TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2188, 2 November 1875, Page 3

TAIRUA GOLDFIELD.

(fbom oub own cobbbspondent.)

Nevesville, Monday. The prospectors had a clean up at their small battery late on Saturday night, and the result is very small, due to several causes, but chiefly, as will be seen, from the quality of tho dirt. The manager reports that 28 tons of stuff were crushed, yielding 46ozs 3dwts melted gold, an average per ton much inferior to its predecessors. Two incidents have arisen during the late term of crushing that' have materially affected the battery, viz,, that of a fallen kauri which destroyed the water flume, causing a suspension' of crushing, and more recently,: or. the greater portion of last week, that of an insufficient water supply, caused by the dry weather that was experienced. Every effort was made to guard against this latter, the manager having for some time past been engaged in,diverting a third stream, but unfortunately at the last moment the sawyers failed in ilieir contract to have the timber supplied in time, or this latter eause would not have arisen, The sinking alongside the main shaft progresses as favourably as can be expected in this unseasonable weather, and although very good dirt is being grassed, yet they are not sufficiently deep enough on the lead to be level with the rich stuff that originally came from the main shaft. The engineer fpr i\io tramway has' not yet started operations, as some slight alterations will have to be made upon the.first plan, but be expects every moment to receive notice from his principals to start forthwith. The Golden Arroff, as intimated the other day, has been fortunate in getting through their trial crushing of three tons, and the manager is just off to town with the result* which is a handsome retum'of lOozs 19dwts of retorted gold, or an average per ton.of 3ozs 13dwts. fhe stuff was taken out from the open face, the bulk of which I saw broken out, and after it was bagged I saw stuff tested in the presence of two directors which was equally as good as that bagged. It is the manager's intention to extend the large face more to the south, in order to obtain an insight into the run of. the lode, and ascertain, if possible, whether it be the continuation of the prospectors' lode or otherwise. The show in the face is a good one, and should it bo found to extend any distance beyond their present workings, then the companywill be in a position to determine the question of

providing crushing power, for which they have partially provided by acquiring a convenient battery and machine site on Neves Creek. ' '•:

The Ajax Company's works are being carried forward with vigour, the contractors in the drive, on "the;lodt having ac< complished over 50. feet. A great portion ofthelodewas standing.when I visited it in company, with Mr Ivey, the 4 ssistant Mining Inspector, but so far as we could see it was a strong compact .lode, bearing a more striking resemblance to. a quartz lode than any Iha seen on the field. The new low-level .was also well in band, and tho contractors Were getting well towards the hill "Where the tunnel would commence. >The contracts for the erection and conveyance of the battery have been let. Mr Gallagher has been' the successful tenderer for the former at the'rale.of £10 10s per ton,and Ooutts and Co. for the erection of the machinery Bnd house at £334, the whole to be ready, for a start by the Ist of February, 1876, 1 he position of tho battery is just within 300 feet of the new low-level,.so that the dirt will be run direct into the mill from the workings. It is very gratifying to hear that a start has already jjeen made in shipping: the machinery, for I am credibly informed that the new tubular boiler shipped by Mr Seagar, ata cost of £265, will bj) shipped to-day. In the Gem the manager has been some days engaged in preparing and fixing timber to the bottom of the winze, a depth of 14 feet. There appears to be no variation in the quality, of., the footwall lead, for a dish of stuff tried on Friday afternoon from the very bottom yielded prospects equal to those near the top. The. footwall' still continues to go down as smooth as glass, and ■se long as this continues, the-gold will last, and in all probability make better. The question of water has arisen again, from the fact that' the prospectors during the last week, after a few days' dry weather, found that Neves Creek, with an adjacent tributary, was utterly incapable of giving sufficient motive power for four light stampers and berdan. The creek, after heavy showers, contains water enough to 'drive 40 stampers, bat then it draws off so rapidly that in a day or two it is useless lor motive power. I believe that at the dryest season, and until the bush gets cleared, it will be able to supply water for tables of 25 stampers; but as the bush will assuredly be fallen, what are wo to do? Many who. have visited here see the evil of this at once, and contend that until a remedy is found we shall never prosper. ]Our lodes or conglomerates will provide thousands upon thousands of tons of stuff which would pay handsomely if good crushingpower could be obtained. The only remedy, so far, brought before the public that will benefit us is the large water soheme of Daykin's, and it is hoped that when it is launched into the market, it will receive the support of all those interested in the prosperity of the district, for I believe it will not only be the salvation of the place, but also a profitable investment. On Saturday we had a valuable influx of men, chiefly engaged for the erection of the Tairua Company's new battery. What with this and the construction of the tramway and Ajas Company's battery the storekeepers ought to do a little better than they have recently done.