Page:Old Westland (1939).pdf/274



year 1870 marked a new phase in gold mining. This was brought about by the discovery of auriferous quartz reefs in the Inangahua district. Prior to this alluvial gold to the value of over £500,000 had been won, and it was when further prospecting was being carried out that the first reef was struck at Murray Creek. Here many famous mines were located, including the Wealth of Nations, Keep-it-Dark, Energetic, and Golden Fleece, all of which yielded fabulous returns. Two years later that intrepid explorer, P. Q. Caples (who has already been referred to in Chapter IX), located further reefs at Boatmans, he being the first to prospect this district. When it came to pegging off a claim Caples was most unfortunate in his selection, the area he took up proving almost worthless, while the holdings to the north and