MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 3568, 30 July 1874, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

{From our own Correspondent.)

Upper Shotovek. —Above the Nugget reof, the first party met with on the river is Ashworth’s dredging party (Sand Hills), who have been working about this part of the liver for some time. This party have not found their calling so remunerative as their outlay of capital and steady perseverance merited. They lost their first dredge by a flood, and replaced it by their present one. At present they are working ground which gives much trouble to sink in, as the stuff is composed of light drift, which washes in and fills up their paddocks. The sinking is about six feet, and the depth of water a little less. Above them is a tail-race party—Scully’s—■who have been working some very good ground lately. Oarline’s claim is worked by a water-wheel and centrifugal pump The ground is shallow, but the flow of water is very heavy through the porous drift, and about two years have been spent by this party with little return as yet. (Jotter’s party have also been engaged about the same time, and work their claim in the same manmer. Although their claim is registered at present, they expect to get some good gold when they start again, as they obtained 27<>z out of a small prospecting paddock. They •topped work because their pump was not large enough to beat the water ; but a little knowledge of mechanics would have I*l na to have overcome this difficulty by the erection of an intermediate shaft between the wheel and the pump fitted with pulleys, by the aid of which the speed of the pump could have been multiplied. The working of these claims, which are mostly shallow— about 6ft —ceuld be carried on much more economically and effectually by tail-races than by machinery, as the frosts are so severe in winter that much delay and inconvenience is suffered, besides the expense of machinery • whereas, in a covered tail-race, after the first cost of construction no further expense is

needed. Much of the lo»s suffered by the miners here ia caused by the want of a proper tail-race to work the ground. The Chinese almost always work river claims by tail-races, and their success has therefore been great in this difficult branch of mining. Should the Knropeans in this part of the river not adopt this plan of working, the claims will certainly fall into the hands of the Celestials, who will then take up these extensive river flats, consisting of many mdes of entirely new ground. A few isolated parties have been spending years in vainly trying to make money ; but for want of the enterprise necessary for the construction of the works I recommend, they have almost entirely thrown away their time, besides causing the belief that the gold deposits of this part of the Shotover are uuremuncrative, while the fact is that they would pay exceedingly well if systematically worked. And the field is a large one, the valley of the river being very wide here, and in.the depth of working shallow runs of gold of vaiyiug width and richness are met with. The gold is the most peculiar sample I have seen, being course (from liz. pieces downwards) and very rugged, and intermixed with quartz, thus plainly pointing out that reefs will certainly be met with higher up the river. Small nuggets of silver are also occasionally met with. This neighborhood is of_ interest to sportsmen, as large numbers of wild pigs are running in the ranges. They are much superior to the wild pigs met with in other parts of the Province, as it is a colony of escaped pigs from settle,-s at Arrow and Shotover. Wh::n killed and dressed they are nearly equal to the ordinary pork. The miners catch a good many and fatten them, and if a party choose to start the business of bacon curing here they would hare a good chance, as the game is abundant, and may be had for the shooting.