D’URYILLE ISLAND MINING COMPANY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5561, 24 January 1879, Page 3

D’URYILLE ISLAND MINING COMPANY.

The Nelson Evening Mail of the 20th inst. has a paragraph relating to the operations of the above-named company, which seems well worth re-publishing. The existence of copper ore on the island has been known for many years, but curiously enough the development of this new industry has been left to comparative strangers. Even after they had made their arrangements, there were gentlemen of scientific acquirements in Wellington who wrote and spoke with considerable confidence against the prospects of the new company. Even such men as Dr. Hector, the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, and Mr. Travers, did not appear to think highly of the permanence of the mine, and certainly did not hesitate to give expression to their opinion. Our most recent information leads us to the belief that the company cannot fail to be successful. Ore is still being raised in quantity, and is unmistakeably of a very fine quality. The fifty or sixty tons mentioned in the article quoted below arrived from the island in the s.s. Lyttelton yesterday morning, and was immediately transhipped into the collier Neptune, of Newcastle, which will sail to-morrow. We are happy to say that, thanks to the careful management of Captain Scott, of the Lyttelton, the forebodings of the correspondent of the Nelson Evening Mail proved groundless, as the bags were placed on board the Neptune in firstclass condition. The results from this shipment are expected to be very satisfactory, and the ore still being obtained is equally good. The following is the paragraph from the Evening Mail ;—A correspondent sends ns the following regarding the D'TTrville Island copper mine : —On a recent visit to the above island I was very favorably impressed with the progress made by the manager in conducting the works at such small expenditure. Several shafts have been sunk, all of which contained good ore, but I will confine my remarks to three of those, namely, Redwood’s, Owen’s, and Manton’s. Owen’s shaft is sunk to a depth of 90ft. from the surface, which contains rich ore all the way down. The first 30ft. consists of green carbonate, then it changes into extraordinarily rich silver grey ore, and at the lowest level the lode is fully 2ift. thick. A tunnel is now being driven to strike the shaft at a much greater depth, and another to intersect Manton’s shaft, which also contains rich ore. When both tunnels are completed it can be raised in large quantities and at a very trifling expense. An excellent sleigh road is constructed to the harbor underneath, and a substantial wharf erected to water sufficiently deep for vessels of a moderate ska to come

alongside and take th'.ir cargo onboard. There are at present on the wharf fifty or more tons ready for shipment, ail in bags, awaiting a ship to take it to Newcastle. It struck me very forcibly the confidence the miners have in the permanence of the mine, as they are erecting nice wooden houses roofed with iron, and already four of them have brouglit their wives and families to the island. Beef and mutton of the best quality is supplied from the mainland at a very reasonable price, and now that the number of men will require to be greatly increased, a email store to supply their requirements would be of the greatest benefit. In conclusion, I consider it necessary to remark that the directors of this company are making a great mistake in having the copper ore'shipped from the island to Wellington and thence transhipped to Newcastle, instead of being taken direct to Newcastle. The Napier steamer is, I am informed, chartered to land the ore on the Wellington wharf, then it will be shipped to Newcastle. In transhipping, many of the bags will be burst and a loss incurred, whereas if a Nelson collier had been engaged she would go alongside the wharf, the ore be put on board, and no further difficulty or expense incurred.”