MINES AT WORK IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 26, 28 June 1845, Page 3

MINES AT WORK IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

The following brief account of the principal mines at work in the colony has been supplied by the principal proprietors, and may be relied on as .correct: — WHEAL GAWLF.R LEAD MINE. Wheal Gawler Le*d Mine, about three miles to the S.E. of the city of Adelaide, was discovered and pattially worked in the year 1841, when three tons of ore were raised and sent to England, where it sold at twelve guineas per ton. This mine is stated to contain a rich galena lode, with a fair proportion of silver. It is now leased to practical miners, and the working was resumed in November, 1844. GLEN OSMOND LEAD MINE. This mine is about three miles to the east of Adelaide, and is the joint property of Osmond Gilles, Esq., and his brother Lewis Gilles, Esq. Although worked last year as an experiment, it was not till this year that any great quantities of ore where raised. The number of men employed varies from ten to twenty-five. The number of men employed varies from ten to twenty-five. Six or seven rich lodes have been opened, and the quantity of ore raised is about 200 tons. Of this, a large quantity is what is called steel-grained ore, and is reported very rich of silver. KAPUNDA COPPER MINE. This mine is situated on an eighty-acre section of land, on the river Light, 45 miles from Adelaide, purchased under the old land regulations, for the sum of £80, by Messrs. I C H. Bagot, and F. S. Dutton. It has been worked since the beginning of February, I 1844. The average number of men em- : ployed is twenty-five. Ten drays are constantly employed carting ore to the Port. The quantity of ore raised to the Ist of November, 1844, was 320 tons. . The ore consists of carbonate and hydrocarbonate, with large quantities of grey copper ore, also the muriate of copper, hitherto only obtained in very small quantities from the river Acatama, in Peru. The first lot of ore from this mine sold at Swansea for £21 a ton. The greatest depth sunk is ten fathoms in one shaft and five to six fathoms in three others. MONTACUTE COPPER MINE. The Montacute Copper Mine is the property of Messrs. Hagen, Hart, Baker, and others, and. is about fifteen miles from Adelaide.. It consists only of an eighty-acre section, and was bought from the Government for £1,500. Its working was first commenced at the latter end of February, .1844, and up to this time 400 tons have been raised, and about 238 tons shipped. On assay, the ore averages 22| per cent, of copper, and from its nearness, to the surface, is very easily worked. Other minerals abound on the section, but hitherto it has only been worked for copper. The average number of labourers employed is sixty. YATTAGOLINGAY COPPER AND LEAD JUNE. This mine is situated a little to the southwest of Rapid Bay about sixty miles from Adelaide. It is the property of Messrs. Phillips, by whom it was purchased from the Government in January, 1844, for £331, the property comprising 86 acres. The proprietors immediately began to work it, and ;ip to this time have raised about fifty tons, of which eight tons have been shipped to England as a specimen. From twenty to thirty lodes have been found on the section. The quality is nearly the same as that of the Glen Osmond Mine. About twelve persons are employed. The mine being close to the sea, ore from it may be shipped to Port Adelaide at 10s. a ton. Some of the miners say there is zinc in this mine. WHEAL WATKINS* LEAD MINE. This mine commenced working in May, 1844. One "hundred tons of well-cleaned ore has been shipped, and fifty tons more raised: some of it has been assayed .in London, and found; to contain 75 per cent, of lead and 30 oz. of silver per ton. From twelve to eighteen-hands are employed. Besides the above, there are Mr. Anstey's Copper mine, Mr. Duncan M'Farlaue's Lead mine, and Mr ■ Angus' mine at the Barossa, which, as yet,-have only been opened, and sundry others, for the particulars of which we must refer to the foregoing tables. A promising copper lode has been discovered to the north of Port Lincoln in a decidedly metalliferious country. —-From James Allen's News Letter, dated Adelaide, Dec. I, 1844.