TAURANG A. —RETURN OF THE PROSPECTING PARTY.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 246, 23 July 1872, Page 3

TAURANG A. —RE TURN OF THE PROSPECTING PARTY.

r )N Tuesday afternoon a meeting of the Prospecting Committee was held in the Masonic Hotel, to hear the report of the prospecting party which returned to Te Papa on Monday evening. There were present, all the members, Mr Quinn, and tlie secretary. — Mr Morrison, for the party, gave the following report: “On Monday, July Ist, as agreed on by the committee, we started about half-past eleven from Te Papa, deciding lo go and prove the country beyond Akuake, in the direction of a high hill, called by the natives Tiririotorn, or some name similar. We knew very well that by so doing we should set at rest the question whether th<-re was any quartz there or not. We went as far as tlie Pye’s Pa block-house, and stayed there that night. Next morning we decided to send Peter, the halfcaste, into Hairmi, to try and induce one of Pearson’s family, or a Hauiian, to become a guide, especially as we had no compass, but ho refused to go without payment, ami the following morning we started from Akuake, and, I would say. travelled iuN> the bn»h about fifteen miles. The bush was very dense and heavily timbered, with a very close undergrowth, all kinds of valuable timber abounding, including kauri, teralia, rimu, totara, rata, &e. The land surrounding was of the richest description, and many in -lies deep with decayed and decayirg foliage. We came to a creek and a blind gully, and camped there that night. As it was blowing and raining n-xt day, we stayed there, nut next morning tried to reach the hill referred to, and cone to a tremendous gorge and bill facing us. We did not know how to get down till we arrived at what we thought a creek, Iml found to be a blind gully full of sandstone boulders. Shortly afterwards we struck the Omaniwa River. There

was no quartz to be seen—only a soft sandstone, and the primary rock in tins lied of tne river. We gut as far as tlm falls, and climbed up lhem, keeping a look-out from the top for the creek referred to by the Maoris. We then made for a gorge in view, ascended the river about six miles from the falls, and arrived at a junction where the creek Givi led into 1 two, one having a southerly, and the other a sjuth-easterly direction. We left Peter and Runsley at the junction to pitch the camp, and went further on towards the Oinauiwa River, ascended the creek for several miles, and still could find no indication, and found that we had passed the hill referred to. There was no quartz anywhere. We came back convinced that the reports about quartz were false, and decided to come home again. The reason why we selected for trial the place before mentioned was because of a report from Brown’s tribe that qiiartz existed there. Mr Quinn’s opinion and my own are that there is no quartz anywhere but in the main range. I saw Mr Hopkins Clarke before setting out, and told him that we were going, but not to Kaimai, and he did not object. He agreed with me that before Mr Hjury Clarke

returned it would be proper for us not to interfere with Ivaimai. Cur next destination will be Ivaimai, which, I have every reason to believe, is a gold-bearing locality.”—Mr Quinn remarked that the Omaniwa ran north and south, dividing the range into two, so that if there had been any quartz they would have found it there. There was no show at all, and the bed of the river was quite clean. Mr Murrisou stated that Peter Bidois bad offered to take them to Kaimai from

where they were by an unfrequented traek, so that the Maoris could never know they were there ; hut ho (Mr Morris m) did not think such a proceeding advisable, ns it would he in violation of the understanding between him and Mr Clarke. — Mr Warbriek moved, “ That the committee recognise the exerlion of M'-ssrs Morrison and Quinn, ami approve of their proceedimrs.” This was seconded by Mr McDonald, and agreed to—On the suggestion of Mr McDonald, seeomle' by Mr Morrison, it was agreed “That Mr Quinn’s expenses while waiting the return of Mr Commissioner-Clarke should be defrayed; also, that Mr Clarke should be waited on immediately he arrived.”— This concluded the business. —[Correspondent.]