The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 31st. 1925. PROSPECTING.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 31st. 1925. PROSPECTING.

Pahtihs of prospectors are out in various parts of Westland at present probing for gold. In addition to the churl to discover additional (hedging country in both northern and southern Westland. ell arts which are said to I romise .success, attention is being devoted also to prospecting the hack country, mainly for reefs. There ore some three parties out at present, the latest having gone south this week—men of experience from (South Africa who have learned of the possibilities and are out

to test them. It is good to record these attempts, because they indicate that the age of enterprise as affecting gold mining, is far from past. It lias to lie remembered that when practically all the folk thought the Kiinu Flat was worked out and the golden era gone, gold dredging over the same territory returned more gold than ever. Yet all the people were not blind to the possibilities of that field. The late J X. Smytlie some 35 years or more ago prepared an alluvial scheme for working the Flat. This was on the blow-up method, and a lengthy sludge channel was laid off for the purpose, designed to carry the debris into the estuary where Mahiiiapua Greek flows. The scheme at the time was not deemed a promising one, and there was the fear of the tailings and debris silting up the harbor, and the proposal was dropped. There was also the pumping scheme at Upper Back Creek approved by the Inspector of Mines, the late Mr A. 11. (Jordon, to supply water for sluicing the field on a larger scale, and the bigger scheme of bringing Lake Kanieri water on to Kiniu goldfield. All these proposals were put forward by men who had faith in the gold deposits of the locality to he served. But the backing necessary was not obtainable, and the rich ground remained in abeyance till an effective dredging pro-

position materialised, and more gold than ever is being recovered now by the process. This is an instance of only one locality in Westland where mining has been revived profitably. There will be other localities proved similarly, while attention is being turned to the south. Parts of that district are rich in gold deposits, and it will not be surprising if they are located, and dredging comes into being. Ample power exists in the south if it is con sidered desirable to harness water power schemes. But while these proposals are hopeful, expectations may he formed in regard to important discoveries of gold in the matrix. From

time to time fine samples of quarts [ rrold are picked up, and sooner or later | the lode will be found. It will be a l'ich one. The fact that prospectors are now out, suggests possibilities. They are enterprising parties going out on their own resources, and bent on proving the value of the high back-

country. This is the kind of enterprise which deserves to succeed. Men of geological knowledge probing the back country should be able to make valuable discoveries in a country so highly mineralised as Westland is. and wo hope they will succeed. The possibilities are such that we regret the Mines Department has net long ago taken up such a scheme as a means to prove itself a Mines Department in fact- and deed. Some day something will be done on those lines by the State.