THE GOLD DREDGING INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 20

THE GOLD DREDGING INDUSTRY.

. « IN ITS PRACTICAL, ECONOMIC, AND GENERAL ASPECTS. (Bt Otje Special Commissioner.) XL— THE MOLYNEUX RIVER. The Clyde Gold Dredgixo Company. Of all the pHblic dredging companies upon the field the Clyde has the best record. It was formed in June. 1895, with a capital of £4000, £3850 being actually paid up. When the present dredge was finished she was intended for the ground now held by the Matau Company, but instead of going there she was taken to the claim worked at present by the Golden Beach dredge. Meeting with no success at that spot, she started upony, the present claim, and soon struck oil. It will thus be seen that she had an affinity for gold ; every spot where she started or was intended to- start work was rich in metal, though it was not her fate to get at it, until moved on to her present claim. Three years ago the Moa, for that is the name of the dredge, while that of the company is the Clyde, marked a stage in the development of dredge-building, being the first of the lar^re dredges, having cost. £5000, a price at that time unheard of. The dredge got the name of the Moa on account of turning up the complete shell of a inoa's egg. Although attempts were made from time to time to keep her abreast with dredging advancements as they were introduced, she is now as far behind the times as she was • in advance of them three years ago. The designer of the dredge was Mr E. Roberts : the pontoons were constructed by Sutherland and Nelson ; the boiler, winches, and other gearing were furnished and made by Mr R. S. Sparrow, of Dunedin : but the engine is an imported Marshall one. The ladder is capable of dredging to s depth of 30ft, which is deeper than is required, as the average depth of the ground does not exceed 25ft. The buckets are 3£ cubic feet capacity, and travel at the rate of 11 to 3? per minute. There is the usual elevator, which is needed as the claim is a river and beach one, the tailings requiring to be ntaeked, though to no great height. The well is about sft wide, which affords plenty of room for working the ladder There s.re the inevitable revolving ccreen and table.- 5 , with their matfcinc exnanrfflW -nei-aA. and so forth. The dredge ha 3 done very well, and is now working from what is known as Frenchmen's Beach into the river. The dredgemaster, Mr D. A. Craig, is confident that if he gets a little further onfc into the I sh-aana, he will gefc returns thai will at-

tract attention even in these days of hfc ■ things. The company have a considerable area to work, several claims being comprised in their property. The fame of Frenchman's Beach has not yet died out ; indeed the Moai has not only renewed, but has added to it. Mr Craig pointed out a spot to me where 106oz of gold were obtained in one week by the Moa. There are other rumours of greater things, but this is quite sufficient toshow that the ground is rich in gold. The great width of the gold makes their claim an exceedingly valuable and permanent one. For two years and eight months, up to Saturday- lastf June 24>. the dredge obtained £17,93(7 worth of gold, out of which £7700 was paid away in dividends, and there is now upwards of £1000 as a reserve fund for further distribution. This is nob so bad for a capital of £4000, and a dredge now considered antiquated. Besides there were the losses of a year's unprofitable york to make up for, before gold was struck in anything like payable quantities. Owing to the great width for which the gold extends across the river, the company has a long lease of life before it, with a, promise of good and regular- returns. .It has been • found that a large portion of Frenchman's Beach will pay to work over again, which in itself means mo.re than an average yield. Mr Smith, of Quick and Smith, is the secretary of the company, and kindly supplied me with information con- - cerning the .Clyde Company. Mr Craig, who is an experienced-machi-nist;, has had between four and five years of , practical dredging experience, and is quite at home in his profession. By the way the boat is kept, it is plainly seen that he has an eye to the interests of the company. The Clyde Company's dredge and claim are almost part and parcel of the town of Alexandra. Her chimney, with its smoke, the shriek of her steam whistle, and her lights and puffing and panting remind tun residents of Alexandra of what their town really is — the centre of a new industry, heralding a new era of prosperity. A Cttrrext Wheel Dredge. Next below the Clyde Company's ground comes a private party, who owned th( current wheeler which went down the other day. The property has been worked off and on for a number of years, and very good returns were obtained occasionally. Success in this case depended more upon che water level of the river than tho quality and quantity of the ground worked — that is to say, when the river was high or in a semi-flooded state the boat could work the shallew sidlings only, where the gold was comparatively poor, whereas when the -river was low she could get into the deep ground, where the richest ground in-, variably occurs in the . Molyneux. At the time of the accident she was on very good' ground, and if the truth were told it was that fact that led .to her fate. Very rich gold was struck some time ago, and wastraced into deep ground. Following ,this as it dipped threw too much strain upon the pontoons, causing the seams to open and the pontoons to fill. Perceiving that the boat was going down the men on board hauled her into shallow water, where she now lies. The machinery and much of her gearing were saved, but the pontoons form a cart away wreck. Through tho loss of the boat the owners will lose the winter's work, which means a good deal. A new and up-to-date dredge was contracted for some time ago. It will, however, be many months before it will be ready to take the current-wheeler's place. A share in this dredge was sold the other day for £350, the vendor being Mr John M'Kenzie and the buyer one of the M'George brothers. The Victoria Dredge. A short distance down the river lies the Victoria dredge, which, after a chequered career, has had the misfortune of being director murdered. She was built a cur-rent-wheeler, and during her existence as such met with gold occasionally. She was then fitted up with steam engines and machinery, and since that time has been more unfortunate than ever. This account disposes of all the dredges in the immediate neighbourhood of Alexandra and the Molyneux River. Though 7 several - of the claims — such as the ' Vincent, Unity, and Matau — are nearer. Clyde than Alexandra, they belong, geologically considered, to the same basin as allthe other claims at Alexandra, and as this basin is to be considered in its geological" and economic aspects, no other distinction could be made. Tat; Molyneux's Golden Wealth. Pains have been taken in the foregoing articles — the reader will perhaps think " ad nauseam "" — to point out that the gold dredged in the Alexandra basin has not yet been defined in width, but that it is still being traced into the banks of the river. Then the fact that dredgemasters found it advantageous to work the banks in summer time when the river is high, and the river bed in winter when the river is low, was also repeatedly dwelt upon. It was also pointed out that the runs of .>oM strike across the present course of the river, so that it could not very well have had anything to do with the disposition of the gold. It is pretty well established by the above information that there is a basin-like depression in the bed rock of the flat, extending north and south for about seven miles in length — that is, from Clyde toAlexandra, — and about six miles in width measured from the Earnscleugh 'to tbe M-corburn home stations. This vast b-xsia. i« filled with auriferous wash, what extent in its width has not yet been ascertained. The Malynenx cuts nearly througr'u the centre of this expanse from Clydeto - Alexandra, dividing it into two, known as the Dunstan Flat on the Alexandra side of the river, and as the Earoscleugh Flat upon the opposite bank. By this wise arrangement of Nature both flats are made accessible from the Molyneux. The wash lodged in the Alexandra basin, carries gold all through from top to bottom, and although layers have been met with in top stuff fairly rich in gold, the be3fi of the wash was found in the deepes!

ground, which appears to be covered by the course of the river. There is also evidence to show that the wash in the deep ground upon the rock bottom is thickei than it is in the banks. In the days of the spoon dredge and current-wheeler, the richest of the wash could be reached only in certain favourable spote under favourable conditions. When more powerful dredgea began to be built, the ground formerly worked by the old dredges was found to pay even better than at the first working. This went on with the improvement in power and capacity of the dredges, giving rise to the notion that the ground might be worked over and over again with payable results, an indefinite number oi times. The dredges of latest construction have exploded that notion. They ha^e gona down to the bed rock, and proved it to be the limit of the gold in depth, showing that the gold left by the old dredges was simply what lay beyond their reach, md what gold they cleaned up was mostly retained by them. The improved dredges coming after them went deeper and got oven better gold than the previous workers, until the present time, when the dredges go to the very bottom, beyond which it would bo folly to look for gold. This, however, does not preclude the possibility of ground ■worked b^ even the most up-to-date dredges paying again at least once more, for dredging at the best is a wasteful way of working any deposit for the gold it may ".optain. It is always a thankless task to dispel a popular notion, fraught with so many brilliant possibilities and pleasing lures as is presented by an inexhaustible gold mine, but it is hotter to be forewarned than to bo overtaken by a disastei 1 . There is an end to gold-dredging as there is to all other kinds of gold-getting. However, the end is a long way off. In fact, the industry is only in its infancy, and its growth and development will be all the sounder and stronger, the more it is stripped of foolioh fads and misleading notions. The true nature and possibilities of the industry cau now be discussed without fear oi checking or affecting its advancement, but it will be well to bear in mind that there is a time at which a dredging claim becomes exhausted of its gold. With the fact established that there is a bottom in the Molyneux and other streams in Otago, beyond which the gold docs not descend, and that this bottom can be reached and worked by dredges of modern construction, cleaning up the gold thoroughly and efficiently, gives the fact that development in dredge-building has fully overtaken all requirements. It is no use to think of constructing dredges — except perhaps in a few isolated localities— to go to greater depths than that reached by the Lady Ranfurlv. which is 53ft. Nor is then, any need for more powerful and capaciou3 dredges than the Earnscleugh No. 2. In these directions dredging has met all th» demands that are likely to be made upor it in Otago. We must leave bigger things for America. Account has it that Yankee engineers, who were furnished with designs for a dredge by Mr Postlethwaite, now in British Columbia, improved unon them, till c dredge costing 250,000d0l — that is, £50,000— -was evolved. The dredge is it work in the State of Idaho, and can treat over 100,000 cubic yards per week. There is no occasion for Otago engineers to emulate this example. What is wanted here is a dredge that will deal efficiently •with moderate " quantities of gravel piled up in high banks above water level, which, in other words, means' some appliance that will stack tailings to a height of 100 ft and snore. Another department in dredging that requires more attention than it has received is the saving of fine gpld. Dredgemasters may be satisfied that their particular appliance is the only perfect one and that all the others are wrong, but, in spit* of this, it is safe to say that plenty of gold is lost that might be saved. A Fad of Another Kixd. I A fad of another kind is the practice of naming claims after successful companies. T have been asked by two gentlemen, prominent in dredging circles at Alexandra, to call attention to t'ne silliness of this practice. What it may lead to is shown by tho following annecdote. There is a Ngapara claim near Alexandra, and a Ngapara No. 2 at the Nevis. The Alexandra Ngapara ordeTed a flywheel at a Dunedin foundry. After waiting patiently for weeks inquiries ■were made when the wheel would be «ent up, bringing the reply that it had been dsspatched weeks ago. A- great deal oi 1 piegraphing resulted, at the end or which ■'•ho ■wheel was discovered at Garston, actually further away from its true destinatior i', *n it was at starting, having been addit;< sud to the Nevis Ngapara. There ure several similar cases upon record. It does not require a rery strong Wretch of the imagination to suggest .erious complications. Suppose a costing be ordered for a certain machine <rith a duplicated name, -nd a .nistske like the above bo made. It is not necessary to follow cv jke s&auaL, Naming cjaisut L not- *].way« *■

matter of indifference, there may be a good deal in a mining company's name. Consignors of mine appliances of all kinds may take a note of the above. Still Anothkb Fad. It has been suggested that the falls of the Molyneux, near Doctor's Point, should 1 be blasted away to allow dredges passing up and down the river. The falls are about 12ft or 14ft in height, and it would cost a good few thousand pounds to remove them. What can or might be gained by the removal of the falls it is difficult to see. There is, so far as can be seen, no reason why the dredges built for working below the falls, should go above them to do so, and vice versa. Dredges, as a rule, are. not designed as passenger boats, and though perambulating to a certain degree they are not intended for birds of passage. It is contended that in the neighbourhood of the falls there is no way to get dredge-building material to the river, and, when there, there is no place to build the dredges. This statement savors a good deal of invention, Dredges have been built upon the Shotover and other places, under equal, and even greater, difficulties. What, however, more than anything else is against the project is the fact that it will let loose 12ft or 14ft of tailings upou the claims below the falls, which will be completely swamped by the rush 01 tailings during, and for 'months after, the completion of the removal. It were iimv, howvm, that tbi« chapter of fids came to an j XII.— THE MANUHERIKIA VALLEY. That the Manuherikia River has been a main feeder of gold to the Molyneux basin at Alexandra there can be no doubt. The degree of the feed is indicated by the richness of Frenchman's Beach at the very mouth of the valley, and the general richness of the Molyneux above and below ths point where the Manuherikia empties into it. In fact the assumption is justified that the cause of the runs of gold running more or less diagonally, or at almost right angles across the Molyneux, cannot be explained in a more feasible way than that the golden runs as well as the direction of their courses are due to the Manuherikia, which has formed them at different geological periods. However, this may be the payable nature of the ground is an established fact, but the problem how the gold got there is nevertheless one of great economic import, as it would put the prospector on the scent. As of every other mining locality, stories of its immense richness, to which distance in time lends a peculiar charm, are still circulating amongst the old identities of the Manuherikia. However, the gold that has been got is like the light of other days : it is gone, never to return. Fortunately dredging does not depend for its success upon gold lying around in piled-up heaps • the wee tiny speck hid in cubic yards of wash forms its sustenance, and makes the dredger's pile. This spec is to be met in the Manuherikia. Dredging in this valley is new yet ; when the runs have been defined anu their course ascertained there will not be a better field for dredging in Otago, excepting, of course, the Molyneux, which, from its extent alone, must always hold prior rank. There are wide differences in the conditions of the occurrence of the gold in the Manuherikia and in the Molyneux. In the latter nearly the whole of the banks are payable ; wherever there is gravel there is gold. In the former there are no banks. The whole valley is one open flat. The gravel contains very little gold, and most of it is found upon the bottom. It is consequently coarse, and not difficult to save. The depth of the ground does not exceed 20ft by much. The wash is stony, especially upon the bottom, and rather rough , throughout its depth. I 1 There is in the Manuherikia valley a j blissful absence of danger from floods or any great delay on that account. Coal is upon the spot. The only coal pits which at the present supply fuel to the dredges working in the neighbourhood of Alexandra are located upon the northern bank of the Manuherikia valley. Everything is combined here to make a dredger's paradise. But probably theie are ' no sensational things in it. The money put ' into it is a safe investment, sure of steady, I if moderate, returns. Four and eight hun- ' dred ounce weeks will not perhaps recur outside the Kawarau anywhere in Otago. j Perhaps a start should be made in a j description of the Manuherikia dredge. ' with the Manorburn, as the pioneer dredge upon the field. But there are reasons for , starting with the Upper Manuherikia which will appear in the sequel. No particular order in the sequence of claims has been followed in this series. The more representative claims in each locality were trotted out first and in bunches to serve v a ground work to start from. There appear to be two divisions in the Manuherikia vallav district, marked off from on«

by the Minorburn Creek and the coal deposit. Below this division the ground is not so stony and rough, and there is a difference in the sand from that of the upper portion. The Nil Desperandtjm Gold Dredging" Company. This company came into existence as s. private one in 1897, and decided, though the number of shareholders was only small — about a dozen or so — to put 9, £5000 dredge upon the claim on their own account. This was done without much delay. Operations began in June, 1898, and with trials of all kinds apparently inseparable from new mining ventures, much prospecting was done besides other preliminary works, such as turnincr the river and so forth. Between June and October a great deal of ground was turned over without much gold resulting, the actual gettings never exceeding working expenses by much, but at the same time never falling much beloAv that mark. This had a depressing effect upon the shareholders, and they decided to register their company the original shareholders absorb ing all the shares (6300), which were allotted to them pro rata on the interest each neld in the venture. Early in October last when the reconstruction of the company had been completed, gold was struck in quantities giving a prospect of early divi dends. Success continued to smile upon the company, and since July last about 1200oz have been obtained, the greatev portion of the gold being got during bhe last seven or eight months. For 13 weeks running the dredge got 50oz per week. In all something like 400 ft in width across the valley has been tried, and gold found to exist throughout the whole width, which, taken at an average, would nay for dredging, giving moderate returns. Success was marked by the coining in of a blue wash. So far as work has gone the blue wash has not been proved to be a regular lead or streak, but it seems to run in irregular veins through the gravel Jt has, however, been ascertained that wherever it is met with it is rich in gold, and it is safe to say that it marks the richest ground in the valley. With time and further prospecting the nature of its occurrence will no doubt be established, which will be useful in tracing the gold. ■ Ever since the public opening of the dredge in June last it has been constantly at work without, any serious or vexatious delays. This is a splendid record of work, and, considering the stony nature of the ground, speaks volumes for the dredge and the management. The depth of the ground averages 23ft, the gold being chiefly found upon a pipeclay bottom, lumps of which are preserved, showing the black ironstone mixed with the yellow gold in specs that are not difficult to see. The dredge, like the dredgemaster, is of larpe and powerful proportions. A? is the case with nearly every private dredge upon the field, the machinery and gear is of superior construction. It was designed by Mr E. Roberts. The engine is a 16 h.p. Marshall one, with a boiler of 20 h.p. The winches, six double barrels, and one single barrel, are by Roberts, of Bendigo, Victoria, and give every satisfaction. The bucket ladder is 42ft long, being capable of working to a depth of 30ft, which is more than is required, as the deepest ground met with does not exceed 23ft or 25ft. The buckets hold 4£ cubic feet, and are strong in proportion. There are two revolving screens, 17ft long and 3lt in diameter. For each a separate set of tables is provided, fitted -with the usual goldsaving appliances. The elevator is 40ft long, capable of stacking the tailings to ( ". height of 20ft or 25ft. The claim comprises 100 acres, and appears to be fortunately marked out in so far as it contains a large share of the blue wash. Mr D. M'Math, the dredgemaster, is a clever blacksmith and experienced machinist, besides having <v good grasp on mining matters. He is therefore in a posi- ; tion for which his acquirements well fit i him. The gold yielded by the claim must | be ranked as rough, and so must the wash. 1 The largest stones I saw brought up by any dredge were those at the " Nil." If not as big as a house, they were at least as big as a good sized table. During a temporary stoppage of (he machinery, I had no difficulty in seeing the tables pretty well peppered with the yellow metal. [ At the time of my visit the dredge was I working near the spot where four claims join. One of these is owned by the ownenof the " Nil," and is about to be placed on I the market shortly. The dredge having 1 worked up to the boundary of the claim, I has left open a paddock filled with water upon which to float the dredge for the nev 2laim, so that she may start upon the gold at once. The dredge is lit by acetylene gas, of which Mr M'Math speaks in terms of high praise as being clean, easily managed, and of brilliant illuminating power. Everything on board is kept in good ordrr, which testifies careful and able management. For the sake of previous stcquaintanc€ t extending over some years. I iva: cq?« ,

dially received, and spent a very pleasant time on boards The Chatto Creek G. D. Company. This company's ground joins the " Nil " at the latter's upper boundary. The two dredges are working close together, but not with corresponding success. The company has had to fight against many difficulties. In the first place, the dredge is scarcely able to cope with the stony nature of the ground. Then the buckets, which have a capacity of 3£ cubic feet only, are not able to cope with tho work they are set to do • and, above all, there were differences amongst ths directors. Most of these not very exhilarating circumstances have now been overcome, and things work more smoothly. Mr G. P. Blue, who is s Wakatipian dredger of the Shotover, has not had '/he •osiest time nor the smoothest sailing with his machinery, but being a thoroughly practical and persevering man, it is hoped Wo will ere this appears in print have got over his trouble. I hear the directors h&xt iecided to make further alterations and improvements in tho dredge so as to make her fit to deal with any ground, however rough and heavy it may be. The claim extends into the gorge of the Manuherikia River, and includes Blaokwli Terrace, famed for its richness, wher- a heavy deposit of gold is confidently expected. The property of this company is held in good repuiife by the old residents in the locality. Quite a host of engineers, foundrymeu, ironworkers, and carpenters have- contributed to the production of this dredge, There is a 12 h.p. engine by Marshall, a 16 h.p. boiler by Morgan and Cable ; the bucket ladder was made by (Mr J. Kelman, of Alexandra, after his own design. Mr Blue, the dredgemaster, speaks highly of the work, as it combiner, strength and rigidity with lightness. Mr O. Ness, of Dunedin, built the pontoons, Messrs A. and T. Burt supplied the screens and driving gear, Mr J. Sparrow furnished the links. The designer was Mr F. W. Payne, of Dunedin. The winch differs from other winches in so far that it works on a stationary shaft. The dredge started work in November last, and has done good work, in spite of certain unavoidable delays, and obtained as high as 30oz per week. The bucket ladder has a length of 42ft, capable of dredging to 30ft deep. The dredge has commenced work at the lower end of the claim, and Mr Blue expects to strike rich ground at the mouth of ihe gorge further up the creek, where Blackwell Terrace yielded such good returns. The ground is about 20ft or 22ft deep, the gold being mostly found upon a pipeclay or rotten rock bottom, similar to that of the Molyneux ; sometimes the rock is hard. The 'ladder is so swung as to project 7ft beyond the bows of the pontoons, which gives certain advantages in working both the ground and the boat. The width through which gold has been found to be distributed is 200 ft, which, with a powerful dredge, could be made to pay. So fai as worked the ground was rough and stony, and the dredge being deficient in some respects, progress naturally was slow. i The gold-saving apparatus consists of revolving screen 18ffc long by 3ft 6in diameter. The gold is mixed with a heavy grey sand not found in other places than the Upper Manuherikia, and would suggests the presence of scheelite in the Dunstan Range, from which the "river heads. There are the usual gold-saving appliances of tables, matting, etc. The elevator, Avhich has recently been lengthened, lifts the tailings to 18ft and 20ft, which i« sufficient for all purposes. The Galtee More G. D. Company. The Galtee More joins the Nil Desperandum at the latter's lower boundary. The claim was formerly held by the Cambrian party, who, following in the steps of the Nil Desperandum, wound up its affair,? and started afresh as a registered company with a capital of £7000. The new concern bought their old dredge for £3300, and set up at once as a going concern. The Galtee More is a sister boat of the Ni' Desperandunij resembling her in every detail, so that a description of her machinery would be wearisome, and is therefor© omitted. Mr J. M. Foohey, thn dredgemaster, expressed himself quite satisfied with his boat, and holds she is as well udapted for the work she has to do as any boat in Otago. Work was started under the new regime about 14 weeks ago, and a great deal of prospecting was donr without coming across anything very payablp. A cut is now being made to strike the blue | wash from which the Nil Desperandnm i has obtained such good results. At the j time of my visit there were indications of the blue wash coming in, and it was fondly expected at Alexandra that the Galtee More would soon shine upon the list a" producing dividend-paying returns. The claim of the company contains 100 , acres, and appeals to be cc marked cni

as to include a goodly share of the covets* blue wash. The Ttthakina Dredge. • Situated at about the centre of the Manuherikia Valley is the Turakin* dredge, counted as a failure. She has been lying idle for some time, but lately changec hands, and is to be shifted to Southland^ where the dredging industry has taken' i firm and promising hold. In this neighbour* hood are the" Springvale, the Olrig, and th« newly pegged off Lion Bock. The ground of the Last . Shot Company lying to th»north, all of which companies are m different stages of flotation. Tho Turakina, lying a wreck and a failure in the centre of all this- renewed life and activity, calls for a few remarks >n mining success and failure, for neither -of which is there any accounting. First ag all it must be borne in mind that dredging ' is still a new departure in gold-getting,' i and next there is the fact that the experience of one river does not apply to a neighbouring stream. It is only necessary •to look back upon the history ol dredging upon the Molyneux to illustrate the ups and downs really rich claims have gone through before their real value was established. The Manuherikia Valley claims are now passing through a similar ' stage under increased difficulties. Upon, the Molyneux it was practicable to travel with a dredge from one point to anolhei.'- | several miles — or any desired distance— ! apart in a few days. This is not possible 1 upon the Manuherikia. The Tiver her* covers an insignificant area of ground over •which a dredge may be moved to prospecta claim. A large quantity of country, often well known to be unprofitable, musfi be turned over to reach the desired point, placing the dredgemaster in a very precarious position, for which neither directors nor shareholders are too prone to make a just amount of allowance. Work of thi* Lkiud makes progress very slow, and in mining, hope deferred is the first step to dia-' content, which is only one remove from failure. Hence the difficulties and troubles from, which not one of the Mamiherikiai dredges was allowed to escape. Had it not' been for the opportune success of the Nil. Desperandum the Upper Manuherikia would now be condemned as a dredging field. It may be argued that one swallow dofl« not make a summer. With a gold run or lead, however, it is not as with a rope : if I you find one end of it, you may be sure that , there is another, the length between thr j two ends depending upon ohance.. which, in the case of the ' gold lead, may be 1 measured by surface indications, which H the Manuherikia are favourable. Investors in Manuherikia dredging sharer are likely to have their patience tried by the slow progress of prospecting operations, but against this there is a degree of certainty of success, which, fully eompens*te-T , for the time spent in waiting for trump ' to turn up. I Damning a dredging field har r mor-A ' than usually bad effect, for it must b« borne in mind that when once a'dredge i>, removed from a river or creek it is no\ j likely to be replaced in a hurry, on ae- • count of the cost of a fully-equipped boat. In the case of the Manuherikia, it mighti. have meant a delay of many years liad. not the NJI Desperandum made^ her ■ T7cll* timed discovery. It is true" that th« Manorburn and Morning Star **dredg£/J would doubtless have kept confidence in the valley alive, so far as the lower portion i

Concerned, but the upper part, with its difficulties in the shape of big -stones, might have lain idle for a long time before its value would have been established.