HAWERA.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 288, 19 January 1878, Page 2

HAWERA.

(from our own correspondent.)

The weather here daring the past week has been very boisterous. On Wednesday we were visited by a severe thunder storm, which lasted most of the morning. One man in the employ of Mr Livingstone was struck by the lightning, which was very sharp. Dr Cole was immediately sent for, and attended at once to the sufferer, who had been stunned. It was thought he would quite recover in a few days. No other accidents have as yet been reported. The Dramatic Club is now fairly started, pieces selected, and characters cast for the first performance, which will take place as soon as a proscenium lias been added to the stage of the Hall. Amongst improvements lately made may be mentioned a large and handsome lamp, with colored & ornamentally lettered glass, which Mr J. Prosser has had put up in front of his hotel.

I have received an account of a prospecting expedition, up the Patea River, and,as there has been a great deal of speculation as to the gold bearing qualities of this place, a abort account may prove interesting to some of your readers. On the 27th November last, a party consisting of Messrs Aikman, Steer, Patoe,'and a boy, each carrying swags Weighing 501bs, started to prospect the country about the Patea River, as Patoe (the Maori) had declared that he had discovered a gold bearing reef. They travelled for two days over a hilly country, the land purchased by the Government, and came across a lake of about 15 acres extent, arriving the same evening at Mongamima. Started again at six in the morning and travelled for about seven miles over a fine level country with splendid timber, chiefly matai, white pine, and rimu, Reached the Patea River about -1 o’clock in the afternoon, the banks were very high and steep. They managed to catch some eels and a pig, and made themselves comfortable for the night. The next day was spent by Steer and Aikman prospecting about the river, and several small creeks, without, however, getting the colour of gold, Patoe being ont looking for his reef. On the following day, December Ist, they started prospecting up the river, Patoe and the boy going on ahead to try and find a track leading to the expected reef. They examined any quartz that they caum across with a strong glass, hut con'd not discover the least sign of gold,- nor did the country have any appearance of it. The next morning they readied the Mongahua, the junction of the Patea River, but had great difficulty in getting down to the water, on account of the steepness of the banks. They pitched their tent here, and again commenced prospecting, but found nothing —not even a vestige of quartz. Came on to Patoe’s reef, hut found it only a mixture of shell and stone run together. On 3rd December, they started prospecting up the Mongahua River, a stream much larger than the Patea River, and found a good many small pieces of quartz, but no sign of gold, which, if it does exist, must he at a great distance up the river. They came to 1 the spot where Capt. Sheet had camped for the purpose of making canoes, and proceeded from thence several mdes up the river,- but found it so difficult to get along, that they would have to stop and make ti canoe, hut as their food was running short, they had to abandon the idea, and also that o-f arrv Inrtifcr, Irut were firni!y convinced that there is nor. me least prospect of any gold- above the junction of the river, which they believe to take its rise not far front the Wanganui and Vvaitara Rivers. On December 4th, they started prospecting some of the small creeks running on the south-west side of the Patea R’vcr,: over the roughest and most difficult country they* had ever traversed, but witlionttlm least success, and finally detei mined to abandon the expedition as hopeless,- and make the best ot their way home, which, after great toil and difficulty, they eventually succeeded in doing. Splendid patches of laud suitable for settlement purposes was passed in several places-.