THE THAMES GOLDFIELDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2127, 28 November 1868, Page 3

THE THAMES GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland, 10th Nov., 1868,

Tho Ballarat Bails for London this afternoon, with 10,400 oz. of Thames gold, produced during October. This in itself would not bo a bad result, bearing in mind tho limited extent of our machinery, and tho few claims in a position to crush continuously; but I am gratified to add that the month yielded at least half as much more, which will no doubt be shipped on an early opportunity. One would suppose that the public interest would bo Lest assisted by periodical announcement in some shape or other of the actual yield of tho field ; but the Government resolutely declinessuggestions to that, end, and tho banks will give no further information than can be gathered from the shipping returns, for which nobody is bound to thank them. Calculating from tho best data available, I conclude that tho product of this current month cannot bo under fifteen thousand ounces ; and if a fow mills at present disabled are Bpeedily put to work, we shall have still better results. There are hundreds of good claims in remote parts of tho creeks, to which batteries have not yet been introduced, with abundant stacks of rich stone waiting to to crushed ; and there the gold must rest imbedded until enterprise seizes tho opportunity of profiting by capital, and erects mills. The quartz cannot in many cases bo humped, or otherwise conveyed to tho nearest battery under a pound or two, perhaps more a ton ; so the proprietors content themselves with a trial crushing of four or five hundredweight, laboriously shouldered for miles, and when that tells them they have good ground, go on prospecting their claim, and piling up their stuff for the good time coming, when Mahomet, the capitalist, shall bring his battery to the mountain—quartz. There may be forty or lifty efl'eciive batteries already on various parts of the five creeks forming the field ; but there arcparts of the higher ground now proved to bo as rich as any portion of the district which have no mills at all ; and the owners of claims are therefore either driven to carry their stone a considerable distance, over an inconceivably difficult road, at an enormous cost, or bide their time. This will account for tho comparatively small return from a thousand claims ; the fact being that only those miners who are in immediate proximity to crushing machines can crush without extravagant loss. I estimate—and I cannot think I am doing so rashly—that thero are at least twenty thousand tons of three ounce to the ton stuff waiting for mills ; and that here, a hundred and fifty thousand pounds is lying unproductive, from which mill speculators mirjht clear twenty thousand pounds ! Will it be wondered at, that under such a state of things tho mining community should be restive, unsettled, and disheartened ; or that legitimate speculation should be, as it undoubtedly is, in a very paralytic shape indeed. Many of tho most promising claims have boon worked by miners having little or no capital bat their labour, for nine, six., and four months ; and save the temporary relief they have derived from the brief moment of speculation when Aucklanders rushed unthinkingly into the breach, and bought under the delusive impression that capital to bo imported would speedily relieve them at enormous profits, they have gained nothing from ttieir ground. This paucity in return, coupled with the inability of the miners to test methodically, and with spirit, tho full capability of their claims, has induced a belief that the Thames Goldfield is an aggregation of rich leaders only, having no parent lodes or reefs ; but such an opinion is wholly fallacious. Mr J. B. Bradshaw, your Southern member, who is a good metallurgist, and from long experience of goldtields deserves to te heard, has given an unqualified opinion on the subject. In a loiter addressed to the New Zealand Herald, he Buys "as far as I travelled, and as I could see and judge supeificially, it appeared to me that there are innumerable main lines of veins or lodes traversing the whole district, with leaders or feeders in every direction ; in fact, the •whole district may be said to be one vast quarry of auriferous quartz." This view is substantially i orne out by tho character of Hunt's claim, the Poverty, Mulligan's, the Manuknu, Golden Crown, Wild Missouri, Hobson's Park, Middle Star, and scores of others ; in fact, nearly all the claims in the vicinity of water, and having facility of crushing power, have turned out well ; and if some have been proved less productive than others, they at least pay handsomely. No provision in the way of roads or tramways has yet been undertaken by the Government, and the consequence has been that hundreds of claims have remained wholly unproductive during the winter. The large expenditure in labour in manning the claims during the bad season, without any appreciable return, ha 3 taxed Auckland speculators very much; and it is not out of the way to calculate that at least a thousand pounds of their money has been spent per week in merely shepherd-

ing their rights. The Goldfields Regulations provide that each map's ground, in area about half an acre, shall be continuously represented by labour on the ground ; so that to guard against jumping it has been absolutely necessary to keep entirely useless labourers at two pounds a week* wages. Jumping on the field became some timo ago quito an occupation, and bands of idle vagabonds were continually on the gui vivc to pounce on any stray share that might remain unrepresented for twenty-four hours. Some months ngo, even tho great Hunt's was jumped when in full working order, on the ground that tho owners' miners' rights had been signed by ths Warden instead of by the Superintendent.

However, two or threo equitable decisions from tho Bench have, to a great extent, checked tho game of confiscation, and new leasing regulations" have been introduced, under which miners can now secure more protection than they have ever had before ; but these rules aro open to maDy grave objections, and must vndergo still further modifications before they meet tho requirements of the field.

Now thera is a strong movement towards amalgamation of claims, and mcst of those not productively working are under protection for three months, during which further waatc'of labour will bo spared. There aro three or four main points on which much of the successful working of the claims will hinge—viz., tho combination of claims, so as to embrace say fifty men's ground, which would give a workable area of say thirty acres. Tho securing of this by lease for ten or fifteen years, at an average rent somewhat similar to tho amount fixed in Otago ; the incorporation of all companies in a limited shape ; the provision by tho Government for continuous employment of so much labour annually to tho ten acres, or an equivalent expenditure on machinery; and last, but not least, the introduction of first-class crushing machines, and the encouragement of practical miners, used to the extraction and saving of gold. Ab regards the latter, we are indeed sadly at fault, and any charlatan who, by virtue of having once worked in a claim, or at some time carried a surveyor's chain may proclaim himself practical miner and mechanical engineer. Although the gold fields have undoubtedly locked up, for a time, most of tho spare capital of Auckland, the incentive given by them to trade and commerce has been very great. At the timo of Hunt's discovery, nearly eighteen montliß ago, tho " Scoria City," was rapidly approaching mercantile collapse. It was just experiencing the full weight of tho loss of the large military expenditure it had fattened on so long. The failure of the Coromandel mine had disgusted them with reefing, pretty much as your Lake district has sickened the people of Otago ; and, in truth, there were far more mouths to feed than there was food for. Poor Hunt's party struggled under innumerable difliculties, and it was quite in vain that they hawked about their quarter shares from one desponding trader to another, in tho hope of raising a little capital to set tho reef afloat. But they succeeded at last ; and, after some little working, developed one of the richest reefs that has ever been known. Then, from a state of despondency and unbelief, tho city people rushed to the extremes ; every one went in for taking up claims and trafficking in shares. The rickety merchant—the k?en bank director —the demure spinster — tho Btraitened widow—tho gallant captain— the badgered trader, world-abjuring clergymen, publicans, sinners, pharisees ; and in business every one, from the importer to the Btore-porter. For a few months, any share in any claim was a saleable commodity ; fancy fixed tho prises, and wild delirium paid them ; and the ball was kept rolling for months before the echoes reached you at Dunedin. I cannot help thinking that there was at that timo anything but an anxious feeling to greet the Southerners; but rather a reticence both on the part of the Press and the public as to tho richness of tho field. " Let us take as many plums out of the pudding," said the Aucklauders, " as wo can get, and then we will welcome tho strangers, and sell them our wares." But the strangers were blind of vision on this head, and didn't come ; and the consequence is that every speculator has more or less of a whito elephant that he cannot conveniently manage. Even now you hear plaintive expressions of astonishment that " the Otago people do not introduce their capital." 1 can very cordially echo the same sentiment of surprise, but I am gratified to add that they h'aven't, perhaps, lost in tho main by not doing so in the fever heat of the discovery, but may now go in with more profit perhaps, and certainly with less' anxiety than tho early pioneers themselves. This perhaps may not Beom quite equitable, but if people will buy whistles, and pay high prices for them, and keep the music from their neighbours until they cannot play them any longer, what must they not expect ? Hunt's shares have had their days of humility, like all other things offered- to an erratically minded public. It was in vain that half a share was offered for L2O, and now it is worth L 25,000. The whole claim is said to be cheap at a quarter of a million, and they say will produce as much gold as the party can want for the rest of their lives. Already it has given upwar 's of LGO.OOO in gold ; and its return is only limited by tho labour applied to proluce the metal. In the neighbourhood of this great prize of fortune is the Golden Crown, which was prospected by, and once mainly belonged to Mr Walter Williamson, wellknown to many in Otago. After working for a considerable time, the proprietors sold out for a few hundred pounds, and the claim soon after turned out a prize. In October, 97 tons of stuff yielded 2542 0553. of retorted jroM, and last week there was a return of SDQozs. from 42 tons ; and specimens are now being crushed which will produce two thousand ounces. Only a few days ago a quarter-share sold for L 2500, which estimates the value of the whole claim at LBO,OOO. There arc two groups of claims in this neighbourhood, which, from being near the beach, are easily and economically worked, and shew more prominently and continuously than any others. "The Little Angel," three men's ground, was purchased in June last for about L2OO ; its present value, according to market sales, is about L4OOO. It produced 300 ounces of gold fromonetonofspeciinens;yielded 1700 ounces between March and October, and lately paid a dividend of L 350 per sTiare. "The Manukau," which has the "Golden Crowii," lode, has produced at the rate of 20 ounces to tho ton, and is still giving rich returns. Still adjoining, we have the " All Nations," eight men's ground, which, last month, paid L 245 per share, and is now valued at L 25,000. The Poverty Claim, which has capital crushings, and pays rich periodical dividends : and Kelly's",, which produced in five weeks 1307 ounces. These are a few of numerous claims in two groups, and the returns indicate, in my mind, the results of scores of adjoining claims situate in the bearing of the lodes of the Golden Crown.