Manganese.

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 12

Manganese.

The following letters have appeared in the Daily Times duriDg the past week :—: — Sir, — In your supplement of yesterday mention is made of the various localities in which maogauese ores are found in the Colony, and It is sfcntetl that "pyrolusite (manganese dioxide) has being quite recently found near Taieti Mouth, Orago. « . . The ore occurs in small patches in so irregular a manner that the cost of mining and prospecting is found to be too great to admit of the deposit being profitably worked." The proprietors have asked me to point out that this assertion is hardly justified by the facts of the case. Doubtless the ore which, as you state is of splendid quality, occurs in " bunches," as is frequently the case in other localities, bub although what was obtained has been worked in a necessarily expensive manner, and (as is usual in mining, which has hardly progressed beyond this stage of prospecting opeiations) no systematic method has been so far adopted, the pecuniary result has been sufficiently satisfactory to induce the proprietors to commence operations for proving the deposit at a greater depth. As regards the age of the discovery, Hutton and Ulrich (Geol. of Otago. pub. 1875) record the occurrence of black oxide of manganese at the Taieri Mouth in 1873, and yet in " Cox's Mineralogy of New Zealand," published in 1881, there is, curiously enough, no mention of this locality. — I am, &c , Dunedin, April 22. George J. Binns. Sir,- I wa» not a little surprised on seeing a letter iv last Saturday's supplement from Mr George J. Binns, dtfendiiiK such a doubtful venture as the attempt to successfully work tho mautanese deposit at Taiori Mouth certainly is. 1 must humbly thank Mr Binns for his scientific correction of my untcientifie word "patches." No doubt the word "bunches," , which he has carefully quoted for my edification, is

more lucid to the pedantic mind ; but it was more fur the unsclentilio publio that I wrote, than such captious critics as Mr Binns. He stntes that the mining has hardly progressed beyond the prospecting stage, and thab although "no systematic] method has b.een so far adopted, the pecuniary resulb has bean sufficiently sabisfactory bo induce the proprietors to commence operations for proving tho deposit at a greater depth." If my information is correct the "pecuniary result" has been eminently satisfactory to one of the party who lately held ari interest in the concern, and who so.ld oitt his idterest for £600. The pebuntary result r t'o. thepq^ phase; w,ill He Somewhat different., Then, as fcb proving the deposit at a greater depth, it is quite clear thab Mr Binns is floundering out of his depth when he makes such wild statements ; for, according to Professor Ulrloh, who lexamined the locality in which the ore is found.it is an infiltration deposit of bog manganese ore occurring near the surface, Mr Alexander M'Kay, Government geolpgjsfc; whr> also examined the locality, holds a similar opinion". But perhaps Mr Binns, who has not seen the deposit, knows more about it than the experts who Have seen it. The " prospecting," v, hioh Mr Binns refers to wbb a fair attempt to work lodes which do nob exisb, and I incline to the opinion that much if not most of the future mining operations in the same locality must partake of the nature of similar 11 prospeoiing." Mr Binns is possibly not aware of the fact tint in connection with the working of tha manganese at the B^J of Islands, c uvbinuous prot. • pecting has to ba carried on ; but there bhe pros Pebting is done with the boting rod. I would advise Mr Binns the next time, he feels disposed to rush Into pr(nt in (.he interests ,of the proprietors .-of mining property to write on what he knows something about.— l sm, &c, <• , April 26. Your Kkporthr.