THE MURRAY REEFS, INANGAHUA.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 694, 6 August 1870, Page 2

THE MURRAY REEFS, INANGAHUA.

The following account of a visit paid by Mr Whitefoord and others, to the above locality, is taken from the Grey Valley Times of July 29th. The result of their observations coincide with the previous accounts published : On Friday morning last, Mr Warden Whitefoord, accompanied by several gentlemen from Q-reymouth and the Ahaura, proceeded to the quartz reefs at Murray's Creek. The party returned on Sunday evening. The impression of those practically versed in minkg appears to be, that the main reef has not yet been struck, and that the present blocks of quartz are but faults or blows from the main lode. Some of the specimens obtained are, however, exceedingly rich, and may be forcibly described as gold thickly impregnated with quartz. Several pieces were knocked off the block, aud were all found to contain gold. A seam of cement has also been struck, which appears to be exceedingly rich. A dish of cement, knocked off from the iace promiscuously, and washed by Mr Warden Whitefcord, realised nearly three pennyweights. Numerous pieces of quartz and cement were brought down, richly studded with gold. A small parcel containing a number of precious stones, which were obtained in the claim, was given to Mr Whitefoord before leaving, which are supposed to be rubies, sapphires, opals, or amethysts We believe it is the intention of Mr White foord to submit them to the scrutiny of an experienced lapidary. A piece of metallic ore was also obtained from the same claim, which has been pronounced by the quidnuncs to be copper ore, sulphide of copper, iron pyrites, antimony, oxide of tin, silver, mundic, and meteoric stone; in fact, the whole nomenclature of metallurgy

seems to have been exhausted in an endeavor to define the mysterious compound, and there can be no doubt that, if it only contains a fair percentage of all the metals enumerated above, it will turn out to be of some commercial value. Lastly, a coal seam, described to be thirty feet thick, and of excellent quality, runs through this remarkable claim, which altogether appears to rival the riches of Golconda.