THE NEW THAMES GOLDFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1654, 5 September 1887, Page 2

THE NEW THAMES GOLDFIELD.

•la reference to the Important dli> , oovery of gold at Hikutaia, the Auckland , " Star's " Pareora correspondent writes aa follows under date 24th August : — I , j have j aat returned from a visit to the new find, which ii located at Marltoto, i about 12 miles due east from Gorbott'i 1 Hotel. Hikutaia, and upon the northern , contiinnation of the Watikauri auriferous belt. The discovery was made by Mr R. Moßrlnn, who has been prospecting m that locality for the past two months, and judging from what I saw he is likely to be well repaid for bla peraeveranoe. There are quite a number of reefs outcropping} but only one has been fossicked on up to the present. This one averages 8 feet thick from wall to wall, and has been traced through the Prospector's claim, which embraoeß an area otSO acres, for a distance of 10 chains. It has been tapped at several points along the Una of its outorop, and proved to be goldbearlng at every point of intersection. It riiei with the Bpur, whioh is an offshoot of the main range, and it is on this spur where the principal workings are located. These oonsißt of a series of surface trenohei, m all of whioh the lode Is exposed to view. la the principal trench the lode haa boon driven upon for a distance of about six feet, and haa beon broken down to a width of 4ft on the hanging wall eide, gold permeating the whole mass. On the extreme hanging wall there la a width of about 18 inches of decomposed quartz, which is interaperaed by there distinct blue veins varying from one to three inohes m thickness, and these show more or less gold throughout. A dish of rubble broken out from this portion of the reef, and panned off m my prei onoe, «aye a handsome prospect of gold— pale In color, indicating the presence of sliver — m appreciable quantities, and dome pieces of the precious metal were so large as to be easily pioked out of the diah with one's fiogero. The O3uutry through which this lode haa it 3 course is all that o»a bejdeaired for the presence of the precious metal, and though the developments are still iv embryo, I feel confident that this discovery will lead to important results. The looality 1b at present somewhat diffioalt of accesß, bat there are no engineering difficulties m the way of making a aplondid road right up to the mines, of whioh there are now about five marked off on the line of the lode. There are now about 20 uobn In the neighborhood, and those who intend going there had better prepare themselves for a short term of hard work iv the shape of prospeotlng, for whioh purpose there is * large area of aartferpqa courtly anility*