WAITOA.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 3

WAITOA.

The excitement created by the Hikufaia discovery has to some extent been superseded by fcii4 interest now taken in the find at Waitoii. As many persons are still in comparative ignorance as to tlio localily and nature of the workings on Mr J. B. Smith's property, a short description ol them m.iy be of some interest to our readers. The ground to which public afention lias now been so largely directed is situated near the Waito.i river, and is about two miles south of the railway lino to Te Aroha, from which place it is distant some seven or eight in ilos. The estate owned by Mr bmith, comprises an area of some two thousand acres, and is bounded on the north-west by the property of Mr Lirkworthy; on the west by the Waitoa stream, on the opposite side of which the l.m I is owned by Mr 0. Gould ; on the south by the AJaungakawa-Waiorongornai road ; and on the east by the properties of Mr Moon an 1 others. On the eastern side of Mr Smith's land theie is a low hill or setics of mounds running parallel with the river, and extending some distance up and down the valley. On this lising ground, which has an altitude of 50 or GO feet above the neighbouring river level, stall Is the residence of Mr Smith, and it was while having a well sunk not far from his house that his attention was first attracted to the deposit which fs now rogarded with so much interest. Small tiiuls of the stuff gave suo'.i satisfactory results that he was induce! to prosecute the search in other places, and a nnm'>er of shafts have now been put down in different parts of the property, extending from the lull referred to over tlu lowlying portions of the ground to the Wailoa stieam about a mile distant. In nearly all of these shafts the stuff is similar in eh iracter to that first found, and the pio*peets obtained in some are said to have been exceedingly encoumg ing. The deposit, of which there is practically an almost inexhaustible supply, may be described as a course sand, hugely intermixed with minute quartz crystals, fine pumice, and black sand, and is easily worked By geolo gists it is termed a lhoylitic breccia. It may be premature yet to offer a decided opinion as to the ultimate value of this important discovery, but it seems piobable that it will eventually piove of much benefit to ihe distiiet. Owners of other pioperLies in the neighbourhood are now about to prosrcuie the search. Mr Ueuben Parr, acting on behalf of Messrs Campbell Bios. ,011 whose land a little gold was obtained sometime since, will, we understand, take immediate steps to have their property thoroughly prospected, for which purpose a set of boring rods has been ordered from the Thames. Other owners will also doubtless follow in the same direction.