NEW ZEALAND'S NEWEST GOLDFIELD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10575, 16 October 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND'S NEWEST GOLDFIELD.

——♦ PRESERVATION INLET. WRITTEN FOR THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD. [BY F. ROLLETI.] I. Aockxandkrs, even with so much undeveloped mining country in their own province, will be interested to hear something of the colony's newest goldfield, which lies in the extreme south-west part of the South Island, and is generally known as Preservation Inlet. Preservation Inlet is the southernmost of the Sounds or Fiords, famous fortheir grand and romantic scenery. Gold was discovered in Preservation Inlet over 34 years ago. Sir James Hector, while on a geological expedition there, picked up a piece of quartz which assayed 370z per ton. Some 16 years ago adventurous prospectors discovered alluvial gold in the river beds and on the sea beaches, and since then a large number of heavy nuggets have been found. The fact of much of the alluvial gold being found attached to or mixed with quartz gave rise to the idea that rich reefs or leaders existed, and search was made for these, but for a long time without success. It was only by accident that the first gold-bearing reef was found. Some alluvial miners, whilst working at a water-race, felled a tree, which struck a rocky face on the opposite side of the creek bed, and revealed specimen stone. The ground Was pegged off as the Golden Site claim, a company was formed, and a battery erected, and some very rich stone was crushed—onesmallstoping yieldinggold to the value of £5000. Unfortunately where struck, the reef was somewhat shaken, audi more unfortunate still, whilst; working under the river level a stope was carried too near the surfaco, and the mine was flooded. Like many other New Zealand companies the capital was small, and was, of course, swallowed up in the first effort. . A new company has, however, been formed, and work is now being carried on with a view of cutting the reef at a much lower level than the old workings. At the date of my visit the new shaft was down 168 feet, and was going through easilyworked carbon slate, carrying mineralised stringers of quartz. At present the Morning Star claim is the main feature of the Inlet. This claim has, during the last 17 months, produced over £30,000 worth of gold. It has alO head stamper battery going, and it is costing almost as much to supply it with stone as it costs to supply 40-head of stamps on some of the Auckland claims, still the stone is so rich that extravagance in working only means a lesser dividend. Last month the yield was 812oz, or about 2oz sdwt per ton, and at the time of my visit gold was plainly visible in most of the stone in the paddock. The Morning Star mine has surprised not only its owners but many so-called experts. The owners thought so little of the mine at first that some of them simply got rid of their shares at any price, and the directors came over to the Inlet to close the mine down. They found awaiting them a cake of gold weighing between two and three hundred ounces, and golden stone in the paddocks. Since then they have been constantly expecting that the run of stone would peter out, and have done little or nothing to develop the mine. The Morn* ing Star is a striking example of the old foolish method of running a reefing company. The directors are allowing the rich stone to be taken out and every cent above working expenses paid in dividends without ever thinking of the future of the mine.' The reef from, which the good stone is being obtained is of small size varying from 18 inches to a mere' thread in thickness'. lb is, however, remarkably continuous for so small a body being traceable in No. 2 level for over 500 feet, and showing still strong in the face of the drive. The rich stone is, however, being obtained from No. 1 and No. 1a levels. There are at lejist two other well-defined lodes cut in the drives, one a body of stone ranging from three feet to five feet in thickness, rune close to and parallel with the gold-bearing reef; another averaging over two feet wide and well mineralised. Scarcely anything has been done to test these lodes. I do not think they have ever been assayed. It is costing the Morning Star Company about £4 per ton to mine and mill their quartz, and there is, as I said, no development work being carried on ; there is no reason why it should cost even £2 per ton, us the country is well adapted for cheap mining. Although dealing with such rich stones, and using only blanket tables with a high pitch, no effort has been made to save the tailings. Recently, however, the company have actually gone so far as to introduce a few berdans, and were very much surprised to get nearly one-third of their cost in gold from the first month of trial.

The Alpha Company's ground lies to the west of the Morning Star, and baa undoubtedly quite a separate run of reef. It promises to be a good roef, as it ranges up to six feet in width, and gold can be pounded from nearly any part of it. If the same prospects live downward with the reef there will soon be another goldproducer in New Zealand, and that would help mining all through this country. This claim is held principally in Christchurch, and there is quite enough capital already subscribed to open up the ground thoroughly. With the exception of the three claims I have mentioned, there is very little prospecting carried on, although, as usual, there is a large amount of ground pegged off into claims which the owners hope to sell. There are, however, some promising outcrops in other parts of the Inlet—which I shall describe in another article.

The means of communication with the Inlet is by steamer. Keith, Ramsay and Company run the s.s. Inrercargill there fortnightly, leaving the Invercargill Wharf and returning to the Bluff or to Oolac Bay as it suits their particular convenience. The steamer visits L'on? Beach and Cromarty, whioh are on the south side of the Inlet, Long Beach being tbe stopping place for the Morning Star mine; and Cromarty, the Government township and centre for the Golden Site and Alpha claims, and for Mclntyre's sawmill. There is an hotel at Cromarty kept by one Sherlock— only place of_ accommodation in the whole Inlet. No roads exist.' Most of the travelling is done by water in open rowing and sailing boats, and the miners here, besides becoming expert bushmen, bird-hunters, and fishermen, are developing into excellent sailors. Men going prospecting generally put all their provisions, tools, etc., into a boat, and make a point of departure from some beach. Owing to the dense bush and the tremendous rainfall, prospecting is very hard work, especially when to the first two drawbacks one adds isolation, difficulty of obtaining fresh meat, and the innumerable ferocious sandflies. In spite of the difficulties, several' prospecting parties are being organised to explore the country at the head of the Inlet and the ranges between the Inlet and Chalky Sound.