THE THAMES GOLD-FIELDS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 356, 21 September 1868, Page 2

THE THAMES GOLD-FIELDS.

The following communication from a correspondent t«f the Nelson Examiner, gives rather a different aspect to the great northern rush to that which is blazoned forth by the Auckland papers : —The extraordinary richness of H unt's claim, and ■ the startling results of some of the trial crushing on the Thames goldhelds, must naturally excite the mining population of your Southern provinces. As I had an opportunity for more than a month to watch proceedings on the spot, and make myself well acquainted with these gold-fields, it might perhaps not be uninteresting for your readers to hear a few calm observations amongst those triumphant flourishes of the Auckland papers. The Thames gold-fields, as you are aware, extend at present from Cape Colville to the mouth of the Thames, and the workings are in a range of high hills running close along the shore, on the eastern side of the Hauraki Gulf. The first openings were at Coromandel, some years ago, and although extraordinary finds were made, the whole mining on this place is reduced to a single company. It is generally asserted by Auckland diggers that no Californian or A ustralian quartz minerisable tu forman opinion of the Thames gold-fields, because they are so very different from other reefing. This is perfectly true, because Auckland possesses neither reefs nor bonajide leaders, and all calculations, therefore, about their bearing or dip would be useless. The principal formation of the Thames fiances is dark jasparoid slate and Gragwacke sandstone, with pockets and irregular small veins or leaders of quartz. From Tapu, or Hastings as it is called now, up to Shortland, the coast line shows the same broken, disturbed, and apparently unstratified formation, and for miles up the gullies and creeks the same confusion prevails Most of the quartz leaders commence atthe thickness of a penny helly out to six or eight inches, or sometimes more, and disappear in the same way as they come. If all these leaders or pockets were gold-bearing, or continued to yield gold when first found rich, the broken nature of the ground wonld not be such a drawback, as every drive shows more or less quartz. But this, unfortunately, is not the case, and up to the presenr moment only very few small leaders have turned out more than a few ri-h specimens. The celebrated Hunt's claim is nothing but a cluster of fabulously rich leaders; in fact, the 10,000 ounces were crushed from specimens collected during the last twelve months. The Manukau chain, between the Moantaiari and Waiotahi Creeks, crushed 1,003 ounces out of one and a-half tons of specimens, and as a matter of course the shares command a fabulous price. If you consider the late depressed state of this province, you wi.l not wonder at the madness and jealousy of the Auckland people, and how bnsy ' Our Special Correspondents ' are at the gold to turn every " duffer" into a Hunt's claim m miniture. Having given, so far, an outline of the picture, you will allow me to slip behind the scene, and show you how the machinery is worked. But before we look closer at the diggings, let us have a peep at Auckland first.

Queen's-street is a second Eialto. Croups of eager faces are huddled together anxiously inspecting specimens just received from the Thames. The Middle Star Claim, in Madmans Gully has struck it heavy, and shares cannot be got for less than £I,OOO. All the warehouses, offices, tobacconists'-shops, and provision-stores, have large painted boards inviting the formation of companies under limited liability, and showing a prodigiously long list of shares for sale. The shareholders reap a golden harvest, and no servant girl is considered respectable unless she has half a working or sleeping share somewhere. There is scarcely a shop window without some nicely arranged specimens, each carefully labelled ; and I even found, in the window of an oyster-shop, gold-bearinsr stones, basalts, and granites included. Late in the afternoon the steamers arrive from the goldfields, and little urchins run betweeh your legs offering " Extras" for sale, with more startling news, The rumour is spread that Mrs Johnson has bought in for £3000; and all the papers confirm it • but nobody knows who this lucky Mrs Johnson is. Shares sell fast; and any lucky dog who could import a fine assortment of specimens from Australia, would be sure to make a fortune io Auckland. There is no other talk but shares, specimens, and gold; and when the shadows of the night, in spite of the gas companies, prevent your seeing;

any more, you are sure of hearing from the crowded public-houses the convincing proof, that most of happy Auckland's children will go to bed drunk.