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tinuously throughout the whole length of the
Middle Island.

Before speaking more specially of the gold-
fields, I wish to correct some of the theories
popularly current among the diggers, according
to which gold is to be traced to the action of
fire. The gold, in its original position, is in
larger or smaller particles dispersed throughout
the quartzose constituents of the mud and clay-
slate formations. By the gradual wearing
away of these rocks, through the action of
the elements, extending over immense periods
of time, large masses of debris have been
formed, and nature itself has executed an
operation of goldwashing, by collecting the
heavier particles and depositing them in the
gullies of the streams, or in the conglomerates
covering the slopes of the hills.

There are, therefore, two principal descrip-
tions of diggings; either "river diggings," in
the beds of the streams, or "dry diggings,"
in the conglomerate and gravel accumulated
on the slopes of the mountains.

I will first describe the best known and
most worked of our gold-fields, namely, the
Aorere and Parapara gold-field.

The Aorere and Parapara gold Field.—
You are all aware, that the gold in the Aorere
valley is confined to the eastern side of
the valley; the only traces of gold found on
the western side are on the Kaituna stream,
but not indicating any rich deposit on that
side, which, as fertile agricultural land, must be
left to the farmer. You know that all the
tributaries of the Aorere river proceeding
from the Haupiri range, as, for instance, Ap-
poo's river, the Slate river with its different
branches, the Boulder river, Salisbury creek,
and also the Parapara river, which proceed
northwards from the same range, have been
more or less successfully worked by various
parties of diggers. The rounded nature of
the gold particles shows that the gold has
been brought down by water; and the fact that
the heaviest gold is found in the upper parts
of the streams, points clearly to the moun-
tains as the source of the metal.

But it would be improper to speak about an
Aorere gold-field, if the gold were confined to
the deep and narrow gorges of the streams, cut
down into the clay-slate rocks.

The whole region of the eastern side of the
Aorere valley, rising from the river bed to-
wards the steep sides of the mountains at an
inclination of about eight degrees, and occupy-
ing from the Clarke river towards the south,
to the Parapara on the north, a superficial ex-
tent of about 40 English miles, is a gold-
field. Throughout this whole district, on the
foot of the range, we find a conglomerate de-
posited on the top of the slate rocks, reaching
in some places a thickness of twenty-feet.

Pieces of driftwood changed into brown coal
indicate a probably tertiary age of this con-
glomerate formation. Where a ferruginous
cement binds the boulders and the gravel to-
gether, this conglomerate is compact; in other
places only fine sand lies between the larger
stones. Quartz and clay-slate boulders are the
most commonly met with. This conglomerate
formation is not only cut through by the
deep gullies of the larger streams, but in some
places washed by the more superficial action of
occasional water, and so divided into parallel
and rounded ridges, of which that portion of
the district called the Quartz Ranges is a
characteristic example. This conglomerate
formation must be regarded as the real gold-
field, prepared in a gigantic manner by the
hand of nature, from the detritus of the
mountains, for the more detailed and minute
operations of man.

While the less extensive but generally richer
river-diggings afford better prospect of gain
to the individual digger, the dry diggings in
the conglomerate will afford remunerative re-
turns to associations of individuals who will
work with a combination of labour and capital.
The intelligent and energetic gold-digger, Mr.
Washbourn, is the first person who has proved
the value of the dry diggings in the Quartz
Ranges, and has demonstrated the fact that
gold exists in remunerative quantities in the
conglomerate. I am indebted to Mr. Wash-
bourn for the following details. He
writes to me as follows :—"In the drives into
the conglomerate of the quartz ranges, the
average thickness of dirt washed is about two
feet from the base rock; and the gold pro-
duced from one cubic yard of such earth would
be, as nearly as I can calculate, worth from
twenty-five to thirty shillings. This includes
large boulders; so that a cubic yard of earth,
as it goes through the sluice, is of course
worth more, as the boulders form a large pro-
portion of the whole. Where the earth is
washed from the surface to the rock, the value
per cubic yard is much less; not worth more,
perhaps, than from three shillings to six shil-
lings per yard, and it would generally pay very
well at that.

With this data, the following calculation
may be made. We will reckon the superficial
extent of the Aorere and Parapara gold-fields
at thirty English square miles; the average
thickness of the gold-bearing conglomerate, at
a one yard rate, at one yard; and the value of
gold in one cubic yard at five shillings. Upon
this data, the value of the Aorere gold-field
is £22,500,000, or £750,000 for one square
mile.

I am not a practical gold digger myself, but
I will leave it to those who are more versed
in that pursuit to contrive the means by which