PROSPECTING ASSOCIATION.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 20, 23 December 1863, Page 2

PROSPECTING ASSOCIATION.

< A meeting' of the committee wu held on Bat«rA day tat, at the Prince' of Wales Hotel, when tkfl " following report wai read. ,*"■. , Your Committee h-mn?: taken the neoeu^lt steps to giro full publicity of the reward of llSQifl* offered by the Inhabitants of InTereargill, £■• advertising the nnw in theflocal paper*, m wgl., aa tlie most Important papers of Victoria— esp^l cially the' goldfields papera of that colony— toj'l the Wakatip goldfield ; and by thejoel^ptragraplfcl^ received, the said reward haa dmwn^Ae attention I , of the miners of those* ptacea to «hi«lV*>*i«»ee, writhe likelihood of payable goldJeTda being; found b; I prospecting.' - * ._ I Your Committee hare much pleasure in sta^n^ ,<, that on canvassing -tbe town for aiibscriptioisg ifi they bare received the most liberal support «mj * assistance from the merchants and others, titf, have the satisfaction : of informing you -that tin subscription.:- tats give a total of. £l£f*>,JW«| , £374 in excess of the -reward offered, «t,,\fe l . from only a portion nf r the inhabitants. Shc^ a payable goldfield be found,"- wo believe ti«t : double the amount could be easily collected. Information has been received by-various mem. ben that several parties are,! noir-out in variom - portions of the Province, and no doubt ik i >Uott time the reflate of ttiewifftori will biknown. Until then, it would be pfem»>ure for the Com. imttw to take any other action." Your Committee bejrtocati your attention to . tbe neeeasity of proviling fuhdsto pay the pii - 1 liminary expenses incidental to printing, adver. iising, &c, and would suggest that 5 per cent, of the amount subscribed be called up for this pUrpoM, giving credit to each aawcriber for this instalment. . - . ■'■■'■■ Applications have been made to the Secretary by miners and others at the Lake for plans of this Province^ but, o« inquiry at the Govern ro on t office, none have been made, and the Committee take this means of drawing attention of the proper authorities to «o important^ matter. - - Your Committee in closing their labor* so far . are satisfied that the objects of the Association will* be gained, as with the advent of fine weather and the immigration into this Province of practical miners from the Lake goldfields and Vistoria, — attention has been' drawn to' the auriferous nature of the country ■ that it otherwise would not have received, and instances the Report of Mr Ciiples to the ~ Goldnelds* Secretary ia Otago, in which he gives it as his opinion, that an auriferous meridian may lie north-east of Lake Harris,— and that he found the color in a small creek close to r Mr 1 Rodger's Run, This prospector was out nine months, the most part of which time was occupied in trying the country about the Te Anau and its neighbourhood, and without success. The object of the Committee ia drawing attention to the above, is to guide intend, ing prospectors, , so that they may devote their attention to the country more immediately in tke bound tries of the Provinces, and that portion of tho Otago Province west of the Wiarau, and which has not yet been systematically prospected with that care it deserves. By order of Committee, 1. H. Moses, Hon. Sec. The Report having been adopted, it was moved by Mr W. H» Pearson, seconded by the Secretary, and carried, that all Subscribers be requested to pay th ir calls of 5 per cent, to the Treasurer, J. Watson. E«q.. Bank of New Zealand, to the credit of the Association, to provide funds for the preliminary expenses hitherto incurred.