RIVER OF GOLD

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1931, Page 3

RIVER OF GOLD

V AN AFRICAN. MYSTERY. CAPETOWN, October 18. Visions of.-an underground world inhabited by a race-'that had cats’ eyes,' and could see in the dark, are conjured up by recent discoveries made in the course of prospecting for the “lost reef of the Waterberg.” Traces that in the past people had lived, eaten, cooked food and herded cattle underground have been discovered in the course of organised efforts now being made to discover the spot from which, 30 yeans ago, two German prospectors took gold, but who died before they could reveal their secret as to their whereabouts. Responsible opinion is now leaning to the view that the German piospectors’ gold was panned from the underground river, and thfi-tj somewhere at the end of an almost limitless labyrinth of chambers and passages, gold would -.be found sticking out of the walls’-of tlie caves.- ; j One farmer traces the connection between, the old Rooiberg workings—said to be King Solomon’s mine—and the Rankin Pass caves a few miles away. At the moment the mystery of the caves endures, for on, no-occasion has anyone explored them to their end, although one farmer is ; reported to have travelled spring 'miles underground in the attempt. ’V

underground treasure

According to prospectors and higher authorities, tlie. reef is supposed fo rival Johannesburg and the. Rand, and turn Rankin’s Pass into a second .foha!nnesbuirg. The most favoured spot -is Zwagershoek. It was here, 30odd years ago, that two German prospectors died of fever, and it was found that they had amongst their belonging bottles of gold dust and goTd nuggets, together with large quantities of quartz. Where it came from no one kneW, hut it is believed that before their deaths the. two Germans liad discovered the long-suspected Waterberg gold reef. So. far as the reef is concerned, it is stated Gjat gold-

hearing rock has. been, .assayed at 24dwt to 2(x!wt to-.the ton, The conclusion arrived at- is that the German prospectors found their gold underground in what appears to he ail underground world. There is; a. cave close to where the Germans, died of fever which opens out into miles and miles of passages and large .chambers, many of them a hundred yards square, ;iftnd it is believed that in this underground world the. lost , treasure- wilP be found.

LA TUI YJ NTH OF PA SSSSAG KS. This undergound world is almost limitless, ..with on-«pevfc**'t *tobgrWtith of passages,, apd some idea of the~lsi»r of-the., chambers to lie found there may lie .gauged; from the ; fact that there are complete cattle kraals built of wood in. them.

Mr-Rankin, who named the pass in tlie.,; mountain, has?';advanced far into tlie caves, and there found distinct evidence of human habitations that date from 'the remote past. He states: “I found pots, pans and wood planted, which liad been obvious" ly used for a cattle kraal. What manner of people inhabited this underground is hard to conjecture, hut certain •it is that they lived tinderground, herded their cattle underground, and perhaps .watered • them in the underground river.” ... : The finders report that tlie remains are those of natives, and advance the theory that in the early days Waterberg natives used this place as a funkhole when being raided bv northern Bantu tribes.

The caves, remain a ; mystery, for no living, person lias yet been- to the end. and few care- to try, as- there is too great -^ or