THE TIN DEPOSITS ON STEWART'S ISLAND.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7265, 26 January 1889, Page 5

THE TIN DEPOSITS ON STEWART'S ISLAND.

A KUSH FOR CLAIMS.

PROFESSOR BLACK'S DIPLOMACY.

In conversation with Professor Black a representative of the Southland Times gleaned certain information concerning 'he discovery and the nature ot the deposits which may be of general Interest. He first became acquainted with the exist. ence of the mineral in Stewart's- Island by having a sample brought to him by Mr Charles Robertson about a month aao. This he immediately assayed, and findina tin started on the following day with Mr Itobert3on for Pegasus. Arrived there be found six or eight men engaged digging in alluvial claims forjrowL In these claims the men were finding large quantities of a mixture of garnets and stream tin, a mixture which was reported on by Professor Ulrich aoroe si* years ago and pronounced to consist of garnets, the tin being then overlooked. On this' important discovery being mode George Swain and party, on the advice of Professor Black, pegged oif abcufc 120&crea of the best of the ground, and then pro* ceeded to Invercargill to secure the Eight to work it. This having been done/Mr Swain and the professor returned to Pegasus with the view of pegging oofc fresh ground, because by this time aews of the aiscovery had got abroad, and proapectors were eagerly Hocking to the spot. Their return was also hastened ithrough their hearing that a party from Melbourne were on their way to Pegaaua, being then weatherbound at Pott Adventure. After attempting to get round by the tug Awarua and failing to do so oa account of the weather, Swain's party and the Professor started overland from Half Mooa Bay, reaching Pegasus after a very arduous jonrney on the forenoon of the fifth day out. They fonnd themselves still in full possession of the ground, neither the Victorian nor any other prospectfcng party having yet arrived. After * hard afternoon's work they turned In, but had scarcely done so when they were alarmed by the whistle of a steamer in the harbor. Expecting that the whistle betokened the arrival of the invaders four men were despatched at once to the aliavial, ground to be in readiness to "peg oat , * at break of day so as to secure priority , of claim. I- proved a false atom, however, as the steamer waa the Awaroa, on a friendly visit. Two hours afterwards Mr Scollay's cutter, which had been chartered by Swain's party, arrived and was immediately followed by other similar craft bearing rival prospectors. Thenceforth pegging oat became the order ot the day, allHbeing busy In securing whafc seemed to be the most promising cklms. A day or two afterwards a TaamassJas party arrived, and at once applied to Professor Black for information and guidance, which he, with his unual urbanity, and as he had aleeady got pretty well* tax the ground he wanted for his own party, readily gave. Alter another brief -visit k> Invercargill Che professor returned to the scene of operations and afc once sent oafe parties to scour the country all round fejs a lode. From a aninate and careful stud; of the ground he had no difficulty in selecting the most likely* place for lode formations to be found, and the accuracy of his calculations was proved by the speedy discovery of what was sought on the southern extremity of the Eemarkebles, 1700 ft above the sea level, 14CGffc above the alluvial claims, and about three or four miles from the port. There the party found two lode for motions intersecting each other at an angle of about lSdegg, one running almost due north and Boata along the Bemarkables, and the direction of the other being from S.S.E. to N.N»W, As a reward of certam precautions the professor , * pajty had .sole possession of the ground for two day , *, buC on the morn* ing of the third day, just as they were emerging from a dense bash about a mile from the lode they encountered another pai.ty of prospectors. The new-comers accompanied the professor's party to the top of the Bemarbables, and it was with coßsfderable difficulty th*y were beguiled Into proceeding towards a likely-looking flaS About four miles to the eastward. By the exercise of a little diplomacy this wsa accomplished, and the professor's party secured the graumi to themselves few soother whole tfay. . As a result of this Smith, Swain arrd party are in possession of the only claims as jet tsegged outon the lodes In which the me'tef is visible. There is every probability, hovrefer, thai tin will be f (rand in the extension of t&@ ! lodes into tbo , ranges now covered vflth dense bush, bnt until the land covered wftn this bush is thoroughly prospected-it talmpoesfbte to tell th«estentfof the, deposits). A very rich alluvial data wee also pegged but by the same party on the eastern ekte of the moantaunas. This psrty—or rather. two parties, namely, Swaia and party, am Smith, Swam, and party—nndea&tfsdM now hold the cream of the stream «aa lode tin claims in the ibcaHfcy. The ttistot somehow spread through the camp t£at the professor's party were "on'the metal, c the resuls being a general scramble tbrotsgft the bush aU aigM long , , the objeefi ©£ tie men being to-be on the ffrormdstrtlic-ferß&k of day. From then until the psetfess&fe departure busy prospector® coeM be ee«tt at wort pegging osts claims oaK&ss mountain top. Next to liis croft 'asmciates the professor gives tfenafta fee enesßy and' activity- to tßwr Tastnaato party, and states that they were invariably second od t&e good ground anxi pejsjgeelE o®s alongside his own selections. He -namt'ht cannot understand the tsctfes ' of'-'tlhfr (Sydney prospectors, "who oely arrlvst! three days tfire© wmke sflMt tSi pegging oat on the alluvial ground begsar, ana one week after th® fcd"ea covered. Tbe Ptofesaor regrst&tiiis'eßi* toriness, as fee haa a firlgß cpisftm of tfi© enterprise of the Sydney people getoxnSSjrL and would like to isee 6£tem & more energetic body ot ft (mpeshetw 'tj&aai they seem- to have secared. The Victo»!« ; men have, he thinfea, beee fbolinjr Olefe time away down south afe fcie brtseof t%:& i eminences known as Goff and Kisgog;, ms. lon the adjoining flatq.. FroEtt' effl aceamaSs yet received they have not &esa aaccessfel in their search. Several parties i&omfMi: Mooa Bay have done & gresfJ amount* <& bard work in claSma Iα tM neighbonrhoocJ of those first psgeM ooS, bat what success has attended their eiß>ris baa not transpired. The ejaergy shows fef other Seewart's Island aae! msSt-paottUst certainly merits- better reaafe tlss he» yet been attained. Feraoas wh« havirlte®Si on the Rpot, state that the valoable , Ms§ is almoet wholly In the nazals- of t&e lasders, who with the Taarnaniansmsy be safd to be virtually in fall poeseseteaof.tfifr feld. Since the discovery of the>-tedfS several syndicates hare beea ■■.■!» InvercargiH, alt of wbic& hay*» pteeM thesoeelvea under the galdkassfi <« F» Eesaor Black. To auni up briefly, in the Frofesgßfe wh worde. (adds the Southland the place seems to be a email edition«« Cornwall. Granite Is the while the lodes and stream deposit® &» similar to those found in the part of Bnsland named. The aceompsayiiig minasass —wolfram, bajrytes, white mica, are also similar, and the stone beam a general resemblance to the museoEa spaslmena from Cornwall, Mounfc Biscaefi , , and other well-knowa' tin-prodacing places. r&e Tasmaniaa aaH&Vietorian experts pWH noanc© tbe findi one, and caere have already received from and. Victoria interests In f&a various properties. The precise location of th@ lodes Is lao!----eated above, bat word may be added «»&> their accessibility. In this rasped no difficulty is anticipated, tbe harbor being probably the finest in the colony, one which could more than accommoae' an immteose fleet of the iarges* saoai, while it is estimated that & tsamway caa be wmstracted to a plae© cosvei^e«li ,Jo the lodes for £500 or MOO. To eseef tte proper plaafc for smelfctof, &a, ws®W probably cost shout &m>; bat this work is nofc andertsles at the ore can be dipped I*«nfgW»fc wfaeie ifc will fetch from ton. Should, however, tae *»!£»*? opcratioßß be carried •» ; J^l £Srt2Ste practically inexhaustible available, and that <rf Liwwo9d~inoßfcßttitabf<fcrtnWMWlßß»9*