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Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 82, 4 September 1869, Page 5

MB. WAEDEN ROBINSON'S EEPOET OF THE MAREWHENUA GOLDFIELD.

In accordance with instructions in your memo, on letter of Mr. James Aaucroft. returned herewith, I have now the honour to report afresh upon the diggings in the vicinity of the Marewhenua.

I returned last night from a trip which I have made via Oamaru, in company with Mr. Ashcroft. Without going into minute details, I may be allowed to say that I found the report of. Mr. Ashcroft to be in the main correct. Most of the people mentioned by him I myself saw, and questioned, and I am fully satisfied that a payable field " exists, which only requires water for its development. We traversed the country from the Kakanui to the Kurow, and almost everywhere saw likely looking gullies and spurs, while the rivers showed an abundant supply of water. Most of the miners are working in the neighbourhood of the Awamoko, but there are also a fair proportion on the other side of the Marewhenua. I estimated that there were about a hundred miners of European race on the ground, and fifteen Chinese ; but since I came away I believe about forty more Chinese and a few European miners have gone on to the ground. Only a small proportion of the men were actually getting gold, the rest being employed in prospecting or preliminary works. Two parties are engaged in cutting races.

The workings at present are chiefly confined to the centres of the gullies ; but I was assured that fair prospects had in several places been obtained on the spurs. It must be on the sluicing of the spurs that the future prosperity of the field will depend ; the shallow runs of gold in the centres of the gullies will soon be worked out. Ido not see any very great difficulty about getting the water on the . ground ; in fact I know of several parties of miners who are prepared to undertake the construction of large races, so soon as they can do so under the protection of the Goldfields Act. Two races are already being made with the sanction of the runholders.

The gold obtained at the Awamoko and Marewhenua is mostly fine, but at the Kurow, where two men have been prospecting for the last six months, the gold is heavy and scaly. There was a rush to the Kurow some years ago, but the ground was soon deserted again without being fairly tested. The gold seems to be very patchy in the gullies, but the prospects obtained in the spurs are said to be very encouraging. Water could be brought in from the Awakino Eiver, but it is said that the race would be expensive. I was informed that quartz reefs had been found up the ranges, but time did not permit me to go in search of them. Prom enquiries carefully made I think I may safely say that the men who are getting gold are, as a rule, earning about two pounds a week, and that they can live for 10s or 12s. The total quantity of gold purchased in Oamaru for the three months prior to August 17th, was 180 ozs., but I saw several small parcels in private hands, on the diggings, which would bring up the produce of the field to about 40 ozs. more.

I find it almost impossible to select the country, so as not to include land of a non-auriferous character. lam well aware that there will be in this, as in every other goldfield, tracts of country without any gold deposits to pay for working. But it must be borpe in mind, that the water to work wij_ is almost as essential as the auriferous drift, and 'this can only be Befcured by including ground not yet proved to contain gold. In the enclosed tracing I have shown, by a red line, the boundaries that I would recommend for adoption by the Government, viz. : from Kakanui Peak to the south-west corner of Kakanui Hundred, thence by the western boundary of the Kakanui Hundred to the Marewhenua Hundred to the Waitaki Eiver, thence by the boundary of the province to the Little Awakino Eiver, thence by the little Awakino to its source, thence by a straight line to the Kurow mountain, and thence by the boundary of the present goldfield to the starting point. These boundaries will take in all the present workings, and provide for water being obtained from the upper branches of the Kakanui and from the AwriMno.

It would, of course, be possible to make the boundaries so as to include only the present workings on the Awamoko and the Marewhenua, by adopting the Otekaike as a boundary ; but this would exclude the Kurow, which must eventually be brought into the goldfield, and the intervening country between the Otekaike and the Kurow looks very likely. As regards the Marewhenua Hundred, I believe it is nearly all bought up, so that the only advantage in including it will be the facility for the construction of races. But should the Government not be disposed to include .the Hundred in the goldfield, I have little doubt but that mining can proceed.

In such a case the boundaries might be those shown in blue. These would embrace the greater part of the < present workings outside the Hundreds. But while laying the case thus before the Government, I adhere to the opinion that the red line will be the fcejst to adopt.