THE THAMES DISTRICT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 536, 23 December 1867, Page 3

THE THAMES DISTRICT.

THE K All AKA GOLD-EIEKD

(Trom tiis Correspondent of the New Zealand Herald.)

December 8. I have been so often asked within the last few days, “ What do you really think of Thames ?” that I feel

inclined to answer the question cnee for ail. i said four mouths ago ihai I thought it was a gold-field, and a very rich one; I say so still. But it might, perhaps, be as well to say why I think so ; and this is why:—We came here early in August last, ami found one Maori store in a small way one bell tent, and three or four whares Our population at that date was 60 Europeans; to-day we have a town bigger and better built than Auckland had when it was ten years old, and our population amounts to some seven or eight thousand souls. Who has paid fur this? We have, out of the gold got. The produce of this field to the present date, taking all the data that we have available, is about i>lo,ooo worth of gold—and that is more than we have cost you. Tins is bo far so good. What are our prospects for the future? Well, if we have done so much with hardly any means in our hands, in a country pre viously quite unexplored, is it not very likely that we can do four times as much when we have appliances for quartz crushing, and know better, as we will know, the run of the lead of gold. I think this is most likely. But as to what we are now doing. Daring the last few days a great deal oi buildings have been put up in th township. The crushing at the mills is going on steadily, that of Goodali’s machine being stone from the claim of Williamson and party in the Moaua tairi. In this case the usual course will be taken of only washing at the close of the crushing. I am told by competent judges that the amalgam shows quite in accordance with what

was anticipated from the richness of the stone. The two rushes up the Moanataira and Waiotahi creeks are snowing well, and some good samples of stone have been brought down, one sample that would fit in a common pannikin being seven pounds weight. Many of the claims have had trial tests during the week, and I have no! heard of one single case of disappointed expectation. A gentleman is now here to offer a twelve-stamper battery, on the latest and most approved principles, and a 14-h rse power engine, in 150 shares of £lO each. The ina chinery is here, and should the miners and the owner agree, will be erected at once—several others to follow, should there be encouragement. A very large amount of interests in tin claims here is on offer in Auckland, but I am told upon good authority that not one single shilling’s worth ol property has found a buyer. In tw or three cases, where the price asked was merely nominal to enable the men to find tucker to work the remainder of their interests in their claim. Gold has been struck better and heavier in two places since Mon day last, and the stone has been sent to be tested. While on this subject, I may as well correct what appears to be a popular fallacy. It seems to be generally thought there is some efficient machinery in Auckland for testing samples. J udging by my own experience, there is no means except the roughest and most unsatisfactory, and I think that miners will do well to avoid sending either stone or gold to Auckland for the future —

tliere is just as good, and I think more effectual, means of testing a lot ot quartz on the field here as there is in Auckland, As a proof of what I say I beg to call your attention to the faci that the sample of stone from Mulligan’s claim that I had tested here, yielded at the rate of 560 ozs, to the ton, and that the trial at Fraser’s machine here, of 100 lbs., gave 535 ozs. to the ton, being a difference of only 15 ozs. in 4 lbs. weight and 100 lbs. of stone. All your trials in Auckland are so flattering that they inevitably lead to disappointment. 1 Lave had people expressing their regret to me that the claim of Mulligan anil Co. did not yield the amount expected I will say, as the Yankee editor did to bis correspondent, “ He might be a fool, but he was not a poet.” 'lbey may be judges, but I don’t think they are.

LATENT NEWS. December 17. The new block of land to the southward and eastward of us, the Otuuui, was opened yesterday, and there was a very considerable rush to the ground. Save in one case only, 1 have heard of no gold being found. As the country, however, is of the same character as the ground we are on, and some of it even more lik-ly looking, there is little doubt hut th i: we shall have as good finds. In a discussion at a meeting of shareholders in the II -bert Burns’ reef, it was stated that Fraser's and Goodali’s machines were engaged for two months in advance from the present time. There is little other information going ; either the men are busy on their claims, ot at the new rush and in the township the formation of the roads is proceeding with a rapidity that would scandalise the City Board. Weather very fine and very hot. The Tuuranga came in about six o’clock last evening, and having pur her passengers into boats, steamed away again, it is said, for Tauranga.