RICH GOLD DISCOVERY Near Wellington.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2849, 16 March 1888, Page 3

RICH GOLD DISCOVERY Near Wellington.

Forty-eight Ounces to the Ton,

4 It appears that thoro lias recently Wbeen agood find of gold in the vicinity of Wellington. Wo are not permitted to state the exact locality. This much may be said, however, that it is some little distance to the northward of Terawhiti, though not far from a field been well and extensively tried. Stuff was obtained and analysed some two or three weeks ago, and subsequently another lot was brought in. The find was kept a close secret until this morning; and, although vague rumours have been afloat during the last day or two, this is the first public intimation of the facts. The lucky individual stated that he had brought in specimens which he had picked up haphazard, as it were, but he did not divulge the oxaet spot where he found them. That the quality of the gold is good, however, there can be no question. Indeed, some of the specimens are literaly encrusted with gold. On application at the Museum (where the stuff was analysed) we wero supplied with the particulars, the authorities there being, very properly it would Jw>eem, of opinion that the exaggerated which were afloat might cause •a good'deal of injury, and might also furnish unscrupulous persons with the - means of doing good to themselves by stealth at the expense of their fellows. The first lot of specimens brought in gave a yield of from six to eight ounces to the ton, the gold being of good quality and worth about £8 12s to £8 15s per ounce. Well satisfied, and probably not a little surprised, the finder brought in, later on, other specimens, which when broken open, showed gold plainly visible to the naked eye. The return from these wasfarbetter than that from the others, and amounted to an average of 48 ounces to the ton, the gold being, as before, of good quality. We are simply giving the bare facts of the case without comment and without opinion. It must be borne in mind, also, that chemical tests ... must always be aocepted with a considerable amount of caution. They are true of course—in that they are perfectly true lies the danger—but are not always reliable, for under a chemical test every particle of gold is separated from other substances in a much more complete manner than any miner can separate it. The peculiar formation found in the coastal neighborhood must also be taken into consideration. The story of Terawhiti is an old and oft-told one, and it would be as well, perhaps, if it were closed, " like a tale that is told." Enormous finds have been reported there frequently, and, no doubt, genuinely enough, but subsequent operations have shown that the gold is so widely distributed, probably by volcanic action, that it has not been payable to work the field. This maybe only another chance find. There is, so far as we can learn, no reason to doubt the genuineness of the statements made by the person who found the quartz. He is not an experienced miner, and he got the specimen on private land.—N.Z. Times.