THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4399, 18 December 1875, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

♦ MONTHLY SUMMARY. [PROIC OUR OWJT CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Friday. The outlying district of Tairua, so far from meeting expections, has been one of disappointment, not only to the shareholders who hare invested capital in the several licences taken up on speculation, but to the labouring population, irho have failed to be employed in the new field, owing to the abrupt stoppage of the Tairua Company's mining operations, and, more or less, nearly all the other interests in that locality. The rich deposits of gold-bearing dirt found on and near the surface have been used up, so far as prospecting has yet discovered them, and the splendid yields obtained from the first crushings have not been followed by similar results. The Ajax Company have a reef in hand of fair promise ; and a few other companies have small quantities of crushing stuff available, but not of sufficient importance to attract capital in their further development. The future of Tairua may now be said to depend upon the completion of the two mills in course of erection by the Tairua and Ajax Companies. These batteries will test the merits of the lodes or gold-bearing rocks that will supply the material for crushiug purposes, and time will be required to complete the arrangements. At Ohiuemuri, the feeling has gaiued ground that the district will become a good reefing one, and many new pieces have been pegged off, and, judging from the scramble to obtain portions of reef through the Warden's Court, the shares must be of value. Beyond sample tests nothing of any creat moment has been brought to light. The mills for the Waitekauri Company and the Prospectors at Karangahake, are in course of erection, and until these are finished, and prove the worth of the reefs, it is useless to prejudge their value. From time to time small quantities of nearly pure gold are brought in from creek washings. The source of these particles does not seem to have yet been hit upon. The population of the Ohineniuri district has much increased, and owing to the privilege of leasing lands for agricultural purposes, as well as mining industry, the aspect of this district is encouraging. The mines at the Thames proper that havo ehewn up the best, and now promise to continue to do well, are the Moanatairi, who have nearly doubled the return upon former crushings; the large area now open to the Alburnia Company on their upper section, will have the effect of supplying battery requirements for a long time at the present level, and of a payable character. The Caledonian have maintained a large etaff, and are now working on payable lodes of large size, and owing to the dead work being completed, have now a large amount of quartz ready for breaking out of a payable character. The Red Queen has commenced to take out their portion of No. 5 reef, which, if equal to other portions secured in the Cure mine, should lift the Red Queen shareholders out of their present poverty. The Cure has not done so well this month, the low level proving poor, but to make up for this fresh lodes have been met with in driving on No. 1 level, bat of what value remains to be demonstrated. The Golden Calf has made, for a series of years, efforts to come to the front, but has always gone back, the trials ol stuff not coutiuuiug up to expectations. Under the new management there appears to be, at present, a fair prospect of this property rising in value, inasmuch as the run of the several shots of gold have been in a great measure determined, and the present crushing, as well as find of specimens, goes to shew that tho mine may hereafter be worked with profit. The Waiotahi mine has lately improved, with a prospect of continuance. The Una Company, whoso works have now extended to a large area, have reinstated their former mine manager, under whose judgment an intermediate level is now opening, and, judging from appearances, that long-expected successful career of this mine may be shortly looked for. The Albion Company, except by tributers, have ceased operations, anu this fact leads to the mention that there are some 50 different parties of tributers -working on the creeka ■with moderate suecesa, as well as a large number of miners who have taken up old workings with a view to their resuscitation, and another section of mine-workers have turned their attention to gum-digging, of which there is a large trade from all places verging in Grahamstown. This outbreak upon old workings aud gum-diggings is due to the pressure put upon our labour market by the mines in the W'aioKaraka district ceasing to employ, or to a very small extent. The Pumping Association have made fair progress with the sinking of their shaft, — the entire depth being now 644 feet. Thore have not been discoveries of value for a long distance. Quartz leaders of small size, with a dip to the west, have been cut through below the 600 feet, and found to contain s-nall quantities of gold. At present the work is being sunk through a stratum of trachyte. This work covers the greatest part of the floor, but its thickness is not known. Tho shaft below the 400 feet may be regarded as proving a negative in respect to payable gold-bearing lodes ; yet, without the pump, the whole of the neighbouring mines would bo unable to work their present levels. The pump is capable of raising all the accumulated water, and could raise as much again for a largely increased depth. The general features of the rock have been improving for the past 50 feet, and would lead to the assumption that payable lodes will be met with in its further progress. The following from the (Thames Advertiser) are the returns of the crushings at the Thames from Nov. 20 to Dec. 16 :— GOLD RETURNS PROM NOVEMBER 20 TO DECEMBER 10. Claim on Compant. Stone Crushed. Gom>.

Hi I 1 & Alburnia 200 0 0 127 10 0 Ditto tribute .. .. 13 0 0 OS 0 0 BullioiuTapu) .. •- 81 10 0 m77 18 12 Black Augol tribute .. 15 0 0 mlB 17 0 Ditto 16 0 0 mie IS 12 Ditto 60 0 0 77 0 0 Band of Hope .. .. 2 0 0 0 6 18 City of London .. .. S50 0 0 1481 0 0 Crown Princess .. .. 90 0 0 88 13 0 Central Italy 20 0 0 U 0 0 Curo .. 2W 0 0 2DS 0 0 Caledonian 209 0 0 293 15 0 Dauntless and Sink-to-Elso 0 0 15 m2 10 0 Ditto 18 0 0 115 6 0 Eagle 10 0 0 5 12 Golden Calf SO 0 0 m51 14 O Ditto 20 0 0 8 0 0 Gol.len Spur tribute .. 5 0 0 8 5 0 Ditto 5 0 0 6 10 Ditto 4 0 0 4 11 0 Golden Age tribute.. .. 21 0 0 4fl 0 0 Ditto 6 0 0 m6 7 0 Ditto 14 0 0 ml9 10 0 Goldou Harp 10 0 0 13 4 0 Hazlehank tribute .. .. 7 0 0 0 17 0 Independent (Tftirua) .. 2 0 0 2 18 0 Inverness tribute .. .. 00 0 O mW5 17 O Kuranui tribute .. .. 100 0 0 122 9 0 LordNeUon k 62 0 0 104 8 0 Long Drive 260 0 0 m248 0 0 Morning Star tribute .. SO 0 0 ml42 0 0 Moanataiii 623 0 0 864 0 0 Ditto 650 0 0 345 0 0 Middle Star tribute.. .. 10 0 0 mo 10 0 Ditto tribute .. .. 1 10 0 0 16 0 Messenger's tribute.. .. 13 0 0 18 15 0 Nonpareil 0 0 20 4 10 0 New Keef, Tiki (Coromandel) 0 0 8 e 0 O Old IVhm 62 0 O 49 13 0 President Lincoln .. .. 0 3 0 10 5 0 Prince Imperial .. .. 9 0 8 2 18 0 Queen of Beautr .. .. 850 0 0 801 0 0 Ditio 260 0 0 43 15 0 Rocky Pelnt 28 0 0 m42 18 0 ltouRh and Ready .. .. 1 10 0 m2 9 0 Ditto 2 0 0 ml 11 0 Red White and Bine tribute 38 0 0 m24 T 0 Mhotovcr tribute .. .. 35 0 0 13 0 0 South Stafford .. .. 15 0 O 2 14 O Ditto 30 0 0 20 0 0 Sundries, including gold from taillngi, about .. 750 0 0 Springhill 10 0 1 14 • Ditto 5 0-0 17 0 Tokatea(Coromandel) .. 100 0 0 162 0 0 Ts.Srua Company (Tairua).. 20 0 0 24 10 0 Triangle (Tarua) .. .. 0 17 0 8 3 0 Trafalgar .... .. 50 O 0 m25 16 0 Thames Scottish .. .. 0 10 0 5 0 0 Tookey tribute .. .. 12 0 0 12 12 O Union Beach (Corom&ndel) 160 0 0 768 0 0 Una tribute i 10 o 0 me o e Ditto tribute .. .. S 0 0 5 10 0 Waiotahi 135 0 0 1C8 0 0 Windsor Castle .. .. 80 0 0 72 8 O ToUl 6,176 0 48 6,868 16 6 tn means that the quantity stated ie la belted goM.