THE BAKRIKR SILVER MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 33, 9 February 1893, Page 5

THE BAKRIKR SILVER MINES.

A coiiBEsroNDKNT writing from Blind Bay, Great Barrier, last nighb says :—"The Argyle, Capb. Amodeo, arrived here aboub 10 this morning after a long rough passage up. She landed some cargo and pascengera amid a very heavy downpour of rain. A boat with a lady and two children got adrift through the loss of an oar, bub were soon rescued by another boat that was also landing passengers. A Government sui vey party, under Air A. G. Allom, landed early and took shelter in the home of Mr C. Werner, who keeps a well-appointed store here. A number of others, including Mr Jackson Palmer and Captain Smith, betook themselves over tho hills to the new silver mines, apparently indifferent to the tempests of wind and rain that came in violent gusts and squalls from the north-east. The distance from the landing to the mine is said to .be only about a mile. I hiive seen some good specimens of silver ore brought down last night,' but it would be premature for me; not having seen the workings yet, bo attempt bo .express an opinion^ on what this now find is likely to turn out. One of the two parties, Including Capfc. Smith with Messrs Ryan, Werner and others have just returned, leaking like lobster pots, but bearing large specimen! of ore, which feel very heavy. The stone shows very few crystals, and is all striped with bandß ond.blo.tc.ljes, of. dark drab co'lbur. 11l has;all:the indications 'of .rich .sulphide ore of,1, silveifc Itr is "re-; markable that. the \ cliffß from whence' ib -comes are the poorest ground on all: the Barrier and bave yielded hundreds of tbns of kauri gum and. now that heing.exhausted it offers afar richer yield ofVihrbr oreeir ■ 'I may say everything bears 'a very satisfactory appearance here, and all tbe circumstances point unmistakeably to the whole thing turning out well. The weather is bo wet and wild all day that no one not burning with a silver fever would venture out. Thrbugh the courtesy of Captain Amodeo I am'able to furnish you with these items on a subject that is bound to create in Auckland a great stir.