THE PIONEER, OR MARTIN'S REEF, WAIMANGOROA.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 142, 14 January 1868, Page 3

THE PIONEER, OR MARTIN'S REEF, WAIMANGOROA.

There is now every pi'ospect of the shareholders in this reef being enabled to reap the reward of their perseverance, as the s.s. Beautiful Star, now in the roadstead, has on board the remainder of the machinery requisite to set the works in full operation. It is now nearly five months since the machinery was ordered from Wellington, and on finding that it could not be obtained there, the order was sent on to Otago. Everything is now ready, and only waiting for the machinery to commence crushing. The shareholders have been a long time at work, and have got about 300 tons of quartz of good quality ready for crushing out of the reef, which is three feet thick and about 84 feet in height, and report says that the stone is as rich at the cap of the reef as in the drive, which is about 60 feet in length. We have been shown some specimens from the reef, and which are now in Mr Martin's possession, which are literally studded with gold j and should the remainder of the reef approach anything near it in richness, it will average about 10 ounces per ton, and prove a fortune to those interested in the speculation, and a source of profit to the district generally. Tho works •comprise a water-wheel, 30 feet in

diameter; 30 chains fluming, containing 21,848 feet of timber ; and a tramway, 300 yards in length from the reef to the machine. There are four other claims taken up, one of which the Greek's claim, on the opposite side of the river, has sunk a shaft down and struck the same reef at a depth of 31 feet, and the quartz is quite as rich as the prospectors, but they have been fairly beaten off by the late frightful weather. Had this reef been in Victoria it would already have given emplyinent to a large number of miners, and be the means of conducing greatly to the general prosperity of the district.