304
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
there. Upon enquiry, I ascertained that they
were getting gold in very small quantities. A
specimen was shown to me; it was taken from
the bed of the creek, and was of a heavy,
shotty character, very similar in its nature and
appearance to the gold found at Creswick's
creek, and in the bed of the Yarra Yarra river,
at Anderson's creek, in Victoria.

I saw another specimen taken from the allu-
vial sinkings in the same direction. It was of
a good colour and fair average weight, and
resembled the gold found on the surface at
Castlemaine and Ballaarat.

I next looked at some gold crushed by hand
from a few pounds of quartz taken from a reef
on the top of the ranges North of Ring's mill.
The reef extends thence to Koputauaki, and its
width varies from 3 to 12 feet. As yet, only a
small portion of the cap of the reef has been
prospected, the casing of which has yielded at
the rate of 6 (six) ounces to the ton.

I was unable to judge accurately of the
quality of the gold, as from the defective
nature of the materiel for amalgamating and
retorting, a large proportion of quicksilver
remained with the gold. It was, however, the
largest specimen that I saw, and sufficiently
proves that the country is auriferous.

Three years ago some natives obtained 50
(fifty) ounces of gold at Koputauaki.

The site of an old claim above Ring's mill,
formerly worked by Mr. Hugh Coolahan, has
not been prospected beyond the places where
gold was found nine years ago.

The number of miners at work on the Coro-
mandel gold fields, as far as I could ascertain,
did not exceed forty-five on my arrival, and
this number was diminished by nearly one
half before I left.

Having now given you a detail of facts, I
proceed to offer a few remarks, which I trust
may prove useful in enabling intending miners
to form a just opinion with reference to the
capabilities of the Coromandel country as a
gold field.

The conditions of success in the develope-
ment of the resources of a country, are sufficient
and persevering labour. These conditions
Coromandel has certainly not enjoyed, for
which many reasons may be assigned, amongst
which the following are some of the most
powerful.

1st. Coromandel is too near the city, and
being easily accessible in little more than half
a day, prospectors, if not immediately fortunate,
can without difficulty return. Whereas, were
the gold fields situated at a greater distance,
the expense of getting to them, and the diffi-
culty of returning, would deter miners from
leaving them until they had given them, as it
is termed, a "fair trial."

2. With few exceptions hitherto, the class
   of persons who have gone to Coromandel has
   not been one calculated fairly to determine the
   question as to the real nature of its capabilities
   as a payable gold-producing country. At least
   eight-tenths of the first prospectors have been
   men utterly ignorant of mining pursuits and
   boys unaccustomed to hard work, and who, not
   working, evince a want of the spirit of enter-
   prise and perseverance without which no par-
   tial discovery of gold has ever yet been worked
   to a practical and successful issue.

3. The Government hitherto has not
   given any assurance to parties wishing to
   prospect the Coromandel country, that they
   will be permitted to carry on their operations
   without interruption from the Native proprie-
   tors of the land.

4. Miners in Victoria and New South
   Wales have so often been deceived by what
   are commonly called "storekeeper's rushes,"
   as evidenced by the Port Curtis and other
   swindles, that without some positive guarantee
   from responsible and reliable authority that
   gold does exist, they would be very cautious
   in incurring the expense and losing the time
   necessary for a voyage, whose only probable
   results would be disappointment and serious
   loss.

These and many more arguments might be
adduced as reasons why the Coromandel
country has not yet been properly prospected,
and this brings me to another point for your
consideration.

In Victoria it is the object of the Govern-
ment to encourage in every legitimate way
the search for gold, knowing, as they do, that
to its discovery the prosperity of the country
is attributable, and that upon the continuance
of the yield its future materially depends.

Thus, in a country already known to be as
auriferous as any in the world, the Govern-
ment offer very heavy rewards for the dis-
covery of new and payable Gold Fields, be-
sides granting considerable privileges to the
prospectors. The argument for the adoption
of a similar course, in a country reputed to be
auriferous, is palpable. If gold is discovered
in New Zealand in paying quantities, the Go-
vernment will not lose by rewarding the pro-
specting pioneers. If gold is not found, no
reward will have to be paid, and consequently
no expense incurred by the Government.

The merchants also, in Victoria, frequently
unite for the purpose of defraying the ex-
penses of good strong prospecting parties to
fields at a great distance from the metropolis.
In Auckland, however, there seems to be
an unaccountable apathy even on such a
subject as the existence of a paying gold
field at the very doors.

I am of opinion that eventually gold will
be found in considerable quantities at Coro-
mandel for the following reasons:—

1st. The external features of the country
are very similar to those exhibited by the
most auriferous parts of Victoria, viz., Bal-
larat, Buninggong, Castlemaine, and Bendigo.
2nd. The geological formations indicate
the presence of gold.

3. The specimens seen by me denote the
   existence of three sorts of gold, obtained in
   three different modes. One from sand at the