QUARTZ REEFING

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1929, Page 2

QUARTZ REEFING

\ JACKSON’S REEFS, A good deal of prospcctng was done Borne years ago. in the range south of Jackson’s Railway-station, on the Greymoutli-Chi'istchurck line, in a reef-bearing run-of the country that may be considered ill© northern extension of the Taipo River belt. As early as 1889 the Teremakau Goldmining Company is reported to have been investigating an area about a mile and a half from Jackson’s, and ■was said-’".{Mines .Reps.-, 1887, C.—2, p. 52) to Have found quartz lode considered payable ,for working, and was making, arrangements ■ to erect a crushing-battery as soon as, road to their mine., {then being, constructed with the -aid of a/Mines Department subsidy) was completed. Apparently this battery was never., erected, for there is no further mention of it in the Mines Reports, iior of any further work done on the find.

In 1896 it Was. reported (Mines Reps., C.—3. p. 104) that four prospecting licenses of 640 acres had boon taken up in the same run of country, but evidently not covering the ground on which the old company had worked. A party of men had been prospecting on those areas during the summer of 1895-96, and were said to have got results of an encouraging nature, particularly on the Jackson fall of the range, where a reef 3ft in width was said to have boon traced for a distance of 60ft, with gold showing fairly through the stone, parallel to this reef, and only 20D away, another one had been partially bared and showed gold, hut its thickness was not known. On the laipo River side of the range the party was also reported to have got good results. three distinct lines of reef> having been located, one of which, called the East Reef, is described as being 3ft in width and traceable for several chains. The others weie smaller. but well defined, showing fair crushing prospects. As in the case of the Teremakau Company’s operations, the official publications of the Mums Department are silent as to any subsequent developments on these reefs, and although the writer has sought for reliable information ' regarding them nine has been available. The presumption is that little further work was done on thenv',' tht*. reefs probaolv turning out dp;;investigation to be merely lenses-Wifh.Wo extension worth speaking of 'lVi'Xnyijdjrection./as proved to be the'ease with a number of outcrops prospected .it Poeriia, a mile or tw r o farther north, a few years later. * SOUTH WESTLAND REEFS. It has long been believed that in the 'extreme' south of Westland Province—that is, in the region between the Wailio River and the southern boundary - of the province—good roofing' country exists. Reefs have undoubtedly been located there, some of them auriferous, btit such little information as is at hand concerning them does not seem to indicate that search there hold out much promise of success in revealing deposits of economic importance.

One of the most reliable accounts of the region that has been published appears in the Minos Reports for 1890 (pp. 90 and 97), in which a description is given of the results of twenty years’ investigation of that part of the West Coast District by Mr. Charles Douglass, an observer of good repute, who was, the writer understands, largely responsible for collecting the fine display of South Westnnd minerals shown at the Christchurch (Exhibition of 1906. In this account Mr Douglass states that there are within the region several belts of country that contain reefs, and that these all run almost parallel to one another, in a north-east and southwest direction. One of the belts he describes as extending from the Okarito Lagoons, crossing the Waiho River and Totara River, to the Copeland Range. This belt lie looked upon ns the source of the gold found in the Waiho and Cook’s Rivers. He evidently noted a number of outcrops of quartz near the head of the Waikupakupn River, at an elevation of about 4,o()Qft above sea-level, and others in the vicinity of Pike’s Peak, three mijrs farther south. The outcrops are snifl to have been well defined, hut he .‘could see no gold in them, nor oveh pyrites. Owing to the weather lx?ipg very had at -the time lie was examining this particular belt, Mr Douglass says that lie was unable to find bis way along the shoulder of Mount Tasman, where the Torl.es.se Formation and the mica-schists join, but felt certain had he been able to do’so he woujd have found something of >value, as fine gold-quartz and specimens were to be found in the debris on the Balfour Glacier.

A second belt commenced at the Wnikohai Bluff and extended in a south-west direction across the Paringa watershed. In this belt he found one small leader of gold-quartz, and several reefs containing minor quantities of galena : also dykes containing antimony with an appreciable show of gold, some large reefs containing arsenical pyrites but not gold, s»*voral iron-ore lodes, and a coal-seam oft'in thickness.

A third belt commenced nt TJimjco Bay and extended parallel with the last mentioned. This holt coiitni:i'*d reefs carrying a little galena, hut in unpayable quantities. A magnetite lode was also found in it. and seme fine quartz reefs outcropped neat the granite in the Blade Ri\ot. ’ The fourth holt is describ'd as rnnimencing at the ocean a little snr' ward of the Paringa River. This hdt

the copper-ore found in the Thomas Range, and outcrops of quartz reefs in the spurs between the Paringa and Blue Rivers. Much ol the country in this bolt was, however, practically inaccessible.

The fifth belt commenced a little to the northward of. Arnott Point, and was believed (by Mr Douglass to he the same as the Shotovor belt.