THE MAEREWHENUA.

Evening Star, Issue 3353, 18 November 1873, Page 3

THE MAEREWHENUA.

A correspondent of the North Otago- Time*, who visited this goldfield a few days ago, writes as follows The township is looking up. The number of diggers has increased, and lam that there ate now some eighty men at work on the field. They hare evidently, faith in its future, as is shown by the fact that none of them propose.To lcaye the work® for shearing or harvest. Indeed, mining has, now become a settled industry at iViaerewbcnua,. ,v.it\ the neat cottages and well-kepT gardens testify to the intention of the miners to the plaoo their home. I have picked up mformationonthespot which leads, meto believe that we may yet bear more pf Maerewhemia as a goldfield than has hitherto been expepteji ; jotting and ( ompany’s new. claim, on which several wages men, besidcf his own family, are employed, is yielding handsomely, equivalent to LI a day, ,peh man; and a claim on the other side of the river, purchased about the beginning" of the year by'the pfesedt will, it is expected, at the first washing-up pay a’l expenses and clear purchase money. Several new daunt have been opened up, and, generally, proWiise well. Indeed, I repeat what I have before said, that I believe that at M acre whenua there is an extent of payable auriferous country capable of supporting at least a thousand miners. The only things requisite are energy, capital, and water-sup-ply. The gold is there, distributed otter miles and mile-) of country. A new race, about four miles long, has been brbtight in from the Awamoko by Every and flirty to work a claim on the south bank. They bate cooimencid operations, and good results are confidently anticipated. The proprietors <>f the Mosquito Race (Taylor and patty) Have commenced the construction of reservoirs for storing water on a large scale ; and I, am told that Botting and party have' obtained a subsidy from the: Government in aid of the construction of a race to ( b'd brought in from the .KakanuL These viorks trill largely tend - to promote the advancement of the field. The supply of Water in the existing race* keeps up very well, and will doubtless be better,ere lung, as there wiM j be less loss by leakage as the races get tight® ened. M’Caan and party’s r«ceajjpro»phe» completion. It will fee oqe ot jihe largest on the field, and will carry'about twelve heads. It is expected* to-be finished hristmas. The Little Wonder has been in.full work for some time, with first-class results. The Fiery Cross is in full swing, and the pro printers are being handsomely repaid far : their labor. Howe and Company have; opened out * new claim, and aro said, to have obtained very satisfactory prpspect*. A third share has been sotel for L2OO, The M acre when ua Race Company are busy cutting a race from the river, 'and in every direction there are signs of enterprise and progress. Smillio and party, I should mention, arU also extending their race. Mr Frater has also a number of men employed in finishing his race. The Golden Hill are selling water at L 6 per Government head per week, and also using part of it on their own claim with good results. ■ We also clip the following from the Time* .—We were shown yesterday a Sample of 36 ounces gold from the lower Little: Wonder claim, Maerewbenua, which is situated on the land withdrawn from the Hon. RobeiVs Campbell’s original application. The gold is of excellent quality, and wo are informed there was very little ground worked for the quantity obtained, showing that the ground is highly payable with a constant supply of water. Two hundred ounces have been purchased by one firm* cpieflyoMaipcd from tail races within the last three months. Several parties will.fcasb upabout Christmas, when good returns are looked for, judging from the. appearance: of the tail-races* 5 - Wounderstand Rotting, apd >on bayo gqt, over 200 ounces from their claim just opened, which speaks well for the future of tile field. —Our special Wpdrier tfctaila facts which prove, indubitably that the M,aei;ewhenua. field contains rich' : deposits’of gold ; and* other facts which have come tq our know* ledge to -the beliefthis will yet prove one of. the most important' fields in Otago. We may safely, say,.that the field contains upwards of 50,000 afif«s of good payably auriferous 1 country and, mdeed, bid Victorian* who havb visited it assert that finer sliiicihg grftuwJ; they have perer seen. Jt ip not our intention to write, anything which might indue® d. r Wßji to the field, because there is not room for many more miners thak are now there,- until a kinfioent supply of water is brought in to allow of operations . being carried on on a more extended scale, But t the fact remains that with that supply of water at Toast a thousand men could for years to come 1 reap food results from their Tabor T» nflning at. laerewhonua, and we are convinced that the outlay of 140,000 or 150,000 in bringing in an Ample' supply of water would'pr6ve a handsomely' remunerative investment. At present the water already brought in sella freely at 16 per .week per Government head, and it would be quite possible to bring ip an abundant supply, and let it at half that cost with splendid returns.