Notes from Wakatipu. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 12

Notes from Wakatipu. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

fanning and mineral leases under separate regulations, and as the great majority of the mineral leases also contain gold in paying quantities in addition to silver, tin, copper, lead, zinc, and.iron, a party at Mount Ried applied for a gold mining lease over the Mount Ried Company's mineral lease. The hearing of the application occupied the Court of Mines three days, Mr Commissioner Fowell deciding that any mine containing mineral besides gold is a mineral lode, and refusing the application. This leaves things patched up for Represent, and no doubt the fasmaman Government will take steps to deal with the matter without further loss of time. This somewhat quixotic state of affairs is not without its lesson f °The Phoenix mine, Skippers, is now in a fair way of giving employment to a large number oi men. Preliminary work in the mine is proceeding, but owing to the wet weather for the last live r six weeks the underground water has filled all he^ower workings. Vhen, however, this is pumped out there will be room for nearly 100 men n tne mine and battery alone Amongst other contemplated improvements is the bringingin the water from the left-hand branch of Skippers creek, to bring it to bear directly upon the battery* winding, and other machinery at the mine. This will supersede the electric moto and simplify and correspondingly reduce working^expenies. The cutting of the "jace, which has to be taken through a rock tunnel 600 ft long, is likely to employ an additional 50 or 60 men, so that for time Skippers will look up.

Notes from Central Otago. (From Our Own Correspondent.) During the last month there has been an abundant Bupply of water, and as there is a large amount o? snow on the high ground the supply is "ffi&fiKbe has been taken up by a party of eight working miners A crushing has been put through, but the result was not great. Better thinga, however, are expected from future "suSe.-The prospects in this mine are not so good as its well-wishers would like. .... g J. Holden is reported to have struck a rich patch of stone in the old Consolidated. He has about 15 tons out, which is expected to go 2oz to the ton, Bonanza.-I believe a new manager has been appointed at this mine. The reef has not yet been SBSokTI am informed that the drive to cut the reef was for about 170 ft not in the "ght direction ; so that that distance is actually lost work, whxh must mean a considerable loss of money. _, . A Bluicing claim at the upper end of Horse Flat owned by Chinamen is said to bo doing well; whilst one alongside the Golden Point Battery, also owned by a Chinaman, is expected to yield its owneir £1000 this winter.