WARDENS' REPORTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3685, 26 November 1873, Page 3

WARDENS' REPORTS.

" " ~ " MOUNT IDA DISTRICT. .Mr Warden Robinson, tinder date SeptemIjer 30tii, reports to the Secretary for Gold- " fields, as follows:— I have the honour to report upon the dis- - -tricti under my charge for the past quarter .as follows: — ■1, There" have been no new discoveries •during the past three months, but I think I may fairly say.that the general aspect of affairs throughout the district has shown a "tendency to improvement, fully justifying the anticipations upon which I ventured on the JLasfc occasion that I had the honour to report 'to you. The season, although not witlunit • its drawbacks, has been more favourable -than usual for mining. Periods of fine weather have broken the "severity :of ■winter, and afforded' occasional abundant supplies of water, of which, the raniners have taken the full benefit. The -winter,' although broken, has been protracted, And the latter half of this month has been ■ marked by unusually heavy falls of snowupon the mountains, giving promise of a sufficiency of water far into the summer months. - -Should -this promise be realized, we may expect such, a season for sluicing as we have snot had for the last three or four years. .2. The'Naseby sludge channel has made .great progress since the date of .my last report, in spite of the difficulties interposed by the winter season. It is reasonable .to expect that, in the season -apon which we are now entering a still anore. rapid advancement will be • made. The construction of the water-race from the Manuherikia has been much delayed by frost ;aiid snow, and as one of the contractors has -thrown up his contract, a further delay may "ie expected. But, fortunately, the Mount Ida diggings, however much theymay.be benefited ! by the Public Works, are not, at dependent upon them ; and with the supplies of -water which the old races ■will command^ the -Naseby miners can look ; -forward to a good season's work.. This will be fa great booh to the trading community, who must have suffered severely during the late .years of scarcity of water. It is surprising 4b at they have stoj)d it out so well. 3., The mountain gold workings of Glarkes, and Hock and Pillar, have of ■' -course been at a standstill during the winter.. The Clarices men are expecting .a' very good summer. Tiie workings of 'Clarkes (or. Mount Burster) are peculiarly, -•situated Perched in the saddle, between the. Mount Ida range and Mount " JKLyeburn, these diggings are not easily supplied -with water for sluicing. ■No streams of. any consequence are available, , and . the miners have to bring races from a number1 of .-small sources, all of which are mainly dependent upon the winter snows for their ■existence. Thus, while in winter the frost -and snow ' effectually close the Mount Burster diggings against the miner, the ■summer season is apt to be equally, tantalising with its drought. There is every Teason to .hope that there will be water enough, this year to make up for some past 4. The Marewhenua division of the dis--fcrict is slowly but surely assuming the importance it is entitled to. Experienced miners from the older goldfields have had their attention drawn to the Marewhenua as a field for investment, and several instances have come -to my knowledge of such persons buying into mining concerns at prices which, even twelve months ago, would have been looked upon as -fabulous ; and this, I feel convinced,! is only the beginning of the good time so long looked for. The fact is, the district is difficult to develope, and those who first made the attempt lacked experience as well as •capital. . . ~.. . : 5. "Affairs at St. Bathans continue much as •usual. The large race of Hulley arid party is still making satisfactory progress ; but a good deal remains to be done before it can be completed. There has been some little excitement among the business people at St. Bathans about the survey of the township, and the expected sale of sections, to which some opposition is likely to be offered by a mining company. WAKATTP DISTRICT. Mr "Warden Beetham reports :—- I have the honour to forward attached returns for the district xmder my charge, for the quarter ending 30th September, 1873 : — . Mining work during the winter has beeu in the direction of the development of ground ■"'in.own.to be aurifeious than in the discovery of new deposits. The returns of gold (as is usual during the winter quarter) are less than the amount yielded during any other portion of the year, being 3555 ozs. lOdwts. 1896 aOr 22p have been taken up under

agricultural please. 59a Or 7p tinder mining lease. 73a Or Op as extended claims. 54 water-races, comprising 102 heads of water. 138 mining applications have been dealt with, and 127 cases have been dealt with in the Wardens' and Resident Magistrate's Courts.

' From some tables appended to the report we gather the following information :—The total number of miners in the district is 1461, of whom 60 (all Europeans) are quartz miners. Of the remainder, 700 are Chinese. The alluvial miners employ the following machinery:-—lll sluices and toms, 5 waterwheels, 60 hydraulic hoses, and 50 pumps. The quartz miners employ 3 crushing machines, 59 stamp heads, and 3 Avaterwheels. The approximate vaiue of all the mining plant in the district is £25,000. The number of square miles of auriferous grsund actually worked upon is 96. The price of gold is £3 16s per ounce. The rate of wages for miners is £3 per week.;