THE GOLD PERIOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 4

THE GOLD PERIOD.

SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MINING. In the course of a journey through Central Otago, either by railway or road, one 'is reminded of an old saying that there .was so much land available for disposal when New Zealand was being formed that quite a lot of it had to be pushed up into hills and mountains in order to make room for it all. The observation, credited to an American as he gazed from a prominent point in the Southern Alps upon ranges of mountains and hills in every direction, that if New Zealand were ironed out it would make a fine large country, also strikes one as being peculiarly apt. In the light of the .modern methods of transportation—railways, steamers, and motor vehicles over wellformed roads —it is difficult to visualise the conditions which prevailed in the early days of settlement, when people whose business or pleasure—no doubt the former m practically every case—called them to remote parts undertook the journey on foot with just as much cheerfulness as the average person boards a tramcar in one of our principal cities to-day. When ore tries to conjure up a picture of the conditions existing in Central Otago in the ’fifties and the early ’sixties, of last century, when roads, many of which have since been made along sleep hillsides and up and down mountains, were unknown and bridges were not in existence, there must come to the mind a sense of admiration for the determination of- spirit and physical fitness of those men ■and women, often with young children, who penetrated the interior. An immense amount of heavy walking must have been, involved, in most oases under a substantial load, and when on© range of mountainous • country was negotiated others opened out ahead in apparently never-ending succession, with comparatively little flat country intervening, but still they pushed on with dauntless courage, reaching as far as the shores .of distant Lake Wakatipu and the Arrow ’and Shotover Rivers. In some cases the ‘ 'Journey was made with the object of securing land for settlement, but the majority > .faced the tremendous task in the search for 1 gold, about which so much had been heard from time to time. They faced the task of negotiating the rugged country, crossing unbridged rivers’ and streams, ' enduring the rigour of the weather in the winter mouths, and never unmindful of the risk of a shortage of the necessaries of life with courage and optimism, caring for nothing but the carving out of homes for themselves in the young country of their adoption. The buoyancy of spirit which was so much in evidence in those days wag probably largely inherited, but no doubt it was in some measure due to the pros'■pects ahead of them, for it scon became apparent that New Zealand was richly blessed 'by Nature in many ways and that if the settlers applied themselves to their tasks i ; with diligence and thrift there were ample opportunities for doing well. As far as Central Otago was concerned the stones which reached Dunedin from time to time, often by circuitous routes, regarding the discovery of goid acted as a magnet, the attraction of which was irresistible. Many and vague were the rumours in circulation at various times regarding rich finds of gold, and although these had frequently very little foundation in fact they were sufficient to fire the imagination of a large number of people, who set out, ‘often poorly equipped for the undertaking in view, in the hope of acquiring a fortune in a very short space ot time. The spread of settlement into the back country was very gradual in the youthful days of the colony, but this was only to be expected in view of the lack of knowledge of what lay in the vast areas that had never been explored except to a very limited extent and the lack of facilities for transporting human beings, stock, provender, etc., from the city. Toward the end of the “fifties,” however, a few enterprising men had taken up land in Central Otago, and had embarked on the sheep-ra,ising industry. The nature of the country was such that the land could be profitably worked only in immense areas, each fun extending over many miles of - country, most of it of a mountainous nature. At that time, no doubt, the prospects were that this large area of land would be devoted to sheepfarming for all time, but the discoveries made within the next few years were des- ' lined to put an entirely different complexion on affairs. It may be taken for granted that when the early settlers set out from Scotland with the objett of seeking homes in this country, any thought of the discovery of gold never occurred to them. In fact, the records show that such amevent would have been distasteful to them if they had foreseen it. Captain Cargill appears to have had a strong dislike to goldfields and ■ diggers, and it is stated that many of the early settlers were with him in entertaining a dread of the consequences of a rush or anything calculated to distract the population from the slow but sure progress of settlement, which was the main object in view. Their hopes in this respect, - however, were rudely shattered on more than one occasion. EARLY DISCOVERIES. The existence of gold in various parts of Otago appears to have been known to the Maoris before the arrival of the European colonists, but as the Natives were not aware of the value of the metal they_ made no effort to turn their knowledge to' advantage. It is stated that one Native informed Mr Thomas Archibald, formerly a resident of the Pomahaka, that he had ■ picked up a piece about the size of a small potato on the banks of the Molyneux, but owing to his ignorance as to its value he threw it back into the river. A party of five, of which Mr Archibald was the prime mover, set out on an expedition from the lower reaches of the Molyneux in March, 1852, with the object of locating the gold to which the Maoris had referred. They spent a'bout throe weeks in prospecting the bars and banks of the river, but the results were not at all encouraging, and after getting as far as Beaumont they decided to give up the quest. Indications of gold were found in various places during the next few years, but the operations carried on were not sufficient to prove the existence of 3 payable field. As time went on, however, "the residents appear to nave gradually come to the conclusion that a goldfield would be a good tiling for Otago, and towards the end of 1857 a petition v- as presented to the Provincial Council urging it to take immediate steps in the direction of ascertaining the gold capabilities of the province. In all probability this petit ion was largely the sequel to the fact_ that many people had left Otago for the Nelson goldfields, while others were preparing to do so. The petitioners achieved their object for the Provincial Council decided to vote £SOO as a bonus for the discovery of a remunerative goldfield within the province. About this time and in the early part of ’ 1858 Mr Alexander Garvic, who was then assistant surveyor, made a reconnaissance survey of the south-eastern districts, and in a report which he made in July, 1858. he stated that the eastern portion of the coast to Manuherikia appeared to be composed almost entirely of rocks belon"ine- to the mica schist system. He affio stated that gold was found in toe Chitha River, above the junction of the Manuherikia, and in the Tuapeka Stream in sufficient quantities to make it prnna ble that it would pay to work if set about in a proper manner, with some wholesale system of washing, such as sluicing. Srecks w«re also found in the Manuherikia. Pomahck-t. and Waitahuna. and the report concluded by stating that gold would probably be found

also in some tributaries of the Mataura. It is interesting to note that in this report Mr Garvio indicated exactly the sites of some of the most famous and profitable of the gold workings subsequently discovered. Prior to 1861 traces of gold had been found by various parties in different places, but. no payable field had been discovered, and it was not until Gabriel Read appeared on the scene and made his famous discovery in the gully which bears his name that the reputation of Otago as a gold producer was established. The first rush of which there appears to he any record was at the Lindis in the early part of 1861. The news of the discovery of gold reached Dunedin at the end of March, and before the following month had run its course there were some 300 or 400 men on the field despite the fact that the winter was approaching and that provisions were scarce and dear. Some wild reports as to the richness of the field gained currency, but a few months sufficed to show that the field was exceedingly limited, and early in July it was announced to be a complete failure. GABRIEL’S GULLY. Shortly before that announcement was made, however, a prospector named Gabriel Read, who had had Californian and Australian experience, thoroughly aroused the people by announcing the discovery of gold at Tuapeka. Mr .Read, who described as an enthusiastic individual as long was buoyed up by success, came to New Zealand from Victoria, and his first prospecting expedition in this country was on the north-western fork of the Waipori River, regarding which he reported:—“We invariably found gold where we washed a panful of earth, hut at no time in sufficient quantities to justify my making a report which would induce a multitude of people to resort thither. I had only opportunity for a cursory examination.” The tour which led to fhe onnoimcement of Gabriel’s Gully field occupied about 10 days, during which Mr Read travelled about 35 miles inland and examined the ravines and tributaries of the Waitahuna and Tuapeka Rivers. In the course of his report to Major Richardson (Superintendent of the Province) he stated that he had found at many places prospects which would hold out a certainty that men with the proper tools would be munificently remunerated. In one place for 10 hours with a pan and a butcher’s knife he collected about 7oz of gold. Reports of discoveries of gold had been made so often previously but had led to so many disapointments that the news of Gabriel Read’s find was at first received with incredulity, and the rpajority of the people waited for more information before proceeding to the locality. Confirmation of Read’s statement was soon forthcoming, however, and then there was a rush to Gabriel’s Gully, men of every calling and profession participating in it. with the result that Dunedin was almost deserted. As the population at Gabriel s Gully increased other gullies and creeks in the neighbourhood were prospected, and the foundations of a prosperous industry whi?h lasted for many years were laid at Munroe’s, Wetherstones, and Waitahuna Gullies. In duo course Gabriel Read received a reward of £SOO from the Provincial Government for his discovery, and at a later date this was supplemented by an additional £SOO. GOLD IN CENTRAL OTAGO. The discovery of such rich gold at Gabriel’s Gully naturally stimulated some adventurous spirits to go further afield in search of the precious metal. For instance, Mr John Jones, whose name was at one time probabiy the best known in Otago, sent a party out to prospect the Coal Greek run, then held by him, and to go further afield if they thought fit. This party prospected the Dunstan Creek, and found washdirt yielding about Idwt to the dish, but owing to a lack of knowledge the loader of the party reported that the material would not pay for working, and it was left to others to prove the value of this field, which turned out to bo one of the richest in Otago, and perhaps in New Zealand in proportion to its size. Prospecting was carried on at several other places in Central Otago, including the Manuherikia Valley, Poolhurn, Bannockburn, Ida Valley, and the banks of the Manuherikia River, but owing to incompetence the value of the ground traversed was not recognised at the time, and no further discoveries of importance were made in 1861. In the second quarter of 1862 there was a< very nwked decrease in the production of/gold, and the opinion that the goldfields of the province were worked out gained ground, the result being that a large number of the miners who had been attracted from Australia left for their former homes across the Tasman Sea. The winter of 1862 was a very severe one, and this fact, counled with the failure to discover a new field of any importance, was no doubt largely responsible for the exodus of Australian miners. THE DUNSTAN RUSH. In August, 1862, the community was startled by the hews of the discovery of another goldfield. On August 16 the Otago Daily Times announced that on the previous clay two men had deposited at the Treasury a bag of gold weighing 871 b. The names of the depositors were Hartley, a nativeborn American, and ttoilly (or Riley, the latter being the spelling adopted thirty years later by a company which was named after the two discoverers), a Yankee Irishman. At first it was believed that the gold hud been found in the neighbourhood of Mount Watkin, near Waikouaiti, but later on it was ascertained that the discovery was made in the Dunstan gorge, a short distance below where Cromwell now stands. Messrs Hartley and Reilly’* discovery led to what' is always known as the Dunstan rush, which proved beyond doubt that Central Otago was phenomenally rich in mineral deposits. These men set. «/ut on their expedition equipped with only a tin dish and a shovel for securing gold, but both were broken on the journey, and for a time operations had to be carried on with the broken shove!, a few handfuls of dirt being washed at a time. Later on a tin dish was borrowed from one of the stations in the Manuherikia Valley, and some remarkably rich returns wore secured. As the river became lower the prospects improved, and eventually nothing was put through unless Messrs Hartley and Reilly thought it would yield about 6oz of gold for each man per day. Intense excitement followed the publication of the news of the discovery, and there was almost a stampede for the new diggings. people in practically every walk of life forsaking their occupations in the hope of enriching themselves. A great many of them had a very vague idea of where the Dunstan was, and (he fact that the winter had been an unusually severe one mattered little. The news quickly spread to Australia. and there was an unprecedented influx from that country. Before the end of 1862 upwards of 70,000 ounces of gold were despatched to Dunedin from the Dunstan by escort, and a dnnsidorable quantity was sent down by other means. While the frosts continued the river was exceptionally low, but this condition of affairs lasted for only a few months, as in the spring the snow on the mountains melted and brought down a large volume of water, with, the result that the rich beaches were covered and the miners were driven from their claims. ■The rush attracted thousands of people to the locality, and townships were formed at Clyde. Alexandra, and Cromwell. So intense was the exeUemcnt that men abandoned rich claims at Gabriel's Gully and elsewhere in the hope of striking something better on the new field. Ail sorts of eonveyanees were in keen demand, and the carriage of goods from Dunedin went up to £l6O per ton. The problem of food supplies was a difficult one. and at times the people in this remote locality were in sore straits in this respect. When the miners were short they adopted a ■ system of commandeer whenever any supplies came within reach. The price was unite a secondary consideration. the only tiling that counted liomg the securing of food. The first, waggon load of flour float went to the Dnnstan was stopped at Shonmn’s station, where it was quickly emp'ied by the miners, who paid liberally for what they got, 2s fid being given for every pint of flour. The shortage of timber was ft great drawback, and some extreme prices were paid fo* this commodity. Empty gin eases realised ns much ns £5 each, and some of the first drays that reached D’.inftnr. Flat were soon denuded of their woodwork The method of working the claims was

unknown to the majority of the miners, many of whom expressed their dissatisfaction in pronounced language. On one occasion a number of men in very plain teTns expressed their disbelief in Mr Jhartley’s statements, and suggestions to throw him in the river and to give him 50 lashes ware freely made. llattloy, however. was a very cool man, and was not affected by the excitement of the crowd. He briefly explained the method of working, and the evident truth of his statement eventually impressed itself on the crowd, there being no further trouble, with the exception of a similar demonstration at Clyde which led to nothing. When the miners were driven from their claims on the beaches owing to the melting of the snows they set out to explore the surrounding country, and many rich gullies were discovered, including Conroy’s, Butcher’s, and Blackman’s. Several creeks and gullies heading from the Carrick Ranges and flowing into the Bannockburn and Kawaran were also proved to be auriferous about this time, and Bendigo Gully was discovered towards the end of the year, while Dry-bread and Tinkers were opened up early in 1803. About September, 1562, a party of six Victorian miners discovered goid at Moa Creek, on the Mokomai River, and this eventually led to the finding of the rneta! in the Nevis, which flows imo the Kawaran. FOX’S DISCOVERY. Information regarding another important discovery -was disclosed before the end of the year. In October there were rumours that a man named Fox haa found a goldfield of surprising richness in some remote and unexplored region. The rnmonrs were confirmed by Fox during a hurried visit to the Dnnstan township, and many people set out with the object of finding the new fleia, Vint so careful were Fov and his companions regarding tnelr movements and so remote was the locality that for a time the search was fruitless. One party, while roaming over the country in an effort to find Fox, accidentally discovered gold deposits of considerable extent and value in the upper waters of Ihe Cardrona Itiver. Many miners made their way to this field, but in the meantime Fox's whereabouts bad been discovered, and the fame of the Cardrona was soon eclipsed. l>r Hector, who was then Provincial’Government geologist, was touring the country at the time, and after the discovery at Cardrona he followed the river to its source, and crossed the Crown Knnge, on the western side of which lie came upon Fox’s party and about 10 others working in a secluded gorge in the Arrow Itiver. A large party of miners arrived on the scene a few days later, wit.i the resu't that news of the discovery was quickly circulated, and an extensive influx of miners from other localities followed. The real discoverer of this rich area was a Maori named Hatini Whiti, who was best known as Maori Jack. He imparted information regarding the auriferous nature of the country to a man named M Gregor, who, with some mates, commenced operations on October 4. 'ihoy did remarkably well, getting at least 20oz per day witli cradles alone. Five days later they were followed by Fox’s party, and a third party, headed by" an American named West, was the next on the scene. Nearly three weeks elapsed before the locality was found by other miners, and had it not been for a shortage of flour necessitating a trip to the Duustan it would probably not have boon discovered s o soon. An idea of the richness of the field may be obtained when it is mentioned that Fox’s party, which worked in a leisurely manner, got 401 b weight, of gold in two weeks, while M’Gregor’s party, which worked early and Into, got 821 b. In a little more than four weeks the Now Chum party, one member of which was Mr John Cormack. who later took up his residence at Tuapeka, secured 1101 b. One day’s cradling by this party yielded 109 oz. Very largo quantities of gold have been taken from the Arrow River. THE LAKES DISTRICT. The next field to engage attention was on the Shotover River, 14 miles beyond the Arrow in a westerly direction. A man named Thomas Arthur, who had been employed as a shearer on Mi* Rees’s station at Lake Wakatipu, secured 4oz of gold with a tin dish in three hours one Sunday afternoon in November, 1862, and he, with throe mates, obtained 200 oz in eight days in the sands of the river beach at, what is now known as Arthur’s Point, while in less than two months they gathered £4OOO worth. This resulted in the largest rush ever experienced in Otago setting in to the Wakalipu district. Owing to the remoteness of I ho district and the difficulty of getting access to it provisions were both scarce and dear, and considerable privations had to be endured at various times. Mr Rees has recorded that he frequently had from 200 to 400 men waiting for his whale-boat to arrive at the foot of the lake to got a few pounds of flour each. So hungry were some of the men that they would boil their flour in billies immediately they received it, being unable to wait for baking. Mr Rees was known to leave his bed at 3 o’clock in the morning when the flour boat came in so as to serve out flour to the hungry crowd without delay. As a result of these discoveries the export of gold showed a verw marked increase, the total for 1862 being 332,4300 z. Many other gold-bearing creeks and gullies were discovered in 1863. Some of (ho places prospected wore almost inaccessible, but this did not deter the sturdy miners, many of whom were richly rewarded for their daring adventures. One of the most remarkable discoveries was made at Maori Point. Two Natives, named Dan Ellison and Hakaria Haeroa, while proceeding along the bank of the river, came across some Europeans working with great success in a secluded gorge. A wide beach of very promising appearance attracted their attention, but none of the miners would face the impetuous current. The Maoris negotiated the river, but a favourite dog, which had accompanied them, was carried downstream to a rocky point. Dan Ellison went to its assistance, and, seeing some gold in the crevices in the rocks, he explored the sandy beach beneath. The cutcome was that he and Hakaria collected no less than 300 oz of gold before nightfall. Since 1863 numerous small discoveries of gold have been made in various places, but there has been nothing like the excitement created by the finds at Gabriel’s Gully, the Dunstan, and the Lakes district. The mining population of Otago attained its greatest height at the beginning of 1864. In that year the goldfields population was shown by the census returns to be 15,700, and it was estimated that at least 10,000 were actually gold miners. A few months later, however, over 6000 miners left Otago, for the Wakamarina rush in Marlborough. Many of these afterwards went to Auckland, and others returned to Australia, but the majority proceeded to the West Coast, where they laid the foundations of settlement. r Jhe West Coast, rush in 1865 attracted many more, but at the end of March of that year it was estimated that there were about 7000 miners still in Otago. The winter of 1864 was a very severe one owing to a heavy fall of snow, and a large number of men were snowed up at Campbell’s Gully. Many of them made their way over to the Teviot, and others proceeded to Alexandra, but quite a number lost their lives. The exact number who perished will never he known, but it was estimated at 30 at (he time. Several of the victims were buried in a common grave on the side of the range at Gorge Creek, on the road between Roxburgh and Alexandra. Many of the men who participated in the various rushes did exceptionally well, but, of eourse, others were not so fortunate, and many of the latter gradually drifted away to other localities or turned their attention to other occupations. The nermanence of Cent r a! Otago as a fold for mining activity had been thoroughly demonstrated. and as time went on the excitement resulting from the discovery of new areas died away, and the industry settled down on more rational linos, a large number of neorde finding remunerative employment for many years. CHANGING METHODS. « The mining industry has gone through many phases between the podv sivt ; -= and the nvpepnt day. The nrimitive method of muffing the wasl’-diri was soon replaced by box sluicing. la tor on by ground sluicing and bvdraulic sluicing, and eventually by dredging. The cradle

and box-sluicing entailed considerable manual labour, whereas ground-sluicing enabled a much larger area of material to be treated in a given time and was less laborious. The miners were favoured by nature in connection with their sluicing operations inasmuch as Central Otago is bountifully supplied with rivers and streams providing the necessary quantities of water. At the same time a good deal of labour and expense were involved in utilising the water for mining purposes. Races had to bo constructed in some eases for many miles over rough country, but. this was no obstacle to the hardy and enterprising miners, who counted no difficulties too groat provided they could secure the means to enable them to win the gold from where it was deposited. The action of the miners in this respect played a very important part in llie development of Central Otago in later years, because when the mining industry died away the water supplies were released for other purposes, and the development of irrigation schemes, which have meant so much to the district, was proceeded with. But for the enterprise of the miners it is quite probable that this portion of the province would have remained for many years at least in the hands cf the big sheepowners, ami that its transformation into “The Garden of Otago,” as it is rightly called, would have been delayed much longer than lias actually been the case. There can be no question that the mineral wealth of (be province was to a large measure responsible for the early and rapid progress of Dunedin, whieh for many years enjoyed the distinction of being the leading financial and business centre in _ New Zenland. Some people, whose faith in the potentialities of this part of the dominion is not as strong a« it should he, arc apt to come to the conclusion that Dunedin and Otago have reached the apex of development and are being outstripped by other districts, but such an impression is by no means justified. The real position is that as a result of the discovery of mineral deposits in the early days this city and province were developed very rapidly, while the rate of progress in other parts was gradual. The establishment of important industries whieh followed the discovery of gold enabled Dunedin lo roach a stage of development probably 40 years ago that is being reached in some places only at the present day. The commercial activity in the city was reflected throughout the province in the rapief construct ion pf facilities for transport and the cultivation of the land. It was only to he expected that in later years the rate of progress here would be slower than it was in districts where large areas of fertile land awaited settlement upon the development of means of cominuni'-a I ion, hit (here ino reason !o believe that (his province has by any means leached the limit of its expansion. The mineral wealth of Central (flago may ho estimated from the fact (hat gold, silver, copper, antimony, cinnabar, scheelito, mica, manganese, graphite, asbestos, and platinum have been found in various plages. In some eases only traces have been found, and nothing has been done in the way of development. Gold has been found in numerous places in Otago and Soul bland, hut Ihe richest and most, extensive deposits have undoubtedly been discovert#! in Central Otago, where auriferous deposits have been located in almost every river and creek. Innumcrablo banks of tailings to-day testify to the energy expended by Hie miners in the work of extracting gold from its lodging places. The belief is held by Professor Talk, who has examined the whole of Central Otago on behalf of tho Government, that tho gold was originally derived from tho gold-hearing lodes intersecting the micaschist country rock. The disintegration of the rock freon the gold from its matrix, and tho concentrating activities of the streams and rivers collected it in the drifts occupying Ihe hills, depressions, and river channels; that is to say, the gold, after its liberation, was concentrated in drifts by a process of natural sluicing, and tho work of the miner consisted for the most part in cleaning up these gigantic sluices formed by Nature during tho progress of countless centuries. Those lodes were evidently outcropping at a much greater altitude than the present height of our mountains, and doubtless the ice movement accounted for rapid erosion and disintegration ot the lodes. 'the glaciers moving forward from the high mountains carried with them millions of tons of debris, and as the mass progressed the water and light debris of large inland lakes were liberated and swept forward into ravines and lower river beds. This first deposit carried little or no values, fcut as the glaeiers movod_ slowly forward they crushed ami ground lltc lode material, thus liberating the gold contents. 'lhe tracks of these glaciers may be traced, for here and them erratics were liberated, and huge masses of moraine wore loft behind. These morainic deposits contained tnanv stones and other material entirely foreign to the district in which they were found. These glaciers were almost directly responsible for many of the rich alluvial gold deposit? of Otago. Certainly there was a lot of concentration by the action of mountain torrents and powerful streams, but a large quantity of the heavy gold was found close to where it was liberated from the glacier mass. The glaciers may have carried their burdens over quite long distances before serious disintegration commenced. OTHER METALS. Silver has never been found In commercial quantities in Otago, traces only of it having been discovered. In this part of the country practically no silver is allied with the gold. The position hero is quite different from that in the Auckland district, where the gold contains about 38 per cent, of silver. Tho gold found in Otago is practically pure, and consequently commands a much hotter price than that produced in the Auckland province. It is recorded that a sample of native silver was found at Matatapu. Lake Wanaka, many years ago and that it has also been found in the Wakatipu district and Knwarau Gorge, Traces of copper have been found in various parts of Central Otago, notably near Victoria Bridge and Moke Lake in small lodes intersecting the schist country. The body of yellow sulphide of copper discovered at Moke Creek was of very high grade, but the quantity disclosed by tho operations undertaken by small local companies failed to disclose a body of ore sufficiently largo to warrant the opening of a mine on a large scale. To be of commercial value a copper lode must lie of great size and of good grade, and it must be situated in a place reasonably accessible to deep water. 'the great rise experienced in the price of tin during tho past year or two has not been accompanied by a corresponding advance in the price of copper. This, is due partly to the large stocks held by Britain, France, and the United States at the conclusion of the war and partly to the large output from the celebrated Katanga mines in Central Africa and Mexico. Samples from the Arrowtown district yielded 11 per cent., and ore containing 24 per cent, of metallic copper was discovered at Moke Creek, while gold was found in samples sent from Moke Creek arid Waipori. A discovery of copper was made at Reedy Creek, near Waipori, in 1866. This lode was prospected in 1880. and a parcel of undressed ore sent to New South Wales was reported to have yielded 11 per cent, of copper. In 1881 steps were taken to test the lode thoroughly, but the work was discontinued in the following year. In 1882 an ineffectual attempt was made to float a company to work a copper lode in the Wakatipu district, and some further prospecting was done on this lode in 1900. Tn 1904 a quantity of ore taken from ‘he lode was sent to Dunedin and Thames for valuation, but nothing further was done. Small bodies of antimony sulphide have been found on the Barowood plateau, and at Waipori and Mount, Hyde (near Macetown). and smaller bodies have been located in most of the gold-bearing lodes in many of the goldfields areas, hut no commercial body of antimony has yet been disclosed of sufficient value to compete with the great deposits of Asia Minor. In 1875 a trial shipment of antimony was sent to England from Waipori. and a few years later a company was formed to exploit tho lode, but, owing to the inaccessibility of the mine, work was suspended in 1880. A small shipment of antimony was made from the Carrick ranee and one from Alexandra. “otnething like 25 ve-rs avo. when 60 to 70 per cent, antimony was worth £23 per ton, a fair amount of ore was shipped and a reasonable

profit made. The late Capt. Lyders and party were probably the largest producers for a time. They were bugging almost pure oxide from their mine, which was situated on the slopes of the Taieri River below the junction of Deep Stream, and a small five stamper battery was erected on a Peacn of Uie river. Some years later Messrs Sligo Brothers, J. Horn, and G. Lawrence opened a lode on the Carrick range, and although tho cost of transit was fairly high there was a profit with antimony at £23 per ton. Operations ceased, however, when the price fell below £2O, and for many years the value remained at a level that would not permit of profitable mining. Tho Chemical, Engineering, and Mining Review of December 24 stales: —“Owing to the trouble in China tho price of star metal has increased very rapidly, and the quotation for English antimony is now £65 to £7O per ton, f.o.b. So far there has not been much demand for ore, as evidently the refiners consider that the disturbances in Ohina will not be of long duration, and are buying from hand to mouth only.” More recent quotations for crude oxide ranged from £24 15s to £2B per ton. . is very widely distributed throughout the gravels, often in association with gold in the gold-bearing drifts. It is derived from small gold-bearing lodes, but it is not known to occur in profitable quantities. A sample from the Carrick Range was assayed in 1875, and was found to contain 82 per cent, of tho metal, while samples from Waipori and Waitahuna contained from 70 to 75 per cent, of mercury. Some samples discovered at the Upper Nevis in 1883 yielded 84 per cent, of quicksilver, but (lie lode was never found. A good deal of prospecting was done between Waipori and Waitahuna from 1899 to 1903, but operations ceased in tho latter year. Samples were also found in Poter’s gully in the Carrick range. . ■Scheelito is widely spread in Central Otago, and litis been found in profitable quantities at Macraes, Glenorchy, and Paradise on the hanks of the Dart River. For many years scheelito was regarded as of no value, hut afterwards it became an important by-product of gold-mining, and during tho war period it was the sole object of mining at the places named. Bell coble is irregularly dispersed in largo and small masses in til© gold-bearing lodes intersecting (ho more friable quartz and mica schist country rock. During the war tho output was commandeered by the New Zealand Government on behalf of the Imperial authorities at fabulous prices, up to at least £2OO per ton being paid for it. At the time of the armistice tho Imperial Government was in possession of a large accumulation of stocks of scheelito from New Zealand and 'wolfram from Queensland and Cornwall, and tho consequence was that tho demand fell away practically to the vanishing point, this being accompanied by a lug drop in the price per unit. The price receded below a payable limit, and this resulted in an almost complete cessation of scheelito mining for Ihe lime being. There can he no doubt, however, that us soon as tho price warrants it scheelito mining xvill re-establish itself as a payable industry. Tho lime when this will come about will depend upon the extent of the accumulated stocks. In some cases at least up-to-date machinery is still on the ground, and operations can be resinned without delay when the slate of the market warrants the, adoption of such a course. The position in regard to .scheelito is by no means exceptional. The accumulated stocks of tin, copper, zinc, and antimony held by the Allies at tho conclusion of the war led to a slump in the metal market which became very acute a little later. It is noticeable that as these stocks are passing into consumption the price of some of tho metals is showing a strong upward tendency, and it. is inevitable, since civilisation cannot ho carried on without metals, that a revival of mining is certain in the not distant future. Miners are optimists of the first water, and it is certain that if the grand old pioneers in this branch of industry had been pessimists no discoveries of gold would have been made in the inaccessible places that afterwards became some of our most productive fields. In the past scheelito has been manufactured into tungstic acid and used in the production of high-grade steels. Tungsten stool is used principally for tool steel or engineers’ steel. It is' also used for (ho inner tubes of big guns, its properties being groat density, hardness, and toughness. 0 Tungstic acid is made into some fine grades of paint. It ts used a-s a mordant (fixing the colours in calico printing, etc.), and renders cloth non-inflammable. Scheelito is used as a cheap fluorescent screen for X-rays. Tho gray muscovite mica forms a very important constituent of the quartz mica schist country rock, which occupies practically the whole of Central Otago. In ihe condition in which mica occurs it is never likely to be found in plates sufficiently large to he of a marketable value, but. as ha s been proved by Professor Pork in the course of his detailed geological survey of tho Alexandra, Cromwell, and Queenstown areas, undertaken for the New Zealand Government and recorded in Geological Bulletins Nos. 3,5, and 7, mica schist contains a large amount of potash (ranging up to 7 or 8 per (tout.), a few per cent, of soda, and a considerable proportion of lime. In 1905 Professor Park collected numerous samples and submitted them to tho Dominion Analyst for analysis. The results were highly important as proving that mica schist is capable of forming soil of the highest fertility, containing especially potash and lime in such quantities that it can bo cropped for many years without the use of artificial fertilisers. The humus formed bv the growth of vegetation on this soil breaks down tho mica, thereby liberating fresh amounts of potash and lime so that the vegetation, instead of exhausting' the soil, in some measure rejuvenates it by a natural chemical process. It has been pointed out by Professor Park that all that is required by soils of this character is adequate irrigation. 'This geologist has also pointed out that if tho crumbly mica schists of Central Otago occurred in Europe or America they would be widely used for top-dressing, for which purpose their fertilising constituents make them highly suitable. The magnificent orchards and fields of grain and fodder to he seen in Central Otago fully hear out (he accuracy of Professor Park’s estimate regarding the fertility of the soil. For several years Messrs Reid and Sous of Arrowtown, forwarded large quantities of mica schist from Lake Hayes to Southland for top-dressing purposes, but eventually the industry was killed by the high freights charged on the Lake Wakatipu steamers. Manganese was found at Waipori in 1864, but the samples tested did not yield more than 8 per cent. Rich samples were found near Ihe month of the Taieri River in 1875, but owing to the low and variable price during for this mineral the search for deposits hag never been carried out for any length of time. Graphite, in various stages of purity, has been found at Gibbston. It, was of fair average quality, hut nothing has been done in the direction of putting it on the market. Traces of platinum have been found in tho gold drifts at the head of Lake Wakatipu and a fair quantity has been won by beachcombers and miners at Orepuki and the adjoining district. HYDRAULIC SLUICING. The system of ground-sluicing for th© recovery of goid had its limitations, and by 1878 the deposits that could he < worked by that method were practically exhausted. This led to the adoption of hydraulic sluicing and elevating, which enabled the underfoot deposits to be worked to depths proportioned lo the quantity and elevation cf tho streams of water that could be brought to hear on them. The introduction of the new system enabled alluvial mining to be carried on successfully in Otago for many years. Tho lamest claims worked by this principle wore tho Blue Ppur ard Gabriel s Gully Consolidated, the Roxburgh Amalgamated. the Champion (Beaumont), the United M. and K. and Scandinavian (St. Bathans), the Nokomai, and the Bakery Flat (Waipori), and numerous other areas were also dealt with. As time went on. however, the returns fell away, with the result that many of Ihe companies ceased operations. There are still, however, five hydraulic sluicing conqiaiiies in operation on the Nevis. It is a well-recognised fact that in hydraulic mining the effir-enev is desperately low and that there are fundamental limitation. At St. Bathans, Vinegar Hill, Cambrian, and other places rich gold values com

tinuo down. The Scandinavian Company is elevating with two lifts from a depth of 170 ft, but the quantity of material raised convinces one that only fairly rich ground can be worked to advantage by this method. At Cambrian there*is a very rich lead of wash drifting towards the hill, but on top of this there is something like 70ft of overburden of little value that must be removed in order to win the cold beneath. In this case if heavy timber were available it would be more profitable to leave the overburden where it is and mine the rich lead. This leads_ up to the question of cheap hydro-electric power and more scien- 1 tide and modern methods of treatment. QUARTZ REEFS. Tho exsteuce of gold in quartz in Otago was known at a very early period, and this phase of mining claimed a great deal of attention for many years. Auriferous quartz was found at Goodwood as long ago as 1851, and small specimens of a similar kind were frequently located, serving to tantalise the settlors by raising expectations that were never realised. In his “History of Early Gold Discoveries in Otago,” Mr Viiicont Fyke states that the first actual quartz workings were doubtless those at Waipori, on the Shetland reef, where tho OPQ (Otago Pioneer Quartz) Mining Company carried on operations for several years. This reef was discovered m March, 1862, by six Victorian miners, who found it projecting above the surface. At first they broke the stone down with picks and washed it in a cradle, obtaining 7oz of gold for two weeks’ work by this crude method, but subsequently they installed a battery of four heads of stampers. The thickness of the reef was stated to vary from 3ift to 6ft. This reef was worked successfully for several years. Several other quartz reefs were taken up at various times, but in many cases those holding them had not enough capital, with tho result that operations ceased while the workings were comparatively shallow. Mining of various kinds was, however, carried on at Waipori until quite recently, but this well-known township, which figured prominently in the early history of Otago, has now practically ceased to exist, and when the dam erected above the power station for tho storage of water is raised to its full height most of Waipori Flat will be wholly or partially submerged. There seems to bo no doubt that there are numerous deposits of gold of considerable value in this district, but tho lack of capital to develop them proved an insurmountable obstacle. The cost of transit of materials and supplies was very heavy. Tho Shotover district also figured prominently in quartz mining operations in the early clays. The Phoenix mine was originally prospected about 1862, when it was purchased by Messrs Bullen brothers, who arc said to have spent £50,000 in developing tho property. During the early stages some good returns wore obtained, hut the work undertaken was mainly of a prospecting and opening-up nature, and the mine did not become a paying concern until about 1834. From February, 1884, till November, 1885,, the yield of gold was 64000 z, and tho total output up till 1887 was about 15,5000 z, Tho property was sold to a London company in 1892, but in later years, though good stone was met with from time to time, the returns on tho whole wore disappointing, and operations were discontinued many years ago. Tho district abounds in reefs, many of which have been worked from time to time, but none of them was permanently developed to a paying stage, and the industry gradually died out. Tho Macetown reefs also attracted a good deal of attention for many years, and a considerable amount of money was spent in developing them. These reefs were first practically tested about 1876. Three lines of reef were first worked—the Homeward Bound, the Maryborough, and the Gladstone reefs—and numerous other claims were taken up v little later. Some good yields were obtained, but owing to the remote location of the mines the cost of production was heavy, and considerable capital was required. The industry gradually languished, and in 1886 only two companies remained in existence. A company was floated on tho L«ndon market to work the Premier and Tipperary mines, and the introduction of British capital to the district in 1890 infused new life into the industry. Work was carried on in the district for several years, but on the whole the operations were not attended by a large measure of success, and eventually the industry came to a standstill, there being no more capital available to prosecute development work. The biggest discovery in connection with quartz reefs was made at Bendigo, near Cromwell. In 1864 Mr Julian Coates, who was then mining surveyor at the Dunstan, reported to Mr Robinson (Warden for tho district) that ho had found a hill bestrewn with golden quartz and a rich reef projecting from the surface. No reliance was placed in his statement, but it was true that loose fragments of quartz, thickly studded with gold, and in large quantities, were lying exposed on the hillside. Many of these were crushed by some Germans at the time with very profitable results. The Bendigo reef • was first opened out in 1865 by Messrs Thomas Logan, Brian Hobden, and John Garrett. They were all working miners, and they took turns at shepherding the claim while the others worked elsewhere for wages until they saved enough money to develop their property. They were eventually rewarded by the discovery of the richest quartz reef in the province. Some parts of it yielded as much as 6oz to the ton, and as’ the stone generally was very friable, large quantities could bo put through the stampers daily. This party, who had added to their number bp the inclusion of Mr G. W. Goodyer, a Cromwell hotelkeeper, and Messrs Black and Thomson, a firm of Dunedin timber merchants, worked the reef until 1876, and it is stated that they obtained gold to the value of £509,000. In 1876 the Cromwell Co. was formed to work the property, and by the end ot 1883 an additional 26,0000 z of gold was obtained. In 1886 the new Cromwell Gold Mining Co., which had purchased the property in 1884, installed expensive winding, air-compressing, and pumping machinery. A London syndicate purchased the property in 1887, and a new proprietary was formed with a capital of £IOO,OOO. A lot of money was subsequently spent on development work. Some good returns were obtained, but on the whole the results were not sufficiently encouraging to warrant the expenditure of tho capital necessary to enable operations to be carried on, and the mine has been closed down for many years. ’Hie existence of quartz bodies in numerous other parts of Central Otago has been proved, and in some case s work was carrier] on for several years. The Invincible mine, in the Rees Valley, was opened up in 1882, and operations were carried on there for about 10 years. In 1370 -a reef was discovered on the Carrick Range, and was the scene of considerable activity for a few years. A tiro of teef is known to exist on tho face of Mount Pisa, opposite Gibbston, but no development work has been done. Reefs have also been found at the head of the Gentle Annie and Roaring Meg creeks, on the slopes of the Crown Range, at Conroy’s Gully, Hyde, Macraes, Nenthorn. Hindon, Barewood, Rough Ridge, and Ophir. In some of those places a lot of money was spent in development work, hut owing to various causes those engaged in the operations were unable to carry on long enough to test the fields thoroughly. (To bo continued.)