MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 971, 10 November 1879, Page 3

MINING REPORT.

[From ouk Special Mixing Reporter.] * A large extension of payable ground anywhere on the Coast at the present moment would he a great boon in these dull times; and by all jtnpeavance we are going to have such at the Larrikins soon. There have been a few claims taken up lately, and parties setting in to what they considered payable ground. Lately, Caldwell and party went into an old shaft that had been sunk to what was considered a greater depth than the lead of the gold, the former party knocking off when they reached a thin pnggy layer, thinking it was bottom. Experience, however, has shown that this png layer always forms a roof where it exists. After sinking through the pug layer, Caldwell and party came on indications that they drove on and got out a trial washing that went four pennyweights to the load. The depth from the surface is about TO feet, which is considerably deeper than any of the adjacent claims, and as the gold is a good sample, the chances are that a considerable extent of payable country will be traced. Already claims are pegged out beyond the tunnel, and as the season of the year is favorable for prospecting and large numbers of new faces are constantly arriving from Reefton and other places on the Coast, the probabilities are that the prognostications of your correspondent “S. B. H.” may be realised, and that a load may be traced in a continuous line. On that score, however, I have no reason to alter my oft-repeated opinion, that the gold has been deposited by a river, and that although the main course may be nearly fiorth and south, the runs (if runs they may be called) will be found running nearly east and west, and that only for two or three claims, and prospectors will have to follow to the north or south, as the case may be, to find another such run for themselves. If payable gold is traced past the tunnel, there may be another such field as that already worked on the Kumara opened up betoi’e the present summer is out. Reports from the new rush across the river are not very encouraging, but miners should not be discouraged at one or two failures, but put their tunnels in and try for themselves, as often good claims are found alongside of duffers.