THE THAMES REEFS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1143, 3 April 1872, Page 2

THE THAMES REEFS.

The Auckland correspondent of a southern contemporary say's : — ■ \ We appear to be on the brink of a revival in our gold fields, and with it some of the excitement which marked the same period la3t year. The first impulse was given by the old " Cure"— a mine so well known that I need say nothing much about it. Its prospects a few months ago were so gloomy that the company (whose call powers were exhausted) was wound up, and a new one formed. Nothing has since been heard of the Cure, but suddenly we find that the manager had obtained permission to work through the drive of the Manukau mine, and had fallen on a reef Bft thick, from which a trial lot of 18 tons yielded 450z. Of course this is very good, and it only remains to make permanent arrangements with, the Manukau for the Cure to begin

work on an extensile scald. THe Central Italy, after many weary months lot Waiting, is at last clear of water, with pumps and gear in good order.' It is working on the reef from which it wa3 driven ; by water, and which proves to be a heavy mass of stone, with gold abundantly visible. Other minor claims at the Thames, are equally promising itt their' way, ar4 atone for the failure, for a time, of the Caledonian' and Tookey. They restore the confidence, which was fast dyingj and which is needfulfor goldmining more perhaps than in any other pursuit. On every side the prospects of the mining] interests, both at the Thames and Coromandel, are encouraging. Of course, there are numerous share speculators, who, confining their attention to that branch of the business, have made or (which is far more common) lost considerable sums of money. This must again and again be the case as long as men are captivated by excitement and the prospect of rapid gain. But Auckland is fast getting the characteristics of a genuine .mining community, and has now in its population, not only share speculators, but a large and growing nu>nber of people who have made money by their mining investments, and are always ready to go into any new undertaking showing reasonable, though not immediate, prospects of success.