THE NEW DIGGINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 292, 26 November 1862, Page 6

THE NEW DIGGINGS.

PRELIMINARY REPORT

By DR. HECTOR,

GOVERNMENT GEOLOGIST.

Geological Survey, Otago, New Zealand. Dunedin, 24th Nov., 1862. To His Honor Major Richardson, Superinten-

dent of the Province of Otago.

Sir, —I ha^ 9 the honor to inform you of my return this evening from a most interesting tour through the auriferous districts in the interior of the Province, and to communicate immediately, for the information of Government, some important particulars I have ascertained, in anticipation of a fuller report, which will be furnished without delay.

I have much satisfaction in being able to state that, the discovery of gold deposits in new localities is progressing as the summer season advances,'with greater rapidity than the most sanguine anticipations could have expected.

The large number of miners that were allured into the remote country by the rich deposits along the banks of the Molyneux River being for the present compelled to abandon their claims, on account of the summer floods, have turned to the various mountain gullies for employment until the waters subside. The result of this has been the thorough prospecting of a large extent of country, which might otherwise have remained lor a long time untested.

The quick succession of rich discoveries wliich lias already rewarded tills activity on the part of the miners, leaves no doubt on my mind of the great extent and richness of the Otago goldfields; and further, that they will prove quite as permanent in proportion to their area, as goldfields elsewhere have done.

As I anticipated in a previous communication, these new discoveries are being made continuously in the N.W. direction, and moreover, I have seen nothing in the course of this last journey that materially alters the opinion I then expressed, that the richness of the auriferous deposits throughout the Province, is not to be considered dependent on the action of the rivers as at present existing, which at first sight may appear the natural view of their distribution.

I left Dunedin on the 28th ultimo, taking one man, and carrying on our horses a few requisites for camping out, if necessary—and proceeding by the West Taieri route, reached the _ Dunstan Gold Fields in four days. Until then I observed no actual mining in progress along the line of road, and although holes had been sunk in most of the gullies, neither skill nor perseverance had been exercised in many of these attempts ; so that notwithstanding tlie number of miners who have passed over the District, it may still be considered as unprotected. The River diggings at the Dunstan gold fields are situated in two distinct localities: the one at the mouth of the Manuherikia, and tho other along the Molyneux River, where passing through the Dunstan Gorge; these localities being separated by that portion of the Molyneux River where for a distance of 8 miles it crosses the Manuherikia Plains, and from having a loose shingle channel, affords no rock bottom for mining operations. At the former locality the digging is principally confined to the Manuherikia River, the channel of which is rocky for a mile above its junction with with the larger stream. Along this portion of its course miners are busily occupied in washing the deposits along the river, and tunnelling and sinking into the banks. One part/ of 27 miners have combined for t the purpose of turning it from a portion of its channel, 1350 feet in length, by cutting a race or water lead across a bend for 300 yards; each man is to subscribe so much for the purchase of sacks for constructing the wier, and the storekeepers of the township have also promised their assistance by contributing each a certain number in addition. The work of cutting the race was commenced on the 31st ultimo, the first sod having been turned with a shovel, gilded with Dunstan gold. It is expected to be finished by the middle of December, and there is no doubt that the enterprise will prove remunerative. Above this point, which is less than a mile from its mouth, so far as I could learn, there is no digging along the banks of the Manuherikia River. A small tent town has sprung up at the Junction, and ferryboats were busily plying on both rivers.

Eight miles above this is the Dunstan Township, situated at the lower end of the Gorge, but although this is the business centre of the diggings, there is but little mining at present carried on in its immediate vicinity. From this point the Gorge extends for fifteen miles to the Kawarau Junction, forming one of the most perfect passes through a mountain range that I have ever seen or heard of. Its rocky walls are nevermore than 800 yards apart, and rise abruptly, but not perpendicularly, to about 2,000 feet above the river, and then slope more gently to a still greater altitude. The terraces, which are so remarkably developed in the Manuherikia and Upper Clutha plains, are however continued more or less perfectly throughout its entire length, forming a level shelf 90 to 130 feet above the water, and broader on one side or other according to the bends of the valley. These terraces are composed of well water-worn shingle, and as this rests everywhere on angular fragments fallen from the cliffs on either hand, it is evident that the formation of the Gorge must have been long prior to the time when it became a drainage channel, and that the action of the river has merely been confined to the partial scouping out of shingle by which it was previously filled.

I did not observe more than fitty miners at ■work along this part of the river, but before the waters rose, both margins had evidently been worked throughout the entire length of the Gorge, and many ofthe claims are still retained by registration. There is a good pack horse trail through the pass along both sides of the river, and so perfect are the terraces, that excepting at three places, there would be no difficulty in making a dray track up the Kawarau Junction along the left bank of the river, and if neces-. sary these obstacles could be overcome at a moderate outlay. The greatest difficulty would be to carry the road along .the side of the Molyneux River for three miles above the point where it receives the Kawarau, for there the banks are so steep and rocky, that the present track has been carried over ridges in order to avoid them; but this plan could be easily avoided by bridging the Molyneux River immediately above the confluence. Above the junction both rivers traverse the upper Clutha Plains, which are almost exactly similar to those of the Manuherikia Valley, and there will be no difficulty ie carrying a road over them in any direction.

Swiming the horses over the Molyneux, at M'Leod and Gibson's store, which i^ a little way below the mouth of the Lindis, and about fourteen miles above the junction, I followed round the base of Mount Pisa, and onlthe 3rd instant reached Wilkin's station at the junction of the two branches of the HaVpea and and Wanaka Lakes. Passing round the south end of the latter lake, I entered the £>nowy Ranges by the Valley of the Manuherikia River. I was anxious to reac^^lrouht Aspiring, but was unable to cross this as tbe waters were too high. .1, however reached a point opposite to which was a large black birch forest, where about fifteen men were employed in cutting timber for the purpose of rafting it down to the Dunstan diggings. They have first to float it 8 miles down the Manuherikia river to the lake,which has then to be crossed, in order to reach the Molyneux river, after reaching which there is no further difficulty to be encountered. I spent only five days in the mountains, three of which were wet. By ascending what is known as the Black Peak, to the height of 7,soofeet, I had a magnificent view over~the Snowy Ranges to north and west, and "got a fair idea of the general structure of the mountain which was the principal object of my journey, in order to prepare for the work on the west coast. I then, unsuccessfully, endeavored to follow up a wide valley which leads from the Wanaka Lake to the S.W., aud which I expected to head with a valley of the Wakatip Lake district. ;

On returning to Roy's station at the eastern corner of the Wanaka Lake, I heard that a party of miners were digging up the valley of the Cardrona River, which is a tributary to the Molyneux from the south, and that they were supposed to be doing well. I followed up that valley, but excepting twenty or thirty miners who were engaged on the same errand as myself, and searching for a party led by a miner named Fox, there were no diggers in this valley. One party of these Fox hunters however, a few hours before I overtook them had accidentally discovered a rich spot from which they had already taken out 6 ozs. of rough waterworn gold, some ol the pieces being over half an ounce weight. They were led to this search by finding one of these nuggets on the surface as they were walking along. The deposit was strictly local, however, for their companions had sunk holes up and down tlie gully, in similar positions, and only obtained a fair prospect in one other case. Nevertheless, I have no doubt from other indications that this valley will prove highly auriferous. It is about 26 miles long, and commences in a comparatively low saddle, close above the left bank of the Kawarau river. For the first 8 miles it is narrow, rugged, and tortuous, with a very rapid fall, but below that it is expanded ; but this place expanded and filled with immense terrace deposits of sand and shingle as high as 600 feet above the Wanaka lake. It was where it thus changes its character that this rich patch was found, in a land slip of the older tertiary strata mixed with fallen rocks from the adjacent cliffs. The gold was obtained in the black surface soil, and I believe has slipped down from the bottom of a lead which crossed the valley at a much higher elevation, resting probably on the tertiary strata.

From the Cardrona River I crossed over the summit of the Crown Mountain and descended to the valley of the Wakatip Lake. On reaching a hut belonging to Mr Rees's Station, I found that tlie men I was in search of were engaged in mining within a distance of 2 miles, upon the Arrow River, which is a small tributary to the Kawarau from the North, and joining about 12 miles below where it leaves the YVakatip Lake. On proceeding there, I founl about 40 miners, among whom was the Fox, in quiet possession of a most secluded valley, of a very limited extent. They made no secret that they were doing exceedingly well, but of course it was impossible to get precise information as to the "quantity of gold which had been obtained. The Gully was first prospected and its rich treasures discovered abont the 13th of October last, almost simultaneously by two independent prospectors, M'Gregor and Fox. With their companions, numbering in all fourteen, they had worked quietly for about three weeks, until they were discovered by one miner after another, and their numbers increased to that mentioned above. The portion of the gully as yet worked is about h mile in length, and contains five (5) flat points of very limited extent. For eight miles above this I was informed there can be no workings, as the stream is closely hemmed by perpendicular rocks, and this agrees with what I myself observed. Higher up it is said to widen out in flats, round which there are many land slips. The gold obtained in this gully is all coarse and water-worn, the largest they got I was told weighed 2£ ozs, but £ oz and 1 oz nuggets are frequent. Some of the late comers to the gully stated they were making at the rate of 3 ozs a man per day, but this must fall far short of what some of the first arrivals obtained.

From the best estimate I could make, I believe I am understating the amount of gold which has been obtained in this small gully at 1,600 ozs. Of itself this gully is quite inadequate to give employment to a large number of miners, as a very few more than those already working there would completely occupy every portion of available ground. In the course of a few days and before I left the district, the number had already been augmented to 150, by miners from the Nevis and Cardrona. The gully is upon Mr Rees' Run, and 12 miles to N.AV. of his home station.

Owing to the manner in which the country is hemmed in by high mountainous ranges, goods must at present be drayed to the lower end of the Wakatip Lake, and thence conveyed by boat to the exit ofthe Kawarau River. They could, however, be drayed up to within 16 miles of the spot up the valley of the Cardrona, and thence packed across the Crown Range. Perhaps eventually a road may be carried to the head of the Cardrona, through the low saddle previously mentioned, thence round the point of the Crown Range and along the side of the Kowara Valley. As far as I could judge from a distant inspection, there would be no great obstacle in accomplishing this, except in descending to the Arrow River, which is bounded on the east by the " Crown Terrace," an abrupt rocky scarp 800 feet in height. Between the Arrow River and the Lake, the Kawarau receives a much larger tributary from the North named the Shotover, a large and treacherous stream that can only be crossed in one or two places at known fords. It is, moreover, bounded by high shingle terraces which would present arr additional obstacle to draying between the Lake and the place where the diggings are situated. At the point where the Kawarau leaves the Wakatip Lake, a rocky rapid completely prevents boats passing from .one.to the..other. The banks, however,? are low, and easily approached on both sicles,Sand from this point to the north of the Shotover the river is wide and sluggish. At the junction of the two streams there ia again a slight rapid, but: without rocks in the "channel; below which to- the inbuth U>f the Arrow River the current is iswift but even-flowing, and from there to its point of emergence on the Upper Clutha Plains, about eight milea J above its junction with the Molyneux, the ' Kawarau is said to be unnavigable, as it tra-

verses a rocky chasm similar to the Dunstan Gorge, and passes beneath the natural bridge which has been long known of from the repot t of the Maories.

Fox informed me that he brought a horse along the^ south side of the Kawarau River from the junction to the lake, and that there is only one bad place near the Nevis Stream, and there he had cut a track.

If any large rush takes place to this new locality, great privation will be experienced, as there are no provisions to be had of any kind, the few miners that were already there having quite exhausted Mr. Rees's stores. His goods are obtained from Invercargill, and drayed up to the south end of the lake; but most unfortunately his large boat of 30 tons burthen, which is the only one fit for bringing them further, is at present on the stocks undergoing repairs, and will not be ready for at least a week or two.

If miners do rush there in large numbers, I have no doubt that at first there will be great disappointment, as the known ground is onty of very limited extent, and, under the excitement of a rush, diggers are too impatient to prospect much.

From Mr. Rees' Station I crossed over an arm of the Wakatip Lake—swimming the horses for nearly a third of a mile—and fol • lowed along the eastern side to its southern extremity. There is no track, and I consider this route almost impassable—for horses, at least—in its present state, and it could not be made other than a mere foot track without considerable outlay. The distance is twentyfive miles, which it occupied two days of hard work to accomplish. The principal difficulty occurs, where for a few miles the Remarkable mountains rise very abruptly from "the water's edge to the height of 6,000 feet, and where the only way of getting past is to climb over fallen rocks, piled on a steep incline. From the Southern extremity of the lake, which is only 17 miles from the Nokomai, a splendid natural road leads through a wide valley, which at one time has evidently formed the outlet of the lake, by the channel of the Mataura River.. I did. not visit the Nokomai diggings, as I heard they were almost deserted and my horses were too fatigued for further work.

Following a capital dray track, which crosses the Mataura river at M'Nab's station, I easily reached the Molyneux Ferry, in three and ahalf days, from which place I came on by the coach to Dunedin.

In the course of a few days. I shall communicate for the information of Government, fuller details respecting this journey, especially as regards the geology of the district examined.

I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, James Hector, Provincial Geologist. P S.—l beg to enclose rough sketch maps, which will show the localities alluded to.