BENDIGO QUARTZ REEFS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 394, 5 November 1869, Page 3

BENDIGO QUARTZ REEFS.

Some three or four years since in the columns of this journal, we drew to the fact of the existence of Quartz Reefs in the locality of Bendigo Gully, and thoroughly ventilated the question, but to our chagrin little attention was paid or heed taken of our notices; we spoke not only from our own experience, but we were supported by the experience and knowledge of Mr. Coates, at that time District Surveyor, Who, in an elaborate report entered at great length on the subject. On the faith of these representations, a Company of Dunedin capitalists applied for a lease of sixteen and a half acres in the name of the Bendigo Quartz Mining Company, a shaft was sunk on the reef, hut unfortunately for them (li 1 not strike gold, and consequently, after the expenditure of a large sum of money, abandoned it. The reef was next taken up by Messrs. Logan, Garrett, and party (with whom is now associated Mr. G. W. Goodger), who, with a perseverance and enterprise which reflects on them the highest credit, succeeded in not only proving the existence of a reef, hut one of such quality as will put in the shade many of the vaunted claims in Victoria and at the Thames. Next in order on the list rt prospectors come Messrs. Barnes, Gcrrard, and party, the owners of the Aurora Water Race, who prospected for and discovered a reef about a quarter of a mile lower down the ridge, and running paralled with the first discovery. The success of Garrett, Logan, and party, (the Cromwell Quartzmining Company), and of Barnes and party, (the Aurora Company), having got abroad, a general rush has set in.resulting in claims being marke 1 out, for miles in length, on each reef. To gve an opi non as to the payable qualities of auy of the claims, other than the prospectors, would be premature, as, of course, it will take time to develop the n, an 1 a large amount of capital will he wanted, hut should the present prospects continue, there is hut little doubt as to the ma jor portion of them being worth the outlay to procure the necessary machinery. The next valuable discovery made was i i the beginning of this week by Mr. Colclough, of the C’ardrona, who has discovered a third distinct reef and apparently running parallel with the others ; the stone from this reef, a sample of which we have seen, is icraarkably rich. From the fact of but a few stones only having been broken off the cap, it is im pos ible to estimate the value of this discovery, but practical reefers, amongst whom may be numbered the whole of the shareholders of the Cromwell Company, aitioipate extraordinary results. That the present discoveries are all that will be male is not to be thought of, others of equal importance are sure to follow, but it is to be hope 1 that people will not rush heal long into wild speculation, because one or two parties after years of patient labor have met with their just reward.