PROSPECTING ON THE WEST COAST.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 74, 21 July 1863, Page 2

PROSPECTING ON THE WEST COAST.

It will be in the recollection of many of our readers that the cutter Aquila, Captain Austin, left this port during the month of March last, carrying a party of diggers, nine in number, who had determined on a prospecting expedition to that pari of the West Coast south of the junction of the Provinces of Canterbury and Otago. The vessel has now brought back the whole of the party in safety, and the great interest recently manifested with regard to the capabilities of the part of New Zealand she has visited, warrants us in supposing that a brief notice of the trip will be acceptable to the public generally. Th c Aquila sailed from the New River on the 25th March, and after a passage of 37 days, during which she experienced very heavy weather, Milford Haven was reached, without any further mishap than the discovery, that the vessel's stores Were by no means of good quality, doubts being also expressed as» to whether their quantity was sufficiently large to' enable the party to continue the prospecting for the time originally proposed — namely, five months. Subsequent events proved that these doubts were well founded, or the trip woull scarcely have terminated so soon as it did. On landing at Milford Haven, the party proceeded inland a distance of about ten miles, over a very rough and unpromising line of country, when further progress was arrested by the mountain chain, which rose abruptly to an enormous height. Peak towered above peak, and the whole scene presented an appearance of wild and rugged grandeur. After vsYious, unsuccessful attempts to discover a pass, it wa3 thought advisable to return to the vessel, which was accordingly done— not, however, before several spots had been prospected for gold. The " metal" was not to be had — not even the color ; and but a poor account is given of the probability of its ever being discovered around the shores of Milford Haven. The formation appeared to be granitic, but there was an almost total absence of alluvium, or, as it is familiarly designated by diggers " wash." After leaving Milford Haven the Aquila proceeded to

the Awarua' River, and hereagain an attedpt;wa& made to gain -the summit ofethe range's/ but with no better result. The moan fains are described as rising abput'Stxfof ,seven miles- from the sea, the intervening space being densely timbered witli* forests of pine and birch, the former attaining a gigantic size. Some of the 'frees were as much as ten feet in diameter, and from one to two hundred feet in height. ' In time these forests will no doubt be turned to" good account, in spite > of 'the inaccessible nature of the country they occupy. No trace of gold could be discovered < n the Awarua. The - next part of the coast which was visited was a rirer called by the prospectors^ the Wakatip, and here they met a party of Maories (the only ones seen) consisting of three women and one man. FromCthe^e natives a canoe was obtained 4Jr the purpose of exploring the river, but subsequently the boat belonging to the vessel was employed on this service. A t a distance of several miles from the coast the river widened into a lake of very considerable dimensions, leading from which was another river, and above that a second lake. Neither of these lakes I are laid down in the maps. From the | head of the secoud lake the prospectors 1 proceeded about five miles further in- < land, and were reluctantly compelled to | retrace their steps In" consequence | of the severity of the weather andl their stock of provisions running short, g They complained greatly of Gapt. Austinf the master of the vessel, for having! deceived them as to the qnantity ofl provisions he had onboard. He agrt>edl to take, and subsequently said hell had on board five months' r supply J| whereas the sequel proved therefl was barely enough tor two. There wasff a very limited quantity of ammunitioni! and had it not been for the kindness o|| the natives mentioned above, it is cerJ| tain some of the party would havj| perished of hunger during the last tripM inland. The Maoriea gave them V rc 'M seived eels, potatoes, and' shellfishl! and otherwise treated them with kiiuQ ness. On the party leaving the 9h'||| at the Wakatip River, the captain tooljl the vessel round to Milford Haveii! promising to return in ten days, «w|i leaving for each man, besides a lit'tlgr powder and shot, lOlbs biscuits, liltf beef, lib sugar, and a sufficient' qmijj dty of tea. On this meagre supply ti party existed for six days, and thel their ammunition being expended, fi| of them started to walk .to.Milford Havl with half a/pburid ' Ofbiscuft each. (| Thejourney occupied four days, tl ground traversed being of the roughl description ; in some places a track i|| to be cut through the dense und|| wood. The vessel was found in m§ ford Haven, and she then returned M the remainder of the party, who v»|| discovered in a deplorable sraie|| want, having been thirteen days wi|s out fool, except such small quiintiii as the natives, who were themseil but badly provided, could supply, f though no gold was discovered by § prospectors on this rives, .still $ ueneral appearance of the co||; try, and the great quantity | washed gravel, quartz, &c, 1 usual indications of gold to the pi tical miner led them to suppose thatg ground they were traversing was atif . ferous, aud had it not been that hu| ompelled them to retreat before fe place whs fairly testt-d, it was the jgf eral opinion of the party that a discopi of importance would have been tnf| Their is an air of probability givef this supposition when we take into! sideration ihe fact, that there <| have been ouly a distance of a fewfj between the head of the secondjl visited, and the west coast of f| Wakatip. But a short time wil§| bably elapse before other partieg visit the same locality, and if n<m else is effected, the question as'to|| i being a practicable track from theS ' to the west coast will be set at r&'M (