THE CRIFFEL GOLDFIELD.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1227, 4 September 1885, Page 3

THE CRIFFEL GOLDFIELD.

In spite of the repeated warnings through the Press against visiting this field until the spring is further advanced, or until October at the earliest, we notice almost daily people ere route. We can but give another warning, and then leave the subject at rest. I’he following extracts, however, from letters which appeared in the “ Lake County Press,” published at A-rowtown, we reprint for the information of those intending to visit the field : “ The following is an extract of a letter sent an old digger who is over at Oriffel • ‘ I came to Pembroke to-day for some things, and I thought I would let you know how Mount Criffel stands. The snow is lying on the field from 6in to 2ft deep, an I the ground frozen as hard as hellmetal to a dep hj of 2ft. The ground has been in this a'ate ever since I came here, and will probably he the same for some time yet The locality of the present wot kings is on the top of the range, and the fo-mation of the ground is what one may term a series of low bills and flat dry gullica. There is a largn area of land of

this desoription,"and holes have been put down in every direction us far as the eye can reach. Judging by experience, it is evident to me that there is a lead of gold which runs parallel with the range, divi led from the Lugga'e Creek by a low range. The laud is broken in several places, and it is hard to trace from the present workings. The wash out of the present claims is quartz travel washed smooth and conglomerated boulders. On both sides of the lead, holes have been sunk everywhere, but no wash has been foun 1 in them. I am camped about a mile below the diggings. I have been up to the workings several times since I have been here, but owing to the snow have not been able to do anything. The cold is very intense, and I do not intend to go up again till the snow disappears. I weal I not advise anyone to come hers earlier than October, There are a few parties prospecting, and camped alongside, but no one has ventured to camp on top. It is a very cold, exposed mountain.’ As it may be assumed that we have no belief in ths field, we set ourselves at once to disabuse the minds of our readers on that point; indeed, quite the contrary. We have every faith and belief that there is (if not exactly on the Criffel spur of the Mt. Pisa range) an extensive field on the side of the range right from the Cardrona down to the Lowburn—a distance of a-one 40 miles—that will give remunerative labour to hundreds of miners. At the present time, and for years past, there have been detached parties of miners working along the side of the range, and in many instances getting large quantities of gold, and far from there being reasons why no rich patches are not sti 1 to be found there are many in favor of the assumption, the least of tb- se being the surface indications which in every direction abound. One thing for certain, the whole stretch of couniry is surrounded by what were in their day rich fields, viz , Cardrona on the one side, the Roaring Meg and Gentle Annie Creeks on another si e; the Kawarau Gorge ami Lowburn at still another side ; and last, but not least, the Luggate water shed and the present Criffel field. Moreover, there has been no sat rush on the ground for systematic prospecting to prove whether it is or is not a payable field. No doubt a great paH of the country is as inhospitable as can be well imagined. For many months in ths year on that account we recommend thorn who purpose giving the field a visit to defer it for a few works ; and again, knowing the country so well as we do, we would dissuade all from trying their fortunes except those who have strength of ho ly and sinew to stand the brunt of a rough camp iign, and moreover the sinews of war in the shape of coin to see them through a month or two’s prospecting. The Mt. Pisa range will be found to be no poor man’s diggings, nor in our opinion is it a certain field. Therefore to those who have steady remunerative work where they are we would say remain where you are.