Tairua.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1979, 8 May 1875, Page 2

Tairua.

(«T OUII OWN COREESPONDENT.)

Friday Evening.

The intelligence received in Grahamstown from this district of the magnificent show of gold in the Prospectors shaft, I coupled with the serious disputes which have arisen out of the time and manner of pegging the lease, caused me to hasten hither, to make sure that myself and others were safe from intrusion. I found that, with the exception of No. 1 South (a portion of which is pegged off by a party claiming ten men's ground) ail the other leases were unmolested. The only comment I shall make on the controversy connected with the Prospectors is, that it is monstrous that the man who devoted time, labor andfmoney in the discovery of an extensive^ payable goldfield should be interfered with in possession of the area he claims. Leaving this^ subject to take its course in the quarter where it will, be gone into legally, I will give you a few items connected with the Tairua Goldfield generally. The passenger traffic could not be much better than it is now conducted by the owners of the steamers plying between Grahamstowh and Shortland and Puriri and Ohinemuri. The passage is made in a moderately short .time, and the fares, three shillings and four shillings, are within the means of almost every .miner. The La Buona Ventura and the Pearl land passengers quite close to Mr James Say's store, situate about two miles from where the ascent to the main's pur commences. About three quarters of, a mile on the rise the übiquitous Charles Rowley provides a refresher, which will be required by even a Good Templar before he tackles the long and steep, pinch in the face of him, and the mud in advance. The track, except in two or three places, is not so bad as I have heard it described, it is more dreaded by the pack horses than it should by foot travellers; certainly men with heavy swags have enough to do to get through, but most mining men have travelled over a more fatiguing country than this. A large party paid by Government have, commenced to form a new track, the appearance of which, so far, shows that it will be a permanent work. Logs are to be laid down in the worst places, and the width such that there will be room for the sun to dry it after a heavy rain. The descent to the euphonious Measles Town is simply a terror. Eyes, hands and feet are in constant exercise; should the hand grasp a rotten stump, or the foot slide on a slippery root, down he must go in the mud. At Measles Town there are three stores where beef and mutton can be procured at 7d. per lb., a price very little above that paid inGiahamstown. The track hence, recently made, leads on to Batcliffe Town where there are whares. This place has been named after a lady who had the courage to face the hill without a murmur which beat Paddy Bonfield. There are several stores in the locality, and as it is in a central situation , and close to, water, it will become an attraction to tradespeople, and eventually a place of considerable importance. A. ■ short distance further on Neeve's Town is reached, and this brings me to the now famous shaft of the prospectors. In company with Mr Curtis, of the Pacific, we were most courteously received bj the. manager, who permitted us to examine the quartz and ascertain for ourselves the bearing of the reef. The quartz now being raised shows gold largely disseminated in it, and the rubble when washed in the tin dish leaves a fine show of gold. The tailings of course are placed in a sack, and the gold taken care of. .. When I mention a tin dish in the process of quartz mining it is meant that during the progress.of work/ the nature of ..the ground becomes known by this means; and I believe that since the time when the first prospect was obtained it has; continued to improve. I think there can be no doubt about the . tapping of the cap of the reef. There appears to be a welldefined lode' of quartz about eighteen inches through,, with every appearance of hanging and foot • walls, and I may venture to say that the bearings -are N.N.W. by S.S.E. with an underlie to the west. The. shaft is sunk about twelve feet. Fifty feet below the shaft a drive has been commenced; into a very hard conglomerate granite rock, requiring a great deal of work and expenditure of powder; if three feet can be entered in a week it is as much as can possibly be done, through the face that has been opened upon. It is impossible to say now what distance will hare to be driven, but I calculated about forty feet. I went into a drive in the ground claimed by one of the parties disputing with the prospectors, and found quartz and sandstone, but as there were none of the disputants on the ground I could not obtain any information. However, I observed that the strata bore in the same direction as that described in the Prospectors' shaft. We turned in in Mr Hale's large tent, which in a few days | will give place to a well-built wooden house, where those who are hungry and thirsty will be provided for. In the 1 morning we turned out early, and after I there was a fire made to the. satisfaction of friend Curtis, he proceeded in the most artistic manner to grill mutton chops for breakfast; I dare say that they were the first served up in that manner 1 on Pakirarahi, or Puketui. During the morning we walked round No. 1 claim to the west of the prospectors, and observed the reef that was uncovered by the road makers, it looks we.'l and indicates the same " bearings as mentioned above. Leaving this ground, we retraced our steps through mud and clay, and reached Say's Hotel before dark, my companion proceeding on horseback, and I in the steamer Pearl along with about thirty others, among whom were the Prospectors. The passage was rough; but we got to Shortland all safe and well. Work in the Prospectors. There are very encouraging prospects noticeable in tho Prospectors' claim,; and the progress made in mining is, -in brief, as follows: —The shaft is down 15 feet, and the lode, which formerly measured only one foot through, has opened out to a fine body of crushing stone from three to four feet through. Yesterday morning; the manager, Mr Beeche, pierced whathe always took to be the hanging waH, and discovered inside a strong and compact body of quartz, but was unable to : hole it, as he was jammed for room. He, ■; however, managed to break out a piece of '

quartz about the sizo of a man's hand, literally covered with gold. But the size of the lode cannot yet be arrived at. The manager to-day took with him to the Thames a phial, containing 2fozs of gold. This amount was washed from 8 half dishes of quartz—or rather, from the loose golden deposit on the quartz, as a considerable quantity of gold remained in the stone. It will be seen, therefore, that the prospects in the bottom of the shaft are improving considerably The tunnel being put in from the side of the hill is 6 feet in, driving through hard granite-like country?- It is' estimated that it will required to.be carried in 24 feet further before the reef will be. reached, and driving is not expected to be so difficult inasmuch as there is a noticeable' improvement in the country at the tnd of the tunnel.