NOTES ON A TRIP TO VICTORIA.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 21 February 1881, Page 2

NOTES ON A TRIP TO VICTORIA.

Ko. XL Ballabat Quabtz Mining. This chapter is to be devoted to the sulject of quartz mining, and I make the fact known thug early, in order that those who do not like the fopic, may skip it. Tue Black hill was opened for alluvial mining in October, 1851, or some two months after the discovery of Golden Poinfc. It was not, howerer. until 1854 that attention began to be devoted to the question of quartz mm* ing. The existence of the stone was well knowo, for several large reefs had been cut through on Black-lull, and some splendid specimens were from time to time met wi',h, but while gold was to be so easily obtained in its pure state else* where, there was not mnch inducement to follow np the reefs, and they were con" sequently left almost undisturbed. From the discovery of gold in Victoria up to 1854, however, a good deal of con* troversy was earned on as to the probable origin of gold, and the order of its distribution. But whether it was the result of electrical action, of vaporific sublimation, of precipitation, or whether it "growed," then as now, there was considerable diversity of opinion. It, however, came to be pretty generally accepted from the result of that con* troversy that qaarlz was the matrix from which the glittering dross originally came, and emergent from this theory came a belief pretty generally enter* tamed amongst those who pietended to scientific knowledge, that the quartz lodes would one day lead up to that yast storehouse of nature whence all the alluvial gold had originally come. In pursuance of this " craze," for such a form it bad assumed, Dr. Otway in 1854, turned his attention to the quartz lodes contained in the Black-hill. The stone had been tested some time previously, but although the assay made showed that some of the quartz was remarkably rich, nothing was done to utilise it. He erected two Chilian mills, which were to be driven by wind, bat the windimill proved a failure as a motive power, and this finally led to the enterprising doctor's abandonment of the enterprise. Some little time later, Mr George MilDer Stephen followed Dr. Otway in an

effort to turn the Black-bill reefs to account, but he, 100, failel, and a long interval followed during which nothing was done. The Port Phillip Compsny was the next to tackle the stone, but for some lime met with very indifferent success and finally removed their scene of operations to the Clunes. The Black-Jiil! Quarlz Mitiin? Company began work in January, 1862, and from that time to the cod of December, 1569, embracing a period of eight years, they crushed 250.575 tons of stone, which yielded 36 1850z?. 15dwt. 19^r. of gold, or an average of 2dwt. 21*31o;r: per ton. The value of the gold thus obtained was £145.541 6s 3J, of which £21,730, or 10 per cent upon the capital, was paid in dividends. These facts will convey a fair idea oT the success which attended the early operations of the company, and will also go to show to what perfection quartz crushing and amalgamating had been brought up to that period. This rate of productiveness was maintained uniformly up to within the last year or two, when the returns fell off to some extent, owing to the increased cost of getting out the stone. The battery,, notwithstanding nearly tfrentf n?as of stampers, similar in all respects to those in work throughout the Inangahua, The batteries are all telf feeding, there being one shoot <o each five head, and the feeders are found toanswer all the required purposes. One hand only is employed to break the stone to the required gauge, and generally overlook the machinery. In connection with the battery there are three baddies, one conical amalgamator, and one Chilian mill. A rather long stretch of tabling is used upon which baegiog is laid instead of blankets. There is positively nothing new in connection with the system of amalgamation, for it v precisely the same as that in use twenty>five years ago, the secret of the success achieved lies in the * attention which is paid to details in working, such as regulating the flow of water to the nature of the stuff passing through, keeping the stamps evenly fed, and preserving the parity of the silver. The whole sixty head can be cteaned nn, and the bar of cold turned out in two hours. Five shillings per ton is the rate charged to the public for crushing. The firewood for the engine is brought from a distance of twelve miles, and ooita 6s 6i per tin delivered. Two pennyweights per ton pays well. The company have got sevtral reefs in their lease, the lode? ranging in thickness from 1 foot to 20 feet, but none of the hill quartz has been taken out for some time, as it had been found necessary to put in a fresh level owing to the dangerous character of tho old workings above, which had been rooted out in the early days with* out any regard to system. I was told that a trial parcel of stone had been sent to this battery from Clunes, and a higher yield obtained from it than could be got by the Port Phillip Company. A large area of the Black-hill Company's lease is now held under tribute, and some of the ! tributors are doing fairly well. In the centre of the old Black-Li!! Flat, tho Queen Company, which is a sub-tribute of the company, have sunk a shaft to a depth of 500 feet, and were working a reef 5 feet wide, which was yielding from loz. to 2-izs. per ton, and at tbo time of our visit several projects were in. the market to form other companies to prospect for the same reef. Having gathered these few facts we prepared to retrace our steps back to town. Oc the way we called in to the cricket ground, where a match was being played between the Ballarat and Geelong Eleven!*, but it was a very tame affuir, snd there were not more than fifty or sixty spectators p-.'pseut. The ground is a delightful onr, as level and well kept as a billiard-table. In the evening we strolled down the main road, but ie was a dismal undertaking, for the " main road," which at one i time was a mile and a-half long, now extends hardly farther down than Bakery-hill, all below that is desolation. The old "Charley Napier" Theatre, where Thatcher sang and Lola Montez danced ; where the truly " Inimitable Barlow " exerted his versatile genius ; where Catherine Hayes, Anna Bishop, Celeste, Brooke, Ketn, Jefferson, and a I host of oilier reigning theatrical stars, nearly all since dead, received the boisterous plaudits of multitude's of light* hearted diggers— has vanished from view. Not one vestige now remains of that once "ball of dazzling light," where showers of golden nuggets were nightly rained up^n pretty actresses, and thous<> ands of rugged hearts fell captive at the shrine of painted' woman. Twice burnt to the groutd, and twice rebuilt, the •' Charley " has at last succumbed to the ' avenging hand of Time, and its site is now only marked by a heap of mullock. The street, too, in the vicinity, once the great highway between Melbourne, Geelong, and Ballarat, and choked froa morning till night with an impetuou stream of traffic, is now silent ai v graveyard. The old Montezuma, and Victoria theatres on the main road, have also yielded to the same inexorable hand, as, indeed, have all the old rendezvous oi the early day?, and those who kept them. " Tearing " ourselves from the scene o; jo many " gorgeous " associations wo re> turned to Lydiard-street. Although i was but 8 p.m. the town wore a vc deserted appearance, " Bath's Hot"', was as silent as a church, aud scarcely

eoul was to be seen about it. The early clos ; ne movements seems to be strictly carried out amonnst the shopkeepers, and thiß probably accounts for the scene of desolation winch the street* presented in nil directions. Having called iv at the Public Library, and devoted an hour ransacking the old files of tlie Ballarat Times, for the years 1854-5 and upwaids, we concluded our peregrinations for the cloy. On the following day, we visited the famous Band of Hope, and other mines, some account of which will be given in my next.