Inspection of Hauraki Goldfields. Meeting with the Inspector.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 November 1886, Page 1

Inspection of Hauraki Goldfields. Meeting with the Inspector.

A. gathering of gentlemen interested in Hie mining industry took place on Wednesday, November 17th, at four o'clock in the Auckland Chamber of Comni6rco rooms, under the proidency of Mr John Lamb (Chairman of £be Chamber of Commerce), principally for the purpose of meeting M.Henry A. Gordon, who has been inspecting the Hauvaki Goldfields on behalf of the Government. Amongst those present were : Messra J. M. Clark, A. Saunders, J. M. Leunox, J M. Aloxander, J, JP. Clark, Thoa. Morrin, F. A. White, J Chamber*, J. B. Morpeth, G. W. Binnoy, J. Frater, Geo. Frasoi, G Aickin, Adam Porter, Colonel JTiasor, M.U.R., R. Comer, A, Brodio, and J. vVtvlker, also Mr PI. A, Gordon, Government Inspector. The Chairman explained that the £/ithering had been projected for tho purpose of affording gentlemen interested in the mm ing industry an opportunity of meeting Mr Gordon, who had reconily inspectod tho goldiialds on behalf of the Government, and he trusted that the result of hid inspection would be that tho Government would give them more assistance in developing the ' goldfields than they had hitherto done, tome time ago they had rofuned au application for assistance. It seemed strange that, while tho goldfields in the South had as much as £45,000 appropriated to them, those ia the Auckland district should have nothing. It must bo lemembered that at pi e>-ent nearly all tho revenuo ihey got from their goldhelds mis paid to the natives, while that was not the caae with the goldiields ia the South. He had much pleasiuo in calling upon Mr Goidon to address the mucti»iy and to tell thorn the ret-ulte of his inspection. Mr Gordon said as regarded the future of the Thames goldfielde, he had great iaith that with proper treatment of our lefracfoiy oies (for they weie le'iactorv), in which there was not only "gold but silver and other minerals, Lugo results might b? ub i lined ; but it woukl require a a different mode of treatment from tiny which had yet beuii applied to them. A lull analysis would be required beiore the proper treatment could bo accurately de cided upon ; the La Monte furnace was of no valuo there, inasmuch cm the largo proportion of silica in our quartz rendered tho above smelting process u-ele^b We lequhed to know tho ( 3 ifl'erent fluxes tor reducing ores, f.nd to expen'ment with them. He v»a^ not in a position to detail all that *ie had seen in the mine?, for 10 do so would be to interfere with tho pierogat've of tho Minister or Mines. In answer to Mr Aickin, Mr Gordon said that the Hon. Mr Laruach intended to vit.it Auckland next month. Be phould leport iairly what he had seen in the district. Mr Gordon said that he could not well offer any suggestion. He could merely stato what was well-known, viz., that gold was being lost by the present mode of working. It was gold, however, of a peculiar character -diftoront from that found in any other part of the world. It was very finely disseminated through the quartz, and therefoie required difforont treatment from that followed in the other Australian colonies. One thing was certain, they would not save it at the batteries, and another thing was that wherevor gold was found associated with iron pyrites it was iin possible to save it by the battery piocoss. Sulphur associated with it then and carried it off. It would be purely a matter for experiment \>o determine which was the best treatment to adopt. Possibly they would save more gold by means of the chloriuising process, but it was a question of expense. It would be expensive If there was a large proportion of pyiites mixed with the gold, the pyrites covjld be collected by roasting it and putting it chiough the chlorinising process. Wo had also got silver at Waihi, Karangahake,and Tui, and with the exception of some he had seen at the last-named place, the tilver also was not fit for smelting. There was a large proportion of galena in ii. He had not eeen the proce.-sts in use in Amoiica, but he believed they were far ahead there of us in New Zealand. From wh-.t ho hf>d lead, howovor, it seomed as if tho leeching piocess might answer. After tho oie was ground, it was roasted, then salt was added to convert ifc into sulphates of silver and chlorides of eilver, after which ifi could be easily leached. This pioco?s was used largely in America, and lie did not beiiovo that it expensive, A revorborarory furnace would be needed for roasting the ores. In answor to Mr Aickin, Mr Gordon further said that the best plan would be to send Home large samples of ores to different parts of the country, In order to be treated and experimented with. Mr Shophord moved, and Mr A. Poiter seconded, " That this meeting re°olve itself into a Committee, and meet the Minister of Mines upon his arrival here, and lay all goldfield matters befoie him." This resolution having also been passed, the meeting ended with the passing of a vote of thanks to Mr Gordon, which he duly acknowledged.

Some papers look with horror on the u?o of tho word "woman" in respectable society. One of them recently chioniclecl the finding of a " lady's skeleton."

Lisseep MnATi PouLTrcE.—" Scald your ba^in by pouring a little water into ifc; then put a small quantity of finely-ground linseed meal into the biisin, pour a little hot water on it, and stir it round briskly until you havo well incorporated them; add a little more meal and a little more water ; then stir it again. Do not let any lumps remain in the basin, but stir the poultice well, and do not be sparing of, your trouble. What you do next is to take as much out of the baein as you may require, lay it on a piece of soft linen, and let it be , about a quarter «f an inch, thick," — Abernethy.