send to you. Traveller. August 31, 1883.