The Thames Miners Guide

J. Arthur (John Arthur) Phillips

First published by 'Sold for the Proprietors by Edward Wayte' in 1868

Digitised and made available online by the University of Auckland Libraries and Learning Services.

Epub © 2013 Early New Zealand Books Collection

ISBN 978-1-927288-89-4

[TITLE PAGES]

[Inserted unpaginated illustration]

MAP OF THE THAMES GOLD FIELD

[Inserted unpaginated illustration]

MAP OF THE KARAKA BLOCK, THAMES GOLD FIELDS.
COMPILED AND DRAWN FROM ACTUAL SURVEY
BY D. M. BEERE, C.E.

THE THAMES
MINER'S GUIDE,

WITH MAPS
TWO OF WHICH ARE DETACHED FOR CONVENIENCE, BUT WHICH FORM PART OF THE BOOK.

POET. – What's to he thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true that he is so full o Gold?
Timon. – Tell them I have Gold; look, so I have!
APEMANTUS. – * * * * I'll say Thou hast gold; Thou will be throng'd to shortly. – Timon of Athens.
COPYRIGHT RESERVED.

AUCKLAND
SOLD FOR THE PROPRIETORS BY EDWARD WAYTE, QUEEN STREET.
1868.

AUCKLAND:

PRINTED BY W. C. WILSON,

WYNDHAM STREET.

[PREFACE]

PREFACE.

IN presenting to the public "The Thames Miner's Guide," with Maps of the Gold Field, the authors have endeavoured to supply a want that has for some time been felt both by the visitors and claim-holders; and the difficulties of the task they have undertaken will, they hope, in some measure excuse the numerous errors which the first edition of a work of this kind must almost necessarily contain. They can only add that all communications on the subject, addressed to the care of the publisher, will meet with attention, should another edition be called for. The articles on Gold Mining, Metallurgy of Gold, and on the Assay of Minerals containing Gold, are, for the most part, condensed from "The Mining and Metallurgy of Gold and Silver," by J. A. Phillips, London, 1867, and much of the miscellaneous matter is derived from the same source. No publication, however, which the authors could obtain has been neglected in order to make "The Guide" as complete as possible; the object not being to describe, in detail, the various processes to which the various metals are subjected, but to give a general notion of how gold is extracted from the earth.

The authors regret that the description of claims is not more complete, some of the best claims have been accidentally omitted; but will see that they are described in a future edition.

The authors also regret that the historical portion is not more complete. Much difficulty was experienced in obtaining authentic information on the subject. They hope, however, to be able to rectify this in a future edition.

Auckland, August. 1868.

[Page iv is blank]

[CONTENTS]

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

MAPS IN COVER.

OCCURRENCE OF GOLD IN NATURE............. 1

CHEMISTRY OR GOLD .......... ... ... 8

DISTINGUISHING GOLD FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES ... ... 10

GOLD MINING............ ... ... 12

METALLURGY OF GOLD......... ... ... 16

ASSAY OF MINERALS CONTAINING GOLD... ... ... 23

GEOLOGY OF THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA... ... ... 27

SODIUM AMALGAM........... ... ... 35

SEYMOUR HUGHES' MACHINE...... ... ... 37

THE STELEFELDT FURNACE......... ... 37

SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY THE PORT PHILIP COMPANY ... 38

ATTWOOD'S SYSTEM......... ... 39

VAN BUREN RYERSON'S GOLD-SAVING PROCESS ... 40

SMELTING GOLD QUARTZ......... 41

WATERWORKS IN CALIFORNIA......41

DEEP MINES IN CALIFORNIA..........42

ASSAY OF TAILINGS......44

STATISTICS...........46

QUANTITY OF GOLD IN QUARTZ........50

DEFINITION OF TERMS............52

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT.............57

COMPANIES AT THE THAMES...........72

THE PIONEER CLAIM..........77

DESCRIPTION OF CLAIMS...........82

MACHINERY........93

ESTABLISHMENTS......98

ERRATA.

In page 26, line 14, for "attached." read "attacked."

In page 28, line 88, for "decomposed" read "undecomposed."

OCCURENCE OF GOLD IN NATURE.

THE MINER'S GUIDE.

OCCURENCE OF GOLD IN NATURE.

Gold is always found in the metallic state, but never quite pure; it is always alloyed with silver, and sometimes with copper, or iron, or some of the rarer metals, the proportion of the baser metals varying from a few tenths to 45 per cent. The proportion of gold contained in an alloy is expressed in "carats." A "mark" is divided into 21 carats, and if 24 grains of the alloy contain 22 grains of pure gold and 2 grains of other metals, the alloy is called 22 carat fine. The rough estimate of the carating, or proportion of pure gold in an alloy, is performed by means of the touch-stone. This is a very fine-grained, black, silicious slate, ground quite smooth. A streak is made across the stone with the gold to be tested; then other streaks are drawn beside it with needles composed of alloys with silver of known composition called "trial needles," and the gold is considered to be of the same fineness as that of the needle whose streak approaches nearest in colour to that of the gold to be tested. More accurate estimates are made by assaying, which process is described at page 23.

The geological conditions under which gold occurs in the earth are not so various as might have been expected, considering the almost universal distribution of the metal. Both practically and geologically two important divisions are recognised, viz., gold in situ, in the rock, and gold in alluvium. We will take each of these cases separately.

Formerly, gold in situ was thought to be found only in rocks of Palaeozoic age, but of late years this opinion has had to be modified, for in 1860 Mr. David Forbes reported to the Geological Society of London, that he had found, in South America, gold in rocks belonging to the Cretaceo-oolitic, or upper secondary formation, and Professor Whitney, in his "Report on the Geology of California," states that, in 1863, fossils of Jurassic age were found in the auriferous slates of that country; and that gold also occurs there in many localities in rocks as new as the Cretaceous. But in all these cases two conditions invariably occur, first that the newer auriferous rocks rest upon, or are connected physically with, Palaeozoic rocks, and secondly that the newer, as well as the older rocks, are pierced by igneous dykes, generally composed of diorite, so that the following conclusions, taken from the last edition of Sir Roderick Murchison's "Siluria," will probably express the present opinion of most geologists on this point.

1. That looking to the world at large, the auriferous vein-stones of the lower silurian rocks contain the greatest quantity of gold.

2. That where certain igneous eruptions penetrated the secondary deposits, the latter have been rendered auriferous for a limited distance only beyond the junction of the two rocks.

3. That the general axiom remains that all secondary and tertiary deposits (except the auriferous detritus in the latter) not so specially affected, never contain gold.

4. That the granites and diorites have been the chief gold-producers.

Gold is nearly always associated with quartz in veins, but occasionally (as in South America) in mica and quartz schists; and, in minute quantities, it has been detected in slate and granite in the

immediate neighbourhood of quartz-veins. Iron pyrites, or "mundic," also often contains more or less traces of gold, but so finely distributed that it cannot be got out by the ordinary process of crushing and amalgamating. Auriferous quartz-veins have been found in granite, gneiss, mica-slate, and other schistose rocks, serpentine, quartzite, sandstone, limestone, diorite, and volcanic tufa, but they occur most plentifully in clay-slate, and talcose and chlorite schist; and are nearly always associated with iron pyrites.

The opinion of geologists as to the origin of these auriferous quartz-veins is still much divided; for while, on the one hand, Sir R. Murchison maintains that, "as no unaltered purely aqueous sediment ever contains gold, the argument for the igneous origin of that metal is prodigiously strengthened," on the other Professor Jukes says "that the great auriferous veins of white quartz, which traverse the rocks of many parts of Australia and other countries, must almost certainly have been formed through the agency of water." Here, as in most cases, the truth probably lies between the two extremes, and the greater number of geologists and chemists are now beginning to think, that hot water in the form of thermal springs, has been the chief agent in producing them. All gold-bearing regions can be shewn to have been at one time subjected to long continued heat, although never perhaps very intense. The igneous and metamorphic rocks, found in all auriferous districts, are a sufficient proof of this, and the only semi-metamorphism of some of the rocks, in many cases, also shews that the heat could never have been sufficiently great to melt quartz, one of the most refractory substances in nature. But, by long-continued heat, water would dissolve silica freely, and would be forced up through fissures to the surface depositing silica as quartz, as

well as any metals it might have in solution (probably as chlorides), as it cooled, If the region were also a volcanic one, sulphur would also be brought up as sulphurous acid, or sulphuretted hydrogen, which, acting on the iron present in nearly all rocks, would form iron pyrites, or "mundic." The general occurence of the gold disseminated through the body of the quartz is conclusive evidence that both were deposited contemporaneously; but frequent examples also occur of fine threads of gold lying, as it were, entangled between the points of well formed crystals of quartz, and in these cases we must suppose that the deposition of the quartz had ceased before the gold was introduced.

There is also another method by which auriferous quartz-veins might have been formed. In a volcanic country sulphur and gold might have been sublimed, and, permeating the rocks while they were hot, might have formed with the iron they came in contact with, auriferous iron pyrites. At a subsequent period, water, percolating through, may have decomposed both the pyrites and the bed rock, forming a solution of silica and the sulphide of the alkali contained in the rock, which would dissolve the gold, and both it and the silica might then find their way into the fissures, and form auriferous quartz-veins; indeed it seems almost impossible that those veins, which die out as they descend, could have been formed from below.

This distinction between the two methods of forming the veins is of considerable importance to the miner. In the first place, it is evident that those veins which have been filled from below must necessarily have been fissures of great depth, and therefore probably long and wide in proportion, forming the true "reefs;" while water, charged with silica, percolating laterally through the rock, would

fill up all the small cracks and fissures formed by previous drying and contracting of the rock, and those cracks will be usually small and of uncertain length and direction, forming the so called "leaders" of the miner. In the second place, there generally occurs, between either side of the vein and the bed rock, a soft band called the "casing." Now this casing is nothing but the decomposed bed rock, and in veins formed by the first method, it is difficult to see how any gold could get into the casing without quartz finding its way there also; but by the second method we can readily suppose that some of the gold might be left behind in the casing or bed rock, while the quartz passed through into the fissure, and therefore veins formed by the second method will be more likely to contain gold in the casing than those formed by the first method.

The uncertain direction of the leaders, as well as the common occurence of gold in the casing, and the quantity of mundic found through the bed rock, as well as the volcanic origin of that rock itself, all point to the conclusion that the auriferous veins at the Thames have been formed by the second method.

From the foregoing observations it will be seen that, in exploring for a gold-bearing region, the following particulars should be kept in view.

Of the first importance.

1. The country should be composed of clay-slate, or metamorphic schists: or, in the case of the North Island of New Zealand, of volcanic tufa lying on primary rocks.

2. The rocks should be traversed by quartz-veins.

Of secondary importance.

8. The rocks should be impregnated with iron pyrites.

4. They should be associated with other rocks of igneous origin, especially granite or diorite.

5. Among the rocks impregnated with iron pyrites, those portions should be more particularly examined where the pyrites has been decomposed into the red oxide of iron. Quartz veins here will most likely contain gold if any exists in the district.

The second manner in which gold is found is as water-worn grains or lumps in alluvial deposits. No gold has, we believe, as yet been found in gravel or sand of Miocene age, or older; certainly this is the case in Australia and New Zealand, so that time is thrown away in examining such deposits and it is only the more recent washings, brought down by rain or rivers, that are likely to repay a search.

The origin of these deposits is evident. A range of hills or large mountain tract, when exposed to the action of the weather, is decomposed at the surface, and fragments of the rock so decomposed are then washed down by the rain into the rivers,and by them are carried into the valleys and low lands. If the mountain range contains auriferous quartz veins, portions of these will be carried down among the rest, and the constant rolling and friction that they undergo on their passage down, gradually separates the gold from the quartz, and forms it into more or less rounded grains; its weight then causes it to sink to the bottom of the deposit, and to remain in any hole or cavity it may come across in the river bed. The distance gold has come from its original place may be guessed at by the amount of rubbing it has undergone, and its more or less complete disentanglement from its quartz matrix.

This process of nature, although very favourable to the digger, by giving him his gold already crushed, is of course a very wasteful one, as much of the gold must be lost by the process of rubbing, and

all that is too fine to see with the unassisted eye is never recovered; moreover if the district from which the gold is derived is not situated at some distance inland, the greater part of the gold will reach the sea while still imbedded in quartz, and so will be washed away before its weight has had an opportunity of acting.

To secure then an extensive alluvial gold-field two things are necessary.

1. A large district of gold bearing rocks fully exposed to the weather, or that has been so exposed since the Miocene epoch, and

2. That this district should be situated so far from the sea that there is ample time for the gold to get rid of the quartz while travelling down the streams.

We are now in a position to make a definition that is sometimes of great importance to the digger, viz: What is alluvial gold?

Alluvial gold is gold that has been moved, piece by piece, from its former position in a rock, by water, or atmospheric causes acting on the surface, and re-deposited in some other place without any regard to the former relative position of its several pieces. It is not therefore necessary that alluvial gold should be waterworn or free from quartz, as the gold found in the detritus at the foot of a cliff would come under the term; but, on the other hand, if the whole face of the cliff had slipped down in mass, as a land slip, the gold in it would not be alluvial, as it would not have been moved by water or atmospheric causes acting on the surface, neither would its various pieces have been re-deposited without any regard to their former relative position. Whether the rock is hard and undecomposed, or soft and decomposed into clay, has nothing at all to do with it.

CHEMISTRY OF GOLD.

Gold is a soft metal, having a beautiful yellow colour. It surpasses all other metals in malleability, the thinnest gold leaf not exceeding 1/282000 inch in thickness. It may also be drawn into very fine wire. Gold has a density of 19.5. It melts at a temperature a little above the fusing point of silver. Neither air nor water effect it in the least at any temperature; the ordinary acids fail to attack it singly. A mixture of two of hydrochloric acid to one of nitric acid however dissolves gold with ease, the active agent being the liberated chlorine. Gold is also dissolved by chlorine, sulphide of potassium or sodium, and cyanide of potassium. The light transmitted through gold-leaf is green.

Protochloride of Gold is produced by evaporating the terchloride to dryness, and exposing it to a heat of 440 deg. F. It is a yellowish white mass, insoluble in water, but decomposes slowly into metallic gold and terchloride.

Terchloride of Gold. – This is the most important compound of the metal. It is always produced when gold is dissolved in aqua-regia. It is, when crystallised, of a red colour, very deliquescent, and soluble in water, alcohol, and ether.

Protoxide of Gold is produced when caustic potash in solution is poured upon the protochloride. It is a green powder partly soluble in the alkaline liquid. It decomposes rapidly into metallic gold and teroxide, which remains dissolved.

Teroxide of Gold, or Auric Acid. – When magnesia is added to the terchloride of gold, and the sparingly-soluble aurate of magnesia well washed and digested with nitric acid, the teroxide is left as an insoluble reddish yellow powder, which, when dry, becomes chestnut-brown. It is easily reduced by heat, or by mere exposure to the light.

When digested with ammonia it yields fulminating gold.

Gold is precipitated from solution by the following: – Sulphuretted Hydrogen, as black persulphuret of gold,

Potassa, as a reddish yellow peroxide,

Protosalts of Iron, as metallic gold, but in a form of a very fine brown powder, which acquires metallic lustre when rubbed.

Protochloride of Tin produces, even in extremely dilute solutions of gold, a purple red color known as the purple of Cassius. It is used for coloring glass and porcelain.

Organic substances also reduce solutions of gold, light assisting the action. If the skin be touched with a solution of gold it soon becomes stained of a dull purple color.

Chloride of Gold is reducible by heat alone.

Cyanide of Potassium acts upon gold forming a cyanide of gold which, although insoluble in water, is freely soluble in a solution of cyandine of potassium, and it is this solution that is chiefly used in gilding by electrolysis.

Gilding on copper is generally performed by dipping the articles into a solution of nitrate of mercury and then shaking them with a small lump of soft gold amalgam; the articles are then heated to expel the mercury, and afterwards burnished. Gilding on steel is done by applying a solution of chloride of gold in ether, or by roughening the surface of the metal, heating it, and applying gold-leaf with a burnisher.

The consumption of gold-leaf in the arts in Birmingham amounts to 1000 ozs. a week, and in London to 400 ozs., of which not one-tenth is ever recovered. For gilding by electrolysis more than 10,000 ozs. are used annually. The consumption

of gold in the Staffordshire potteries for gilding, and making crimson and rose colours, varies from 7,000 ozs. to 10,000 ozs. per annum.

DISTINGUISHING GOLD FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES.

Gold is easily distinguished from all other natural substances, there being only three that are at all likely to be mistaken for it. These three are iron pyrites, or mundic, copper pyrites, and yellow mica.

Whether the substance under examination is gold or iron or copper pyrites is most readily ascertained by heat. Both iron and copper pyrites are compounds of sulphur, and if the stone that is thought to contain gold is heated in a fire to a red heat for a few minutes, all the sulphur will be driven off, and the metal previously combined with it will be changed into an oxide, in which state it cannot be confounded with gold. If however the substance was really gold, the fire would only make it brighter than ever. Care must be taken not to heat the stone to a white heat, for, as gold melts at a temperature of 2016 deg. F., it might be in danger of being lost. Nitric acid will also dissolve both iron and copper pyrites, while it does not affect gold, but this test is much more likely to load to mistakes than the burning.

To the inexperienced eye, mica is not so readily distinguished from gold as either of the foregoing, for it is affected neither by heat nor acids. It must however be remembered that mica is not a metal, but a silicate of alumina and potash, and can be recognised by its scaly appearance with semi-transparent edges, by its lustre being pearly and not metallic, by its frequent occurrence in six-sided plates (a form gold never assumes), and, when in quantity, by its comparative lightness. Mica

moreover, although common in granite, mica-slate, and some sandstones, is never found embedded in vein quartz. No mica has as yet been found at the Thames.

If, however, any uncertainty should still exist the following process must be resorted to.

The substance to be examined must be reduced to as fine a powder as possible, then mixed with just sufficient water to make it into a paste, and ground to an impalpable powder in a mortar. It must then be placed in a porcelain crucible, and roasted over a spirit lamp until all traces of sulphur are driven off. When this is accomplished, the dry powder must be transferred to a glass flask, or test tube, and diluted hydrochloric, or muriatic acid poured over it, and allowed to remain for 20 minutes or half an hour. It is necessary that the acid used should contain no trace of free chlorine, and to prove this some of the acid should previously have been boiled with a few drops of a solution of sulphate of indigo: if the solution, when boiling, retains its blue color the acid contains no free chlorine. The solution must now be carefully decanted off and clean water poured into the flask: when the powder has again settled this water must be decanted off. This operation can be repeated two or three times, until the powder is well washed. A mixture of two parts of hydrochloric acid to one of nitric acid is now added, and it is boiled carefully over a spirit lamp for five minutes. Water is then added, and as soon as the residue has settled down, the solution is decanted off into another clean flask or test tube: this solution will contain the gold if any existed in the ore examined. To prove its presence add to the solution a small quantity of solution of protochloride of tin, which will give the mixture a purple red color if any gold was in the substance.

GOLD MINING.

The processes adopted for extracting gold bearing quartz from the rocks in which it is found are similar to those applied to other mineral veins, but as the auriferous veins are generally more variable in direction than the ordinary metallic lodes, the arrangement of the shafts, levels, and winzes is seldom so regular in the former as it is in the latter. When the conformation of the country admits of working by means of a day-level, it is driven in from some convenient valley in the neighbourhood of the vein, and the rock is obtained by stoping in the usual way. If, on the contrary, there be no facilities for this method of commencing the work, shafts are at once sunk from the surface, either perpendicularly, so as to intersect the reef at some convenient depth, or an inclined shaft is put down on the course of the vein itself. Inclined shafts are less expensive, and take less time, than vertical ones, but ultimately they are the least advantageous, as they are not well adapted for the application of pumps and machinery, an evil that increases much with the depth of the mine. When the mine is worked by means of an adit level, the rock, broken in the interior, is trammed through it into the open air for subsequent treatment; but if the extraction be conducted by the aid of shafts, the auriferous quartz is drawn to the surface by skips, or waggons running on inclined tramways in connection with a horse-whim or steam engine. In the case of very narrow veins, some of the enclosing rock has frequently to be broken with the lode in order to afford room for the miner, whilst in wide ones, it often happens that a portion only is sufficiently rich to pay the expenses of extraction and treatment, and the remainder is consequently allowed to remain in the mine. Sometimes also the walls of a vein, and

particularly the foot wall, contain a sufficient amount of gold to make its extraction a matter of importance, and when this occurs a portion of the enclosing rock is necessarily excavated. In some veins the rock is, generally speaking, barren, containing traces merely of the precious metal, the gold only occurring in paying quantities in pockets at considerable distances from each other. In others the "pay-rock" forms bands or streaks, running more or less parallel within the walls of the vein, and frequently separated from the non-productive portion by a distinct heading, or bands, of country rock. Other veins are productive throughout their entire width, but seldom contain visible gold. The most profitable leads are usually those which afford a large supply of rock, obtainable at a cheap rate, and uniformly yielding an amount of gold in excess of the cost of extraction and treatment.

The chief gold quartz mining countries are California, Australia, Hungary, and Brazil, although mines are also worked in Wales, Ural Mountains, Tyrol, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Granada, Nova Scotia, and New Zealand. Some of the mines in California are very deep, that of "Hayward's" being 1,250 feet, and the "North Star" 750 feet in 1866, and the yield of gold does not fall off within the depth as, at one time, it was expected to do. The average cost of raising and treating the quartz per ton in California is 7.70 dollars, while the average yield per ton is 22.87 dollars, giving an average profit of 16.17 dollars on each ton raised. In Australia the cost of crushing and amalgamating a ton of quartz at first amounted to £2, and as the cost of extraction of the ore had to be added to this, it followed that a very small proportion of the auriferous veins in the country could be worked with advantage; but now that the total expense of raising and treating a ton of rook

by steam power has, under favourable circumstances, been reduced to about 16s. 4d., there are numerous reefs throughout the gold mining region affording satisfactory results, and many others that would do the same if extensively and judiciously worked. The miners generally, in common with those of other countries, have come to the conclusion that better results, with regard to profit, are to be obtained by crushing large quantities of only moderately rich stuff, with powerful and well arranged machinery, than from treating a limited amount of very rich rock on a small scale.

The following is the average produce of some of the Victorian quartz gold-mining districts for 1860.

DISTRICT.

Ozs..

Dwts.

Grs.

Ballarat

0

12

13 per ton

Beechworth Mines

3

14

10 " "

Sandhurst

2

7

12 " "

Maryborough

1

7

21 " "

Castlemaine

1

2

11 " "

Ararat

1

11

15 " "

Average

1

16

2 " "

As in California, the yield of the Victorian quartz veins, speaking generally, has not been found to decrease in depth, and those which have been wrought below 500 feet from the surface have experienced no diminution in their produce. The same may also be said in Hungary, where some of the lodes are worked at depths exceeding 1,500 feet.

In Nova Scotia considerable excitement prevailed in 1861, in consequence of the gold discoveries; and portions of the country were pegged off into claims, and more or less worked, at a very shallow

depth. Several companies were also established, with a view to quartz mining on a more extensive scale; but, although many of the veins were found sufficiently auriferous to have warranted more extensive and systematic exploration, the larger companies were not usually successful. This result appears to have been in a great measure the effect of the injudicious nature of the mining laws framed by the local government, which limited the size of the claims to an exceedingly small area; and a somewhat heavy tax charged on each, rendered the prosecution of deep mining all but impossible. Nearly every man in the colony thus became the possessor of one or more claims, which could only be taken up in accordance with certain maps prepared by the county surveyor, by whom each district was laid out in parellelograms, almost irrespective of the nature and position of the leads, and consequently the larger companies, if desirous of obtaining a mining field of suitable extent, had to buy out, at a ruinous expense, numerous small claimholders, who, although they could not work their several minute holdings, did not scruple to demand for them an exorbitant sum of money. It also frequently happened that some claimowner, whose fragmentary holding was so situated as to render it a necessity for the efficient working of a large concern, took advantage of his position to refuse to sell except for an extortionate amount. It is evident that such a system was totally incompatible with the rapid development of the mineral resources of the colony, which, as a natural consequence, have been most materially affected thereby. Quartz mining requires a considerable amount of capital, and is subject to all the usual fluctuations of mining enterprises, excepting such as are influenced by the varying prices of metals; but, in spite of all its disadvantages, it has been found a highly remunerative occupation.

METALLURGY OF GOLD.

Pulverisation. – After the quartz has been brought to the surface, it must be finely pulverised before the extraction of the gold that it contains can be effected. Various contrivances for this purpose have been proposed.

Arrastre. – The arrastre, which is much used in Mexico, consists of a circular pavement of stone surrounded by a wooden framework. It is generally about 12 feet in diameter, and the ore is ground on the stone pavement by means of large stones, or "mullers " dragged continually round its surface by means of mules harnessed to a beam of wood connected with a shaft in the centre of the arrastre. This beam of wood, revolving, drags the mullers after it. The arrastre does its work slowly, and consumes a large amount of power in proportion to the quantity of rock crushed, but it is an excellent amalgamator, and often valuable for the purpose of testing newly-discovered veins, and ascertaining their approximate yield.

Chilian Mill consists of one or two vertical runners of iron or stone, revolving on horizontal arms, which project from a perpendicular shaft, to which motion is given either by water or steam power. The basin in which the runners revolve is usually slightly conical, and made of cast iron. In this arrangement the grinding area is regulated by the difference of the circumference of the circles described on the bed by the inner and outer edges of the runners.

Berdan. - – This machine consists of a cast iron basin placed obliquely, and caused to revolve on an oblique axis. Inside the basin two cast iron cannon balls of different sizes are placed, which, rolling to maintain their place while the basin revolves, crush the ore.

Stamping. – None of the foregoing, nor any of the many other ingenious inventions, can in any way compare in efficiency to the ordinary stamping mill. This consists of a series of heavy iron stamps, each of which is alternately lifted by means of a cam, and then let fall with its full weight upon the ore to be crushed, which is placed in an iron rectangular battery box. The lift of the stamps is from nine to twelve inches; their weight varies from 5501bs. to 9001bs., the number of blows struck is from 6O to 80 a minute, and the quantity of ore crushed by each is from 1 to 2.8 tons in the 24 hours. The rock to be crushed is put into the battery-box with a shovel, and a stream of water being also introduced, it washes the ore, when sufficiently pounded, through a fine iron grating. It takes about 8 gallons of water per stamp per minute to work the machine effectively. The iron grating through which the pounded ore is washed generally contains about 250 holes to the square inch.

Separation. – The pulverised ore, escaping from the battery-box, is generally conducted over blankets spread on the bottoms and sides of shallow troughs, or sluices, inclined at an angle of between three and four degrees with the horizon. It is necessary that the bottoms of these troughs should be quite level transversely, in order that an equal depth of water may flow over every portion of the surface of the blanket, and so prevent a rapid current on one side while an accumulation of sand is taking place on the other. A large portion of the gold and iron pyrites thus becomes entangled in the fibres of the wool, and remains behind, whilst the lighter particles of quartz are carried off by the force of the current. About every quarter of an hour the blankets are taken up and washed, and others put down. It is estimated that the gold

retained in the battery, together with that collected on the blankets, represents about nine-tenths of the total amount obtained from the rock, nevertheless, a certain quantity both of gold and pyrites passes over, and other means are necessary for collecting it.

Amalgamation. – The sand and water passing over the blankets is next conducted through troughs with mercury in them, which arrests the gold, while the "tailings" pass on into some other contrivance for separating pyrites from the sand. Formerly, the mercury in these troughs was placed along the upper side of battens of wood, called "riffles" or "ripples," nailed across it. This system is however very wasteful, as so small an amount of surface of mercury is presented in proportion to the quantity employed, and accordingly it has quite given way to amalgamated copper plates. These plates are of various sizes, and are considered as effective for saving fine gold as an equal surface of pure mercury, and are not only cheaper, but more easily managed. The amalgamation of the copper plate is effected by first washing over its upper surface with dilute nitric acid, and then, with a rag, rubbing on quicksilver, on which a little dilute nitric acid has been first poured, so as to form a certain amount of nitrate of mercury. When a plate has been thus once well covered, the operation need never be repeated, it only being necessary to sprinkle its surface occasionally with a little fresh quicksilver, in proportion as the gold caught converts it into a solid amalgam. In order that these plates should act satisfactorily, it is essential that the current should be slow, and the water shallow, since otherwise a principal portion of the gold might escape without coming into contact with the face of the plate. When a newly amalgamated plate is first used, its surface is apt to

become tarnished by the formation of subsalts of copper, which, forming a green slime, interferes with the amalgamation of the gold. This should be carefully scraped off, and the place from whence it has been removed rubbed with a little fresh mercury. To remove the amalgam, the plate is heated over a fire, when the amalgam softens, and can be easily removed by scraping. The plate, after cooling, may then be again rubbed with mercury, without the aid of nitric acid, and is again ready for use.

The separation of the gold from the matters caught on the blankets, and collected in the washing tanks, is generally effected in California by Atwood's amalgamator, which consists of two wooden rollers, eight inches in diameter, and two feet long, furnished on their circumference with numerous small flat pieces of iron, working in cisterns containing mercury. These rollers are worked by a belt stretched so as to make them both revolve in the same direction, but contrary to the stream of water running through the apparatus. The sand is introduced by means of a hopper, and, after it has passed through the amalgamator, is conducted over a ripple board covered with amalgamated copper plates, at the end of which is a cistern for retaining the pyrites.

Occasionally, mercury is introduced into the battery where the ore is being crushed. When the proportion has been properly adjusted, the amalgamation, in this case, is very complete, except when the ore contains large quantities of lead or antimony, and has been previously burned for the purpose of expelling its more volatile constituents, by which treatment the particles of gold often become coated in such a way as to interfere with their combination with mercury. The amalgam, however, thus obtained, is generally of a light spongy character,

difficult to collect by any of the appliances commonly employed for the purpose. The loss of mercury by battery-amalgamation is also a serious item; and, as there is no evidence that it possesses, under any circumstances, a decided advantage, it is now seldom resorted to.

Concentration of Tailings. – After leaving the riffle boards, the tailings are collected in tyes or settling pits, and concentrated by various contrivances.

In the earlier days of quartz mining, the pyrites and sulphides were generally allowed to escape with the sand, although sometimes an attempt was made to extract the gold from them by roasting before passing the ore into the stamping mill. This, however, was found to be of little practical advantage, and quartz now is always stamped without burning, but much care is devoted to recovering from the tailings the largest practicable proportion of auriferous material. The most usual arrangement for concentrating tailings is the "rocker," which consists of a trough about 12 feet long, 14 inches wide, and 10 or 12 deep, placed on two short legs, of different lengths, rounded at the bottom like rockers. The trough is rocked at the rate of 45 strokes a minute, with a one inch throw, by means of a crank or eccentric. The bottom is lined with sheet iron to prevent wearing. The concave or Borlase's buddle, is also found very effective in Victoria, and the ore after passing through it is sometimes further concentrated by a rocker, hand buddle, or shaking table.

Extraction of Gold from Tailings. – The pyrites in many establishments in California is collected and sold as an auriferous sulphide of iron, but in others, as well as in Australia, it is treated on the spot. It has been found that simply grinding pyrites to an impalpable powder with mercury only extracts

about one-fourth of the gold contained in it; it is now therefore almost always first roasted in a reverberatory furnace, until all traces of sulphur disappear, and is then ground with mercury either in an arrastre, Chilian mill, or Berdan, or else in the Hepburn and Peterson, as well as the Wheeler, Varney, and other pans. Of these the Chilian mill is usually considered the worst, and the Wheeler and Varney pans the best. Wheeler's pan takes two-and-a-half or three horse power to work it efficiently, Varney's about the same, while the Hepburn and Peterson costs twice as much money as the Wheeler, and requires four or five horse power to work it. It is however an excellent grinder, and is much used in the silver mines on the coast of the Pacific. The common pan will work with one horse power, and will amalgamate one-and-a-half to two tons of ore in the 21 hours.

In the Grass Valley District, in California, an arrastre is used, consisting of a basin of cast iron four feet in diameter, with two mullers, generally of iron, but sometimes of stone, set in motion by a central shaft connected by a belt with the other machinery of the mill.

Several establishments in the neighbourhood of Grass Valley also employ on a small scale the chlorination process, or the extraction of gold by means of chlorine. The concentrated tailings are roasted until all the sulphur is driven off. They are then moistened, and put into large wooden tubs with false bottoms, into which chlorine gas, made from a mixture of salt, binoxide of manganese, and sulphuric acid, is introduced and allowed to permeate through the mass. After the expiration of 12 or 15 hours, clean water is introduced, and the liquid, containing chloride of gold in solution, is drawn off into glass carboys. Solution of green sulphate of iron is then added, which precipitates

the gold in the form of a dark brown powder, easily separated by decantation and nitration. This process, when the gold is in a finely divided state, yields good results, but the larger particles of metal, not being dissolved in the time allowed for effecting the solution of the smaller ones, are often only partially attacked, and, unless great caution be exercised, a loss is the result.

Retorting. – The amalgam of gold and mercury collected during these processes is first filtered through buckskin, chamois leather, wet canvas, or flannel, and formed into balls about the size of large apples. These are placed into an iron retort, and the mercury is driven over by heat into a receiver, leaving the gold behind of a light color and spongy appearance. In order to obtain satisfactory results, the retort should be slightly covered on the inside, by means of a rag attached to a stick, with a paste made of water and clay, or sifted wood ashes, to prevent the adhesion of gold, in case of too much heat being accidentally applied. The retort should also be heated gradually, kept a long time at a black-red heat, and allowed to cool before being opened.

Smelting. – The gold is now melted in block lead crucibles by means of a coke or charcoal furnace, and run into bars, called ingots.

Refining. – The gold alloy is first mixed with silver, so as to make the proportion of gold as 1 to 2.5. It is then melted and granulated by being poured into water, and then attacked by boiling in a platinum vessel with twice its weight of sulphuric acid. When the operation is finished, the vessel is withdrawn from the fire, and its contents allowed to settle. In this way the gold falls to the bottom, and the liquid is decanted off into another receiver, and diluted with water. The gold is again boiled with acid, and then melted into bars. The solution

containing the silver is introduced into a large leaden cistern, heated by steam, in which are hung copper plates, by which the silver is precipitated in the form of minute granular crystal.

This process has been rendered so inexpensive, that bars containing but a two-thousandth part of gold can be refined at a profit.

The foregoing is a description of the usual mode of treating gold ores in California and Australia, the countries in which this industry is carried to the greatest perfection; but in other places alterations may possibly have to be made to meet peculiar circumstances under which the gold may occur. Thus at the Thames, and more especially at Tapu, where gold is often found in a clay casing so soft that it can be washed like alluvial gold, some treatment to get rid of the clay before sending the ore to the mill appears to be necessary. Where a plentiful supply of water can be obtained, some modification of the sluice would be most economical; but where water is scarce, the puddling machine, so much used in Australia, would perhaps be preferable. This machine consists of a large shallow tub with an upright shaft standing in its centre, provided with strong rake-like arms, which are set in motion by a mitre wheel attached to the perpendicular shaft.

ASSAY OF MINERALS CONTAINING GOLD.

In the assay of minerals containing gold, the object sought is to obtain that metal in the form of an alloy of lead, which is afterwards placed in a muffle, and cupelled, with various precautions.

Fusion. – About 400 or 600 grains of finely powdered ore are mixed on a sheet of glazed writing paper, with its own weight of litharge, or red lead, 200 grains of dry carbonate of soda, and 8 to 10 grains of dry and finely powdered charcoal. This

mixture is introduced into an earthen crucible, and covered with a thin layer of borax, and fused in an assay furnace, care being taken to withdraw the crucible from the fire as soon as a liquid, and perfectly homogeneous slag has been obtained, since the unreduced litharge might cut through the pot and spoil the experiment.

The slags thus formed contain the whole of the excess of litharge added, whilst the button of alloy produced is extracted by breaking the crucible, after it has been allowed to cool, and is then subjected to the process of cupellation.

The oxide of lead should always be in excess, since, if the slags contain any trace of an alkaline sulphide, the whole of the gold will not be present in the button of alloy obtained. The objection to this method of assaying minerals containing much sulphides is the large amount of lead produced for cupellation, which should not exceed 200 grains. This inconvenience may however be obviated by effecting the partial oxidation of the mineral by the aid of saltpetre, but in many cases the process of scorification is to be preferred.

Scorification. – In this process, the oxidation of the substances to be removed is produced by the action of air, instead of by the action of the oxygen contained in the litharge. A certain weight of the finely powdered ore to be operated on is intimately mixed with a certain quantity of finely granulated lead, and placed in a small saucer formed of close grained fire-clay. These saucers, or scorifiers, are then placed in a muffle, which is a hollow semi-cylinder of fire-clay, closed at one end, and furnished with slits on the sides; the muffle containing the scorifiers is now introduced into the furnace, and the door closed. When the lead is melted the mouth of the muffle is opened, and the current of heated air which passes through the muffle immediately

begins the process of roasting. The effect of this is to produce a slag on the surface of the metallic bath; those slags gradually become soft, and finally remain in a perfectly liquid state. The operation may be considered complete when a small iron rod, previously heated to redness, is placed in the mixture, and found, on withdrawing it, covered with a slight film of scoria, which runs off without forming a solid drop at the end. When this point has been attained, the scorifier is withdrawn from the fire by means of tongs, and the alloy is poured into a mould. When cold, the metallic button is easily separated from the slags, and may be passed on to a cupel. The process of scorification is one of the most exact methods that can be employed; for however small may be the proportion of lead, the slags never contain any bi-sulphides at the close of the operation, and therefore rarely retain the most minute trace of either gold or silver.

Cupellation. – In order to ascertain the amount of gold and silver contained in the buttons of lead obtained by the foregoing operations, they are subjected to a process called cupellation. This process is founded on the fact that neither gold nor silver are sensibly oxidised when exposed in a state of fusion to the action of the air, while lead is. The button of alloy is therefore placed in a small cup, called a cupel, made of bone ash, tightly consolidated by pressure; and the cupels are placed in a muffle, and introduced into the furnace. The door is closed until the alloy is fused, it is then opened, and the air rushing through rapidly converts the lead into litharge, which is absorbed by the bone-ash of the cupel as fast as it is produced. When nearly the whole of the lead has been converted into litharge, and absorbed, the remaining bed of rich alloy appears to be agitated by a rapid circular movement, by which it seems to be made to revolve

with great rapidity. At this stage of the operation the agitation will be observed to cease suddenly, and the button, after having for a moment emitted a bright flash, becomes brilliant and immovable. This is a sign that the process is complete, and that the remaining button in the cupel is composed only of gold and silver.

Parting. – The button obtained from the cupel is now treated with nitric acid, to dissolve out the silver. In order, however, to obtain quite exact results, it has been found that the alloy must contain a little less than three parts of silver to one of gold, since, if the silver be not present in sufficient quantity, the mixture is not completely attached by nitric acid; whilst, on the other hand, when too large a proportion of this metal is added, the gold remains in a pulverulent form, very difficult to be collected for the purpose of weighing. The operation of adding the proper amount of silver to the alloy of gold is called inquartation. The quantity to be added is judged by the touch-stone, and the inquarted button is flattened with a polished hammer on a steel anvil, and then put in a test-tube, and nitric acid, with a specific gravity of 1.28, is poured over it, and boiled from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour. The acid is then poured off, and the gold, after being carefully washed, is transferred to a thin porcelain capsule, from which the water is partly removed by pouring, and partly evaporated by heat.

After being heated to redness, the gold may be weighed directly in an accurate balance, or be folded in a small piece of poor lead-foil, and again passed to the cupel, so as to obtain it in the form of a pure metallic globule.

It is of the greatest importance that the acid employed for the above operation should be perfectly free from chlorine.

In quartz-crushing establishments, the assays of ores and tailings may be conveniently conducted in the furnace used for retorting and smelting, which is generally of sufficient size to admit of three or four fusions being carried on at the same time.

The chief use of assaying to the miner is to enable him, from time to time, to test the tailings, and find out what amount of gold he is losing, and so to see if the machinery is working satisfactorily.

Geology of the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Peninsula of Coromandel has been so little explored by the geologist, that its general structure even is not well determined, and it will, no doubt, be some time before it is satisfactorily made out in detail. The following sketch, however, will shew what is at present known on the subject.

The main range, which divides Hauraki Gulf and the valley of the Lower Thames from the Bay of Plenty, is composed of a series of green and blue slates and sandstones, belonging to the upper Palaeozoic period. This formation runs from Cape Colville in a southerly direction to beyond Ohinimouri, where it is broken through by the volcano of Aroha, and deeply buried beneath volcanic ejections. The range has a bold serrated outline, varying in height from 1,000 to 2,600 feet, and is, for the most part covered with dense bush. The slates of which it is composed are much disturbed, and tilted up, being in places quite vertical, and their upper surface is worn into hills and valleys, which sometimes have different forms and directions to those at present existing.

Upon the up tilted edges of these primary rocks, and filling up many of the valleys, rests a vast mass of trachytic tufa of various colors, and in the most different states of decomposition, from the hardest

rock to a soft clayey mass, and varying from a fine grained tufa to a course angular breccia. It is this rock that, previous to the visit of Dr. Hochstetter, was mistaken for granite and porphyry, and it is still often erroneously called granite by miners. In general it is a hard blue granular rock, becoming first soft and grey, and ultimately white, through the influence of the weather, and when in this state it is often stained red with peroxide of iron, by the decomposition of the iron pyrites with which it is strongly impregnated. The decomposed tufa, when free from iron, would probably make an excellent clay for fine earthenware or even porcelain, and it can be obtained in any quantity. The point north of Tararu is composed of felstone, and a little beyond it, and to the east, up the Waiohanga Creek, blue silicious primary slates are seen, which however do not extend into the valley of the Tararu Creek. With this exception, the whole of the country from Shortland to Hastings, or Tapu, is composed of the trachytic tufa, and from Tapu it is found in patches as far as north of Coromandel. In it all the claims at Shortland, and most of those at Tapu, are situated. Above it lies another tufa containing large boulders of a dark colored trachyte, which in its turn, is capped by the trachytic breccia that forms the summit of Castle Hill.

It is still an unsettled point whether the two trachytic tufas are one and the same formation, or whether they are widely separated with respect to age. The upper one, containing the rounded boulders, no doubt belongs to a late tertiary period, while the lower one, in its hard decomposed state, has much the appearance of a primary rock; but appearances in rocks are very deceitful, and chemical analysis shews that there is no essential difference between the two as regards their mineralogical composition, while hand specimens from both, in

their decomposed state, cannot be distinguished, and we have no other evidence of any volcanic outbursts on this Island previous to the Miocene period. Both rocks contain veins of crystalline and drusy quartz, while, at present, carnelian, agate, and jasper appear to be confined to certain localities in the upper one. The published analysis, by Mr. W. Skey, of the upper tufa from Keven's point, at Coromandel, also shews that it sometimes contains traces of gold.

On the tops of many of the hills between Shortland and Tararu, another tufa, younger than any of the foregoing, is found. It is a soft red and white sandy rock, and does not contain any gold.

The whole of the rocks in the district, with the exception of this last tufa, are occasionally pierced by dykes of igneous rocks, such as diorite, dolerite, and sometimes of a more silicious rock, like compact trachyte or pitch-stone. Two good examples may be seen up the Moanataiari Creek.

The greater number of the auriferous quartz-veins or leaders have hitherto been found in the finer grained portion of the tufa, none having as yet been discovered in it where it assumes a brecciated structure. A few at Tapu – e. g. McIsaac's and the Duke of Wellington – are in the primary slates, and, as gold of very various descriptions has been found in different parts of the peninsula, it seems reasonable to expect that auriferous veins will be found in various rocks, and it is likely that the purer kind of gold, found at Kennedy's Bay and other places, may be confined to the primary slates, and be of a much older date than the alloy of gold and silver found at Shortland, Tapu, and Coromandel, which was probably formed during the close of the Miocene period.

The quartz-veins containing gold at Shortland are, for the most part, only a few inches in thickness,

and their direction and duration is extremely variable. There is no point of the compass to which leaders may not be found running, and their bearing does not seem to have any effect on the quantity of gold they contain. Their want of regularity is however made up for by their great number, for amongst the 2,000 claims at the Thames, there are few that have not opened out one or more, the greater part of which have been proved to be more or less auriferous. The origin of these veins is this: – The tufa in which they are found was evidently deposited under water; the long-continued heat which it afterwards underwent, as proved by its altered character, and the dykes of igneous rocks cutting through it, would partly dry it, and, in drying, it would contract, and split in all directions; the remaining portion of the water, heated by volcanic fires, would dissolve the silica, and percolating through the rocks, would deposit it as quartz in the cracks, as explained in the first chapter, and as those cracks would have no particular direction, the quartz veins filling them will have none, and they will not lead to any definite reefs. In one or two instances however, such as in the Dawn of Hope claim, and in Smith's claim, on the Hape, the leaders are slightly different. In both of these cases, the crack, or fissure, seems to have extended to the surface, and to have been partly filled up by broken fragments of rock, which have fallen into them from above, and the whole has been subsequently bound together by a silicious cement, the gold of course, being found in the quartz cement, and not in the enclosed fragments of rock. At Tapu Creek, some of the leads are larger and hotter defined, their general direction being from N. to N. N. W., and almost always dipping to the East. Such are McIsaac's, Golden Point, Golden Valley, Lady Bowen, the Prospector's, and Quin

and Cashell's. These seem to be fissures, caused by a fracturing of the rock on a larger scale, owing to mechanical pressure. These leads also often shew on their casings what is known by the name of "sliken-sides." This is a marking, or grooving, in parallel lines, in the direction of the dip of the veins, and has been caused by a sliding or rubbing movement of the different sides of the vein against one another. The fact of an unequal movement of the two sides having taken place, may be taken as good evidence that the fissure is either of considerable extent, or that two or more join together to insulate the piece that has moved; for unless it were so, such a movement appears to be impossible.

The alluvial deposits on the Karaka Flat have been exposed by various shafts and borings to a depth of about 90 feet below the sea level, and have been found to be composed as follows: –

The youngest, or uppermost, is a sand full of broken sea shells, about 10 feet thick. Next in age to this (although sometimes rising above it to a height of 170 feet), is a blue or yellow clay, formed by the decomposition and washing down of the surrounding hills, and contains blocks of tufa, dark colored trachyte, and occasionally fragments of auriferous quartz. It is this formation that forms the terraces round the mouth of the Karaka, and at the back of Shortland. Below this comes a sandy gravel, consisting of rounded stones of tufa, dolerite, trachyte, obsidian, and rhyolite, a peculiar kind of lava not found nearer than the hot lakes or Taupo districts, in the centre of the island. Below this, again, comes pumice sand, which has never been bottomed.

From this description we can glean the following facts in the geological history of the Coromandel Peninsula. Sometime subsequent to the deposition of the slates, the whole of the country was raised,

with much squeezing together and fracturing, above the sea to a considerably higher level than it now stands. At this time it probably formed part of a large mountain district extending over the greater part of the Island. This mountain range must have been for a long time exposed to the rain and weather, which, in the course of time, hollowed out valleys, some of which we can now recognise. The largest of these was the valley of the Thames, emptying itself into the sea between Cape Rodney and the Great Barrier, and with smaller gorges running into it from either side. This state of things lasted until the commencement of the Miocene period, when the whole land sank about 2,000 feet below its present level. Submarine volcanic eruptions on a stupendous scale then broke out on the north from the Great and Little Barrier Islands, on the east from Cuvier's Island, Mercury Islands, Mayor's Island, and other places, and on the south from Aroah. These eruptions filled up the valleys, and covered the whole district with volcanic ejections. As a consequence, probably, of this energetic volcanic action, the land was again elevated to a height of perhaps 200 feet more than at present, and many of the volcanos, still active, reared their heads above the water. This was the time, the close of the Miocene period, when the rocks were impregnated with iron pyrites, and probably when the gold first began to accumulate in the quartz veins. A second time the rain and frost acted upon the surface of the land, re-scooping out the Thames valley, and denuding the whole of the volcanic rocks off from some parts of the slate rocks, and leaving only patches here and there remaining. At this time the Thames ran as far north as Coromandel, bringing down with it the pumice and gravel, containing obsidion and rhyolite, that underlies the town of Shortland. Again the land sank until the

sea overflowed the flat by Tookey's Town, and covered it with broken shells. Once more it rose until it attained its present level. Whether it is now rising, sinking, or stationary, there are no data for determining; but, whichever it may be, its progress is so slow that, in all probability, generations will pass away before any change will be perceptible.

It will be thus seen that the present configuration of the country is owing to the valleys having been slowly scooped out by running water, and not to each of the hills having been violently thrust up, notwithstanding that the uptilted position of the older strata might naturally give the idea that such had been the case.

It has been sometimes said, that the discovery of gold at the Thames was quite contrary to previous geological experience, and that it would revolutionise the science. Such however is not at all the case, for it so happens that some of the oldest mines in the world, viz., those of northern Hungary, present a most remarkable similarity.

The mining districts of Schemnitz and Kremnitz lie about 80 miles north of Burda, and are in the midst of a group of mountains covered with forest. The whole of the auriferous veins occur in rocks of various kinds of trachyte, and trachytic tufa, partially decomposed, of Miocene age, and resting unconformably on slates and limestone. The rocks are largely charged with iron pyrites, and the veins are rarely interrupted by faults. With the exception of the underlying limestone, this description might answer, word for word, for the Thames. There are however some points of difference; the veins in Hungary do not always exhibit distinct walls, but the ores seem sometimes distributed through the rock in bands with very little quartz, and they contain more galena and sulphide of silver than

gold; at Kremnitz, however, the veins are more decided, more quartzy, and contain more gold.

Schemnitz is situated 1680 feet above the sea, and some of the mines are sunk to 250 fathoms. The yield of gold is now falling off, but we must remember that they have been worked regularly for the last 800 years, a fact which speaks volumes for the permanency of the Thames gold-field.

The "Great Comstock" silver vein, in Nevada, California, also appears to be in very similar rocks to those at the Thames.

The following metals have been found in the Thames district: –

1. Gold.
2. Silver.
3. Mercury (Cinnabar, in small grains.)
4. Lead (galena, small quantities.)
5. Antimony (stibnite.)
6. Copper (copper pyrites.)
7. Arsenic (native and mispickel.)
8. Iron (iron pyrites, siderite, hematite, and magnetite.)
9. Tin? (cassiterite?)
10. Titanium (Titanic iron sand and rutile?)

MISCELLANEOUS.

MISCELLANEOUS.

SODIUM AMALGAM.

The extraction of gold by amalgamation is attended with some difficulties. Whenever sulphides, arsenic, bismuth or tellurium, are present with the gold, they frequently tarnish the metal, and the mercury cannot act upon it. It either "sickens," that is grows thick, or it "flours" that is, divides into small grains, and, in either case, much of the gold escapes in the tailings, and a large part of the mercury itself is carried off in the washing. A mixture of about one per cent, of sodium with the mercury is stated to entirely prevent this. Two claimants dispute the honor of having made this discovery, viz., Mr. Crookes of England, and Dr. Wurtz of New York, who named his amalgam "Magnetic Amalgam."

Dr. Wurtz prepares two kinds of amalgam, No. 1 with two per cent., and No. 2 with four per cent, of sodium. No. 1 is at any time prepared from No. 2, by melting it in an iron pot with its own weight of quicksilver.

Mr. Crookes supplies three kinds of sodium amalgams, known respectively as A, B, and C amalgams. B and C each contain three per cent, of sodium, in addition to which B has a small quantity of zinc in its composition, and C a little tin. A is of seven times the strength of the above, and is prepared in solid bars for shipment.

These various amalgams are used by dissolving one part in from 30 to 100 parts of mercury, and watching its effects during the operation of treating

the ores. If it retains its fluidity and brightness to the end, it is a sign that a sufficient amount or too much has been added, and a second experiment should be tried with a less quantity of amalgam. But if it be floured, or sickened, or any loss occur, more amalgam may be added until the best proportion is arrived at.

These amalgams adhere strongly to surfaces of iron, steel, platinum, aluminum, and antimony, an adhesion however which is not a true amalgamation, there being no penetration into the substance of the metal, so that the superficially adherent quicksilver may be readily wiped off, just as water may be removed from glass; but as, whenever the ore is ground or agitated with mercury in contact with iron, there is great liability of particles of abraded iron adhering to the amalgam, the following method of manipulation is necessary. The amalgam, after separation from excess of quicksilver, and before retorting, is fused in an earthen dish, or an iron ladle, and the iron which forms a scum on the surface is skimmed off. It is also possible to remove all the iron from the amalgam, by boiling in water, to remove the sodium, without any previous fusion, particularly if the water be made somewhat acid or alkaline.

The use of sodium amalgam was said to have answered well in the Welsh gold mines, and, early in 1866, Mr. Mosheimer went to California to experiment. He gives the following statement of the results. "I worked the same ore side by side with the same machinery, and the results were as follows: –

1st lot, 500 lbs., – with sodium, 85 p. c. of assay; without, 55 p. c.
2nd lot, do. do. 80 p. c. do. do. 60 p. c.
3rd lot, do. do. 78 p. c. do. do. CO p. c."

With reference to this Mr. J. A. Phillips says: – "At the date of our leaving the mining districts of

California, in Deer., 1866, although its use had been extensively experimented upon, it had not become generally adopted, and the evidence with regard to its efficiency was considered to be of a conflicting nature. It may, nevertheless, be regarded as certain that no time was lost in practically testing the efficiency of sodium amalgam, and that, had it possessed all the advantages claimed, its use would have long since become general."

SEYMOUR HUGHES' MACHINE.

The stamps are made to revolve, passing over inclined planes, and acting as mullers as well as crushers, rising and dropping as they pass round the battery. The friction usual in stamp mills is thus used to advantage in this machine, for grinding and amalgamating the ore. The machine is arranged for horse, steam, or water power. It is stated that two horses can grind 500 lbs. per hour. The cost per stamp is no more than ordinary batteries, and only ordinary skill is required to set them up. It would, however, seem that the wear of the stamp heads must be very great.

THE STELEFELDT FURNACE

Consists of a chimney about 25 feet or more high, surmounted by screens of various sizes. Flames from furnaces at the base enter the chimney by holes in the sides near the bottom. The ore to be roasted is placed in the screens, which are kept in constant motion, by which means a slight shower of ore is discharged into the flame, the heat of which is sufficient to accomplish the roasting before reaching the bottom. Below the point at which the flames enter is an orifice through which the roasted ore is discharged. It is estimated that a

single furnace of this description will do all the roasting work required at an ordinary mill, with a battery of twenty stampers.

The ordinary process of roasting takes about six to eight hours to roast l,000 1bs. of ore.

SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY THE PORT PHILIP. COMPANY, (CLUNES'), VICTORIA.

The extent of the claim is 160 acres, on lease for 21 years.

The quartz, when brought to the surface, is separated into two lots. The small size is tipped into a large hopper, and from thence drawn and delivered direct to the stamps, and the larger lumps are sent to the stone-breaking machine, to be reduced to the size suitable to the stamps. The number of stamps at work is eighty, as follows: – Fifty-six heads, of about six cwt. each, including lifter and tongues, driven by a 24-inch engine, giving seventy-five blows per minute, taking about one horse power per head, and crushing an average of about two tons four cwt. per head in twenty-four hours; twenty-four heads of about eight cwt. each, driven by a 24-inch engine, giving seventy-five blows a minute, and taking in the aggregate about thirty horse power. These stamps crush about four tons each per diem, and they have a larger proportion of the small stuff sent to them. The average quantity of quartz crushed per week of five days, is 1,130 tons. The quantity of water required to work the stamps efficiently, is about eight gallons a head per minute, which is 921,600 gallons per diem. The tailings, on leaving the stamps, run into settling boxes, where the current is checked, and the heavier metals settles. These boxes are cleaned out every few hours, and the material sent

to the buddle, where it undergoes a further concentration, and is dressed up to an average of three or 4ozs. of gold to the ton of material. This is then sent to the roasting furnace, and afterwards ground in Chilian mills with mercury, and an average of about 85 p. c. of the assay contents is thus extracted. The cost of operating on the pyrites, including the buddle, roasting, grinding, loss of mercury, &c, averages about £2 14s. a ton, or about £1 per oz. of gold obtained. Loss in tailings, 2 dwt. to the ton. In 1865, this Company crushed 54,413 tons of quartz, and obtained from it 20,596ozs. 10 dwts. 12grs. of gold, giving an average of 7dwts. 13grs. per ton. The cost of raising the ore is about 14s. 4 1/2d. a ton, and the cost of treatment 6s. 11d. a ton, making a total cost of £1 1s. 3 1/2d. a ton. The value of the gold was £3 15s. 9d. an ounce, or £1 6s. 8d. per ton of quartz, leaving a profit of 5s. 4d. per ton crushed, which that year must therefore have amounted to about £14,600, from which a royalty of about £6,000 must be deducted, leaving a net profit of about £8,000.

ATTWOOD'S SYSTEM.

Mr. Attwood does not use blankets, but the ground ore issuing from the battery flows at once to the amalgamator, whore it is gently stirred by cylinders armed with knife blades, revolving against the current. It then passes on to a riffle board covered with amalgamated copper plates. The amalgamator has a double bottom, through which a current of steam is passed to heat the mercury. From the riffles the ground material passes into a tye, the bottom of which is inclined at a considerable angle, and which is provided at the lower end with a slot for regulating the depth of water within it. In order to catch any globules of soft

amalgam or mercury which may become detached from the surfaces of the plates, a small cistern, running the whole breadth of the riffle board, is provided, and a revolving agitator, turning with the current, keeps it free from accumulations to the depth of the arms, so as to form a depression in which the mercury and amalgam may be deposited. The tye is double, and fitted with a moveable tongue which can be placed so as to direct the sand into either of them at pleasure, so that when one tye is filled, the tailings are directed into the other, while the first is being emptied. By this means the pyrites is collected in a very concentrated form, and with very little labour. The concentrated pyrites can afterwards be treated by roasting, and grinding with mercury, or by the chlorination process, or by any of the other means usually employed for extracting the gold from it.

VAN BUREN RYERSON'S GOLD-SAVING PROCESS

Was tried at the Gold Belt mine. The yield of this mine has rarely exceeded eight dollars per ton, but under the new system the average has been over thirty dollars, which is but three per cent, less than the assay. Twenty tons of ore from the Caroline mine was shipped to the new mill at the Gold Belt works, and the yield, which in Carolina had not exceeded four dollars, by the new process exceeded twelve dollars. The difficulty in treating the Virginia ore was the excess of sulphur, which has generally been the enemy of progress in mining regions, and is the source of both trouble and loss in most gold-fields. Ryerson's patent is for the use of super-heated steam, which is steam heated up to a temperature of 1,200 degrees, and to which the crushed ore is exposed fifteen minutes before the quicksilver is added.

Mr. Ryerson claimed that his process should overcome all previous difficulties, and enable the amalgamator to extract the entire assay, and the result seems to have justified his expectations. He uses a shaking bath 30 feet in length, and with a very peculiar movement; but the one distinctive feature about the process is the super-heated steam. The crusher used at the Gold Belt mine is Brown's Boston machine, which crushes 15 tons a day. It does not work with stamps, but by a centrifugal movement, makes rock crush rock. The cost of the crusher was about 1,000 dollars; the price of Ryerson's machine was 1,500 dollars, with a royalty of 5,000 dollars.

SMELTING GOLD QUARTZ.

From the great infusibility of silica, of which quartz is almost entirely composed, the process of smelting gold ores, that is to say of extracting from them the metal by direct fusion, has hitherto failed in its operation. A Russian gentleman named Anossow, proposed to smelt the auriferous sands of the Ural Mountains with iron ore, instead of subjecting them to the various processes of washing by which they are at present treated. The auriferous cast iron thus obtained was to be dissolved in sulphuric acid, and the gold would remain in the form of an insoluble residue in the bottom of the vessel. This process, although stated by the inventor to be extremely economical, was never practically applied; and, in spite of the assertions to the contrary, its success, if attempted, would be extremely doubtful.

WATERWORKS IN CALIFORNIA IN CONNECTION WITH GOLD MINING.

The demand for a copious supply of water to work the gold deposits at levels far above those of

the neighbouring rivers, soon called into existence numerous canal and ditch companies, the shareholders being, for the most part, miners. In this way the Middle Yuba Canal Company was formed, the water being brought from a point on the Middle Yuba, a little below Wolsey's Plat, where the river was dammed. The total expenditure, including the various branches, ditches, reservoirs, and extensions, has amounted to about £120,000, and the works are now capable of supplying 38 cubic feet of water per second, or about 1,500 miner's inches; the miner's inch being the quantity of water that will flow through an opening 1 in. square, under a mean head of 6in., or about 9 gallons a minute.

The Eureka Canal is constructed partly of earth, and partly of wooden fluming. The main flume is 6ft. 8in. wide, and 3ft. deep, and it discharges 96 1/2 cubic feet, or 82 gallons of water per second. The two largest aqueducts in California, the Magenta and the National, are on this line of canal. The Magenta aqueduct is 1,400 feet in length, and its greatest height is 126 feet, while the National is 1,800 feet long, with a greatest height of 65 feet. The total length of all the ditches belonging to the Eureka Canal Company, is about 200 miles, and the cost of constructing them was about £200,000. The charge for water is from 10 cents to 40 cents per miner's inch, per working day of ten hours, but the average charge may be estimated at 16 cents, or 8d.

DEEP MINES IN CALIFORNIA.

The North Star vein is worked on its inclination to a depth of 750 feet, and affords quartz yielding, on an average, gold of the value of £7 per ton of 2,000 lbs. In the upper levels the gross value did not exceed £4 a ton.

The Allison Rranch mine has reached a depth of 600 feet from the surface, and during the first three months of 1866, yielded a net profit of more than £20,000.

The Eureka mine at 400 feet, produces quartz of a value of £9 12s. per ton, quite equal to its average at any former period. Hayward's mine, in Amador County, is worked on its inclination to a depth of 1,250 feet, and yields quartz of much greater value than that obtained from the same vein at shallower levels.

ASSAY OF TAILINGS

ASSAY OF TAILINGS.

From the Appendix to the Jurors' Reports, New Zealand Exhibition, 1865, by DR. HECTOR and MR. WILLIAM SKEY.

Arsenical pyrites in the form of fine dust, from the Waipori Reef, in Otago, was first examined. It had previously been passed through an amalgamating machine, and all the gold had been taken from it, which the most careful management could effect by this means. It was first gently roasted, to get rid of the arsenic and sulphur, and traces of mercury were volatilised during this operation, which had no doubt been left from the mercury used at the reef. After this was effectually performed, the ore was treated with warm hydrochloric acid, and digested until the residue was of a yellow color. The application of mercury easily then effected the separation of the gold from the insignificant amount of quartz and scheelite left, and the weight of the gold in the amalgam, afterwards ascertained. In this case, there was found no less than at the rate of 8ozs. 17dwts. to a ton of tailings, although the presence of gold could not be detected by the eye; every ton therefore of this would contain gold to the value of about £33, which makes it not at all improbable, that when acids are cheaper, these tailings may be profitably worked, by some such system as that just described. A previous roasting of the ore at the mine before amalgamation, might increase the profits of working it very considerably.

Some mundic tailings, from No. 5 claim, at Coromandel, the workings of Mr. James Ninnis, were also qualitatively analysed for gold.

The mundic is disseminated largely, not only through the reefs at Coromandel, but also in the matrix of the rocks.

Treated according to the system previously indicated, they yielded to two analyses respectively, 32 and 37.35 ozs. of gold to the ton of ore, associated however with a rather large percentage of silver, which, as before observed, appears to be a characteristic feature of the Coromandel gold.

In California, it has been found, that when sand tailings from quartz mills have been lying in a moist state, although they contain no appreciable quantity of gold at first, in a few years it is possible to extract gold from this by washing with a pan or cradle, a circumstance frequently taken advantage of by the Chinese.

Two samples of refuse tailings, from the Kapanga Company's mill, Coromandel, were analysed in 1866, by Mr. W. Skey, of the Geological Survey Department, and gave an average of 3.38 and 4.53 ounces to the ton respectively.

Pyrites, concentrated from tailings in California, gave an analysis from 8 to 12ozs. of gold per ton from the Grass Valley district, and 98ozs. per ton from near Sonora. Simple grinding with mercury to an impalpable powder, but without previous roasting, only extracts about one fourth of the gold contained in it.

STATISTICS

STATISTICS

The average yield of the gold mines in Piedmont, in the North of Italy, since 1863, is as follows: –

Ozs. Dwts.

Val Toppa Gold Mining Company - - 1 5 per ton.
Vallanzasca Gold Mining Company - - 0 15 per ton.
Pestarena Gold Mining Company - - 2 10 per ton.

QUARTZ MINES IN CALIFORNIA IN 1861.

COUNTY.

No.
of
Mills

Tons
Crushed
24
hours

Loss
of
Mercury
ton

Cost of
Extracting
Quartz
from Mine

Cost of
Treatment
ton

Average
Yield
ton

dols.

dols.

ozs. dwts. grs.

Mariposa

4

149

0.014

5.24

dols.

2.57

0 19 15

Tuolumne

8

112

0.026

5.53

2.12

1 3 22

Calaveras

3

40

0.126

1.75

5.7

2 2 12

Amador

7

196

0.071

2.82

1.95

0 11 14

El Dorado

3

45

0.054

3.87

1.77

0 16 14

Plumas

2

25

0.022

3.73

6.27

1 0 5

Sierra

2

40

0.030

5.3

2. 12

0 14 21

Nevada

9

157

0.067

13.00

2. 43

1 17 2

According to Mr. Asburner, the average cost of the treatment of ores in California in 1866, is as follows: –

Dollars.

In Water Mills, water free

1.22

" " water purchased

1.60

In Steam Mills, burning wood

2.14

It must be remembered that in California the ton is taken to weigh only 2,000 lb.

The principal mine in Brazil, the Morro Velho, averages 10 dwts. to the ton. This Company has

191 stamp-heads at work, and employs 2,400 hands. During the year ending 23rd March, 1867, the net profits were £109,407 15s. 8d. The average cost, including all expenses, is 25s. a ton, and the usual loss of gold is 5dwts. to the ton in the tailings.

QUARTZ MINES IN NOVA SCOTIA.

QUARTZ MINES IN NOVA SCOTIA.

QUARTZ MINES IN VICTORIA IN 1866.

QUARTZ MINES IN VICTORIA IN 1866.

In Victoria, in 1867, there were 66,243 gold miners, of which 34,107 Europeans, and 18,067 Chinese, were employed on alluvial diggings, and 14,044 Europeans, and 25 Chinese, in quartz mining. On the alluvial mines there were 471 engines, of 9,330 horse power. The approximate value of the mining plant was £2,047,570. The number of square miles mined upon was 818, and the number of quartz reefs reported to be auriferous, 2,421.

The gold yield of California reached its highest point in 1853, when it amounted to £13,000,000; since then it has gradually fallen, year by year, until, in 1867, it was only £5,000,000. About one third of the gold now obtained from there is the produce of quartz-mining.

The aggregate horse power of the machines was 9,231, and the number of stamp-heads 5,437.

The prices paid for treating the quartz ranged from 4s. to 30s. per ton.

RETURN OF GOLD OBTAINED IN VICTORIA FROM QUARTZ VEINS.

ozs. dwts.
1863.....................493,499 O
1864.....................603,618 5
1865.....................450,000 0

The following table of the average value of gold from different places in New Zealand has been kindly furnished by the Bank of New Zealand: –

Locality.

Assay – Carats.

Value per oz.

OTAGO

£ s. d.

Dunedin

22.4

3 19 3

Queenstown

22.22

3 18 7

Arrow

22.33

3 19 1

Dunstan

22.4

3 19 3

Manuherikia

22.6

3 19 11

Lawrence

23.05

4 1 7

Waitahuna

23.1

4 1 8

Mount Ida

23.2

4 2 0

Dunstan Creek

23.l

4 1 8

Waikouaiti

22. 1

3 18 2

Tokomariro

22.6

3 19 11

Macrae's Flat

23.04

4 1 7

WESTLAND

Hokitika

23.088

4 1 8

Greymouth

23.0

4 1 4

MARLBOROUGH

Picton

22.776

4 0 7

NELSON

22.344

3 19 0

INVERCARGILL

23.184

4 2 0

AUCKLAND

18.648

3 6 0

The average of Auckland is taken from eight assays, the highest giving .951, and the lowest .593.

The following are other assays from localities at the Thames: –

Locality.

Assay – Carats.

Value per oz.

£ s. d.

Kennedy's Bay

21.8

3 16 0

Tookey's Claim

15.225

2 15 0

Barry's

14.113

2 10 0

Hunt's

14.000

2 9 8 1/4

Golden Crown

15.79

2 15 10

AVERAGE VALUE OF GOLD FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.

AVERAGE VALUE OF GOLD FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.

QUANTITY OF GOLD EXPORTED FROM AUCKLAND FROM 1st AUGUST, 1867, TO 1st AUGUST, 1868.

QUANTITY OF GOLD EXPORTED FROM AUCKLAND...

APPROXIMATE STATEMENT OF THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE OF THE THAMES GOLD FIELDS, FROM AUGUST, 1867, TO 13th JUNE, 1868.

GENERAL RECEIPTS, 1 GENERAL EXPENDITURE

GENERAL RECEIPTS, GENERAL EXPENDITURE

It will be noticed that while the receipts are only up to May 31st, the expenditure is estimated up to June 13th, so that the balance deficiency on May 31st was only £776 10s.; and as up to that time the gold duties had amounted to £2,114 19s. 10d., it is evident that on the 31st of May the receipts exceeded the expenditure by 1,339 9s. 10d.

QUANTITY OF GOLD IN QUARTZ.

It is sometimes useful to be able to ascertain roughly the amount of gold in a piece of quartz without destroying the specimen. This can be done in the following manner for Thames gold, the specific gravity of which is about 15.8: –

Weigh the specimen in air and multiply its weight by 1.9, next weigh it in water and multiply this weight by 3.12, subtract one from the other, and

the result will be the weight of gold contained in the specimen. The specimen must, of course, be weighed in troy weight.

If A is the weight of the specimen in air, and W its weight in water then

The weight of gold = 3.12W - 1.9A

TABLE SHEWING THE RELATION BETWEEN THE QUANTITY OF GOLD PER POUND AND PER TON OF ORE.

TABLE SHEWING THE RELATION BETWEEN THE QUANTITY OF GOLD PER POUND AND PER TON OF ORE.

To use this table, first find the quantity of gold contained in a pound of stone, by dividing the quantity of gold obtained by the number of pounds crushed. Then write beneath each other the number of ozs. dwts, and grs. corresponding to the different number of grains, or parts of a grain, of gold contained in a pound of stone, and add them up for the yield of a ton of ore. Thus: suppose that 501bs. of stone was crushed and yielded 583 grains of gold

1 Exclusive of fEes for miners' rights, paid to native owners of land £6,464; and exclusive of gold export duty to April 30th, 1868, about £2,114 19s. 10d.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

DEFINITION OF TERMS.

ADIT. – The gallery or level driven into a mine from some neighbouring low ground to draw off the water.

ALLOY. – A combination of any two or more metals except mercury.

ALLUVIUM. – Matter brought together by the ordinary operation of water, as mud-deposits, fens, river-flats, &c

AMALGAM. – A compound of mercury with other metals.

AMALGAMATION. – The process of making an amalgam.

ANALYSIS. – The resolution of a substance into its constituent parts.

ANTICLINE. – When strata dip in opposite directions from a ridge.

ANTIMONY. – A metal of tin white color, very brittle, not quite so heavy as iron, melts at 900T., the commonest ore is stibnite. Used in medicine, and in the alloy from which printer's type is made.

AQUA-FORTIS. – Nitric acid.

AQUA-REGIA. – A mixture of two parts of muriatic acid with one of nitric acid.

AQUEOUS ROCKS. – Hocks deposited from water.

ARGILLACEOUS BOCKS. – Those containing clay.

ARSENIC. – A lead grey metal, generally found coated with the black sub-oxide, when heated smells like garlic.

ASSAY. – The determining by cupellation of the quantity of gold or silver contained in an ore or alloy.

ATTLE. – The refuse of the workings of a mine.

AURIFEROUS. – Containing gold.

BACK OF A LODE. – The part near the surface, generally more or less affected by the weather.

BASALT. – A dark colored lava, composed of augite and felspar, the former predominating.

BED-ROCK. – The mass of rock in which the veins or lodes occur.

BLACK-JACK, OR BLENDE. – Sulphide of zinc.

Borax. – Bi-borate of soda.

BRATTICE. – A wall of timber, either dividing a shaft into compartments, or erected across a gallery.

BRECCIA. – A rock composed of angular fragments cemented together.

BITTER SPAR. – Sparry carbonate of iron.

BUDDLE. – A trough for washing ore and separating it from the gangue.

BUNCH. – An irregular lump of ore.

CALCAREOUS. – Containing carbonate of lime.

CARNELIAN, OR CALCEDONY. – A transparent variety of uncrystalized quartz.

CINNABAR. – Sulphide of mercury, red and heavy.

COLOR. – A minute quantity of gold left behind in panning off.

CONFORMABLE. – Strata lying parallel to one another.

CONGLOMERATE. – A rock composed of rounded blocks cemented together.

COPPER PYRITES. – A sulphide of copper and iron.

Country or Ground. – Same as bed-rock.

CROSS-COURSE. – A lode running nearly at right angles to the main reef.

CROSS-CUT. – A level driven at right angles to a lode in order to cut it.

CRUCIBLE. – Small earthern or metal vessels, in which substances are fused.

CUPEL. – A small vessel made of bone ashes, used in assaying.

DENUDATION. – The removal of superficial matter by water.

DIORITE, OR GREENSTONE. – An igneous rock composed of hornblende and felspar.

DIP. – The angle which strata make with the horizon.

DYKE. – A wall-like intrusion of igneous rock into a fissure.

FAULT. – A fissure, accompanied by a displacement of the strata, same as slide, heave, hitch, throw, and trouble.

FELSPAR. – A silicate of alumina with some potash or soda, a common mineral.

FLUX. – Any substance added to facilitate the fusion of a metal or mineral.

FOOT-WALL. – The under wall of an inclined vein.

FUSION. – The state of melting.

GALENA. – Sulphide of lead, the commonest ore of lead.

GANGUE. – The matrix of an ore in a vein.

GNEISS. – A rock composed of quartz, felspar, and mica, with a schistose structure.

GOSSAN. – A ferruginous condition of the top of a lode.

GRANITE. – A rock composed of quartz, felspar, and mica, with quartz as matrix as well as felspar.

HADE. – The dip of a vein or fault.

HANGING-WALL. – The upper wall of an inclined vein.

HORNBLENDE. – A silicate of lime and magnesia.

HORSE. – A large detached mass of rock occurring in a vein.

IGNEOUS ROCKS. – Those produced by fusion.

INGOT. – A bar of metal.

IN SITU. – In its natural position or place.

IRON PYRITES. – Bisulphide of iron, mundic.

JIGGING. – Dressing ores by means of a wire sieve suspended and shaken in a vat of water.

JUMPER. – An iron bar.

KIBBLE. – An iron bucket in which ore is drawn to the surface.

LEADER. – A string or small vein which leads to to the main reef, or is supposed to do so.

LITHARGE, – Red oxide of lead, red lead.

LODE. – A regular metalliferous vein.

MANGANESE. – A hard brittle metal something like iron.

MATRIX. – The substance in which a mineral is imbedded.

MERCURY. – Quicksilver.

METAMORPHIC. – Changed in form.

MICA. – A silicate of alumnia with potash or soda.

MICA-SCHIST. – A metamorphic rock composed of mica and quartz.

MUNDIC – Iron pyrites.

MULLOCK. – Rubbish; a vein filled with various kinds of stones is called a mullock band.

ORES. – Metals combined with non-metallic substances.

OXIDE. – Any substance combined with oxygen.

PARTING. – Separating gold from silver in assaying.

PALAEOZOIC – Same as primary.

PITCH. – A portion of a vein prepared and set apart for working.

QUARTZ. – Silica, or oxide of silicon.

REEF. – A main vein or lode.

SCHISTOSE. – Splitting into irregular plates.

SODIUM-AMALGAM. – Mercury combined with the metal sodium.

STIBNITE. – Sulphide of antimony.

STOPE. – The parts of a vein in work.

SULPHIDES. – Combinations of alkalies or metals with sulphur.

SYENITE. – A rock composed of quartz, felspar, and hornblende.

SYNCLINE. – Strata forming a trough.

TALC. – A soft greasy mineral; silicate of magnesia.

TALCOSE. – Rocks containing talc.

TOUCHSTONE. – A black silicious stone used for testing the quality of gold.

TRACHYTE. – A kind of lava composed of felspar and hornblende, the former predominating.

TUFA. – A rock composed of the fragments thrown out from a volcano and deposited under water.

UNCONFORMABLE. – When one set of strata lie on the edges of another set.

UNDERLIE. – The inclination or dip of a vein or fault.

VEIN. – A fissure or rent in a rock filled with mineral matter.

WATER-WORN. – Smooth and rounded by the action of water.

WHIM. – A machine consisting of a barrel or cylinder worked by horse or water power, and used for raising ore from a mine.

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY of GOLD IN THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLONIES

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF THE DISCOVERY of GOLD IN THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLONIES.

The great excitement caused in all parts of the world by the discovery of gold in South America and California had hardly subsided when it was closely followed up, in 1851, by the wonderful discoveries of apparently inexhaustible deposits of the precious metal in the Australian colonies.

The knowledge existed that there were auriferous deposits in New South Wales long before the enterprising Mr. Hargreaves discovered it in the soil on the banks of Summer Hill Creek, near Bathurst; but the Government had always discouraged attempts to discover a mine, – so much so, that many years before, when the convicts came upon the precious metal without knowing it, when they broke up some gold-bearing quartz at Bathurst, and metalled part of the road with it, the authorities did not deem it wise to make the discovery public; for Governor Phillip had some time previous entertained the conviction that there were valuable auriferous deposits in the country, but he strongly discouraged any search for them. He even forbid it under pain of heavy penalties, as he considered "the discovery of a mine would be the greatest evil that could befal the settlement." This feeling was entertained by every governor, even up to the real discovery by Mr. Hargreaves, in 1851; and there can be no doubt that if that event had happened when New South Wales was a convict settlement the anarchy would have been infinitely greater than,

as it occurred, during the peaceable administration of a free community, possessed of abundance of food and labour. The discoveries of gold at Ballarat and Bendigo, in Victoria, speedily followed, and the returns from the Victorian diggings greatly exceeded the yield of the Bathurst mines. In 1855 there were fifteen gold-fields in full operation, named as follows: – Mount William, Avoca, Maryborough, Tarrengower, Ballan, Anderson's Creek, Plenty Ranges, Mount Alexander, Bendigo, Ballarat, McIvor, Goulbourn, Ovens, and Omeo, in Gipps' Land.

It may not be uninteresting to the general reader to mention a disturbance of a very serious nature that took place in 1854. For some time great discontent had prevailed amongst the miners at the license fee. In the first place it was not an equitable tax, as the miner who was unsuccessful, securing only an ounce of gold a month, paid the same fee as the lucky digger who found a prize of a hundred or a thousand ounces. Some did not find enough to pay the fee. In the second place, the mode of collecting and levying payment by armed troopers and police was obnoxious to everyone, and numbers took every opportunity to avoid payment. At Bendigo several thousand diggers went in a body to the commissioner, and said they would no longer pay thirty shillings, but would have no objections to give ten, which they tendered to him. Of course he could not accept what he had no power to take; therefore they declared that they would not pay any license fee, which led to many being taken up and fined. At Ballarat a more determined feeling existed against the obnoxious tax, which reached its climax towards the end of November, 1854. As the commissioner went his rounds to collect for the following month, upwards of 800 diggers united together, declaring that

they would pay no license fee, armed themselves with rifles and revolvers, formed an entrenched camp, with a stockade in the middle of the goldfield, and resolved to resist the collectors of the tax at the risk of their lives, called the spot "Eureka" (I have found it), and raised the flag of defiance and independence, while they made a bonfire of their license papers. This defiance of authority raised the ire of the Government, who immediately issued a proclamation, declaring the disturbed districts under martial law, ordering out all the available force to proceed to Ballarat and quell the disturbance. A force of 860 men, with six guns, was sent from Melbourne, but before they arrived 276 of the local police and armed troopers had attacked the camp, and, after a sharp fusilade of ten minutes, the diggers surrendered. The ringleaders and 120 prisoners were captured. In this affair 50 miners were killed and wounded, and 15 of the attacking force. Ultimately this demonstration against the license fee had its desired effect. The Government appointed a commission to enquire into the grievances of the mining population, which furnished a report confirming their complaints, suggesting a code of miners' rights, the abolition of a personal tax, and substituting an export duty on gold, which was adopted, at the rate of two shillings and sixpence per ounce.

It was not till 1858 that gold was discovered in the colony of Queensland, at Rockhampton, situated about 400 miles north of Brisbane. The quantity of the precious metal has been inconsiderable compared to that of Victoria and New South Wales. Victoria alone sent to the International Exhibition, London, in 1862, a gilded obelisk of ten feet square at the basis, and 45 feet high. This obelisk, if it were a solid mass of gold, would have a weight of 800 tons; it represents the volume of gold produced

by the colony from October 1st, 1851, to October 1st, 1861, valued at £140,000,000. The quantity of gold raised in New South Wales during the first ten years, that is, from 1851 to 1861, was 3,281,000 ounces, valued at £11,683,857.

Mr. Hargreaves, the discoverer of gold in New South Wales, was invited to visit both Southern and Western Australia, also Tasmania; but, after careful investigation, he could not discover any indications of a payable gold field.

The discovery of gold in Australia reacted very sensibly on adjacent New Zealand, and a large portion of the population migrated to the new gold fields. The discovery of gold in Australia led people to prospect for gold in various parts of New Zealand, and already, in October, 1852, a "Reward Committee" was formed, which promised a reward of £500 to the discoverer of a payable gold field in the northern district of New Zealand. In the same month the reward was claimed by a settler named Charles Ring, who had recently arrived in Auckland from California, who asserted that he had discovered gold upon Cape Colville peninsula, forty miles east of Auckland, in the vicinity of Coromandel harbour. The specimens produced by Mr. Ring were pieces of auriferous quartz, and some minute particles of gold-dust, which he had found in the Kapanga, a creek running into the harbour. The commissioners sent to investigate the matter confirmed the existence of gold, but left it doubtful whether there was a gold field extensive and rich enough to pay for the working. The excitement in Auckland was intense, and there were sanguine hopes indulged in by the people that it was the commencement of a golden era in New Zealand, and every one flocked to the Coromandel gold field.

The land upon which the gold was found belonged to the natives, and in November, 1852, an

agreement was made with the Coromandel chiefs for three years, by which the Provincial Government pledged itself to pay the natives one pound a year for each square mile of land upon which gold was being dug, and for each gold-digger two shillings a month. In consequence of this the Government was obliged to lay a tax on the diggers, granting an an exemption for the first two months; it afterwards exacted from each digger 30s. a month for a digging license. About 3,000 diggers set to work. On the Kapanga River, towards the north, the Coolahan Diggings, promised favourable results, as also the Waiau Diggings, a short distance from the former on the Matawai Creek, a tributary of the Waiau River, which flows southward into Coromandel Harbour. The gold produced was sold in Auckland by public auction; but when the taxes were to be paid, there were only about 50 diggers who took licenses. These, also, were not able to subsist under the heavy taxes demanded, and as nothing was heard of any encouraging results on a large scale, and more difficulties arising on the part of the natives, the whole enterprise died out in about six months. The verdict was that the gold field was too poor, and the promised reward of £500 was withheld from the discoverer. The whole produce of the gold field was about £11,000, and the largest nugget found was a round piece of quartz about the size of an egg, which contained gold to the value of about £10. Matters rested in this state for about nine years, when the discovery of the Otago Gold Fields gave a fresh impulse to enterprise, and the Coromandel field was again worked. In April, 1862, about 248 diggers had assembled at Coromandel, and, owing probably to better knowledge of gold-washing, the results were more promising than before. On the Matawai and Tiki Creeks, pieces of gold-quartz, weighing from

thirty to forty ounces, and one even of eleven pounds weight, were found containing, it was supposed, fifty to sixty per cent, of gold. A party who began to work a quartz reef on the Kapanga, are said to have obtained from one ton of quartz, by crushing and washing, 2 1/2 ounces of gold. 2 The quartz reefs in Australia are known to yield profits, if treated systematically, and good machinery is used in the crushing, from less than one ounce of gold to the ton.

We will now give a brief review of the gold fields in the South Island, and other parts of New Zealand, previous to our continuing the account of more recent discoveries in the North Island.

The discovery of gold at Coromandel in 1852 was by no means the first discovery of gold in New Zealand, for as early as 1842, on the occasion of an exploring expedition from Nelson to Massacre Bay, a gentleman named McDonald is said to have discovered gold. No notice was taken of it. No one ever thought of or believed in gold fields, until the wonderful discoveries in California and Australia rendered the phenomena a startling fact. At length, in 1850, gold in payable quantities was found eighteen miles from Nelson, in the Motueka district, causing a general excitement throughout the colony. About 280 diggers rushed to the place, – the yield was found to be inconsiderable and they soon left it. Again, in 1859, these same diggings were taken up, with greater success.

In 1857, gold was discovered by William Lightband, an old Australian digger, in the Aorere district on Massacre Bay. The finest gold brought to Nelson by William Lightband, was three ounces, which he had obtained by washing in one of the creeks. The average earnings of the party exceeded ten shillings per day. In less than three months after the discovery, there were over 1,500 diggers making good wages on the various creeks in the district; the number fell off in 1859 to 250. The largest piece of gold (which was found in the Rocky River) weighed not quite ten ounces, a second not quite nine ounces, and by August, 1859, the total amount of the produce was estimated at about £155,000. 3

The Aorere Gold Fields are situated at a distance of 5 to 12 miles from Collingwood. The principal localities are Apoos River, with Apoos Flat, Light-band's Gully, Cole's Gully, Golden Gully, Brandy Gully, Doilor's Creek, Bedstead Gully, Slate River, with Wakefield Creek, and Rocky River, Little and Great Boulder River, Salisbury Creek, Moari Gully, and Kaelune Creek. The gold, found on the Nelson diggings averages 80 per cent, fine gold, and 0.145 per cent, fine silver. The total value of the Aoere Gold Feld has been stated to exceed £22,500,000, or in other words, each square mile of the gold field contains gold to the amount of £750,000: – of this the above-mentioned sum of £150,000, already obtained, is of course a very small portion.

The Parapara diggings are situated at the mouth of the Parapara River, and about five miles from Collingwood, on the shores of Golden Bay; this is also a portion of the Aorere Gold Field. The Takaka diggings are situated on the eastern slope

of the Haupiri and Auatoki Ranges. Very few professional diggers are to be found here; – the farmers and wood-cutters finding markets bad, exchange there usual avocations for gold-digging, and find sure gains in their mountain heights. The chief Eldorado of the south was situated about 80 miles west of Dunedin, on the Tuapeka River. Thousands of persons who, despite storm and rain in the middle of winter, established by the produce of their labour, in a few months, the startling fact, that New Zealand is one of the richest gold countries of the known earth. Any person who can stand the weather can gather from one to two ounces of gold per day, worth from £3 to £6. On the 28th June, 1861, the Tuapeka district was announced a payable gold field, and Mr. Gabriel Reid received a considerable reward as the discoverer. Towards the close of July, there were over 2,000 diggers on the field, principally in Gabriel's Gully. The excitement was so great, and the report was so encouraging, that the Nelson Gold Fields wore deserted in consequence; everybody rushed to Otago. In September, 1861, not more than 100 diggers were left on the Aorere. These found themselves amply rewarded by abundant profits for having remained behind. So great was the individual prizes obtained in Gabriel's Gully, that one party obtained 38 ounces in one day, and another party in four weeks gathered over £1,000 each. The Tuapeka Gold Field extended over an area of 51,000 acres. In September there were over 4,500 diggers, and the total population was 16,000 inhabitants. The weekly produce was over 10,000 ounces. The dirt was obtained from shingle deposits and superficial boulders in pits four or five feet deep, and the gold was mostly in thick leaves. The success of individual diggers exceeded the most sanguine expectations; five pounds sterling per

day was thought a poor day's work. The total amount of gold obtained on the Otago Gold Fields was in January, 1862, 150,000 ounces, valued at £1,000,000 sterling. In the beginning of 1864, gold was discovered in the province of Marlborough, on the banks of the Wakamarina and its tributaries. A gentleman named Wilson first made the discovery, and, in May 1861, over 3,000 men were on the ground up the river. Many of the claims were very rich. Great privations were experienced by the miners on these diggings, for the Havelock Mail informs us "that the digger is certainly not to be envied in the labour he has to perform in getting at the gold. The bleak inhospitable ranges of Otago are preferable. Here the sun seldom penetrates the forest, and is never seen by the men at work in the creeks."

In the north, on the Teramakau River, in the provinces of Nelson and Canterbury, traces of gold were found as early as 1859; and Lindas Pass (where, in January 1861, 500 diggers collected) is situated quite close to the boundary of Canterbury. The Canterbury Government offered a reward of £1,000 for the discovery of a payable gold field within its territory. A payable gold field was discovered, in 1864 and 1865, on the West Coast of the province. All the streams which run into the ocean from the Southern Alps are rich with deposits of the precious metal, and the whole beach, from Greymouth in the north to the Wanganui River in the south, and far beyond, is successfully prospected by thousands of diggers. This may truly be called the New Zealand Gold Coast.

Hokitiki River became the centre of immigration. It is situated about 21 miles south of the Grey River, and 15 miles south of the Teramakau. Here a gold field was proclaimed, a township set out, magistrates and wardens appointed, and already, in

March, 1865, over 3,000 men were at work over an extent of 20 miles of country around Hokitiki. The extraordinary impulse given to trade has never been more fully exemplified than in the case of Hokitiki, in spite of the depressing influences of a tempestuous climate, and of a harbour perhaps the most dangerous to enter in New Zealand. The tongue of sand on which stands Hokitiki is bounded by a very narrow channel of deep water on the outside of its lower extremity, which is entered at a sharp angle by vessels running the bar. The entrance to this river is exactly represented by the letter S, of which two-thirds form a channel not 100 feet wide, and exposed to the whole drift of the Pacific Ocean. It is almost impossible for a sailing vessel to enter the channel, and the wreck of a sailing vessel attempting to enter has come to be considered a certainty here, safety the exception. Within five months, in 1865, eighteen sailing and steam ships were wrecked whilst crossing the bar. The Westland Gold Fields of Canterbury are quite equal, if not richer than those of Otago. 4

In 1865, it was rumoured that gold had been discovered in the mountain range which terminates in Cape Colville peninsula, but on account of the native war for supremacy; the discovery could not be followed up; nevertheless two men reported the circumstance to a gentleman connected with the Auckland Herald, and exhibited several specimens which they had obtained from one of the creeks (Karaka) situated at the foot of the range, bordering

on the mouth of the Thames River, distance about thirty miles from Coromandel. The circumstance was also reported to the Superintendent, (Mr. R. Graham), but nothing was done for some time, that is until peace was fully established with the natives, when the same locality was again prospected by three men on their own account, and continued to do so until found out by the natives who informed them "that they had not obtained permission to dig for gold, and if they persisted, the natives would chop them up." It being known that gold was obtainable in more than payable quantities at the Thames, great excitement was caused; but it was not until July, 1867, that the Auckland Provincial Government obtained permissions from the native owners to open up a small portion of the ground, namely, from the Karaka to the Kuranui, a distance of not quite two miles. Within this boundary there is an extensive plain or flat, the greater part covered with peach trees, (now cut down for firewood), and very swampy; but within the last six months it has been effectively drained by deep dikes, running parallel with the hills which surround this plain at a distance of not more than two-thirds of a mile from the beach. Kawaranga is the name of the Maori settlement upon which the now flourishing township of Shortland is situated. A creek or small river of the same name flows in a picturesque manner by the township, and the approach from the sea, at high-water, is most enchanting. In the distance you have the majestic Thames River, the immense kahikatea forest, stretching across the head of the frith of the Thames to Piako River, and, further on, the Pateroa and Wairoa Ranges to the right, and Cape Colville and Coromandel Ranges to the left. The hills at the back of the township, in some places, are over 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, and pierced with innumerable tunnels,

that very much resemble an immense rabbit warren. To the right of Shortland, and on the left bank of the Kawaranga Creek, the Church Mission Station is situated, and on the right bank exactly opposite, is a Maori settlement, which extends for some distance. The walk from Shortland by the Mission Station to the further extremity of this settlement will repay any one with a treat which cannot be obtained in the Caledonian or Welsh mountains, and words cannot adequately explain the view which is in store for the painter and lover of nature's beauties. After traversing for some distance the lowlands, you suddenly ascend a hill, which completely hides from view the creek which winds round in curves immediately below; on the opposite side, a valley under Maori cultivation, with the huts and whares scattered in all directions; in the distance, you have the range on three sides, with the Thames River flowing by on the other. It was summer when the writer visited this beautiful spot, and the impression the sight made upon the mind will be lasting; so different to what is to be seen on the other hand, where you have the diggers' township, with its hundreds of newly erected houses and tents, scattered over the plain, and the steamers and small craft at anchor in the channel or at the landing place. What a different sight! might have been seen twelve months previous. Instead of a flourishing township, nothing but Maori huts and their ghastly images, with the peach groves in full bearing, to meet the eye. For more than two miles from Shortland is a mud flat, over which the tide flows at high-water. When the pioneers first visited Shortland, they had to walk through the mud before they could approach the landing, but the channel, at high-water, will allow steamers and small craft to sail up to the landing-place, which at the best of times is very soft and

insecure footing. If this had been in Australia instead of New Zealand, a substantial wharf would long ago have been erected. A wharf is now in course of erection. The passengers landing from the steamers have to walk a plank at a high angle with the horizon, which is most dangerous, considering the great depth of water beneath. The writer has seen many a poor man, who has indulged a little too freely with Bacchus, treated with a "cooler" by Neptune. The township of Shortland is exceedingly well laid out, the streets are wide and very numerous, the houses are substantial, and in Pollen-street tolerably uniform. This is the principal street, and it can boast of containing the Court House, Post Office, and Custom House (all in a neat one-story building), four banks, a theatre, five hotels, five eating houses or restaurants, a local journal, and stores of all descriptions. There are four churches and chapels (one for each denomination), several small schools, and, to crown all, an American coach runs between Shortland and Tookey's Flat. The only drawback to Shortland is the mud; literally speaking, you cannot walk along the streets without danger of being swamped. Tookey's Flat, situated between the Waiotahi and Moanatairi Creeks, has become a flourishing township. It is about three-quarters of a mile from Shortland. Some of the richest claims are on the hills overlooking this flat. Graham's Town, a new township, has been laid out between Tookey's Flat and Shortland, but all three townships will shortly comprise only one. Buildings are being erected all along the beach as far as Tararu Point, a distance of two and a half miles. Allotments which formerly were purchased at six shillings per foot, are not to be obtained at any reasonable price; as much as £8 per foot has been asked and obtained. The legal tenure is only

for three months, rent in every case payable in advance.

The population of the Thames Gold Fields cannot he less than 18,000 souls, men, women, and children. There are upwards of 11,000 miner's rights issued, but many persons who hold shares do not reside upon the diggings.

There is a Resident Magistrate, Commissioner, Warden, Port Master, Custom House Officer, Police Sergeant and Staff. Crime seems to be increasing, and the means of preventing it are not sufficiently stringent. The police staff is not strong enough, nevertheless the officers stationed on the gold field are among the most experienced men of the Auckland police force. The pioneers of the Thames Gold Field first commenced operations in the search for gold by sinking on the Karaka Flat, for alluvial deposits; but after sinking a considerable depth (150 feet), and not being able to overcome the water, they gave it up, and at once prospected for quartz reefs in the ranges. The first rushes consisted of Hunt's, on the Kuranui, Murphy's, between the Waiotahi and Monaitairai Creeks, and. Tookey's, at the mouth of the Waiotahi Creek. Hunt's celebrated rich claim was pegged out in August. The Enterprise was the first steamer that sailed from Auckland for the Thames Gold Field. It arrived at Shortland on the 31st July, 1867. The Tauranga and Midge were soon afterwards laid on the berth. Now there are upwards of ten steamers plying between Auckland and Shortland, and a numerous fleet of small craft, all doing well. The distance is about fifty miles. The fastest steamer at present on the berth is the Royal Alfred.

There are upwards of 2,000 claims on the goldfield, and the average number of men employed on each claim may be stated at 4.1268. The number of tons of quartz crushed up to July 1st, 1868, was,

in round numbers, 2,900, averaging 5 ozs. to the ton.

The number of stampers employed in the various mills at work on the 1st. July, 1868, was 185 head, averaging five to each mill.

The anniversary of the opening of the Thames Gold Field was celebrated by a general holiday on the claims, and horse racing with other amusements. The 17th and 18th August were the days fixed for the event.

The little settlement of Punga Flat is situated at a considerable height above the sea, amongst the hills, one mile from the township of Shortland. Some of the best claims are here situated. The Kuranui Valley is now presenting a lively spectacle, the great Kuranui Company's works are situated in this locality.

A more extended account of the Gold Field will be given in a future edition.

2 The Kapanga Gold Mining Company is still in operation, and comprises the following original claims – Southern Cross, Victoria, Albion, Golden Point, Cameron, and Coromandel Company. The Company has been in operation over four years, and upwards of £40,000 worth of gold has been obtained from the mine. The Company has furnished machinery to the value of £7,500. The sinkings are upwards of 320 feet in depth, but the yield of gold from the lowest level is not so great as it was when the workings were about half the present depth. Latterly the yield from the mine has not equalled the expectations of the shareholders: – it is at present producing about 200 ounces of gold per month. The largest yield in any one month was 1,200 ounces.

3 The largest nugget found in Australia was the renowned "Welcome Nugget" discovered on the 11th January (858, which weighed over 184 lbs. 9oz. 16dwts., valued at £10,000.

4 Table showing the. Quantity and Value of Gold obtained from the New Zealand Gold Field, from April 1st, 1857, to 3lst March, 1866.

Ounces.

Value.

Auckland

15,794

£48,512

Marlborough

32,898

£116,465

Nelson

188,669

£731,188

Canterbury

351,913

£1,360,256

Ounces.

Value.

Otago

1,938,837

£7,512,995

Southland

22

£85

Total Export from the Colony

2,528,133

£9788,601

COMPANIES

COMPANIES

1. The KURUNUI Company. This Company formerly was only Barry's claim, but now comprises claims and shares in claims all over the gold field, with not less than three first-class crushing machines, all of which have been obtained by purchase. The amount expended in buying up machinery and shares cannot be less than £15,000 or £20,000 stg. This enterprising and wealthy company of speculators, therefore, is entitled to a prominent place in the Miner's Guide. The ground first taken up by the Kurunui Company is situated above Hunt's claim, and beneath the claim known as the Deep Lead, on the Kuranui Range, and was the second claim pegged out on the gold field. The mine is under the management of an experienced miner, who has worked the ground systematically, and it has borne a golden harvest. This was the first registered Company on the Thames Gold Field, and has been the most successful. Certainly it had some serious difficulties to contend with in its formation, which have been overcome, and it now ranks at the head of a long list of companies, which is daily increasing. As a proof of the exceeding richness of the claim, (Barry's) it may be stated that, when the Company took possession of the ground, a shaft was put down close to the boundary of Hunt's Claim, and two hundred ounces of gold were obtained. After sinking on this boundary with such great success, several shafts were put in on the opposite side, and from these eight hundred and one thousand ounces of gold were obtained. Several other leaders

were worked, and about two hundred tons of quartz was got out per month, yielding from eight to ten ounces of gold per ton. The first crushing machine was erected by Messrs. Eraser and Tinnic, at the foot of Hunt's Claim, and near the mouth of the creek, which was purchased by the Kurunui Company for about £1,500. Arrangements are now being made to erect another and more powerful battery, fitted with the newest improvements, on a site on the Company's ground. The splendid plant and machinery of the Aotea Copper Mining Company has been purchased for this purpose, and is now in course of erection on the ground. The engine is a condensing one of 25 horse power nominally, working up to 40 horse power. The battery will comprise 20 head of stampers to commence with, capable of being increased to forty at a future day. The battery will be supplied with a Chilian mill rollers, and all the processes for procuring an adequate return from the quartz. It was also intended to fix a patent buddle for dressing the tailings of the machine, together with a calcining oven, in order to abstract the sulphur and economise the yield by every modern improvement available for use on the gold-field.

The Kurunui Company purchased the Victoria battery on the Moanatairai Creek, for the sum of £2,500; this battery, one of the most extensive and complete upon the gold-field, was formerly the property of Messrs. Clark and Kersterman. In obtaining this magnificent battery the Company gained a firm footing upon the very centre of the gold field. They will now be able to judge from the various yields which are the best claims to buy up, and the proceeds alone from the public crushings of this and the Kuranui (Fraser and Tinne's) battery will yield handsome dividends. Hunt's claim has turned out more gold, and has given its shareholders

handsome fortunes; but it is more or less evident that equally large fortunes will be amassed by the shareholders in this enterprising Company. Hunt's is only a rich patch, the Kuranui is a multitude of more or loss rich patches of ground.

2. The first Gold Mining Company Registered formed on the Thames Gold Field, was the Kurunui Gold Mining Company. The ground worked is the claim formerly known as Barry's, but they have obtained ground by purchase on various parts of the goldfield. Application for registration was made in December, 1867. 5

3. THE KARAKA GOLD MINING COMPANY Registered was formed to work the prospecting claim (Monster) on the Karaka Creek. Application was made to register the Company in February, and published in Government Gazette of April, 1868. The nominal capital of the Company is £4,000 in 400 shares of £10 each. The amount already paid up is £1,720. Interim Manager, J. T. Garlick.

4. THE WAIOTAHI GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED. The ground worked by the Company is situated on the Waiotahi Creek, and formerly known as the Parnell and Townley's claims. The nominal capital of the Company is £4,000, in 400 shares of £10 each. The amount already paid up is £1,920. Application to register was made in April, and published in Gazette of July 7th, 1868. Interim Manager, J. H. Burnside.

5. THE TAPU GOLD MINING COMPANY. The ground worked by the Company was formerly known as McIsaacs claim, Tapu Creek. The nominal capital is £10,800, in 108 shares, of £100 each.

The amount already paid up is £7,200. Application to register was made in April, 1868. Interim Manager, Charles Tothill.

6. THE THAMES CRUSHING COMPANY, REGISTERED. The place of intended operations is the Moanatairi Creek, Thames Gold Field. The nominal capital of the Company is £5,000 in 1,000 shares of £5 each. The amount already paid up is £285. Application to register was made in March, 1868. Interim Manager, James Smart.

7. THE HOMEWARD BOUND GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED, is formed to effectually work the Homeward Bound Claim, Thames Gold Fields. The nominal capital is £2,525, in 84 shares of £30 each. The amount already paid up is £2,000. Application to register was made in June, 1868. Interim Manager, Richard Keals.

8. THE GREAT REPUBLIC GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED, is formed to work the Great Republic Claim, Waiotahi Creek, Thames Gold Field. The nominal capital is £6,400, in 64 shares of £100 each. The amount already paid up is £5,120. Application to register was made in June, 1868. Interim Manager, Thos. S. Weston.

9. THE MOANATAIRI GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED. The place of operations is the Thames Gold Fields. The nominal capital is £5,000 in 500 shares of £10 each. The amount already paid up is £2,400. Application to register was made in June, 1868. Interim Manager, James Stone.

10. THE HAPE GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED. The place of operations is the Hape Creek, Thames Gold Fields. The nominal capital is £2,100 in 210 shares of £10 each. The amount already paid up is £1, 400. Application to register was in June, made 1868. Interim Manager, S. H. Smith.

11. THE PRINCE ALFRED GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED, is formed to work the ground formerly occupied by the Prince Alfred and Albion Claims, Karaka Creek. The nominal capital of the Company is £1,250 in 500 shares of £2 10s. each. The amount already paid up is £900. Application to register was made in June, 1868. Interim Manager, R. M. McTurk.

12. THE UNITED GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED. The place of operations is at the Waiotahi, Thames Gold Field. The nominal capital of the Company is £1,620. The amount already paid up is £1,620. Date of application to register, June, 1868. Interim Manager, J. M. Lennox.

13. THE HOKITIKI GOLD MINING COMPANY, REGISTERED. Nominal capital, £4000 in 400 shares of £10 each. Amount paid up, £3000. Interim Manager, G. Johnston. Date of registration, July, 1868.

14. THE PAI MARIRE GOLD MINING COMPANY. Nominal capital £3,000 in 320 shares of £10 each. Amount paid up, £2,560. Application to register July, 1868. Morton Jones, Manager.

15. THE HALCYON GOLD MINING COMPANY, KARAKA CREEK. Nominal capital £5,000 in 1,000 shares of £5 each. Amount paid up £2,500. Application to register, July, 1868. Interim Manager, T. B. Gipps.

16. THE ROYAL GOLD MINING COMPANY is formed to effectually work the British Ensign and Union Jack Claims, equal to twelve men's ground. Nominal capital £6,000. Manager, J. McRae.

17. THE LONG DRIVE GOLD MINING COMPANY is in course of formation, but the prospectus has not appeared in the public press or Government Gazette.

There are several other companies in the course of formation, which have not published their prospectus. They will be noticed in a future edition.

5 The Hauraki Gold Mining Company's ground is situated near the head of Karaka Creek. The Company was formed early in 1868; the ground worked is highly auriferous.

THE PIONEER CLAIM

THE PIONEER CLAIM

OF THE THAMES GOLD FIELD.

The pioneer, or Hunt's Shotover, was the first reefing claim taken up on the Thames Gold Field. From the extraordinary yields that have been obtained, and the short period of time in which the four shareholders have been raised from poverty to affluence, it therefore requires a more lengthened account than is necessary for other claims on this gold field.

It is believed that the claim was first discovered by Mr. Hunt, who, when passing over a small waterfall, situated near the mouth of the Kurunui Creek, casually struck a piece of rock with his pick, and perceived that it contained gold. The finder had no idea (as some parties assert that he was informed by a native of a gold-bearing reef of exceeding richness being in this particular spot) of the extraordinary rich reef he had accidently discovered.

The claim contains six men's ground, and four shareholders, viz., Messrs. Hunt, Clarkson, White, and Cobley; two extra men's ground was allowed by the Commissioner as a reward for a prospecting claim. Several quarter sleeping shares were sold, previous to striking the rich deposits, for about £100 pounds each; in fact shares might have been obtained immediately after the ground was opened for a mere nominal price, in order to raise sufficient funds to work the claim. A quarter share, formerly sold for £100, has lately been re-purchased for about £2,500 by Mr. Hunt. Another quarter share has been sold for £12,000.

The reef in this claim is comparatively easy to work, the miners having simply to cut away the hill over which the little waterfall was formerly situated, and shoot the decomposed quartz into the machine. There is nothing particular in the appearance of the reef, except the rich "pockets" that are frequently discovered, otherwise the color gives no indication of its auriferous character; nevertheless, a glance will convince the experienced miner that it is free from the peculiar appearance there is about non-auriferous quartz, which is denominated by miners as "hungry looking stuff." The gigantic reef extends the whole length of the boundary of the claim, and from the point at which the men where then working, it extended 200 feet. On a higher level the same reef has been opened up, with equal, if not greater success. Another reef, extending 190 feet to the boundary of the claim, is 3ft. 6in. in thickness, and has yielded very heavy stone. The average yield of the stone is 50 ounces of gold to the ton of quartz; but the rich lodes, or pockets, frequently met with in the reef, yield more than five times this quantity. A small vein of decomposed quartz in the open face has been worked upon, which contained more gold than quartz. There are upwards of 40 men employed upon this claim, independent of the proprietors.

For some time the shareholders crushed their quartz at Messrs. Fraser & Tinne's Battery, situated at the foot of the creek, since purchased by the Kurunui Gold Mining Company, and more than 10,000 Ounces of gold was obtained in ten months. This machine has none of the improved appliances for saving the gold, or successfully treating the tailings, otherwise a larger quantity of the precious metal would have been obtained.

Within the past three months, the shareholders have erected a battery of three sets, containing four

head each of revolving stampers, weighing about 620lbs. each, and have a fall of ten inches. The engines consist of a pair of horizontal, equal to 16 horse power, high pressure, manufactured at Perth, and formerly used in Messrs. Fraser & Tinne's foundry, Auckland. The boiler is on the Cornish principle, 16 ft. by 5 ft.

The tailings are treated in this mill, more or less successfully, by repeated filtering and crushing.

The water supply in this claim is very limited. A well has been put down 60 feet, but only sufficient water has been obtained to keep four head of stampers working. The shareholders are now making arrangements to bring water, by means of a plume, from a distance of three miles, an abundant supply can be obtained from the Tararu river.

The kiln attached to the mill is very compact, and is capable of containing 25 tons of quartz at a batch.

A portable retorting furnace has been put up near the smelting furnace, in which the quicksilver is retorted previous to being used, there being about 12 to 13 lbs. of refuse in a bottle of 751bs. quicksilver.

The smelting furnace is built of brick, and is superintended by one of the shareholders.

The machine was manufactured and erected by Messrs. Fraser & Tinne, Phoenix Foundry, Auckland. The cost of battery, engines, and kiln, will be about £3,000. The whole establishment reflects great credit upon the engineers, who have put forth strenuous efforts to make the mill as complete as the extent of their experience would allow. Practice makes perfect; nevertheless, with all its appliances, Hunt's mill is not perfect, and until some of our Australian neighbours come over, and show our colonial engineers the best principles, we shall not have any mills capable of saving the finer particles of gold.

It has greatly surprised experienced miners that the proprietors of such a rich claim, and already possessing a plentiful supply of cash, should not have obtained, from California or Australia, the most perfect and recent invention in quarts crushing machinery, and appliances for amalgamating and saving the gold. Since the mill (christened by Miss Hunt the "Goldfinder") has been erected and commenced working, upwards of 12,000 ounces of gold have been obtained, and there is upwards of 250 tons of quartz ready to be put through the machine. £30,000 would not purchase a full share at the present time; £20,000 has been offered and refused.

Some time since an incident happened which very nearly deprived the shareholders of their right to this claim. By a decision of the Supreme Court, in a case previously tried before the Warden, a mandamus was applied for, setting aside the Warden's judgment which was granted. During the trial, the judge decided that miner's rights signed by the Commissioner, and not by the Warden were not legal. Upon the news of this decision becoming known in Shortland, great excitement was caused, it being understood that holders of shares in Hunt's held miner's rights signed by the Commissioner. Several of the "old hands" prepared to jump the claim at early dawn; one received a slight injury in endeavouring to scramble over the rock; the sight was most ludicrous. From hard words the disputes nearly came to blows; but eventually the jumpers had to resign possession. The Commissioner being the representative of Government, it was proved that their rights held good, although not signed by a Warden.

Hunt's claim is daily a scene of great excitement, numbers of visitors watching the process of smelting, and it has been found necessary to fence off the

claim; but the proprietors will always be glad to show visitors over the claim, and give them all the information they require. They have not put up the fence from any motive of selfishness, or any intention to obstruct the public thoroughfare, or infringe miners' privileges, but for the sole purpose of keeping out evil disposed persons. It is trusted that the preceeding explanation will be sufficient to satisfy anyone who may envy those who, in the lottery of gold mining, have been favored with a prize of inestimable value.

DESCRIPTION OF CLAIMS.

DESCRIPTION OF CLAIMS.

ALBION, Hape Creek. Eight men's ground, taken up in December, 1867.

ALBURNIA, Moanatairi Creek. Taken up in December, 1867, by seven men. Struck gold in quantity; beautiful specimens. This claim is known by the name of McCann's.

ALDINGO, Waiotahi Creek. Taken up in March, 1868, by three men. Extensive workings, reef supposed to be same as running through Alburnia Claim.

ALEXANDRIA, Waiotahi Creek. Four men's ground. March, 1867.

ANGLO MAORI, Waiotahi Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in April.

BALLARAT, Moanatairi Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in May, 1868. Gold-bearing leaders.

BALLARAT STAR, Moanatairi Creek. Taken up in December, 1867, by four men. Good prospects both in dirt and quartz. Beautiful specimens, gold-bearing leaders 3ft. 6in. wide. Bearings of large gold-bearing leader, 20 deg. east. The manager of the prospecting shafts on the Karaka Flat is manager of this claim.

BEAUTIFUL STAR, Shellback Creek. Adjoins the Queen's claim, contains six men's ground, was taken up in January, 1868. Average yield, about 2 1/2 oz. to the ton.

BEN LOMOND, Hape Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

BLOOMING ROSE, Karaka Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in February, 1868. Large reef and leaders.

BRICKMAKERS', near Punga Flat. Five men's ground, taken up in March, 1868.

BRITTANIA, Hape Creek. Taken up in November, 1867.

BUD OF HOPE, near Lucky Hit. Four men's ground. April, 1868.

CANDLE LIGHT, near head of Waiotahi Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in March, 1868. Beautiful specimens; 132ozs. obtained from 100lbs. of stone.

CLYDE, Hape Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in December, 1867.

CLYDE, Moanatairi Creek. Taken up, November, 1867, by three men. Reef 8ft. thick, gold perceptible in the stone. Bearings, N. E. 325 deg., S. W. 45 deg..

CONQUEROR, near Lucky Hit. Eight men's ground, taken up in June, 1868.

CUCKOO, Waiotahi Creek. Seven men's ground, taken up in March, 1868. Good specimens.

DAIRY, near Wiseman's Gully. Taken up in April, 1868, by four men.

DALTON'S (Mount Pleasant), Hape Creek. Eight men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

DAN O'CONNELL, Hape Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in January, 1868.

DAUNTLESS, Moanatairi Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in January, 1868. Several gold-bearing leaders.

DAWN OF DAY, near Lucky Hit. Four men's ground, taken up in June, 1868.

DAWN OF HOPE, Moanatairi Creek, contains six men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

DAY SPRING, Waiotahi Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in November, 1867. A machine is erected on this claim. Gold-bearing reefs and numerous leaders.

DIAMOND, Shellback Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in January, 1868.

DIXON'S (amalgamated) No. 1 and 2, Madman's Gully, in which the celebrated gold-bearing reef was first discovered, bearing east by west. The reef is supposed to commence in this claim, and can be traced as far as the Dairy Claim, Wiseman's Gully, near which it is supposed to spread out in rich leaders, running through the Siam and adjoining claims. This claim was taken up about December, 1867, by eight men. It has been extensively worked. The reef runs at an angle with Hunt's noted reef, which is supposed to bear north by south-west. Average yield, about 12ozs. to the ton. Messrs. Blazard & Clark are about to erect a twelve stamper battery on ground belonging to this claim and the Hand and Heart Claim.

DUCHESS OF KENT, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground, taken up about October, 1867.

DUMBARTON CASTLE, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in March, 1868.

EATON'S NO. 3, Madman's Gully. Taken up in. January, 1868, by seven men. Extensive workings. Average yield, 4 1/2 ozs. to the ton.

EL DORADO, Punga Plat. Taken up in December, 1867, by nine men. One gold-bearing leader 4ft. thick, one 2ft., one undefined leader, all producing beautiful specimens. 49ozs. of melted gold was obtained from 1cwt. of specimens.

ELLEY'S, Karaka Creek. Taken up about July, 1868. Contains six men's ground.

ENTERPRISE, Shellback Creek. Eight men's ground, taken up in September, 1867. Extensive reef and large gold-bearing leaders. Dixon's machine is erected on ground belonging to this claim, which will greatly enhance the value of this and adjoining claims.

EPSOM RISE, Karaka Hill. Eight men's ground, taken up in March, 1868. Payable reefs of great extent.

EUREKA, Moanatairi Creek, is situated near the Homeward Bound and Deep Lead. This claim is an exceedingly good one, has some very rich leaders, and is one of the best claims in this locality.

FAIRFIELD, Wiseman's Gully. Taken up in April, 1868, by six men.

FAVOURITE, Karaka Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in August, 1868.

FEAR NOT, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

FREEMAN'S BAY, Waiotahi. This claim yields good returns, is well situated, has several gold-bearing reefs and numerous leaders. The shareholders have a two-stamper water power crushing machine upon the ground. The claim is being formed into a company, when the shareholders will erect efficient machinery.

GOLDEN CUP, Moanatairi Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in December, 1867.

GREAT EASTERN, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground.

GREAT REPUBLIC, Waiotahi Creek. Eight men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

HAGUE SMITH'S, Hape Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

HALCYON, Shellback Creek. Pour men's ground, taken up in January, 1868. Gold-bearing leaders.

HAND IN HAND, Moanatairi Creek. This is an exceedingly good claim. A machine is erected upon the ground, which has greatly increased its value.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, Karaka Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in January, 1868. Gold-bearing reefs and leaders, average yield about l2ozs. A two-stamper machine (water power) is erected upon this claim.

HARVEST HOME, near Punga Flat, contains three men's ground, has been steadily worked since April. Gold-bearing reef 4ft wide.

HEART AND HAND, Wiseman's Gully, taken up in February, 1868, by six men, have got Dixon's reef. Adjoins Pride of Erin. Numerous leaders and fine specimens from principal workings.

HERALD contains five men's ground, taken up in June, 1868. Gold has been struck in mullocky leaders dipping to the eastwards.

HOKIANGA (amalgamated), Karaka Creek, twelve men's ground, is the largest claim in this locality. The shareholders are erecting an efficient plant of machinery with the newest improvements for saving the gold, which will be a great boon to the surrounding claims.

HOKIRITO, Waiotahi Creek. Taken up in December, 1867, by eight men. Extensive workings; numerous leaders.

INDEPENDENT, Karaka Creek. A very good claim; has been taken up about ten months.

INVERNESS, Moanatairi Creek. Contains six men's ground, taken up in December, 1867.

JAMAICA, No. 1 and 2, near Candle Light claim. Five men's ground, taken up in March, 186S.

JEWS', Karaka Hill. Taken up in November, 1867.

JOHNNY GROATS, Wiseman's Gully. Six men's ground, five months working (January). Dixon's reef; average, 3ozs. to the ton. A four-stamper horse power machine is in course of erection by the shareholders. Beautiful specimens.

KAED MILLE FATTHE, (or Thousand Welcomes,) Shellback Creek. Taken up in September, 1867, by six men. Similar prospects to Siam, various gold bearing leaders. Average yield, about 3ozs. to the ton.

KENTISH, Wiseman's Gully, contains eight men's ground, taken up in January, 1868. Numerous rich reefs and leaders. Average yield about 6ozs. to the ton. Very beautiful specimens.

KURANUI STAR (formerly McCann's), Kuranui Hill, contains six men's ground, taken up in August.

KYBER PASS, Moanatairi Creek, contains nine men's ground, taken up in September, 1867. Numerous rich leaders; very extensive workings. The average yield, about 4ozs. to the ton.

LIZARD, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in November, 1867. Very good specimens.

LONE STAR, Karaka Hill. Six men's ground, taken up three months (May). Average yield, 9ozs.

LORD ASHLEY, Hape Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in September, 1867.

LORD NELSON, Karaka Hill. Five men's ground, taken up early in December, 1867. Average yield about 5ozs. to the ton.

LUCKY HIT, Karaka Creek, is situated near the head of the Creek, and has proved to be a good claim. There are ten men's ground, and eight shareholders. It being a prospecting claim, two men's ground is allowed as a reward. Taken up in February, 1868.

MAGNUM BONUM, Wiseman's Gully. Taken up and abandoned. Present party commenced working in June, 1868, have, struck the Kentish leaders.

MANUKAU, Tookey's Hill. This claim has been taken up and abandoned several times, but now is successfully worked. A golden leader, or rather "pockets" of gold have been opened up, which have yielded enormous returns. The claim is well situated for machinery.

MARQUIS OF WATERFORD, near Punga Flat. Six men's ground, taken up January, 1868.

MATAKANA, Wiseman's Gully. Taken up by six men, April, 1868.

MESSENGER'S, Messenger's Hill. Taken up about ten months. Large reef and leaders.

MIDDLE STAR, Moanatairi Creek. This claim has turned out to be one of the richest claims on the diggings; the yield from the reefs and leaders is prolific. A Berdan has been erected upon the claim. The shares are valued at about £4,000.

MOCKING BIRD, off Punga Plat. Six men's ground, taken up in March, 1868. Large gold-bearing reefs and leaders.

MONSTER, Karaka Creek. This was the prospector's claim of the Karaka, and taken up about September, 1867, by ten men, who hold twelve men's ground.

MOUNT VICTORIA, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground. November, 1868.

MURPHY'S, Hape Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in October, 1867.

NIL DESPERANDUM, Waiotahi Creek. Six men's ground. Beautiful specimens.

NORTH DEVON, near Punga Plat, contains six men's ground, taken up in February, 1868.

NORTH-WEST, Waiotahi Creek. Five men's ground.

NOVELTY, Karaka Creek. Pour men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

PADDY MAHOY, or POOR MAN'S HOPE, Shellback Creek. Taken up in September, 1867, by five men. Similar gold-bearing reef to that in the Siam. Average yield 5ozs.

PAISLEY ROSE, Karaka Creek, contains four men's ground, taken up in June, 1868. Reef and leaders.

PERSEVERANCE, Hape Creek. Seven men's ground, taken up in August, 1867. Numerous gold-bearing leaders.

POINT RUSSELL, Moanatairi Creek. This claim has several gold-bearing leaders of great extent, one 2ft. wide. The claim was taken up in November, 1867.

PORTUGUESE, Hape Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in November, 1867. Average yield, about 7 1/2 ozs. to the ton.

PORT WAIKATO, near Wiseman's Gully, contains four men's ground, taken up in January, 1868.

PRETTY JANE, Karaka Creek. This claim has only just proved itself to the satisfaction of the original shareholders. A new leader, or rather reef has been opened up, which will yield upwards of 40ozs. to the ton. Shares in this claim, which only a few weeks since realised with difficulty £20, are now worth £1000.

PRIDE OF ERIN, Wiseman's Gully. Taken up. in February, 186g, by four men. Supposed to have Dixon's reef running through the claim, bearing north-west. One ton of general mullock yielded 6ozs. 12dwts. 6grs. This was obtained from a reef 4ft. thick.

PRIDE OF THE WEST, Moanatairi Creek. Taken up in March, 1868, by five men. Alburnia or similar reef.

PRINCE ALFRED, Karaka Creek, now amalgamated with the Albion, and formed into a company, is situated near the Hokianga.

PUKEHENAU, Kuranui Hill, contains seven men's ground, taken up in October, 1867. Numerous gold bearing leaders, two large reefs, bearing N. E. by S. W. from Hunt's extensive workings. Beautiful specimens.

QUEEN'S, Shellback Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in January, 1868. Several small veins and payable reef. Average yield, about 2^ozs. to the ton.

RED WHITE AND BLUE, Waiotahi Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in April, 1868.

REDAN, Moanatairi Creek, contains six men's ground, taken up about December, 1867. This claim is worked on the principle of the Cornish

mines in England. Several large gold-hearing leaders. From 17 tons of stone 53ozs. were: obtained.

RHODES' AND CARTER'S, Moanatairi Creek, contains seven men's ground, taken up in November, 1867. There are numerous reefs and leaders, all yielding gold in quantity, which has caused the shareholders to erect a four-stamper battery, five horsepower, giving 44 strokes to the minute. This machine will he a great boon to the surrounding claim, and greatly increase their value.

ROBERT BURNS', Karaka Creek. Thirteen men's ground, taken up in September, 1867. The report of Dr. Ford upon quartz obtained. from this claim is not applicable to the Thames Gold Field.

ROSE AND SHAMROCK, Moanatairi Creek. Taken up in February, 1868, by four men. Supposed to have struck the Alburnia leaders. Good specimens.

RUBY, Punga Flat. Taken up in February, 1868, by six men. Gold-bearing leader 18in. wide; good specimens; steadily worked. The shafts are timbered in a far superior manner to those of any other claim on the diggings.

SACRAMENTO (after a river in California), Shellback Creek. Taken up by four men in September, 1867. Average yield, 4ozs. to the ton.

SHAMROCK, ROSE, AND THISTLE, Shellback Creek. Taken up in September, 1867, by ten men. Similar prospects to the Baddy Mahoy. Average yield, 4ozs. to the ton.

SHAW'S REEF, or VICTORIA, Shellback Creek. Taken up in February, 1868, by seven men. Average yield about 3ozs. to the ton.

SHELLBACK, No. 1. Five men's ground, taken up in August, 1867. The reefs in this claim are similar to those in the Enterprise, bearing due north and a point off south from Hunt's claim, Dixon's machine being within its boundary.

SHELLBACK, NO. 2. Seven men's ground, taken up August, 1867.

SIAM, Shellback Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in August, 1867. Average yield, 7ozs. to the ton.

SMITH'S, Hape Creek. Five men's ground, taken up in December, 1867.

STARS AND STRIPES, Karaka Hill. Taken up in November, 1867.

STAR OF THE NORTH, Moanatairi Creek, contains five men's ground, taken up in November, 1867. There are numerous gold-bearing leaders all exceedingly rich in the. precious metal. The principal leader is 3ft. wide, bearing N. E. There are extensive workings. A machine is about being erected on ground belonging to this claim and the Point in View.

STAR OF ONEHUNGA, Karaka Creek. Six men's ground; large reef.

STAR OF THE SOUTH, Moanatairi Creek, taken up by eight men in November, 1867, contains numerous gold-bearing reefs and leaders of great richness. The principal leaders bear south-east. Yield from 12 to 15ozs. to the ton. Numerous specimens.

STAR OF THE WEST, Kuranui Hill, contains seven men's ground, taken up in June, 1868. Gold in quantity has been obtained from a leader dipping N. E. from Hunt's.

THORNTON'S, Shellback Creek. Three men's ground, taken up in June, 1868.

TUI, Waiotahi Creek. Six men's ground, taken up in March. Yield about 4|ozs. to the ton.

TWINKLING STAR, Wiseman's Gully, contains two men's ground, situated near the Port Waikato and Pukehenau claims; has obtained some rich leaders.

UNITED HANDS, Wiseman's Gully. Taken up in April, 1868, by seven men. Struck Dixon's reef; beautiful specimens. Yield from specimens, 10ozs.

VALE OF AVOCA, off Punga Flat. Six men's ground, taken up in May, 1868.

VICTORIA. Five men's ground, taken up in November, 1867.

WHAU, Waiotahi Creek. Taken up in December, 1867, by eight men. Whiteside. Waiotahi Creek. Four men's ground, taken up in February, 1868.

WILLIAMSON'S, or GOLDEN CROWN, Kuranui Hill, has been worked for several months, has golden leaders of great extent and richness. Formerly this claim was held in low repute, so much so, that a share was sold by auction for £5, which is now worth fifty times as much.

WILSON'S, Madman's Gully, taken up in February 1868, by four men, tested and yielded 3 1/2 ozs. to the ton of quartz.

YOUNG CANADIAN, Moanatairi Creek, contains six men's ground.

YOUNG MAY MOON, (formerly the Head Centre), Hape Creek. Taken up in November, 1867. Average yield, about 8ozs. to the ton.

MACHINERY.

MACHINERY.

1. The first mill erected on the Thames Gold Field was called the Great Expectations. It commenced working about November, 1867, and consisted of four wooden stampers, shod with plates of iron, the whole worked by a donkey-engine. The machine is not now working, it having given place to larger and more efficient machinery.

2. Kurunui Battery (late Fraser and Tinne's) of six stampers, and a one stamper specimen battery with Berdans at the end of tables to grind the tailings. The battery has three stampers in each box, double cams, quicksilver placed in battery boxes, grating perpendicular, with round holes. The copper-plate tables are about 12ft. long by 5ft. wide, and raised about 14in. above the blanket boards; a slide dividing them is raised about l 1/2 in. at the bottom. The blankets extend about 10ft. They appear to be ordinary grey blankets of a very inferior description. There is no appliance for saving the tailings, the sluice being only 10ft. long, terminated by a small tub. There are no amalgamators connected with this battery. The engine is powerful, and reflects credit upon the engineers, Messrs. Fraser & Tinne. Nevertheless, there is room for much improvement, to render the saving of the finer particles of gold complete. The machine was purchased from Messrs. Fraser & Tinne by the Kurunui Company, for about £1,500. The battery was erected about November, 1867.

3. Goodall's Prince Alfred, six stamper battery, erected on Tookey's Flat about December, 1867. The engine is sixteen horse-power, and sister to that

employed in Hunt's battery. The machine is of the ordinary description. About 900 tons of quartz have been crushed since commencement, the average yield about 5 1/2 ozs. The proprietor intends erecting seven more heads of stampers, one of which will be for specimens only.

4. Graham's Machine, erected December, 1867. King's patent circular twelve stamper battery is employed in this establishment. There are eight copper-plate tables, four on each side of the stampers which weigh 5cwts. each. The appliances for saving gold are insignificant.

5. Karaka Creek. Bull's one stamper water-wheel. The tables and blankets are of the ordinary description, not calculated to save the finer particles of gold, or extract the gold from pyrites.

6. Scoulon's Battery, eight stampers, sixteen horse power engines. Commenced crushing in February, 1868. No amalgamators, or appliances for saving the tailings.

7. U. N. O. Quartz Crushing Mill, (late Gibbons') ten stampers, water power, and steam power for eight stampers when deficient of water. Commenced crushing in February, 1868, crushed 500 tons of quartz since April, 1868.

8. L. W. Eaton's four stamper six horse-power engine. Commenced crushing about April, 1868. This machine is constructed upon an improved principle, a cylinder and three troughs at the termination of the tables to catch the amalgam.

9. Clayton and Pratt's patent hand lever one stamper machine was erected for trial upon the Karaka Creek, but proved a failure. March, 1867. Price £25.

10. A 30ft. water-wheel is in course of erection by Phasiar, to work two stampers. July, 1868.

11. A two stamper water power machine is in course of erection on the Helvellyn Claim.

12. A site has been purchased from the shareholders of Scott's Claim, for the purpose of erecting a six stamper water power machine for the Karaka Gold Mining Company (Monster Claim), near the Hokianga Claim.

13. A water power machine, with four wooden stampers, was erected in February, 1868, upon the Prince Alfred claim, by the shareholders. This claim has now amalgamated with the Albion Claim, and formed into a company, and first class machinery will be erected.

14. A twelve stamper machine is in course of erection on the Hokianga amalgamated claims, worked by water power, the wheel being over 30ft. in diameter. The shareholders in these claims having a greater fall of water than is required for a water wheel, intend erecting a turbine, also increasing the number of the stampers to twenty-four.

15. A machine called Smith's Patent, or the Digger's Friend, being eight revolving hammers, worked by water power, erected by the shareholders of the Democrat Claim. Commenced working on the 23rd July, 1867. It had been previously worked by hand.

16. Shalders' machine of revolving hammers and other novel appliances, which hitherto has not answered the expectations of the owner, is erected on the Hape Creek. The stoppage of this machine has been a source of great disappointment to the claim-holders in this locality.

17. Greenaway's machine is erected near the mouth of the Hape Creek. It is a battery of stampers of a superior description, and the appliances for saving the finer particles complete. The mill is near completion.

18. Prat's Patent Lever machine is erected on the Ben Lomond Claim.

19. Suter's battery is situated near the mouth of the Waiotahi Creek. It is not yet completed.

20. Waiotahi Gold Mining Company is about to erect a first-class machine on their claim.

21. A Chilian mill is erected on the West Coast Claim.

22. De Moulin's battery is one of the most complete on the gold field, the appliances for saving the gold being a Chilian mill at the termination of the tables.

23. A machine has been erected upon the Bluestone Claim.

24. A machine is about to be erected on the Freeman's Bay Claim by the Freeman's Bay Gold Mining Company. There is a two-stamper water power now on the claim.

25. Stevenson's machine, of twelve stampers, is erected near the Waterfall Claim.

26. The Great Republic Gold Mining Company is about to erect a large and efficient machine on a site near their claim.

27. The Shareholders of the Waterfall Claim have erected a four stamper water power machine.

28. The Thames Crushing Company's battery of 20 head of stampers, with the newest improvements for saving the gold, is now being erected opposite the Redan Claim on the Moanatairi creek. This battery will be the most complete of any as yet upon the diggings.

29. The Victoria battery of twelve stampers, four in each box, commenced working in May, 1868. An attempt was made to apply hot water to the tables, but the supply was not sufficient. The battery was erected by Messrs. Clark and Kersteman, but has since been sold to the Kurunui Company.

30. Carter's battery of four stampers is erected on Rhodes and Carter's claim. The engine is equal to five horse-power, giving 44 strokes per minute,

31. A machine has been erected on the Hand in Hand Claim, of a superior description.

32. A machine has been put up on the Royal Blue Claim.

33. A machine has been erected on the Duke of Edinburgh Claim.

34. Partington's Patent has been erected on the Carpenters' Claim.

35. Messrs. Massey and Young are about to erect a crushing machine on ground belonging to the Point in View and Star of the North Claims.

36. A machine is about to be erected, by Captain Massey, on Dixon's Claim, Madman's Gully.

37. A machine is about to be erected on Punga Plat.

38. Messrs. Bleazard are about to erect a machine on Wiseman's Gully.

39. A machine is erected on the Happy-Go-Lucky Claim, Karaka Hill.

40. Dixon's machine is situated on the Shellback Creek, near the Enterprise Claim.

ESTABLISHMENTS

ESTABLISHMENTS.

WARDEN'S OFFICE. – Wardens, Thomas Mackay, Alan Baillie; Clerk, L. W. Loveday.

MINER'S RIGHTS DEPOT. – Receiver of Gold Fields Revenue, John Robinson; Clerk, Charles Spencer.

POST OFFICE. – Chief Postmaster, Alfred Andrews; Clerk, George Morrow.

CUSTOMS. – David Lundon (officer in charge), and three boatmen; Revenue Cutter, "Ringleader," stationed at Shortland.

POLICE FORCE. – Sergeant Lipsey and three men; at Tapu (Hastings), one man; Native Police, three.

PUBLIC HOUSES. – Shortland, fifteen; Tookey's Flat, twelve; Tapu, ten.

DIAGRAMMATICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE VARIOUS PROCESSES TO WHICH GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ IS SUBJECTED IN CALIFORNIA

DIAGRAMMATICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE VARIOUS PROCESSES TO WHICH GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ IS SUBJECTED IN CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA.

DIAGRAMMATICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE VARIOUS PROCESSES TO WHICH GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ IS SUBJECTED IN CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA.

[Advertisements]

D. M. BEERE,

CIVIL ENGINEER,

Gold Fields & Mining Surveyor,

NEAR COURT HOUSE,

SHORTLAND.

E. HOLROYD BEERE,

LICENSED SURVEYOR,

MATAPARA,

SHORTLAND.

W. D. BREWER, W. E, MARTIN, & E. H. BEERE,

LAND AND COMMISSION AGENTS,

MINING SHAREBROKERS, ETC.,

SHORTLAND AND AUCKLAND.

AUCKLAND AGENT, W. E. MARTIN, QUEEN ST.

MESSRS. MCGINLEY & CLARK,

SHAREBROKERS,

LAND & MINING AGENTS

Negotiate the Purchase and Sale of Mining Shares, Machinery, Houses, Land, and Shares in the Banks and other Public Companies.

N.B. – Messrs. McG. & C. are Brokers only, and do not buy and sell Mining Shares on their own account. All commissions entrusted to them will receive their most careful attention, and they will spare no efforts to have always to hand the most reliable information on Mining matters. Messrs. McG. & Co.'s list of Shares and Properties are worthy the attention of all intending Purchasers.

OFFICE:

OPPOSITE THE BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES,

POLLEN STREET, SHORTLAND.

ESTABLISHED 1853.

EDWARD WAYTE

PUBLISHER,

Wholesale & Retail Stationer

AND BOOKSELLER,

QUEEN STREET, AUCKLAND

AND

POLLEN ST., SHORTLAND.

Circulating Library at Both Places

J. F. LEIGHTON,

BOOKBINDER, STATIONER,

AND

Account Book Manufacturer,

VULCAN LANE,

AUCKLAND.

ESTABLISHED 1855.

ALWAYS ON SALE, OR MADE TO ORDER,
LEDGERS, JOURNALS, DAY AND CASH BOOKS, BILLS OF
LADING AND EXCHANGE, PROMISSORY NOTE,
CARTERS' DELIVERY, AND RECEIPT BOOKS, CUSTOM-HOUSE
FORMS, BILL CASES, PORTFOLIOS,
ETC., ETC., ETC.

Paper Ruling and Bookbinding done to any pattern.

PHOENIX FOUNDRY,

AUCKLAND.

FRASER & TINNE,

ENGINEERS,

Mill Wrights, Boiler Makers,

IRON & BRASS FOUNDERS.

MAKERS OF ALL SORTS OF

Quartz Crushing Machinery,

SAW MILLS, PUMPING GEAR,

STEAM ENGINES (LAND & MARINE.)

MR. SAMUEL HARDING,

CIVIL ENGINEER,

A. I. C. E. I., 1850.

Late Engineer under the Imperial Government in carrying out of Acts for Improvement of Inland Navigation, Mill Power, Arterial Drainage, &c.

Gold Fields and Mining Surveyor for the Thames District. Licensed Surveyor under the Native Lands Act.

MR. HARDING begs to notify, that he is prepared to measure and estimate Water Supply under the various conditions now acknowledged to be required, so as to determine the requisite power and dimensions of Mill Wheels, the sizes of Pipes, Water Courses, Reservoirs, &c.

TURBINES – These small, powerful, and economical machines are workable by supplies of water too scanty for overshot wheels. Proper curves and proportions for Turbines are furnished by Mr. Harding on the Continental and other systems, which will enable them to be constructed at the Auckland foundries.

ROADS, TRAMWAYS, &c Surveyed and carried out.

WORKING OF CLAIMS Inspected for absent Shareholders, &c

Mr. Harding invites inspection of Plans, factions, and Drawings connected with mill power and works of channels and water courses, &c.. which have been under his charge. The principal channels and water courses referred to are from, 10ft to 60ft. wide, and extend to an aggregate length of 140 miles. Parliamentary journals and other reports may be seen, in which reference is made to the foregoing works, and the satisfaction they hare given.

Please address to Post Office, Shortland.

JAMES DE HIRSCH,

Mining, Land, and

GENERAL COMMISSION AGENT,

POLLEN STREET,

(OPPOSITE THE BANK OF AUSTRALASIA.)

MESSRS. SULLY & WARDELL

Beg to inform the Thames Mining Community and Inhabitants of Auckland, that they have commenced business as

MINING AGENTS,

ARBITRATORS, AND

SHAREBROKERS.

Messrs. S. & W., having been residents in Shortland from the opening of the Thames Gold Field, are in a position to give buyers the best advice in selecting claims for investment, and trust by strict attention to their business to merit a fair share of favour and support. W. Sully, from twelve years' practical experience in the principal quartz reefing districts of Victoria, is fully competent to act as Arbitrator, etc., and is thoroughly conversant with the duties of a Mining Share Broker.

Messrs. S. & W. have for sale, Shares in some of the most promising Claims in this auriferous district. A Share List and Report will be published weekly; also a Monthly Summary, which will be forwarded to the Southern Provinces and Australian Colonies, to make known the fact (in our opinion) that the Thames District is one of the richest hitherto discovered.

OFFICES:

OPPOSITE THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND,

POLLEN STREET, SHORTLAND.

Auckland Agent, Mr F. Kissling, 74, Queen Street, Auckland

SPENCER & CO.,

SHAREBROKERS

Mining and Land Agents,

WILLOUGHBY ST,, SHORTLAND,

AND

OWEN ST., WAIOTAHI,

BEG TO INFORM THEIR FRIENDS THAT THEY NEGOTIATE THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF MINING STOCK, AND ACT AS GENERAL AGENTS FOR NONRESIDENT SHAREHOLDERS.

Messrs. S. & Co., from their long residence at the Thames, are able to give intending purchasers the best and most reliable information, and trust to receive a share of public support.

A BERDAN IS KEPT ON THEIR PREMISES, WILLOUGHBY STREET, FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING THE VARIOUS QUALITIES OF QUARTZ.

Quicksilver, Sodium Amalgam, Cyanide of Potassium, Sulphuric and Nitric Acids, always to be had on reasonable terms.

D. J. O'KEEFFE,

AUCTIONEER & MINING AGENT,

POLLEN STREET.

C. FLETCHER,

Hay, Corn, and General Produce

MERCHANT,

COMMISSION AGENT, ETC.

AGENT FOR MESSRS. LOW & MOTION.

Flour supplied at Auckland Prices, cartage free.

Bones Purchased in any quantities. Agent for S. S. Midge and S. S. Halcyon.

EXCELSIOR STORE,

GREY STREET,

SHORTLAND.

NOTICE.

THE UNDERSIGNED WOULD BEG TO CALL THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC ON THE THAMES GOLD FIELDS TO HIS STOCK OF TIMBER,

SASHES, DOORS, SHINGLES, ETC., ETC.

A Large and Varied Supply always on hand.

WILLIAM BATES

THAMES TIMBER YARDS,

Shortland & Tookey's Flat.

THE

PIONEER STORE

ALEXANDER HOGG & GO,

(At Shortland and Waiotahi),

Wholesale Wine and Spirit Merchants.

IRONMONGERY & PROVISIONS

ALSO,

All sorts of TOOLS required for Blasting and Mining purposes,

Blasting and Sporting Powder, Shot, Percussion Caps, Safety Fuse, and Quicksilver.

SHIPPING & COMMISSION AGENTS,

ONEHUNGA STORE,

NEAR TO THE BANK OF AUSTRALASIA,

POLLEN STREET, SHORTLAND.

M. H. AIREY,

(LATE REID AND AIREY)

GENERAL CLOTHIER & GROCER,

COMMISSION AGENT, &c.

CLOTHING IN GREAT VARIETY, AND OF THE BEST MAKE AND QUALITY, AT THE LOWEST CASH PRICES.

EVERY ARTICLE IN THE PROVISION STORE WARRANTED GOOD, AND AT PRICES DEFYING COMPETITION. MINING TOOLS OF THE BEST MAKERS.

MR. ALEX. SAUNDERS,

SHAREBROKER.

Offices: Owen St., Grahamstown,

THAMES GOLD FIELD.

The central position of Mr. Saunders' Offices, situated as they are at the foot of the Moanatairi and Waiotahi Creeks, gives him the best facilities for obtaining early intelligence of the state of the Share Market at the Thames, and he has made special arrangements for speedy communication with his Agents in Auckland and Shortland, from whom daily information can be had on application, and who will furnish Clients with Lithographic Sketches of all the leading Mining Districts.

Mr. Saunders' experience of Stamp Office business will enable him to transact all such without subjecting parties to the cost of a journey to Auckland.

Supplies of Stamped Paper will always be kept for the use of parties dealing in Shares, and every information as to Stamp Duties will be afforded.

Mr. Saunders will act as Sharebroker only, and thus trusts to preserve the confidence of his Clients.

AUCKLAND AGENT:

H. GILFILLAN, MERCHANT, QUEEN STREET.

SHORTLAND AGENT:

H. H. LUSK, SOLICITOR, POLLEN ST., SHORTLAND.

MOANATAIARI HOTEL, TOOKEY'S TOWN.

GEO. SPRAY, PROPRIETOR.

ENGLISH & COLONIAL ALES

OF THE BEST BRANDS.

CHOICEST WINES & SPIRITS

VISITORS WILL FIND every ACCOMMODATION, AND MODERATE CHARGES.

1868

ECONOMY, SAFETY, & DESPATCH.

HUNT'S

Steamboat and City Express

AND

PARCELS DELIVERY COMPANY

Respectfully beg to inform Miners, Merchants, and Business Men that they are now prepared to Receive, Convey, and Deliver Parcels and Freight of all Descriptions from all parts of the City and Gold Fields, with the utmost despatch.

All Goods must be passed through the Offices of the Company where receipts will be given and safe delivery guaranteed.

Intending Shippers, leaving their address at any of the Offices will be waited upon for their Consignments, which will be conveyed on board the Steamers without extra charge.

An Agent and Safe kept on board the Steamers, for the safe custody of Gold and Valuables.

Mr. H. will also act as

GENERAL COMMISSION AGENT,

Execute Orders for Goods, &c, Convey and Deliver the same Quicker, Cheaper, and Safer than can be done by any other means

Offices and Authorized Agents: –

J. BATGER, Lower Queen Street, Auckland.
J. CLAYTON, Grey Street (Landing), Shortland.
J. MCROBERTS & Co., Owen Street, Graham's Town.
J. T. PETRIE (Tapu), Hastings.
D. MCSWEENEY, Puriri.
W. GEORGE, Parnell.

To Visitors to the Thames Gold Fields.

A. BARNETT'S DINING ROOMS,

POLLEN STREET, SHORTLAND,

(Opposite Captain Butt's).

THE OLDEST HOUSE IN SHORTLAND.

A. BARNETT, having completed his new and extensive Promises in Pollen Street, Shortland, desires to call the attention of all Visitors to the Thames Gold Fields to the large and handsomely-fitted DINING AND BED ROOMS, where he trusts every accommodation will be found in the way of good living, and first-class sleeping accommodation.

Private Sitting and Bed-rooms can always be had; the attendance is good, the charges moderate, and Meals are served at all hours, from half-past six in the morning to ten at night.

DAVY & MCFARLAND,

LICENSED GOLD FIELDS AND

NATIVE LAND SURVEYORS, &c.

BROWN STREET, GRAHAMSTOWN.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

FISHER, BROS.,

SURVEYORS,

COMMISSION & MINING AGENTS,

SHAREBROKERS, ETC,,.

HASTINGS, TAPU CREEK.

SHORTLAND AGENT: SPENCER & CO., WILLOUGHBY ST.

WOOD & CO.,

AUCTIONEERS,

LAND, COMMISSION,

AND SHIPPING AGENTS.

WHARF, SHORTLAND

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

W. BEAL,

TINSMITH,

WELLESLEY STREET, EAST.

Orders Promptly Executed at Lowest Prices for Cash only.

FRYER AND CO.,

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL STOREKEEPERS,

WAIOTAHI FLAT,

AND

Fort Street, Auckland.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

MESSRS. BEETHAM, WALKER, & CO.,

SURVEYORS,

Mining Agents, Valuers,

ARBITRATORS, AND SHAREBROKERS.

Books are now open at their offices, Pollen Street, Shortland, for the sale and purchase of Shares, where the principals may be consulted daily.

AUCKLAND AGENTS: MESSRS. S. COCHRANE & SON.

R. J. MOORE,

Accountant,

HOUSE, LAND, ESTATE,

AND

Commission Agent,

VALUATOR, STOCK & SHARE BROKER,

VICTORIA STREET, EAST.

GOODS BOUGHT AND SOLD ON COMMISSION, TRADESMEN'S BOOKS KEPT, DEEDS ENGROSSED, RENTS AND DEBTS COLLECTED.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -

F. KISSLING,

SHAREBROKER,

Land and Commission Agent,

74, QUEEN ST., AUCKLAND.

AGENTS IN SHORTLAND - MESSRS. SULLY & WARDELL.

EDWD. RUMSEY,

ARCHITECT,

SHORTLAND STREET,

AUCKLAND.

Conditions of Use

By their use of these ebooks, texts and images, users agree to follow these conditions of use:

These ebooks, texts and images may not be used for any commercial purpose without permission from the University of Auckland Library.

These ebooks, texts and images may not be re-published in print or electronic form without permission from the University of Auckland Library. However, educators are welcome to print out items and hand them to their students.

Users are not permitted to download our ebooks, texts, and images in order to mount them on their own servers for public use or for use by a set of subscribers. Individuals and institutions can, of course, make a link to the copies at ENZB, subject to our conditions of use. It is not in our interest or that of our users to have uncontrolled subsets of our holdings available elsewhere on the Internet. We make corrections, add tags, add images, etc. on a continual basis, and we want the most current text to be the only one generally available to all Internet users.

These texts can potentially be used as the basis for additional TEI tagging or for some other etext or ebook project, but we ask that you let us know before you start, so that we can coordinate work on that text and make sure that we are not working on it simultaneously. We would like a copy of the improved text for our collections.

Request for permission form