WAAITAIIUNA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 201, 7 December 1871, Page 5

WAAITAIIUNA.

(From our own Corrpspmnhsnt.)

There was a report in circulation here in the early part of last week, to the effect that some rich ground had been discovered in the neighbourhood of Manuka Creek — .'is much as an an nee and a half of gold, it was said, having bren obtained from a dish of dirt. On the strength of this glowing account, I was, with one or two others, induced to start off in search of the golden spot. We had no difficulty in finding the place said to be so very rich. 1 1 proved to be a paddock belonging to Mr. Campbell, and is situate partly on the same ridge as Coombo's claim, it being distant about half a mile. We found that Mr. Thompson and mate, two of the prospectors, had sunk ten or a dozen holes, varying in depth- from three to ten feet. The sinking was through hard, stiff clay, no wash and as a matter of course, no payable gold. Aa there was nothing to induce us to remain, we after a look round started for home. We are inclined to think that our time was net altogether lost, as we saw, cv our return, a something, of which you may probably hear more at another time I have since heard that the prospectors have filled up the holes they had open at the time of my visit, but whether they intend to further prospect the paddock, which is a largo one, or abandon their enterprise I cannot say. Hansen and party, to whom I referred in my last as being at that time engaged in prospecting for the Ocean View reef, have, after a long and fruitless search, shifter! their quarters, and are now employed in testing a reef originally discovered by Mr. Smith, a shareholder in the Alexandra Company. It is situate at the head of a small gully, about two miles distant from Dewes' farm in an easterly direction, and near the junction of C< al Charlie's aud the Canada reef roads. Efforts were made by the party to trace the reef into the high ground on either side of the gully ; but these failing, a shaft wa? commenced withiu twenty feet of where the reef was visible. It has been 'carried down to a depth of , at the time of Writing, about eighteen feet, the last six being sunk through the reef, which isj I hear, about twenty inches I wide, its inclination being one foot in six. 1 The prospects, at present, are not very 1 encouraging, as although gold can be obtained iv a dish of stuff taken from any part oflthe reef, none is to be seen in the stone. iThe party are labouring too, linden the great disadvantage of having, even at the present depth, a great quantity of Water to contend with. The weatlpr during the past week has been very unsettled. Although the occasional showers were welcomed by the farmers, the Ifiockowners in the district,, who have commenced shearing, would, no doubt, lave preferred something different. 1 I don't kuojv any tiling about farming, and therefore would not like to express any opinion cf my own as to how the crops are looting in the district ; but when it comes jo a questiou of weeds, 1 can say that tiey are flo-irishing amazingly, particularly the sorrel.- Tf the proprietors of a>me of the .holdings had devoted their tine to the cultivation of this weed, I doift think they could have expected better <tops than they appear to have. Some 01 the paddocks I know, were sown with oats. They must be growing downwards, if at all, as little else than sorrel aipears above ground,