NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume II, Issue 43, 8 March 1862, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND

NELSON

Plumbago.—Our readers will be aware that a plumbago mine of great extent exists in the Pakawa district, Massacre Bay, which although known for the last five or six years, has never been thoroughly investigated. Several attempts to introduce this article into the English market have been fruitless, because only the stuff from tho siu-face (naturally of a very inferior quality) has been sent there. We are now happy to state that this mine has been taken up again lately, and that brilliant result.! have been the consequence of so spirited an enterprise. A shaft of some fifty foet deep has been sunk, and an article of very superior quality, nearly equal to the celebrated Borrowdale plumbago, has been found already, and there ia no doubt that, by going down another fifty or sixty feet, which is the intention of the proprietors, this same farfamed quality will be formed of this mineral, and that the more valuable pieces being of a steel-grey color, and unctuous to the touch, are of slaty appearance aud of considerable size. The pieces are entirely without grit, and will be used for pencils only ; the loo3e stuff in which those are found is far superior to any black lead in the market. The next wool ship from here is going to take the first shipment to the London market. We wish success to Messrs. Wicsciihavem and Weycrgang, the proprietors of this mine, and hope that tho New Zealand plumbago will soon have the same good name as the world-renowned Borrowdale graphite— Examiner.