PROSPECTING.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2461, 5 January 1871, Page 2

PROSPECTING.

To the Editor of the Eveniiu/ Star. Slit, —Since the paragraph appeared in your paper relative to my starting upon a prospecting expedition, 1 have been literally besieged with applicants wishing to accom, pany me, and also by others (jesirogs of knowing in which direction I intended tq direct my explorations. Now, pot wishing that anything in connection with this matter should wear a hidden or mysterious appear-; ance, 1 will with your permission answer those enquiries, through the medium of your valuable arid widely-circulating journal, by stating that I have three particular (jisti’icta where to my mind gold will be found, not only in payable quantities by a few individual miners, but will yet become great centres qf mining industry, capable of adequately maintaining a large mining community. These three places arc—the Mataura, the head of the Silverstream, and Waikawa. Of course, I (|o not for qua moment pretend to say that these are the only places in which payable goldfields exist within the boundaries of this Province : I merely state that these are the places to which I should point to as likely to yield remunerative labor to the miners; an I should I be despatched upon an expedition, it is to one or the othef of these places that I would without hesitation turn my attention to, with the fullest confidence of ultimate success—and if I were to prefer one place to another, that preference should certainly bo given to Waikawa. I feel it niy duty to say this much—for, whether I go or not, it may bo the means of stimulating others to test the places I have named, and in a’l probability develop fhe hidden wealth qf'|;hese districts, which der any circumstanc.s must be a great to the Province.

Such ia my opinion; aud, without arro? gating too much to mysc’f, I may cay that

it is deserving of some little attention and consideration ; for, as far back as February, 1803 (and long before gold was supposed to exist on the West Coast), I then, in a pamphlet published by me, used those words ; “ And before long the West Coast will be transformed from a solitary wilderness into a busy hive of mining enterprise.” How literally these words have been fulfilled, I feel it quite unnecessary f-r me to say. But again in Angii-t of the same year 1 wrote to the Nelson Government, pointing out that a rich goldlield existed in the Pelovus, to winch Mr J. C. Richmond replied, saying “ Ihc place lias been inhabited for a nuinbei of years. It is easy of access ; and if gold existed there, I have no doubt it would have been discovered long before this."’ <it the same time be thanked me on behalt of t.ic Provincial Government, and promised to give publicity to my letter, w.iich ho ace >rding>y did, and the result was that, in a few months after, a rich goldfield was discovered i i the place pointed out by me. 1 only mention these facts to show that where I previously asserted gold existed it has boon found m highly remunerative quantities, at the same time yielding immense revenues to the Colony, but not beiietitting your humble servant t » the extent of a solitary shilling. Still, nevertheless, the same deductions that enabled me to point to the West Coast and the Pelorus as auriferous d stnets, a'so enable me to speak with some degree of confidence as to the Mataura, the Silver Str. am, and Waikava ; and whether opened up by public subscription or Government ai 1, or whether it remains for some other person than mo to develop the auriferous resources of those districts, I feel confident that, v lieu once opened up, they will prove tine fields for the industrious miner, and a source of immense wealth to the Province. I am, &c., Samuel Symms, Dunedin, 23rd December, 1870.