MINING NEWS. THE WAITOA DEPOSIT.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 203, 14 May 1887, Page 2

MIN ING NEWS. THE WAITOA DEPOSIT.

Mit J. B. Smith, on whose property at Waitoa the interesting discovery was made a short time back that auriferous deposit existed in the district, returned from a trip south on Monday last, and has furnished us with the following notes rpspectmg his fciip. Mr Smith left Auckland on the 2Sfch ulfc. for Christchurch, and on his way down stopped at Wellington and interviewed tho Minister of Mines and Inspector Gordon (who so recently pail a visit to Mr Smith's place to inspect the find of auriferous deposit referred to), and left several small parcels of the deposit, taken from various places over a* consi lerable area of ground, for treatment

by tho Minos Department, as requested by the Minister of Mines when hero. The result from these tesfc parcels will not probably bo known for a few weeks. Mr Smith asked Mr Jiarnach to furnish him with a copy of the report which would ba made by the Mines Department, consequent on the visit of himself and Mr Gordon to the scene of the find ; this request, howevor, Mr Larnach declined to accede to, on the grounds that it would be inexpedient to supply an advance copy of tho report in the manner suggested. On reaching Curistohuroh i Mr Smith, acting on the advice of some ; of his friends, took some samples of the deposit to Professor Bickerton of Canterbury College, with the request that ho would assay and report thereon ; at the same time showing Professor Bickerton the results of assays and test parcels already treated, and giviug him information generally respecting the characteristics of the country were the deposit exists, its extent, etc. The Professor expressed himself as impressed with the importance of the discovery judging by the facts laid before him. Desiring to obtain every possible information with respect to this deposit, Mr Smith also interviewed Professor Hutton, of Canterbury College, leaving samples with him to test, and also succeeded in arranging with the Professor to come up about the end of June And spend several days in making a searching 1 investigation into the area, nature, and general characteristics of the deposit. Professor Bickerton's report was not completed afc the time Mr Smith left Christchurch, but on his arrival in Auckland he found a telegram awaiting iiim from the Professor, giving the result of the ossays as follows :— No. 1 iotyielt ed at the rate ef [ lozl9elwts4grsgold; 20oa lldwtsUgrs silver per ton. No. 2 : 4oz lldwts llgrsgold; 13oz 14dwts 9grs silver per ton. These results are moßt encouraging. Mr Smith, we understand, purposes keeping several hands employed in general prospecting, etc., until the arrival of Professor Hutton. Mr R. Parr recently forwarded to Messrs Firth and Clarks battery, Waiorongomai, for treatment, a parcel of about 2cwt taken from a deposit on Messrs Campbell Bros ' property, Ardmore, Waitoa, somewhat similar in appearance to that found at Mr Smith's, which, with ordinary berdan treatment, gave a return equal to 8s 9d per ton. Mr Pavr, encouraged by this result, lms been fossicking in a number of other places, aud has just sent to Messrs Geo. Fraser and Son, Auckland, for treatment a small parcel of a deposit of a totally different appearance, which, he informs us, is to be found in considerable quantity on his old farm at Pukerimu (Walker's Gully), some three miles from Cambridge. Mr Strange, of Aylesbury Farm, Lower Waitoa, also reports that on his property there is a considerable amount of deposit similar iv character to Mr Smith's. There is nothing new of importance to report from the Waiorongomai mines.