THE LONGWOOD REEFS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 920, 5 December 1879, Page 3

THE LONGWOOD REEFS.

The Western Star says “ Any news respecting the development of the Lent; wood goldliels is eagerly inquired after, lint whenever good urospects are shown as havin'.' I)ecn obtained from one or otiicr of the claims there, people doubt the hum fide of the discovery. This feeling will either be confirmed or broken down by the report we have this week to make regarding the result of a number of prospects taken from Priutz’s claim by Mr Matheson, who has had considerable reefing experience in V ictoria. That gentleman visited the claim on Wednesday, and tried several prospects : one from the low level of the claim, containing about 121b or 141b of ruhble, washed in a dish, yielded Idwt of gold, or at the rate of 8 n to the ton. One piece ot quartz weighing about lib, taken from the mouth of the tunnel, in which no gold could be seen, was brought to town and crushed into mortar. When washed, the result was one grain of gold, nr at the rate of 4oz 13dwt to the ton. On Thursday some richer specimens were brought down by one of the men working in the claim. Messrs Printz an q Matheson resolved to again visit the claim the following morning to examine the reef where these fresh specimens were obtained Several tries were made with astonishing results, fn one case a small dishful of quartz returne I from six to eight ounces of gold. The specimens were shown in town last evening, and created no little excitement. Tempting and bonafiilc otters were, we understand made to Mr Printz for an interest in the

claim, but he is not now inclined to ‘part.’ Mr Printz is prepared to erect machinery as soon as the track is put in a condition tit to allow such heavy tratlic.” The Morning Herald's “own” telegraphed from Invercargill on Tuesday as follows ; Mr Printz proprietor of the claim at Loii'.’Wood, is in town to-night, and brought up with him the gold taken out of the rich spot recently struck. I inspected it, and I can report a capital samp e of rough and Hue gold, contained in a number of small specimens, some of them being all gold and including a large proportion of Hue gold that apparently lies free in the lode. The gold was contained in four pomade Dottles, which weighed in my presence, nearly turned the scale at 2Jlhs Avoirdupois. There was a good deal of sand weighed with the gold, hut at a moderate estimate there must have been 9>z of clean metal. This, Mr Printz assured me, was the product of two tin dishes of stuff taken from the reef. The gold was followed upw.ar 1 2ft. .above the roof of the drive, and looked as rich or richer than where Hi st struck. Within a distance of 13d feet from the face of the tunnel three other shots of gold were passed through, not so rich, hue payable. The lode is friable and lightly oxidised, varies from Ift. to 2ft. in thickness, lies between well-defined walls, and dips to the eastward at about one in six. The total length of the tunnel is about 530 ft. Another party of men working within half a mile of Printz’s claim are reported to be doing exceedingly well. Tors is the best prospect yet obtained at Lougwood, and is highly promising.