WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 2964, 19 August 1872, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Mr Warden Robinson, writing from Naseby under date July I, reports to the Provincial Secretary of the Goldfields as follows : During the last three mouths the miners have had rather a better opportunity of working than in the previous quarter, for although there has been a good deal of time lost by reason of frosts there has been a tolerably plentiful supply of water in most places. 'Hie alluvial miners have made the most of their time, aud considering the interruptions they have experienced, nave, on the whole, done better than could have been expected. Still the season has not been favorable. What the miners want is a steady continuance of moist, open weather to enable them to make up the losses they have sustained by the many stoppages of work that they had to submit to during this year. These remarks must be held to apply to alluvial mining in every part of the district. The most important item in mining affairs in the past quarter has been the rapid development of a quartz mining district in the Shag Valley, among the hills about Dunback. A large number of claims have been taken up, and some of the claim-holders have shown great energy in pushing forward with their works. I must especially mention the company known as Duncan’s party, who have in an incredibly short space of time got machinery erected on one of their claims, and have set men to work to prospect in all directions. If is understood that th -y will before very long have their machinery ready for crushing, when the real value of some of the reefs -will' be speedily tested. It would be premature to hazard guesses of probable yield, but I may be allowed to say that some persons who appear to have means of information are very sanguine of the result. It is to be hoped that the first crushing will shew a remunerative return, for should it be otherwise, it is to be feared that many who ate now laying themselves out to test the reefs, may be daunted, and led to give up before giving them a fair trial, I am persuaded that there are reefs that will pay well to work, but it may take some time really to prove their value.

At Naseby, although mining has been dull, for the same reasons that have affected alluvial workings throughout the district, the miners and business people have been somewhat enlivened by the fact that there seems at last to be a far prospect of their getting the long talked of main channel. The surveys for this work are now com* pleted, and the surveyor (Mr Simpson) is proceeding to take levels, &c., for races from the Little Kyeburn and the Manuherikia. Great expectations are raised as to the benefit the district will derive from these works, if carried out. It is not too much to say that if these works can be carried out in their entirety, they will give to Naseby a new lease of prosperity to last for very many years to come. A great work has been proposed at Macraes. It is intended to cut a tunnel tail race to drain the Macraes Flat into Deep Dell. Surveys are about to be made for this work. If proved to he practicable I confidently expect it will be executed by a private coirpauy, as the ground is known to be rich, aud although most of it has been partially worked over, it would pay splendidly for sluicing on a large scale.

The population of the district is 1,725, including 345 Chinese, Alluvial mining giv£B employment to 130 hydraulic hoses and 221 sluice-boxes, and quartz-mining to 5 crushing machines of 35 stamp-heads, the aggregate value of the mining plant being L 9,028. There are also 221 water races, valued at L 72.000 ; 242 tail-races, valued at L 30,200 ; and 108 dams valued at L 13,700. The number of square miles actually worked upon is 28. The gold escorted during the quarter was ; —Mount Ida, 4,179 ozs ; St Bathan’s, 1,175 ozs ; Palmerston, 203 ozs ; t„tal, 5,557 ozs.