TARANAKI QUARTZ

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13725, 15 April 1908, Page 5

TARANAKI QUARTZ

• Sixty-two sampled of quartz, country rock, and pyrites were obtained on the lain* Ranges, Egmont National Park, by Air. £*. D. Cochrane, mining engineer, who was sent to Taranaki by the Hon. the Minister for Mines to report as to the auriferous nature Of this locality. The samples were principally collected from the Boar's Head Creek, Konini Creek. Ahuahu Creek, Wairau Creek. bed of Timarn River, peak of Patua Range, Round Hill, and from the drives known as Caple s. Some samples are now in the hands of the Government analyst, and when the, analyses are available a report will be furnished to the Hon. the Minister for Alines by Mr. Cochrane. NOTES. The reef is expected to be to Land in the Bonanza mine this workIn the Reliance mine the country in the south drive on Fox's reef is full of mineral seams. Good progress is being made with the haulage of the Waihi Beach Gold Mining Company's new machinery up to the mine. Tho water in the Old Kapanga shaft lias now been lowered to 152 ft from the collar of tiie shaft. Martin Bros, are reported by the manager to be getting payable ore ill their tribute. The country in the west end of the stones on the Cardigan No. 2 reef in the New Saxon mine is improving. It is interlaced with nice mineral and flinty veins. Last week the reef in the slopes showed dabs and colours of gold. (•old lias been seen in the quartz broken down in tho rise in the Southern Queen mine, and the manager reports that the reef is looking splendid. The block is now being sloped out from the rise. A trial parcel of about 12 ions of ore from the rise is being crushed. In the Taihoa mine (Neavosville) trenching on tin; main reef, south of the old workings, is being pushed on. The reef varies from Ift to 3ft, and shows gold by pounding and dishing. Two 3in lenders have also been met with, which give fair dish prospects of free gold. Tin l oro from No. 1 rise in the Golden Belt has given assay results of £5 4s, and that from No. 2 rise goes £2 Is per ton. The reef in the winze looks well. Three contracts have been let for sloping above No. 1 level. Last week 36 tons of ore were crushed, yielding 390z of hot-water squeezed amalgam. In the Watchman mine the Silver Crown reef is being driven upon in a north-easterly direction through what is described as splendid sandstone, interlaced with mineral seams. A new leader has been cut xin the drive running in the same direction as tho reef. The manager intends cutting into the wall at intervals, to ascertain its value. In* the Magnet; mine the reef in the north drive, which was recently disturbed a little by a break, is reported to be apparently picking up its course again. A few colours of gold were seen in the quartz broken last week, before the break came in. Kindly quartz is coining to hand from the reef in the rise. Minerals are freely distributed throughout the reef. In tho Scandinavian mine Lowrie's reef, at the low level, is reported by the manager to have shown vast improvement in the lastfew feet. It is 7ft wide, and carries good minerals. Good dish prospects can be got. Driving south from the winze has been started. The reef maintains its size and value, good, strong gold being seen at each breaking down. Driving has been commenced into the footwall of the reef in the Halcyon mine. The manager believes that the main portion of the reef will be found in this direction. A vein of quartz is striking into the foot-wall, and the last dabs of gold were seen here. The drive on the mineral lead is entering a hard bar of country, and the manager advises discontinuing this work for the present. In the west drive on the footwall of the main reef in the Waitangi mine the, country is still good. A sUiall vein of quartz, showing colours of gold, was cut last week. The manager states that the reef has improved in apttearance, and is carrying good minerals. It is intended to drive south on the 3in leader. The quartz in the rise on No. 1 leader showed colours of gold last week when broken down.

In a drive from the winze in the Temple Bar mine the * lode is sft' wide, and gives fair dish prospects. A few nice colours of gold were seen' in the stone lust week- The manager is now driving west, as the rich shoot worked above appears to be striking that way. The reef here is 18in wide, and shows strong colours of coarse gold when broken down. The cross leader is Ift wide, and gives encouraging prospects.

A company has been floated to work the old Tararu property, known as the- Seven Reefs claim, and now called the Dixon's ' Consolidated. The mine was formerly owned at Home. It comprises 97 acres, and adjoins the Tararua Creek, the Watchman, Waitangi, and Alburnia properties. The nominal capital of the new company is £5000, divided in 100,000 shares of Is each. Of these 90,000 have'been fully subscribed, the balance going to the vendors. The com- v pany will shortly be registered by the secretary, Mr. J. W. Nichol.

The manager of the Karangahake. mine reports that the country in the low level for the last few days has been much harder, being composed of heavily mineralised sandstone, with silica veins and small quartz, leaders. At the intermediate level, in the' crosscut to intersect No. 1 reef, the latter should be close at hand. At the No. 1 level the recently-discovered reef varies from 2ft ,to 4ft. The quart/, is well mineralised, and shows blotches of gold occasionally. The contractors are extending No._ 1 level towards the. Woodstock reef, in good country.

Good country is being penetrated in the Tairua Extended mine, in the crosscut. The manager has put two men on to prospect the bluffs on the property, and he expects they will locate the Golden Hills No. 1 reef shortly. The latter is, he states, a welldefined body of ore, and should not be hard to find. An outcrop has been discovered, the stone of which is similar to the reef referred to. The manager bored into this, and got a few colours of gold in the dish. He thinks it should prove payable at, a depth, as the reefs in the locality are poor on the surface, but improve with depth. He has, therefore, put men on to cut into the lode about 30ft. down. This should take about 25ft of driving.