Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1887. Mining in New Zealand.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2074, 30 May 1887, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1887. Mining in New Zealand.

The Minister of Mines has had a “ Handbook of New Zealand Mines ” prepared, and it has just been issued. It contains several well-drawn and useful geological maps by Jas Hector, P. 8.5., the Government Geologist, and H. A. Gordon, F.G.S., Inspecting Engineer of the Mines Department,

and is illustrated throughout with numerous woodcuts. The work is divide-1 .olv two parts and an appendix. P-n i. deals with the metalsi' ■;i.-d part II with the -•.a: [ -ur : appendix being ,i : , ■, i -iv-i of miscellaneous -■;hj - ! i.; ; inti;, .ately coii- ■ , - hj ; 5 .-’no?it.g of , iV i b ,o.'i ■■'‘italic- a i..igc amount oi useru! information, and from it wo gather that there are 20,000 square miles of land of proved golden deposits, 9000 of which are in Otago, 7500 in \V estland, 2800

in Karamea (Nelson), 200 in the Wairau and Pelorous, and 60 in Queen Charlotte Sound. There are also 130 square miles in Stewart’s Island where gold ii small quantities is known to exist. On this island the auriferous area is computed at not less than 10,000 square miles, making up for the whole colony 30,000 square miles, or 19,200,000 acres. On these there were employed in gold and silver mining for the year ending 3lst December, 1886, no less than 11,178 miners, who won for that period 222,070 ozs of gold, valued at £903,569. The yield of gold has grown from 10,487 ozs in 1807, when the auriferous drifts in the Nelson Province were discovered, up to 736,376 ozs in 1866, since which it has fluctuated and receded to the quantity given for 1880. The total quantity of gold yielded by the mines of the colony for the 29 years is 11,016,729 ozs, valued at £43,231,476. The “ Handbook ” contains detailed sketches of each gold district. In addition to gold it treats of silver, copper, chrome, antimony, manganese, hematite, iron, and other metals, and an extent of coal measures of even greater monetary and industrial value than the metalliferous deposits, the coal measures containing, it is estimated, 4,000,000,000 tons of anhydrous c- •;'•!, to say nothing of the immense •Lposils of lignite and other carbonU.irons fuels. From its mines alone Now 7 Zealand is now drawing a million and a half sterling per annum and giving employment to 15,000 ablebodied men, who, in turn, support a still greater number of women and children.

The handbook is of great value, and after reading it one is encouraged in looking to the future, notwithstanding the bad times through which we are passing. We have any amount of wealth lying hid, and the time will come when auriferous districts will be thoroughly worked and a large population find employment in connection .\ith the. mining industry. The kiiow.odgi . oi.-taiiiin in this haudbooii i» of ji.ua'. no, aii.. udujcts jaoat credit (*wt* n ilaUin, who is well ... ,gh;- oh.-hio svj,U>i. ■ IB , o CO ;.l I V,.