BIG BAY AS A GOLDFIELD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2387, 31 August 1886, Page 2

BIG BAY AS A GOLDFIELD.

Tho following extract from' a letter, writton by a practical miner, has been been placed at our, disposal by Mr 6. H. Kemper, and should provo useful to those who at present contemplate trying their luck at this supposed El-Dorado:— Mr McFarlaue's report on hia ; ttip South is very good. That Red MftoiiSjn at tho back of Big Bay is vory peculiar; I have not boon actually on it, but so cfiiso to it that there was no other' hill or_ range between it and me. Ho correctly about it—there is'no on it at all. Tho Three Mile Creokhe spoaki of is tho creek three miles north of Big Bay, that Lcnnon and 1 were camped on prospecting, " Liverpool Dave' and his mates being there at the same time. Wo found vory little gold, aiid no trace of any othor metal, We wero unanimous in our opinion of tho place, which' is- this: That if anything is found there it will have to be extraordinary rich "to" pay, for the country is such an awful jumble, and tho wash is frightfully-heavy, so that there could be tio gold obtained until you got away from that kind of wash, Thoy were experienced men, all of thorn, especially Dave. In Big Bay wherever gold was found, it hung on to the big wash. If you started N.N.E. and tried to follow it into the ranges every creek you camo to would bo the same. A small boulder about, six feet square at the bottom cutting out most of and adojson more of the same sort filed up on top of and around him, If you attempted to Bink a hole'on the top «f the terrace on that line, you camo down on a boulder four timet the size of your shaft, lsoe there is the same difficulty now ut there was in my time about landing as the Gorge. I had somo rather mup words with Captain ——about it Jlrhoii he refused to land ua there, I told him that it was only driving tho men o3 the coast, for if wo wore throe times asgoodmen as we were we rould not do any good carrying tent, tucker and tool's such a distance as from Big Bay ,to. the Gorge. Weßhouldeat tho provisions'"fairly off our backs almpst before we could do any prospeoting|eavealonesteadywork. That was fifteen years apo, and now I'Bee thoy are sending good parties out to' face the same difficulties.