GOLD IN UPPER WANGANUI. DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1078, 11 January 1872, Page 2

GOLD IN UPPER WANGANUI. DISTRICT.

Colonel M'Donnell has just returned" from a visit to :the; Upper Wanganni River, and the prospect of a, gold field" has come under his notice. The Wanga-L nui flcmld publishes the following extracts from the Colonel's diary : > I rode from 1 Taumaruhui tio Matahania, about seven miles 'further up the river, and from the latter place to an old settlement named Pungapuriga. Topine, who had accompanied me from MaraekoWhai, left me here, while he canooed np the Ongarua, a branch of the Wanganui River, returning the following day. The country about here is openand available. Topine left an influential young fellow with me named Ngatae, toishowme about this part of the country. He procured horses^ and we rode further up the riyer to the month of two or three creeks that mpty themselves iritojtlie main stream ;

these creeks take their rise from a large range) named Tauerwa. Here I picked up some pieces of quartz, in which gold has since been found by Mr Robinson", of Wanganui. These creeks are fulfcrbf quartz. On arriving atTaumatunui withTopine some,of , the .natives- had a tilightajbjec tion to my going prospecting,, in the, ranges until ',they ! had/comniunicated> Vith the King, bnt Topine said, "I was the means of.^bringing -you will show you over my, Jand." However, as I could see,' r he'saia this only because he had brought me up. Itoldhini I would not go any further than I had^been, lest 'dt"^jSiit''''6a!Diße disputes among themselves, at which he appeared pleased, and , " After you return to Wanganu, Tukimata will go to Te Kuiti and take some pieces of quartz /(they ■'. haftTfhown me) with him, and arrange wWi fMana about, having this, part: pf the? ] Country prospected, Jbecduse 1 though .lie (the King) had decreed that thei*e' is to'be no prospecting for gold, or land for selling, leasing, or road making, yet he has beensand is, now receiving, rente for land leased to theipakeha. He has been the -first to break through his own laws, and has a pdrtyi of Piniana (Fenianl) reifdirig;With him, who are 'going; with" hUT permission, to pfdspect for gold^t'the Puhiaj-'a'p'hwje near to the Kuiti. r . ! ; '| r ,1 explained ,to the natives, the n b|nefit they, would /derive '.if gold wasCfipiind in payable ; quantities , . on,; their.' lan4,i and assured them, on their putting ,^tie. question, that the Government would never authorise anyone to digTwithout'their permission, and; that: in any' 'they -Allowed- diggers "to-prospectj-?thejr v need not be afraid, of their land being taken from them, and I' illustrated the Thames Gold Fields as a sample. They seemed pleased with this, and ; expressed a hope that gold might be found on their land. After leaving Wanganui to go up the river, and when I had reached, Te Whakahorohoro, Topine despatcfetl a canoe from Marae Kowhai with Ifgatae and some men to fetch me..upi,to ; '. ; hia kalnga. He then told me that he had sent the canoe to Wanganui to bring me up to show nic theo6untry,havibg ; known me before, when I accompanied Mete Kingi to, Hikurangij the ; house jafe Tau« marunui, as I had at that time ittfld' him I thought gold existed, at that ( j)a»t ,of the coiintry. They made' me promise '.ip visit them again, Topine following me to the canoe and saying, "The next timel send for you, I hope to be able to show you all over the country. In the meantime, Ngatae and others willprospect about and take down; when they go any stones or specimens they may find;" ' Three natives then manned the canoe atict brought !me down the river to Wahgattui. : r THere I5 are two very fine seams of coal in the country I rode over. • • ' ' ' ' '