THE GOLD FIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 805, 18 July 1864, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE GOLD FIELDS.

The season of the year, combined with thei deminished population on our gold fields through the rush to Marlborough, have together reduced the quantity of gold obtained by the miners, as compared with that of three months ago. But notwithstanding those adverse circumstances, the Escort returns compare favorably with those of the corresponding period of last year. The accounts irom the interior, almost without exception speak of the

setting in of winter, and describe the wea-

tlier as being severe. This, however unpleasant, is favorable for the miners; the early setting in of frost having caused such a fall in the gold containing livers as to '-give , promise • of. a rich harvest being .gathered from their beds. Shortly after the departure of the last mail, the reports ofthe gold field "Wardens and the letters of our correspondents referred constantly to this prospect. The rise and fall of the rivers has been watched with almost feverish anxiety—the rise being viewed with apprehension and the fall looked for hopingly. By the extracts which follow it will be seen there is every reason to. anticipate an- unusually favorable opportunity, through the severe frosts, of working the beds and .beaches of.our gold containing streams. Thu?, our correspondent at the Lake, at the close of last month remarks:—" The river continues very low, and every day accounts reach me of fresh successes. A party of young men on the Arrow, well known to me, lodged 208oz this afternoon; this is the result of a few days' work, and was taken from a very small area in the river bed. Oddly enough this very fstrip of ground, some" few feet wide, was the subject of a suit in the Warden's Court some six weeks ago, decided in favor of the fortunate holders by a very slight preponderance of evidence. The other party have taken 90lb weight altogether from their own claim.

Late accounts from the Shotover continue satisfactory ; the weather is reported, however, to be very severe. At several points^ a new style of digging, for this district^ has been commenced, viz., sinking

paddocks in what may be called the old banks immediately under the terraces; some success has already rewarded the experiment. Our advices from the Dun3tan were in a similar strain. The weather since Sunday, June 12th, (we are informed) has been uncommonly severe. The Duustan Flat on Tuesday morning was entirely covered with snow, which did not melt till well nigh midday. In shady places it still remains on the ground, and is rapidly accumulating. Everyone is in capital spirits about the river, which is going down rapidly. A large number of miners returning from Picton are finding their way up here, and claims are once more being rapidly taken up along the banks of the Molyneux. Should the present weather only continue a fortnight longer, the river ■will soon be as low as ever. .

-The Warden's reports enter more fully jnto details than the correspondence quoted from, and point to a setting down to steady work by the miners on the various gold fields, and a well-founded prospect of success. Thus from the Dunstan, under date 11th June, the Warden wrote: — "The population of the district continues to be reinforced by those who are returning disappointed from the Marlborough gold fields. The River Molyneux has been falling almost regularly during the week, but is still not down to the same level that it reached some weeks ago, when Buch great expectations were entertained. The variable weather doubtless accounts for the river thus rising one week and falling the next. Mining in this district is, however, gradually but surely being established on such a basis as must make the returns of gold to a great extent independent of the capricious Molyneux. Sluicing on a large scale is no w looked upon as the legitimate way of working, and; the returns of this class of mining are likely to be far more certain and regular than those from other methods of working. Companies of miners and others have applied for several large areas of ground to be leased to them under the leasing regulations ; one of these companies (the Pioneer Company) has commenced operations by setting a body of men to work to cut an expensive water race in anticipation of obtaining the lease they have applied for. Another company (Kitchingham and Co), who have applied for a lease of some ground on the banks of the Kawarau, near the Roaring Meg, are getting up wire rope on which to suspend hose for fluming a stream of water across the Kawarau River. I visited the locality on Monday, and was pleased to notice the successful manner in which a similar enterprise on a smaller scale was being carried out by another party. It seems probable that tnis plan of conveying water for sluicing across rivers, •will in future be frequently adopted."

Still more encouraging accounts from the Arrow River were given by the Warden there, who," about the same date, remarked; —"As a few instances of the richness of the ground in the Arrow Kiver, its hanks, and tributaries, I may mention that Derriere and party have, during the last three months, obtained 90lbs weight of gold from their claim above the Big Beach ; while in the adjoining claim, belonging to Smith and party, 114oz were washed out last week, neither of these claims being .by any means worked out. At the Big Beach all

is life and activity. Devrae and party are saiil to be obtaining very gooti returns, whiM- Moivi and ethers arc rapidly bnngWto completion the preliminary yrorss that must be finished before the Arrow will yield up its auriferous treasures. The bank claims are all expected to yield a handsome return to the shareholders. Harrington and party, Elliot and paity, the Alabama Company, and others, are proceeding vigorously with the works in connection with their bank claims. As holders of river claims get worked out, I notice that they almost invariably set into the banks, where there is almost an unlimited quantity of ground, and from which, in many instances, very handsome yields have been already obtained, In New Chum Gully disputes £have been frequent of late, which is generally a very fair criterion of the value of the ground. A well defined quartz reef has been discovered in Sawyer's Gully, about 2 miles from Arrow Town; no steps have yet been taken to work it. The Arrow Quartz Company are in statu quo, pending an intimation from the Government as to whether their application for a lea--e is likely to be granted or refused. At the Cardrona the spurs of the hills and the terraces are about being systematically prospected; whilst at the Twelve Mile, the sluicer3 are working like Trojans, and I am happy to believe, with very considerable success."

At Mount Benger a week later, the Warden in his report alludes not only to the effect on the river's level of the severe weather experienced, but of the various expedients adopted in order to obtain the treasure known to abound in its bed, and in the adjoining beaches and terraces. He remarked—" During the week we have had severe wintry weather, even to the miners' satisfaction, with winds from the south. A very considerable fall has taken place in the river, and already the natural consequence —an increase in the population—may be observed. The fall required to bring the river to its April level is about two feet. A number of the teach holders determined to obtain some benefit from their claims, and, in defiance of the fluctuations of the river, have resorted to the system of having them dredged. The plan generally followed is for nine or ten beach holders to unite and hire one of the smaller apparatus, suitable only for dredging from the shore, of which there are several in the district, and work these on their claims in rotation. This mode of working is only practised on these deep claims from which there is very little likelihood the water will ever recede so as to admit of the recognised pick and shovel work. The dredge is only capable of taking off the softer surface gravel, and_ by most miners considered calculated to injure a valuable beach of which there is any probability of being able to work by pick and shovel, as it. disturbs the natural surface, and so admits the water to wash away the gold thus exposed. By all the parties who have tried the dredge on their claims, very good wages have been made, an evidence of the amount of gold that would be obtained by more thorough work. At present there are no fewer than seven dredges, large and small, at work on the river in this district, and had| not one of the largest dredges met with an accident while being anchored, there would have been eight this week. During the last few days some of the beach holders have begun to erect their dams, with the hope of getting on to work soon,\and generally the dams are on a larger and more substantial scale than formerly, the determination of the miner beiug to lay dry as much as possible while the river is low. On Thursday Beatty and party, whom I mentioned in my last report as about to construct a large race to conduct water from the Menzion Creek on to Horseshoe Bend, applied for a lease of an area of ten acres on the Bend for mining purposes. AsM'Anliffe and party's race approaches completion, more applications are being made for extended grants on the banks of the Clutha. along the flats known as the Commissioners and Teviot. Throughout the district, I am glad to state that operations such as are calculated to open up the auriferous ground with which it abounds are being commenced."

Some fresh ground was discovered a short time since at the Dunstan creek, and by direction of the Government a survey was made to ascertain its probable value as a goldfield. Denuded of some preliminary remarks, which do not bear.directly upon the gold-producing capability of the district, the report received by the Gold Fields' Secretary was substantially as follows:—The diggings commence on the side of the lower portion of the street, to and over a spur, and in the adjacent gullies, to the north of the township; the best claims have been on the top of the said spur, and some good ones are still being worked there. On the sides and in the gullies the average depth of sinking is about (12) twelve feet, through fine loam E^sd gravel. Some industrious miners have tried and found a second bottom at a depth of (6.0) sixty feet, but on account of the expense of slabbing, few others have followed their example, although the gold is payable. The water supply is good. Patterson and party have brought in a race from a creek, locally named ihe Wild Duck Creek, running into the. Manuherikia River, between the Hawkdun Ranges and Mount St. Bathan's, about (12) twelve miles, which supplies (10) ten sluice heads of, water. Another party have also commenced a race some (2) two miles further, and expect to have it completed in a month's time. This will give every miner an ample supply of water on the principal diggings. There is every probability of the miners, during many days in the winter, being at a standstill, as the weather here is very severe, as much as (8) eight and (10) ten leet of snow has been known to lie in this gully The gold is the finest and lightest weighing I have ever seen, mixed with heavy grey sand and mica, consequently requires great care in the washing, but can be found in any part, more or less payable, but better adapted for sluicing ; the average yield is about (600) six hundred oz per week, which, as the population is about (1000) one thousand, gives an average of one-half an ounce per week per man. I have also visited Dunstan Creek Proper, which is about (4) four miles from this township, under the Dunstan Ranges, and on a creek of the same name; there have been some good claims here, but most of the old r ground is worked out, however, the diggers remaining, about (100) one hundred, are all doing well, (principally Cornishmcn), and have made themselves comfortable in sod huts, evidently with the intention of remaining during the winter months ; indeed the whole population in the district appear to be settled for the winter. The scarcity of timber is of course a great drawback, but a good substitute, in the shape of lignite, is found .very pleitifully, arid of very fair quality." While thus there is every reason to feel satisfied with the increasing areas added to

the already known vast extent of auriferous ground in the Province, other sources of mineral werJth are becoming gradually unfolded, which appear to indicate the prospect of more enduring and equally remunerative labour, as that which is usually found associated with gold mining. In a letter from our correspondent under 29th June, two discoveries of this class are reported—those of copper and silver. He states, "I was shown in Queenstown 3 resterday a large specimen of native copper, quartz attached to it on one side, which was found in the Perseverance claim at Moke Creek, two miles below the copper lode. Several pieces are said to have been picked up in the immediate neighborhood, so that the richness of the lode itself may fairly, be conjectured. Malachite is also reported to have been discovered in these workings."-; And in reference to silver, he explains that Mr J. B. Bradshaw communicated to him as folio ws : —" On the shores of the Lake I discovered several pieces of quartz rock containing a white metal. I intend to assay it to-morrow. It is either metallic silver or palladium or platinum. lam almost certain it contains the first-named metal very rich, and would yield, according to this specimen, at least LSOO worth of silver to the ton of quartz. It is worth mentioning as a valuable discovery, although only a scrap, as indicating the existence of silver in the district. Silver in its occurrence is more favorable than gold, for it invariably gets richer in penetrating the lode. I may state that the assay alluded to having been effected, leave 3no doubt that the specimen is silver ore of a very rich quality." The late explorations too towards the West Coast lead to the probability that the gold fields extend in a north-westerly direction. Barrington, one of the exploring party, confidently states that there is a run of gold north-west of the Lake.

Companies for the more systematic working of the ground, than takes place in new y-discovered gold countries, are being formed. In order to this, capital is being invested, and works involving considerable labor are in course of construction. On the Dunstan, "the Pioneer Sluicing Company are getting ahead very fast wiih the cutting of their race. Yesterday I went up the river as far as the Hanging Rock, on purpose to make a personal inspection of the works. Prom the Company's ten-acre lease to the head of the race the distance is about three miles. The manager, Mr Jas. Hacket, has now fifteen men employed, exclusive of himself, he setting the very worthy example of leading his men at their several tasks. About one-third of the race is already completed, and with the exception of difficult places where large projecting rocks will require to be cut away,,or where the placing of the fluming is attended with difficulty, the remainder of the work is all let out in small contracts of from twenty cha'ns to half a mile, at rates varying from 14s to Ll per chain, according to the nature of the ground. These parts requiring much care, the manager prefers having done by means of hired labor, under. _ his own direct "superintendence ; for ifWhe work is carelessly performed, there will be a great loss of water through leakage, and perhaps damage occasioned by the bursting of the race, requiring a lar»e outlay to make good. The length of fluming to be used is calculated at about half a mile, for the construction of which there is nearly sufficient timber already on the ground. Employing the present number of men, the manager expects to have everything complete and be ready to set his sluice boxes in about three weeks or a mouth. The company possess water rights to the extent of eighteen sluice heads (a head of water measures 20 inches by 2); eight are from the kouvra Creek, eight from the~ Hanging Rock Creek, and two from the German Creek. At present the supply will only be taken from the Hanging Rock and German Creeks, which will effect a saving of half a mile of cutting, and permit sluicing operations to be commenced much earlier than were the whole extent of the race is to be previously completed throughout. All these creeks take their rise in the Dunstan Ranges, and empty them- | selves into the_ Molyneux, at about half a mile's distance from each other. The supply of water is a never-failiog one, only short at periods like the present, when hard frosts prevail. The rights held by the company are certainly very valuable, as they command the banks of the river for a distanc: of nine miles; and with a race of that length they can not-only supply the town of, Clyde with a stream of pure clear water, running in its midst, but command any of the rich banks or beaches along that entire distance." In the Lake District, "a party of men have just completed at the Sandhills a gigantic work for sluicing away the terrace and hills; a flume of great length is constructed, nearly 70 feet above the level of the river, and constructed around and along inaccessible rocks in a most workmanlike manner. At Skipper's three parties are bringing in water, two on the right one on the left of the creek ; these operations are being conducted in the face of great natural difficulties. Little doubt, however, is entertained of their success, as the ground has been proved to be highly auriferous." Machinery of a simple and inexpensive kind, constructed so that it maybe set in motion by the rivers, appears likely shortly to become available ; and there is every probability by means of these various agencies for the increase of the production of gold, the quantity found tvill be greater than was even anticipated.