LATEST about TERAWHITI GOLD.

Patea Mail, 26 October 1880, Page 4

LATEST about TERAWHITI GOLD.

A groat many working men and others have of late been anxious for reliable intelligence with respect to the reported “diggings” at Terawhiti. The Post says:—Mr Chas. M'lntyro, of Torystreet, went out on Wednesday morning to Terawhiti, with a party of four others in a spring cart carrying a stock of provisions for some of the diggers on the ground. They wont through Karori and Makara, a distance of eight miles, to the base ol'tlie hill by a good road. There they “ packed” the provisions on their own backsand on that of the horse, and entered on a hush track. They had four miles to go through the bush, up hills and down gullies, sometimes knee deep in the mml, before the “ diggings” were reached. They were situated in a small hushed gully with a stream at the

bottom. Four parties, of about twentyfour men in all, wore at work cheerily and hopeful of their prospects. The sinking of each claim is three feet below the black soil, when a stratum of clay and gravel is reached, which contains the gold. This clay is puddled in sluice boxes, and the resulting deposit contains gold of a fine character, though some of the particles are as large as pinheads. As a specimen of the yield, Mr M'lntyre says lie saw about 3dwts of gold taken out of one dish. The general statements of the men working arc that they find gold in several places, that they think wages can bo made, and that the field is likely to be much more largely extended and developed. A man named Brothers prospected for four days, and says he found payable gold wherever lie sunk—sufficient to give fair wages. Another party asserted that they saw two men obtain 2ozs of gold from the washdirt of one week. Some 30 men arc now on the ground, living in tents and whares. Provisions arc easily obtained from town as the distance is only 12 miles. Mr MHntyrc supplies a party of 7 men with provisions, at an average cost, including meat, of 8s 3d per head per week. Wild nigs, woodhens, and tuis arc also plentiful. Any man carrying a swag of 501bs could roach Terawhiti in G or 8 hours.