BARRIER REEFS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1899, Page 7

BARRIER REEFS.

There are 12in. of quartz in the cist ■face, and three feet in the west, some of which ore shows ruby silver. The waggon road is nearty completed. A contract has been let for the connection of one and a-half miles of water race. BUNKER'S HILL RETURN. The picked stone and specimens won from the Bunker's Hill mine, Coromandel, have been treated, and the result is highly satisfactory. Altogether 1231bs of stone were crushed for the return of 1390z Sdwt of bullion, worth £417 6/. Parcels of rich specimens were obtained during the month. At an extraordinary meeting1 of shareholders in the above company, Mr Arthur Heather, Chairman of Directors, stated that during the past five months picked stone and specimens had been obtained which yielded bullion worth £783' 1/. Hfe said the shareholders had been called together to approve the. proposal to increase the capital of the company on terms which woudd give £1000 cash to go on with and leave £2000 to be called up for future development. He moved that the capital of the company be increased to £18,----000 by the creation of 20,000 shares at 3/ each. Dr. Wilkins seconded the resolution, which was ultimately adopted, with the addition of the" proviso that the-new shares be not issued for one month. GREAT BARRIER. The half-yearly meeting of shareholders in the Great Barrier G.M. Co., lapsed. The statement of accounts showed receipts £85 8/11, and the expenditure left a credit balance of £18 17/5. The mine is at present being worked under option by the Melville Corporation.. , MINING AT GREAT BARRIEK

In the Mining Record just published Mr Albion S. Howe, civil and mining engineer, contributes an interesting and valuable paper on the Great Barrier Island. After describing the topography of the island, and its geological character, he says Te Ahumata (White Cliffs), besides being a volcanic centre, has been a field of great hydrothermal action, as shown by the extensive kaolinization of feldspars, the signs of mud springs, the beds and concretions of iron pyrites, and the great extent of sinter deposits on the hills. In many places beds of almost pure kaolin can be seen. He goes on to. say that almost any portion of the rock at White Cliffs will give fire assay traces of silver and gold. One assay by the .writer

gave 2.1 ozs. silver and 0.06 gold to the ton. The only mining operations he found on the Barrier were on the Great Barrier and the Barrier Reefs claims, which are adjoining properties and working on the same reef, which, is named the Lee. Having described the workings and the character of the reef, he says:—'The surface ores are high grade silver, in the form of sulphide, mostly stephanite and polybasite, with some pyrargj'rite and pronstite. On the surface in places can be taken samples across the reef giving over 400 ounces in silver to the ton,, besides good values in gold. With depth the percentage of silver, in the ore had decreased, and that of gold had increased. Some high grade gold ore has been taken from the low level without enough silver in it to part the assay button. A small percentage of iron pyrites, with traces of copper pyrites, and occasionally mispickel,. are seen in the ores' from the low level. The gold never shows in the ore, and no prospect can be had in the pan, but the pan concentrates contain nearly all the gold. A number of other reefs which show on the surface have not been developed, but some of the largest contain stibnite, a precipitate. From the brown waters from one oi them tested quantitatively showed iron; antimony, and traces of arsenic. In the Barrier Proprietary claim, near the surface, a body of rich silver ore was taken out and,shipped. Mr Howe is of opinion that in view of the experience on the Lee reef, it is possible that sinking on the Proprietary reef might show an increase in gold values sufficient to warrant development. As to the lona and Aotea, he says that in some of the glassy quartz he saw very good pan prospects obtained, and there is a chance of getting a rich body of ore at these properties in the vicinity of the contact. In conclusion, Mr Howe says the Government road from the Bay to Whangaparapara is nearly completed, and when that is done the mines will be more accessible. The Barrier Reefs Company contemplate the erection of a stamp mill on Kaitoke Creek in the near future, and the work of that Company and of the Melville Corporation, who hold an option on the Great Barrier mine, should make this part of the Barrier more lively than it lias sever been 'before. ■ ._■■