WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2092, 19 January 1870, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Robinson (Mount Ida district), writing under date the 31st ultimo, reports as follows : The miners this season have not been inconvenienced by a shortness of the supply of water, and sluicing has therefore proceeded without interruption throughout the district. The quantity of gold sent down by the last escort —Nascby, 2,0940z ; St. Bathanf, I.OOSoz —is an unmistakable proof of the success that has attended sluicing during the last few weeks. The past year has, on the whole, been favorable to mining in this district, and the gains of the miner have been satisfactory. The total quantity of gold sent down by escort from this district for the year 1869 has been as follows r —Naseby, 22,3320k 16dwt; St. Bathans, 7,7070 i Ifidwt; Ida Valley, 4390 i Sdwt; Macraes, 9040z 15dwt; Palmerston, 3600z 4dwt; —total, 31,7440e 19dwt. To this has to be added the quantity forwarded from Maerewhenua to Oamaru, of which I have no certain account. The most important event of the year m connection with mining has been the opening up of the new goldfield at the Maerewhenua. The country on the Waitaki sid* of the range was long known to be auriferous, hut it has only been within the last twelve months that any systematic effort* have been made to developc its resources. Recent explorations have proved the existence of a payable goldfield, extending from the Awakino to the Kuraw. Throughout this area gold is more or less abundantly distributed, but, as a general rule, the wash* dirt hitherto discovered has not been rich. Excellent sluicing prospects have been obtained, and many races have been applied for to lead water into the auriferous spurs. Some of these races will be works of considerable importance. Pending the completion of tho races, but little gold is being obtained. Fresh sluicing ground has been opened at Naseby, but this cannot be classed as a new discovery made this year. It is rather that ground long known to contain gold has, by the extension of the races, been brought within tho range of sluicing operations. The auriferous drift in the locality referred to (known as Surface Hill) is of a heavier character than is generally found about the Hogburn. It is also at an exceptionally high level. The rushing down of the heavy flood from Surface Hill into the Hogburn Gully has already had a very perceptible effect in swelling the body of tailings accumulated there, and will no doubt bring the tailings difficulty to a crisis ere long. While in other parts of the Province there has been excitement about quartz reefs this branch of mining has not been neglected in this district, although no discoveries of any consequence have been made. The only localities where reefs are in work are Rough Ridge and Macrae’s Flat. At Rough Ridge the Homeward Bound Reef and Lloyd’s Reef are both being worked by the Rough Ridge Quartz Mining Company, Registered, who have purchased thfl rights of the Ida Valley Quartz Mining Company, Registered. The valuable plant of this company has been so often described that it does not seem necessary to make any particular mention of it in this report. A reduction has lately been made in the charge for crushing at the mill; and no doubt this will tend to further tho development of the other reefs in the vicinity—the Great Eastern, Queen of the Isl s, Prince Alfred, &c. At Macraes more attention has of late been paid to the valuable quartz reefs which undoubtedly exist there, and one company (the Duke of Edinburgh) has procured crushing machinery of the best class, which is now in course of erection. The great obstacle to prospecting at Macraes—the difficulty of getting quartz tested—will thus, it is to be hoped, be got over ; for no doubt the Duke of Edinburgh Company will allow the use of their machinery for trial crushings. even although, having a very thick reef of their own to work, they may not require to seek employment for their stamps in crushing for the public. There is every indication to lead to the belief that Macraes will some day be an important quartz mining district. At St. Bathan’s, mining has been placed on a more permanent footing by the completion during the past year of the new channel, or main tail race. This costly work has in every way answered the expectations of those by whom it was planned and carried out. The heavy contributions required from the holders of claims were no doubt felt to be burdensome at the time of payment, but the benefit to all concerned is now fully recognised. At the Welshman’s Gully, near St. Bathan’s, a settled mining population continues to find profitable employment. At Hamilton the most important item of the year has undoubtedly been the conversion of the great excavation of the old workings into a splendid dam, of about five acres in extent, ami 25 feet deep in its deepest part. This will to a great extent obviate the chief difficulty of the miners at Hamilton, the occasional shortness of water. At Hyde, large areas are now being taken up on lease in the main gully. The sluicing of these areas will, it is expected, be very profitable to the lessees, and employ a number of men for years. At the Kyeburn, Sowburn, Serpentine, &c. the population remains at about the same numbers as last year, and owing to the sameness of sluicing operations, there is nothing of public interest to note. The woi kings at Clark’s Diggings, commonly known as Mount Burster, are again in full operation this summer. Nothing definite will he known as to the success of the miners there until the final washings-up before the approach of winter. Last season they were well paid for their labor. The Chinese miners have this year been moving about a good deal according to their usual custom. At present there is a fair proportion of them at Spec Gully, near Naseby, Macrae’s Flat, and at Clark’s.