WARDEN’S REPORT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 119, 20 February 1872, Page 7

WARDEN’S REPORT.

—-0 DUNSTAX DISTRICT. Mr Warden Pyke writes to the Provincial Secretary for the Goldfields as under : 1. I have the honour to forward my report! for the quarter ending 31st December, 1871. j 2. Since my last quarterly report, the subdistrict of Blacks has been severed from the I district of Dunstan, and a Warden appointed | specially therefor. Except where otherwise 1 indicated, my present report will, consequently, refer only to the Dunstan district, as now again re-constituted. 3. I have pothing of any importance to communicate so far as the sub-districts of Alexandra and Clyde are concerned, with the exception of mentioning that Iversen’s reef, at Conroys, has turned out well, to the satisfaction of the shareholders', and that strenuous efforts are being made to thoroughly prospect the reef at Butchers, by draining the water, which, heretofore, has baffled the prospectors. 4. At Bendigo, the want of water has greatly tended to discourage mining operations. On the Garricks, however, where steam power is employed for crushing purposes, the work goes merrily on, and some really good stone has been crushed. It has been of the usual mullocky description (breccia). There is every prospect of this locality becoming an extensive and permanent quarzmining district. Bendigo will no doubt suffer a recovery next spring' there are already premonitory indications of a revival in that direction. 5. The Chinese element prefer in my district to resort to back gullies and untried places. At the Nevis they largely congregate. There are some doing well at the Nevis, and at Fraser’s River. At Earnsclcugh, a small and select party of Celestials have lately put in an appearance. 6. The yield of gold for the quarter ending 31st December, 1871, has-been as under-: ozs. dwts. Clyde 2,130 0 Cromwell 4,379 17 Alexandra ... ... 1,565 6 Blacks 2,010 0 Making a total of 10,085 3 And for the year as under : Clyde 8,126 5 Cromwell 18,620 2 Alexandra ... ... 7,461 15 Blacks ... 9,888 10 Making a total yield, as shown by Escort, of 44,093 ozs. 12 dwts., which amount bears favourable comparison with former years, and, indeed, shows an increase in the returns from Clyde, Alexandra, and Blacks, and but a slight decrease from the sub-district of Cromwell. From the tables appended to the report, we gather the following : The total number of miners in the district is 1590, of whom 1100 are Europeans, and 400 Chinese. 250 of the Europeans are engaged in quartz mining. The remainder and all the Chinese are engaged in alluvial mining. The machinery employed by the alluvial miners consists of 4 water-wheels, 6 hydraulic hoses, 10 pumps, and 195 sluice-boxes. The quartz miners employ 3 steam-engines, 8 crushing machines, 55 stamp-heads, and 5 water-wheels. The approximate value of all the mining plant in the district is £43,009. There are also 76 water-races, carrying 264 sluice-heads, and Valued at £31,850; 12 [?] tailraces, valued at £8625: and 22 dams, valued at £1690. The number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon is 15 ; and the price of gold is from £3 12s. to £3 16s. per ounce. The rates of wages for miners arc from £3 10s. to £4 per week, and for domestic servants from £4O to £SO per annum.