Notes from Wakatipn.

Otago Witness, Issue 2239, 28 January 1897, Page 22

Notes from Wakatipn.

(From Our Own Cosbespondknt.) Aiirowtown, January 23 —That veritable Tom Tiddler's ground, the Arrow Flat, has been pecged off once more. It seem? to be the fate of the flat to he pegged out 'and then allowed to relapse into its former neglected state until someone with a pegomania comes along again. There is no reason why this should be so. There is probably not a piece of ground in the district mo.-c easily or more satisfactorily prospected thin v the Arrow Flat. Boeing ro-is are to be had by applying to the L*ke County Council, and a few weeks' operations with the rods would soon demonstrate whether or not the ground will bear the expense of working-. The nature of the flat is such that trials with boring rods, if conducted in asysteniatic manner could be made with complete satisfaction so far as ascertaining the quantity of gold con tamed in the flit.is concerned, and at a comparatively trifling cost But it appear* this is just what nobody cares about doing, and the pegging off is likely to continue ad inflnituin. Mining matters at the Head of Lake Wakatipu

are on the forward move. The old Invincible or Reed Valley Gold-inining Company is about to be attacked once more, and first of all in its tailings. It is well known that portions of the lode were almost entirely composed of pyrites which carried the bulk of the gold. A private company entered into an arrangement with the owners of the mine about 10 years ago for the treatment of the tailings. One of the nioßt approved mechanical appliances known at the time, and even not yet superseded, was erected and operations started, when it was found that after the batteries had ex* tracted about loz per ton the pyrites yielded on aa average 7oz per ton after being collected by the new appliances. Of course it must be borne in mtnd that in this case one ton of pyrites repre* aented five in ten tons of quartz mined ; or, in other words, the pyrites, like the gold, are the product of the quartz, and it requires a certain number of tons of quartz to produce a ton of pyrites. The proportion of pyrites in the stone varies greatly, as doe 3 also the quantity of gold it may contain, and no general average of either can be fixed. However, in the mine in question both pyrites and gold were much more than, usually abundant, and the tailings -left are now once more to be submitted to the cyanide process, which, being a chemical one, is fur more searchiug than any other, and there can be little doubt that not only will the tailings pay for the erection and working of the plant and leave a surplus, but it may, and probably will, lead to the mine being taken in band again and perhaps pay better and more regular dividends than ever. And yet there are people who a;k what has , science done for mining? To which the only reply •is that prejudice! die hard. According to latest accounts six men are employed at the Invincible - mine, and contracts for driving adits have been i let. •' The possibilities of the Head of Lake Wakatipu are- fully recognised by the residents, who have formed a prospecting committee, and are also about to form a branch of the ' >tago Miner*' Aosociation ; and although the season is somewhat advanced, re»ulta may yet be looked for ere winter nets in.