H.—23

52

GOLD SPECIMENS.

ALLUVIAL GOLD FEOM THE PROVINCE OF NELSON AND COUNTY OF WESTLAND. 1. Alluvial Gold from Moonlight Creek, Nelson, procured by washing the beds of creeks. 2. Alluvial Gold from Waimea, Westland, obtained by washing beds of creeks. Samples taken from district through which the proposed Great "Waimea "Water-race would run. 3. Fine Sea Drift, Okarito, "Westland, obtained by washing and sluicing the sea beaches. 4. Alluvial from Eoss, "Westland, obtained by deep sinking, where the use of steam machinery is found to be necessary. 5. Equal parts of coarse and fine Alluvial from the Lyell, Nelson, obtained by washing the beds of water-courses. G. Alluvial from Grey Valley, Nelson, obtained by sluicing. 7. Alluvial Sluiced, from Duke of Edinburgh Terrace, Greenstone Creek, Westland. The locality whence this sample came is traversed by the extensive Greenstone and Eastern Hohonu "Water-race. 8. Alluvial from the Ho-ho, Westland, obtained by sluicing ground that had been previously worked by shafts and tunnels. 9. Fine Alluvial Gold from iron-sand cement, Charleston, Nelson. This sample of gold is usually saved by amalgamation with mercury, and is most difficult to obtain in its present form. 10. Euby Sand from Charleston, Nelson. This sand is found in granite, and the gold it contains is heavier and of better quality than that in cement. 11. Gold-bearing Black Sand from the Black Lead, Charleston, Nelson. 12. Auriferous Cement from Mokihinui Eiver, Nelson. Obtained 50 feet below surface of river terrace. 13. Auriferous Cement from Black Lead, Charleston, Nelson. 14. Auriferous Sand from Addison Flat, Nelson. 15. Alluvial Gold. Wakamarina Eiver, Marlborough. 16. Fine alluvial gold, washed from the ocean beach below high-water mark. 17. Fine alluvial gold, obtained from a black sand lead about 50 yards inland from high-water ina»k. 18. Sample of the ordinary gold sand obtained from sluicing claims about 12 miles inland. 19. Sample nuggetty gold obtained from Moonlight Creek, rising in high ranges about 20 miles inland. Quartz specimens are from the Inangahua District. The gold being fine is not easily seen in the stone. Enterprise Company, Uegistered. —These specimens were taken from the middle tunnel, at a distance of 110 feet from the mouth of the di'ive, at a depth of 85 feet from the surface. Energetic Company Registered. —The stone was taken—(l) from a shaft sunk 85 feet below a tunnel and 210 feet below the surface. A trial crushing in February 1872 of ten tons of this stone gave result of 43 ozs. 1 dwt. retorted gold. (2.) From No. 2 tunnel, 265 feet below the surface, and at a distance of 298 feet from the mouth of the drive, at which place the reef is 4 feet 6 inches thick, and very solid. Rainy Creek Company, Registered. —The width of the reef where discovered is 30 feet, and it carries this extraordinary width for 900 feet, Gold appears to be well distributed throughout the reef, and at the lower level it is heavier than at the surface. Tlwmpson's Claim, Boatman's Inangahua. —Shows a width of from 2 to 5 feet, and will yield from 1 to 2 ozs. to the ton. El Dorado Company, Registered. —Several small specimens. The reef where first opened was 3 feet in width. Further south it was cut 5 feet in width. The gold is fine, and well distributed throughout the stone. Zircons, garnets, cubical pyrites, manganese, and sulphides of antimony are also found. Just-in-Time Company, Registered. —The reef is 3 feet G inches wide. Specimens taken 15 feet below the level of the tunnel. Victoria Company, Registered. —Eeef averages 3 feet in thickness. The specimens are taken from a level 360 feet below the highest point proved. All Nations. —This reef is making to the south-west, and has an average thickness of 2 feet. United Band of Hope Company, Registered. —Specimen 1 was taken from the surface where the reef first opened. From this about 100 tons of stone crushed gave a return of 2 ozs. 6 dvvts. per ton. From this level to a depth of 140 feet, about 80 tons crushed gave at the rate of 18 dwts. per ton. No. 2is from a depth of 160 feet. From this last 31 tons crushed at Westland machine gave a gross yield of 41 ozs. melted gold. Golden Hill Company. —The reef varies from 4 feet to 1 foot G inches, average 2 feet 6 inches. About 480 tons of stone crushed at the Westland machine gave a yield of {- oz. to the ton. North Star Company, Registered. —The specimen was taken from a level of 50 feet from the surface, a foot on the reef. The reef is 5 feet in width, bearing about E. and W. Invincible Gold Mining Company, Registered. —This specimen is from the surface, at a width of 2 feet on the reef, which is here 4 feet 6 inches thick. Wealth of Nations Company, Registered. —Two large bodies of stone have been intersected, each about 10 feet thick, showing gold similar to that in the outcrop.