THE GOLDFIELDS.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1929, 12 July 1869, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS.

(From (he Tuapeka Times.) The Manuherikia correspondent of the Tuapeka Times writing under date the 7th instant, says ; Up to the present we have had a fine winter in this quarter. The weather during the past month has been for the most part frosty, although not of so severe a nature as in any way to impede mining op rations. Nor were the few intervals of thaw followed by any serious rise in the Molyneux river. The beginning of the present month gave promise of greater severity, the frost being so intense on Friday and Saturday last as to stop the supply of water in some of the races ; however, it did not last long, and the weather at present, though still inclined to frost is all that could be desired. The Molyneux has been steadily decreasing in volume for the last two months, and is now at a very low level. For this, as well as for the fine weather, we are, or at least ought, to be truly thankful. Kitt and Co. of the renowned Frenchman’s claim, have bottomed some weeks ago, and have some twenty hands employed. ’ihe yield of gold, though perhaps not up to that of former years is still very favorable, fro a 60 to 100 ounces being nothing unusual for the twenty-four hours sluicing. The deep ground, which was proved to be so rich last year, has not been touched this season, Mr Kitt having as yet confined operations to the shallow bottom.

The Hit or Mias, next claim to the Frenchman’s, is likewise in full work, and promises to surpass former years in the yield of gold. St mhrook and Co., Butcher’s Point, bottomed their claim last week, and obtained some very fair prospects, though scarcely so good as last year. From the plucky and energetic manner in which this company have gone to work, and the amount of labor which they employ, about thirty hands being the average, it is to be hoped that they -will make a good thing of it. The Mannherikia Sluicing Co. are still sinking for the main bottom in their claim on the Mannherikia river, near Butler's Point. They are now down some twelve feet below the level of the river, but as yet there is no appearance of either wasiulirt or bottom. The drift appears to get firmer as they get down, and is, in appearance, more like the drift peculiar to the hanks of the Molyneux than that of the Mannherikia. This tends to confirm the general belief that the Molyneux once had its bed somewhere about the company’s claim. The Ovens Co. are still confining their operations to the ground locally known as the “ Bluff Face.” and it would appear, from the close manner in which th y stick to the same place, that they must be doing well. Of dredges we have no less than five at work between here and Clyde, all of which, are doing well. This branch of mining is paying better than any other in the district. The shareholders of the Alabama have averaged about L4O per man per week since the commencement of the season. The Galatea has been paying dividends of as high as L3O per man per w ok, while the Clyde paid its shareholders lately over LI 10 each for one week ; this, however, was rather an exceptional week, and such rich patches are not often met with. I am informed that Messrs Beattie and Co.’s dredge at the Twelve Mile Beach, as likewise some of the dredges at work near the Teviot, are doing little or nothing. WAITAHUNA. The works in connection with the Wetherstone’s deep shaft continue to progress in a s-'ti factory manner. The workmen have sunk seven feet into the bed rock, to act as a well, and are driving a chamber on the old level, in the direction of the dip, which appears to be at an angle of about GO degrees. The chamber they are at work on is intended to be about four feet wide and five feet six inches high, and eight feet long. After it is completed they will commence a narrower drive, which it is believed will not require to be timbered. Great hopes are entertained of reaching the gutter in a very short time, and we believe the expectation to be well grounded. Auriferous strata strongly resembling the cement wo ked in the Wetherstones hills have been passed through, a r,d everything tends to encourage the belief that a successful termination will reward the promotion of the work. At all events the question should be put at rest, and the value of the lower bottom th roughly tested before the workings arc allowed to stop. If the funds in hand prove insufficient, it is the duty of Government to grant the small extra sum that may be required, otherwise the money already expended might as well have been thrown into the Molyneux. Encouraged by the terms offered by the Plnenix Water Company, a > arty lias been formed to te<t the cement d po it on this side of Wetherstoncs. Several claims have been pegged off, and as the auriferous deposit is not so hard as that found in the John Bull and Mooney’s claims, there is "very probability of it being worked to advantage, THE ARROW. In mining matters there is nothing particular to report, The yield of g.Jdisvery satisfactory, considering the small number of the population engaged in raining—in fact, mining for gold here, like everywhere else in Otago, is a highly remunerative b-ancli of lab >r. Nothing has yet been done in the matter of dredging the river beds, b it the Shotovcr, Arrow, Kawarau, and many of

the benches of the Wakatip should present considerable inducement for this branch of mining enterprise, the Shotover more especially. _______________