OUR RESOURCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1890, 10 February 1888, Page 10

OUR RESOURCES.

By J.G.

THE VALLEY OF THE MATAURA. Chatton District — Alluvial Origin—Why the Terraces ark the Most Suitable for Agricultural Purposes— How Goldbearing Leads are so Difficult to Pick Up When Lost— How thr Southern Goldfields Were Formed— Waikaka as a Field for the Working Man— Few Miners Wording— The Use of the Diamond Drill : How it would Benefit the Mining Classes— Extensive Coalfields, &c, &c.

Th,p undulating terraces and extensive plains that chiefly compose the land comprised within the Chatton survey district are for the greater part of purely alluvial origin. The soil on tbe level and apparently fertile plains is mostly hard and impervious, even from the surface down, Most of this land was originally covered with native heather and indented with rat -holes, which rendered it very difficult to break up out of its native state. It appears from existing evidence that these plains have belonged to the prehistoric lake-beds, which, as stated in a previous article, were drained off when the convulsion that originated the Mataura Valley south of the dividing range took place. The undulating terraces, on the other hand, have slipped, and have become worn into by water action, and bo in a measure have lost their original solidity. This explanation may not cover all the changes that have taken place, but at least it will suffice for the present to afford a reasonable answer to the oft-repeated query : " Why are the ridges and broken land the best for agricultural purposes if we except the river bottoms ? " The substance of the query is true in every respect. Where masses of earth slip through water action it is a well-known fact that it becomes permeated with cracks, and after settling down it is more open in its surface formation than land ■which has not been subjected to the same influence, aud consequently the surface water is enabled to percolate between the interstices. This is how the terrace land is more profitable for agricultural purposes than the land 'on the plains. The soil is chiefly of a brown colour, though in places it runs into a somewhat darker shade, or even black. On the west side of the Waikaka the land has nearly all been broken up, and is now under some sorb of cultivation. Iv times gone by a good deal of surface mining was done in the district.

The township of Waikaka, situated in the north-east corner of the district, is the centre where the largest amount of mining is carried on at present. The mining industry in this colony has not been treated as it deserves considering its importance. It seems passing strange to me that the Government, instead of giving work to large numbers of unemployed in the large centres of population, have not seen their way clear to place them on the goldfields of the colony, where they would at least produce intrinsic wealth. I am given to understand that the Government supply with provisions the men taken on the different relief works. They would have to do no more on the goldfields, and those gifted with push and energy would have a grand field opened to them, and could pay with gold instead of labour for the provisions they required. Here a vista opens up that "taken at the flood might lead to fortune." However, my remarks must not be taken to indicate that I imagine for a moment that fortunes are certain to result from the exercise of push and onergy on any goldfield, for many men work for long- years and earn only a living, but they are requisite to even probable success. The land available for mining purposes contiguous to the township is but limited. The Government have, in endeavouring to foster settlement, disposed of large areas of land of a gold-bearing nature that might have maintained a large population had politic steps been taken to develop the mineral resources of the colony. The want of foresight shown iv this connection is well known throughout the mining districts of the country. In a young colony like New Zealand the mineral resources are factors that tend to build up a permanent superstructure when developed side by side with agricultural and manufacturing industries. Gold is the medium of exchange, and it is simply our want of it that prevents us from purchasing many things that our continually advancing civilisation makes necessary, and this causes the stagnation in trade from which we are sufforing.

The geological formation of the Mataura basin is peculiar in many respects even on the surface, but the peculiar liability to change becomes intensified if we examine the formation underneath. On the surface the primary is covered by a secondary formation, which has been deposited through comparatively recent action. This secondary formation is, where huge landslips have not disturbed it, lying in its natural position. The ground sluicing that is carried on in different parts of the district is niore or less productive, and, generally speaking, it is this superficial formation that is being ■worked. The true formation, with one or two exceptions, has never been worked, and so very little is known regarding it. Great changes have taken place throughout this part of the country, rendering gold-mining on fixed principles of geological structure almost impossible. Vast breaks and faults occur in such quick succession as to utterly confound the most -experienced miner. A good run of gold may be struck lying on rotten slate deposit, but when tlio claim is duly opened up, and a commencement made, the lead of gold, formation, and all disappear, and, fossick as he may, the digger cau seldom pick it up again. Gold he can iind iv almost any creek or gully, but, the lead of gold once lost can rarely be re-found ar>3 the question resolves itself into simply ; 4I How was the gold distributed over the Southern part of New Zealand ? " Briefly stated, then, the following would appear to the writer to be the most natural, and therefore the most probable, explanation of how the auriferous formations were laid down in the Southern parts of this colony. In the interior of New Zeuland are several extensive systems of elevated table lands, termed in South America "plateaus." These seemingly helong to no particular epoch when cL'seed" with ihe formation immediately surrounding them. They rise successively from lOOOffc to 7500 ft, some being covered by perpetual snow, while others have their glacier systems. Although those of lesser altitude are froely exposed to the denuding processes of Nature, yet they are all subject to the same general law that affects and has done so for ages the elevated parts of the colony. _ These successive elevations represent the different formative epochs in our geological history. On the tops of some of the high table lands marine action'is noticeable ; others ag*m bear evidence of igneous origin from summit to base. Silicious formations are supposed by geologists to be the matrix from which our alluvial gold has been -derived, and since the interior of the South island is largely composed of different; varieties ■pf quart?, Jt> seeing most natural to conclude

that the greater part of the gold discovered came from this source. The New Zealand of to-day is altogether different from the New Zealand of past geological ages. The interior then, as now, was mountainous, bufc prehistoric seas thundered round the bases, grinding to powder the mighty masses of rock continually falling on the coast lines. Immense beds of sand and shingle were deposited, together with whatever gold may have been ground out; of the rock in the process of reduction, along the beaches. That these islands have been subject to great volcanic changes is rendered a certainty by evidence that still remains, and it seems equally certain that New Zealand is but the remnant of an extensive continent now lying under the ocean. The interior being the most elevated, the gold when reacted on by water would follow the direction of the variou3 currents, water being the principal agent in the transposition of material from one place to another. We know that all rivers act when they pass through gold-bearing strata in a similar manner to gigantic sluice-boxes, separating the gold from the lighter material and depositing it along their different courses. Through volcanic changes the courses of many ancient rivers have been altered, and these old river beds have been cut inro and reacted on by water time after time until the original course gets obliterated, and new formations completely destroy any semblauce of evidence that may have existed as to the direction in which they flowed. That the swiftly running rivers of this colony transport large quantities "of gold out to sea annually is evidenced by the area of coast line over which fine gold may be found. Shingle, or gravel-rounded quartz, is to be found over the major portion of New Zealand. Would the ceaseless but steady flow of large rivers suffice to produce all the shingle found in our alluvial formations, or would some more mighty agent be required ? If the latter, then the ceaseless ebb and flow of the ocean must have been the cause. Undoubtedly the evidence is in favour of the latter conclusion, and if this theory is correct it follows that New Zealand has at different times been under water. How long these periods may have lasted is of no moment ; it is sufficient to state that they must have existed. It was during the Lias, Oolite, and Tertiary periods that much of the gold-bearing alluvial strata found in the Southern parts of New Zealand was laid down. Shortly, then, we find in New Zealand in early geological ages elevated mountain ranges composed of igneous rocks thickly j strewn with gold. These elevated regions, surrounded by a resistless ocean, besides being subjected to other denuding forces, are gradually undermined, and masses fall continually on the rock-bound coast and are ground to powder or sand. The gold is thus separated. Convulsions again take place, and dry land in every direction is the result, extending for hundreds of miles perhaps. Periods of tremendous rain occur, and the yielding earth is cut into by the downrushing torrents on their course to the ] sea. The gold is thus collected and deposited in regular leads. The soft and spongy nature of this newly-formed earth renders it subject to enormous landslips ; rivers are blocked up, aud their courses are altered. Breaks and faults occur in every direction, and so on through the ages change is the great shadow here below.

It is something resembling the above as regards the alluvial deposits at Waikaka, as is shown by how a lead of gold is found and then lost. That there is payable gold yet at Waikaka and in the surrounding ranges has been proved beyond a doubt. Many are even now making fair wages, and hundreds more could do so if only the different leads of lost gold could be re-found. But to trace them requires the outlay of capital, and this but few can spare. A lead of gold— an old river-bed most likely— runs north-west by south-east past the township. This lead seems to have been the most worked. Although gold is found in almost every direction — sometimes in payable quantities, and sometimes not— yet the gold found in the main run is far and away the most extensive if it could only be traced. Another run of gold shoots off in a southerly direction, and traverses about the centre of the Chatton district, but, as in the previous case, it is untraceable at different points. There are extensive workings at Chatton, but these are almost worked out. They have been worked for several years almost exclusively by our almond-eyed friends. The Waikaka diggings, for reasons stated above, are circumscribed, and consequently not extensive enough to enable prospectors to pick up the lost leads, if the attempt were ever made. Higher up the ranges, toward the head waters of the Waikaka, several patches of ground have been worked, which yielded fair wages. Indeed, most of the gullies wiil yield small returns— not fat wages perhaps, but enough to pay for food and clothing and something to spare. What is wanted is to have the deep ground tested. It is almost certain that large quantities of gold exist here, if it could be got at, below a certain level. However, the water becomes troublesome, and so prevents private enterprise from carrying such an undertaking out. If the Government, instead of throwing large Bums away on useless works, were to purchase a few diamond drills for the use of miners, and give a little judicious assistance, there is no question that the goldfields would more than repay any f uch outlay by the increased openings they would afford to the working classes, who are at present a burden on the colony. Extensive gold-bearing strata are met with in almost every direction in the interior, numbers of which remain unworked for the want of drills to indicate the direction of the leads of gold in them. If, as stated above, a lead of gold is lost, the expense of sinking holes to trace it is so heavy that few care to enter on it when so many chances are against the success of the undertaking. If, on the other hand, drills were available the expenses would be reduced to a minimum. It is not only at Waikaka that gold is lying below the surface ready to be oxbracted by whoever lights upen it first, but in scores of other places. Runs of gold occur in every direction, and only require to be picked up to be worked with profit. The present mode of saving gold at Waikaka is the old primitive ope, and of necessity a large quantity of fine gold is lost passing over tin plates and blankets, and of course being uncollected. Some use quicksilver to hold the finer particles, but the black sand seems to sicken it. I am told that much of the old wasbdirt throughout the country would pay well if the finer gold previously lost could be amalgaraed, and so retained in the boxes. The number of miners at the above diggings at present js put down at less than 100— considerably less, no doubt, in reality— and consists of both Chinamen and Europeans, There is no large working at present, although several extensive undertakings txisfced at one time. Most of the claims are run by two men, ground-sluicing and cradling being the chief modes of working, and the bulk of the miners are Chinese.

The Mataura basin is probably one of the richest districts in the colony as regards its coal formations. Goal is found in almost every direction. Indeed,- from Fortrose to the Black Umbrellas one vast, sfres of coal seams exists, and it would be safe to say that for hundreds of years hence New Zealand will not ba short of fuel. Most of the pits at present being worked are simply surfaced— stripped in paddocks, and the covering flung back into the hole whence the cqal is taken put. This may not be a very

systematic principle or working, but it seems to suit in the present condition of affairs. By-and-bye, when population increases, the coal-beds in this part of the country, like the gold-bearing strata, will be more economically and systematically worked. At present we are but in our infancy as regards our resources. When they become thoroughly developed we shall hear very little about the depression.