MAEREWHENUA GOLDFIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 256, 26 December 1872, Page 6

MAEREWHENUA GOLDFIELDS.

The following report, by Messre Shepherd and M'Kerrow, on the land in the Maerewhenua district, applied for by the Hon. K. Campbell, and other matters, has been handed to us (Star) for publication :—: —

Dunedin, 17th December, 1872. To His Honor the Sctebinteitdent, —

In compliance with tbe instructions of the Government, we proceeded to the Maerewhenua Goldfield, and made inquiry as to the nature and extent of auriferous ground alleged by your petitioners to exist within the land application of the Hon. Robert Campbell. On the ground, there were found to be five sluicing claims opened out, within the limits of the application, and scattered over an area of 600 acres in the south-east angle of the block, as delineated on the accompanying plan. The following evidence was taken from Henry How«, Thomas Cooper, George Quayle, James M'Quade, Thomas Smith, John Davidson, John Bandeen, John Hogan, and — M 'Cann, all miners and representatives of the mining interest, affected by the proposed purchase : — iteid and Hogan's claim hew been opened three months ; employs two men when water is available. Forty-five ounces of gold have been got. One head and sometimes two heads of water have been used, at au outlay of L 3 per head per week. After deducting expenses, there is from L 5 to L 6 e'ear per man per week. Depth of working face, 30 feet. M'Cann and party first opened their claim about two years ago. Thirty-nine ounces have been washed out, giving at the rate of L 9 per man per week. The general estimate of the ground, is, that it will yield at the rate of L 7 per man per week. There are six men in | this party. They have been mostly employed in water-race construction and opening ground ; depth of working face, 25 to 30 feet. Howe's claim just opcucd ; four men in party. Cooper's first claim, opened about two years ago, employs two men when there is water. 120 ounces takoi out, at the rate of L 8 per man per week ; depth ef working face, 50 feet; bottom of drift not jet reached. Cooper's second claim, opened four months ago, employs two men when there is water ; yield, 60 ounces, at the rate of nearly L 8 per Haan per week ; open face about 20 feet. Nimmo's claim is outside Mr Campbell's proposed purchase ; but as the tailings pass through the block, it must also be considered along with the other claims. Has been opened about two years, ihree men have worked the claim occasionally, in the intervals of cutting ten miles water-race ; yield, 200 ounces ; depth of working face, 30 feet. The water-races in connection with these claims are :—: — Con- To be Carrying structeiL constructed, capacity. Howe's • 6 miles 4 'miles 5 heads arCann's - 10$ „ 1$ „ 10 „ Frater's - 4 „ 12 „ 20 „ Niraino's -10 „ — „ 9 „ Cooper's - 2 „ — „ 2 „ ;: -J_;; j_;; ];: Totals 38J „ 23J „ , 56 „ There are 4 dams and 6 tail-races of an aggregate estimated value of L 950. The number of miners interested is twenty-four; they neonpy sixteen huta^-and- have four gardens. From the evidence, it will^gpear that all the ground that has been worked, has proved payable. Keid ? and Hogan's claim, which yielded 45 ounces, has only been worked over one-fifth of an acre, or at the rate of 225 ounces per acre. All the workings put together will only amount tt> a very few acres, and they have, in reality, heen only so many trial prospects. The miners are so well satisfied with these that they are now, almost to a man, engaged in bringing in' more water. In this they are not stimulated by any assistance from outside capital ; but are entirely dependent on their own exertions. There can be no doubt as to their thorough good faith in the future of the field. They are of opinion that all the spurs running into the bush, and sheepwash creeks are also payable. Phis, inclusive of the 600 acres, wilt comprise 2900 acres within the application. In the Waikori water-shed, John Frater, Messrs Greer and Ryan, all miners of long experience, have recently prospected the ground, and are satisfied as to its payable nature. They, have made proposals to Mr Campbell to work on that portion of this ground, which lies within his purchased land. The part within the application will cover 2,400 acres. With a view to the working of the Waikori ground, and also providing a constant supply of water, on towards the workings now opened. A race is projected from the Otakaike to carry 15 heads of water." The right to the water is granted by the Warden, and the probable position of the race is shown on map. Jn all,*' 'there 'will ' be an estimated area of 5,300 acres of auriferous ground within the application. Tho develop- ! inent of the field will be slow and gradual, j as it depends on the supply of water. The ground now opened out will give steady employment to a limited number of miners for many years. It must, however, be distinctly pointed out that the gold workings j cannot extend very much without tbe con- j currence of the proprietors of the adjoining i lands through whose freeholds the tailings must; necessarily pass. A reference to the map will show that the tailings of all the claims now opened, with one exception, will pass through the freehold of Mr Pringle. The tailings of the remaining claim will pass through the freehold of Mr Campbell, as indeed will all the tailings of any new ground that may be opened on the 5,300 acres. With regard to the remaining portion of application; there is no definite information as to its auriferous natuie. It is situated principally within the Otakaike watershed, if gold does exist, it must be under different conditions fchan in the Maerewhenua basin, where it occurs pretty evenly disseminated, all through a drift of indurated sand and gravel. On the Otakaike side of the dividing ridge, the rock crops out frequently on the surface, and what soil there is, consists of the waste of the schist rock. The flat of the Otakaike valley is composed principally of shingle with an intermixture of dry soil. It is not likely to prove payably auriferous. BRIDGE SITE AT MAEREWHENUA. An excellent site for a bridge over the Maerewhsnua occurs at the point marked on map. There the river has cut a channel through the rock, which could be spanned by a stretch. of sixty feet, 'the rock and bank on the south aide arc 24 feet above river channel, and on the north side 13 feet. As the flood mark is high, it would be advisable to place the bridge on the higher level. A dray can now be taken along either bank of river to the site. With the exception of a few feet of side cutting on the south side, no other formation, is required as approaches. A bridge strong enough to carry a pack horse is all that is required. The probable cost would not exceed L3OO. As the miners are cut off from supplies from the township during floods, ,the .erection of this bridge would be of great ad vw^ge^ot^OHj, ,< M

WATER SUPPLY, KAKANCI RIVBR. In the matter of Messrs Gray Russell, and Co.'s objections to the diversion of Jhead waters of Kakanui River by th-j Mining '■'ace Co. — We visited the fiour-niiil at the' main north road cross ng Kakanui on the 9thinst., and obtained the following informa* , tion : —Mr Brown, mill manager at Kakanui . ' for six years, states that the mill in full ■work would require more water than runs in the Kakauui for the four summer months, November to February inclusive. At present the mill-race tabes two-thirds of the water, and only runs one pair of stones. There are four pairs of stones in the milL The other third of water is let for the fellmongeries. When in full work, the millrace cavrie3 a stream 154 inches deep and 5 feet 6 inches broad. At the date of visit there was a stream in the race 11 inches deep and 5 feet 6 inches broad running at a velocity of barely three miles an hour. William Anderson, in employ of Cheesbroogh and Booth, fellmongers, estimates at date of visit twenty heads running down river, and about double the quantity down mill-race : in all, sixty heads in river above mill-race. Believes that there is more wattr flowing below the thingle of river than what appears above, it at present. Mr Wheatley, who has had a fellinoai'ery on the banks of Kakanui for tive years, states that at date the water in river was insufficient for his purpose. Duing the previous summer he had to suspend operations for a fortnight on account of want of water. There have been contentions with the mill and neighboring fellmongery as to the right of using the water during the period of scarcity. From thi« it will appear that there is in the dry season of the year less water than is required for the mill and fellmongeries in their present arrangements; and that any diversion of the head waters of the Kakanui to another watershed must of course shorten the supply still more.

The Kakanui Mining Race Company have obtained from the Warden the right to 12 heads of water, to be taken as approximately shown on the map. This company, composed principally of experienced miners from Kye- | burn and Naseby, have prospected the spurs at the head of the Awamoko and south I branch of Maerewhenua. and, being well satisfied as to their payable nature, are now buoy with the preliminaries of a careful survey and getting plant on the ground. The race will be fifteen miles long, -will tare, In all, about two miles of flaming and a tunnel, piercing the dividing ridge between the watersheds, of a thousand feet in length. It<t is estimated to occupy 20 men for eighteen months in its construction, and will cost L 6,0 0. On the success of this race depends in a very material degree the development of the Maerewhenua goldfield. There is another and prior right to take water from the Kakanui, issut d in favor of JBott ng, for 5 or 6 heads of water. This race is partly constructed. Matthew Cooper, Naseby, has also a right granted for 10 heads, so that, in all, about 30 heads have been taken up. In a dry season these races are likely to take the greater part, if not the who c of the branch of the Kakanui from which they rise. This branch is estimated by Mr Miller the manager on Run 134 (the country cover, ing the Kakanui watershed) at one-fifth the volume of the head waters of the river. These upper sources are perennial, and though no actual gauge of the water has been taken, it is a very general opinion that, notably in a dry season, the river has considerably more water in its channel, on leaving the mountains, than what it- has lower down on the plains. Part of the water is supposed to percolate through the gravel, and pass on by underground channels. This is the case with the Kauroo, ordinarily; it is an important tributary of the Kakanui, but at present, and in dry seasons, although a considerable stream on issuing from the mountains, its waters entirely disappear through the gravel before reaching ttie Kakanui, the channel being too leaky to carry them on. In a river of this nature it is" evident that the under- "' ground channels must always be supplied before any water caa flow in the ordinary channel above ground. Applying this view to the Kakanui, it will appear that the diversion of one-fifth of its head waters may in time of drought amount to one-third or onehalf of the visible water in the shingle channel of theplain. The water-race of the mill comes '■ directly from the channel of the river, there being no dam to collect the water or Btore it up on Sundays or such times as the mill is stopped. The water-wheel is 20 feet in diameter, and receives the water 4 or 5 feet from the top. The arrangements seem to have been made relying on having enough and to spare of water. Means could be devised of saving the water by applying it in a more effective manner, but of course the alteration of machinery weuld be attended with expense. -{The fellmongeries, by being shifted either above or below the water-race of the mill, would have plenty of water. On th.6 lithograph, the relative positions of mill and fellmongeries are shown, also the ' approximate position of nvll-rao. The sections colored sienna show the properties on- - which the mill and other interests are situated. The strips of one chain wide along each side of the river were reserved at the time of survey 186U and* are dtill CrowA lands ' ' ••'■ !1 •' •'• u-li "'■' T. L. Shephem>. •< A!'.> r I .1: V.It was wittily said of a beautiful French literary lady, that she had but one fault — her husband. A writer on long engagements says : " The difficulty of sustaining with appropriate effect the character of an engaged man is sometimes enormous." A lady of rather vixenish propensities had long been wanting to visit Highgate Ceme* tery, and in early summer she said to her husband, " You have never yet taken me to Highgate." — " No, my dear," he replied ; " that's a pleasure I have as yet had only in anticipation."