THE PORTSEA MINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9583, 7 August 1894, Page 6

THE PORTSEA MINE.

STATEMENT BY THE BANK ASS A YEP..

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OW>- COEXES POJi DENT. ]

Paeroa, Monday. After reading the report of the meeting of the Portsea Gold Mining Company, at which the manager was examined and the local

bank assayer's (Mr. Chas. Rhodes) name

was imported, I thought it well, in the

interests of your readers, to interview that gentleman It was said at the meeting, it will be remembered, that a sample of the ore was given to the bank assayer for assay, but that no report had been received from him. On speaking to Mr. Rhodes on the subject, he was good enough to make the following statement to me for publication:— " " It would seem that it is sought to imply that the bank assayer purposely withheld the assay results in order to benefit himself thereby. I presume I am the assayer in question, but as a matter of fact no stuff was given to me for assay on behalf of the company. The manager, Mr. Grace, showed me and half-a-dozen others the prospect he speaks of. It was in a white saucer, and we saw it by candle light, both of which conditions are liable to deceive. Not being particularly interested, nor in any way suspicious, I did not doubt that the prospect was gold, as it was stated to be. Only those who have seen it know what an ex-

ceedingly good imitation it was. On the same occasion I was offered by Mr. Lawless two nodular pieces of ore, each about the size and shape of a walnut, to assay if I wished. I said that it would be useless to assay such pieces, and, besides, being sup* posed to be rich, they could not possibly represent a fair sample of the reef or bulk. Knowing that no man in his senses would take any notice of results from such particles or atoms of a reef, and that the making of the assay would involve at least three hours' work, for neither profit nor information, I did not trouble to test the ore,

and nob till Friday evening, the 27th July, did I have any doubts about the stuff. I saw Mr. Darrow that, evening en route to Waitekauri, and be asked me if I had

heard any . report as to the Portsea prospects not being gold. I said I had heard no such report, but that if he would bring back samples with him when he returned on Saturday evening I would determine the matter. He did so; and though I was in no way bound to make public the results, I urged the local director of the Portsea to wire the secretary the first thing on Monday morning that the supposed gold was a myth, which was done. This is my connection with the matter. lam quite aware that the British public is prone to believe the worst of any man, no matter what bis previous record may be, but I have a perfectly clear conscience in declaring that I have had nothing whatever to do with the Portsea fiasco,. either at the mine or in Paeroa. Of course it is easy to be wise after the event, and " I wish

now that I had assayed the ore, small though the sample was. If, however, anyone knew, how many hundreds of such assays I have actually made for nothing, and how many such I am continually offered, he would not wonder that I carelessly threw the Portsea ore aside as a sample of the same class, and of no particular moment."

This was all Mr. Rhodes had to say. I can glean no other information regarding the Portsea clain, but gather that it is thought the Grace Darling reef has not yet been cut. As you are aware I have never committed myself as your correspondent to any reports, simply because of the secrecy that has always been maintained by the local management and directorate."