A RICH DISCOVERY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10135, 4 November 1910, Page 3

A RICH DISCOVERY.

NEW GOOD FORTUNE.

- Recently a newspaper paragraph announced the discovery ill Papua of a gigantic copper lode said to be nearly a mile in length, and with an exposed outcrop of over '2ooft. The fortunate discoverers were a party of prospectors, consisting (A Messrs G. and A. Christie (of Cooktown), H. E. Hirst, E.G.S., and R. C. Macpherson, of New Zealand. 'lhe lastnamed writes: "I reached Papua some weeks ago quite, safely, after a very uneventful journey. My first impressions of the place were not cxhilerating. It looked very rocky, hilly, barren country, with several tin shanties along the water representing Port Moresby, seat of Government. However, when I got ashore, the appearance of things unproved. A place of aboiit < Of) white inhabitants, with houses going up in every direction, new hotels lialf-eici-ted,'and a lot of temporary business places, gave indications of a move of some sort. The place was eiowcled out with young fellows of all creeds throwing their money around. Gambling was life everywhere, and bets ranging from £oO*to £IOOO could be had in any of the -hazard schools. Some of these young fellows were losing £3OO and £4OO at a sitting, and I set myself the question 'Where does all this money come from?' Not from plantations, for none of these arc on a paying basis yet. Mining was the only alternative, and I was right. Money is made hand over fist by a lot of these fellows by going out prospecting on the oopperiields, taking up a claim of ten or twenty acres, partially developing it, and then selling it to Melbourne speculators for sums ranging from £SOO to -£IOOO cash. The vendors won't do another tap until that money is all o-funblcd or drunk, and then out they ao again. Any of the local stores will stock and outfit a good man for anything'' up to £2OO on credit. I decided to chuck all ideas of working on a plantation, and so I turned my attention to mining. As luck had it I came over on a boat from Melbourne with a well-known geologist and mining expert, H. E. Hirst, F.G.S., etc. He was over simply to spy out the land whilst working as geologist for the Papuan Government, but when he saw the state of affairs he decided not to tie himself up to the Government for some time, 'and after a bit of talk lie and I decided to go on the fields together. Well, later on we ran across two old prospectors he knew, who have been here for some years, and have done well. They decided to join Hirst for old time sake. With a strong party of four and eight niggers we have been scouring the fields and have struck it very rich for a start. Wo struck an extraordinary large and rich copper and silver lode right between the respective properties ot two big London mining companies. Our lode is 170 ft in width, about 30ft in dentli (visible), and about three miles long. It is by far die largest lode discovered in Australasia so far." Describing the claim MrMacpherson writes: —"The tiling is a good spec, and we expect to get all the money in Sydney and Melbourne without any trouble, as Papuan copper mines are making a name for themselves there. Our claim will go all the quicker, because we are only 17 miles from Port Moresby, and that by the only decent road in Papua; no great development or waiting is required, the river water has exposed half of the face of the lode already, and we can get a 1000 tons of ore out out in six months with hardly any shaft to .speak of while tho dry season is cm and no water in the creek.'•