OLD TERAWHITI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 664, 15 November 1909, Page 9

OLD TERAWHITI.

GOLD-MINING RENEWED. The news that gold-mining' operations are in progress once more at Terawhiti will recall to, the minds of 'many Wellingtonians the excitement-, this- field caused in the. early ,'eighties."'-' ■ , Who in Wellington then had' not cause to Remember the "Keep it Dark" (still in tho. dark), the' "Perseverance" .(still persevering), the "Wealth of Nations" (which the colony never got), the "Occidental" (unhidden wealth 'of Oriental splendour that was never found), "The Phoenix-," "Albion," "Wellington," "Golden Crown," etc., etc. These were a,few of the old names. The "Albion" Company put up a machine house,..and erected crushing machines. The gear was' carried round to Otcrangu Bay by tho old Moa-, and lightered off on to the beach and dragged to its present position, about throe miles up the valley. But the fields proved a failure' and operations oeasedi The Albion machine-house stood the weather well till two'years ago, when a party of boys set fire to the woodwork, and all that now remains is a mass oil twisted ana riisty Since operations ceased, years ago, iho fields have been the hunting-ground for the fossiokei •/.••-,;i.prospector, but the gains have been small. Gmd exists in the small streams, and-wjth a •shovel or pan, colours of gold can often be found. , The present-day operations are on the old Golden Crown claim, \fhioh' lies' on the west ooast of Terawhiti.i .....', ;. If yon know the lay of the land,.you caneasily follow the old track from the .Valley to the top:of the ridge. On top you got a fine view of the Straits, with the Brothers standing bolyly out, and in the distance Stephens Island is soon. Away to the north lie Mana and: Kapiii, and at your feet lie'Ohau Bay, Warehou Bay, and. "in the dim," Titahi, Looking to the south the enow-elad' Kaikouras of the Sopth Island rise out of the'has*, and following the coast line of the South Island to the north run, the, ranges te Tory Channel, which are very prominent on a cleat day. . r Having finished with the view, you follow the track along the N -ridge till you \ come to the "Golden Crown" elaim, which is an interesting piece of ground. Avoiding I .various holes and drives, yon drep down on to the present .workings' Whiph are in progress. The present drive extends inwards about twenty or thirty feet, and ia well timbered. Tha prospeet is r matter wnieh eoncerns only the workers. Near-by is. a eorrugated iron wharc, erected by the present, workers,! and a few feet below lies the month of. the 1200 feet drive and tnnnel of the old company. Right and left on this spur "are other drives of lesser length. The ridge to the left is a mass of holes and drives of the old workings. ' The present syndieeiolias to have all its material, brought round from Island Bay by the fishermen's launch, and it.is lightered on on the West of Terawhiti,: and thence packed over per horsebaok by the old Perseverance track. It is very interesting upending a day on these 'hills, and to ■. those who are fond of walking, the: Terawhiti ridges should be a fdvounta resort,;- : , 'i:". •/', < .