IMPORTANT MINERAL DISCOVERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9188, 18 October 1888, Page 5

IMPORTANT MINERAL DISCOVERY.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Nelson, Wednesday. At various times during the last twenty years good galena and silver ores have been discovered in the Whangapeka River, but no lode until lately. A small prospecting party have from time to time during the past three years been trying to come upon the lode, and some months ago they discovered an outcrop in the river. The winter weather, however, interfered with work being done; but in June the prospectors were again sent up to open up the discovery. The country is partly bush, and the ground is thickly covered with moss, which makes prospecting difficult. However, the prospectors, in tracing the line of the lode, came upon an old disused drive put in on a gold quartz reef. After clearing out the drive it was discovered that the lode of the reef was about three or four feet wide, and that the whole of the. stone was carrying bands of galena and silver ores, with a large quantity of iron pyrites. This lode had been apparently driven on for gold, and the disappointment of the original prospectors for gold can well be imagined on this silver lode being discovered. A syndicate in Christchurch took the matter in hand, and applied for two leases, the WhangapekaandNuggety Creek. They had 2cwt of stone sent to Christchurch and several assays for silver, lead, and gold were made by Professor Bickerton. The return was very satisfactory the average being 750z of silver, over Bdwt of gold, and nearly 20 per cent, of lead. In gome assays the return was much higher. The prospects are very encouraging, and Messrs. Cuff and Graham, of Christchurch, have let a contract for sinking 50 feet in the lode, and from a message received it appears that the contractors are already on rich ore.