THE WELLINGTON MINING BUBBLE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1002, 17 November 1883, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON MINING BUBBLE.

The report of Dr Hector was received yesterday by Messrs Harris and Blundell, referees appointed in connection with the recent dispute as to alleged yield of gold from the Queen of Beauty mine, Makara. It should be explained that No, 1 sample mentioned in the report is gold obtained by the referees from the claim. The No. 2 sample is the return of ten tons of stuff sent from Makara, and was crushed at the Thames. The report, so far as it goes, is distinctly in favor of Mr Walker’s contention that the cake of gold exhibited as tho result of recent crushing did not coma from the Makara reefs. The referees, however, are expected to draw up a report for publication to morrow, giving their views on the subject. Dr Hectot’s report is as follows ; “Colonial Museum of New Zealand, “ Wellington, Xfith Nov., 1833.

“ Sirs, —In reply to your letter of 13th hist., I have the honor to inform you that I have had the samples you left with me carefully examined in the laboratory, with the following results : —No. 1. The residue obtained by you from 1501 b weight of a mullooky vein at Makara consisted of pyrites, black sand, and gold, the latter being in form of very fine specks. The total weight of gold present was threetenths of a grain, which, calculated on the ton, would indicate a yield at the rata of 4£ grains per ton. With the view of comparing the quality of the gold thus separated with that of the clip which you submitted, both were assayed with the following result :—No 1, gold from residue —gold .8992, silver .9996, loss .0012 ; total, 1.0000. No 2, gold from clipgold .6745, silver .3246, loss .0009 ; total, 1.0000. Taking pure gold at the value of 80s per ounce, the value of the sample No 1 is therefore at the rate of L 3 lls lid, and of No 2 L2 13s Id per ounce. The percentage of silver contained in gold obtained direct from the reefs in different parts of the colony is generally very characteristio and constant. The gold from the reefs in the South is easily distinguished by having only from 4 to 5 per cent of silver alley. The gold found in the vicinity of Wellington has about 9 pet

cent of silver, and the gold from'the Thames goldfields rarely - contains less”’ than 30 per cent of silver. No lof the samples submitted, which you took from the reef at Makara, contains 5 per cent of silver, and therefore agrees with the degree of fineness usual in the district, but tne sample No 2, clipped from the bar, contains 32 per cent of silver, which is the proportion that usually characterises gold obtained in the Thames district.—l am, yours, etc., “ Jas. Hector.”

[by telegraph.] Wellington, To-day. Messrs Blundell and Harris and the two mining experts who tested the Queen of Beauty mine, in their report on Dr Hector’s analysis, state that—“ They are of opinion that Mr Walker was justified in saying what he did about the cake of gold asserted to have been thie product of stuff taken from the Queen of Beauty claim. ” The referees in the wager re the Queen of Beauty mine have forwarded the stakes to Mr Walker, of the Thames.