OUR QUARTZ REEFS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 241, 12 September 1872, Page 6

OUR QUARTZ REEFS.

(From the Cromwell Argus.)

After one of the most severe winters experienced since the discovery of the goldfields in Otago, the weather has broken, and spring has been ushered in with calm and genial weather, giving every promise of a season especially favorable to mining interests. There is every prospect, with the advent of spring, of a vigorous and succeisful prosecution of mining operations over every portion of the Carrick Range. By the Carrick water-race, it is confidently expected that from six to eight sluice-head* of water will be made available for use oa the range during the coming summer. A powerful impetus will thus be given to the working of the reefs, which has hitherto been carried on under the disadvantage of a scanty and uncertain water supply Every week almost we hear of some fresh discovery, either ef entirely new lines of reef, or of new leaders or thicker veins in claims already opened out. All goes to prove that, as Mr Macandrew said, "we have not gold-folds in this country — we have mountains of gtld." We believe that daring the comingfcwßnmbr discoveries more important perlnsjss-'stium any that have gone before will be/vafle an this range. As Mr Sherrin pointed out ia the report with which he supplemented Mr C. E. Haughton's report to the CqlonialGovernment, at present the reef workings are mostly confined to a single spur in the midst of » long range of hills of similar formation, and even that has never been thoroughly prospected. There is therefore every reason for the belief that further back, in localities hardly yet penetrated, much less prospected, reefs exist of quite as payable a nature as those already diacovered. At Bendigo, reefing matters look brighter at the present time than has been the case for the last two years. There is a tendency on the part of the miners there to give 'some of the eld claims another trial, by means of the tribute system j and this augurs well for the existence of a belief in their payableness. The recent discovery in the Aurora claim of

what is supposed to bs the original reef will help to foster this tendency, and possibly will aid in giving it practical effect as regards other old claims.

The same paper has the following notice of the discovery of a new reef on the upper p^rt of the Carrick range, ab.-ut half a miif disv tant fiom the old Royal Standard claim :-F* The stone tound on ti-.e surface is said to be thickly impregnated with gold, and some specimens crushed in a mortar yielded a prospect equal t» three ounces per ton.