230

have been dry since Christmas. Till the last week or
two, no rain of any consequence has fallen, and very
much partially wrought ground known to be highly
auriferous has been lying idle, the holders waiting
month after month for rain.

A considerable amount of snow has lately fallen, and
although for the present the creeks in the higher parts
of the district are frozen, it is confidently anticipated
that spring will bring with it a reaction in every class
of mining work.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
W. C. Wright.

The Chief Surveyor, Dunedin.

Report of W. Arthur, District Surveyor.

Survey Camp, Waipori,
August 8, 1867.

Sir,—In reply to your Circular No. 41, I have now
the honor to report the following works in the Mount
Ida Gold Field.

Macrae’s Flat Diggings.—Three quartz reefs are here
taken up—the Eclipse, Alliance, and Golden Bar. On
the Eclipse, six shafts, average depth 15 feet, capacity
4 x 2 ½; six prospect holes, 10 x 10 x 3, have been
sunk by Imrie and party. Trial crushings of this reef,
2oz. 6dwt. per ton of quartz. No machinery as yet
here, but it is proposed to be got as soon as the party
can muster funds sufficient.

Alliance.—Two shafts, each 15 ft. in depth, 4 x 2 ½;
10lbs. of quartz crushed yielded 3grs. of gold.

Golden Bar.—Several prospect holes are sunk on this
reef, and a tunnel or drive on the side of the spur is
run into it, 90 feet long and 5 x 3 sectional area. A
small trial of 1lb. quartz yielded ½gr. to 1gr. of gold—
2oz. per ton expected by the shareholders.

On the “Flat,” and among the old claims, a shaft 30
feet deep has been sunk on to the wash-dirt; it has
proved a good ground below and been in work for some
time. A “whip,” worked by one horse, bails out the
water continually during the day.

Numerous parties are digging in the neighbourhood,
and in Deep Dell a large sluicing claim of six acres
(applied for by E. Clark) is expected to prove as good
hitherto, much of it having been already worked
with profit. One hundred miners are estimated to be
located in this district.

Fulton’s Diggings.—Near this, on the Mareburn,
are three quartz reefs applied for and surveyed. On
them are sunk four shafts, 15 feet deep and 4 x 2 ½.
Five prospect holes 10 x 10 x 3. Gold can be seen in
specimens of these reefs, but I have not heard what the
result of any crushing has been. Some stone has been
sent to Moanatai.

The Slate River Water Race, which passes, I believe,
through the above, is 40 miles long, and nearly as I can
make it from such data as I possess; its section is about
2 x 1. The large fluming which carries it across the
valley beyond Pigroot is formed of a wooden box or aqueduct, supported on timber uprights about 15 feet
apart, and of an average height of say 26 feet, secured
by ties, stays, and struts in a substantial manner. The
total length of this erection I estimate at 250 yards.

Of the other parts of the District I cannot give any
report, as I am not sufficiently acquainted with what
works are in existence there.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
W. Arthur,
District Surveyor.

J. T. Thomson, Esq.,
Chief Surveyor.

Report of C. W. Adams, Assistant Surveyor.

Survey Camp, Lawrence,
July 27, 1867.

Sir,—In accordance with your instructions per
circular No. 4, I now give you what information I
have been able to collect with regard to the principal
works on the Tuapeka Goldfields. First in importance
comes the Blue Spur. This remarkable formation lies
between Gabriel’s and Munro’s gullies, and consists
principally of a blue cement, which again lies in a kind
of basin (of rock) which extends across the Spur to the
gully on either side. The bottom of this basin is supposed to be lower than the gully on either side, and has
never been bottomed yet (except round the edges).

Those most competent to form an opinion, declare
that the Blue Spur will not be worked out within the
next fifty (50) years. The Blue Spur population, including women and children, is about 400. Substantial
houses are constantly going up, and the place presents
an appearance of permanent prosperity. As one feature indicative of the permanent nature of the workings,
I may mention that there are over 86 married couples
living at the Spur. There is a small Presbyterian
church, and a neat school has recently been erected,
(32 scholars).

To give you an idea of the work going on, I may
state that about 100 men are constantly employed in
the claims and at the races. There are 8 or 9 races
required to supply the Blue Spur with water. About 20
tons of blasting powder is used in a year, and more than
a ton is frequently used in one blast.

REPORT ON TUAPEKA GOLD-FIELD.

In addition to the table I forward with this, there
are a few remarks I shall have to embody in this report.

Race A, see table.—There is a dam connected with
this race which forms a reservoir 130 yards long by 100
yards wide, average depth 12 feet. Cost £750.

Race C, see table.—There is a reservoir for this race
formed by an embankment 100 feet long by 27 feet
high, and cost £600.

NOTE.—The races marked in the table A, B, C, D,
E, F, G, H, and I., all discharge their water at the Blue
Spur.

The Wetherston reservoir is about 2 miles behind the
town of Wetherstones, and is formed by throwing a dam
150 feet long and 50 feet high across a narrow gorge.
The embankment is about 120 feet wide at the base.
The water covers about 9 acres of ground, at an average
depth of 20 feet, it escapes through iron pipes over a
foot in diameter.

This piping is 180 feet long, weight 16 tons, and
cost £450. It is laid through the base of the embankment, and the valve (which cost £72) is at the lower
end of the piping.

The race marked (J) in the table discharges into this
dam. This reservoir supplies water to most of the
claims at Weterton, by means of several small
races—aggregate length of these, 15 miles.

Connected with races K, L, and M are six dams:

No. 1, 180 feet long, width 60 feet, height 9 feet,
cost £150.

No. 2, 250 feet long, width 50 feet, height 10 feet,
cost £260.

No. 3, height 10 feet, cost £100, and three small
dams costing £75.

Race (N, see table) is to be extended 10 miles
further at a cost of £30 per mile.

Besides the above, there are a large number of minor
races, of which I have no statistics.

The following is a list of the working expenses at
Morrison and Co.’s claim, Blue Spur, for 12 months:

Wages—(16 men at £3 6s per week) ... £2756 16 0
Paid for water ... 832 0 0
9 tons of powder, at 10d. per pound ... 750 0 0
Tools, boxes, etc. ... 130 0 0
Hospital and charities ... 20 0 0

Total ... £4478 16 0

There are no quartz works that I am aware of in this
district.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
C. W. Adams,
Assistant Surveyor.

To J. T. Thomson, Esq.,
Chief Surveyor.