THAMES GOLD FIELDS.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 153, 16 January 1869, Page 4

THAMES GOLD FIELDS.

From a Correspondent. The following items of news from Shortland will doubtless interest some of our readers :—“ The Lucky Star claim, at the Karaka, belonging to the father of Mr. W. Smith, formerly in our office, adjoins the President Lincoln and Star of the West claims, and consists of eight men’s ground. The shareholders of this claim have opened a fine leader in a drive, which is entered from an upper level to a length of 46 feet. The quartz which composes this leader is similar to that from which the shareholders of the Lucky Hit and Greenstone are getting such rich specimens from. Another fine leader has been opened in a shaft, which has been sunk to a depth of 45 feet. A large reef composed of sandstone and quartz, which appears to have been a blow up, is exposed on the surface of the ground, some of which has been tested, and we have been informed by the shareholders averaged as much as from twelve to fifteen ounces to the ton. A shaft, which is now thirty feet, is being put down for pose of cutting this mass of stone. Another drive is,being put in on a lower for til ? purpose of prospecting the ground; the drive at present is in about a hundred feet. This reef, however, has not yet been opened on, but it is expected to pay well when it is properly worked.’ On Saturday, 26th ult., the christening of the Middle Star Battery was celebrated by a large party of shareholders and friends. This is said to be one of the best claims on the Thames.— On the night of Monday, the 28th ult., a firo occurred at the Tower of London claim, the property of Mr. S. Hall, late of Blenheim, when, we regret to say, Mr. Hall lost everything he possessed except his watch and the clothes he had on. He is going into a new claim at the head of the Karaka. He is a first-rate workman, and if you could see him now you would say he is a real digger, and no mistake.—The shareholders in the claim formerly opened by poor Von Tempsky have recently struck a vein of very fine gold. Our correspondent says:—“The crushing machines are working day and night; you can hear them all over the flat. Another steamer is to be put on the Thames immediately. She is called the ‘ Luna’, owned by Henderson and M‘Farlane ; she was formerly a blockade runner, and will go from 13 to 14 knots per hour —I am going to take a share in- a claim next week, and I think it will be one of the most likely places, about the head of the Karaka Creek. You may talk about the scenery of the Middle Island, but you should just take one trip along the shoi’es of the Hauraki Gulf, and then judge for yourself; for seeing is believing.—Unless Onihemuri opens (which it is expected to do soon), I do not know how we shall get rid of our surplus population ; all trades are represented here—the competition terrible.”