Finlayson. — Scheelite of Otago. 121 



Mount Highlay. The concentrating-tables used are a Wilfley 

 at Glenorchy and Mount Highlay, a Woodbury and Frue 

 vanner at Golden Point. Of these, the Wilfley appears to find 

 most favour. The Glenorchy company have lately installed 

 a Wilfley slime-table, with the object of recovering the slight loss 

 in the tailings. 



The pulp is dried, over small wood or coke furnaces, a method 

 that would scarcely be suitable for a large output. Further, 

 a more efficient method of drying — or, rather, roasting — would 

 burn off the sulphur of the pyrites, and thus indirectly raise 

 the percentage value of the ore, which is a desideratum in 

 view of the fact that the price per unit or per cent, varies 

 with the percentage. 



Prospects. 



The success of the industry in Otago has been due to the 

 steadily improving market at Hamburg, to which the ore is now 

 shipped, and to greater attention on the part of present firms to 

 the securing of clean and high-grade concentrates. The pro- 

 blem of concentration is a very importatnt matter, as a poorly 

 dressed ore will soon cause buyers to fight shy of the mine which 

 ships it. The market, also, requires to be studied. In 1900, 

 Messrs. G. P. Blackwell and Sons, metal-merchants, of Liverpool, 

 reported thus : " The indiscriminate shipping of tungsten-ore 

 from Australia and New Zealand is unwise, and has depressed 

 the market, which is a peculiar one, and requires careful handling. 

 Shippers should send their ore through one channel to a firm 

 which understands the business, and can keep the market 

 firm."* 



In view of the steadily increasing demand for tungsten, the 

 prospects of the scheelite industry in Otago must be considered 

 bright. Unfortunately, the fluctuations which have hitherto 

 occurred in the market affect the production of small mines. 

 This can only be guarded against by insuring that the mines 

 shall be backed by sufficient capital, which would render them 

 secure against closing down in the face of a slightly lowered 

 quotation, an event which has happened more than once in New 

 South Wales and Queensland. 



Considering the success of the present producing mines, it is 

 highly desirable that the other scheelite-veins, both in Otago 

 and Marlborough, should be taken up, and there can be little 

 doubt, provided the market remains firm, that they would 

 prove successful ventures. 



New Zealand Mines Record, 16th November, 1900, p. 176. 



