NOTES FOR THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1501, 21 August 1880, Page 9

NOTES FOR THE WEEK.

Some of our townsmen (mya the Braes Herald) are Baid to know of a good deposit of gold not far from the town, in the direction oi Canada. We have been informed that two men worked some 11 or 12 hours one day this week, and obtained nearly an ounce and a-half of gold. The precise spot i& kept particularly dark at present but why, ifc ia so wa cannot tell, In connection with this wa may mention that we have heard of a gold-bearing quartz-reel! having been found somewhere near to the municipal endowment reserve ; this! is in the di« rection of Canada. It ia esid to be likely that the reef runs through tha reserve, but as yes, ef course this cannot be positively known. Shonld this turn out to be as represented, the value of the municipal land will be much enhanced, Mr J. F. Watson received a telegram on Saturday from EeeFton sLaling that tho return of the United Alpiue Gold-mining Company's crushing for five ds,ya was 28(bz. amalgam from 140 tons of Btone. The yield from the Keou-it-Dark Company wa3 3310z. of amalgam from 210 tons of stone — tho gold for tho fortnight being 170oz. The Upper Shotoyer correspondent of tho Lake Wakatip Mail writes :— " There i 8 a matter of great importance to our district; junf; now, and the natives have been on the gui vive this last week to see thi3 now machiuory for the Pboeuix claim. After much labour and expense the two smaller pieces wero brought; us far as tha bridge at the Shotovev. The firsc basin was brought safely on to Londonderry Terrace, and the other smaller one— bat still the heavier— was got across the bridge safely, when it was thought advisable to pull it to the top of the cutting with block and tackle. The men had just got it to the top when the ropo broke, and away it ran back with the sleigh aud tumbled on to the beach, smashing the basin so much that I am afraid it will bo useless for the purpose intended. lam happy to learn no blame can be attached to anyone connected with the work ; the fault lay in the usaless, rotten (rope, which would be dear at 535 3 a cvrb the day after it was spun. It is a very great pity such an accident should have happened, but this very hard weather is the wrong time to transport such brittle ware." A correspondent, who had occasion a few days ago to be at Wanaka, says that he mot a large number of men on their way to the rush which recently broke out at Lake Hawen., Ho mentions (says the Tuupeka Times) that rnaat of the business men in that neighbourhood are very sanguine of the diggings turniog out well, and that some of them are erecting shops in the immediate vicinity of the goldfield, Several handsome nuggets have lately been found there, which has had the effect of inspiring the miner 3 and others with confidence of the field ultimately becoming a prosperous one. When the summer season aata in. and there is a likelihood of the weather continuing fine, the ground in ovr, t y direction will be thoroughly pros. pected. There ia not much fresh to report regarding the gold discovery at Waipnri (aaystho Tuapeka Times). Until Messw Barclay and party bring in their water-raca the grouud cannot be tested. This work, it is calculated, will occupy three months. In the meantime the discovery has given a stimulus to prospecting and inspired confidence in the minds of the inhabitants in the future of the locality. We observe that a company has been formed to prospect the deep ground on the .flat about a mile below the township, at a place where it is believed the main gutter can be easily reached. The Dunstau Times gives the following information with regard to the Hawea rush :— "The field is maintaining its own, despite the croakings and assertions that it was only a patch. On receipt of latest accounts, which came to hand during this week, we learn there are about 200 men on the ground, of whom about 150 aro on gold and making equal to ordinary wages, aud in some instances more. The gold is of a coarse character, and accordingly patchy. Q?here is now plenty of accommodation on the grouud, and plenty of stores. People accordingly need have no fear of being inconvenienced for the want of either food or shelter. Tha weather ef late during the night 3 has been rather cold, but ' from early morning to dmk it is beautiful simahine. The provailing opinion now >a that; tha gold will not be confined to Long Valley, but that it will be found on the Wanaka as well a>! the Hawea falls of tho range, also up the Hunter Valley. This by all accounts is a mo >t magnificent valley, some 60 miles in length, heading right from tho main dividing range, and though bearing every outward indication of being auriferous it has never been prospected, and falls into Lake Hawea. The Makarora Valley, whioh falls into Laka Wanaka, is also likely looking. People, therefore, who do pay the district a visit have more than one field for prospeoting. One great advantage in the district ia the timber suitable

for all purposes which .abounds at the hoad of the lakea, and which is to be had at reasonable ratea, there being saw-mills in the | locality." The Alexandra correspondent of the Dunßfcan Times writes :— " There is nothing fresh in the mining world. The dredge continues to pay well and the shareholders have determined to build another. Shares in the Conroy's Reef Company are not going tff so fast as they might. I think in this matter the local residents are ntuitfog much in their own liptht, as not only is the prospect; of being well repaid for all outlay good, but see what an inducement it ■would ba for others to prospect for either a continuation of the reef or for other reefs. Ihe push and energy that la so much wanting amongst the miners is also deficient amongst the commercial and farming communities, or this undertaking would not so long have hung on hand. There is some small fault with the promoters, perhaps, for had they come into tne market and sought tor such an amount as would have enablod them to fully prospect the mine and raise perhaps four cr fivo hundred tons of stone to the surface, instead of asking money for a battery, they would havo succeeded belter It is not too \&'.e for this to be done now, and I would mgieti that it ba tried, as if, after tho expenditure of say a thousand pounds on tbe mine, it is found that there is enough quartz on the surface and in sight to warrant tne erection of a will, it would be the easiest possible thing to raise the money. In the face of to many failures it is but little wonder the Dunadin capitalists are careful. With many others, I have confidence that the Conroys reef, if properly managed, will pay. It there fore mu«t not be assumed that I am in my suggestions throwing cold water on the undertaking. Messrs Drummy and Simmonds, the bridge contractors, are making fair headway with tbe big work they have in hand, and a go"d job they are nuking of it." Oa visiting Coal Creek (a&ys the Mount Benger Mail), we found the mining and other industries in a prosperous and flourishing condition. The miners were working away with » will, and appear to have every facility for exti acting the precious metal. We have muoh pleasure ia saying that we believe there is a primperois future ia reserve for Coal Creek du-trict, TiK« shareholders in es»ch of tho miv hig clrtiiaa appear to be, on th« whole,, satisfied nitu the returns. We havo no doubt but that nl! available land on the miniog reserve would be taken up aud wcrktd if water were more plentiful. A correspondent supplies the Lyttelton Times with tbe following infi rroation regard ing the Oktr.to rusi :—" At this dull tiino it mar be of inter, st to some of your readers and tue unemployed to know the numbers tbat are on thfcir way to the new rush at the Weht Coast. I was informed yesterday by a person who had riddi-n overland from Hokitika that he^ had pasted 86 men Bince leaving on Tuesday, independent of several parties at the different Bccoimnoda'iod-houpes and a party of China men. This is only for one week, but fully that number mest have gone before, as C*asidy d cinch is loaded eaoh time, and a number are now waiting to go by it to-day." It is stated that Beveral parties are fi^ldd'gvH'g at Terawhiti, about 10 miles fri m Wellii gVn, and although they are without proper sluicing appliance!), they are making fair Wagfl3. Official information received from Lake Ma|*>unka recommends that the rußh should be discouraged, as it is being overdone, and as it w a mutter of time to get on the gold, either deep sinking or tunuete being necessary. Men wMviut ineana will find thtmaelves in difficulties. The scare whioh has been Riven to tho Chinamen, through the enquiries made of them by the police in reference to the murder at Kyeburn d ; jjginga, has resulted in a large number of miners' riehts being- taken out by them No Jeas than 32 rights (says the Mount Ida Chrouicl<>) were taken out at tbe Naseby office by Chinaa.en, mostly residiug at the Kyeburn, on tbe 7th and 9 h inst. Thia will give some idea of the amount of goldmining that is carried on by the celestials without being possessed of miners' rights. Of all our industries (says the Queenslander) none exhibits a more encouraging aspect thau mining. The older goldfields are yielding more than an average amount of gold. Duriug the month of May 2487 tons of quartz were crushed at Charters Towers for a yield of 53020z 16dwt of gold, or an average of 2oz Odwt l&gr per ton. The Grympie orushing for the month amounted to 1860 tons, which gave a return of 3547tz of gold, bfling an averag.) ofloz 18dwt Sgv per ton. From other districts we have also satisfactory results, A new goldfield, which promise to be the seat of a permanent and profitable industry, has been proclaimed on the Mulgravo river, in the Cook district, and a few milea furthe- Horth gold is officially reported to have teen discovered on the Clohesy river. Rich discoveries of lode and stream tia have been made on the Herbert, Wild, and Tate rivers j these now tin districts immediately surrounding the new gold discovery at the Mulgrave. Tin is also said to have been found at Normanby, not very far from Port Denison. Bendigo. The Bendigo correspondent of the Cromwell Argus writes:— The Cromwell Company are pursuing "the even tenor of their way," and are stoping out the new find in their western cross-cut with, I believe, satisfactory results. They are also j extending the main level towards the Link, with the intention of cutting a new shoot of stone. There is every probability of doing bo, as there was plenty of stone under foot in the surface workings, although of a poor quality. Ia the event of their cutting it in this level, if of the came quality, it will prov-» remunerative from the facility they now huve for crushing and the improvements they have in working the ground. The Come- in-Time Company (Kane aud party) are negotiating for machinery to erect on the mine, and they intend if possible to have a few crusbings before Christmas. I hear it is their intention to form themselves into a jointstock company. The outlook of this party is a very promising one, as it is paid that their lode is " only" 30 feet wide, aud their prospects loz to the ton at that. I believe that a sixth share changed hands last week for a good round cum, the purchaser being Mr T. Rooney, late manager of the Cromwell Company. When a gentleman of his expeiience pays a large figure, »fc is a guarantee that there certainly musS be "something in it" It is wonderful whenever • ' anything good " is found up country < how quickly money can be found for interests in it, without going to Dunedin fcr the required capital. I hear that it is the intention of the shareholders in the Come-in-Time to deposit LIOO in the barik per share to meet current «xpenses, so that they certainly must have a good opinion of their speculation,