MINING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10717, 30 July 1895, Page 5

MINING.

[Special to Press Association.]. PERTH, July 29. The reported new rich reef at Mount Rugged, near Israelite Bay, has proved a duffer. One hundred men who rushed the locality are returning after enduring great hardships. Thistleton, an Adelaide cyclist, tracked the alleged discoverers for six days on a bicycle, covering one hundred miles. He had to cut hia way and drag hia machine through dense scrub, and for three days was without food. Water has been struck in the Great Boulder mine at the 160 feet level. The last assays throughout the winze averaged twenty-two ounces, [fkoh our own correspondent.! WELLINGTON, July 29. Mr David Ziman. a well-known mining investor of South Africa, has applied to the Government for six prospecting areas of six hundred and forty acres each in the Marnia and Matakataln districts, on the west coast of the South Island, his intention being to thoroughly prospect the country for gold, silver and other minerals. This part of the south island has never been taken ur> by prospectors, chie fly because of its inaccessible nature, if the Government grants his request Mr Ziman will immediately, if the snow is off the ground, send a large prospecting party, and is prepared to"deposit .2500 with the department as security against Lb; carrying out whr.t he has offered. He ia further prepared to consent to hia license being cancelled if within two years he doss not expend in prospecting the sum of £lO per acre on each mining area, or in all £40,000.' It the prospecting is satisfactory, he will ask for a lease of the ground, and is confident that he can obtain capital to the extent of £1,000,000 to bo expended on the erection of the most improved machinery for extracting precious metals. The Minister of Mines tells mo that he entertains the proposal very favourably, and that he ''intends to introduce amendments in the Mining Act to encourage the takiug up of country for mining purposes on similar terms. Mr Ziman has expressed astonishment that so little has yet been done in New Zealand to develop our auriferous wealth. He considers that we have in the colony a vast area of country which will prove to ho as rich as any ia South Africa, where gold is chiefly found in a finely-divided state, and rich specimens are rare.