Otago Provincial Gazette – 1867 – No. 497

Page 231

✨ Gold Mining Survey Report



Report of R. Millett, Assistant-Surveyor.

Shotover Survey District,
Camp, Arrow, 31st July, 1867.

SIR,—In accordance with instructions contained in
your circular letter, number and date as per margin, I
have the honor to report. (Circular 41, '67.)

That having been for the last nine months engaged
principally in surveying "Agricultural Areas," I am not
so thoroughly acquainted with the mining works in this
portion of the Wakatipu Gold Field as would enable
me to give other than an approximate description of
them.

1st. Commencing at the 12-Mile Creek, Arrow (Rich
urn), and extending south along the tributaries of the
Arrow River to its junction with the Kawarau, the
principal works are as under:—

Water Races.

Precise Locality. Name of Company. Length in chains. Capacity in heads. Remarks.
Twelve Mile Creek Beale & Co. 480 4 This race took three years to bring in, & cost near £2500.
" Clark & Co. 320 2 Crosses the 12-Mile creek by flume 500 ft., cost £1000.
" Scanlan & Co. 120 2
" Hyam & Co. 240 2 Has its source on the east watershed of the Shotover.
" Jenkins & Co. 480 4
Eight Mile Gibson & Co. 240 4 Commands the high terraces at the 8 Mile Hill.
Crow River East Hutton & Co. 200 6 Has its source in the Roaring Billy, (Soho Creek).
" Golden Point Sluicing Co. 480 6 Has its source in Bracken’s Gully, depth of working 120 feet.
" M’Whirter & Co. 720 4 Taken from the Crown Range, depth of working 100ft.
" Union Co.’s 160 4 Heads from New Chum gully, depth of face 120 ft.
Crow River West German Co. 240 2 From the head of Sawyer’s gully.
" " 200 2 Here is from north branch of Bush Creek.
Junction of Arrow & Kawarau Hill & Co. 200 2 From Sawyer’s gully.
" Lang & Co. 320 4 From the Crown range.

2nd. Tunnelling was at no very late date carried on
systematically in this part of the District, but the
heavy floods of last Autumn having destroyed the
machinery connected with the works, operations have
to the present been resumed.

Under are the principal works of this description,
extending from the 12-Mile to the Arrow, and the deep
lead on the Cardrona, which has been traced from near
the old township, for a distance of about half-a-mile on
the western side of the Cardrona creek, and within the
last month still further to the south and west of the
present course of the creek.

The works are being carried on principally by shafts
and drives, and the aid of pumping gear driven by
water-wheels of small diameter.

Tunnels.

Locality. Length in ft. Depth in ft. Range. Remarks.
8-Mile Hill 1000 150 N. & E. There are 3 parties tunnelling on this hill.
12-Mile Terrace 5000 150 N. & E. These terraces have been tunnelled by 10 or 12 parties.
" to 200 I do not estimate more than half that number now at work.

Tunnels. (Continued.)

Locality. Name of Company. Length in ft. Depth in ft. Range. Remarks.
Arrow Falls Miller & Co. 110 100 N.E. This party, 9 men, have been at work about 18 months, thereby is to bring up a tail race to work the deep ground above the 350 ft level; have to be driven below the object is attained.
New Chum Gully Ogilvie & Co. 600 120 N. & E. Made between the spur and New Chum gully river and New Chum.
Cardrona Pierce & Co. 500 50 S. & W. This is the most northern claim on the lead.
" Swyer & Co. 500 50 S. & E. Claim is shallow ground.
" Bowes & Co. 200 50 S. & W. On the lead.
" The Sir G. 200 50 S. & W. On the lead.
" Grey Co. 200 50 S. & W. On the lead.
" Keppel & Co. 200 50 S. & W. On the lead.
" Patterson & Co. 250 50 N. & E. On the lead.
" Co. 500 50 S. & W. On the lead.
" Miller & Co. 500 50 " Shaft only going down.
" Brigalazie Co. 50 60 N.W. Prospecting.
" Toori & Co. 50 30 " Shaft only.
" Caldwell & Co. 50 30 " Shaft only.
" Bell & Co. 30 30 N.W. This party have extensive gold and putting up pumping gear.

3rd. Quartz Works.

Numerous surveys have been made in this part of the district for mining leases taken up by different companies; of these, some seven or eight have been prospected to a small extent, and three have been proved to contain gold—namely, the Criterion Company’s Claim, the Cornish Company’s Claim, and the German Company’s Claim. The first-named of these companies commenced crushing about the month of May, 1866, and had some two or three washings up to the middle of June, when the dam across the Arrow River was partly destroyed by the heavy floods which occurred in that month.

On the completion of the new dam the Company again commenced to crush, and so continued till about May, 1867, when the works were suspended.

The machinery consists of—

  • Water Wheel ... 20-horse power.
  • Cornish Stamps ... 5
  • Horse Whim ... 10 feet diameter.

Workings—

  • Main Shaft ... 110 feet deep, timbered.
  • Main Level ... 117 feet, timbered.
  • Forty Feet Level ... 60 feet.


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VUW Te Waharoa — PDF Otago Provincial Gazette 1867, No 497




✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🗺️ Report of R. Millett, Assistant-Surveyor on Gold Mining Works

🗺️ Lands, Settlement & Survey
31 July 1867
Gold Mining, Water Races, Tunnelling, Quartz Works, Shotover Survey District, Arrow River, Wakatipu Gold Field
26 names identified
  • Beale, Company name associated with water race
  • Clark, Company name associated with water race
  • Scanlan, Company name associated with water race
  • Hyam, Company name associated with water race
  • Jenkins, Company name associated with water race
  • Gibson, Company name associated with water race
  • Hutton, Company name associated with water race
  • M'Whirter, Company name associated with water race
  • German, Company name associated with water race
  • Hill, Company name associated with water race
  • Lang, Company name associated with water race
  • Miller, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Ogilvie, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Pierce, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Swyer, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Bowes, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Grey, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Keppel, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Patterson, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Brigalazie, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Toori, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Caldwell, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Bell, Company name associated with tunnelling
  • Criterion, Company name associated with quartz works
  • Cornish, Company name associated with quartz works
  • German, Company name associated with quartz works

  • R. Millett, Assistant-Surveyor