THE WAKATIP DIGGINGS

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 21, 20 January 1863, Page 2

THE WAKATIP DIGGINGS

met DISCOVERY CP TWO NEW GOl# kf FIELDS. | cce cs P (From the Otago Daily Times, Jan. 17.) re« o: The first report from Mr. Worthingipt'* the newly-appointed Commissioner of $W ■ Wakatip Goldiield, was received in DunJlLf 1 yesterday, and has been placed at our disJlfLt sal by the Government — it is dated Janm^fc v 10th. Mr. Worthington reports the estimating population of the district as 6,400, dividedles. follows : — jal a Arrow River .and Township— miners l.slEj" others 500, total 2,300 ; Shotover River, Mo*5 c . $ Creek, 25 Mile Rush, and adjacent gulliesSjujt miners 2,500, others 100, total 3,600; To^^etc ship at Mr. Ilee's homestead— miners «!<]£. others 500. Grand total, 6,400. j|etc He further reports as follows :— W* rt " Lead ore has been discovered on (Igf l^ Arrow River. A specimen has been broi^f' in. which I will take the earliest opportuni;i|§ of forwarding to Dunedin. The men repift| sent that there are large quantities to be gi^fe at readily. Payable gold has been struekiu^B a creek running into the Shotover, about &li miles above Arthur's Point. Full partieulai|P al will be found below. p*| l ' "A prospecting claim has been grante s see4 cc subject to the place' being proclaimed a ffolp^, field, on a river running into the Lake Wak^g tip, within a few miles of its northern extrjfg r . mity. I send full particulars under the he&cjSed of general information. Miners have belp < rushing principally to the westward, and asUfu in a very unsettled state. I should estimatp| '• that one-half the population are doisij$ al nothing but searching for new ground. |sS 0; following up successful prospectors. 0? ' "The population during the past have been steadily migrating westward, c^fe c the track of a man who goes by the name l^gti ' Moonlight ;' and a great deal of auriferoiflfd country has been discovered, causing a rusfebE from the older workings on the Arrow anniL Shotover Rivers, but principally from tmw former. (p^' <l The majority of miners have settled dov|Sr on a creek running into the Shotover Iliragpjl about fifteen miles from Arthur's Point|l|| wheie the prospecting claim on the river^ situated. The Creek is worked for about $f£ miles from the junction, but the first mil^Jgg through gorges, and it is only in isolate^) spots in this portion of the stream wheif jjg; miners can get a chance to set in. AbovijivEi this the country opens out to some slightfras extent, forming a flat of about a mile and $$> half in length, and 70 to 75 yards in widthf|fe A great deal of ground has been turned up^SF here, and most favorable results obtainedi]Sr One man, on whose information I can relypp states that he and his mates have washed a&f much as 11 lb. to the dish, and two miners oig|> his acquaintance cradled 130 ozs. in the day.ft»j These sort of accounts arp numerous, audjg^i though of course they must not be taken as|jft any criterion of the results obtained by thc|li majority of miners, still I think there arcgj* very few steady working men who have anyjf§ ( cause to complain. Sinking varies from one!?!' to five feet, with very little wash dirt, the**: gold being principally on the soft slatey reef,.^ and usually coarse and nuggetty. A few of^ the spurs in the vicinity are being worked, and the prospects obtained are sufficient to j|y cause a rush on to them. Above the flat the pi creek divides into two streams, both of which <& are rocky and precipitous ; and to-day I hearjp that 'there has been a rush to flats some fourj|| miles up one of them. The road to theseKl diggings is a most difficult one, even for an man ; but miners manage to take pack-horsesg within about a mile. B "Alexander M'Donald and apartyhave dis-B covered payable ground on a small river, g emptying itself into the northern portion ofjg Lake Wakatip on the east side. They left Mr. Rees' station on the 20th ultimo, in his schooner j made the island that night ; and the next morning landed about ten miles from the road ; started northward, following the shores of the Lake, and abo\it mid-day struck a river about the size of the Arrow. Prospected, and found traces of gold, but nothing more. Proceeded on, and the next week was passed in trying the auriferous nature of a large river flowing into the head of the Lake from the Snowy Ranges. Nothing but the color was obtained, as they could not bottom anywhere, from the fact of their having no proper appliances to get rid of the water. This river was prospected for thirty miles, and though precipitous in places,*! flows through numerous flats and terraces. I? On the 26th they returned to the first riverß! they prospected, after landing from theg island, and sunk holes on a flat immediately^ below a gorge, about one mile distant from |j the Lake, where they obtained 4 grains toj*) the dish, off a false bottom of gravel. A» better prospect, however, was ultimately^ found in two places higher up, on the side of .§ a spur, the general average being 2 dwts. t<?* the dish, besides picking up several nuggets, ti the largest of which would weigh about 7 'g dwts. Another party having found payable | gold in the stream immediately below them, % they thought it was quite time to secure <i & prospecting claim, which has been granted |j to-da)'. I ma 3* mention that there is plenty of wood for all purposes in the neighbour- g hood, and sawyers are at -work on one of the p. islands." $'