The Ponangina.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1569, 30 November 1885, Page 4

The Ponangina.

We learn that Messrs Anderson and Reef havo succeeded m driving some HO feet, and have now struck the reef. The driving has been very difficult, owing to the nature of tno ground. Mr Relf pronounces the reef no laid bare to be very promising, and which when further developed will give satisfaction. He is, however, of opinion that m order to obtain a fair sample of stone the drive should be extended farther for a short distance, as it so seldom happens that payable gold is procured from the cap or outside of the reef. On snch * subject Mr Relf, who has had twenty years mining'experience should beau authority. TSis, however, will be a question for the contributing companies to decide, viz., whether they will drive a few feet further or send away for crushing a quantity of the quartz now exposed. Should they decide to adopt the latter course, which it is contended would be injudicious, a sufficient quantity of the stone will be ready about the end of the week. We j learn that Messrs Relf and Anderson proceeded along the surface of the prospectors' claim, and found the reef cropping out for a distance of about ten chains. Mr J. Bray, of Feikhng, who is an experienced miner, also inspected it, and pronounced it to bo the same reef, and also expressed his firm conviction that the whole thing would turn out right. Mr Anderson is himself perfectly . sanguine as to eventual resnlts. |Mr Relf expects the stone will greatly improve as the reef is further opened up. Considerable weight is attached to Mr Bray's opinion, as that of an experienced miner, and also of a person who is entirely disinterested m the mutter. We understand that Mr Anderson will be m Palmerston to-day or to-morrow, bringing with him some stone of much betier quality than any hitherto brought down. On Saturday last Mr Bassett continued his tests of stone from the Pohangina district. On the previous night he spent about four hours m pounding some specimen^ into powder, and on Saturday, with the permission of Mr Forbes, which was freely accorded, he conducted the process ot smelting by himself alone, without assistance or interference from anybody. Mr Bassett thinks it undesirable at present to state the result, bnt he admits that it was equally good with that of the previous day (which was equal to 14 ounces to the ton). The stone was procured by Mr Corby from a part of the district to which he was specially directed by Mr Bassett. — Cnronicle. On Saturday Mr Nelson took up the bags required to pack the quartz to be sent away to the La Monte Smelting Company, Auckland. We understand the reef has been reached by Messrs Anderson and Relf, but the vein is a very small one, we are told. It will, there fore, cause considerable delay m obtaining the quantity of stone required by -the Association. An officer from the Geological Department is now on a visit to the Pohangina. He maintains that there is no reef, and further that he will stop the Government from handing over the promised subsidies. To some other of his somewhat reckless assumptions we must refer on a future occasion. We understand that a meeting of those interested is to be convened for Saturday to discuss the advisability of driving further into the reef before sending away a parcel of stone to be tested.