THE PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 821, 15 March 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1871.

' We have been furnished with a copy of Reports of the Mining Surveyors and Registrars of the Tictorian Gold Fields, and statistical tables compiled by the Secretary for Mines in that Colony. The first result of a perusal of these documents is regret that the New Zealand Government should not have considered it worth while to produce a similar work regarding the Gold Fields of this Colony. The returns and reports now before us are not intended to be of a pretentious character, but are simply matter-of-fact statements published as part of the ordinary and necessary routine of the duty of the Mining Department. Reports are supplied respecting seven principal districts, and no less than fifty-two divisions and sub-divisions of districts. Theße reports are of the most complete and comprehensive character, embracing every particular relating to the mining industry, and giving in- ; formation upon other subjects of interest concerning the respective localities. From bheße reports the Mining Secretary is enabled to supply the Government and the public with valuable statistics, which are of themselves the best commentaries upon the importance of the gold mining iudustry. We have not only the general totals as to yield of gold, number of population, aod such other particulars as we are accustomed to in the Warden's Reports iv this Colony, but also details showing the rate of production in each locality, and distinguishing the yield from quartz and alluvial claims. A return is also given of the individual results of every considerable claim in the Colony, the value of the machinery, and the number of miners employed, and the value of the gold sold. For iustance, we leavn that during the quarter ended December 31st, 1870, there were 28,281 Europeans and 15,015 Chinese employed in alluvial mining, and 15,887 Europeans and only 64 Chinese occupied in quartz reefing. This population was divided as follows :— Ballarat and sub-districts, 14,375 : Beech-

worth, 9184; Sandhurst, 8994; Maryborough, 12,196 ; Oastlemaine, 8795 ; Ararat, 2708; Gipps Land, 2995. The value of the machinery employed was £2,128,896. Four hundred and three steam engines, of an aggregate_ power of 9915 horses, were employed in driving machinery on alluvial claims ; and 711 steam engines, representing 13,572 horse power, were used on quartz reefs. The report before us gives in detail the number and description of the various kinds of machinery employed. Steam and horse puddling machines are largely employed in the alluvial workings, the number of these being no less than 351 steam and 1567 horse machines. As marking the different conditions of working in Victoria and Westland, we may mention that whilst the plan of " hydraulicism," as it is called, is likely to be the most useful system of working in New Zealand alluvial ground, only twelve hydraulic hoses are put down for the whole of the Victorian Gold Fields. In quartz mining 6592 stamp? are kept going in crushing the quartz, besides crushing machinery of other descriptions. The number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon is returned as being 938 J, and the number of distinct quartz reefs actually proved to be auriferous is stated to be 3037. Taking the various chief districts with their subdivisions, the particulars are as follows : —

Ballarat: Population, 14,375; steam engines, 352 ; value of mining plant, £565,398. Beechwohth : Population, 9184 : steam engines, 121 ; value of mining plant, £313,152. Sandhurst : Population, 8994 ; steam engines, 198 ; value of mining plant, £435,645. Maryborough : Population, 12,190 ; steam engines, 185 ; value of mining plant, £294,305. Castlemaine : Population, 8975 ; steam engines, 168 ; value of mining plant, £276,258.

Ararat : Population, 2709 ; steam engines, 44 j value of mining plant, £108,818. Gipp's Land : Population, 2995 ; steam engines, 46 ; value of mining plant, £145,320.

The estimated yield of gold got respectively from alluviums and quartz reefs was, for the quarter, 196,7070z. alluvial, and 174,4800z. quartz— total, 371,1870z. The average price of gold of all kinds may be assumed at £3 17s. 6d. per oz., although it ranged from £3 to £4 Is. This would make the earnings of the Gold Fields for that period £1,437,350, or an average for the population employed on mining of nearly £26 for the quarter, or £2 per week. But, in order to arrive at any fair estimate of the profits of gold mining in Victoria, we must deduct from the value of the yield at least 10 per cent, of the value of the machinery employed, to cover interest on its cost and wear and tear, which would amount to over £200, 000 a-year, or say £50,000 per quarter — bringing the earnings of the miners, supposing all the proceeds to go into their pockets, down to £23 10s. per quarter, or a little over 365. per week. That portion of the statistics relating to the yield of particular districts is especially instructive in proving how small an average yield may be made to pay. For example, the average rate of gold per ton of quartz in the Colony is 9dwts. 20-07gra., the highest exatnplo being furnished by Gipps Land, where the average yield is loz. sdwts. 22*29grs. to the ton. The average yields of the quartz reefs of the other districts are : Ballarat, sclwts. 22'60grs.; Beech worth, Bdwts. 18'34grs.; Sandhurst, lldwts. 9'3sgrs.; Maryborough, Bdwts. 22'83grs.; Castlemaine, lOdwts. 3'^gra. ; Ararat, 14dwts. 15'87grs. Of course there are many special instances of yields much above the average of which we may select a few as illustrations. One quartz claim in the Ballarat district gave 7oz. 14dwts. 16grs. to the ton, but only 70 tons were crushed. Another at Creswick gave loz. s^dwts., but only 18 tons were crushed. At Steiglitz as much as soz. 17grs. per ton were obtained from 41 tons. Similar instances of exceptional yields are furnished by the various districts, but it is noticeable that the large workings generally run about the average. Good returns are also obtained from quartz tailings and mullock reworked averaging from 2dwts. per ton upwards. The yields of the principal alluvial claims for the quarter is also given in the separate reports of the Mining Surveyors. Altogether the information is of a most useful and valuable character, and we can only again record our regret that no such information is available regarding the Gold Fields of this Colony.