MINING NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 6 April 1871, Page 6

MINING NEWS.

The company formed to work the quartz reef at Mr. Christie's, Saddle Hill, are determined to lose no time in carrying on operations. Immediately upon learning the result of the crushing, which \ielded fully fourteen pennyweights, instead of thiitjen, as before mentioned, from quartz taken indiscriminately, machinery on the most approved principle was sent for to Melbourne, which is expected in a few weeks. Should the enterprise prove remunerative, as it cannot fail to do, considering its proximity to coal, thereis a great and prosperous future for that district, as quartz reefs crop oat in all directions. We h ive in our possession a splendid specimen, recently obtained from a reef on Mr. Howorth's property, containing numerous specs of gold visible to the naked eye. — "Daily Tim os."

A short time ago we (" Daily Times") culled attention to the discovery of a reef of antimony on the bani-s of the Tai:-ri, on the i-oad to Hindon. Since then, a company, with a nominal capital of £1800, has been formed to work the reef. Most of the shares were taken up by the original promoters, but some were reserved for the public, and are now on sale. A lease of the ground has been secured, and men are now at work. The company intends, we understand, to confine its operations to excavating and exporting the raw ore, as it will be more profitable to do this than to snv-jlc on the ground. The capital appears small, but as no expansive machinery is inquired, it will probably be found sufficient, for the preseno, at any rale. The, specimen of the ore which was shown us the other day was exceedingly rich, but it was taken from the surface, aad the reef a]) pears to improve in quality ss it is opened up. Although de|O>its of antimony have lou^ been known to exist in Ofcago, this is the first company that has b»en formed heie t) mine for that metal; indeed, we. believe it is the iiivst antimony mining comp.my registered iv New Zed md.

We heir 'h ;t quite a rush has tilcen place to the hea 1 of Moonlight iv consequence of t-.vo miners, Smith Bros., having st.aick a sp eadid run of gold in one of the terraces theie. The men Mient : oned have worked in the sime locality before, and about 16 v nionths ago left for the home country, where they spent the small "pile" of 400 ouncas of gold which they had obtained. It is stated that they have again struck good ground. Hence the rush. Both creek and terrace cl dms have been taken up. — " Wakatip Mail."

We have this week to announce a discovery which may prove to be one of the mo<t important yet made in connection with quartz-mining in this district. A new lode, showing a width of four feet at ths top, and believed to be the main line of reef for which various parties have been prospecting on the Carrick "Ran^e, was accidentally found the other day, by Messrs. James Aitchison and Thomas Bain, about a mile north-west of the Elizabeth Reef, and between Smith's and Pipeclay G-ullies. Gold can be feen in the stone without the aid of a irlass ; and by simply washing a dishful of the stuff, without crushing, a good prospect can be obtained. There are several different kinds of stone in the reef, and this circumstance, when viewed in connection with the great thickness of the lode, would seem to indicate that the newly-discovered reef is one of which the whole of the claims on the Elizabeth ' reef are but brandies Messrs. Aitchison and party have of course applied for a prospecting claim. We. are informed that water power sufficient to drive a small crushingmachine is available ir the immediate vicinity of the new line of reef. — ' Cromwell Argus."

The diamond-fields of South Africa are claimed as colonial territory, and are, to the gratification of the diamond hunting population, to be placed under British law. No difficulty or doubt on this subject would ever have occurred ,except for iho establishment of free States, which seems to. have been

rather a thorn in the side of African prosperity, if in the term be iuclud'd the civilisation of the natives. Diainon Is have attracted a lar r o and fluctuating population to t.V j Vail and other districts, who need the, aid of some capable power to preserve order. Ainomr other pilgrims from the south, towards the close of last winter, a person from tbe colonies reached the

larger and older dig'.rin^s on the river, lie had not been extreme! v fortunate in S mth Africa, Ivit he had means to pay his expenses for a short time. FTis claim wns allotted, and he dug and washed without any return until his money was nearly wasted away. Only a few shillings remained 1o him, and, as a desperate resource, he endeavoured to sell his claim for a few pounds, and then one evening for twrntv shillings ; hut the bargain was refused, as the el lim was eons : dero I " unfortunate.'" Nvxt .i.o"n : n - th i di r ger t'irn 'd over a few spilo'Vs of earth wiVi a lieavv heart, ov^etin ' n »' bin i. wV>n in one of th i m his eye was a' <ra t by so ■nothing which turnel out t) be his first diamond, and, with the exception of one, the finest yet found on the ground. Tfc was valued at the dig««inrsat £^000 or £9000, at Bur^hersdorp at £ L 0 000. and the claim immediately advanced in value.