SHOTOVER AND SKIPPER'S DISTRICT (PROGRESS REPORT ON), BY PROFESSOR BLACK.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1887 Session I, C-08

C.-—B.

1887. NEW ZEALAND.

SHOTOVER AND SKIPPER'S DISTRICT (PROGRESS REPORT ON), BY PROFESSOR BLACK.

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr. Larnach, with Leave of the House.

Professor Black to the Hon. the Ministek of Mines. Sic, — The University Laboratory, Dunedin, 2nd March, 1887. I have the honour to forward progress report of my visit to the Shotovsr and Skipper's district. I visited this goldfield from the 15th to the 25th February, and, with Goodlet, conducted assaying-classes at the Phoonix Extended Mine, the Maori Point forge, and at Skipper's Point. I had previously, about the middle of January, conducted assaying-classes and assayed many samples of quartz at the Invincible Mine, and at Glenorchy, at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Leaving Goodlet to conduct the assaying at the Phoenix Mine, I proceeded, with Mr. James Evans, the underground manager of the Phoenix, to view the Mount Auruin reefs, and to inspect that mountain with a view to form an opinion as to its gold-bearing character and as to the best means of opening it up. The rock throughout the whole district, from the Eees Eiver, at the Invincible, eastward through Mount Aurum and Skipper's, across the Shot-over, and on to the Arrow Eiver at Macetown, is all of the same general character—a soft, wet, wavy, flexible, kindly micaceous schist, extremely favourable to the percolation of water, and therefore favourable to the formation of quartz reefs and to the introduction into them of gold and metallic ores. Mount Aurum itself rises with a steep grade from the right bank (looking down-stream) of the left-hand branch of the Shotover to the height of about 7,300 ft. above sea-level. We ascended from the south-east side up one of the'Jbranches of Skipper's Creek, and crossed over ten well-defined quartz lodes in our ascent. Six of these traverse the mountain in a north-easterly course, with an underlie or dip to the northwest, towards the left branch of the Shotover. The lodes range in width from 2ft. to 10ft. or 12ft., are generally well defined, of a rusty red colour at the outcrop, due to oxidized pyrites, and contain a good deal of pyrites, with gold in many cases visible at a glance alter wetting the stone. I selected one or two samples from each of the lodes for assay—some from the foot-wall, some from the hanging-wall, and some from the middle part of the lodes. I assayed these with about fifteen samples of stone, taken chiefly by myself, from reefs in the Skipper's and Eees district at altitudes of from 2,000 ft. to 6,500 ft. above sea-level, and got results of from 6dwt. to Boz. of gold per ton, averaging, in the whole field, a little over an ounce to the ton of quartz. The iron-pyrites in the quartz, when assayed by itself, yielded from 2oz. to 12oz. per ton, and, from the improved processes now in use, very little of this gold will escape. I found gold in every piece of quartz tested in this district, and, on the whole, a better result the lower the level at which the stone was taken. This is a strong indication that, where gold is got in the outcrop of a reef high up on the mountains in this district, it will probably yield a better result when followed down to the level of the present creeks. This is borne out by the rich character of the stone now for some time being taken out of the famous Phoenix Mine, and also by the high assays—from 2oz. to 6oz.—invariably got from the stone in the Maori Point reefs, at an altitude, the former 2,500 ft., the latter, say, 1,800 ft., above sea-level. If this be true of Mount Aurum, to which I have paid particular attention, it means that, to work the numerous reefs that traverse that mountain to the best advantage, it must be pierced by a tunnel at a low level —say 2,500 ft. to 3,000 ft. above sea-level. This, if driven from the left-hand branch of the Shotover in a southerly direction, would cut the reefs that underlie or dip to the north-west at a level, some of them, from I,oooft. to 3,500 ft. below their outcrop. This, of course, would give an enormous quantity of stone in the backs, which would easily, and without much expense, be sent out of the tunnel to the batteries that would be erected on the Shotover. From the nature of thecpuntry—lofty, sharp, mountain-ridges, cut into by deep narrow gorges— it would be a great mistake to tackle it in small areas, where there would not be room for large operations, nor outlets for the gold-bearing stone at any considerable depth. To get a tunnel at a low enough level to cut these reefs at the deptEs necessary to develop them properly, a large area of country must be made available.

o.—B.

Besides the proved auriferous character of the quartz lodes of Mount Aurum, as shown by assay, and inferred from geological considerations, there are other features which distinguish this mountain as a most hopeful field for successful quartz-mining on a large scale : (1.) The Skipper's Creek, from the wash of which for the last twenty years such a large quantity of alluvial gold has been taken, rises high up in the south-eastern side of the mountain, and must have derived its gold from the debris of its reefs. The same applies to the Shotover terraces, which are proverbial for being one of the richest alluvial fields in New Zealand. (2.) There is abundance of timber suitable for mining purposes in the Sixteen-mile Bush in the immediate neighbourhood, and there is ample water in the Shotover (left-hand branch) running past the probable sites for batteries for this field to give a crushing-power of the best kind, which would therefore be abundant and cheap. (3.) The gold of the district is of excellent quality, bringing £3 19s. per ounce gross. In conclusion, I must say that I am convinced there is a future of great prosperity for this goldfield, provided facilities are given for opening up the reefs at the proper depths, which can only be done by devoting large areas for large operations that will be necessary. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Mines, Wellington. James G. Black. [Approximate, Cost of Paper. —Preparation, nil; printing (1.550 copies), £1 2s.]

By Authority : Geobge Didsbuky, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB7.

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