FROM WESTPORT TO NELSON OVERLAND.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 657, 12 May 1870, Page 2

FROM WESTPORT TO NELSON OVERLAND.

THE LYELL EEEF. (from our special reporter) In the last chapter of my lame narrative of a visit to the Lyell Eeef, you were brought up Irishman's Creek as far as Tom Blair's hut—the lowest habitation I mean, of course, in geographical position of the few habitations which yet exist in the neighborhood as .oases in the bush. Tom Blair and William Davie are domiciled on claim No. 2 South, and though claims 3 and 4 South intervene between it and the junction of the creek with the Lyell, theirs is the first claim upon which humanity was represented, or upon which any work had been done. True, it was at a still lower point of the creek that the prospectors had labored long and fruitlessly in driving their first tunnel 330 feet in length, and they coutiuue to possess it under protection ; but no work had been done at the higher level at which the tunnel of the new claimholders will require to be driven. Probably by this time, and in consideration of gold having been got in the first claim south of the prospectors, a beginning has been made. No. 2 SOUTH. Blair and Davie, with whom Tom O'Brien and others are mates, had, when I was there, only opened their tunnel, reaching the slate reef through which they have to drive, after a few spadesful of surface stripping. Their lunnel, like that of No. 1 South, is on the left-hand side of the left branch of Irishman's Creek the side of the creek being here a very sharplv sloping cliff 150 or 200 feet high. So steep is it, that, usually, when a tree is fallen, unless there is some special invention of intervention, it is down hill and out of sight in a few seconds. From the dip of the reef—which dips westward from the point at which it shows itself on the surface —it is estimated that they will have to drive a hundred feet to reach it, and please to put it down to my impertinence if it prove that I am wrong in supposing that the distance will be still greater. No. 1 SOUTH. Claim No. 1 South is in possession of Florian A dank, Alphonso Jecklin, Luigi Bonguelmi, George Nicholas, and one Achilles, whose name might, appropriately enough, be selected as its distinctive designation. They are camped across the creek, if running creek it may be called at this parti cular point, and they occupy an ingenious aggregation of huts constructed upon what your correspondent, in his ignorance, but with his natural desire to look learned, has accepted as probably the Swiss order of architecture. They are, all of them, as are the prospectors, respectable and respected representatives of Helvetia, or of Northern Italy, and civility and hospitality constituted your correspondent's experience in their society. When he got on the ground they had driven their first trial tunnel about twenty feet, and on the same evening they reached what is believed to be the main reef. At any rat they exposed ; the mullocky matter which forms its cap, and out of this, several satisfactory dishfuls were washed. Of this matter and of broken quartz there was a thickness of five or six feet, and this thickness did not diminish as the more coherent and regular reef was reached, nor was there a diminution in the appearance of gold. Separating the stone, superlatively fine gold was seen in the interstices, and washing a dishful without any process of crushing always left a fine fringe of gold on the residue —sometimes two or three grains, and on one occasion a pennyweight. The last mentioned prospect, I should say, was got out of another small tunnel only a few feet in length, but the material exposed in both was identical in appearance. By sluicing, and with the use of a "torn " the stuff would pay handsomely, but of course, it is the object of the party to work the reef as a reef, and to reach

it, they will have to drive at a lower level—a work which they have probably already commenced. They can do so with expectations quite as sanguine as those of the prospectors, for the indications in both claims are similar, of course they have not the same area, nor may they come upon the number of leaders which have, so far, been exposed by the prospectors ; but he must be an extreme heretic who would be bold enough to sneeze at their chances of success, or at the probability of their realising a fortune. Such, at least, was your correspondent's superficial, and, he hopes, not too sanguine conclusion. THE PBOSPECTORS' CLAIM. The metaphorical mantle of honor and responsibility which Master Willy Sloan had so manfully worn as your correspondent's guide to the ground, was now transferred to the more aged shoulders of Albert, a shrewd Swiss, who became his courteous cicerone, and one of his hospitable hosts for the following twenty-four hours. Albert was an old acquaintance, and, a year before, had been encountered is an enthusiastic exponent of the attributes of Irishman's Creek in regard to the production of "specimen gold," and as a prophet of the now proved fact that a rich reef would some dav be discovered there. The calm serenity of conscious pride came over his countenance (please try to excel that, if you can, Mr Editor) as he pointed to the realisation of his strongly urged arguments of a year ago, when Louis Pensdni's kitchen-table was the scene of diagrams of Irishman's Creek, and conversation of reefs diversified the consumption of cocoa and mutton chops. Your correspondent deferred now to the superiority of Albert's prophetic soul, and, like PuncVs representative cabman who wished he had only half the disease of a drunken man, he wished he had just the scintillation of a share in the ground upon which they stood. He also took tea with Albert about a dozen times during the day, and inspected specimens—bits of dull blue quartz, some with little nodules of gold, others like a converted pincushion, with numerous golden pin-points protruding on either side. Twice Albert and he went thoroughly over the ground, picking and shovelling surface quartz, and, into tunnels, sniffing their strong sulphurv atmosphere, and ogling the stone where gold and mundic were visible. The conclusion was that all was very good. In detail, the observations were as follows : —The prospectors have secured for themselves, and by no means undeservedly, an area of extensive acreage. At all events they have a claim 1200 feet in length along the presumed line of reef, and 600 feet wide. This block of land rests upon the side of a thickly bushed hill, and is intersected by two small gullies which form the upper portion of Irishman's Creek. There is, in one little hole, just sufficient water to enable a prospect to be washed. Across the gullies there are traces of a " train" or surface ditch having been cut, and it is seen to be intersected, at about right angles, by five or six quartz leaders, from a foot to two and-a-half feet in thickness In some of the stone picked out of these there is gold visible and from the cement casing a couple of grains to the dish are frequently washed. The thickest of these is towards the right-hand or eastern boundary of their ground, and it was to this leader that they were driving their tunnel during the time I was with them. They expected to reach it in two or three days, and no doubt they have done so before this time, with a result of which you in Westport may already be informed. But the most encouraging surface indications of the presence of somothiug worth calling a reef were got towards the western boundary of their ground, if it could be said to be anything to the westward of the centre of their claim. Here there had beeu exposed, by a very slight use of pick and shovel, a rotten reef, six feet thick, apparently the same as that exposed in No. 1, and presenting the features which I have already described. To the penetration of this reef by —may I be pedantic enough to say it ?—the prolongation of.the left branch of their tunnel, they are now probably directing their attention, and it will depend very much upon the result of that work how much more magnificent in value the ground may prove than is even at present ascertained. Of the surface indications it just may be further said that, on the small spur which forms the centre of their ground, and is situated between the two sources of the creek, detached pieces of quartz were found in which gold was abundantly apparent. It is only by returning by the first track formed by the prospectors, by inspecting their first camp, and by exploring to the end their first tunnel, that anyone can form an adequate conception of the earnestness with which they have gone to work, and of their bona fides in seeking for themselves, not a superficial article of sale in the share-market, but a substantial treasure such as that which they fortunately seem to have found. On the second day of our visit, my ancient and trusty - friend Albert, who hud patiently plodded over the ground, meekly bearing with me in my physical infirmities as a pedestrian, and in my occasional use of recriminatory language regarding the uneven character of the country, introduced my astonished eyes to a tunnel 330 feet long, and to a reef, white, sparkling, and fifteen feet thick.

Yes, white, very pretty, and all this thickness, but presenting not a speck of gold. This was situated half-way up the tunnel, and it can be conceived how their hope must have been excited as they broached its borders, and how it drooped as they drove another 150 feet to find only a leader similar in color and character. At this point the tunnel has " caved," and so did the exertions of the party; but fortunately by this time their daily search for quartz along the course of the creek resulted in the discovery the full value of which they are now endeavoring to realise. The reef referred to is perpendicular, and without perceptible dip. It seems to be the same as one which crops out in the bed of the Lyell, some distance down from the outflow of the creek. Though barren where struck, it is not impossible that it may be auriferous at a higher level. At any rate it demonstrates a prevalence of quartz formation in the neighborhood; as it demonstrates also that, in this district, as at the Thames, there are reefs and reefs, the distinction between which makes or mars their value to the innocent investor, if not to the speculative share-buver. Of the prospectors it may just be added that a majority of them are experienced Victorian reefers, and it is indicative of their endurance and of their faith in their own estimate of their prospects that, ever since they commenced work, they have continued it night and day. They worked, as they are working, iu eight hours shifts, each member of the party having employed his spare eight hours in scouring the country in search of indications of a reef The boom of their picks against the hard slaty face of the drives never ceases except on Sunday, and on the day of rest they enjoy the relaxation of swagging their weekly stores from the Lyell, over the rough road which they themselves cut between the township and their claim. They have carried on this work for nearly a year, and until the last few weeks, without more than a score of people knowing aujjht of their proceedings or ot their at first hopeless but now hopeful prospects. TTndergrouud, and parallel with the line of reef, which runs north and south, they have driven a distance of 120 feet, and, as we passed up to its end, candle in hand, we could see exposed small leaders, in which there appeared to be gold. Driving right and left f'om the inner extremity of this tunnel, they had intersected all the leaders spoken of as exposed upon the surface, except the larger one to the right, w«ich was, as I have said, expected to be reached in a few days. In each of these leaders gold had been traced, and also in the mundic, some of which, when burned and tested at VVestport, is said, to have yielded at the rate of 20ozs. 3dwts. to the ton. The dark slate reef through which the tunnel is driven, stands well without timber, except where " faults" occur, and the working was comparatively dry ; but in the left hand drive there was a lively shower-bath in full play, and under its cooling influence will have to be undertaken the driving towards the main reef—the next work in hand. For ardent imaginations—and who<se imagination would not be ardent with a supposed six feet reef as the object of search?—this arrangement may be rather providential than otherwise. The entrance to this present tunnel of the prospectors is presumed to be a mile and a half from the mouth of Irishman's Creek. A short distance from it good gold had been got by early creek workers, and, as an indication of the richness of the source of the gold, which this reet is now ascertained to be, it may be stated three hundred yards above the mouth of the creek, threemen, some years ago, washed out, with a tin dish, ninetythree ounces in three days, and left the locality with a total find of 1100 ozs. Up the Lyell, about a distance equal to the length of this creek —a mile and a half—there is another creek, variously called the Eight-Mile or the left hand branch of the Lyell, and from this stream the prospectors propose to bring, as they expect to do without extreme difficulty, six sluice-heads of water, capable of working forty heads of stampers. To the machinery, whenever and wherever it is erected, the stone from the higher claims might be conveyed by shoot. There does not appear to be any urgent necessity for wire tramway or any exceptional mechanical contrivance. Should a small township ever be a necessity or a questionable luxury of the locality, there is space enough on an area of flat ground within the borders of the prospectors' lease ; but that is a matter the consideration of which is necessarily contingent and future. NOS. 1 AND 2 NORTH. These are situated on the rise of the hill, immediately above the limits of the prospectors' claim. Their prospects as to probable yield were tested by a tunnel of forty feet being driven on the mutual boundary, towards a reuf similar to the main reef in the other claims, and which had been exposed after a few feet stripping of the surface. In driving towards this reef, the tunnel intersected two fine-looking leaders in which guld was found, and both parties were so satisfied with their prospects, while differing as to the mode of driving, that they began to put in tunnels from the terrace at a level calculated to reach the reef at a point from which it could best be worked. This work they were just beginning on the day 1 left. I was admitted to tho tunnel, and I saw in

several parts of the leader which they had struck unmistakeable indications of gold. In plain words gold was distinctly visible in the stone. In others of several specimens shown to me the stone had gold extensively diffused through it in minute particles. It seemed, in fact, to be suffering from a severe attack of auriferous small-pox or measles I sincerely wished the disease could be transmitted by infection to my own pocket, without proving personally fatal, but signs of the disease have not yet presented themselves. Two big pieces of stone which had been picked up on or near the surface were affected in the same way as the smaller specimens, and in some places the small-pox had been confluent, resulting in tiny patches of gold. I have every faith that both these claims will prove valuable properties. Number 1, I may add, is held by Louis Pensini, Eudolph Decanipo, John Delmuit, Antonio Moroni, Bernard Mergini, and Matthew. Number 2is held by John Pasco, Constantino Dominigoni, "Wm. Elley, Angelo Ciresetti, Gregorio Kossi, and Luigi Carmini. The claims beyond are on what was applied for as a lease. Number 3 was represented by another ancient acquaintance of your correspondent, Captain Hunter —an experienced sailor, but a rather indifferent navigator in the bush when the subject is the exciting one of reefs, and the shades of evening are approaching. Thereby hangs a tale of your humble servant and him missing the track, and, by a species of great circle sailing, exploring many foreign parts until the sound of the supper-horn from the prospectors'.hut revealed the proximity of a harbor, though not by any means our destination. Number 4 was nominally held by Frederick M'Donald and others, but no absolute work had been done in this claim at the time I was there. A beginning was to be made next day. In Number 3, huts had been erected, and the opening of a tunnel commenced. These claims—one of which, at least, may prove to be, in reality, as it is in imagination, the " fancy ground " occupy the crown of the hill, and extend—so it was said—to the Eight Mile Creek, Had I had a miner's right with me, this matter and something more might have been tested. You might have lost your correspondent, and the Provincial Council one of its members, but allegiance to you, Mr Editor, lost this unhappy individual the one chance which he may have ever had in his life of making his fortune. Consider this, and write me a respectable cheque, or, if you please, Sir, buy a share for me in Number Three.