COROMANDEL.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2156, 1 December 1875, Page 2

COROMANDEL.

(from our own' correspondent.)

Kapanga, Tuesday, Not. 30., This district, which haslong been depressed,: consequent upon *the notorious " Green Harp ". swindle, is likely once more to resume its prosperity. On every hand we hear of new finds, miles apart, and in different' directions, while the old claims - are turning out as rich, as ever, as exemplified by the late splendid yield of the Union Beach, which gave over 34 ounces per ton, and the large yield from the last Tokatea crushing. But these returns are apparently only an index to the future yields. from the mines mentioned. Already the Union Beach has a good show of specimens in hand, and expect a quantity now from the winze before it is joined with the low level, at a further distance of about 40 feet. In the 180 foot level the lode has been opened out east and west, and a fair show of gold already seen in the stone, though the shot of gold is not within several feet of the present face of the drive. The leader itself is now about 22 inches, but as its general characteristic is to vary from a few inches to as many feet we may expect that it will become enlarged as it is driven upon; altogether, this mine claims to be one of the foremost at present on the field.' Turning to the Tokatea we may look upon this mine as having proved in the past the most permanent in the district, and there is no reason to suppose that it will not continue to do so. On the contrary the evidence is all in favor of the mine being lasting, as,the depths now proved to be not only auriferous but payable exceed 600 feet, and the numerous shots of gold which have been found in the main lode bave a downward tendency. In proof of this it is only necessary to state that ihe next claim has had the shot of gold upwards of 200 feet from the Tokatea boundary, and that the company intend starting a lower level almost immediately. The next claim that calls for attention, and, perhaps, is the. most important in this district, is the Kapanga Company's urine. It may be remembered

by numbers of "your reader's'thaV over two tons of gold was obtained from the lode which traverses the ground occupied by this company, before even the Thames was dreamt . of; the . opening, -up of which, together with the quantity of water met with in the mine, caused it to be abandoned for a considerable time. It was then taken tip by the -present manager, Captain Tbomas s who, aided by English, capital, has placed a magnificent pumping plant and battery on the ground, sunk a shaft 300 feet, and put in a cross drive to cut the lode nearly 290 feet, having only about 40 feet-furtter to be extended before the old shot of gold is reached; and here, it may be said, that there are peculiar facilities for crushing stuff cheaply at this mine, as the battery is worked by the utilization of the waterpower of the pumping engine; and, from calculations made, it is concluded that a return of 5 dwts per tori will much more than pay expenses. Having thus reviewed very briefly the three principal claims here. I can only just glance at the Eoyal Oak, Bismarck, Golden Point, Pride of Tokatea, City, of Auckland, Harbour "View, Heenan's, Quinton's, and others all of them getting payable gold with a first class show for the future; some of them indeed have given thjfty and forty om per ton, and from present prospects there seems a probability of a diminution in the returns. In Paul's Creek, some three mile 3 from the Tolcatea Range, we have again the Three Brothers' Claim, which,- had it been properly managed, would have paid handsomely. . 'Several other claims in the neighborhood have been taken,up -during the last week with splenijid prospects from the stone, and a further develop, ment of this portion of the field may shortly be anticipated. Going from this portion of the district to the Tiki, a distance ot seven or eight miles, we find a new discovery made yesterday of some stone equal to anything that has been .found in the Union Beach or any other mine here. The ground is immediately under " Castle Book,", and several claims have been applied for, and a suryey is now going on ,fpr the Prospectors, who, it appears,, struck; the lode'on the surface, and .after carrying in a drive a few feet, and jinking a winze, came upon ■ quartz of surpassing richness, hence the exodus of miners from here to the spot indicated. But it would fill your paper to dwell upon all the various.localities hero where gold in payable quantities is found, and it only requires one. fourth of the population you .have at the Thames to make this place thp foremost goldproducing field in the province, as it most assuredly will be some day, if the fates are at all propitious. I have dwelt so much upon the mines that ;X; have, not time to revert to the number of Mother minerals with which, this; peninsula abounds, and which no doubt someday will be utilized. Enough that those roost deeply interested in the Wellfare of the place look forward with Kinguine hope to the time when the material sources of wealth of-the district will be .fully developed by a f cry large mining population, contented arid happy. * .' r: