MINING INCIDENTS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 531, 17 July 1869, Page 3

MINING INCIDENTS.

A quartz reef is reported at Banks' Peninsula. Pair specimens have been brought in to Christchurch. Judge Gresson, C. C. Bo wen, 8.M., De Bourbell, and Beynel purchased 120 acres of waste land. After the discovery was made known by them, a large and influential meeting was held, and it was resolved to form a company to prospect the country. Shares £5 each, £1 call paid down. Great excitement prevails. Five hundred and fifty pounds of specimens from the Long Drive claim have been crushed at Shortland, and have yielded 2102 ounces of retorted gold, or nearly four ounces per lb. Otago papers state that the reefs at Skippers are promising well. As an illustration of the effects of a panic may be noticed more especially the abandonment a few months since of the Alexandra Quartz Mining Lease at Skippers. Lately, however, some miners took up this reef again, broke into the lode, and packed upon horses' backs a portion of the stone taken out and picked. The result of the crushing was nine ounces of gold from two tons of quartz. The Timaru Herald of July 7th learns that the prospectors who recently left Timaru for the purpose of testing the payable nature of the quartz reefs recently discovered up the Opuha gorge, have reached the ground and commenced work. By the last intelligence received Thew and party were in a gully branching off the Opuha, and had sunk to a depth of about twelve feet alongside of the reef. They propose going down about forty feet, and then driving through the reef and testing it thoroughly. The recent frosty weather, says the Tuapeka Times, has rendered the Molyneux beaches workable, and hundreds of Chinese are busily engaged in taking advantage of the opportunity. Some parties are making splendid wages —from three to ten ounces per week. In opposition to this statement, the Dunstan Times, asserts that the dredges at the Teviot are not doing well, there "being but one that is on gold. Two have been prospecting below the Dumbarton Bock, but without success, and they are now making their way back up the river. The Lyttelton Times of the 6th inst. gives the following very discouraging particulars in reference to the alleged discovery of gold at the Malvern Hills: —" A gentleman who has just returned to town from the above district informs us that mostof the prospectors.if not all, have left the various localities in which they were seeking for gold." And Mr Arthur Dobson writes to the same paper : —" There may be any quantity of gold in the Malvern Hills, but for any but prospecting parties at present, a greater sell never existed." AVe believe Dr Haast is of opinion that payable gold will not be found in the Malvern Hills district. Dr Hector, on the other hand, is understood to have said that he would not be surprised were payable gold found in this district. A correspondent of the Brisbane Courier reports:—News has come in from the Gilbert Diggings to the effect that mining operations there are progressing favorably. Most of the men are making wages, and many are said to be doing well. The ground first opened is situated on the Gilbert Bivei, about two miles from the bank. Several small rushes have broken out, varying in distance from ten miles from the first camp, which chiefly consisted in surfacing. The road is rather bad, as there is a good deal of basalt country to traverse. The distance from the present port—Townsville—is about 350 miles, and from the Cape Biver 250 miles direct north. The Gilbert goldfiold lies midway between Bockingham Bay on the one side, and the Norman on the other; which of the two ports is destined to become the Gilbert favorite port it is hard to say.