WAIPORI DIGGINGS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 395, 30 September 1874, Page 2

WAIPORI DIGGINGS.

j {By our Mining Reporter.)

The above diggings were discovered soon after Gabriels Gully, and have ever since afforded profitable employment to a large number of miners — European and Chinese, the latter race predominating during the last three or four years. The alluvial workings at Waipori extend over a considerable area of ground, principally confined to the flats and terraces bordering on the river and its tri- fe butary streams, of which the Nardoo Creek is 1 the principal. The Waipori Eiver rises in the Lammerlaw Ranges, and in time of flood is a stream of some magnitude ; and from its source to what is known as the falls, where ifc empties into Lake Waipori, gold has been found. In some places very rich patches have been taken out, and the greater portion of the ground when worked in a proper manner has payed more than the average wages. On the Otago goldfields for years past these diggings have had the name of producing as much gold per man as any alluvial workings in the province. The best of the . available ground known to be payable is now, however, worked, and many of the miners have left for new fields, leaving the poorer ground to those indefatigable fossickers, the Chinese. This field has always been a favorite one with the Celestials, who prefer ground which will always yield a small return, with the chance of occasionally dropping across a good patch, which is frequently done in the solid blocks that have been left by Europeans in the first workings. The sludge channel, which iB being constructed by the Government to drain the Lower Waipori Flat, is now nearly completed. The contractors expect to hand it over to the Government next month. This work, when finished, will cost the country about £9000, and therefore it is to be hoped the ground adjacent to it will turn out a large quantity of the precious metal. The channel is four and a quarter miles long, commencing about two miles below the township ana terminating at the falls, and in some places is eighteen feet deep. The ground through which it passes is principally a gravelly drift, and some difficulty has been experienced in preventing the stuff from running in. The sides are now being built up with sods, and this will in a great measure protect the channel from being filled up by the earth running in from the side. The contractors for this work have pushed on with it as rapidly as circumstances would y permit. During the severe weather they had to discontinue operations for some weeks, but they are now making up for lost time. About 100 men are now employed on the work, the majority of whom are Chinese. The rate of wages throughout has been for European labourers from 8s to 10s ; Chinese, 6s to 8s per diem. A great diversity of opinion exists amongst the mining population at Waipori as to the extent and richness of the ground likely to be opened up by this channel. The croakers say that payable gold only exists in email patches, others maintain that the greater portion of the flat through which the channel passes is payably auriferous. An old Victorian miner who has been on the Waipori diggings for several years, and who has beea acting as overseer, informs me that payable wash is deposited throughout the greater .length of the channel. The miner referred to has an interest in two claims on the flat, and has every confidence in the payable nature of the ground opened up, by this the first completed Government work of any importance constructed out of that portion of Mr. Voxel's _4 loan set aside for goldfields. The further, opening out of tho ground in tbjs

vicinity will be watched with great interest. Mr. Pilling is extending his water .race, carrying about seven sluice heads, down towards the channel ; and should there be much demand for water, there will be no difficulty in obtaining a large supply. At the Lower Crossing, through which the channel passes, several' stores have been erected. Messrs. M'Cay Bros, aud J. Cox, of Waipori, have branch, places of business. Mr. Lomas hss also a general store. This last named gentleman owns several shares in mining property oa the flat. In one claim now being opened by him at the Crossing payable prospects are obtainable. The great portion of the alluvial workings on the flat are on a false bottom. Wash is know to exist beneath, but, from the large amount of water, the main reef yet remains to be tested. This will no doubt be done by means of boring rods, as these are excellent means of proving deep ground. On the success of thi^fproject depends "the further grants in aid from the Government for similar works on our hitherto neglected goldfields. Quartz reefing in tin's district is yet in its infancy, though numerous lodes are known to exist in the neighborhood. The O.P.Q. Co. for several years worked the lode now held under lease by the Waipori Quartz Mining Co. with varying success. The reef ell through turned out a good average yield of gold, but the cost of fuel to drive the crushing machinery absorbed proceeds that with water power would have yielded handgome dividends. Newcastle coal was used for £ steam purposes, which frequently . cost the company upwards of £30 per week} hence their failure to make the reef payable. The present holders of the reef, guided by the failure of their predecessors, are adopting different tactics. They have purchased from Messrs. Butson and party a large water right, for which they gave £1600, and have now let a contract to the former owners to bring the race on to the machino^ site, a distance of eight miles. A portion of the race is already cut, and the contractors, who. have thirty men employed, anticipate completing the work within the time specified —namely, four months ; ten weeks of which remain to complete their contract. Mr. E. Hill, the Waipori Co.'s manager, informs me that he has commenced to drive an adit 400 feet below the crown of the spur where the reef is situated. The tunnel will be driven the hill on the line of reef. This will an immense scope of " backs " to work, slrould the lode be as good below as it is on the surface, where it has been traced by the manager right through the Company's lease. The reef shows on the surface for some distance, and wherever tested shows payable gold. The manager intends shifting the crushing millimmediately from its old site to the mouth of the main drive. It will in future be driven by a turbine wheel, which is being manufactured for the company in Dunedin. The machine site will be immediately prepared, and the plant re-erected by the time the water race is completed. The race purchased from Messrs. Butson and party is a large one, and the present proprietors, in ordinary seasons, will have more water than they will require for driving their machinery ; the surplus will have a ready sale, as the race will command an immense area of sluicing ground ; and should the demand exocod the supply, a larger quantity of water can be obtained by cutting the race up to the head waters of the Waipori river. Adjoining the olaim of the Waipori Co., on the same line of reef, is Messrs. Thomson and party's lease. They are at present prospecting the lode on the Mitchells Flat side. They have a shaft down 45ft.,from which they have driven a blind shaft. As the water is gaining upon them too rapidly for their presant appliances, it is tneir intention to immediately commonee a main shaft 100 ft. in depth. This will allow them to prospect a considerable portion of their claim, after which they will be enabled to sink the main shaft to any depth required. As it is the intention of the shareholders to n>ake this work a permanent one, they have, at large expense, carted a lot of suitable timber for slabbing on to the claim, and will immediately commence with the work. This party have cut the reef in several places, showing good gold throughout ; and from the permanent work they are undertaking, they must have .great faith in the future prospects of. their claim. The other alluvial workings on the Waipori goldfields I will pot at present describe : suffice it to say that, in comparison to other goldfields, they have yielded largely of the precious metal. The Bungtown Creek, for instance, has turned out some splendid nuggetty gold ; whilst Post-office Creek, the Deep Stream, Nuggetty Gully, Mitchells Flat, and the many gullies in the Lammerlaw Ranges have done much to swell the esGort. Besides its rich golden deposits, this district Abounds in antimony, cinnibar, and copper ores, which, in time to come, will receive atr tention, and no donbfc* add to the wealth of ' the country. A few years ago, the Messrs. Caudwell tried an antimony lode in the Lammerlaw, a specimen of which is to be seen in our local museum. They shipped a few tons to the Home markets, but found the cost of putting it on shipboard too heavy to permit of the working of the mineral to a profit. The principal want on this goldfield, like that of most of the Otagan diggings, is suitable ' timber for mining purposes and fuel. The latter want is more especially felt in a locality situated so many hundreds of feet above the sea level as Waipori. Peat, of which there is an unlimited supply, is principally used for fuel, although "there are indications of coal existing in the district. Should a good seam he discovered, it would do much to further the prosperity of the district. During the incoming summer mining should take a turn for the better. With the reef again at work and the numerous claimholders on the flat, who are only awaiting the completion of the Channel, we may again expect the escort returns to increase. You may, therefore, expect to have frequent communications from me, relative to the further development of the -mining resources of Waipori.