THE OTANUI DISTRICT.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4215, 5 July 1882, Page 2

THE OTANUI DISTRICT.

This field is at present attracting con siderable attention, and interests in the principal mines have become much more valuable than they were a few weeks ago. There are now three claims on payable gold, and others will get gold bearing reefs in a few weeks at latest. On going over the present claims, it is a matter of surprise that the former prospectors left what is evidently destined to be a good gold producing district for some years to come—that too when they had a battery on the ground with which to test the various reefs intersected. The want of a mill is severely felt by the present shareholders, but as soon as the 6»foot track is cut no time will be lost in getting a mill of some description on the field. The shareholders in the various claims would no doubt get a battery between them, but I was informed on good authority that if there was a passable road, a certain capitalist is willing to erect a mill, provided that the claims promise to patronise him. For the present a 5 head, or at most a 10 head mill is enough for the require* ments of the field, but if the various reefs yield as the show of gold warrants one in believing they will, more than double that number could be employed witfr ease. The track is in a very bad state, worse even than at my last visit, but this will soon be remedied, as tenders for making the track were to be opened to-day by the County Council, and rumour hath it that the work will be pushed on with all possible speed. The grade chosen by Mr T. Kennedy, who surveyed the line, is highly spoken of by the miners, who say that although it is very little longer than the present track, the rise is scarcely perceptible. The first mine visited was the

EUREKA, The position of this claim has already been explained to our-readers, and it is enough, to say*. tUafc it is west of the Oriental olaims arid the Victoria, and the boundaries run as near as possible north and south and east acd west. The reef which has just lately been cut in the tunnel was first discovered in the bed of a small creek on the hillside. No gold was seen in it here, but the atone did not look unpromising, and a drive was at once started for it. After driving due north-west for 100 feet, the reef was cut at right angles, it course being north-east and south-west.. In order to find but at what point this reef catered the Bonanza and Crown claims, Messrs McKenzie and Ross took its exact bearings in the drive and at the outcrop and cut a line by the aid of a compass on its supposed course. They fouud that it would leave the Eureka some distance from the north eastern peg. | pass through about 150 feet of what was then unoccupied ground, enter the Bonanza, and after passing through almost the whole length of that piece of ground, come out at the north-easten peg and run into the Crown. This is, of course, supposing that the reef fceeps a'

straight course north east. At first the Eureka men only cat into the reef about a foot, when they came.upon a small horse of mullock, which they thought was the footwall. However, on taking this down they found more quartz behind it, and pushed on the drive several feet further. The reef was found to be fully four feet thick, and showed good colors and dabs of gold when taking it down. Very little work has been done on the reef since it was cut, the men having been employed making a quartz paddock, which work has been well done, j there being room to stack about 50 tons ;of stone. A stcrt has been made to drive i in a westerly direction, but the face is not • more than 3 feet advanced as yet. The . i reef on the left hand side of the drive is composed of solid blue quartz, which is, however, dirty from the action of the water. On the opposite side, > the? hangingwalt is blue, but the footwall is chiefly composed of white and brown stone. Two leaders are visible on the hangingwall, each about an inch thick. In one of these good gold was obtained on Monday, at a point where a mineral vein ran into it, but none was visible at the time of my visit. The vein in which the gold was found will, it is thought, prove to be a specimen leader. The class of country in which the reef is lying ii favorable for gold — white sandstone interlaced with mineral veins. The ree£ is dipping at am angle of about 30 deg^ur a north;westerly direction. Gold' has been found right through the reef, though so far most has been seen in the hanging^wall portion. Some stone was. broken from here in my ..- presence^ and some capital specimens, and also a number of stones showing good colors of. gold, were picked out from it. The gold is very coarse and,leafy in the brown stone, but in the blue it is much finer About 6lbs of good specimens were obtained on Monday, and there are also on hand about lOlbs picked stone which were got in cutting through the reef. * On account of the nature of the quartz, and the dirt which has accumulated on it by the soakage of the water, it is impossible to give a fair estimate of the value of the reef, but a body of stone of the s'ze of this one which yields ijSlbs of picked stone and specimens from a blockonly about 6ft in length and the height of - an ordinary drive, cannot fail to give a good account of itself at the mill. The brown stone is almost entirely free from Mineral, but the blue carries a good class of mundic and also some ruby silver. BONANZA. Messrs Ross and Ascott, who are'the only parties working in this claim, have lately been extending the drive westward -, on their reef, and it is now in 60 feet from the crosscut. About 10 feet back from the present face the reef jumped from the north to the south side of the drive, and . since then do gold worth mentioning has been seen in the stone. The reef is about 15 inches thick in the face. Contrary to expectations the blue quartz did not make at the point where'-the face was at-my last visit, but it is now coming in in the bottom of the face, where it was .first met with yesterday. It is of a rubbly nature, and so far carries very little mineral and no gold, but this is no doubt owing to the fact that it is only the beginning of the I new class, of reef. The men are confident thatnow the reef "has cfianged'tßey"win ~''~” speedily get gold again. They donotintend to continue this drive, which is unpleasant to work ip, as it is so wet, and very slow progress is made, every foot of the ground, having to be securely timbered. The country continues to be of a good class for gold. On ceasing work at the above point, a start will be immediately, made in the crosscut, which will be pushed straight ahead, in order to intersect the Eureka reef. This they expect to do m about 200 feet of driving. The country in the face of the crosscut is more solid than in the other drives, but it is easily worked with the pick. It is interlaced" with black mineral veins, and it is quite possible that another body of quartz will be met with before the Eureka reef is cut. About 12 loads of quartz are now stacked in the paddock. ■ CROWN. Messrs McKenzie and Sims are pushing on their tunnel to cut the Bonanza reef. The face is now in 30 feet, and they expect to get the lode by driving another 40ft. The country met with so far has been of-' a very loose formation, which makes dose timbering necessary, and entails a lot of lost time in felling trees and splitting, them into slabs, &c. Mr McKenzie ex» pects soon to be into & more solid class of country, when better progress will be made. ANGLO-MAORL The main low level is now in 117 feet, arid the proprietors expect tp get their reef in another 6 or 8 feet of; driving^ }f& small leader about an inch thick was cut a day or two ago, but no gold was seen in it. A small stringer carrying a little fine gold has also been met with, but it would not be worth following. ' - OEIENTAL Nos. 1, 2, & 3, . No work has been done in these claim* since my last visit. Mr Bruce was on the ground yesterday, and tells me that he means' to start work again. The drive on the reef in No. 1 claim is in. about 80ft. The reef average? 2ft thick, and a little gold was seen the whole distance. In the face it is not so solid as when the drive was started, but gold was got close to the end before work was stopped. A footwall leader is visible neartthe face; iV is about 5 or 6 inches tuics»i|and Mr Bruce expects to get some gold out of it when he starts to drive, back upon it. The country is of a very good class for gold; A hangingwall leader was carried in in the drive, gold being found in it for a length of 40ft, aud a capital show of the precious metal, was left;underfoot*" near the mouth of the drive. in'Nos? 2 and 3 claims no work has been done for some time. A crosscut was put into each ■ and payable leads found, but they were so near the surface that no height of bapks c could be obtained. It is apity that th se claims, and also the Victoria; should lie thus for months without a pick being put into them. Mr Bruce, who is_ the largest shareholder, argues that it is very little use puttiig in small drives ; what is wanted is a low level from a point that would give about 300 feet of backs, and also says there is no use in opening up the country when there is no battery to crush at. This is all very good, but -there are plenty of men who think otherwise, and who would be glad to take up the ground referred to, were it open for occupation. [Since the above was written Mr Bruce informs me that work was started this morning in the Oriental, and also that the proprietors have entered iolo negotiations for a mill for the use of the Oriental claims.] ■ ? "I

[We shall conclude our report on: this district to-morrow,]