THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1158, 7 February 1874, Page 8

THE THAMES GOLDFIELD.

LATE FIND IN THf. CALEDONIAN MINE,

We are very glad to hear good news from the Thames, and that the pluck and perseverance displayed by the shareholders of the leading mines there are likely to be rewarded by substantial success. However much some people may be inclined to decry the occupation of gold-mining because of its great uncertainty, and the questionable practices in scrip transactions which frequently arise from it, it cannot be denied that gold- mining is one of the staple industries of the Colony, and as much or more genuine enterprise has been expended upon its development as upon any other occupation that has taken root here. The Thames Goldfield stands pre-eminent for the vastness of its undertakings, and for tho high class skill expended on them. The doings of those who dabbled in scrip are now part of the records of the past, when the scrip fever raged unchecked from the Tlirec Kings to Stewart's Island. Hut the unhealthy excitement—the epidemic it may be termed— passed away, and mining at the Thames fouud its proper level, and is now regarded much in the same light as any other mdus trial occupation of a speculative character. Latterly, however, mining at the Thames has fallen into disrepute, because every attempt to trace the gold below a certain level having failed, it was found that tho deposition of the metal was at the best superficial, and confined to near the surface in the multitude of quartz veins which had been found, and in nearly every instance became poorer as they were traced downwards. The majority of those veins were, it is true, small leaders reticulating the surfaco country, but even the main lodes that had been opened, and there were several of them,|jdisoovered the same falling off in quality as depth was gained, until at last very grave doubts were entertained upon the likelihood of the gold making again. Tho lodes still made downwards, but lacked tho one thingneedful, and hence thoroughly experienced miners, well versed in the mysteries and fluctuations of vein mining, were at fault, and confessed themselves nonplussed. However,, hope, although deferred, tfill existed, and the

pluck of the Auckland capitalists backing the skill of the Thames miners has, we hope, achieved results which may be regarded as an era in the annals of the Thames field, and one that will stamp it with a permanency never again to be called into question. Of the many lodes opened at the Thames that one known as the Caledonian is the principal, both, on account of its size and gold producing capabilities. First opened in the Golden Crown mine, the shot of gold there struck, and which obliquely traversed the plane of the lode, was traced downwards into the adjoining Caledonian claim to a depth of 240 feet, the total length of the shot so traced b;inc; about 500 feet. There the gold broke off suddenly, and although winzes were sunk in the lode to a much greater depth, the lost shot of gold could not be found. Meantime, the main shaft of the mine was sunk to a depth of 350 feet, and a main cross cut being put in the lode, was intersected at a still deeper level, and at this line the lost shot of gold has been once more picked up. It is to be understood that although the mainshot of gold gave out at the 26Uft. level, a faint trace of the metal was traced down one of the prospecting winzes, and so kept hope alive. It was, however, a very poor trail, the gold being of a wretched character ; whilst the lode itself underwent an unfavourable change. We are sufficiently familiar with the Caledonian mine to pen the above remarks, and when the telegram touching the find that was published in Sa turday's issue came to hand, we were able to arrive at a tolerably correct conclusion as to how the case stood. Later intelligence that reached us on Saturday evening has supplied further facts. Our informant states that gold has been struck in two places, viz., in the deep level and the intermediate level, the latter being as near as we can recollect about 70 feet higher than the latter. Seventy pounds of specimens were taken out of the deep level, and eighty pounds out of the mtermediate. The gold is said to be making strongly towards " Tookey," and has been " traced to within 30 feet of the boundary of that mine," which it is almost needless to observe adjoins the Caledonian. The telegram concludes thus— " Warn shareholders gold of permanent character, " from which we infer that the shot of gold has recovered its old characteristics. That the gold has been traced so close to Tookey's tells somewhat against the Caledonian, and for that we were prepared. There is very little of the shot left in the Caledonian mine, the fortune of the future will lie between the Tookey mine and the Albion mine— that is so far as the one shot of gold is concerned. But the fact of the gold being agaiu found in such quantity, ancl at such a depth (measured from sea level the depth is over 250 feet), will react favourably upon every mine in the district, and will in many cases induce that which otherwise might not have been undertaken, viz., the prosecution of prospecting at greater depths than had already been explored. We write this hopefully, having no apprehension of another scrip mania occurring. The risks attached to vein-mining arc now too well understood, whilst the occupation is regarded, and rightly so, as one of those industries only to bo engaged in by men trained to it, or who have adopted it from choice, and who, whilst earning a honest livelihood, have a remote chance of winning one of the few prizes with which the great lottery is stocked. We may quote the case of the Thames field as an inducement to the miners of our own Province to persevere with the undertakings they may have in hand. The development of the quartz reefs is of the very first importance. Although exceedingly rich finds, such as have distinguished theThaines mines, have so far been wanting, it Las been proved beyond cavil that many of our reefsare payably gold-bearing, and hence there is no telhng how soon something better still may be found in them. We sincerely Avish that the late "ood accounts from the Thames may be early endorsed by others, and that the find in the Caledonian may not prove another of those flashes in the pan to which the mine has been somewhat too subject during the last 12 months.