OTAGO GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21001, 12 October 1931, Page 6

OTAGO GOLDFIELDS.

PROGRESS OF REVIVAL. WORK ON FAMOUS RIVERS. INGENIOUS METHODS USED. DREDGING AND SLUICING. No. 11. The Molyneux River anrl its tributaries, such as the famous Shotover, have to-day a renewed attraction for gold-seekers, who have not forgotten the extraordinarily rich finds made m 1862, when the two '.American pioneers. Hartley and Reilly, obtained 87 pounds weight of gold, for the most part from a beach not far from where Cromwell now stands. For this discovery the two prospectors received a Government reward of £2OOO, on condition that 16.0000z. should be won from the field in three months—a stipulation easily fulfilled. Conditions have not been favourable for work upon the Molyneux beaches this winter. Snow in the high country and heavy rain at lower levels have caused the rfver to run high for weeks on end. However, several enterprising men with sluice boxes have beet) obtaining fair returns. Much prospecting has taken place Htid sluicing may begin before long at several points in the vicinity of the river, near Ettrick and Miller's I'lat. One enterprising party on the river latelv adopted a rather novel method of recovering bla< k sand from holes near the bank, some of which are 40ft. deep. A suction plant mounted on a barge was used to draw the sand up through a long pipe, a diver assisting operations by shovelling the material toward the nozzle. On reaching tlie barge the sand was fed into a race for the extraction of gold. Electric Power Mooted. 'About three miles below Miller's I'lat, ■where- the pontoon lias been working, the river bottom is very bare and the current flows swiftly enough to carry loose gravel before it. The party suspended operalions recently, at a time when the river was very swollen and dirty. It is not known whether the scheme was a success or not. There is a fair amount of individual activity in the Cromwell district, and the well known old-time fields, Bendigo and Cardrona. ale being worked on a small scale. A suggestion has been made for harnessing the outlet of Lake Hawea to provide electric power for mining purposes. It is claimed that if electricity were available at moderate cost it would be feasible to reopen a number of former fields. However, a large outlay would be required, and probably much more assured prospects would be needed before such an ambitious scheme could be seriously considered.

Several operations are in progress on the Shotover River, which 70 years ago not only gave an enormous total yield, but some of the richest individual finds in the history of New Zealand gold-min-ing. It is on record ( that two Maoris, by swimming the rapids, reached an otherwise inaccessible stretch of cliffs, rom the foot of which they recovered 25 pounds weight of gold before the day was put. Dredge on the Shotover. The most important venture is that of the Golden Terrace Dredging Company, which began work last year with an up-to-date dredge, which is now about two miles above the junction of the Shotover with the Kawarau. The returns are said to be payable. The venture is being watched with interest, and if it proves a financial success another dredge may possibly be put to work on the river. c Two miles upstream a large sluicing claim has been working for the past four and a-half years, and £12,000 worth of gold has been won. The Big Beach Company, which is working the claim, has seven men constantly employed, and has a capital of £22,500. The bank is being sluiced high above the river bed, which is very wide at this point, and from which the workings derive the name Big Beach. The company may eventually attempt to increase its capital and start a dredge on the beach, over which it has a working right. The deposit now being sluiced is mostly gravel, but at a certain depth schist is met with, representing portion of the old river bed. The schist is picked over and washed in the ordinary way. As on many other alluvial mining claims, a water supply proved a serious problem. The water is brought from Corner Peak in two races, 12 miles and 5 miles in length respectivelv, and is stored in a dam a mile and a-quarter from the workings, to which it is carried over the river by pipe-line. The direct flow,is not sufficient, so the water is allowed to accumulate in the dam overnight, thus providing enough for the next day's work. Mine in Southland. The Moonlight River, a tributary of •the Shotover, a couple of miles above Big Beach, was the scene of great activity mariv years ago, and gave enormous yields. A sluicing plant is being worked here and another party is employed sinking shafts. It is considered that even now there are splendid prospects of winning good, payable returns by the use of modern plant* and methods. JrucTi attention has been drawn of late to the once well-known Waikaia field in Southland, where, about 40 miles from Gore ,is the King Solomon Deep Lead mine. In the rush period the fields in the vicinity of Waikaia had a population of several thousand, and Switzers' field was known as one of the richest alluvial mining areas of the Dominion. Sluicing is being carried out in several places here and work was recently commenced with a hydraulic elevator at the Dome River. Good results are confidently expected. At Waikaia resides one of the few survivors of the Chinese diggers who inhabited the early goldfields of the South Island in large, mini hers. Ah Wing still pans awav, and has his shack within a couple of miles of the King Solomon mine. The original King Solomon Company was formed in 1925, and started operations about, five miles from Waikaia. It was .unable to carry on. but a new company was formed in 1929 and took over the plan!. Work has been proceeding apace since then. A good ileal of development work has been taking place and better results arc expected from this. About 25 men arc employed and three shifts are worked. The best return so far has been for the week ended June 13 of this year, when ]lsoz. of gold were obtained. Several dredges were formerly at work in the area around Waikaia, and in the earlier period rich returns were obtained. Most prominent of these dredges were the Masterton, Mystery Flat, Duke of Gordon, Koputai and Waikaia. In northern Ofago sluicing is still carried on at Nasebv and prospectors are at Work in the Kyeburn area: