VICTORIAN SILVER MINES.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 98, 7 October 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

VICTORIAN SILVER MINES.

( From Didcer's Mining 'Record.) We have this month the great satisfaction of recording practical results from the St Arnaud Mines Association. Seme years siuce, the attention of the firm of which Mr. Clarke is a member was directed to the existence of silver iv payable quantities in the St. Arnaud district, and after numerous experiments to place the matter beyond doubt, leases of land in suitable situations were ot>l#med. Fifteen men were at once placed on the gold lands of the association, and have been mining with satiisfactorj' results. A mining captain, who has had considerable experience in the mines of Brazil, was appointed to take the control of the party of miners in uncovering and working the silver lodes. I7p to this time littl» has been done in opening up the mine beyond preliminary work that has been somewhat cosily, owing to the lodes being of great breadth. The mine has been followed down to a depth of 100 feet, and a cross cut driven fully thirty-five feet without determining 1 the extent of the lodes to the west. Whilst pursuing this course some 200 tons of stofte were raised of all classes, and trials made with fourteen tons and twenty-five tons by merely treating for the gold contained therein. These trials resulted iv obtaining 480oz from the first lot, and 750 from the second ; the retort will probably reduce this ae:ain to about 400 oz of solid metal, that is computed should be of the value £ 1 per ounce by reason of the proportion of gold in it. ; The tailings were then passed on to be submitted to the process employed for extracting the silver, an entirely different operation from that ol saving the gold. Judging from the quantity of s lyer already won, there is every probability of an excellenc yield from the same stone in addition to that mentioned above. The facts here stated are very important. We believe applications have been made for ground for miles contiguous to the pioneer company. The circumstance just stated has necessitated the application from the association for land immediately adjoining on the cast and west' of the lodes, in order to connect the blocks already the property of the association, to give them air area for the carchement of fresh water that is scarce in the district, and held by the chemist engaged to be of the utmost importance to them It may be of interest to many readers to mention some of the principal metals and their several conditions, met with in the lodes now being wrought by this company. They are — chloro-bromide of silver, in crystals and concret : ons, and graphitic slate with infused chlorobromide of silver; sulphide of silver ; metallic gold, carbonate of copper, oxide of manganese, iron pyrites, arse i nical iron pyrites, hydrate of oxide of i iron, and brown iron pyrites. The stuff now being crushed has given in trials at the rate of fifty ounces of silver to the ton, besides one ounce of gold. Iv about a month from now the proprietors anticipate, by crushing sixty tons weekly, to turn out a daily average of 500 ounces of silver, besides an average of oue ounce of gold to the ton. Twenty-five tons crushed with five head of stamps, and amalgamated in five barrels, have given 7500z. of amalgam from blanket sand alone. The accumulations in the buddle and tailings have yet to be treated for the silver. The company, by purchase or otherwise, is in possession of three • quarters of a mile in length of the reef, j The St. Arnaud United Company, to the j south, hss struck a lode of argentiferous galena with pyrites. This lode is nine feet thick, and the silver lead ore runs in a band through it. In this same property, metallic copper has also been met with, in the form of red oxide, and occasional ruby copper. These discoveri< S are significant and very encouraging.