WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2367, 2 November 1870, Page 3

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Air Warden Robinson, ■writing from Naseby, under date Out. Ist, says A very favorable season for mining operations nas had its natural result in general prosperity among the miners who have lost scarcely any time by reason of bad weather while they have as a rale always had a plentiful supply of water for sluicing. No great or remarkable individual successes are to be recorded, but the profits of the miners as a body have been very satisfactory, and, indeed it could hardly he otherwise, for besides continuous work and plenty of water the miner has had the advantage of a reduced price per head for the water that is so essential to his success. Fresh ground has been opened in several places, and almost everywhere it seems to pay for working on a proper system. The process of sluicing has been greatly improved since first the Hogburn diggings were opened, and much ground which was then left as too poor to work, is found to he highly remunerative to the miner under the system of washing now in vogu . Some of the Surface Hill c'aims hove rather disappointed the groat expectations of their holders but this has been owing rather to the excessive expenses of working than to the poverty of the ground. The town of Ivaseby has been considerably improved of Lite. Several new buildings have been lately erected and old ones altered, and at length the streets are being properlv formed with Ft!dug and channelling. The Naschy Water Company supplies the town with water hud on to the houses through iron pipes, and already the people arc beginning to water the streets in front of their stoics, by m ans of flexible hose. A lire brigade has been organised, and the neccs-ary ajipar.itus procured. While on thej subject of local improvements, I may mention also that a brewery has boon erected, and that good beer is tinned out from it at a moderate price, as compared with the cost of a similar article if brought from Dunedin. The same remarks as I have made about mining at Nasehy, will apply to most other paits of the cli.-tricfc. St. Batbans, the Kyeburn, Hamilton, Hyde, and the Macraes, have all felt the benefit of an open season. At Hyde, the system of acre claims has long prevailed, hut the miners are not all satisfied, even with an acre a man, and the tendency is toward a general adoption of the mining lease system. This is to he accounted for, firstly by the great expense of workiig ; the ground being, as a rule, deep and liable to great slips, which render it almost impossible to work small claims profitably. It is al-o felt that the tenure by lease is more secure than that by claims under the rules, and that mining properties so held have a better market value. The reef workings at Macraes have not made the progress that might reasonably have been expected. This is to .ho atlrihuted to the short supply of coal at the engine of the Buko of Edinburgh Company. The company have been depending upon Shag Point for their supplies of fuel, and dining the winter the roads were so bad, that it was impossible to get a sufficient quantity to keep the machinery going. Lately the Company’s manager made the discovery of a good seam of lignite within about four miles of the claim, and it is expected that this will prove a great assistance, and that there will he but little danger of the works being again stopped for want of fuel. A new reef has lately been reported as having been discovered at the Stonehurn, not far from Macraes. It would seem that all the hills in the neighborhood aie permeated by a net work of reefs. The inhabitants of Macraes’ township are evidently satisfied that the reefs must soon begin to yield profits, for they have of late been busily improving their premises. : It is reported tliat the quartz crashing machinery at the Rough Bidge has been sold to a Bendigo Gully company: Ris matter of regret that the Hough ilidge Company Should have gold this machinery for removal. The want of a crushing machine cannot fail to he severely felt in the district; audit is to be feared that it will operate as a check iipon prospecting enterprise. The Plough Ridge Company have apparently not been able to work their own mine to pwofit, but it is more than probable that some of the hian'y other reefs known to exist, and but slightly prospected in the district, may yet turn out very valuable. The limning of the Blackstonc Hill waterrace, near Hill’s Creek, long a conspicuous object in the landscape, has recently been taken down. The proprietor (Mr Johnston) found that the “ Live and Let Live” race, which has lately become his property, would supply all his customers at the Woolshed, &e., and therefore decided to use] the Buckstone race water elsewhere. The Marcwhouua digging have not yet begun to be worked qu any extensive scale, as the great races have not yet brought in the waters of the main rivers, All the water as yet available for sluicing is that of the smaller streamlets, for which little races have been made, or that now being picked lip in the course of constructing the larger races. The work of making these races has proved more troublesome and costly than was at first anticipated liy their projectors ; but when once they are finished they will bring in large and regular supplies of water, for which a ready market will at c nee be found. Then will a season of prosperity commence fop the Marewhenna; but until then HQ progress of any consequence can be expected.

The works of the Otekaike reef are in a forward state. A fine race has been cut in from the Otekaike river to work the machinery by water power, and a road has been made. It only now remains for the machinery to lie erected, and then the reef will got a really fair trial. Most of the machinery is already in Oamaru, and it is expected that the whole will very soon be at the mine. By statistical tables appended to the report, we learn that there are in the district 1335 European alluvial miners, 20-5 Chinese do., and 80 European quartz miners. In alluvial mining, 110 hydraulic hose, 1 pump, and 171 sluice-boxes, are employed; and in quartz mining, 2 steam-engines (of the aggregate power equal to 28 horses), 3 crushing much nes, 24 stamp heads, and 1 water wheel. The approximate value of the mining plant is L.5535. The number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon is estimated at 30 ; and the price of gold L 3 ]os per ounce.