MINING NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1933, Page 7

MINING NOTES

In the reports read from the subsidised prospectors at the Mining Executive meeting on Saturday night, there “ere several instances given of good returns, one Deing very satisfactory, in cvder to comp.ie fun particulars of gold won, the Board is now issuing a new form, for weekly particulars of work done and gold won.

The news from Wataroa indicates that there are a number of men working 011 the beaches, and the best returns are obtained when the river is low. (Some samples of quartz gold were siioun iu town on Saturday, and tins has revived hopes of the reef being located. One- party lias pegged off a quartz reef which still requires to be prospected. it is said, no quartz gold is found above the junction of the Perth with the Wataroa river, and the quartz find is in tiiat neighbourhood.

But good free gold is obtained above the Perth junction, It was above the the Mueller tributary where Holmes and party obtained the late find. Off the same beach. Dch n and party obtained 12j ounces of gold for a few days’ work last year.

Mr A. Helm writing to the Mining Executive says, along with W. Barrow* man he traversed the Wataroa rivet right to the Whymper Glacier, and then to the foot of the ice-fall. Thisis -a trio they have done on different occasions looking for the quartz lode. The gold on the river beach is coarse but the beaches are not large. The party traced the gold up the Whymper and cut tracks into th. e high back country on t-lieir own resources. February is considered the best time of the year to penetrate to the high reaches. Mr Delm considers a visit by a geologist would be cf value to those bent on mining in that hack country, and this suggestion is being put before the authorities by the Mining Executive. Evidently the Wataroa river carries •a lot of gold, and if the sourc. o can be located, it should prove a rich find.

Dredging propositions are talked of in lower Wataroa, where the country is more open, but there is a hold up by the people holding land in the vicinity. Some encouraging prospects were obtained from some shafts put down, and •a further effort in the matter is to be made.

The of several settlers in the south have, turned their attention to the Watarca river, and they have gone far hack into. the country seeking for gold. The Wataroa river is now being tried out on both banks. 'So far nothing very encouraging has been obtained in tne river banks or adjacent terraces., The richer deposits in the-river beaches,when the stream falls is the special attraction.

A possible dredging site is to be prospected above Hokitika river gorg», Koiterangi. A boring plant is to be taken in, and the river beaches tested in a systematic way. • y KING SOLOMON RETURN INVERCARGILL, JULY 21. The wash-up at the King Solomon mine for the week totalled 58oz 17dwt.