THE PUHIPUHI SILVER FINDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9539, 4 December 1889, Page 5

THE PUHIPUHI SILVER FINDS.

MR. R. HOBBS' STATEMENT. Mr. R. Hobb9, M.H.R. for the Bay of Islands distriot, has visited the Puhfpuhi district for the purpose of ascertaining, as far as possible, the nature of the discovery and its probable results. Mr. Hobbs was interviewed by a Herald reporter yesterday, and the first question asked was as regards the means of access to the new find. Mr. Hobbs said that he had gonetoPuhipuhi via Whangarei, and he returned by the same route. He found that the field was not so difficult of access as was represented. Ho left Wliangarei on Wednesday morning, and rode to Hikurangi, and proceeding forward ho reached Pupipuhi and the house of Mr. Garsed, the forest ranger, who has charge of the Puhipuhi bush, where he and his companion stayed for the night. In the morning they proceeded up the Waiotu Valley, to the prospectors' claim, which they reached in three hours, having to travel over very broken and rugged country, similar to the Coroinandel Peninsula. On arriving at the prospectors' claim, Mr. Fraser, who appeared to be in charge, courteously showed Mr. Hobbs, Mr. Garsed, and Air. Broadbent, who is aesayer or manager for the Champion lode, Te Aroha, over the place, and showed the different reefs and workings opened by the prospectors. Mr. Hobbs saye there was a magnificent display of reefs, not surpassed by any he had seen at Coromandel or the Thames, and they showed silver ore freely. There was no mistake about the genuine character of the discovery, and its bona fides. The reefs had been traced to the south over a broken range, and to the north there is a claim on tho same line of reef worked by Christie and party, of Kawakawa.

" How is it that this party are allowed to prospect under the present restringent regulations?" Mr. Hobbs said he did not know, but about it there was likely to be litigation, as the Government disputed Christie and party's right to prospect. But the prospects in the reef opened by Christie and party are exceedingly good. " How about the roads ?" "Our return to Knwakawa was accomplished in a short time. We went to Mr. Parsons' homestead, on the Ruapckapeka blockj and rodo to Kawakawa in three hours. The hrst five miles was bad, and ought to have the immediate attention of the Bay of Islands County Council, or the Government, but for the remaining nine miles we cantered along a good road to Kawakawa." " What will be the main entrance to the place ?" " The main road to suit all parties will, I think, start about midway between Kawakawa and Whangarei, and take the line up the Waiotu Valley, but no doubt the people of Kawakawa and Whangarei will«endeavour to get short cuts from their townships, but it is quite on the cards that Helena Bay, or rather Whangaruru Bay, will bo the centre, for from this bay there will be a short road of about seven miles. It will be over rough country, but the matter of *thc road will soon be settled by the storekeepers and those who want to get machinery up. These will select the shortest and most suitable routes." " What about the action of the Government iu regard to the opening of the district?" ;

" The Government appear to be in a quandary, and don't know what to do. They do not wish to proclaim the field until they are satisfied that the prospects warrant it. This is admitted to bo reasonable, and is generally admitted by the settlers and others, indeed, on all hands; but what is creating great discontent, is that ~thc Government refuses to issue prospecting licenses, as had been done in the caseof the present prospectors. This, however, is only a question of a fow days, and it will bo settled by the people themselves. I can assure you that the feeling is very strong up there. What they ask is that licenses be issued to properly organised prospecting parties. They nil agree as to the advisability of preserving the forest, but these prospecting parties, instead of being a danger, would _be really so many extra rangers, and assist in its preservation." " But the Government hold out a threat of prosecution against any person entering Pnhipuhi ?" "If the Government attempts to prosecute those, who, in these times of deprfssion, are endeavouring to develop the mineral resources of the country, there will be a storm of indignation." " But, about the prospects of the place : what do you think ? ,r "As I have already told you, I think the discovery genuine and bonafide. We brought up 2cwt of ore, which is to be sent to the Thames School of Mines for.treatment, and 4c\vt has been sent to Rutherford's mill, at Limestone Island, where it is to be ground up, order that parcels of it may be sent to different smelting works so as to ascertain the net result." " What about tho reefs?" "The reefs boar in a line from Opuawhanga. which is south of Pnhipuhi, by the head of tho Waikire River to Cape Brett." " Now. to finish with, Mr. Hobbs, do you really believe there is a payable silver lode in the district?"

"Yes;- I am quite satisfied the find is genuine and bonafide. I have brought down some samples myself, and have handed them to Mr. Galbraith for assay. They show ruby silver freely, and there can be no salting in the matter. lam satisfied that the find is a genuine one." " How do you acconnt for the different returns given from the trial sent to Waiorongornai ?"

"I think it would have been better had Mr. Smith been more explicit in the first instance. These contradictory reports raised a very bad impression, but the stuff, you must recollect, was treated by the wet process at Waiorongomai, not by furnace process, and of course the wet process was unsuitable." " But how about the prospecting licenses ?" " Well, there is no one at present in Auckland who is authorised to issue prospecting licenses over Crown lands. Mr. Humphries, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, is absent from Auckland, and no other person has power to sign tho licenses. Several people applied for licenses to-day, but of course they could not get them."

NOT A POOR MAN'S DIGGINGS. Our Kawakawa correspondent writes on Puhipuhi as follows:—Puhipuhi is all the rage now. Its silver reefs are being examined and -prospected by energetic men. Lraser and Wilson have opened up three reefs, from which fairly good stone has been obtained, but bo far nothing of any money value has been met with. Mr. T. P. Moody, of this place, has forwarded to Sir James Hector specimens obtained from Wilson and Fraser's claim, as also some stibnite, an ore of antimony, discovered by a Mr. Collins, for analysis. The public should be wary of rushing Puhipuhi. The place is not a poor man's field. If it is a genuine silver field, it is only available to capitalists, whose money will open up the field; afterwards, the working man will follow as a natural consequence. The country from Puhipuhi to Cape Brett, at the Bay of Islands, exhibits the same geological and is as likely to prove just as valuable in an argentiferous point of view.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. ' The Government have received a telegram from Auckland to the effect that an assay of ore from Puhipuhi silver mine, made at Waiorongomai, Te Aroha, gave at the rate of 260z to the ton. The Minister of Lands considers it probable that this return is more correct than any other that has been submitted.