Mining Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1811, 20 March 1891, Page 3

Mining Notes.

A NEW DKVKLOPMBNT

The Sunrise Lease Co., Maeetown* have comI dieted their first crushing with their own battery—ately purchased from the firm of R. S. Sparrow and Co., Duuedin—it being the one erected by that firm, and used in the late N.Z. Exhibition for testIns purposes. The result of this crushing has been more than satisfactory, as no less than 183 ounces of retorted gold has been the result of the treatment of 147 tons of quartz. The tailings from the berdans have been saved and roughly tested) shew that the pyrites will yield about 20 ounces of pure gold to the ton. These rough tests speak volumes in favor of those who have ever advocated that gold saving, and indeed—to speak in broad terms—that gold mining is in its infancy in this colony. It may be truly said, friking a local illustration, that many thousands of tens of auriferous atom have been thrown into the mullock heap on the Macetown reefs, simply because gold was not visible in the stone when being broken out of the face on account of the same stone being full of pyrites and the gold being coated with the same, was then rendered invisible to the eye, and in consequence deposited on the mullock heap as valueless. We now come to the practical part and find, even after the most careful manipulation in crushing that, in the instance of the Sunrise lease, some 20 ounces to the ton of waste stuff contained in the pyrites have hitherto been lost from the berdan tailings. The former crushings gave 2oz Sdwts to the ton, and therefore a much larger proportion of gold must have been lost owing to the great richness of the pyrites, as the stone is on the same run as heretofore. The treatment of pyrites tailings means the treatment of gold, and every battery manager should be provided with ample appliances to so treat the tailings. A very simple method could be adopted as a test. Take, say about 21bs of tailings from the berdan tail box or well ; roast this in any iron pan, or even an old shovel blade, so as to evaporate the arsenic sulphur or any refractory; mineral that may exist in the pyrites. When the whole has been evaporised in fnmes there will be nothing left but the residuium to melt. This aan be done by any miner by carefully panning it off, in a clean tin dish. First, weigh th 9 whole of the tailings, then the final deposit of gold in the dish and the lesult will be obtained. It hss been maintained that the roasting process has proved the best method of extracting gold from the reefs in Australia, and this was the plaD'&dopted'pridr to crushing. The sequence follows, Jind'the fact is shown in the instance of the Sunrise Lease Co., at Macetown, that gold, in highly payable quantities, exists in the waste tailiugs there. The question naturally arises how much more profital le would it be were all the reefing companies in the colony to save and treat the •tone by the prcpess above suggested ? It is simple and wi<l, if gold exists in pyrites, amply repay for the outlay. The test is so easy and will no doubt be tried by many who read this article.

From the quarterly report issued by the Victorian mining department it appears that in the period dealt with, 23,712niiuers were employed in working for col<l, showing a decrease of 484 since the previous quarter. Of these 11,603 were engaged In alluvial work, 12,049 in quartz mining. The number of Chinese thus employod was 3164, and moat of these were employed in alluvial working. Mining has been subsidised by the Government during the quarter to the extent of £17,85 , disbursed from the prospecting vote, besides which 15 diamond drills, the property of the Government, have been at work In various parts of the colony, and several discoveries of gold, coal, and tin are reported as the results of their operation.