MAEREWHENUA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 175, 12 July 1872, Page 5

MAEREWHENUA.

(From a correspondent.)

Sitting in my tent and musing over the present and the past, I thought I might write a little touching our present situation and current facts.

Being camped on. the banks of the Maerewhenua Biver, and hearing the constant rumbling of its waters passing with incessant rapidity over rocks and boulders, a-s though more constant and active in doing the will of our Creator, and obeying the unerring laws of gravitation whicji he has established, than sentient man ; and hearing the thun-der-like noise of the wind rushing furiously through the rock-bound gorges —here we sit, while reason may interrogate whv we sit thus wasting our precious time ? I answer—Not that we are ashamed or afraid of civilised communities, nor have we absconded into an isolated wilderness to evade paying our legitimate, liabilities (for, in such case we would see our names flourishing in the ' Mount Ida Chronicle ') ; but here we are contending with King Winter, and constructing a water race for the Maerewhenua Diggings—a Groldfield in which, we are told, some of the Naseby people declare that they have no confidence, inasmuch as they do not like the formation of the gold-bearing locality, &c, &c. Now, while we do not wish tc question the experience of such men as miners,, nor theoretically as mineral-

o-?ists j f? rir yet a s £6'frlo:rists. we? fail ''noi to^hi;> k t'uat the- t'omiusioiis tliesr" arrive at j re mor« the product ions of" prejudice than the dictates of sotiiid judgment or practical .knowledge; While geologists are in the dark as to where gold is generally found, and must confess that theory does not always stand by them as a", unerring guide, yet we find, some gentlemen willing to condemn a locality for its exterior appearance —men, too, who profess to be practical—without even sinking a shaft or trying a prospect. How, in the name of common sense, can men tell by the formation of a. country where gold exists, or where it does not? Moreover, where or when do they tell us so without sinking and searching below? Do not geologists tell us thnt gold is the production: of quartz, and that quartz is the production of the earth's undulations ? Furthermore, does not the same scientific fraternity inform us that at one time the hills. of Otago were subject to many glaciers, from which rivers of water would.exude perhaps as large as any of the rivers of Otago at present ? Considering, too, that those rivers might have flowu in their devious courses for many thousands of years r subject to the action of which earth, rocks, and minerals of. various kindsmust inevitably undergo the workingsof terraqueous elements, and be deposited hither or thither, or where man might least suspect —subject to these, as also many other considerations, how" can men think that, from a mere glance at the exterior formation of a locality, they can arrive at a satisfactory conclusion as to where gold does or does not exist ? As flying reports by flying visitors (when such reports deprecate a locality) are not unfrequently attended with injurious effects, visitors should try for themselves, if not by sinking shafts, by prospecting shafts already sunk (of which there are not a few in Maerewhenua), as, after so doing, we are sure they will not report ill of this place. Moreover, I feel justified in stating that the majority of miners on this place would affirm, with me* it to be their opinion that the Maerewhenua will: in time (and not far hence) be one of the best G-oldfields in Otago. There are many water races in course* of construction in this neighborhood,, but as the country through which these races are being constructed is very mountainous, together with the fact that the length of such races is great, water race cutting in this place is naturally a matter of time, hard labor, and hard cash; but the holders of these races all seem satisfied that they are engaged in a work for which they will be amply remunerated ultimately. The Mosquito Company's race is just now finished to Spring Creek, a southern tributary of Maerewhenua South, from which they will have a fair supply. Mr. Botting's race, also, has recently been extended to a westerly branch of the Kakanui, which will doubtless give him a good supply should a thaw set in. The Grolden Hill Company are also busy pushing on their race, in anticipation of ultimate success, as also are the Messrs. Cooper, proprietors of the Bushy Creek water race, busily extending towards a permanent supply. The Maerewhenua race, though subject to the disadvantage of being the latest started, ha& notwithstanding an advantage of some importance, which is the fact that they have commenced at a permanent supply which promises no scarcity all the year round. Other races there are,, and not a few, which augur similar success from prospects and general indications, to describe which at present would, I fear, occupy too much of your more important space.