WARDEN’S REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 3690, 20 July 1875, Page 2

WARDEN’S REPORT.

Warden Beetham, writing" from Queens town under date July 8, reports as follows :

There is nothing new in mining matters to report upon, except as regards the progress made in auartz mining. In my last report 1 mentioned that the quartz claim known as the Scandinavian reof had been let on tribute to a party of practical miners ; prior to|tbis the claim bad been prospected and worked for years with success. When the arrangements were made with the tributers the machinery was very much out of repair, aud the mine generally was not in work. In consequence of this it was Impossible to inspect the workings during the visit of Mr Ulrich to the quartz lodes of Skipper’s Creek. Shortly after the mine had been taken in hand by the tributers, a splendid patch of stone was struck, I have heard various estimates as to its yield per lon, which has been placed by geod judges as high as 50oi. It is stated that the body of stone shows at present for a length of forty yards, byja probaidejheight of 400 ft._ The result of this find is that several applications have been made for quartz claims on ground which, though known to contain reefs, had been abandoned years ago. The manager of the Nugget Reef informs me that a tunnel has been commenced at a spot situated about 500 ft below the present work* ings of the company. This tunnel will pro* bably cut the reef in the solid at that depth. In alluvial mining I have nothing of any interest to report. The season, which has hitherto been a very open one, baa been by no means favorable to river or sreek workings, I

hars only heard a{ ana company ftha Hibernian) which has been fairly on the bottom. The weather has been most favorable for farming operations, and preparations for next season’s crops are far advanced. 1 question very rrush il a large breadth of land will be cropped this year in consequence of the impossibility of getting grain away. There will be no improvement, as far as this is concerned, until the railway to the coast is finished. The gold escorted from this district during the three months ending 30th June, amounts to 3,7740s Sdwts. 662 a. 2r. 30p. or land had been taken up under agricultural lease; 27a. 2r. Cp. under the mining license regulations; and 39a. as extended claims. Forty-eight cases have been heard in the Resident Magistrate’s and Warden’s Courts, and sixty-eight mining applications have been dealt with during the quarter.