THE UNKNOWN NORTH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 7

THE UNKNOWN NORTH.

',—• *-. — ■ —• AWAITING DEVEUOPMENT. GOLD, SILVEE, AND OTHER MINERALS. ■ (By TelegraphI.—Special1.—Special Oorrcspondonit.) | Auckland, January 101 The country north of the city of Auckland has never been properly geologically explored, and the great variety of eoils .and of characteristics to be louud in that/ region has always invested it' With eouwi degree of niysteiy. Evcu to Aucklauders, in. many respecW. it may bo called the unknown north,. The Bay of Islands ■ correspondent of the "Horalc?' has beon calling attention to the undeveloped mineral resources of the country.-ile says some years ago there was a'big mining boom ia'Puhipuui, and amateur mining engineers were going to show- tho world great things. When the fires were lit, and there was little or no metal to be seen, onlookers said the silver.had gono up the chimney, little knowing that they had Bpoken the truth. No doubt the silver is there, but the process needed to get it from its surroundings has yet to be found. . •' Cinnabar and ( other minerals are also near at hand.. When, cinnabar is mentioned,: that piece of country between ; Ohaewai and Kaikohe ■ comes under, review. About/.twenty' years . ago' works were erected to deal with the cinnabar, and - quicksilver whs secured in good quantities,- but.it seems not in eufficientquantities to pay. -Here, again, it would appear to an outsider, that the conditions are such that,- although the first efforts, put forth' failed, yet other peoplo may;' succeed.'- The material secured no doubt was-in broken patches,- and not from the fnain deposit. 'The; amount of Bulphur ,is; troublesomo, and the heat from the boiling springs in ths workings not pleasant.; Moreover;, as in Puhipuhi, too much of the metal, was lost, - ns the condensing chamber failed to do its proper '■work.- ;- ; ''';'-. .'• ;.--.•'. ,--■''.'■.--■ :-There are several lakes of various oolcmra and .quite a number of hot, springs.In ono "place tho visitor puts one hand in water too hot to be oomiortnble, ;and theother hand in'water quite oold, butlas he looks about oh. the! sand he sees tiny i globules of quick-silver, and so ho gets proo.f j that the hot water contains mercury in solution. A mining engineer/was taken there.sonio years .ago, and he expressed .unbounded, amazement ; at :■ the neglect of such a natural curative agency. The, Maoris have always known of the benefits,' and ;pakehas go there to'get: rid of some troubles, but there: are no ghel-. ter conveniences. The highest expert evidence that, can bo given says that only in ono other place in tho worldr-in Hungary.. ! ,—\a :thero ,water with 'the mercury solution. ■":■',:'::':' .''-'::."•'- '- ! - .:'':■' ' In the northern part of the country- at; Pungaere there is a' -deposit of-shales,' covering many aores.; ' , Some experts from i Sydney~'pronounced ;it; to be unique; in . •tho world.;.dt burns freely, and, in fact, did burn : for weeks' when carelessly 6dt on fire, the 6rooke being:visible for;mile3 ; around.'' ; . SeVeral.- iattompts" have been made to; develop'it, and in one,case ; -a test gav©/ results, that appeared to be; highly satisfactory.'':/: The values of the,' several, ingredients were' given '■ in- detail. Like: other ii resources in the -.' neglected n6rth, it (still.awaits.the enterprise that will ensure successJ. One of the leading experts .who succeeded in bringing ... the oil industry in „ Taranaki through.: : the early;: troubles, at '.one time spoke far more favourably of : the prospeote of the shale in .Pungaere. than; of the oil in "Moturoa, but'the enterprise that,has won. success in the, eouth iB still wanting in ■the'-north.,.;.. ~ ,: •- ; If the question be'asked,"What about gold?" ;the answer is again, "Lack of enferprise.-' Portunately, the; railway is bringing in new people," and ; they will 1 take holdof mtiny promising natural sources'hitherte:«carcely cared-for.