VICTORIA.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 724, 8 September 1870, Page 4

VICTORIA.

A small venture in mining is at preseut being made at Mercer's hill, Geelong. On several occasions gold has been found in small specks in the quartz gravel which abounds there, and some three years ago a company was formed to test the goldbearing qualities of the ground. Operations at that time were confined to driving a tunnel into the hill, but as no satisfac tory results were obtained, the payment of subscriptions became less and less, and finally the project was abandoned. Public faith in the auriferous nature of the ground, however, is not entirely lost, as a couple of Ballarat miners have been at work for the past six- months, sinking shafts, &c, and they speak confidently of their prospects of yet finding gold to pay them well. Already they have sunk four shafts in the gullies at the foot of the hill, and in all found the colour, but not in payable quantities. Mr Charles Schlemra, one of the directors of the Collmann and Tacchi Quartz Reef Mining Company, Sandhurst, has brought down to Melbourne a box. of samples of quartz, taken from the company's reef at their last level, which is at the extraordinary depth of 650 ft., the lowest point at which it is said quartz reefs have been found payable. The quartz is particularly remarkable as being a refutation of the old and once generally accepted dogma thai quartz reefs always became poorer the, further down they went. from the surface, and that they were sure, at a certain distance, which was computed at far less than the depth attained by the Collmann and Tacchi Company to prove nonauriferous. The ground of tho company haa been worked since 1859, operations having then commenced from the surface, and continued from 12 different levels, and though there has been a break in the reef now being worked, there appears to be no doubt that it is identical with the block started from the surface in 1859. The reef, although being worked on the outside, averages 4oz to the ton, which is quite as rich as the average at the former levels, but it is expected when the solid part of the reef is reached to turnout from 6oz to Boz per ton, which will be above the previous averages. The samples have been brought down by Mr Schleinm ioT Mr H. Brongh Smyth, the secretary of the Mining department, who had expressed a wish to see the kind of stone taken out. They have not been picked, but are well shotted with gold, and will be exhibited for a few days in the window of Messrs Clarke and Co., of 86, Elizabeth street. There is no expectation on the part of the company that the reef is likely to run out, and they have already called for tenders to sink their shaft 80ft lower,, so that by the time the reef at the present level is worked out, there will be another level tocontinue operations upon.