COROMANDEL.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1739, 5 November 1862, Page 4

COROMANDEL.

[FROM OCR o ves correspondent.] October 29th. Our mining intelligence for the present week, though not very exciting, is not altogether devoid of interest. Every day some new reef or leader is brought to light, and I believe that every leader in the neighbourhood of the Driving Creek that has been tried, has proved to be gold bearing. On the Driving Creek all the deep shafts are troubled more or less with water; and now that several of the claims have proved so very rich, it is high time that some well organised system be adopted to overcome this difficulty. In Australia I have seen an engine pumping the water from a large flat and keeping every claim dry to a certain level. The engine was the property of a speculator and was leased by the miners, each party paying a share of the expenses in proportion to the depth of the shafts and the area of land occupied. Surely that which has proved so beneficial in Australia, is worth a trial in New Zealand.— [The great pumping speculator—the summer—coming.—Ed. N.Z.] From all the established paying claims a large quantity of gold is being taken. In Kelly’s claim the quartz is particularly rich, and I am informed that a large body of auriferous quartz has been struck in the tunnel in Mr. E. Wood’s claim, whether it is the main reef or not my informant could not say. Murphy’s reef is likely to pay well as gold is visible i' ’ • cv/ae, and in Jones’ claim some very rich pieceP rur 3soartz have been taken from the reef. * - Last week about fifty pounds of quartz was crushed from Dwrt’s claim No. 15, and produced 17 ozs, and 11 dwts. of clean gold. The machinery for Keren’s company is getting on rapidly and the machine is expected to be at work some time before Christmas, Yesterday the shaft was commenced, it is 1 1 be fifty feet in height and to be built of brick, with a solid stone foundation. This company seems to spare no expense for the erection of machinery, and the working their ground in a regular systematic manner; and from the workmanlike style in which the machine is being put together, there is no doubt of its rnswering every expectation. Yesterday we received a mail from Auckland, it was quite a treat, for we were all anxious to see the English news, as iwe have had no postal communication from Auckland for the last 13 days. It is very likely that you may not have heard from Coromandel for a similar length of time, which in a great measure is owing to the heavy westerly weather we have lately experienced, though perhaps there is something in the almost inaccessible position of the Post Office, at Kapanga, which makes it anything but a pleasant matter for masters of vessels to inquire and call for a mail for Auckland, as at high water there is about two feet of mud and water around the building. I hear that Mr. Wood’s township at Kapanga is shortly to be brought into the market. Its position, cither for purposes of business or for villa residences, is not to bo surpassed by any other piece of land in the harbour, and I would advise all intending purchasers - to avail themselves of a passage in our smart little steamer, and take a personal inspection of this property. Last week I saw in the possession of Mr. E. Wood a very spirited and cleverly executed painting of the road to the diggings (the work of a Coromandel artist, well known to the public, as aa experienced gold digger) which conveys a very' excellent idea of the position and capabilities of this property. November 2nd. The news from Ring’s diggings is becoming every day better and better, but the work is only fit for bushmen and old hands; and men who have capital and some little prudence combined, will make money, by assisting our old experienced prospectors. Yesterday I paid a visit to Murphy’s reef, and find that the accounts of it are by no means exaggerated. About a mile from the Driving Creek in an easterly direction, back among the supplejacks and heavy timber, I came upon Murphy’s workings, Murphy himself was not there, he not being very well, but others of his party were there, busily employed sinking a couple of shafts near to one another. In the first of these the reef has been found at a depth of six feet, and it is with the casing, four feet in thickness; its course is nearly doe north and south. A heap of a ton or more of quartz was lying on the surface near the shaft, in which I found about a dozen very rich stones in the course of * few minutes. The diggers say that the gold in this reef is not of the same quality as that found in the Driving Creek, it being in their opinion of a much higher standard. That which I saw was of a much deeper colour, and had altogether a far richer appearance than any I have seen in Coromandel, with the exception of that found in the Matawai at the Tiki. Mr. T, Jones has the next claim to the south ot Murphy’s, and he also has obtained gold in ground. Whilst I was away to see Murphy’s reef, an immense quantity of the richest possible description of stone was taken from Farrell’s claim No. 3, Driving Creek. I believe such a large quantity of rich stone has never before been obtained; it nearly filled a ten gallon bucket. A company was formed only last week for the pnj> posc of working this claim, and the shares sold readily lor £SO a piece, and they are now valued at some hundreds of pounds each. After this who will say that Coromandel will not pay or that it never will be a gold field? Let the unbelievers search well and not be afraid of a little water or heavy bush, and they, too, may receive more than their deserts. - Upwards of two miles of ground has been taken up north and south in continuation of Murphy’s reef, bn where the men to work this immense slope of groun are to come from is more than I can say, as there are but few idlers here just now. The Limited (iol Mining Company, under the able management of M r * James Gribble, is, I hear, preparing a California® pump for the purpose of drying and working the bed of the creek. This company, which is the most enterprising of those down here, and whose weekly ex* penscs cannot be less than thirty pounds, hold one o the best claims on Coromandel, that adjoining Mr. E. Wood’s, below the junction; and although as yet I believe they have not succeeded in striking the gold, their enterprise and speculation will doubtless meet its re* ward. On the Whokaroa reef they have had men employed for some time past, and have taken out a considerable portion of stone which will be tested during the next week, and if found to bo payable the claimwill be registered, and machinery at once ordered to permanent work,