Progress and Prospects.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1939, 22 March 1875, Page 2

Progress and Prospects.

I will now turn to a more genial subject. In mining there is a little more confidence. Humors of gold being found here and there are quite current, and 11 may add there is more authenticity than usual for those rumors. A good many parties are prospecting for themselves very energetically. As you ascend the range to right of the " reserve," Clem Coriies has put' in a tunnel a good distance, and cut a very nice leader about I two feet thick, half of which seems full of minerals, strongly indicating a goldbearing quality, whilst, the other half seems of a hybrid formation; but he 1 states that he Las seen no gold in it as yet. .Higher up to the west of the reserve, O'Haire and party are also putting in a ! tunnel where they expect to cut one of i the gold-bearing leaders coming from the prospecting claim. Further on the same side Green and party are also working vigorously.: There is a rush to the Rotokohu; I was there yesterday and was shown a small sample of nice gold; the parcel about 8 grains, at first sight from color and appearance seemed like nice alluvial, but on closer inspection I saw, at once that it was "reefy" gold, although with this there was a small specimen which seemed to me to confirm an idea I have as to where all this fine reefy t^old came cut of. First, it is evident it has not come out of any of the large lodes to be found in the district. Then the question is, where did it come from? Well, this:specimen I saw consisted of all quartz on the ons side, and' no gold visible even in the quartz, but on the other side it was completely crusted with fine gold exactly of the same sample and quality as the loose parcel, and cemented to the quartz by a hard brittle sandstone, showing unmistakably that it, as well as the loose gold, came out of small stringers which I am certain will be found altogether apart from the large lodes.__ I mention.this matter in order to draw the attention of the miners to such small stringers as they might meet in driving. Saturday, March 20.. .-On the reserve yesterday gold was to i be seen in the stone taken out of the workings. They are timbering'and systematically working with shifts on. i . At Rotokohu the rush is going ahead. I have not heard ofany stone being found impregnated with gold ; but very... good prospects of loose gold are being found in what is supposed to be the cap of the. reef. The prospectors, Smith and Snowden, with true miner spirit allow everybody, who wishes, go and prospect the'reef for themselves: this is as it should be. . ' ,