THE PUHIPUHI

New Zealand Mail, Issue 936, 7 February 1890, Page 2

THE PUHIPUHI

MR GORDON’S REPORT. * Mr Gordon, Mining Inspector, has submitted a report to the Minister of Mines on the gold and silver deposits in the Puhipuhi Forest. The report is a long one, but we reproduce it almost verbatim. Mr Gordon begins by saying that since he last visited Puhipuhi there has beeu a considerable amount of work done in the prospectors’ ground of a preliminary character, and a commencement is now being made to construct an adit to cut one of the lodes (which contains a good deal of silver on the outcrop) about 100 ft below the surface. This adit is constructed for about 60ft, but it will require to be extended for another 200 ft before it will cut the lode. There are eight or more different lodes in the prospectors’ ground, all of which contain gold or silver to some extent, but principal ones are the silver lode and Wilson’s. The silver lode has been prospected to a depth of about 18ft below the surface, At this depth the lode is about 2ft 9in in width, containing a fair percentage of ruby silver, with a little silver. There are also good specimens of ruby silver to be found in Wilson’s lode, which is about 18in in thickness, but. scarcely any work has been done on this lode to justify any opinion being expressed concerning it. Indeed, the same may be said in regard to all the lodes. Still the silver lode has certainly the appearance of being a payable one for working. There have been a number of parties “prospecting in the Puhipuhi, who are still continuing to do so, some of whom camp outside the Crown Lands adjacent to the forest, and watch for an opportunity whan the Ranger goes away to go into the forest. Seven parties claim to have dis? covered payable reefs, though this is questionable, Sopie of the discoveries do not bear out the assertion. It is, however, a place where there are a number of mineral lodes all through the forest from Waiotu to Kaimamaku river. On the last-named river there are deposits of antimony in conjunction with a little silver in several places, but Mr Gordon did not see any defined lode. It is merely found in large isolated blocks in the beds of creeks coming into the Kaimamaku River. With regard to opening up the forest for mining, the discoveries made by prospectors, together with the mineral lodes that cap be seen in different parts within the kauri belt, justify opening the ground for mining, if this can be done arid at the saipe time take precautions to conserve the timber*. The estimated quantity of kauri timber on the Government land is nearly 129,000,000 ft, which ought to bring in a revenue of L 64.500 if the timber is npt destroyed by fire, To prevent fire Mr Gordon thinks will be a hard matter evep if the forest is closed during the summer months, Apart altogether from the work of incendiaries, there will always he a danger or fire spreading from others kindled by settlers, and it is questionable if the forest would not bo more secure if the mining population settled in it, as they wouid have to do their utmost to prevent fires for fear of having all their own effects burnt. In conclusion, Mr Gordon says Taking everything into consideration, I would recommend that the forest be opened for mining, but before such is done, regulations should be made under the Mining Act, 1886, for prespectors’ licenses, and prospectors 1 mining leases should be amended so as to embody the conditions necessary for working the ground in a (tjtate forego outside”of the mining districts.’! The following assays and testa have been made from the silver lode in prospectors claims : „ ... Bujlion per ton. Mr Galbraith, Auckland ... ... 911 oz Mr Burpes, Bank N.Z Hioz Mr Parle Scholl,’miner, Thanres ... 1740 z ~ ... 1540 z ” ” ... 115 oz ” ” „ ... 114 oz There was also a parcel of 2001 b of stone sent to the School of Mines at the Thames, which produced of bullion, its value being at the rate of Lll l(s od per ton. Three tens of this stone were sent to the Waiongomai plant for treatment, namely, one ton from the silver lode, one ton from the blue reef, and one ton from the black reef. The ore was crushed wet and concentrated. The returps fyoqx the blue and black reefs vyere equal to about 12s per ton, and from one ton ot ore from the silver lode about 2Qlb concentrated was obtained, which contained at the rate of about LI 12s per ton. From Wilson’s Reef Mr Whitaker, of the Bank of New Zealand, got as high Eissays as Boz of gold and 2540 z of silver to the ton, and Mr Burnes, of the same bank, made assays from stone found outside the prospectors’ ground, which gaye tpe following results :— No. 1 sample, lSMwt 4 grains of gold, Boz 3dwts of silver ; No, 2 sample, 16dwt 8 grams of gold, 230 z ]6dwts of silver; No. 3 sample, of gold, 530 z of silver. _ . . Ministers will give this matter their immediate consideration iyith a, view to determining whether the Ruliipnhi shall be opened on tfie conditions suggested.