MIL DESPERANDUM.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 72, 24 September 1877, Page 2

MIL DESPERANDUM.

Fbiday, September 21. During the last. three months, the steady progress of works in the various mines in this part of the district have almost every week afforded an opportunity of refolding sojno rievtr and iin* I]-,- ",;.;' [.■•■iiirf tp'idinc; 'o prove the ..fv-v. ."■-ivy if (Up pevcil:.! erold-bcarinj; ■■<■ . '■■"•• . nc]"v:-rii-r; ' clc-\Jy course of >>„■;.,>;,.. I ml? vr:A r the most notice- %':'" •,..,■,.| r^:'],-; ;■--■■-■ - iff nof irinfiiij i|V V1- 'i ■■■ 'oi ;/ v« "c^c.k.V is the inter -

secting of what, to all appearance is the continuation of old Hercules reef at a level of 140 feet below the point whore the first block was originally lost. The reef first made its appearance on Wednes lay, in the new level recently opened, at a depth of 110 feet from the top shaft. The fast of detached quartz boulders having been met with constantly in the whole of these lower workings, it waff at first assumed that this new discovery was also another boulder, only of larger dimensions, and in order to ascertain the most reliable information respecting the new discovery I have made iwo special visits tb the mine this week, and may now i ventrtre to assert tint there is every reason to beliew? a really good Mod? of stone lias been intereej ted. Tlie lode Trhere first enlering the side of the drive is about six inches thiel( r about s-is feet has been driven, and seven tru"lc loads of stone obtaiiin,! from that distance thus alien-inn that the reef has considerably increased in thickness, and has all the appearance o-f being the tail end of a ne-w block. There was about 1G inches of stone in the face thfs morning, a d the formation is decidedly good. The foot wall is exceedingly clean and of a btaek slaty appearance-, and almost every piece of the quarts shows gold freely, and may be estimated as good payable stone. It cannot be expeetad that the lode can : assume its proper or average dimensions ■ where first met with, and from the appearanco of another slab of guana mailing from from the hanging wall side it is not at all unlikely that in another sis or eight feet that is driven the reef will increase to far lurger dimensions. It is, however, a most encouraging feature to fi&d good gold bearing ntoue existing on this lecel the position of which is about 50 leet below the level of the Inangahua river. Another very important item in connection with the striking of this atone is that here i» 1L0" feet of solid ground overhead that has never yet bad a pick in it. These facts add considerably to the value of the present discovery, A. torthei? course of prospecting is still being, carried on, another very likely looking vein of stone was being opened up this morning at the far end of the south drive, but I will defer any remarks coneeromg this ivncil tin* ground has been further penetrated. The mine has become very much errhnnced in value during the past week, ami jud»iu« irom the stone tlinS is shown U> exist in various- ptaees unrterfoo-S in tire- del' drive north anJ south, it is the generai oviuion thfit the ret-f will be traced over 200 fret ; in length, and «l>e ra>inc bids fair in the j course of a short trine to command, a very promiueH'fc positron on this fkld.