MINING EXPERIENCES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2313, 5 June 1886, Page 2

MINING EXPERIENCES.

We have received some hints on Aus> tralian prospecting from Mr George H. Kemper, who is a practical miner and thoroughly reliable man and is now residing in Masterton. For the benefit of those concerned, we publish them, merely premising that the information is not applicable to New Zealand prospect- - ing.

The precious metals found in the alluvial, below the hills, can, by following the watercourßes(whether old or new)upwards be found to have come out of quartz reefs exposed to view either in creeks, or on the top of sharp hills and spurs, by tho wearing away of the rock by atmospheric chemical agencies. Some quartz reefs are encased in sandstone, some in slate, each of different color, hardness and quality, so much so that no one so far has been able to tell which is best, Thoro is generally a soft pipe clay like looking vein on the underlaying side of a reof, in which gold is often found. This clay \t. mostly white in color, being soft quartz, and gold will mostly be found near and on these reefs, and on the surface in both the stone and rubble and crevices if any is found in the alluvial below. The coarser and rougher the gold found in the alluvial, the nearer the reef will be from which it came. Where all the gold found it coarse and no fine, then a man may work for years and get nothing—not even tucker, but he may also mako a pile any day. On these kinds of diggings the nuggots .seem to have been thrown about without any order over hills and gullies alike. Here the new chum has equal chances with the old digger if he has patience and means lo stick to it, and shallow ground. Hero a fossicking knife will do the searching after the stuff has been powdered fine with a pick. It is good to wash for color sometimes. The wash dirt, or stuff in which the gold is got in this kind of ground is mostly very thin, only a few inches thick and lays on a defined bottom such as clay, pipe-clay, soft slate or granite, then gold will be found in this bottom as far as any gravel c&n bt found. The clay bottomsare termed false, and are sometimes only a few inches thick, some many feet thick, Below these other layers will be found like the first, rounded quartz pebbles and some ironstone. 1 have worked through four such layers and bottoms,* until the granite was .got. Slate and sandstone are good bottoms. The deep defined leads of fine gold are traced down from the above by the gold getting finer, the bottom deeper, and gutterlike, and wash dirt :•'• thicker and confined' in gullies or irater-courses, the further you get from thoir sources. The quarts reefs. This is a more expensive kind qf-gold mining, but' more safe in repaying labor and capital invested, so

much so that if a man luisj a claim" on these leads, his name iB good for anything , at once, and is made much, of and valued from the nearest paying claim before . even your shaft jb bottomed and tried, Here the new .chum hits.no,chance by himself, the practical miner only can be trusted to work and .secure -the ground, Here machinery is also required for winding up the stuff, when well pumping gear and washing the dirt. Precious stones are found in this.' On.' some of these leads shafts have been'sunk through hard basalt, and are now'worked by joint :' stock companies neat Ballarat 400ifeet deep and more, and pay 'handsomewividends. Quartz mining 'is still mowexpensive, being all rock Work,'ariii Squires very expensive and complicatedimchinery to crush the stone and' save trio gold, Wator must be got for this, if no water in the ground, then by sinking, 'dams, or races, but when once gold is struck to to seen by the naked eye, then you are pretty nearly assured of a start towards independence. They seem to, make and break without limit as to'depth, and for this reason very are uncertain, as you may not find them again when a break occurs, (they are now worked at 2500 feet deop, and pay well). When' !Once or party of men are oii the road tJnrush' let no bad reports turn them b*e/ eveu by men coming from them. Liaten to them and find out if any gold is got by others on the field. That is enough, and if so go boldly on and draw your ticket, you may draw the winning number, It is lottery indeed, more blanks than prizes—particularly to'now chums, sttig all hard work, but men do not feel wed at this work, but are under excitement as to what maybe got under tho next space of ground uncovered. "Add to this the reports of others having made their piles and you may guess the effect, and if you do sink a few duffers do not jive up all hopes, but try again. Porasvorance hero, iis in other pursuits, will bs rewarded; be careful, keep from drink, bs sociable, and study your new profession in earnest. Keep your oars open, but your nouth closed when you aro getting, gold. "