A SILVER BOOM AT HOKITIKA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1750, 26 January 1888, Page 4

A SILVER BOOM AT HOKITIKA

In thb "Guardian" of Saturday last we commenced an article on the subject of the Napier copper mineß,- and the 'mineral resources of New Zealand generally, by a reference to the silver boom m. Sydney. We wrote :— " Many a New Zealander must have experienced a feeling approaching to envy on reading of the wonderful goal lack of New South Wales m ' striking it rjch' m the matter of silver — so rich that the revenue from Govprnment royalty is expected this year to a million sterling — and have thought what a splendid thing it would be for this debt-laden land if only we could happen upon a 'similar slice of good fortune. And why not ? There is silver at the Thames We know— perhapß a great deal more than we know ot, and may-be our turn is not far off. Anyhow there are hopeful signs m more directions than one.*' We have not had to wait long lor a remarkable verification of our opinion as to the good things probably m store for New Zealand, for only two dayß after the above was penned, there was forwarded to the Dunedin papers ' the following, dated Hokitika, January 28rd : — " Twenty silver mining leases of 100 acres each have been applied for at Mount Rangitoto, and there is much excif&nent m the district about them, With the 500 acres freehold belonging to the Mount Rangitoto silver Mining Company, there are now 2500 acres Bilver country taken up. , Mount Kangitoto is a mineral belt of country, containing amongst other ores galena and lead; the former containing gold, and both rich m silver. The last piece assayed by Professor Black contained at the rate of 33©z gold to the ton of ore besides silver. It is rumored that tha Mount Han gitoto Silver Mmiug Company has been floated m London." Now a stiver mine, which besides yieldin, that metal also furnishes gold, even were it only at. the rate of an ounc of the latter metal to the ton, let alone 33ozs, woud be a splendidly pacing affair, and it is heartily to be hoped that Rangitoto will prove to o tain an abundant store of rich stone. That there is every reason t> believe that the reported discovery is no m re flash-in-the-paa is sufficient y evidenced by the information given about this very mine m Mr Lsrnach's "Handbook of New Zealand Mines." There are three B .ngitoto's iv New Zealand, doubtless owing to this country having been formerly replete with active volcanoes which have fixed their characteristics m the nomenclature of the Natives, the words " rangi " and " toto " meaning respectively "heaven" and "blood," and the red glare m the eky caused by the reflection, of volcanic fires having thus given to more mountains than one the name " Bang toto." Thus there is » Kangitoto at the mouth of An kland harbor, an -ther, about' 40 . or 50 miles south of Cambridge (Waikato) — where by the-bye there are a so silver workings — aid a thirl m Westland, which last is the locality referred to m the abovequoted telegram. Anent this, the (Westland) Rangitoto Company's mine, Mr Larnach says m his handbook, " This mine is situated at the side of Mine Creek, about 1700 ft above sea level, on the Mount Rangitoto Range, eighteen miles by road from Ross. The ore was first discovered m the side and bottom of the creek, where rich silver specimens were found and reported on at the time by Professor Kirkl and, of the Melbourne University, who obtained assays up to 800 ounces of silver to the ton. Several assays which were made m the colonies and m England gave »n average of 2oz of g Id to the ton.; and ninety bags of the ore treated at Swansea, yielded that return, irrespectiv; o: silver. The outcrop of the lode as now (1887) seen on the side of the creek does not, however, contain a large percentage of silver ; it is from 3in to 6n m thickness, of solid iron-pyrites, containing gold, silver, galena, and zinc-

blende, with a large proportion of arsenic

and sulphur ; but the lo^e widened out to about three feet m thickness. A great i deal of work has been done m th s ' mine, anil several tunnels were constructed ; but .there seems to have been no sysieniat c mode adopted for either working the mine or treating the ore after it was taken out . ... . I; is,; about eight years since any work was done at this mine The ore fs it wa- then treated did not prove payable for workir.g, the principle aaopt d being similar to what is generally v ed for extra cling gold fro n quartz. A. crush ing-battery of three heads of si amps, an amalgamating-barrel, ani two sma'l baddies are still on the ground ; but it appears that very little gold or silveCould be got by this process. The Company subsequently erected an open roasting-pan, made of wrought-iron, about 16 feet long and 8 feet wide, to calcine the or« before crushing ; but the machinery and proc ss- f treatment were totally unsuitable for the class of ore found m the mine. 11 From all this it is evident t at both silver and gold exist at liangitoto, and it would fern m nandsomely payable quantity, and if it be true as rumoured that a Company has been floated m- London lo work the min>, it may be anticipated thatsuitabl appliances will be forthcoming to enable the mine to be tamed to g oJ account. Quite possible we may be on the eve ol d velnpm nts as important as t osc which have recently created so much excitement m JS.w J'outh Wales and South Australia. Let us hope so, at anyrat?, for a rich silver mine would be s godsend m these dull times. Sinoe writing the above information has come to hand, wbioh appears to render it very probable that we have m our own county — at Alford Forest — what may prove • most extenaive and valuable deposit of tin ore. It has been known for years that tin was obtainable m that looality, but it now begins to appear exceedingly likely that large and payable workings will be developed ]