OREPUKI SHALE AND BLACK SAND VISIT BY DR BELL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 29

OREPUKI SHALE AND BLACK SAND VISIT BY DR BELL.

Dr Bell, of the Geological Survey Department, vL?it<Hl Orepuki the other day to mpect the black sand and shale deposits. He had not time to go to Nightcaps to nispc-ct tho auriferous deposits there, but hop«a to do co (says the Western Star) on his contemplated return visit. At Orepuki he was

r met by the president of the Orepulki Mines Association (Mr A. M. Dawson) and the secretary (Mr O. Reichel). Dr Bell took away with him large quantities of minerals, and ifoe hopes to be able to furnish a. written report in a- few days. Regarding 'the platinum deposits he was not sanguine. The samples shown to him he considered did not contain much platinum. What was considered to be that metal was a different metal altogether, although there might be a proportion of platinum in them. Regarding the shale, he was of the opinion that the mefnods of mining it that Jhad been adopted were not the best, and he regretted that they were not in operation. He was strongly of opinion that a rough geological survey should be made of the West Waiau country lying between Lake Hauroto and Lake Monowai, thence west to the Sounds. He considered that this could be done within a period of three months, and would strongly recommend that this should be carried out, if possible, during the months of January, February, and March. From reports as to the geological formation of that country and specimens shown to him, he thought there was a possibility of finding tin, a large deposit of which would be a splendid asset to the country, as tin was becoming scarcer every year. In any case it was in the interests of the country that something should be known about what was now a terra incognita.