MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 286, 4 September 1880, Page 2

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

(Per Press Association.)

■Wellington, Sept. 1. A letter was received by the Undersecretary for Goldfields from the Warden

at Okarito, stating that the number - of miners at present op the ground, It» says : “ T estimate them from 90 to 100 up to this date. There are, I h* lieve, 13 claims, represented by 34 miners, on payable gold, and I calculate the awn age returns to be from L 3, to LB 10a per week per man. The best claim at present, held by four men, is averagingoyer L 6 per week. There are a number of shafts being sunk and several tunnel applied for, varying in length from 200 to 400 feet, which will cost a large amoupt of time apd capital to complete, I feel confident that eveptually this will prove a good goldfield, hut I would wish to waru miners without means agaipst vuslppg the district at present.’^ Last Woek’s cleaning up at the Alpine claim at Lyell is fully up to the mark, there being 36ftoz, of amalgam, for 150 tons of stone. The average thickpeas of the reef is 24 feet. Operations at the United Yictory claim, New Cr eek, Lyell, are stopped, pending the registration of the company. This pro-s perty is described as equal as any yet, opened* (From the Tuapeka Times*)

There is not much being done in aliur yial mining at Waiport at the present timu The Chinese have almost deserted theFlat, and those who are working there are net doing very .much. A few Euro-s peans. working above the township and about the Lammerslaw are said to be earning good wages.

Several of the quavtz lodes in and; around the Waipori district are likely to get a thorough prospecting. At Messrs Cox and Clifford’s reef work is preceed: ; ing apace. A quantity of stone has been brought to grass, and the reef gives, promise of paying handsomely. The. battery will shortly be erected, a quantity of machinery now being on the ground.—At the Nil Desperandutn reef' Mesrs Thompson and party are busily employed. They, are now working on tribute, and are reported to be doing very fairly.—A party ot Chinese, known as the Canton Company, are prosecuting opperation vigorously in close proximityto the Nil desperandum reef, They have already expended several hundred pounds in opening cut their ground, and, judging the appearance, they are likely to be amply rewarded for their labourand enterprise when they have machin-. ery on the ground and everything in full swing.. It is reported that severe. Chinese merchants residing in Dunedirt • are interested in this claim.

Notwithstanding the prevailing dulness of the times} and the paucity of the-, population, the business people or Waipofi entertain bright hopes of the future of that well known miningcentre., The recent discovery of go id in the deep ground contiguous to township and the great extent of country in the direction of the Lammerlaws yet unexploded, tend to inspire the residence with the utmost confidence, and to buoy up their spirits at the present time.; Without doubt when the deep ground is properly opened out, and machinerybrought into operation, there is verylikelihood oi the escort returns from that, quarter being considerably augmented." It is reported that several Blue Spur capitalists are making inquiry about th& recent go 1 d discovery at Waipori and if they could be induced to take up a. claim and to start operations forthwith doubtless a great impetus would lie given to. the development of the hiddenresources of this hitherto neglected field.. Upwards of 30 acres have been pegged off on the supposed line of the deep lead, but little or nothing is likely to be done until Messrs Barclay and party’s race has been constructed and brought to, bear on their claim. This will be a. matter of several weeks. It is tincerely to be hoped that the enterprise shown by the party will meet with commensurate success.

The men have now returned to the. gold bearing reef, cut about 50 feet from the mouth of'.he tunnel. It is intended to drive along this reef for some distance and if it opens out to a width of two feet there will be a payable body of stone,, judging frcra prospects obtained at, different times.

With reference to the reported discovery of gold in the north of this island the Wellington correspondent of theLyttelton Times telegraphs “ The. specimens exhibited by Moore are of good gold in cement and in quartz, and coarse alluvia] waterworn, and if they are genuine, and bis statement relative to the extent of auriferous country correct there is no doubt that a magnificent: goldfield awaits opening up.”