REPORT UPON THE RIVERTON GOLDFIELDS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 243, 18 April 1866, Page 3

REPORT UPON THE RIVERTON GOLDFIELDS.

. . Crown Lands Office, Invercargill, 14th April, 1866. His Honor the Superintendent, Southland.

Sir. — L-have the honor to inform you that ih accordance with the request con. tamed in you honor's letter of 28th ulfc., I, accompanied by the Chief Surveyor, visited the Paihia or more correctly, fche Orepuki diggings, on the 6th iust., also the Longwood range, on the 12th, ai.d beg to subjoin a report on the same. ' ■ THE "BOAD. '. Foot travellers to the diggings proceed from Eivertbn to Patterson's, at the head of the estuary of the Purapurakiuo, those on horseback can ride across the flats of the estuaries of the Jacob's Eiver and Purapurakiuo, when the tide is sufficiently out. To a stranger such a route is by no means safe, owing to quicks sands, and want of knowledge as to lords, while of course sometimes considerable delay is caused, both to those on foot and horseback, by the state of the tides. _ I would suggest the advisability of cutting a track through and along the edge ofthe bush on the southbankol" the Jacob's Eiver estuary, from Dallas point to Patterson's, should the diggings realise expectation, and the Government be in a position to undertake the work. The track would not be expensive, the ground being sound, and metal on the spot, Such a road would enable the traveller, whether on foot or horseback, to be independent ot the tides, and may probably be the means of saving life. From Patterson's, the track turns about south-west through the Longwood or Dawson's Bush for a distance of three miles, opening: out on the beach at Kolac' s Bay, proceeding along which for three and a-half miles it turns in a westerly direction through the Kolac's Bay Bush for a mile and a-half, coming out on the "VVhakapatu Beach, traversing which a distance of two and three-quarter miles it enters the Whakapatu Bush, the cutting through which is about one mile and three-quarters, it then proceeds across the Paihia Eun, No. 395, Mr Durbridge'e, in a northerly direction for four miles, when it enters ■" the last cutting, that through, the Paihia Bush, which is about two miles and a-half. This opens out. close to Mr Hirst's home station on the Orepuki Eun, Nb. 393, the present site of the diggings) The whole distance being nineteen miles. All the bush, cuttings are in a bad state, ' In ; dry weather they are passable on horseback, even aftes eta pf rain it is possible jißWftPslh Mtm%n fen 'iterijr

rain I rode through on my return; yet if cattle were driven over, or there was much horse traffic, these cuttings would become almost impassible for even foot travellers. I would suggest that, if possible, it would be advisable to cut down the; scrub for a width of two chains along the present trade, leaving the large trees standing. This would enable the sun •and wind to get at them, and give room for horses to wind through.

The road through the Paihia run is over very wet open country, with numerous creeks to cross, all of which get flooded after rain. The straight track is impassable for horses, which can only get across, and that with some difficulty by skirting the bush on the east side of the run. I understand a good track along sound ground .could be made .by cutting through tbe point of bush: on the west side of the run, a work which could not cost much. "Where the road traverses the beaches, itia of .course fair 'travelling, when the tide is out. accomodation. A good walker can get through the whole distance froni Pattersons' to Mr Hirst's in the day, but the majority of travellers, with packs to carry, • would find some difficulty. At Kolac's Bay there is a Maori village, at which food and accomodation, though of a meagre description, can be procured — from which to the diggings is an easy journey. There is also a good accomodation house being erected by Mr Durbridge on the Paihia run. On the Orepuki diggings, or TMr Hirst's run, there are on the open three stores at present, and one in the bush where a few diggers, some 31 in number, are working the gullies. Messrs Hirst and Surman contemplate building comniodiouS stores shortly. Provisions are plentiful and cheap, the water carriage from Eiverton being reasonable. I subjoin a list of prices. THE DIGGINGS. The main body of the diggers, some seventy in number, are working on the beach which is about nine miles, in extent from the south boundary of the run to the mouth of the Waiau ; of this, about three has been taken up ; and that, at the southernmost end. The gold is obtained by stripping off the sand and shingle, in some places a depth of one foot, in' others, eight feet, to within a few inches of the bottom, which is a soft sand-stone. The wash-dirt is generally passed through sluices, the bottoms of which are covered with blanket ; or, better still — plush. Great care is required, owing to the fineness of the golddust, and the difficulty of separating it, before it is swept off, from the black sand with which it is mixed,' and which appe^s to be nearly as heavy. Even witlPa quicksilver plate at the end of the sluice, some gold is lost, it being light enough to float. Cradles are generally condemned as being "too rough for such fiqe washing. The yields pf these claims have been pretty generally satisfactory. One party, termed the prospectors, obtained 20 ounces in four days : few, if any, complain. But the grouncl already taken up is probably the easiest" worked, if not the richest : the nearer the mouth ofthe Waiau is approached, the deeper becomes the sinking: while the shingle to be removed is greater in quantity, and the boulders larger in size. It appeared to me that the gold had been deposited on the beach from the following process : — The terraces of the main land stand some twenty feet above the level of the sea. These are composed mainly of sand, through which there is a longitudnal seam of grayel, ..varying in thickness from one to seven feet ; becoming deeper as you appro ich the Waiau. The sea has gradually encroached on the land, sapped the soft sand, and tons of earth have been thrown clown, carrying the gravel deposit with it : then, acting as a gigantic sluice, the debris has been swept off, leaving the heavier portion — the gold -&,nd black sand — deposited at the foot. Some of the diggers- entertain hopes of finding payable gold down lo low water-mark. The lower they get, however, the greater will be the difficulty contending "With the tide, which in it's advance recovers with sand what had been excavated at low water. Even at present some parties work night and day to surmount this difficulty. In order to test my theory of the source from which the gold was derived, I took out aboufc^ two handfuls of the gravel deposit, which, when washed, yielded three or four specks of ' gold, and the black sand invariably found with it, so that I have little doubt but that my opinion is correct. I question, however, whether the gravel is rich enough for sinking on the terraces themselves. I rode to the mouth of. the Waiau wliich, from information obtained, must have entirely altered its bed at its exit, within the last two years. If the reports are correct that nuggets have been obtained on its banks, within the influence of its waters, 1 cannot but think that it j would pay to work the sand and shingle deposits at its mouth and along its banks. In the bush forming the eastern boundary of Mr Hirst's run there are thirty-one diggers working in the gullies with various success. One or two parties have done very well : the others seem hopeful. Several, however, who tried the bush at first, have come down to the beach, preferring the prospects there. I believe there are one or two parties out prdspect»&g. TOWNSHIP. The desirability of securing a site for a small township opposite the landing place was apparent to the Chief Surveyor and myself, and Mr Hirst at onceY agreed to concede one out' of his pre-emptive right. The Chief Surveyor laid off temporarily the site, and pegged off a few sections. I would respectfully urge on your Honor the advisability of, taking the necessary steps to have the township declared, surveyed, and opened for gale, as speedily as possible. Goods can be boated round with facility from Eiverton, and should the field prove a permanent and remenerative onej cattle might be brought round ,jn the steamer Southland. Care being ; Wp te pvsf f ? U $ W^fA .$&

the navigation. The distance by water is about 27 miles. The boat harbor at Or6puki is a pretty fair one*? and in easterly weather easily entered with boats. At present it is probably premature to declare Orepuki a goldfield, under the Goldfields Act. At any rate, if it is deemed desirable to do so, I would suggest its being limited to the beach and bush, excluding the open land ; by which the Goverement would preclude the possibility of being required to pay compensation to the license holder, the declaration at the same time embracing all the really payable ground. I think, however, it is -desirable tnat a constable should be stationed at Orepuki, pending the decision of the G-overnment in this respect. Up to the present, everything has proceeded in the most orderly manner/ As, however, strangers arrive, tne extent of claims, more particularly on the beach, will be called in question. The right to cut head-races, will' also prove a fruitful source of discord All these matters can be : easily managed % Mr Hirst at pre^ sent; if he has any one clothed with the authority of the law to support him. On the whole, whether it will prove a permanent goldfied or not, appears to me to be a problem yet to be solved. The next few months will deci_% the question. L would not recommend any one to go until (at any rate) the winter months have passed. There seemed to be a pretty general belief on the ground, that a remunerative field would be discovered on the west bank of the Waiau. I believe a strong party intend to cross over to prospect,. so soon as they can obtain a suitable boat. THE LONGWOOD BANGE DIGGINGS. ' These diggings are reached from Eiverton by boating up the estuaries of the Jacobs Eiver, and Purapurakuio, and for some distance up the opork creek, the track proceeds thence for about a mile through the open, where it enters the bush. The Longwood , forest ibeing . principally birch, is more open and easily penetrated than the bush at the Orepuki diggings; there are about thirteen men employed, more in prospecting than actual digging. M'Closkay's party is working some six miles from the entrance of the bush, the furthest distance yet reached. The working consists of stripping the beds of the small creeks, which appear to be pretty numerous, and working into the banks. The wasdirt, which consists of a burnt looking gravel does not appear to be thick in layer, though in appearance it resembles the auriferous gravel deposits of Victorian diggings, in a greater degree than any I have seen in New Zealand. It is deposited on a sandstone, which some of the diggers consider a false bottom, others the real one. The gold is invariably coarse, and several nuggets of decent size have been found. The general appearance of it would lead to the conclusion that auriferous quartz reefs of no mean richness exist in the neighborhood, little, nf any of the. gold which has been hitherto obtained, bearing a water- worn appearance ; but rather that of having been run into stone by the action of fire; It will take, howeyer, I think, a far larger body of diggers thaii those on the ground to discover reefs in the intrieases of the forest, to induce whom, to risk their time and means in such a search, it will be necessary tb -ensure legal protection, should theybe rewarded for their researches by the discovery of such. The majority of those on the ground left it for the Orepuki diggings, but have returned satisfied that the Longwood offers better prospects. In my opinion, ofthe two, it is more likely to pro^e a permanent and remuenrative field. But it will be absolutely necessary for the Government to guarantee some more definite protection than I can offer as Commissioner of Crown Lands, before it can be reasonably expected that miners, will abandon the creek washing, which at present obtains, to devote themselves to the hazardous and arduous J abor of prospecting for a reef, when they cannot b.e assured that they will not be deprived of their hard- won fruits. If the Longwood were declared a goldfield, it might be managed from Eiverton, with little expense, and being, unoccupied waste lands, there would be no compensation to award. If, however, the Government deems it premature to- declare it, I would respectfully suggest that your Honor might make it public that" any miner registering liis claim either for a headrace, reef, or prospecting, with the Eesident Magistrate at Eiverton, in terms of the goldfields regulations in force in New . Zealand, such claims would be recognised, in the priority of application, when the field was declared under the G-oldfields Act. I was applied to by two parties for protection, to enable *them to cut a headrace from the Opork Creek, a work which will occupy them some three or four months ; and which would, doubtless, be^ of considerable service in determining the' value of the field. Not having the power undeir the Crown Lands Ordinance I, of course, declined acceding to their request. I may remark, that as the blacksand, mixed so largely with the gold on the Orepuki appears to me to contain tin ore, I brought away over a' pound weight, which I intend sending to Dunedin for analysis, together with a small sample, got at the TPaihia, of gold mixed with a bright substance resembling platinum. Should the black sand prove to contain tin in any quantity ,V it will materially cniance the reproductive nature of the field, as a substance, which at present is wasted in large quantities,, could be turned to account — the freight of which by boat or steamer to Eiverton or Inver cargill, would be trifling. - 1 returned to Invercargill accompanied i by the Chief Surveyor, on the 12th inst, y I have the honor to be, Tour Honor's most obedient servant, Wal<T2E H. PEAESON, * Commissioner -of Crown Lands, .P-.S.^-I may add that Mr Hirst, who; returned with me, brought into Biverton between two and three pounds weight of gold, purchased at the Orepuki diggiagsj ;

weight. I heard several diggers from the West Coast, stato, that in ? their opinion the" Whakapatu beach promised more favorably than that at Orepuki ; one party returned to it from Orepuki intending to prospect, with what results I cannot say as I did not see them on my return. »

Hobopxtki, Phices Cubeent.— Flour, in 501 b bags, 35s per 100 lb ;■ Tea, per lb, 3s 6d to 4s; Sugar, do, 7d ; Tobacco, do, 7s ; Candles, (sperm), do, 2s ; Potatoes, per cwt, 16s ; Batter, 2s 6d to 3s ; Cheese, 2s to 2s 3d ; Long handled Shovels, 10s 6d each; Short do, 8s ; Picks, from 5s to 8s i ach : G-old wash pans, 5s to 8s each ; ; Hoards, 2d per foot running; Mutton, 8d per lb ; Beef, 8d do ; Q.uicksilves, 7s do ; Clean (J01d, „3 14s 6d per ounce ; j Amalgamated do, £3 10s do.