The Pohangina Reefs.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1496, 2 November 1885, Page 4

The Pohangina Reefs.

A meeting of persons interested m the Pohangina Reefs \ras"Keld^ at 3 p;ni. on Saturday last at Mr Haiiltain's office, The .following , applicants,- for, yleaseg . .wairoV^resent ? Messrs v Andersorii Buggtf Whibley, and also^epresenting others a* follows:— Liffiton by MrNotman, Wyldß; by Mr Leigh, Afcers by Mr, Anderson,! Hankins' by Mr Anderson, and i another! byMrßuickV ' v ' ) On the motion: of.MrjAnderson Mr E. i j. Armstrong was voted to the chair. ■ ; Armstrong said thetobjfcct*bf'Jfiei meeting was totay before those interested; theteßult'df the crushing/ of; *lorn forwarded some time back to Melbourne and also to discuss the question of future proceedings.! A telegram had been received from Melbourne stating the result of the crushing to be 6£ grains ,of ,{ gold. The 'resiilt was not a very favorable one, but still it showed the presence of gold m the quartz, and besides they had obtained better returns by far- from stone sent to Wellington, Auckland, and Wanganui, and he was opinion they would be justified mat least going farther and having a larger quantity of stone taken but of the reef' and tested m the safest manner to be; ascertained. Mr Forbes, of Wanganui, had himself token stone indisCriminately from the reef with exceptionally good results, one lot weighing lib GJoza i of stone, gave loz lldwts to the ton, another , lot weigbing'l^lba gave at the rate of 74 ounces of* silver to the ton. The stone sent to Melbourne they.Bhquld ; remember was made up of simpiythe* casing of the reef. It had been the intention, to Jake a quantity of stone Irom the reef proper, but the ground wjas yflry danger,bus,7to work m and had 'fallen «• m i cohsiderabqr on the night previous to the day upon which it had been arranged to take it. It had nofch^envtbouglit^worfti while, tjheiexpenWdf 'clearing away the fau, and the itont which was sent away, was merely the'casing of the ' re'eff ana was sent awayentirely against his wish. ; 3-he ; reef was quite distinct from what he had ; noticed m the creek; the reef < proper; was ; 2ft thick and he had seen hematiteion each side Which clearlyTproved-the (existence of silver m the stone. It was not j known by what appliances the Melbourne I test had been made. Thei'e .yrkili' hoft- | Aver-a large proportittn of sulphurj anti- . mony, iron pyrites, and hematite m the i quartz, and the inference he drew, from | the fmallness of the resdlt' bbfaiSel was •that these.oKes had acted as a repellent to ithe quicksilver, if such had been the jmethodtof test adopted. If it had been jtreated m this manner he coi^ld un.der 'stand the result, . and as an iqstaiice he might i state that he himself had seen stone containing 13oz of silver testeTTm jthe way and not of silver could be ! got from it. object m meeting together was to^gain the co-operation of all parties interes ( ted in' leases so as to make the expenses dome light on the^rn. The Prospecting Association - h^di ahready gone to considerable .expeijise, and it was coDs'iderd adjyjsablei before koing further to secure ths assistance, o/ all concerned m the affai^^ Jih^ght they would be justified in ' getting a quantity of stone, say.^a'tqn, out of the reef proper And forwarding it to the La Monte'Snielfeng, Company, Thames, for (^rushln^ ECeV could ""speak positively that while the metals he-had inentiipned W^re present it would be, fouhi iwpftßl s|ible to obtajn a.Batisfactory,^uU-with^ but using Special 'meaneL_ He would ask lit Anderson what he" considered wipuld be-tKe 7 &)k :! 6t cutting; Ma ton' bt 'sfcpne from the reef rind^nding if to r Palmlri Mr Anderson stated that at a rough guess h.e believed.it would cost frpm £30 ibjfiiQ, ,The driven .wouj|vl)e.aboi?t five feet from the creek, , and" "timber would require to be used to secure' the tbp of the reef. '' . v •• - ; Mr Biigg did' not thihir- that 'the cost shduld b> one half of the sum ■ mentioned. „;., ■',-■.; --I'-':' : - ■!>:, (A 'slight ibreeze and some unparliamentary; language . was indulged: ■■ infajt tliia I juncture between Mr Anderson and Mrßustg.) ; . • : „'. I Mr Notman stated Hit belief that frßm' what he had seen resultiii? ii6m tefofS applied t6 stone brought from. the 'Pohafti J gina he believed there was payable aAd,^lyeri-in -thereef;! w^uld/ fiffij pose the follojving resolution :-7rTjiat the peraons i interested m the various mjning leases ap'pTie'd for m the Pdhan^inq. district unite for thepiirpose of takiii| iput one ton tff quarfcz;f rbm the reef Tcnbwn' as Anderson's, andforwardihg it ■ to the La Monte, Smelting Gbinpany, Thames} for trial. 1 „ .;/, *.'-■: Mr Bugg seconded the motion, which was carried. , „i ; , Cbn^iplerable disoujasibh took place as to w]io : should' be appointed to undertake £he work of taking out the stone, super* vision of its transit, and other necessary arrangement^ ; ; / ' -■■■'> 1 Ultimately on .the; motion,; of ;i Mr Lowes it j wa^ decided tpform a.qpm^ mittee, composed of the r^pre^sentatjves of leach lease" appiied f ijf, devise ways stnil means -to carry out the ! first: resolu - tion.- «' : -'» ■■: ■■■■■ -•■-■-.• '•- •;-■ --"^ On the motion of Mr Leigh, seconded

by Mr Haultain, it was reaolred that tliß ten leaseholders be invited to contribute pfo rpia towards the cost of getting the stone fcken out and tested m Auckland.. .„...,■ „:-.,-,,.,,- ...•■-«.-. ■- Mr Notman suggested that as there were eight leases represented at that meeting they should go into, committee a£ onfee and proceed to business m order W |get matters under weigh as soon ; .as possible. ■ . ' , This, suggestion being approved of, the ordinary meeting adjourned, .and the* gentlemen forming the |committef remained to make the necessary arrangements. . ■"'■■.;.■{ ■ \ •; [We are informed the" committee decided to appoint Messrs Eelf and Anderson to undertake the work of getting out the stone from the reef, the same to bo be proceeded with immediately. Mr Belf, we understand is. an experienced muvir v > \ ij\ y i Jkessrs 6eor^e arfd^Wallwr who w we>e sent to the Pchangina by the, Wpodvill« Prospecting As?ociatiOn; returned on Wednesday, having walked, all the. wvy froniih|(P6H<>Agini. Tn^VnaV^-pe^ c ged out a claim,! A meeting of th^e Associition will be held on Monday night, vvlieTj!a;t«bpft w»M '.vb»v presenle'd and the members will decide what step .to tak.e next, The plage ji now almost i dei^vtea,--'Examiner. ", ''" Mr Corby informs us.that it is his interition to go back to the Pohangiua next^week W p|der|ojßeev?th«i' reef for himself." He siys that the Ashurat people are willing to assjst' m ,c^ear)'ng out the; Kple; ; and thiy will^be represent- 1 ed at the^eeting to\b« held m PahnerBton to-day. Mr Cor by. does jO.ot ;say that there is not' gold,' or silver /or both at the Fohangiria, but he does say U»«t no one found traces of either While-he was there. — Herald. - . .' ;