Southern Mining.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4690, 18 January 1884, Page 2

Southern Mining.

There have been some Tory good washings up at Kumara this Christmas. The best of .working into the sludge channel being that of Morris and party, 2400z5. The banks took 2000ozs within 24 hours. The average amount obtained from each claim was about 3Oozs, and there are about 40 claims'on the field. The whole amount of gold got there this Christmas would, roughly speaking, amount to about 35000z5. In fact, Kumara is at present in as prosperous a condition as it ever has been before.

THE BUSH AT MOHIKINUI. ' The new field is situated 24 miles from the township of Mohikinui, bat the track is over very high mountains, and through rough country. A good road can, however, be made at slight cost. A correspondent of a Southern exchange, thus describes a visit he paid to the field: —After crossing the Bight Hand Branch of the Mokihinui and traveling over some pretty rough beaches we arrived at the Creek which the prospectors have named , the " Larrikin's Creek," and which was the goal of our ambition and the El Dorado of our hopes. I must say that I have never seen a country which impressed me more favorably with regard to its auriferous indications. On both sides of the Eight Hand Branch we found " made " terraces and alluvial formation^ and especially was this the case with reference to the creek and terraces in which the gold has been found. Altogether this country through the Gorge is certainly the finest district in the country, whether we look at it from a mining or agricultural point of view. On the western side of the Branch there extends a valley of splendid flat country equal in extent to the Inangahua Valley, while the western side i 3 compose^ of wash terraces and auriferous creeks, which invite the pros* pector's pick to unfold their wealth. The names of the prospectors are respectively: Peter Carson, Patrick Trehey, Antonio Masse, and Thomas Hansen, and they deserve their success, as they have been out in the locality for the past 3 months and have persevered in their endeavors to find payable gold. The Creek in which this gold has been found runs nearly east and west, and is 10 miles in length. The wash is composed of granite boulders, and the bottom ore reef is also granite. The prospectors' workings which I visited consist of a tail race, and a paddock taken out on the side of the creek. The amount of ground actually worked is small in comparison to the gold which has been obtained. I hare seen and examined over a pound weight of coarse sbotty gold which was obtained in the ground which I mention above. Amongst this gold are two nuggets of 4 and 3 ounces respectively, thus showing that the gold is coarse and probably patchy. However, there is no doubt that the gold extends over a considerable distance of the bed of the Creek, and probably will be found in the terraces also. Ihe district is new and untried, and therefore presents.a good field for prospecting. There are about 30 men on the rush and the ground is all pegged out in the immediate vicinity of the prospectors. On the whole I think that this locality will prove the great district of the future, both on account of its auriferous deposits and its vast extent of agricultural land.