Our Quicksilver Mines.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 177, 1 April 1873, Page 7

Our Quicksilver Mines.

(S'ou'hrri) Crm.) Om- readers will remember that fo- some i.mu* past an occasional reference Las been nuole to the quicksiker mines in the Bay of Islands di strict. V.’e learn that they are in a fan' way of being turned to some account. ,*lr Jo.tni It bite, of this City, formeilv long connected with the Native department, has just succeeded in leasing the land upon which the springs are where the mercury has been lound, from the Natives, for a period of one hundred years. The terms of the lease are favourable to the Natives. Th;y receive a royalty of twenty-live per cent, upon all the produce of the mine or mines, after paying working expenses. Liberal provision is ’also made bath for the NuTvc owners and tie lessee in the event of towns springing up on the 4000 acres so based. The name” of the block is called To Ngawha Tuhakino. The ground lias not been passed through the Native Land Court, but this is to be done immediately, and we hope that no longer time will be allowed to elapse before vigorous efforts are made to develop the mineral wealth of the district. Iho urea of ground leased is large, and the currency of the lease is of ample length to secure a liberal investment of capital to speedily render the speculation a payable industry in our midst/ A large quantity of quicksilver is used in th’s Province upon our gold-tields, and this is likely to'be considerably increased rather than di- \ minished, owing to the future development; of the gold-fields. Mercury has been found i jin this district s nce lSdu, and on the 10th 1 0.t.»l«;r, 187u, Captain F. AV. Hutton read a j paper on the subject before the Auckland I Institute. The mercury is found in a series 1 |of small vallevs which are connected with | | each other, ft is in these valleys where the ! | springs arise in and near which the mercury | j and cinnabar have been found.