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Golden Naseby
A Vision Of The Past.

(By K. McLatchie .)

Seventy-Two years ago, Gabriel Read discovered the first goldfield in Otago. In the succeeding year came the great Dunstan rush, soon to be followed by rich finds, through Arrow, to the Shotover and Skippers. A year later, in the winter of 1863, there was a rush to Naseby, then known as the “Hogburn.”

The Naseby goldfield lies in the foothills of Ida Range, and has been formed—geologists tell us—by glacier action. The ground is worked to an average depth of sixteen feet, and is composed, for the most part, of a yellow clay impregnated with fine gravel. The absence of large boulders facilitates the work of sluicing.

The miners had great difficulty in bringing water to their claims, and only when the Government put in the Mt. Ida water race, was there a sufficient force to enable sluicing to be carried on extensively.

In such a treeless country, timber was of great value. Gin cases were in demand for making “cradles,” and for one case the miner would give as much as five guineas.

Naseby developed into a substantial mining town, and the business centre for Manitoto, but owing to its distance from the railway, which in later years was put through Central Otago, more conveniently situated townships sprang up on the plain, and Naseby's golden star declined, until to-day we see a quiet, old-fashioned town, steeped in the romance of past years.

Many tales are told of the early mining days. The primitive gaol consisted of a tent and a post to which the offender was chained. A man of outstanding size and strength, who was chained to the “gaol,” pulled the post out and carried it to the blacksmith's shop, where his chains were filed off; so he made his escape.

In later days a well-known “character” was sentenced to a term of imprisonment with hard labour. The “hard labour” proved to be digging the constable's garden, and while thus employed, the prisoner was accosted by a friend: “Hullo! Got a good job? You are lucky.” “You may have it if you like, and get the pay,” replied the prisoner; and, passing his spade over, strolled up the town!

Mute testimony is borne to the labours of the early gold-seekers, by the miles of yellow diggings, the rotten flumings, broken tools, and, not least, in old walls of sod, sun-dried brick, and cob. Evidence of a woman's hand is seen in the bushes of sweet brier, hawthorn, and gooseberry, and we can imagine with what joy the young wife gazed upon the blossom and fruit in that bare tussock-land.

During the past two years there has been an influx of miners from many parts of the country. Some work under the Unemployment Scheme, and all are making a living wage.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, these are a few simple details of the gold-saving process. Water is brought to the claims by means of a network of races and pipes, many of the races which were made sixty years ago being still in use. On the end of the pipe is a canvas hose, to which a nozzle is attached. Here the miner stands, clad in oilskins and thigh boots, as, by means of a “control” he directs the powerful stream of water along the foot of a bank. This strong force quickly undermines the bank and a portion falls, soon to be reduced to silt and washed over the sluice-box. This box is of wood, two to three feet in width, and varying from about fifteen to twenty-five feet in length. Coconut matting is placed in the bottom, and above that a sheet of perforated iron. All the earth that is sluiced down must pass over the box, and the gold, being heavy, falls through the perforations and is caught by the matting; soil, gravel and water flow on into the sludge channel. Once every week or so, or on the approach of a bank day, the miner has a “wash up.” The matting is dried, the gold and silt removed and washed in the dish. The final process, “blowing,” removes any remaining particles of sand.

Miners agree that there is still much gold to be taken out of Naseby although the days of spectacular finds are past. In the future, modern machinery which can work at a greater depth may operate with success.

The town of Naseby is built on unworked land; the freehold sections, in many cases, being still untouched. The gaol, a substantial old building, is said to be literally built on gold.

Naseby possesses one of the finest American redwoods in the Dominion; indeed, it is a town of beautiful trees, which in autumn glow with a deep richness of colour found only in a land of frost. Although the old town mourns its departed glory, it is coming once more into its own.

Situated at a high altitude, with pure mountain air, and brilliant sunshine, it is an excellent health resort. A popular winter sports ground, it is filled with visitors when the many dams are frozen over. The bon-spiel is held annually, to which curlers gather from all parts of Otago.

With the return of winter, Naseby awakes from her summer of drowsy content, and the shouts and laughter of the young people at play are echoed in the hearts of many who dream of days gone by.

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