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belt of country, and it is my belief that Deep Creek and the South Port streams intersect each other on the range. If one be auriferous, the others must be also, or else all given theories about the occurrence of gold are sadly at fault. " Between South Port and Camp No. 2, a distance of four or five miles, the beach is a succession of highly-mineralised stone, quartz blows, leaders, boulders, &c, with a back-country of made ground or terrace formation to the base of the hill. These terraces extend back for a mile or a mile and a half. It was on evidence of this kind that my belief was based when designating the track of country from the cove round to Cunaris, Auriferous Belt No. 1, and so far the developments have fully justified this designation. My opinion, with no pretentions to expert knowledge or special training, is that this country, which is many miles in extent, is full of quartz reefs, and that the gold found in the mouths of the creeks have simply, by erosion and action of water, got washed down the creeks, the heavier particles lodging in the crevices, and the lighter washed out to the sea. " Cunaris. " This is designated ' Auriferous Belt No. 2.' Cunaris delta focussing with Edwardson's Sound presents another stretch of country worthy of the attention of the diggers. Coasting along either Sound, the land presents steep irregular foreground of no great height, unless in the immediate neighbourhood of the Apex, where the hills, set down as lumps, rise to considerable heights. My first sight of the interior was from a 3,000 ft. altitude on the eastern side of the lakes. It forms an extensive tract of open cussocky land, the upper end lost to view amidst the mountains forming the east branch of the lakes system. At an interview with Messrs. T. Mackenzie and W. S. Pillans, regarding their exploration of the neighbouring country from Manapouri, they pointed out that they had seen the top of a valley running in this direction, situated east of Mount Eileen, previously named Mount Solitary. The probabilities are that this is the top of the valley running out at Cunaris, in which case the tract of open land referred to must be of great extent, and much larger than the view led me to suppose. For grazing and agriculture this tract of country is worthy of attention. Its drainage is in the direction of Edwardscn's and Cunaris, chiefly the latter. Inside the Lamps, at the Cunaris, the rise from the beach is from 500 ft. to 700 ft. At first it is precipitous, but as one proceeds upwards the high lands recede, leaving flats broaching on to the foreshore. " After spending three weeks on the lakes to no purpose, so far as auriferous indications are concerned, we went to the Cunaris. The beaches at the lower end of Edwardson's Sound gave slight indications of auriferous tendencies, but not very great. Coasting up the northern bank the beaches, together with their indications, improved. Reference to the map will show an indentation in the coast-line a few miles beyond the headland. At or about this point the high range in the foreground disappeared, giving place to the aforesaid 500 ft. to 700 ft. elevation. Here we met in with the first well-defined creek. It issued from what appears to be a gorge of considerable depth at the elevation, and came tumbling down the face, discharging itself on to a beach or boulder-bank. At the outset of the gorge we could see a heavy landslip had recently taken place. The face of the hill was covered with scrubby bush, a large area of which had been cleared away by the slip. Considerable quantities of loose gravel and debris had been hurled down to the beach, and on examination w.e were more than pleased to find the material was richly auriferous. We would have camped here, but the situation was too exposed to risk the boats. However ready a man may be to expose himself in these regions, he will hesitate before exposing his boat, the loss or destruction of which means cutting off all possibility of escape to the outer world. This creek should be explored. The landslip makes it conspicuous from miles around, and it cannot very well be mistaken. Two miles further up, the high lands recede, leaving level tracts to the foreshore. About the centre of the bank, standing out prominently from its shore-line, the bed of a river will be found, at the mouth of which similarly good indications were got. The chances are this flat has been the receptacle of the gold brought down from the higher levels from time immemorial. At and about this river-flat there is, most probably, a promising field for the prospector. Three miles further up, the head of the westerly arm of Cunaris is reached. It terminates in a large boulder-bank, over which the main river makes its way in dubious shoots, merging from a rocky recess amongst the north-west mountains. Very good prospects were found up the river. Seen from the neighbouring peaks, it is a forked river of great extent, rising from the watershed of the mountains situated to the east of the lake chain. On this river alone there should be a vast amount of work for the miner. The indications all through, to my mind at least, are that the back-country comprising the aforesaid valley is rich in mineral wealth. My theory is formed on the facts given, and any one who considers the evidence not strong enough to justify this assumption should not attempt to solve the problem. This is what has been designated Auriferous Belt No. 2. It is surrounded by difficulties not met with on Belt No. 1. In the first place, it is more unfavourably situated, and outside communication is solely dependent on boating. The prevailing winds are north-west and south-east, the one drawing up the Sound and the other drawing down. Thus far they are accommodating, but, unfortunately, they have a perverse way of turning themselves to suit any one's whim and convenience. " The Sub-alpine. "This is named 'Auriferous Belt No. 3.' It formed the limits of my observations in a northwest direction, and brought us to the verge of Dusky Sound. To reach it one must go in a boat to the head of Edwardson's Sound, which terminates in a snug cove, with a through channel to the Sound a few chains in length and not more than a dozen yards wide. The cove itself covers a considerable area, with anchorage on the lower side suitable for vessels the size of the ' Hinemoa.' The Lefthand Eiver, so named from its position to the cove, is a stream of considerable dimensions. It is navigable for boats for a mile and a half inland. There, at the mouth of a creek, will be found a futter and other necessaries to camping. " Gold was found up the creek referred to, and from the camp at the foot there is an excellent blazed track for four or five miles, following the line of the river. It rises up the shoulder of a hill,