The Future of the Thames as a Goldfield.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4292, 3 October 1882, Page 2

The Future of the Thames as a Goldfield.

A correspondent of. the\Herald, writing on " The Thames Goldfidd,"- gives it as ' his opinion that the d?ep levels,-especially , in the southern end of the'field, will eventually be the richest portion of* the field. At considerable length, ha, reviews the geological strata of the field, especially in the neighborhood of the Caledonian and surrounding mines. The irregular formation he says, has been caused at some remote period by a volcanic upheaval, which was also the'.ca'uae, of the formation of the various slides which traTerse the field. After referring tolhe unaccountable way in which the gold is distributed through the various reefs and leaders, he goes on . ; to say :— Mark now the,ldeality of the old . Shoto.ver claim, next that of the Kurunui, the M'oanatairi, Caledonian, and Waiotahi; and it will be observed tbat all those claim occupy positions which fall below each otber with the gradual slope or fall of the country in the direction indicated —that is to say, towards the flat on which thA Prince Imperial, Southern Cross, Old Crown Princess, Queen of England, and Queen of : - Beauty are situated. Now if we take the '• history of what were formerly the Bonanza': claim?, it is worthy of remark that in the Shotover the richest gold was obtained *• immediately at the surface; and in the Kurunui, Moanatairi, Caledonian, and of her rich mines, it was found comparitively near the surface, whereas in the, Prince Imperial, old Crown Princess/ Bright Smile, and Queen of Beauty, the precious metal was not only /obtained in payable*., quantities at the surface, but in all these latter mines it has been found to exist in remunerative deposits at depths averaging •■ ,' from 4CO to 600 feet below the level'of the sea. Thus it will be seen, with the gradual fall of the country towards the south-west, as the lea's disturbed geological strata are. reached, that is to say, where the volcanic action and other disturbing influences have not'been so " great as in the hills rising towards the Shotover claim, the gold appears to be more continuous in its course downwards, a fact which would seem to indicate, from the results which are being daily brought to light, that the richest portion of the Thames is yet to be revealed in that part of the gold field extending from the Prince Imperial to the Queen of Beauty flat. Up to a given point there is a certain amount of analogy existing between the deposition of gold in Aus* tralia and New Zealand, inasmuch as although very rick deposits of the precious metal have been found near the surface in the former country as they have bflen^ here, the most, permanent , reefs, are, „ invariably found at a considerable depth in what miners term ".settled country;" that is to say, in rock strata where Volcanic action has not disturbed or displaced the auriferous rocks in the same way as they are invariably found to be displaced from the plane of their original stratification when upheaved, or raised in the form . .of hills and mountains'—a theory, which it would appear is now gradually developing itself in connection with the deep mines of the Thames. In considering any scheme for the development of the Grahamstown flat, by means of a complete system of deep fovel exploration, it would Be advisable to make V the " Big Pump " the base of operations. This shaft, which is probably the finest , south of the line, is already completed to a depth of 660 feet. At 20 feet from the bottom what is known as the 640 feet level has been driven in a southerly direction through the Southern Cross mine, to the . , further side of the Waiotahi Creek, a di»r .' tance of about 800 feet. From this latter point to properly open out the most > important portion of the goldfield,. it should be continued in its course, to eventually connect the deep level workings .of the Prince Imperial, and thence to the old-Crown Princess shaft From here it \ should be carried through., the Queen of England mine, to the Piafcb shaft, Oft the Queen of Beauty flat, and which is already^** sunk to a depth of over 550 feet. ThisMJ^L. would give an entire length to be driven of about 2000 feet, which in this . age of rock-borers, should be a compara* tivelyeasy and inexpensive undertaking. I When considered from every point of view, 'the ..importance of such a work to the whole district could not be overestimated, for not only would the tunnel drain a large area of ground, but, , every; reef traversing the auriferous for- '; mation at this depth would be intersected, a perfect geological section of the country traversed would be obtained, and no doubt ' many permanent and valuable diaeoveriea . would be made. In face of the rich finds in the Queen of Beauty, and the favorable prospects of other mines on the flat, the .. question of extending the 640 feet Wei is well worthy the attention of capitalist*, and, if operations were properly conducted by reason of the facilities it would afford . for .the working of the low levels of the various mines in its vicinity, it would no doubt eventually develop into a very profitable enterprise, and.be the meani of practically testing a large and very im- " portant section »f the goldfield.