MAEREWHENUA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 128, 11 August 1871, Page 5

MAEREWHENUA.

(From our own Correspondent.) j I send you a few notes relative to j this G-oldfield, which may perhaps be of! some interest to the people of tiie more j immediate neighborhood of Mount Ida. j For my own part, I have no doubt that, at no distant time, this field is destined to play a not unimportant part in bearing a share of the burden of the greatLoan scheme. tSo far as water undertakings are concerned, they have resulted in the total failure of two large companies. One of these —the All Nations— commenced operations two years since, with a fair amount of capital for the construction of a moderate race capable of carrying six heads of water. Such a race would have repaid its owners iu twelve mouths, if the work had been prudently and economically carried out, as they held a tenacre claim (now cancelled) which would have been a fortune for the party. There are at the present Lime, on the same hill, and near the same locality, five claims with fair prospects, but which cannot be wrought for want of water. There is a good opportunity ! for any party to bring in a race capable of carrying four* to five Government heads of water. It would matter little whether or not they held a claim, as the sale of the water would bring in a good revenue to the owners. Tne cause of the failure of the All Nations is to be attributed, not to any poorness of the ground, but bad management principally, if not entirely. This is much to be regretted, as it hau done this district an incalculable amount of injury. The manager of the All Nations, not satisfied with the prospects in hand, commenced the cutting in of another large race known as the Enterprise, and thought he saw a golden future before the Company. A better job was made of this race, but onethird of the distance about four miles —was only cut. The cutting of this short distance cost as much as would have cut a race 2xl rightinto the river. This race has a great future before it, commanding as it does the whole of that side of the river. I am told that the prospects are equally good throughout a depth of 50 feet, but the gold is fine. No less a sum than £4OOO has been lost in race construction, in addition to which the Otekaike reef failure represents fully £3OOO more. This last loss has sadly damped the spirit of the proprie-

tors. There are several other races in course of construction. The Gulden Hill race, which is said to be cut seven miles, is at present at a stand-still. Then we have the Mosquito, in length about the same distance. Next there is Butting's race, nine miles of which are already cut, but which is still not yet completed. He has a good claim which he is at present unable to work from want of water. I am told that small wages can be made out of this ground by the very primitive system of cradling. If such be the case something handsome will doubtless be made when the ground is worked by ground sluicing. The only drawback to this place is want of water. There are several other races, but put them all together there is not one good head among the lot. The Golden Hill will, it is rumored, be sold off before long, and will, I am informed, be shortly advertised. There was a share sold by the bailiff (Alexander's) w'"o bolted some time back with the gold and has never been heard of since. It was knocked down to Mr. Sutherland for £SO. ]t is reported that when the. Golden Hill claim is sold the sale will take place on the llogburn, with a reserve of £350 at least. If not sold up, the party I 'onsider to be now on a sound footing, and they intend to cut the race themselves right into the river. J was present at the sale of the Otekaike reef yesterday. Mr. Robinson, the late manager, bought most of the property back. It is, 1 believe, intended to sink LOO feet deeper into the reef, and it is to be hoped with better luck than hereto. The reef claim, water right, men's hut, &«•., were knocked down to Mr Robinson at £9O. The whole was started at £SO, but might have been bought for half that amount. It is matter for regret that the stonedid not turn out well, as the company had a good substantial plant—a credit to the person who put it up. It certainly does appear strange that as much gold can be obtained by cradling with a small cradle—simply washing the mullock off the stones—than could b » obtained after the stone had passed through the machine. It appears difficult to believe that all the gold could have been saved.