WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2628, 20 July 1871, Page 3

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Eobinson, writing from Naseby, under date, July 1, reports as follows: — The first three months have been remarkable for a long succession of dry weather, which has caused water to bo scarce, &nd has seriously affected the progress of mining in this district, where sluicing is the ordinary, indeed, almost the only method employed f >r the extraction of geld. Nevertheless the escorts have kept up to about the usual average, and trade does not seem to have been much affected. It is to be hoped that before long the mountains will be showing a good coating of snow, as otherwise there will be reason to fear a great deficiency of of water for mining in spring and summer. Prospecting for new ground has been lately carried on about Naseby with some success. No particularly rich patches have been struck, but fair sluicing ground has been discovered. One consequence of this has been that the Hit or Miss Company’s rear has been extended along the spur on the e ist {side of Hogburn, being flamed across the Dunedin road. It seems not improbable that before long mining may extend along the spur for a considerable distance beyond the present limits of the workings, thus giving promise of the long continuance of a large mining population in this jiart of the goldfields, it is not unlikely that this consideration has had some influence with those who have lately been building new houses about Naseby. Several new dwellings of a more ambitious character than had previously been in vogue have lately been erected about the town, greatly improving its appearance. A private company of miners and others has lately been formed with the object of undertaking the construction of a main channel for tailings, which has so long been regarded as the most pressing want of the Hogburn digging. I tm not yet in a position to state exactly what they propose to do, in fact 1 have reason to believe that their plans are not yet fully matured ; but I believe 1 am correct in stating that their intention is to ask the Government to grant them a large area of ground as a claim for making the channel. Applications have been made for special extended claims in three different places. One is at Hamilton, where it is proposed to work on a large scale a part of the old worked ground in the main gully, now covered up with tailings. For this purpose it will be necessary to carry up a tail race nearly three miles in length. The fatality that seems to attend almost all quartz; mining enterprises in Otago has overtaken the Marewhe-nua Quartz Mining Company (Limited) at the Otckuike reef. This company, with admiral)'c courage and perseverance, succeeded in getting their claim well opened out, a crushing mill erected, a road made from the claim to the mill, aud a race cut from the Otekaike Kiver to bring in. water to drive their machinery. They had a large quantity of stone ready for crushing, which showed a very encouraging prospect for such tests as they had been able to employ, and everything looked as if they were at length about to see the reward of their patience and labor. Being anxious to have a good crushing to begin with, they put through about IbO tons of stuff, and got from it the miserable result of about 4 zs. of gold. This was of course a terrible (U 9 - appoiutraeut to them ; hut tfyey are not yet altogether discouraged. Feeling sure that they must have been losing gold, they are hoAV trying experiments to find, if possible, fybw the loss has occurred. They arc satisfied that the e is gold in the stone, and they hope to yet find how to save it. This confidence seems not to be confined to the proproprietors. The wages im n also think well flf the stone, and have agreed to work for six weeks on the understanding that they arc to get nothing for their labor beyond what may be obtained from the claim. The result of th« present experiments will be looked for With great anxiety, not only by those immediately concerned, but by all who take an interest in quartz reefing on that side of the country. If the r. suit is favorable, other claims on the same line of reef will be worked, and other reefs known to exist will be carefully prospected ; but if payable prospects are not now obtained, it is to be feared that quartz mining will, for a time at least, be abandoned. Tfip face ©f the Ben Lomond Water Eace Mifiing Company, Ecogistered, at Marcwhenua, which was lately sold under warrant of distress, was bought by a well-known Hogburn miner, a man of practical experience, who intends to look after it himself. It is generally believed that he will find the speculation very profitable, as he obtained the property at a very low figure. Appended to the report.are tables of statistics, of which the following is a summary ; —TUe gold forwarded by escort during the

quarter ending June 30, 1871, was 6,274 oz. Miners (alluvial) —European, 1,220; Chinese, 220 ; quartz, European, 55. MachineryHydraulic hoses, 81 ; sluice boxes, 142. Quartz machinery—Steam engines, 2 ; horse power, 28; crushing machines, 3; stamp heads, 24 ; water wheels, 1. Value of mining plant, LG,050. t-quare miles of auriferous ground actually worked, 32. Water races, 124; cost, L 72.062. Sluice heads, 228; present value, L 52,730. Tail races, 192 j cost of construction, L 21,930 ; present value, LI 6,600. Dams, 90; cost, L 9,260 ; present value, 1.8,350.