OTAGO.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 644, 5 March 1870, Page 4

OTAGO.

* [OTAGO TIMES SUMMARY.] Little calling for special notice has taken place in mining matters during the past nvmth, the intelligence from most of the districts reporting steady though quiet work to be going on. The only district from which any news of a sensational character has been received is Cromwell, the, reefs at Bendigo Gully having, after a brief lull, again attracted public attention. Full particulars are not yet to hand, and what has been made known through tho medium of the telegraph, though startling and, if true, highly satisfactory, is of course fragmentary. Briefly stated, it is to the effect that a rich ledge was struck on the evening of the 10th inst. by the Aurpta Company, the stone being thickly impregnated, with gold. From 31bs of this stone lib of gold was said to have been taken, and subsequent telegrams announced that this yield was by no means exceptional. Divested of the coloring usually given to reports of this kind, there appears to be no reasou to doubt that a reef of great richness has really been struck, though what its extent i 3 has yet to be seen. The Aurora Company is one that has always enjoyed the confidence of the Cromwell.mining public, as an instance of which we may mention that, a seventh share in it was sold about three weeks ago for LIOOO. We trust, therefore, that the anticipations which have been indulged in regarding it are now about to be realised, and that the late discovery is only another proof, if ojne were needed, of the undoubted richness of the reefs in this locality. • : At Clyde and Alexandra operations have, '.during a part of the month, been suspended, owing to the heavy rains and consequent flooding of the river. With regard to the yield of gold from several divisions of the Dunstan district, Mr Pyke writes as follows : —"; During the twelve months ending 31st December, 1869," the "escort' returns' show that the following quantities of gold have been despatched from the several divisions of the district, namely "i— '■..-: OZS. dwtS. " Cromwell „. ... 17,361 10 Alexandra 10,029 8 Clyde 9,495 12 Blacks ... ... ... '9,400 0 . Total Dunstan ... 46,286 10This total represents nearly one-third;of the total yield of the Otago Gold -Fields I ."* From the various diggings in the Lake .district the accounts to hand are equally satisfactory. Two tunnelling clainjis, known as Finney and Porter's"'and'.Aspin? all's, at Skipper's Point, are at work :ori some vety rich ground, their average earnings being estimated at from L3o!to L4O per week permip. The latter claim, however, which is 'worked by two '.-men, yielded the week befprelast no less than 288 ounces of gold, Valued at Llo'B7. It will thus bo seen that the days of sudden fortunes are not yet past on the diggings in Otago. ■•■■•■• : • ■ i The dredge on the Upper Shotover has at last got to' work, and is reported' to answer all; expectations. . The.. circumstance :is a satisfactory one, inasmuch 1 as it may nuw be considered proved that this sys.ent of working river beds, oa.n ibe generally applied to' the Shotover,. The field is. a very large one, and there! is room for any number of dredges. The Upper Kawarau and Lake Terraces:no ddubt will attract attention, aa there must exiat in its bed and bars many rich deposits, which .can be worked with great profit by dredging only, ■•'■'■: Iv the Mount Ida district we regret to state that the state of affairs is very 'far frorn.:being satisfactory,, mining operations in the neighborhood of Naseby bejng iit a complete Standstill on account of a. strike which::: has prevailed during the month. The r cause, of.this f, strike-is.thiis' explained by Mr Robinsciri, the. Warden .of the district: —'"The miners have Iresolved to: pay. no longer:the rate exacted •by the water companies —vi?., L 2 10s per Hogburn head for water. There have Leon several meetings, at which the

miners have come to the resolution to pay no more than 30s per head for water. It is understood that the water-race owners have declined to supply water at that price, and hence the cessation of work. The ' Hogburn head' is a stream flowing for oight hours through an aporturo of 16 square iuches seotional measurement. The Government head is 40 inches for 24 hours, so' that the Government head may be l'onglily stated as equal to seven and a half liogbnrn head?. Both parties to the dispute appear very confident and determined, but the utmost good order has prevailed. It is not improbable that a compromise will be come to." Up to last accounts, hoSvever, we regret to say that no arrangement had been arrived at, though the good order spoken of by Mr Robinson continued to be preservecl. It was at one time reported that the strike was about to extend to St. Bathans, but happily this has not taken place. At the latter diggings some very rich finds are said to have been made lately, two men having in one instance realised 2500z3 in one washing up. At Clarks, the Kyeburn, and Hamilton the miners are all hard at work, and realising good returns, and it is therefore greatly to be hoped that the progress of the district will not be longer retarded by the continuance of the present unfortunate state of matters at Naseby. At- the Maerewhenua a gold-bearing quartz reef is reported to have been discovered by a Mr- Robinson. Some specimens from this reef were taken to Oamaru and crushed; the yield being estimated to be at the rate of 3|oz to the ton. A company has been formed at Oamaru, with a capital- of LIOO, to further test the reef, which is believed to be of considerable extent. • From the other mining distriots of the province little or no intelligence has been received. At the Blue Spur, operations continue to be carried on steadily, the claims being once more in full work. The Table Hill Quartz Mining Company, near Tokomairiro, after tunnelling fur nearly 200 feet, reached the casing of the reef on the 3rd instant, aud the reef itself two days later. ; .The indications are said to be very hopeful, quartz of the size of ordinary road metal showing from three to nine specks of gold, visible to the naked eye. We may also mention here that in order to further develope the resources of the the Provincial Government haVegiven instructions that samples of gtilQ-bearing quartz may be crushed' free fof any person making application to His Honor the Superintendent ; and it is intended for this purpose to erect a small crushing machine on the reclaimed land at Dunedin to be worked by prison labor. Several samples from Blueskni, Saddle Hill, and, the Peninsula, have already been crushed by the Maoris at work on the reclaiaied land. The results will be amalgamated in a few days