MINING NOTES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 911, 3 October 1879, Page 3

MINING NOTES.

A party has becAp formed to prospect the outcrop of a qnarn z reef on the Cairn Muir Range at the beaqi ( ,f Backm.an’s Gully. Some year or two park a few tons of stone were taken from this reef, but the returns not being satisfactory nothing further was done. The present, tarty, we understand, with the view of testVng the reef, purpose sluicing it away to ft lie greatest possible depth, and it the reojf continues d <wn to afterwards sink on hj. The walls of the reef being soft and of home width, the proposed system is the very l )es t that could He adopted, and we have o'ften wondered that where water is availably ]r j s irif. oftener trieil. As against sinking and tunnelling and scratching gutters 03, the surface along the supposed ctyar#v tJTtin reef, the system is incomparably as not done is the reef exposed but all the loose gdd Is saved, and thereby the va!tf, e of the casing is determined. Wi hlt be promect mg of this reef there will now bo. t.hrcein the same locality being tried, and it w il be passing strange if at least one of than docs not prove payable. Strong indications of leodes of stone are to be found Ml along the Cairn Mnit ami Old Man dirges on the surface, whilst in nearly ev.'ry'inlly and watercourse running froii them payable gold has been found. There is accordingly every probability of a reef existirg, and it is hoped Inspectors will he rewarded for their labour. Mr Hansen, who is connected with the Conrov’s Ouby reef, is leader of the party. This last, mentioned reef is still being actively' worked, the prospects keeping good. A break in the stone has occurred at the end of the tunnel, hut the back and foot walls continuing with a strong seam of casing between them, there is but little doubt the stone will make again in a short distance. One thing in its favour is that the casing carries good gold. Mr Bennett, under whose management the reef is being prosnected, is sanguine of success, and is pushing ahead most energetically with the works. In alluvial mining there is nothing new, spring having fairly set in, bringing with it a plentiful snpplv of water, every alluvial claim is in full work, with a fair prospect of keeping so all the summer, the mountains and ranges being well covered with snow. There are no new discoveries + n chro ict-. while at the same time rone of the old established claims have been abandoned.