TIKI.

Thames Star, Volume XXI, Issue 3780, 8 February 1881, Page 2

TIKI.

(FEOM OUB SPECIAL BEJPOBTEB.)

Coboma-NDel, February 7.

Much has been said and written about the Tiki district, and yet it is as little known to the outside community as if it was in the midst of Africa. Even your contemporary's reporter, who paid a visit to the place—that is, went to the saddle and then " jibbed" on it, has evidently taken his cue from persons as wise as himself in practical mining. The report of the Tiki, its prospects,. wealth, and surroundings, as shadowed forth in the Advertiser, would lead persons to believe that nothing was doing—nothing had been done. Id order to dispel these ideas, and to give a fair and unvarnished statement to your readers of everything that is doing, and what the future of the place is likely to be, I visited the whole of the mines there yesterday. Of course you will understand that the district wherein these claims are situated has been the most inaccessible in all Coromandel, lying, as they do, close at the base of Castle Hock, with almost impenetrable forest for miles around. The wonder is that any maiv wdold dream of prospecting in such' country. Nor probably would they, had they not started from the Whangapoua side of the range, under the auspices of Mr C. A. Harris, junr., who is entitled to the credit of having caused this most important goldfield to be opened up some eighteen months ago. Mr Harris backed Messrs Tieruan and Coghlen, and continued to do so until payable gold was struck in Mrs Macintosh's ground adjoining his own, the cost to himself being something like two hundred and sixteen pounds. Tiernan and Coghlen also deserve the thanks of the community for the untiring energy displayed by them, and the pluck they evinced in sticking to such a desolate spot—for fourteen months—before getting anything payable.

The first claim we visited was Mr Barrett's, and there we were shown about fifty pounds of good picked stone taken from the leader. Most of the stone had a small seam of gold running through it, and will pay well when crushed. The stone referred to was taken from the surface, and the leader is about nine inches wide. A low level tunnel has been put in to intersect the lode a distance of 45 feet. At 35 feet an immense body of quartz was met with, but it was concluded this was another lode carrying gold. Hence the drive was extended some distance further. The large lode, however, is being* driven upon by some of the party, while others are trying leaders which abound in the claim with varying success. ■ '

BLACKMORE'S CLAIM. We were shown some splendid stone from this mine, taken from several different lodes, most of th^Blii-^iT&ing large and underlying at an angle of 450 degrees. Several tons of good stone showing gold have already been put in the paddock, and any quantity can be got whenever required. Two levels have just ben started to cutother lodes traversing the ground. Altogether there are four payable lodes in the claim. HEENAN'S CLAIM.

A grand discovery of gold was made in this mine the day before yesterday, by a new lode being opened up, which gave forth first-class stone. Yesterday, however, it was much richer and about lOOlbs of specimens that would yield an ounce to the pound at least were bagged during our visit, and a good sbow left in the face. This mine is within 50 yards of Blackmore's, and the new lode is only three feet from the original one opened up, which is also a payable one.

Tiernan's was the nest we visited, and if your readers could imagine themselves sliding down the roof of a house for half a mile over roots, and strangled with supplejacks, they will have some idea of the country in which the mines are situated. Upon our arrival we found that a lode about 12 inches was being developed and taken out at a face in consequence of lying rather flat. Gold was showing freely in the large block of stone in the face, and upon chipping one large stone we found it to be an immense specimen weighing perhaps 301bs. The day before our visit some 401bs of very rich stone was taken out. It will be remembered by some of your readers that this was the first mine on the place, and that in another lode higher up from the creek where the gold was originally obtained Bozs was crushed from 81bs of stone. Another lode is also running through the ground, and the shareholders are only waiting to have a good crushing from the specimens they are getting every day in order to start upon the other lodes—in fact, to open up the whole mine—and as the track is now only 15 chains from them, there is every probability they will be able to get their stuff out in a fortnight. About five tons of quartz are in the paddock, and it is estimated at 40ozs per ton.

'McDONALP'S CLAIM. This mine bordering on Tiexuian's, and surrounded by other valuable properties is the second one upon the field. The brothers McDonald may almost be called the pioneer prospectors of the locality surrounding their present claim, as they have been for the last 8 or 9 years endeavoring to develope the country, satisfied that ultimately success would crown thei|jefforts, nor have they been disappointed, as nothing less than three or four payable leaders have been discovered in the upper level, the leaders has been worked upon a distance of 40 feet, and in the lower level, now in 240 feet, a distance of 50 feet, a large quantity of payable quartz is at grass, besides rich specimens. From one small piece I saw not less than sd.wts in the dish after the stone had been roughly pounded. A new level to cut three- payable reefs is now being put in, and a distance of 25 feet will intersect them. .-•..-

A number of other claims getting gold I had not time to visit.' The place is alive with prospectors,; notwithstanding the land being partly private. The new road is almost finished, and runs . round j nearly all the claims, and it certainly is a great boon to the miners and visitors generally. The latter will be able shortly to ride a horse within a stone's throw of the principal mines working at present. In Coromandel proper* also some of the mines are doing well, and likely to do better. Mellsop's tribute, in* the Corby, gave 119ozs from 1401bs of stone. United, situated close to the Union Beach is also getting out rich stone daily. STAE OF HOPE. This mine, about five miles from the township, so long abandoned, has been

taken up again, and got out about 3Olbs specimens during the last few day*. JUST IN TIME.

This mine, bordering on the Golconda, Union Beach, and United, is one of our best claims. It would seem that they have picked up the original leaders formerly worked with such success by the above-named companies. Since work was started a distance of 150 feet on the reef has been driven. A short time ago a crushing of ten tons took place, and resulted in the splendid yield of 98OZS. 1 Since then a crushing of 5 tons gave 4|ozs per ton. This was taken from stopes over the drive, while the ten tons was taken from the drive itself, and the best of the gold seemfd to be on the floor. A winze has already been sunk;" seven feet in the drive and 151bs picked stone taken out, and prospects ob* tamed equal to lOozs per ton. As it is rather difficult to sink in the drive the shareholders have come to the conclusion to sink a shaft and leave the winze in • abeyance for the present, as they anticipate getting gold superior to anything yet at a depth of 4.0 feet, so that not only at the Tiki is gold being got in quantities, but also in the immediate yioinity of the township. This mine may therefore be looked upon as a great success, and judging from what I saw there is a splendid future before the lucky shareholders.