Mineral Resources of the Colony.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3050, 23 November 1878, Page 2

Mineral Resources of the Colony.

Mr W. Bowe, who returned here. yesterday afternoon, brings with him a number of specimens of different kinds of ores he hat collected during hia trip South. Mr Bowe, who is without doubt a great authority on mining matters, since the prorogation of Parliament has been employing his time by paying a visit of inspection to the Collingwood . mining district, D'Urville. Island, and Annijeed Valley, and back these specimens as the practical results of his visit. From Col ling wood Mr Bowe brings some splendid specimens of silver-lead ore (galena) of which a very large percentage is silver. . The ore is very heavy, and is apparently all metal. It resembles fine antimony, and as large deposits of it are known to-exist in the Gollingwood distriot, during the course of a few years the Nelson mining districts will be second to none in the Colony. The specimens of chrome, antimony and other secondary minerals are also of interest, but not so much so as the splendid specimens of copper Mr Bowe has brought from D'Urville Island and Anniseed Valley. The samples are of divers characters; one specimen we noticed must, have contained but little short of 100 per cent, of pure copper, and indeed looked as j if it had been smelted. Another sample i showed traces or colors of the metal in a peculiar crystallised mineral of a steely grey color which was taken from a lode 3| feet thick, 90 feet below the surface. There is also a splendid large specimen of. copper in granite brought from Anniseed Valley. The stone is of a dull greyishcolor, and on the smooth face of the stone;

evidently the part which has rested on the wall of the lode or a slide, there is the green discoloration of the-metal, while bright blotches of copper show thickly through the broken portions. At Anniseed Valley there is a lode 12 feet in width of this kind of stone which is estimated to contain 14 per cent, of metal. Mr E. Thomas formerly of this place is manager of the Anniseed Valley Copper Mine, which is,meeting with favorable ■prospects. While looking, at these evidences of the great mineral wealth of our country, the conviction cannot -but force itself upon one's mind that their, development is " only at * its infancy. It is true that a good deal of gold has been raised, and ooal mines are being developed, but the pro sent value of the minerals raised wiU look quite insignificant beside the produce of a not far distant future. The judicious expenditure of scapital, combined with energetic working, will, soon make New Zealand take the proud position intended for her by nature—one of the premier mineral producers of the world.