GREEN’S REEF, BLACKS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1231, 2 October 1885, Page 3

GREEN’S REEF, BLACKS.

[CONTBIBUTED ] There is. quite a small stir in mining matters n oui district, Sove al claims are | pogge 1 off am mud Green s reef at Specimen Gully, nnd small parties are prospeo ing n all direerio s oh the range, espmially about ! kpht’n places of inter'St. With regard to the reef discovered by Mr Green a few weeks ago, there seems to be a variety of nntioi s current about the character of the discovery. I will therefore give you what I think to be a tolerably correct account of the matter. The p'ace of interest is on the range about ha f a mile on the fast side of Ophir, at the head of snne old working called Specimen Gully. In the course of prospecting for a reef about tho Gully Mr Green lighted noon some leaders ot a peculiarly bluish mutlncky quartz, carrying a go id prospe-t of fine gold. These leaders were traced from the gully up into Specimen Hill, in a line about, 20 yards north of what is known as the “ Captain’s Reef.” The claim was t iken up upon this prospect, and ot course included the skipper’s reef.. This reef was prospected some 20 • years ago by Captain Laybo'.e, the then owner of the Shamrock Hotel. As the rich specimens which had given the gully its name were traced right up to this reef, it was thought, and quite naturally, that the specimens had been derived from it, but after some time in pr s peering it with several shafts, nothing satisf-ctory was gained, and the reef was abandoned, Mr Green was s’ruck with the similarity of the bine soft rock at the side of the captain’s reef to the leaders down the gully, and mam trying it with a dish it was found to give a very goo I prospect in any parr, of its course that was exposed. In this way. whit is lik- y to prove the Specimen Gul v reef, was found. While sinking on t e oaotabi’s reef those pr .apeetors of b. I gone •lays had unsuspectingly put same of th- ir shafts down in rha gold- 'earing rock without apparently being in the least aware of it.

The soft blue gold-bearing reef is about 30Ft .wide at this spot, strikin' east, and west. It is bounded on the south side by ih ■ ro-f of whi r i-*h qnir z rock calle I th- “ Captain,” an I on the north apparently 1 y auotuer of a like character In each of these there is a little gold, but no a 1 ten i'III is given to either ot them at present, the obj-ct of int-rest being the soft blue rock, wfimh is giving great promise of making into-a pro- er ree f in dep hj. It is being proved by outturns 4ft. deep, and ‘>y drives in some of the old shuts 15ft below the surface. The stuff taken out is alt iieiog washed in ‘he ciadle with a good yield of free gold an sueoimens, Theie seems to be fine gold disseminated all t.hrough the b u stuff, '-Asides cia ser with th" numerous s i nma and lea-'eisof qnar'z. The gold is all very rugae I, an I oc asionally pieces have been "b'aine I n arly as la ge as 2 lwt-», wid'e specimen quartz is continually cot in the cradle, and smne, probably the rie’ ever seen in this ; art -f Otago, has been got out of the reef in this way. There is n" quest! n a l -out this go ! l-lieariua rook being •vhat is termed “solid ground,” and the gol I is being obtained fr un the original matrix. The prospects «.f the reef seem exceotionably .oo I, and all parties concur th it it wi l likely prove a “pile ” claim.

Prom 'h-> mineralogical character of Ihe rni-.e in this eeighbourtiood, itseems likely that othe - reefs of a simt ar nature will bo found on it.