OTAGO.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 656, 2 April 1870, Page 4

OTAGO.

It is said that alluvial and quartz gold has been recently discovered on Mr Humffray's run at Strath Taieri, and that several miners are already at work on the spot. The Mount Ida paper furnishes the following particulars regarding the discovery : — Early last week intelligence was received that a good goldbearing quartz reef was discovered by Messrs Bremmer, M'lvor, and Lynch, near the junction of the Sutton stream with the Taieri river, near ' Mount Ross, and about 30 miles from Hyde. The reef cropped up on the surface, were gold was found. A shaft was sunk to a depth of of 15ft — gold being obtainable from the surface downwards. In prospecting the rubble a small dish yielded half a grain of gold. A hole was drilled in the reef, for the purpose of blasting, to a depth of two feet, and, on the drillings being carefully washed, threegrains of gold was the result. The precious metal is plainly observable in any part of the stone. Several gentlemen from this township immediately proceeded to the scene of the discovery, with the object of satisfying them selves as to the correctness of the above statement, and, if possible, to form a satisfactory conclusion regarding the probable yield and richness of the reef. One pound weight of the stone was taken on to Naseby, for the purpose of being crushed,,and tested. The result of the crushing was highly satisfactory, the yield being Jgr of fine gold, or say five ounces to the Jton. The prospectors and the gentlemen who visited the reef are quite sanguine as to the genuineness and richness of the stone ; and are also confident, from the nature of the countrj', that a number of other reefs exist in the locality. Later intelligence to hand informs us that claims along the line right and left have been taken up, and that a large number of miners' rights have been applied for and issued to the hands employed on the neighboring staticiij. We have ourselves broken and examined several pieces of the stone taken from the reef, and without one single exception gold was plainly visible in all the pieces. We cannot give a better idea of the general state of the Mount Ida district than by quoting from Mr Wai-den Robinson's report:— "At Macrae's Flat the Duke of Edinburgh Company have nearly completed their crushiug machinery, and may soon be expected to get fairly to work. The reef discovered between the Marewhenua and Jhe Otekaike, as mentioned in my last report, as being vigorously prospected. Claims have been taken up on both sides of the prospectors' claim, and the reef found in three shafts extending over a length of about 700 feet. The prospectors in their applicatiou furnish the following particulars : — ''Locality on the spur of Ben Lomond between Otekaike Station and Basalt Hill; bearing of reef nearly north and south ; dip slightly to the west. Prospect — lOlbs of stone yielded 7 grains of gold ; say at the rate of 3| ounces to the to » . No gold was to be seen in the stone crushed. ' The prospectors also state! that they have now found, two distinct reefs in their claim, one about six feet thick,, and the other about four feet, [the two reefs run parallel, and are about 18 feet apart. The construction of the water-races for working the ; ground at the Marewhenna diggings is proceeding at a rapid pace in some instances, but a considerable time must elapse before the sluicing operations can be commenced."