WARDEN'S REPORT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 224, 16 May 1872, Page 6

WARDEN'S REPORT.

Mr Warden Robinson, under date Naseby, April 1, reports, for the quarter ending March, as follows :—: — The excessively dry season has had a most prejudicial effect upon mining. The streams from which the water races draw their sup. plies have dwindled, and, in some instances, even dried up, and there has been for many weeks positively no water to work with in several parts of the district. The want of water bas been most severely felt at Naseby, where a large mining population is ordinarily employed in sluicing, and where the supply may be said to have absolutely failed, so far as water for mining purposes is concerned. A slight rain about a fortnight ago gave a supply for a few days, but that is now exhausted, and the miners are now again idle. At the Kyeburn and at St. Bathans the want of water has not been so severely felt, but even at these places the supplies have run very short. In other parts of the district affairs have been little, if any, better than at Naseby. With this cause for depression, it is not to be wondered at that mining has nothing of interest to present as regards most parts of the district. The solitary exception to the general dulness is at the Rock and Pillar Range, where a limited number of men have been at work and getting heavy gold. I have seen ono piece of 3 oz. 3 dwt. which was obtained from Cambridge diggings, ou the Kock and Pillar j Range, about twenty miles from Hamilton. Other gullies are reported to be yielding well, but no very reliable information is to gathered respecting the workings. At the Maerewhenua the duluess incident to the absolute want of water has lately been somewhat relieved by the vigorous efforts that are being made by the new proprietors of races that have changed hands to complete them, so as to bring in a good supply of water when the drought shall at length come to an end. One race is being completed by contract, the contractor having put on a body of men to finish it quickly. There is a constantly growing opinion among miners qualified to judge that the Maerewhenua diggings will yet prove to be of very great value for sluicing. In quartz mining, the only matter worth mention is the report that it is intended to give the reefs at Rough Ridge a fresh trial. Nothing has publicly transpired respecting this project, but there can be no doubt that it is seriously intended to make another effort in that direction.

The reefs at Macraes are all at a standstill, and it is understood that the machinery of the Duke of Edinburgh Company has been sold for removal to Shag Valley, where a new reef upon purchased land outside the present boundary of the geldfield is about to be opened out.