REPORTED GOLD DISCOVERY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1976, 24 June 1880, Page 3

REPORTED GOLD DISCOVERY.

[PEB PBBBS ASSOCIATION SPECIAL WISE.] HOKITIKA, Juno 23.

A discovery of gold, which may provo of great value to the Coast, has been made on the ranges betwoon the Paringa and Blue River, about twenty miles south of Paringa and halfway between the Paringa and the Haast River. The new Paringa and Haaat road, now being made, will run within two miles of the locality in whioh gold has been found, and the formed road will shortly be made past this place. It appears that two men named Thomas Maher, better known as Tom the Baker, and Frank Kinnaird, have been spending some weeks in the locality prospecting, without tools, and obtaining supplies of food with difficulty. As the result of about six weeks' perseverance under the most adverse circumstances they obtained 50oz. of gold, of a very heavy character. They tried to get water on tho range where they were at work, but were unable to do so, and in consequence devoted themselves to the search for the metal in the crevices of the rocks, with the result above Btated. The gold is a magnificent sample, and has been shown to Mr Muller, the chUf surveyor, on his recent visit South, and from which he returned a few dayß since. As soon as the road is through there is very little doubt that a large mining population will be settled in this rich, neglected, and almost unknown and unexplored country. Even now, with the obstacles to success mentioned above, it is clear that thero are some miners steadily at work in the southern part of Westland, not one of whom need fear making 30j or 40s per week, even with the want of facilities under which they now labor.