GENERAL MINING MEMORANDA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 530, 14 June 1872, Page 3

GENERAL MINING MEMORANDA.

Latest reports ; from the Lyell, give very cheering intelligence. The last washing-up by Zala and party realised 2160z5. of amalgam, yielding lOOozs. of pure gold from the ripples alone, the plates being untouched. This was the result of twelve days’ work, and yielded the party about 60/. per man. They are at present sinking about 400 feet below the highest pitch of the ground, on the main reef, and have struck richer stone, which they are now paddockiug in readiness for a big crushing. A one-eighth share in this big claim recently, changed hands for 1000/., and a purcel of scrip found a purchaser at Nelson for 1500/. The Dee-side claim at - the Thames was sold at auction by Messers. . Gudgeon and Co., for thejmm of 115/. One of the directors of the Multum in Parvo Company was the purchaser. In the Caledonian mine at the Thames, a ventilating-fan is now in use that can be worked up.'to 1000 or 1200 revolutions per minute. The blast is so powerful, that, recently, a good large dog was blown round by the air forced from it. In Victoria they can now crush quartz at a profit that will only yieid ’ sdwts. to the ton, and can so treat their tailings as not to lose a pennyweight per ton of gold combined with pyrites. Wo learn from our Auckland file that a company has been formed with the object of prospecting the Taurauga district. A letter was forwarded to the Superintendent of Auckland asking what reward or consideration the company would be entitled to if successful. The Landing, on the Inaugahua River, must be a pleasant place to |live in, jif the following description by’ a correspondent of the Herald is correct“ The Landing now excels in drunkenness and fights. Regularly every week, as the roadmen get in for tucker, they make it a practice to imbibe so much strong alcohol as to make them fightable. This, let it be remembered, is only among a certain class of them. They then insult, assault, and run riot amongst the towns people. Last Sunday night witnessed the infliction of severe injuries by kicking and jumping, when down, on those who did not at once side with them. Knives even were drawn, and when it' comes to such weapons lives are hardly safe ; and unless some security is given to life and property, even by the presence of one policeman, the same scenes will occur again,” An Adelaide paper has been shown between one and two dwts. of gold, obtained by a member of the telegraph expedition from one dish of surfacing about 200 miles from Port Darwin, and close to the line of telegraph. The gold is rough, and the largest piece has quartz and iron stone adhering to it. A full share in Beard’s claim, Hawkin’s Hill, Tambaroora, New South Wales, has been sold for 10,000/. Carroll’s dividends are said to have been something like--15,000/.' The total quantity of gold exported from the Westland portion of the West Coast gold-fields, since the opening,of the West Coast to 31st March last,' was 1,642,841 ounces, valued at 5,401,771/. ; while the Nelson gold,fields exported 1,153,412 ozs., valued at 4,509,972/. We copy the following from our Inangahua contemporary of the 22ndult.—’'The Heart of Oak, Carrick, Otago, crushing of 175 tons, yielded 2,553 ozs., or II oz. 14 dwt. to the ton. News, certainly. By a return to an order of the Legislative Assembly, Victoria, it appears that there are in that-colony 88,650 acres being mined for gold ; namely, 39,190 acres worked under 10,425 miners’ rights, at a depth exceeding 100 feet; 25,989 apres worked under 2,849 miners’ rights, at a depth less than 100 feet; 23,471 acres of quartz claims worked under 17,909 miners’ rights. . Gold has been found at two spots widely distant from any spot where traces of it had before been found ; in Tasmania. One of these is Ring’s Island, and thediseovercr is Mr. Spory, the light-house keeper. The gold is in a reef. The other place is at the Hellyer River, south of Rock Cape. The discoverers in this case have claimed the reward offered by the Government for a payable gold-field. One of the party has been all over New Zealand and Victoria, and says that the locality is different to any other seen in Tasmania, and very much resembles the best of New Zealand country. It is satisfactory to notice that arrangements are now progressiug to work the refs in the Duuback Ranges in an earnest and spirited manner. Messrs. Geo. Duncan and Glover s party have already placed machinery on the ground, and there is quite an accession of population in the neighbourhood, who have taken up claims and have set into work zealously. All impediments to working the prospectors’ claim of thn Shag I alley Quartz Mining Company are now removed, and we understand that operations will be commenced at once by machinery being plaed on the ground.— It'iiU-mmti Herald. The Westland County Government have sent an exploring party, under the leadership of Mr. Browning, of the Survey Department, to look for quartz reefs near the sources of the Hokitika and Kokatahi rivers.