SILVER MINES NORTH OF AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8642, 30 November 1889, Page 2

SILVER MINES NORTH OF AUCKLAND.

DISCRIPTION OF THE PLACE.

Mr Robert Melville, who, in company with Mr Jas. Frater, proceeded to Whangarei for the purpose of visiting the Puhipuhi field, have returned to Auckland. They state that there is nothing at present definite enough to cause a rush to Puhipuhi. The prospectors have done little beyond opening up the outcrops of a number of reefs except putting in a small drive on a big blue reef, but Mr Melville did not liko the look of it all all. Mr Melville goes on to say " The reefs and mineral indications are mostly found within the limits of the Government reserve, and do not appear to extend beyond its boundaries. It is a considerable hardship to people going to Whangarei to be debarred from investigating a thing of this kind, ami both myself and Mr Frater felt this keenly. The difficulties of access (by the route we took) were considerably greater than are usually experienced at most new " finds," and we had to travel across some very rough country, up the beds of streams, across ravines, through thick bush, as the.te are no roads of any sort. Steps should at once be taken by which some rational arrangements could be made for persons interested in mining to find their way to the neighbourhood of the reefs. The district would not present any heavy difficulties in being opened up as a mining field, as I am informed that a dray road to near the plac« could be easily made across a tableland from Whangarei. There is also a splendid supply of water, one fall of 150 feet in height producing power equal to about 30 h.p. even in summer. When at Waiorongomai, Mr Smith gave me a piece, evidently a selected sample, of the stone he had brought from Puhipuhi, and I have just got a letter from the assayer at Karangahake, to whom I gave it to be tested, giving me the result of the assay, which was 150oz silver and 16gr gold to the ton. The Bati tery Company's result, which was, I think, I from average stuff, was considerably lower, being but 260z silver and ldwt 15gr gold. I The impression left on my mind by my inspection of the reefs and country is that if the ore averages from £7 to £8 value of silver bullion (something under 50oz silver) to the ton it is about the best it would produce. I recommended the Association at Whangarei to send up an assaying furnace to their manager at his camp, so that he could make fire tests, as it was quite possible that gold might exist in such a state that it was not visible in dish prospects. Fire tests would also give a good idea of the quantity of silver in the quartz, regarding which the manager is at present quite in the dark, going only by the appearance of the stone. All present operations should I be confined to opening up some of the reefs, to the extent of from 200 to 300 feet, before going in for any reducing plant. I am neither disappointed nor elated with the results gleaned from my visit; no one can tell anything definite till work is properly begun ; there are a great number of reefs, but no one knows their value."