MAEREWHENUA.

Evening Star, Issue 3192, 14 May 1873, Page 3

MAEREWHENUA.

The prospects of this district were never so assured as they are at the present time. With plenty of water (floods and rain being pretty general of late), several of the large races within a few weeks of completion, and any extent of auriferous ground, we know of no portion of the district which offers a fairer opening to the v orking man. Getting views from the top of the hills on the road through the pass, it is quite astounding to consider the pluck of men, mostly without capital, who dared to enter those almost unapproachable gorges, to conduct water over miles of broken country to ground that had hardly been tried. Avery’s race -on the south side will be completed in about six weeks, the race taking water at so low a level, will command a constant supply. The Mosquito’s furthest branch into the Maerewhenua will be completed in about a fori night, the whole race commanding a vast extent of ground. Thomas Cooper’s race out of Stony Creek is nearly completed. M'Cann and party’s race is tabled out nearly to the head, and will be completed in about tworaorths. The race will be one of the, best properties on the field. Howe and party are said to be taking an ounce a day out of the boxes. The Little Wonder claim is also giving good results. Smiley’s claim too on the south side, is reported as sending gold away to Oamaru. Nimoand Allen’s old claim—known as the Fiery Cross—and now in possession of Taylor an i Davidson, is reported to be paying in seven ounces a week from the boxes, at the. lowest. Betting is opening out a new claim a little better than half a mile higher up the original workings, and running tailings into the Awamoko. This looks well for the extent of ground on the south side. A rpce is also registered from the Otekaike, to carry fifteen heads, and Mr Taylor is only watching the results of his other bold schemes, to enter into this ope, which would be a great source of wealth to the diggers. We weye enabled to obtained some statistics of this field, which we think may be ta' f en as fairly accurate. Errors have probably arisen as to length of races constructed, and as to the water they may be expected to carry on an average, but we preferred to err on the low side than on the other. We find then that the following races have 152 miles constructed, and 49 more to cut. On the south side

Taking a computation as to average carrying capability—that if published individually might create a storm around our beads—we find that at the very least these races wili bring in 404 Government heads ; which, let at L 3 per week for a day of eight hours would realise L 18,949 per year. The value of the water saved on Sundays would b( 1.2,707, and should pay after the first year for management and maintenance. Taking this revenue from the races, and dividing it into the number of shares, we find a neti icsult of over L3OO per share per annum. Wo guard ourselves by repeating that we have taken the very lowest quantity of water in each race. Many, no doubt, would calculate the water brought on at nearly doubh forty and a half heads. The result is verj Satisfactory shows that this held pro*

miaea to be one of the moat prosperous in tin Province. One other calculation is worth noting. Forty and a half Government head? 'or eight hours is equivalent to one hundred md twenty-one and a half for twenty-fou ■ours, and one head should employ two liners. Hence we have a mining populatior ■f 24.) mon. At present there is work foi •• uicers, and as each race is completed th r icmand will ir crease. . Mount Ida Chronicle.

Name of Hace. Miles Miles Cut. to Cut. The Mosquito has 2d 0 Butting's race 20 9 The Hand of Hope 18 8 The Maerowheuua 8 14 The Golden Hill v . 12 4 The Awamoko 0 0 The South Awamoko 4 0 Smiley's, South Gully ... n 0 Smiley’s race a 0 Avery and Henry's a 0 Beraud’s, now Smiloy’s ... 4 0 Cooper's lower raoo On the west side U 0 Nimo and Allen’s 14 0 Idie Little Wonder 0 2 Do. do. No. 2... 2 0 Ben Lomond race 4 12 Howe and Company's ... M‘Cann and Co.’s 9 12 0 nearly complete. Do. tail race 1 0