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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2494, 13 February 1871, Page 2

Y olunteeks, The representatives at JtliG, Colonial matches will proceed to Auckland, per steamer Luna, on the 22nd imfc.

The Supekintendency. —Mr Macandrew was to have addressed the electors at Gleuorc this morniug; but our correspondent informs us not a single person attended. There can be no doubt that the very unreasonable hour, 10 o’clock, was the cause.

Medical. —Amongst the arrivals by the Maori on Friday was Captain Wilson, well-known in New Zealand as a medical mesmerist and galvanist Wc believe lie purposes making some stay here. “The Evangelist.” —This month’s “ Evangelist” contains several papers immediately connected with the development of Presbyterianism in Otago. In addition to these the present number contains the record of the annual meeting of the Synod. Hardor Defence. —An experimental practice with miniatr.ro torpedoes will take place, under the superintendence of Mr Lnmb, on the reclaimed ground at four o’clock tomorrow, when \ olnntccrs and others inter - ested are invited to attend.

The Land Registry..—We have permission to meat on that the lion. Captain Fraser avaik-d himself of the proyisi ns of the Laud Registration Act to-day. The titles were deposited witli the Registrar at one o’clock, and w.thout the iuterventi u of solicitor or land agents, the registration was completed by half-past two o clock. The twenty-seventh monthly meeting of the Otago Freehold Laud, Building, and Investment Society, for the purpose of paying subscriptions, &c., will he held at the olbee, in Princes street, this evening at seven o’clock. In future the meetings of this society will bo held on the second Monday in each month, instead of on the that Monday as heretofore.

Soiree. —The proceeds of the soiree announced for Friday evening, in connection with the Church of England .Synod, are to he given to the Benevolent Institution. Vve behove that invitations to ministers of all denominations have, been given, and we trust that no sectarian dillereiiccs wi.l prevent that social union which is characteristic of Christianity in the Colonies.

Princess Theatre. —Wc arc glad to notice that the Princess Theatre will be reopened to-night, and we trust the company will receive that support that t.-;eir undoubted talent ought fairly to command. The piece to be played is “ Never too late to meud,”a very appropriate title, considering the neglect with which the theatre ha - been treated, and we sincerely hope the public of Dunedin will prove the truth of the adage by shewing their appreciation of the artistic efforts of the company for their amusement.

Religious. — The first battalion of Volunteers, to the number of nearly 300 rank and lile (Majors Bathgate and Atkinson being in command) attended church parade yesterday morning, and proceeded to ISt. Paul’s, where they wore preache I to by the Bithop of Auckland, from Galatians, ch. iv. v. 7. In the forenoon the Bishop of Waiapau preached from Daniel, ch. ii., v 41; and in the evening the Bishop of Wellington from Ephesians, eh. i!i., v. 10. In the afternoon, some 400 children attending the St. Paul’s and All Sands’ Sunday Schools were addressed by the Dean of Chri-tehurch, and the parents by the Primate. The collections during the day were in aid of the Melanesian Mission, and amounted to L 54. Warden’s Report.— Mr Warden Robinson has sent his quarterly report, hut we have not room to insert it to-day ; It speaks well of the success of mining in (he Mount Ida and neighboring (list iets, especially Kaseby, St. Bathau’s, and the Serpentine. The report is interesting on account of the encouraging mention of the prospects of some of the quartz ivefs in the district. We learn that at Macrae s the Duke of Edinburgh Company is now able to keep steadily at work. It is stated that the purchasers of the crushing mill of the Plough Ridge Company have found a large quantity of gold, which, by some defect in the machinery or error in working, had not been saved ; and it is rumored that the very people who took the machinery away from Rough Ridge are not unlikely themselves t,o erect other machinery (here in its place. Mining on the Tuapeka Gclc-piki-ds.—The returns by Mr Warden Simpson under date December 31, shows that the En opeau population engaged in alluvial miirng is 970, and the Chinese 480. There are also 32 Europeans at work quartz crushing. Tho distribution is as follows; the first number representing the European and the second the Chinese :—Waitahuna, 200 100—20; Beaumont, 20—ID; Tuapeka Proper, 450-200. The machinery employed in alluvial mining consists of one turbine wheel and pumping gear ; one overshot wheel, with stamps and machinery for crushing cement, besides 20 water wheels ; 12 hydraulic hoses ; 100 pumps ; 2000 sluice boxes ; and 40 quicksilver and compound c adles. The quartz machinery includes 2 crushing machines, 18 stamp heads, 2 water wheels, and 1 whim. The approximate value of mining plant is L 4770. The area actually being worked on this field is about 5 square miles, and about 12 square miles have been mined over. In order to obtain a supply of water, 225 water races have been constructed at a cost of LA0,900. These supply 450 sluice-heads. In addition 103 dams have been built at a cost of L 13.700 ; and 429 ground sluices at 1/27,000. The Warden estimates tbc pi’esent value of the water races at 1.25,900, and the ground sluices at LIS,BOO. The goldfields revenue collected amounted to LI 327 19s, and the judicial revenue was LOO 12s Od. During the quarter 65 civil and 51 criminal eases were adjudicated upon ; 21 cases were disposed of in tbo Warden’s Court: 162 applications under the mining rules, including 30 disputed, were decided ; and IS applications under the agricultural lease regulations were received. The area of land leased during the quarter was 1227 acres, and 755 acres held under lease were sold to the lessees The quantity of gold sent from the goldfield during the quarter was 9872 ounces.

Quartz Mining. —One of the greatest obstacles to the successful development of quart/ mining in this Province has been the expense of machinery and the dilticulty and cost of transporting it up the country. So great has been the risk hitherto that the heavy preliminary outlay has prevented investment, and, iu consequence, many promising reefs remain untried. On Saturday we saw a trial of a very compact and portable machine imported by Messrs Bright Brothers, and from its performances there seems every probability that it will prove the means of developing quart/ mining. It is from Charles Young and Co, ’s St. Leonards

Iron and Engineering Works, Perth, N. 8., and realises the description given of it by the makers, inasmuch as it is “ small, compact, and portable,” and “ easily taken to pieces,” while at the same time it is exceedingly powerful, and the action of the st imps is rapid. The peculiarity of this machine is that, while the stamps only weigh about 751bs each, and the height to which they are raised by the cams is inconsidcrab'e, the force of the blow is not merely that of gravity, but is intensified by atmospheric pressure, for, in rais ng the stamp, a vacuum is formed in a chamber through which a pis'.on passes, the surface of which is acted upon hy the air in its de cent, as a matter of course, with a force, if the vacuum be perfect, of lulbs to the inch. The makers say the result of thi.s arrangement is that the 7'dbs stamp! strike with a force of KKlOlbs at each blow, ami, as the height to which they are raised is small, the blows can be repeated with great rapidity. With the two stamps 30'.) blows a minute can be struck, and the work done is described as being equal to that of an eight (ir ten stamp ordinary mill. If this be true, a new era in quartz mining Ins dawned upon us, f " the machine is simple in construction, can have the number of stamps increased, can be driven by small water or steam power, is not readily put out of order, and can have sluice-boxes and amalgamating machinery attached So very portable is it, that if our do-nothing Executive could be roused to a sense of their functions, they would avail themselves of the opportunity of prospecting thoroughly the quartz reefs of the Province : a plan the expense of which would be sanctioned by any intelligent Council, as behig the best guarantee to induce the investment of capital in so profitable an industry as quartz mining on a rich reef. Judging by what wo saw done, and comparing it with what wo have seen in Victoria, the machine seems easily worked, and under careful managoment is admirably suited to the Province. One advantage ought not to be overlooked. Should a party of"miners liud on experiment that the reef can lie more easily worked by removing the plant or that it wili not pay for working, the machinery is so easily moved that, like alluvial miners, they can take up their traps and move elsewhere.

The Knox Church Annual Congregational Soiree is announced to be held in the Church, to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. Tea is to be on the table at half-p 'St six. Several ministers and others will address the meeting. A .meeting of the Argus Building and Investment Society, for receiving subscription», applications, &c. t will be held at the Society’s office, Princes street, this evening, between six and eight o’clock.