(From A Correspondent.) Naseby, April 1.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 13

(From A Correspondent.) Naseby, April 1.

Reliable information has been received here that is one of the claims held . by the Nenthora Consolidated Registered Company, known as Johnstone's claim, adjoining M'Millan's prospecting claim, a gold-bearing reef 2ft thick has been found in the creek bed, a depth of 250 ft lower than the Croesus, Victoria, and other goldbearing reefs in the vicinity. This is highly important news proving that the reefs live down and carry gold to at least that depth. Shareholders are quite jubilant over the news. Intelligence just to hand states thf»; fresh quartz discoveries have been made about two miles to the southwest of the Break-o'-Day and j Victoria line. The specimens I have seen aro splendid. The line of reef has already been pegged out for some considerable distance. Several licensed holdings are applied for to-day. Daring the past week the prospecting operations carried on by the Nenthora Consolidated Quartz Mining Company (Registered) have culminated in what we think is a most important discovery, not only to the company immediately interested, but also to the whole field. To better understand the position it must be explained j that one of the claims (Johnstone's) held by the above company is intersected by a creek (Deighton) running nearly south to north, and forms a narrow gorge, probably 130 ft to 180 ft deep, the sides being of . rock nearly perpen* j dicalar. Several reefs running in an east and westerly direction have been traced on both sides of the creek, and in some instances across the bottom, the recent prospecting has been done at the level of the creek in the gorge, and a reef cut with well defined walls and 2fb of solid stone, and gold showing freely. The fact of the reefs being gold-bearing at this level tends to dissipate the notion, and to establish the belief, and that in a most inexpensive and satisfactory way, that the recent discoveries such as the M'Millan's Croesus, Break-o'-Day, Victoria, and other well-known goldbearing claims, are not mere surface gold-bearing leaders, but true reefs, in all probability living down and carrying gold to the depths now tested in the creek — a depth below the surface of most of the reefs mentioned of over 200 ft to 250ft — thus bearing out the statements previously made that the Nenthorn would turn out te be one of the richest and most permanent of reefing districts in Otago, or even New Zealand. Those now sinking shafts on their several claims may continue to do so with a feeling of safety and certainty that, the deeper they go the better for the shareholders and the country. The importance of this last find in the Nenthorn Consolidated Company's property cannot be over-estimated. It is stated on reliable authority that in all the shaf ts now being sunk the reefs are widen* ing as they go down — notably Croesus, Victoria, Ashby's, Break-o'-Day, and Golden Causeway. The following letter appeared in the Daily Times of the 27th ult. :— Sib,— Having read in the columns of your issue of 19th inst. the suggestion made by Mr Abelsted — viz., that Government should come to the assistance of miners at Nenthorn and erect a battery, so that tbey may be enabled to work the numerous reefs which exist in that locality, I write to add my testimony to his, and emphatically say that it is about the wisest suggestion I have heard made in reference to those reefs yet. Scattered over the field are reefs in every direction, and nearly all, in fact, I can safely say all, are gold-bearing. The sinking which has been done on the Croesus, Break o' Day, and others is of a highly satisfactory nature, inasmuch as it proves them to be defined and continuous, and with such encouragement why should not Government vote the trifling sum required to really test the field ? Why, if the reefs ab Nenthorn prove payable, there will be employment for ' men, trade for merchants, consumption for farmere' produce, in short a "boom" of prosperity for all. Let our Protectionist members who talk of fostering local industry take up this matter, for here is an industry worth fostering. You could not do better, sir, than advocate the matter in your columns. — I am, &c, Nenthora, March 27. Reefer.