SILVERMINING NEAR NELSON.

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 8523, 1 November 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

SILVERMINING NEAR NELSON.

Nelson, October 13.

Various times during the last 20 years good galena and silver ores have been dia. covered in the Wangapeka river, but no lode has been found until lately. A small prospecting party have from time to time during the past three years been trving to come npon a 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 to open up the discovery. The country is partly bush and the ground is thickly covered with moss, which makes prospecting difficult. However, the prospec tors in tracing' the run 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 or reef was about 3ft or 4ft 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 bad been apparently driven on for gold, and the disappointment of the original prospector for gold can be well imagined on this silver lode being discovered. A syndicate in Christchurch took the matter in hand and applied for two leases —the Wanganeka and Nuggety Creek. They had 2owt of atone sent to Christchurch, and several assays for silver, lead, and gold were made by Professor Bickerton. The return was very satisfactory. The average was 750 z of silver and over Sdwts of gold, and nearly 20 per cent of lead. In some assays the return was much higher. The prospects are very encouraging. Messrs Cuff and Graham, of Christchurch, have let a contract for sinking 50ft in the lode, and from a message received it appears that the contractors are already in rich ore.