THE WEEK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2015, 19 June 1875, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The settlement, without the expected litigation, of the Tairua case —the chief one on the list—was the most prominent event of the week just drawing to a close; and, whatever may bo the opinions" entertained generally and individually as' to that settlement and the conditions i upon which it is based, it is satisfactory j to know that it will have the effect of.} forwarding Tairua as a goldfield. ' The • Prospectors and the—the others, will J now sot to work to develope their ground, ! and something definite may be looked for from there ere long. In the meantime all haste should bo mado in making the road to connect this part of the go'.dfield with the extension.

There have been several large returns to hand during the week, namely, the Queen of Beauty, the City of London and the CJucen of tho May, tho two latter not being so good as on the fort night" previously ; also, a good number of minor returns, amongst which may be classed that from .the Bright Smite, from' an irregular crushing at the company's battery on the Karaka creek.

rjhe Pumping- Association' have -resumed sinking, tho tender of Mr Box having been accepted. When the contract' was commenced, on Monday morning, the shaft.was down a di.'-tanee. of 516 feet. Sinking the. air sbalt has been resumed, and everything connected with this great • .work is now in first-class order, so that there sh»uld be nothing, to impede, its usefillness; vrb^e the money lately granted sha^ last. Even when' tbat is exhausted there- will be more forthcoming, for that the Big Pump is a 1 necessity to ti'is field has come to be - acknowledged generally. Tookey's tiial crushing from the-400 feet | level was not satisfactory, veiy_ far from it; but at'thesamo time there-is no reason to despair of the reefs—i..vo in number—from which the test parcelwas taken, their appearance being good, and the presence of other metals, such as ron and copper pyrites, aud what is technically Known as red sivcr, is an iidica{ion of the existence of gold, in the ,matiix, whether or not in payable,- quantity remains yet to be yroved.; One other circumstance in iavor of the theory, of deeper sinking is that.atno point above the present low level have the reefs In question looked so well. Other^mines in the Moanatau-I Creek are improving ; notably the Albion, and the-Gold en Calf have discovered a new"-lode in driving on-\tlie course of the main reef,- which is likely to provo-a valuable addition to the reefs now in hand. " Mining generally has been progressive, and matters in connection ; with the indnstiy are shewing a considerable improvement.- - :,-