IMPORTANT GOLD DISCVERIES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1030, 5 April 1884, Page 3

IMPORTANT GOLD DISCVERIES.

A Press Association telegram from Chri«t> church on Wednesday last Bays Dr Hector's analysis of some quartz from the Moa Greek Company's reef gives lOoz. 4dwt to the ton. It resembles in friability Reefton quirtz. During the winter months the locality of the reefs will probably be inaccessible for months. MrTiavershas officially informed the Govern* ment that the prospeotor's camp is easily accessible by the wide flat shingle valley of Wilberforce, and that, except for crossing the rivers, a carriage could be driven the whole way. He considers that the inaccessibility and ruggedness of the country to be paste 1 through have been greatly exaggerated. The oamp is at 2600 ft. above sea level, on the " Unknown Creek," an eastern tributary of the Stewart branch of the Wilberforce. The reefs crop out at 1400 ft. higher, or 5000 ft above the sea, on a saddle between Unknown Creek, and Moa Creek, and not on the main range, but in a lateral range flanking the great snowy peaks of the main range. The ascent to the reef is very steep and rough. In one place a rope had to be used ; but tbe ascent by this route is better than by going up the Moa Creek, Four reefs run parallel to each other at about one chain apart, and vary in thickness from 2ft. to 4ft. They strike about N.N.E. and S.S.W. with an angle of 45deg., which is also the prevailing strike and dip of the sandstones and slates. The reefs look well defined, and one has been traced on the surface about 600 ft. and has been sunk upon for about 10ft. The hanging or western wall of the reef in this instance is of slate, and the footwall of sandstone. Beefs under similar conditions also occur at Browning's Pass, which is at the source of the northern branch 'of the Wirberforce and the range between Otira Gorge and Taipo River. The casing of one reef is soft and fUkey, and from tbis Travers saw a very fair prospect obtained by pan- washing, A sample of ♦.his casing stuff which be brought back jielded in the labratory gold at the rate of 2oz. sdwfc. per ton. The quartz, judging from the specimens received, is sub-crjstalline, flakey, containing small masses of iron pyrites and lamiuee of rock matrix. In one specimen gold is visible on the surface, and the average yield of the specimens brought by Travers and analysed in the labratory is at the rate of 7dwt. 7gr. per ton. A specimen of quartz obtained at a reef at Browning* Pass had eitniliar characteristics to that of Moa Creek, and yielded at the rate of loz. 2dwt. 4gr. per ton. Mr Travers is of opinion that the reefs could be profitably worked if the quartz is found to average lOdwt. per ton, taking into consideration the ease with which machinery could be got on to tbe grouud, and the abundance of water power. The ireather was very unfavorable during Mr Traver's visit, and he learned that only a very small proportion of working days hud been experienced during the past summer, and already the first snow had begun to ialL