REEFTON.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 981, 21 June 1872, Page 2

REEFTON.

An occasional contributor has furnished us with the following items of news:— At last the long expected washing up from Maces claim has been publicly announced, and the result, although not up to expectations, must be highly satisfactory to all concerned, but especially so to the enterprising proprietors, who are the pioneer capitalists of the district. The return from 600 tons of quartz is set down at 990 ounces of gold, valued at 78s per ounces, or £3884 Ss sterling. The rate per ton is about loz 13dwts 4grs. Although the return may seem small after the exaggerate 1 reports that have been afloat respecting this claim, but a little reflection will show that this very result proves beyond a doubt that the Inangahua District is worthy of the name and reports that has been from time to time circulated respecting its quartz reefs. In the first p'ace, it must not be taken for granted that the claim above alluded to is the picked claim of the field. On the contrary it is asserted by competent judge that there are dozens of claims scattered all over the district which would pay equally as well, if not better, were suitable machinery placed on the ground. In a month or so the Westland Company will have a trial of their quartz, and should they be as fortunate as Mace and Co., the public ought to be then satisfied as to the genuineness or otherwise of the Inagahua district. It also ought to be borne in mind that the gold from the Inangahua commands the highest price in the market. Al though Auckland is held to be a very rich reefing district, it will bear no comparison with this, for while the gold from the Inangahua is worth 78s per ounce, the Auckland gold is only worth 51s at most; and that while in Auckland they have all the latest improvements for saving and amalgamating, at the Inangahua the saving appliances are nil.

The quartz at the Inangahua contain a very large per centage of foreign minerals, the separating of which requires careful and scientific treatment. At present the appliances at Mace's battery is perhapsthemostcommon ever erected in New Zealand, but all these draw backs will shortly be overcome, as large and expensive alterations are contemplated. At first everything was rushed up in order to obtain a rough estimate of the value of the stone, and taking into account the nature of the stone, the difficulty of the saving appliances, and the severe cold weather, it may not be too much to estimate that they have lost half the gold. The Westland Company are all but ready to commence crushing. Their plant looks very well, and although they have no saving appliances beyond steam ripples, even that will be a great improvement on the other. The Anderson Creek Gold Mining Company are getting on well with the erection of their machinery, and their plant will be ready in fine time to meet the other works in connection with their claim. The Band of Hope and Wealth of Nations are also pushing forward all their works, and by the first of summer, five machines will be in-full working order. It ia really wonderful to see the progress the district is making con. sidering the inaccessible nature of the country. By the way the Government is in great favor up here, only the word Nelson Provincial stinks in the nostrils of all and sundry, barring the well educated and enlightened anti-leasers who are under the leader ship of Lord Claud Crampton Hamilton, and some other man of smaller dimensions.