Visit to the Tiki Goldfield.

Thames Star, Issue 3807, 11 March 1881, Page 2

Visit to the Tiki Goldfield.

(from our special correspondent.)

I visited the mines afc the Tiki district in company with the Mining Inspector, Mr McLaren, and Mr George Wilson, underviewer, Messrs Brett, Cadman, Gatland, Home, Steele, King, and several other gentlemen. We proceeded ou horseback to Thorley's store, on the saddle of the range dividing the water-shed of the Pukewhau and Matawai creeks. The road as far as Thorley's was constructed about 10 years ago, and is still in excellent order, and is, in reality, a good road as far as bush roads go. The lower track or the one which leads up the Pukewhau creek and past the Emily battery of 10 stampers, now in course of being renovated by Messrs Boyd and Blair, is not in such good order, as the undergrowth has almost blocked it up in several places; however, with very little expense it could be cleared sufficient to enable the miners on the ranges above to convey their quartz to the battery. On leaving Thorley's store, a new track has been lately formed by the Coromandel County Council, which l<ads to the mines, at present attracting the attention of everyone interested in the welfare and advancement of the whole of this district. The track has been made at a great amount of labour and expense.

I noticed that a considerable number of residence and business sites have been pegged out on the track to the eastward of Thorley's. McLeod's Lease.—The first claim reached on the new track is owned by Mr George McLeod, of ToUatea fame. This claim is pegged out in the goldfield immediately adjoining where Mrs Mclntosh's boundary line crosses the County track. Mr McLeod has found a reef about a foot or 15 inches in thickness, which has been stripped for about 50 feet on the spur, and gives good prospects of gold. Another leader has been driven on a short distance on the level of the road, and some very fair specimens have been got, while a low level has been put in 60 feet on the first mentioned reef. After crossing the dividing line and getting into Mrs Macintosh's land, the first claim which is reached belongs to Messrs Bennett and White, and in which a very good show of gold has been discovered, but as I was unable, for want of time, to visit it, I cannot say much about it. In the next, Blackmore's, the reef has been stripped for about 50 feet along the top, and some capital specimens have been obtained. Several reefs and goldbeariug leaders have been fouud in the ground.

Heenan's and Sheehan's Claim lies partly between Blackmore's and Tiernan's, and a good deal of work has been done on a leader, from which good specimeus have been obtained, but as the party vvero absent engaged in crushing a parcel of quartz at the mill, I saw none of them on the ground. (The yield from the crushing appears in our telegraphic columns.) The best gold has been got in a leader on the hanging-wall of a large reef. The courso of the reef and leader arc about the same as that in McLeod's, viz., 30deg. east of north.

Tiernan's is the next claim, and adjoins Heenan's." A flat leader has been opened on the surface, and sunk on for a few feet. Good strong colours of gold and some very fair specimens have been met with. The whole of this leader already worked is only about 12 feet by 12 feet. A shallow level is, however, being driven immediately underneath the workings, and will be connected with the upper part in another couple of feet. (See another column for the result). Where this work is being done is the place where Mr Joseph Williams discovered the rich gold-bearing stone, and which led the prospectors to open out here. Higher up on the Spur a drive has been put in, and. from this reef the first rich stone was ob tamed, and which led to the district being taken up. The adjoining claim to Tiernan's belongs to Major Green, where some surface prospecting has been done, but as no one was on the ground I cannot say with what result, although I heard some superior stone had been obtained.

McDonald's Claim lies between Major Green's and the dividing range, and between Mr Mclntosh's laud and Harris's.

Hakeis and Tiernan's Claim lies to the north of McDonald's and Mrs Mclntosh's land. McCormick and Young have a claim to the westward of Harris and Tiernan's, and to the eastward of Blackmore's. Mr D. Mclntyre, of the Thames, has secured a claim on Mrs Mclntosh's land, between Black sm& Srfi-fttl -,£k&jG<44fy A oj^'Gitmour, "and the other by Mr Blain. In the vicinity of Mrs Mclntosh's land some other claims have lately been pegged out.

In order that an idea may be formed of the situation of the claims, a sketch plan may be seen at our office by persons interested in the new district.