LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1478, 13 March 1880, Page 9

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A French company has been formed, with a nominal capital of L 1,920,000, for working the nickel and cobalt mines of Bel-Air, in New Caledonia;

The Arrowtown correspondent of the Cromwell Argus writes:— "A metallic revival is manifest all over the district. The reefs at Macetown are looking better than ever they did, and give promise of great things in the future. New discoveries at the head of Lake Wakatipu, and at the branches of the Shotover River, where large finds of alluvial gold have been made, in addition to the discovery of quartz-reefs rich in gold, and copper and silver lodes of immense value, are electrifying the inhabitants of the city of the Lake into new life, convincing them that there is still something else than scenery in the district, upon which its stability has to depend. To keep up the excitement, news has reached here from the Cardrona of an important find in the main Oardrona Range. It appears that a very rich silver lode has been struck near the head of Branch Creek. The lode is several feet in thickness, and well dflfined by permanent and clear walls. This discovery will no doubt lead to others, and now that success has at last been met with in prospecting for reefs in the Cardrona portion of the district, disappointed prospectors will take heart and give the ranges another thorough overhauling. The lucky pros* psctors are Messrs Walter Little and George Morrow.

We understand (says that the Lake Wakatip Mail) that, under clause 93 of the Mines Act, 1877, an application has been made to the Governor by some townsmen for a special claim to test a flat between the head of Few's Greek and the lo3t end of Moke Creek lode. The parties making the application are actuated as much upon public grounds as for private gains. They may obtain no results, or may be successful at once. In the latter caae they would open up country that might give employment to many hundreds of miners. A few more such companies started in the district would soon tell a tale. The contributing shareholders pay in a small sum per week. The working shareholders receive L 2 per week until payable gold is struck.' The indications in this direction are favourable, and we wish the prospectors — Messrs Ross, O'Meara, Eichardt, and others— Bucceas. Without a large area of ground being protected such prospecting could not be undertaken. The lead found, if any, will be defined within the area applied for.

Mr J. F. Watson received a telegram on Saturday saying that the return from the Keepit.Dark Company, Eeefton, was 236 ozs of amalgam from ;216 tons of quartz. The Just-in-Time Company have declared a dividend of 6d per share.

We have been shown some samples of quartz from the Zealandia claim at Hindon, showing gold freely through the stone. We are informed that prospects taken from the claim gave nine grains to the dish of very imperfectly crushed stone. The claim is situated between Victoria Gully and Eraser's Gully, about a mile and a-half to two miles from Kenny's claim. It contains four distincb reefs running down tho *pur parallel to each other— B.N.E. and W.S.W. by compass— and wherever tried the reefs show gold. Along the same line is the Bank of New Zealand claim, which crosses Eraser's Gully, and is being well prospected. Fraser's Gully produced a large quantity of alluvial gold when worked some years ago. An alluvial claim has been opened in connection with the Bank of New Zealand claim, in which prospects have been obtained of coarse gold equal to half an ounce to the dish. The Golden Calf lease, now about) to be prospected, iB between the Bank of New Zealand claim and the Justin-Time. Mr Bmpen and party, owners of the latter claim, are now prospecting, and have discovered st^ne almost as rich as that of the Zealandia claim. The line of reef continues on through the Marquis of Lome claim into the Victoria. Tho Zealandia Company are trying to purchase machinery and start crushing. This claim is excellently situated for a supply of water. We are further informed that about 60 men are scattered about various gullies around Hindon, most of them making "tucker" at alluvial working.

It has been suggested to us that a number of men could, in various parts of the Province, earn more than " tucker" on the goldfielde, with the moßt primitive appliances. Even on the beaches about Catlinsand at Moerakiagrea rleal of fine gold has at various times been got. If the Government appointed a few experienced minors as " bosses," and supplied Bhovols, we believe a'conaidei-able number of men could thus bo employed. The idea is at least worfcU oons.iderat}ou and inquity.

The Wetherstonea Company's olaim (says the Tuapeka Timea of the 3rd), continues to yield satisfactory returns. On Saturday the •usual monthly retorting took place, when a good-sized cake of gold was turned out, besides a corresponding quantity of loose gold. This company are steadily blocking out : the mine is being worked most systematically and eoonsmioally, and handsome dividends are periodically being paid. Since the mine was first opened, 35,000 truck loads have been sent to the hopper ; and, during the last month of four weeks, no fewer than 3191 trucks of cement were sent up from the mine. _ This is the largest output that has been made in a Bimilartime, and represents an average of 133 truoks a day. The number of hands at present employed is 27, and the •wages paid monthly amounts to about £250.

The Wakatip correspondent of the Cromwell Argus writes as follows in reference to mining matters in_ that district :— " Messrs Bullen's claim at Skippers is still being prospeoted and it is expected that it will be aoraa time time yet , before the reef is reached. Messrs Southberg hit a vein, but it was not the one they were ' looking for. They find that they will have to ' ascend at least 10ft higher. There is nothing heard from Thomas Hall's Gallant Tipperary discovery, or from the recently discovered ones < at Muddy or Maori Creek. A prospecting party is out at Lake Luna, same 35 miles up the Rees river, and from various parts of the district come^ reports of otlwr parties out prospecting. It is hoped that some success may attend these efforts. That uofortunate mine the Nugget and Cornish (Shotover) that has swallowed up bo much money is promising some better results than in the past. It is being worked under some tributary arrangement. A change in the manner of working the machinery has been made and a belt has been substituted for the cog-wheel system. The speed the latter' was driven at often led to the loss of a tooth, and this again to a jar of the battery. The present manager appears to be pleased with the mine and the machinery, and one satisfactory feature is that there is an absence of " blow" or " gas." The return will shortly be made known. Da vies and paity have erected a comfortable hut for the winter at the head of the' Lake, and intend to give Ihe reef an effective trial. Abundance of fine timber for any purpose is close" at hand in almost unlimited quantities, and this is in itself a great advantage. The reason quartz from this reef was sent to Wellington for assay at the Government laboratory was becaase the stone contains at plaoes a black substance. There is another lode of a foreign substanoe very near the quartz reef, and it is desirable to know whether the dark substance in the quartz will render it necessary to treat the stone for crushing purposes in a differ* ent manner from the ordinary' mode.

The Moa Flat correspondent of the Tuapeka Times, writing on the 3rd inst.,. says;— M'Gee 1 and party have suoceededih bringing up their dredge from M'Cunn's beach to Miller's Flat—! a distance of eight milesj over the most rugged part of the river. It is rock-bound all the way; and thickly studded with rocks and falls. The Buocessf ul navigation of the dredge shows what' the energy of' six men can do in overcoming almost superhuman difficulties. ■ Let us hope" they # will reap a golden harvest after the diffi-I oulties they have bo successfully encountered.' The dredge is said to be the beat constructed one ever placed on the river, the machinery being as perfect as the ingenuity of man could devise for the successful working of the auriferous bed of the Molyneux.

Crushing operations have been resumed at the Tuapeka Co.'b claim, Wetheratones cement. So far success has not attended the work in thi4 mine, but the sharehoiders are none the lesß confident that it centains payable gold. If the prospects that have been washed indiscrimately from variousparts of the cement are to be taken as a general indication of the auriferous character of the olaim, there can be not the shadow of a doubt that be a proper system of working and management satisfactory results will be obtained. On Saturday when we visited the olaim (says our Tapanui contemporary), several dishf u'ls i were washed in our presence,! each of which contained a very fair prof spect— such a prospect as should encourage the ■ company to prosecute the undertaking with the utmost confidence of success. The prospects from thia claim have all along been of the very brightest description, and nothing oreated more disappointment than the meagre results obtained from the crushings. The intention of the Ooml pany, we believe, now is to oirry the tunnel through the hill, and thus connect communication with the two main tunnels. With this accomplished, the mine could be worked to great advantage. A correspondent writing to the Southland Times from the Longwood says :— **A great many visitors look up here every week. There is, however, not much to see at present, as there is no driving going on. The battery on Printz's claim will not be ready. I think, before the middle of next month. The water-race is now being brought iv. The Geelong claim have their machinery erected to get clear of the waterj and expect to commence driving in a day or two. They surmise the reef will be struck very Boon. In the Fossickers they are driving, but with no results as yet. There is now a face of stone in this tunnel which they have to blast. If the reef is still before them I think there is no doubt it will run through the Southland. They havecut through a numberof leaders, and are now beginning to think they may have passed the reef. The tunnel in the Princess is now driven in some 90 feet, and is to be con. tinued to 600 feet if necessary, which would bring it up to the boundary of the Southland. It would therefore pass through the Dayspring first. Aa far as I can learn the Southland stands a good show to get the reef, and is considered a good property." We learn from the Tuapeka Times that three wheel-dredges are now being worked on the Molyneux River at Miller's Flat, all givjng satisfactory returns. The Blue Spur and Gabriel's Sluicing Company (says the Tuapeka Times), have been quietly pushing forward operations in Gabriels Gully for some few weeks past. Tho sheds for the construction of tho pipes have been erected some time and fitted with tho necessary machinery, and work is steadily advancing under tbe management of Mr Adams. A race was cut, diverting the creek water along the west Bide of the gully for the purpose of driving a turbine wheel. This was accomplished satisfactorily, but it was not long finished and in I working order when the water failed on account of the unusual drought. Being anxious to push on the enterprise, Mr Adams engaged hand' power, and at the time or our viaifc they were busy making pipes 2ft 6in in diameter, to bo used in carrying away the water from the workings. There are to bo 1000 ft of theae pipes used, and even at the present rate at which they are Wing made by hand, viz., twenty a day— it will not be long bpfore the full length of piping is completed. When that is done, and they are tarred outside undiDside and dried, they will be laid down in the gully, starting at a point opposite the shed, aad extending a 1000 ft npwarda towards Mr J. E. Pope's former . residence. At their termination a well will be sunk down into the bedrock. In the neighbourhood of thia well a powerf v) turbine wkeej w {ji

baplaoed, and on the necessary framework a string of buckets will revolve. Towards this well all the tailings will be made to converge, and then will be lifted by the buckets audtipped into a large sluice box copiously supplied with water, when the gold will be extracted therefrom. The process is a most simple but, to all appearances, a most effectual one. There will be ample room for the new-waahed tailings, as the sluice boxes will stand at a considerable height above the present level.