Notes from Waipori.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 8 May 1890, Page 14

Notes from Waipori.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

May s.— The scarcity [of water is a subject of general complaint in all the sluicing claims, with the exception of O'Brien's Deep Lead, where the water is only used for washing with, the gravel being raised to the level of the boxes by steam power. This method of working the valuable claim abovementloned is only tentative, and is fast drawing to a close, as ths paddock has been taken out to a depth of about 25ft, leaving only about 10ft more of washdlrt before reaching the bottom; and a» it has narrowed considerably, the manager expects to have it all out in about a fortnight. In the opinion of the local shareholders it will be a welcome day when the present expensive mode of working comes to an end, and the hydraulic elevator is in working order. Begret is freely expressed that Mr Allen's motion at the recent general meeting of the company was not carried to get the ejector into position at once. The present system has now been in operation for about three months, employing 21 men working night and day, and as far as I can learn the result has only been 430z of gold. The consumption of coal and the wear and tear of steel ropes have also been considerable items in the expense.

Hardy and Robertson's hydraulic sluicing claim at Golden Point has been in operation for about a month, but I regret to say with but indifferent success. The pressure available— looft— has proved insufficient for the work to be done, while the position of the ejector is not low enough to command the bottom. This defect, however, is being remedied by sinking it 10ft in the bed rook. It is also intended to cut a tail raoe to the ejector from another part of the claim where there is 12ft of fine free wash, carrying good gold throughout. When this is done there is no doubt that the claim will be a payable one.

Another sluicing claim of some importance and where operations are of considerable magnitude has been started in North- West creek, under the management of Mr W. Knight. The pressure here is 110 ft, and the jet is delivered through a patent nozzle on the universal joint principle. The work has now been going on for about three weeks and the appliances are working very satisfactorily, but here, as elsewhere, the trouble is scarcity of water. There is a practically unlimited extent of wash in the locality where the claim is situated, and so far as it has been prospected it is uniformly gold-bearing. Some little trouble is caused by a band of stiff clay about 4ft thick which overlies the wash and which refuses to break up readily before the nozzle, but as the water supply is drawn from a great height an additional 100 ft of piping will give pressure enough to overcome this difficulty. The company, though a Bmall one in regard to its amount of capital, presents several features in its constitution which, were they copied by larger concerns, would meet the favour of inveitors and tend to the more healthy development of mining enterprise. In faot the promoters seem to have anticipated the suggestions made by Mr Ashoroffc at the recent Mining Conference.

The big dredge on the flat, as may be seen by the published returns, continues to fulfil the expectations of the proprietors. Till within the last few days two shifts were worked, but the machinery is at present stopped to allow of the substitution of a line of boxes in place of the iron shoot which delivered the tailings over the stern, as the manager, Mr Besta, had reason to believe that a small proportion of gold was being lost by that means. With a view to still further economy it has been decided to try wood from the Waipori bush in place of coal as fuel, which, on account of the carriage, is at all times an expensive commodity in this place.