THE THAMES GOLD-FIELDS

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 361, 26 September 1868, Page 3

THE THAMES GOLD-FIELDS

The following rouimuuication from a correspondent of 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 Hunt's claim, and the startling results of some of the trial crushings on the Thames goldfields, 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 uniuteresting 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 Australian quartz miner is able to 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 bonqfi.de leaders, and all calculations, therefore, about their bearing or dip would be useless. The principal formation of the Thames Ranges 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 at the thickness of a penny belly 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 present moment only very few small leaders have turned out more than a few rich 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 1,008 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 wiil 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 in 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. Groups of eager faces are huddled together anxiously inspecting specimens just received from the Thames. The Middle Star Claim, in Madmaus 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-bearing 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 Bpread 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 Bhadows of the night, in spite of the ga« companies, prevent your seeing, •any more, you are sure of Jiearing

from the crowded public-houses the convincing proof, that moßt of happy Auckland's children will go to bed drunk.

Our files of Auckland papers to hand per steamer John Penu do not contain much general mining news. Concerning the reported alluvial discoveries, the Advertiser of the 14th writes: —The vague rumours of alluvial diggings have been industriously circulated during the last day or two, resulted in the dispatch of two rather numerous parties yesterday in search of the new El Dorado. One of the parties, comprising some 20 diggers, left in a cutter for Mercury Bay, and another for Coromandel, both of which localities are said to be the places alluded to. Until we hear fur ther reliable news, however, we refrain from commenting on the rumours. We may state, nevertheless, that two parties who have been prospecting in the Coromandel district, near Waihau, have succeeded in obtaining a splendid prospect, and arrangements are being made to take up a considerable area of reefing ground in that locality. threat faith is generally expressed in the enormous yield of gold which will be made available so soon as the appliances of roads, machinery, and watar, are brought to bear upon the piles of stone already stacked. The Shortland correspondent of the Auckland Herald, writes under date, September 14th.—We had a great influx of West Coast diggers here on Saturday night. Where they could find aci-ommodation is a puzzle to me. A burglary was perpetrated here on Saturday morning, when a safe was opened and considerable prop erty abstracted, including a quantity of amalgam, the particulars of which lam possessed of, but have been requested not to publish them, as they may tend to frustrate the ends of justice. The police are on the alert ; several persons are being watched on suspicion. lam glad to say that operations are commensed for putting the streets in proper order. A considerable quantity of titree is being laid on in time for further working when the fine weather commences. The diggers hospital is complete and the question is now how to furnish and support it. An hospital without these means is worthless, and I hear those who were its promoters have no plan to suggest by which to carry out its utility. I have no doubt that a number of West Coast diggers here will remember the hospital there which was supported by the subscriptions of diggers, each subscriber having a right of admission when overtaken by illness or accident. This is a question now for the diggers of the Thames to say whether they will support the hospital or not ; it is for tVieir own benefit and comfort. A liberal subscription will enable them to have a properly qualified man and one of experience to carry out the duties of such a place. The Star of the South, now in company, have been turning out some good specimens ; some I saw on Saturday were richly impregnated with gold. This claim lies in a nest of good ones.—Carpenters', Doxon's, Point-in-view.

The shareholders of Kelly's are now crushing 300 tons of stuff at Graham's machine, on the Flat: they expect to turn out 3 ounces to the ton. A short time since they crashed 7501b5. of stone, which realised 432 ounces of gold. The claim is worked by W. G. Powell and others. The Lucky Hit are lucky again. On Friday they struck another leader with some magnificent specimens ; one, 7f lbs., was more like a mass of gold than of quartz. The claims adjoining are also domg well, but waiting anxiously for the erection of the machinery proposed to be placed on the Lucky Hit.