MORE MINERAL DISCOVERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1082, 24 August 1872, Page 16

MORE MINERAL DISCOVERIES.

We take the following from the Cromwell Argus: — "An important discovery of metallic ore on the Carrick Range has been made public within the past week. The discoverer is Mr T. Hall, of the Nil Desperandum Q. M. Company, who states that he found the lode in September last, but that until recently his attention was so fully engrossed in the development of the golden reef as to afford him no opportunity of turning the new discovery to advantage at an earlier date. A specimen of the ore may be seen at our office ; but until the result of Professor Black's analysis is ascertained, we shall refrain from expressing any decided opinion as to what the metal really is, or whether it is a combination of two or more metalliferous ores. It has all the appearance of antimony — a brittle metal — but is yet in some degree capable of fusion — a fact which would appear to indicate the presence of silver or lead. The lode occurs in the same way as an ordinary quartz reef, having well-defined walls of mica-schist, and has beer) traced along the surface for a dia«

tance of nearly a mile — running transversely over a Bpur near the head of Pipeclay Gully. The lode, so far as opened out, is ' not less than two feet in thickness ; and there is every appearance of an inexhaustible supply. A lease of sixteen acres has been applied for, and we understand that no time will be lost in commencing operations with the view of developing this new source of mineral wealth. — Since writing the above we learn that a second discovery of the same kind of ore has been made by Mr Jacob Johnston, at a spot about three miles distant from the lode above referred to. In this case also, wo are informed, a mining lease has been applied for by the prospector. We shall anxiously await the result of Professor Black's scientific examination of the specimens sent him for that purpose."