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COPPER MINING IN NEW ZEALAND

At the last meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society (says the "New Zealand Times ") Mr Cox read a paper entitled " Some Notes on the D'Urville Island Copper Mine." Dr. Hector remarked that Mr Cox had not specified the value of the ore. That when pure caprite contained about 89 per cent, of metallic copper, and copper glance about 79 per cent., but that the value of the ore rais d at O'Urville Island at present was about £11 per ton. He pointed out that the serpentino belt could bo traced at intervale from D'Urvilie Island to Nelson, and thence through the ranges to Jackson's Bay, where Mr Macfarlane had noticed its occurrence, and from this point it split into two belts. He also referred to the occurrence of copper ore in the North Island, and said that the copper of Great Barrier Island was probably not in the same formation, but that the relations at this point are more obscured by newer formations than in the South. Mr Travers eaid that he unfortunately had considerable experience of tho patchy character of ore deposits in serpentine, having been one of those who worked the Dan Mountain ore. Hie advice was to take all the copper which could be easily found, and' not to sink any larger amount of capita) in tsying to open up regular mines in suoh uncertain deposits, as the ore occurred merely in bunches, which were disconnected, and which appeared only to occur on the surface. MrWaterhouse had had some experience of the subject in South Australia, and quite agreed with, Mr Travers' remarks, and he would be surprised if the D'Urville Island copper mine .paid' in the long run. He did not comider that the fact of rich specimens of copper being obtained from, the mine in any way guaranteed the success of the undertaking, for there were innumerable instances in South Australia where quite as rich specimens were obtained, but no inducements offered to' open up mines with a reasonable prospect of success, us where the ore was patchy, and the oountry hard, these deposits never turned ont well. He stated that copper, which "would pay to work in Kngland, would not do so in the colonies, but that to prove a suoceis here the following was necessary: — let. The ore must be near the *ea. 2nd. It must be in very large quantity. 3rd. It must be in soft country, where it could be worked with comparative ease. He pointed put that the only mines in South Australia which have paid have been those which have been started without any capital, instancing the Burra Borra and Moonta minfs, &a., which yielded : large quantities of ore from the very first, sna were in soft ground, and etated that all the other mines which were in hard ground did not pay. He referred to the South African mines, where large deposits of. ore had been found, recently yielding as much as £60,000 worth of copper in six monthr. He advited caution in opening up the D'TJrville Isl&nc mine, and said that only those who oouj afford to lose the niobey which they mv ehouid take ehawf in thi* mine. jioniei Mr Oox, in wplj, wad that thiLq^ij

and that although in Cornwall, ore yielding as little as 3 or 4 per cent, of copper could be worked, that the miners there were content to make £3 per month, with the chance of a good month's pay now and then, in consequence of rich deposits being found, all the mining there being let to tributers ; but that at D'tTrrilie Island the miners were getting as much as £3 a week. The ore, nlso, in Cornwall is in well-defined lodes, whereas here it is in irregular deposits, and, as he had pointed out in his paper, it would be necessary to follow the ore very carefully, and insure a considerable output before sinking capital in tramways to get the ore away, or smeltirg worts to reduce it.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18780911.2.20.4

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4095, 11 September 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

Word Count
673

COPPER MINING IN NEW ZEALAND Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4095, 11 September 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

COPPER MINING IN NEW ZEALAND Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4095, 11 September 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

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