THE OHINEMURI GOLD FIELD.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 226, 1 March 1875, Page 3

THE OHINEMURI GOLD FIELD.

The correspondent of the Herald, writing on the 21st, says:— The issuing of miners’ rights is a question that agitates the minds of the men very much indeed, as it is apparent that at the proclamation of the field there will be some very rough work, and the strongest party are those who will gain their rights first. Several parties have discovered the reef known as Logan’s, and each are mustering their friends for the fray. The original prospectors swear that no man shall peg off the ground but themselves, inasmuch as they are prepared to take out miners’ rights the very moment they are ready for issuing. Such being the case, they solemnly declare they are entitled to it and will oppose all comers. There is another case, that of Coleman and Smith, who have lived in this district for years, and who, about a year ago, made application to the late Superintendent for a prospecting lease of six acres. In February, 1874, a favorable reply was given to this, signed by the Superintendent, promising that when the field was proclaimed the application should be granted, provided that a payable quartz lode could be shown by the applicants. This, I understand, they are prepared to do. But when the applicants interviewed the Ministers the other day they were distinctly told by Dr Pollen that no prospecting claim will be granted. This violates the promise given by the late Superintendent, who would have held the delegated powers of the goldfields, and there are many who consider that Dr Pollen as his successor ought to confirm the promise given by the late Mr Williamson. On the other hand, the argument used is that Coleman and Company, by prospecting before the district w r as proclaimed, have broken the law of the land, and are not entitled to the consideration of the Government, and by granting the application the Government offer a premium to law breakers. It is known, however, that the Government did not consent to proceed with the purchase of the district, or the arrangements with the Maoris, until they were fully assured that the country was auriferous, and it is such as Coleman, Leahy, and others who have proved it. This argument ought to have some influence, and for my own part I hope that those who have been instrumental in proving the country auriferous, and thereby been the means of inducing the Government to purchase the land, may receive some slight concession. Without this is done, the issuing of miners’ rights is likely to be a scene of disorder and confusion. There is really little known of the district to the bulk of the miners, beyond mere prospects obtained from the surface, as it would be folly for them to go out and set to work systematically until the field is proclaimed. Those who have been hanging about the district, and are supposed to have something good, are naturally reticent, and no disclosures will be made until the proclamation flay comes. The idea of alluvial ground having been found in large quantities is gradully being given up by the miners, and their efforts are being directed to the reefs. Several promising reefs have been found, and for some ot these there are four different parties on the lay, hence the probability of trouble arising as to who shall get the first miners’ rights. This morning I had an opportunity of seeing the result of three trial crushings, recently made at Shortland, and in each case satisfactory. Not a particle of gold was seen in any of the lodes, but when pounded they yielded good prospects, hence a trial of ten pounds from each was decided upon. No 1 lode 4ft wide, gave 14 grains gold; No 2 lode, 2ft wide, 16 grains gold; No 3 lode (bluestone), small lead, 10 grains gold. The gold from each lot that was shown me is vouchsafed for by the signature of a Thames machine owner. The gentleman in possession of the stone is well known, and I am prepared to give the name on proclamation

day, should the truth of this be questioned. The general feeling is that good payable reefs will eventually be found, but some difficulty will be experienced in the search for such, as the country is extensive, and generally covered with deep surface soil. No rich finds like that of “ Hunt’s,” &c, are expected, and it is probable that the rush of diggers now setting in, may in a few mouths pronounce it a “ duffer,” . but those who know the place feel convinced that there is a season of prosperity ahead, and that the district will become a large mining and agricultural centre. Besides gold, there are several coal seams discovered within the field, the whereabouts of which is known, and as these are within easy distance of water carriage, a large and important trade is likely to spring up in this branch of minerals. The following is the letter of “Long Tom.” published in the New Zealand Times, a summary of which has already been telegraphed : “ Sir, —The comments you made in your Saturday’s issue on the long vexed question, the opening of Ohinemuri country as a gold field, I am convinced are fraught with interest to numbers in this province who have more or less knowledge of that country themselves. The question whether that country could have been opened sooner is not now of so great importance as a correct idea as to it being at all likely to turn out a payable goldfield or .not. It is on the latter question, then, that I wish to offer a few words of advice to hundreds of men now in good employment in this province, but who, I find, on the slightest excitement in the shape of a rush to Ohinemuri, might be blindly led to throw away the substance only to grasp at the most ephemeral shadow. As an experienced miner of twenty-two years’ standing, let me at once inform your readers that I have spent over three years of weary, though not altogether fruitless, toil on the Thames goldfield, and there I lent all legitimate aid years ago in bringing pressure to bear on the Government to open that country. I was also one of the delegates chosen by ten thousand miners to confer and ascertain what were the real feelings of the native chiefs and native people on this question, and to find out if the negotiations of the representatives of the Government, then dealing with the natives, were in consonance with the high hopes which were daily held out to this large body of idle and anxious miners of its speedy opening. During these exciting times, be it remembered, pounds’ weight of the precious alluvial metal were said to have been discovered near Waihee, as well as specimens of unparalleled richness from different reefs that traversed the ranges. The natives, too, in those days, were incited by individuals of morbid proclivities and sinister motives to roam and scour the surrounding country in search of prospectors and lucky vagabonds, who were supposed to be rapidly accumulating their surreptitious piles in the hidden recesses of the surrounding mountain fastnesses. But in the meantime, I hastened back to give an account of my mission stewardship, and as soon as I had got fairly out of my popular harness, I, in company with two other experienced miners, determined on proving its auriferous resources for ourselves. Having provided ourselves with a pick, shovel, and tin dish, we accordingly started in the dead silence of midnight from Thorp’s crossing, and beyond the loud barking of dogs, we eluded all rebel detection, and got safely up the gorge to within a short distance of the celebrated chief Te Hira’s solitary whare, this being his favored mountain hermitage. We temporarily halted here, to consider the prudence of boldly passing his lordship’s door, or at great peril to diverge from the track through impenetrable bush, scrub, and fern, in another direction. Having, however, resolved to pass by the sacred hut, we proceeded on our journey and advanced cautiously, but there were no signs of life to be seep or heard, and this made us bold enough to peep inside, when, to our delight, we found it quite empty. The smouldering fire, which was still alight, indicated that Te Hira had only left his lonely home early in the evening before. It was now 3 a m., and as Te Hira’s matted floor offered a convenient place in which to stretch our weary bones, we all lay down and slept fully four hours. Next morning, after we had breakfasted, we pinned the following words to the chief’s floor-mat;—“To Te Hira.—Blessed be thy roof; it has been good for us to-night, and it will be equally good to you after you return. —Weare your pakeha children, adieu.” Having started again we scaled the right hand range of the gorge in less than two hours, and we were now securely ensconced from all danger of being heard or seen. We next resolved to prospect the country right before us to Waihee, a distance of fourteen miles. The country is terribly rugged, nothing but a series of steep ranges and precipitous chasms, converging and terminating in rapid creeks, many of which have very formidable projecting waterfalls from ten to fifty feet in height. We soon discovered quartz reefs of various sizes and descriptions. Some were of the mullocky kind, and which we drove on for a considerable distance, yet notwithstanding all our familiarity with the work we failed to trace even the color of gold in any of such lodes. We also discovered other reefs of huge dimensions from five to fifteen feet through in the bed of the creeks, where they were denuded by the friction of past ages, but the most of them we found to be quite flinty and having that hungry appearance which at once indicated their barren quality. On all occasions we made a diligent search for smaller leaders, which often happen to run parallel to these monsters and often prove all the more gold-bearing and even rich on account of their close proximity to another large body of barren quartz; but in this we failed, as we could not find any auriferous indications whatever. We also tried the creeks for alluvial, and in this we were equally unsuccessful. We also traced many reefs over ranges and spurs, and tried them at various place ; and as we prospected we secured from ten to twenty pounds of quartz from the most likely reefs for the purpose of testing them properly on onr return to Shortland. On the ninth day of our sojourn in those inhospitable ranges we reached the undulating table land of Waihee. Here we met with many prospecting holes, and in every instance we sunk alongside, but only on one occasion did we at last get a peep at one solitary hungry spec of gold. We prospected this locality for miles in every likely spot, but the result proved uniformly fruitless, and on the twelfth day we faced for home, where I tried the several lots of quartz, but they yielded not even a trace of gold. Now, sir, I never made a public statement of this before, and as I have no interest at stake 1 make it now fearlessly for the benefit of those who may take this as a warning, and

not listen to the cacklings of interested and intended barefaced and bare-elbowed swindlers, who no doubt will use their most strenuous efforts at every corner to revive the old days of the Green Harp and Wild Missouri bubble swindles. 1 fear I have trespassed too far on your space—l am, &c.”