The Inangahua Reefs.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 127, 16 April 1872, Page 7

The Inangahua Reefs.

Too following particulars regarding the above reefs, (which we take from the Thames (rii'inUnn,) maybe of interest to many of our I readers : A gentleman of our acquaintance who Hft, the Thames about three months a,"-, intending to try his fortune at the much-talked <>. i Inaugaliua Reefs, returned by the s.s. Wellington on Wednesday last, and has supplied us with the following particulars respectln , r | that district:—-Things in general are not so i nourishing at Reeffon as people, at a distanc imagine ; the bright side only is presented by tliuse who have an interest, there, and are desirous of augmenting the population, in ] order that others may be induced to come : but when the gold-seeker reaches the Reefton eldorado he soon discovers the dark aspect of 'matters for himself. There are eight distinct lines of reef ; but it is by no mears | certain that they all bear gold in payable quantities : only two or three havelven properly and fully prospected and tested. There are three quart-T-crnshirsg machines being I erected, neither of which is yet in working I order. The most advanced is that of J\iac;i end Dixon, which was to have commence! 1 or»( rations on the 13th instant, but a portion 'of the chimney fell, being built ..f Kid r.ia- \ i erial. The prov rielois are repairing damages

p-..i quickly as circumstances will allow, sub* 1 stitiiting bricks for stone, the bricks being , packed on horse-back from Greymoiith, a dis- : tance of about sixty miles. The machinery-, engine-hous:-, ifcc, ha»e cost ov<r £7( 0(1-. Of the Other two mills, one is to be driven by steam and the ether by \v;.tier-power, and | will be used by their respective proprietors for crushing their own stone-. The cost <.: i carriage from the sea-board to the reefs ranges from £l7 to £25. The distance is between 00 and 70 miles, 50 miles of which is by water, and the remainder over exceedinglyrough country. Shield's (Mace and Dixon's) ■is the claim thought most favourably of : they have at present 200 tons of quartz in paddock ready for the mill, which is expected to yield from 1| oz. to 2 ozs. per ton. Three new rushes have recently taken place in the district—Painkiller, Rainy Creek, and Harris Creek. No trial crushing has yet been made known from either of these places, and for anything that is known to the contrary, they may be non-gold-bearing. It hj about two years since Shield's and one or two other claims were taken up, although they have not been prominently before public notice so long. Wages are £4 per week, but employment is hard to get: indeed, the e are only one or two companies who employ labour. In the boarding-houses living costs" £2 10s. per week. So that should work be plentiful and easily obtained at £4 per week, while living costs £2 10s.-, there would not be a large _ margin of profit. One bad feature j of tilings is, that most of the claims are disputed, which, is likely to entail costly and protracted litigation. Our informant is of opinion that Inangahua will ultimately be a good and permanent I quartz gold-mining district ; but says that i time and capital are necessary to develop its i resources. At present there is but little | capital in the field, and without it nothing can be done at Reefton. For a man who has but a few pounds ill his pocket to go there is nt least unwise. A man must have money to invest, and be prepared and willing to wait some months, if not years for a return. He thinks that those who leave steady employment here with the hope of bettering themselves there are foolish, anil will ere long be convinced of their folly. So say we.