127 
^ttributed locally to the policy of the smelting company, which was said to have been 
0 force outside holders to sell their mines. The result is said to have boon that 
iffiately these mines ceased to produce enough to keep the works employed. A 
eidedly good opening is offered by this field for a smelting work conducted on a more 
lonal principle. There is a prospect of the smelting works being again set going, 
and 
several of the mines have recently been reopened. 
Ifor some years operations on the field were limited to the raising of limestone 
ironstone, used as fluxes at the Mount Albion Works. 
The following table gives extracts from the Mineral Lands Commissioner’s 
reports 
and 
Yield or Dey Eivee Silveb Field. 
1883. — 100 tons ore smelted yielded ISJ- tons bullion, valued at £832. 
1884. — 200 tons ore rLused, valued at £1,GOO. 
1885. — 500 tons ore raised, and dressed for smelting ; estimated silver 
contents, 30,000 oz. ; estimated value, £5,844. 
(“ The Pacido Smelter bad a trial run, and smelted 120 tons of ore for a 
yield of 42 tons of bullion, valued at £40 per ton ; but smelting has again 
been suspended.”) 
1886. — 420 tons ore smelted yielded 117 tons bullion ; estimated silver 
contents, 22,230 oz. j estimated value, £4,668. (“ But at present 
smelting operations are suspended.”) 
NFBO (MOUNT BPtITTON) GOLU FIELD. 
gj,g reefs of the Mount Britton Grold Field occur partly in diorite and p.artly in 
shales and sandstones. The stratified rocks, which contain indistinct 
probably belong to the G-ympie Formation, and the igneous rocks appear 
apu° interbedded and partly intrusive. The field was opened in 1881 as an 
§5 '^'Sgj'igs, and has yielded some large nuggets- — ^(39 oz., 50 oz., 45 oz., 40 oz., and 
of ^ small proportion of fine gold. Two groups of reefs, one at the head 
yield Gully and the other about three-quarters of a mile to the south, have 
boeo f crushings. Except the totals for the different years, no returns have 
by the Wardens. In the latter half of 1883, the Little Wanderer lieef 
^lark° 1 ^^^ tons of stone for 2,416oz. of gold. A third group of reefs, near Mount 
looks as if it might yet prove valuable. 
Yield op Mount Beitton Gold Field. 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
Year. 
Total 
Alluvial Gold. 
EEEF 
Stone Crushed. 
GOLD. 
Gold therefrom. 
Total Gold. 
Oz. 
Tons. 
Oz. 
Oz. 
4,808 
(JNo crushings) 
4,808 
625? 
627 
2,779 
3,404 
520? 
686 
2,095 
2,615 
800? 
200 
500 
1,300 
(No returns) 
Bay, 300 
say, 50 
350 
450 
12 
16 
466 
208 
489 
757 
68 
28 
94 
162 
95 
22 
34 
129 
. 
13,991 
