THE OLD WHAU.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1713, 30 June 1874, Page 2

THE OLD WHAU.

According to instructions I visited the above company's mine yesterday; and, unless under compulsion, I do not wish, to go over it a second time while the access to the main workings is in the present: state. The mine manager, Mr. Scott, was most courteous, willingly shewing everything that could be seen in the mine. First of all he shewed me a long tunnel, running for hundreds of feet into the hill. The tunnel, so far as eyes could see and feet could feel, had been cut in without the least regard to drainage or placement of foot-boards for the truckers. After much splashing we came to what the Whau authorities call a winze; it was a winse—a mere make-shift contrivance was at the mouth of a socalled pass, and a mysterious looking hole—it is nothing else—was the main gangway to the present main workings. You must go up here, said the manager. I looked at the place. The first few steps were up a shifting rickett/ ladder ; that did not matter much, but a dirty, spouting stream of water coming down the said hole, made an inspection of the upper workings anything but inviting.. How far to climb up, I asked. One hundred feet, was the reply. I essayed and went up the hundred feet; but never, since I first used a pick, did I ever ascend such a so-called mine winze before. Ladders gone in the steps, non-continuous, canting all on one side in some places, and the landing, when the present working level was reached, could only be attained by striding a pass through which the quartz is sent down 100 feet to the tunnel below. So much for the access to the workings of the mine ; but a thought struck me that in case a man got hurt in the new level, God help him if he had to be lowered down 100■'. feet through that , man-trap. Now for the reefs: I certainly saw no gold in the faces, but some gold-bearing stone was shewn me that had been shot down during the night and morning shifts —'there may have been about four or five pounds weight of "them. The reef running in towards the Alburnia is slewing a little to the left. If it continues that course it will give the Whau Company a few more feet of it than was expected from Mr Wright's survey. At present the face of the reef shows a body of stone about "7ft. 6in. thick; most of which is being sent to the mill and is being mixed with the general stuff sent down from other workings. Prom.the look of the battery plates tho general stuff is going about lfoz. to the ton ; and, while writing of the battery, I noticed that tho Whau are now saving their tailings. Reverting to the mine, so far as I could see and learn there is not the show ot gold in the present level that one. expected to see, and the reef is fairly cut into that portion of it that the shot found in the of her or higher level was expected to be met with. All the picked stuff and specimens that I.could hear of was about lOOlbs, the time Of its treatment to be decided on at the next meeting of directors to be held about the second Tuesday in next month. There is plenty of stone in the Whau claim being worked on, but L: could see no gold in any of the faces shown me. On descending from the present level to - the main tunnel the manager remarked that I was very slow. I remembered I had had two broken legs from being in a hurry in going over similar works and consented to be called slow for the nonce. One thing must be said of the Whau Company —they carry nearly fifty men on their pay sheet, and are by no means the slowest in paying their men's wages; neither are they niggardly in their scale of payment. I may state that I tasted the water coming down the winze, and anything more deadly to mercury or antagonistic to gold saving I never used. It quite^ convinced me, if confirmation was wanted, that the company are wise in keeping their own battery idle.