Tairua Goldfield.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1963, 20 April 1875, Page 2

Tairua Goldfield.

Cfbok oue bpeciai. eepobteb.)

Rowley's Rest Hotel, Sunday morning.

A very nice place, indeed, to spend a Sunday, and at nine o'clock we had every prospect of having such a pleasure. The rain commenced about this time, and very soon a small torrent was rushing down the track past the door. If Rowley had picked out a spot to erect a house of accommodation he could not have got a better place. It is just at the foot of the track into the bush, and just as far as a horse can be taken. Pegging out this site was worth £50 to Rowley; and with the good etock of provisions as it was, Charley has got another start in life

A lumber of men arrived here before 12 o'clock when the weather cleared a little, and a start was made for the Tairua. In going up the track a stranger is surprised to see the remains of drives, tramways, and vhoots in the bush, without any other signs that work had been ever carried on there; the undergrowth baing near as thick ai if it had never been touched by the hand of man; On thia spur the claims were situated that at one time promised to be some of the richest in the district.

Four or fire miles in the bush a party o road-men were camped, and had already commenced improving the track; but with the heavy rain the earth from the cuttings made the road worse instead of better. As we got nearer the top of the ranges the track got worse, and all the party were glad when Sully's camp was reached. Besides Mr Sully, Mr Whitby and Day have stores here, and this will probably be a permament township as the road to the Prospectors is very broken, and during the winter will be impassable unless a large ameunt of labor is at once expended upon it. Mr Sully is very hospitable to all travellers, and in every way tries to help them on their way. The rain still continued, so that all idea of going to the Prospectors was given up until morning; and these with tents pitched them on the best spots to be found, and others were provided with a shake-down in the store. . . Taibtxa, Monday morning. During the night the rain poured down steadily, and anything but a pleasant prospect was before those intending to ice the reef from which the gold had been obtained. The news was brought up on Sunday evening of the yield from the stone taken down, and notwithstanding the damping influence of the weather everyone seemed sanguine that the district would yet form one of the richest yet opened. Those men who had been up several days had found encouraging prospgftts in other places than the prospectors, and when tracks are cut through the heavy bush many other reefs will, it is believed, be discovered. The bush being so dense it is almost impossible to get through it, especially at the same time to attempt to prospect. On the prospectors ground a number of tents are pitched and several huts erected, where all the men were congregated, discussing the prospects and question of the opening of the field under the Mining Districts Act. The universal opinion is that the working miner had been badly treated ; but, although all say they would, if they had had the chance, have taken up leases, still, it would have been better for the prosperity of the district, that it had been opened under the Act of 1866. In several of the leases applied for, notably, in Reed's No. 1 South, parties of men have pegged out claims and intend disputing the applicant's title to the 30 acres. There are also outside the lease blocks a number of claims taken up under miners' rights' and if the weather continues fine for a month or two longer, some prospecting will be done. _ The shaft on the prospectors claim, from which part of the stone crushed which .gave the good return obtained, is only 6 or 8 feet down, and appears to be sunk on the cap of the reef, but as yet no well defined body of stone has been met with. It was rumoured that such had been found, and that mullock from the sides of the shaft had been thrown upon it, but most of the men on the ground doubted the

correctness of the statement. About 150 yards from the shaft tho reef can be plainly traced, and, although the show is not of a very compact nature, it" is such as the outcrop of reefs frequen ly are, and will, no doubt, when worked upon, improve in character. Good prospects can be washed both from the stuff' thrown out of the shaft and any taken from the face of the reef, and in the more solid portions of the lode fine gold of a very pale color can be seen. The day being so wet prevented a number of Thames men from inspecting the locality, but before many days you may hear all the favorable reports further confirmed. Mr McLaren, district engineer, accompanied by Mr Bayldon, surveyor, is on the ground, and intends at once taking steps to improve the tracks.