WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2712, 26 October 1871, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Beetbam (Queenstown district) reports for the quarter ending September 30:—

During the last throe months, as will be observed from the tables, the Chinese population of the district has greatly increased. I estimate that at one time during the quarter there could not have been less than 1800 Chinamen in the district. This number was lessened by the departure of gangs of men to the Nokomai and other goldfields in the south.

Tne very wet, boisterous weather we have lately experienced has to some extent interfered with the development of mining operations. The yield of gold during the quarter has, however, reached to within 100 ounces of the quantity sent down during the quarter ending June 30. The total yield is 89560z. 17dwt. 23gr. In quartz mining, the sluicing company at Skippers have proved a very large body of stone to be payable, giving sufficient work to last for many years. The reef runs from four to sixteen feet in thickness, and is estimated to yield six pennyweights to an ounee to the ton. This, with the great stamping power of the company, will pay admirably. The Otago Company are prospecting below their original workings, and expect shortly to prove the existence of a very large body of payable stone. At the Upper Sbotover, the .Nugget Claim, under the managensetrtP of T. F. Koskrage, is crushing, and has lately turned out some very good stone, which may be considered as to grass to last for many years. The dredges are at present idle in consequence of the spring floods. Messrs Greaves and party have, I believe, not yet tried their patent diving apparatus, the water being too muddy. This consists of a diving dress and helmet, supplied with air by a pump to be worked from the deck of the punt. It ig intended to clean out crevices in the rock by this means which could not otherwise he touched.

A very large breadth of land is under crop this season throughout the whole district, and a very noticeable improvement has taken place in the character of the farmhouses, buildings, &c. Planting is very extensively practised on nearly all the farms, and will no doubt in a few years considerably alter the rainfall of the district.

During the quarter 454 mining applica? tions were dealt with, 55a. 3r. 12p. were taken up under the Mining Lease Regulai i >ns, 302 acres were granted as extended claims, 297 heads of water were registered, and 1407 a. Is 34p. acres were granted under the Agricultural Lease Peculations. The yield of gold was—Queenstown, 55740z. 2dwt.; Arrowtowu, 33820z. 15dwt. The statistical tables state that in the Queenstown division of the district there are 701 European and 700 Chinese alluvial miners, besides 40 European quartz miners ; and in the Arrow division 500 European and 529 Chinese alluvial uppers. The ipachinery employed in alluvial mining comprises 211 sluices and whins ; 5 water wheels ; 54 hydraulic hoses ;35 pumps ; 981 sluice boxes ; and that in quartz raining 4 crushing machines of 59 heads of stamps and three water-wheels. The approximate value of the whole of the mining plant is L 46.037 ; the number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon, 96 ; and the price of gold L 3 15s an ounce.