NEW QUARTZ REEF AT THE GREY.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 205, 27 November 1869, Page 5

NEW QUARTZ REEF AT THE GREY.

Considerable anxiety is being felt regarding the result of the first crushing of the Moonlight Quartz Company, which is expected to take place in about a fortnight. Until this is known, there is not likely to be much more done in the way of quartz-reefing speculations, the fever of the last four months having very much subsided. Should, however, the first crushing from the Moonlight reef prove anything like what is anticipated, we shall soon have several other works properly worked by machinery. A very interesting discovery has recently been made, viz., that the Moonlight reef i« merely a link in a regular link of quartz reefs running north and south parallel to the coast. Last week, acting on this theory, Mr. Blake, the Inspecting Engineer on the Christchurch and Hokitika road, made an examination of the range near the Taipo river, and succeeded in finding one well-defined reef, and several spurs or leaders in the close vicinity. He brought down about ten pounds weight of specimens, which I had the opportunity of inspecting. Gold was visible, in more or less quantities, in every stone, and the quartz was of a dull, alluvial brown color. The reef is, however, in rather an awkward spot, being about 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, and, at the time of its discovery, was covered with snow. It appears probable, however, that the source of all the gold found in the rivers and old leaders along the coast is derived from rich quartz reefs in the great dividing range which runs from one length of the coast to the other. Very good news was received in town yesterday from the claim adjoining the Moonlight Company’s ground, which has had the effect of sending up the shares considerably. Two well-defined reefs, one of them three feet wide, have been opened up, and a sample testing of the stone in a mortar gave very good results.— Examinei .