MOKIHINUI.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1148, 6 February 1874, Page 2

MOKIHINUI.

( To the Editor oj the Westport Times.)

beg the liberty of making a few remarks through the medium of your paper concerning the progress that has been made in quartz-reefing in the Mokihinui district during the last twelve months.

The Halcyon or prospector's claim has made great progress. They have driven 100 feet in two tunnels, one north and the other south, foil r.ving the reef from the outcrop on the surface. They have ;dso sunk 40 feet at the mouth of the north tunnel, following the reef down, which is gold bearing right through from top of drive to the bottom of the shaft The shaft has been sunk a depth of 9 feet in the south tunnel, proving beyond doubt that this line of reefs is payable, a fact also proved by the sample of gold-bearing stone visible to the naked eye in the shafts and tunnels, and in the paddock, Prospects which will no doubt cause the shareholders to erect crushing machinery immediately. No. 1 South Company have made progress, having struck the reef 2 feet thick oa the south bank of the river, tracing it a distance of 200 into their claim. They are now putting in a prospecting tuuuel at a level of 50 feet below the prospector's oresent tunnel. This claim can be worked from three sides, and at half the cost for raising the stone of any other on this line that I have visited. No. 2 South is situated on the bank of the river, and the reef is visible on the surface showing a face over 4 feet thick, with gold visible in the stone. No. 3 South.—This party has also got the reef 4 feet thick, and the same class of stone, but rather moru difficult than No, 2, of access, being situated on the face of an almost perpendicular hill, about 500 feet above the level of the river. This claim is being energetically prospected by two men who understand •> their work, and who will not keep the other shareholders long in suspense as to the gold-bearing qualities of their reef. No. 4 South is situated higher up the aforesaid hill, nearly 1000 feet above the level of the river. No work has yet been done on this claim beyond pegging out. No. 1, north of the prospectors have the reef, and have put in a tunnel about 40 feet, gold visible in the stone. This party has suspended operations for the present, pending negociations for crushing plant. Not having time to visit No 2 north, I c.innot say what amount of work has been done thereon, but I am informed that the same class of reef runs through this claim as in the others I have mentioned .

Witli these facts before us, I think that the Mokihinui Reef's have been proved in extent and gold bearing qualities sufficient to induce the Government to at once commence the long promised track from the township to the reefs, a distance of not more than twelve miles, before the wintor sets in, and if any further stimulaut to immediate action is required by the Superintendent of this sadly neglected portion of Nelson South-west Goldficlds, I may state that live separate parties are working up here, on alluvial ground, making from 3 to IGdvvts per man per clay.

The difficulty of procuring supplies from AVeslpoit, to such an inaccessible

country, deters any but (he most able and strong, both in body and i.erve, to successfully reach the Mokihinui reefs, or if reaching there to subsist fur any time.

The 'difficulties are increased from Various causes—first, the present track cut a few months since, is impassable, as the faint attempt at blazing the route is obliterated and overgrown with scrub, so much so that the party who performed the work could not find a single chain of marked trees, in any one place from start to finish. The track is bad by laud, but if possible the track by river is worse. Speaking from experience, J have not seen anything half so bad iu this or any other colony. The same statement is made hy all who have travelled by either route. 1 may mention in proof of this that last week two parties of six men, after toiling hard two days got about half the distance, carrying their mining tools and provisions over 18 falls in the creeks. They had also to carry their boats over the rocks on nearly every fall on the river. But this test surmounted their trouble did not end there, for on the second night out, while camped on a bare rock near the creek, there happened to be a couple of hours moderate rain,and the river, tortuous and between fearfully barren and precipitous gorges, rose about 10 fi et in as many minutes, and, although the men were watching, their boats were torn from the moorings and dashed to pieces. Four of the party dragged their tired-out bodies up the makeshift of a road to the reefs, and got the only two canoes that the previous night's flood had left on the river, and with this aid brought up their damaged stores, which they only got into the hut with them just in time to save from the flood of last Monday, on which day the river rose to the almost unprecedented height of 35 feet in less than four hours, carrying everything down with it, including the only two canoes fit for service on the river, leaving us, as the.only chance of procuring further supplies from town ; the task of falling a tree and digging out new canoes, a plan your humble servant is performing, and I shall launch one to-morrow, as several of my comrades are doing likewise. Surely it is high time that the authorities proceeded to make a road to the Mokihinui reefs, one of the most promising goldfields iu the colony. Yours, &c, J. H. GrIBSOK.