THE LYELL QUARTZ REEFS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 643, 9 April 1870, Page 2

THE LYELL QUARTZ REEFS.

IMPOKTANT DISCOVEEIES. In a recent issue we referred at some length to the reefs at the Lyell as promising to be more important to the district, in point of productiveness, than has been believed by, or known to, the community. From reliable accounts to hand this week—not merely reports, such as have been current from time to time, regarding the richness of the gold or the thickness of the reefs in this locality, but authentic statements from the shareholders in the various claims now opened up—from claimholders who have no object to serve or end to gain, by imparting any color to the bare facts—there can be little doubt that the Lyell district will, in the course of a few months, be proved to be a quartz-reefing district of considerable magnitude and importance. Such a conclusion is not now arrived at or made on the mere assertion of any prospectors or claimholders who, on the discovery of a reef supposed to be payable, are ready to rush to the nearest Warden's and newspaper offices to boast of their discovery and publish their supposed fortunes. On the contrary, it has for a number of months been with difficulty ascertained from the prospectors whether the reef known to have been discovered contained payable gold, or gold in any quantity whatever. On Thursday last, the doubts on this point must have been fully removed by the prospectors bringing to town four small bags of specimens, containing several hundred different pieces of quartz from various leaders in their claim, all of which contain more or less gold, visible to the naked eye. As early as the month of July last, Antonio Zala and his mates went prospecting in the direction of Irishman's riuoot, and. first pat iu a drive of 325 feet without success. Not daunted by their futile attempt to reach the reef, they commenced a drive about half a mile higher up the hill, where they struck a thin leader. They then proceeded "to put in cross drives from' south to north, when they struck various leaders, varying in thickness from a few inches to a foot, and not only discovered a few specimens of gold, but began to see that the specimens improved as they went further along the drive. After crossdriving in one direction 120 feet, they drove 50 feet eastward, when they struck a leader of 2ft. 6in. in thickness, with a slate casing, and gold quite visible throughout the casing. Shortly afterwards, but in a westerly direction, they found on the surface what they believed to be the main reef, which is from six to eight feet thick. The prospectors during the past few weeks have had several visits from miners and others, curious, of course, to know if their prospects were such as were whispered about, but, not desiring to "puff" their claim, they in few instances revealed anything. The reports which got abroad seemed, however, to attract more than the curiosity of miners, as two speculative Nelsonites put in an appearance last week at the mouth of the claim, and desired to know the full particulars and to take away some of the stone. They were allowed to use their eyes as much as they chose, but the prospectors forbade them taking away any of the stone until after their own application for a lease of the ground had been gazetted. They promised, however, after showing some of the stone in Westport, to send them some which they might test. It is the intention also of the prospectors to forward as early as possible a half ton of the stone from the main reef to be crushed in some of the Auckland machines.

Several pieces of the quartz from the various leaders and main body of the stone are now to be seen at the Victoria Hotel, "VVestport, there having been brought to town nearly fifty pounds' weight of stone. The claimholders further assure us that the specimens are not those of several days' picking, but were all taken from the bulk an hour before they left for town. The names of the prospectors are Antonio Zala, G-eorge Zanetta, Albert Ezeppier, John Rebecco, Eomanio Zala, and Stephen De Philippi. The claim is now in eight shares, Antonio Zala having two shares, and Mr John Draghicavich, in addition to those mentioned, making up the number of the party. In the next claim to the prospectors, worked by Pensini and party, equally good specimens have been seen, though none have been brought to town, and in the claim No. 2 north, the party are

also reported as having got the same line of reef with similar prospects. Davie and party and Florian and party are at work on the south side of the prospectors, and a third claim north has lately been taken up, and is being worked, besides a lease to the north having been applied for. Many of the claimholders express their regret that Mr Kynnersley did not visit the ground when passing so near them last week, as thoy are of opinion that he would have seen something more substantial and attractive in the shape of quartz reefs than he has yet inspected in the neighborhood to which he has lately been appointed Warden. It is the intention of Zala and party to bring in a race of water from the Eight Mile creek, which is about three miles from their present workings. The Eight Mile creek is a tributary of the Lyell river, and is the nearest source from which a plentiful supply of water can be procured, there being insufficient water in Irishman's creek itself. They intend also to erect a large water-wheel and sixteen heads of stampers, after it is fully proved that the reef is payable, and of this, from present appearance, there can be little doubt. With such a width of reef, and such positive proofs of the richness of the stone as are now accessible to anyone, and with the knowledge that the reef has been traced from the prospectors' claim to No. 1 claim, a distance of 1200 to 1400 feet, where it is equally rich, the Buller public have reason to congratulate themselves upon the fact of discoveries so important to the district having been made. Next week, our reporter purposes making a special visit to the ground with the view of furnishing the fullest particulars procurable at the different claims. Meantime it is to be hoped that the prospectors will crush the thirty or forty pounds of the stone which they have brought down before leaving town, as that would to some extent illustrate the value of their discovery, and afford some basis for their expectations.