LAURISTON.
The principal mines at Lauriston are the Russell's Reef Amalgamated, the South Russell's, and the No. i South Russell's.
The
underground survey of these mines is supplementary to a survey made bv
-Mr. Ernest Lidgey, and embraces all the workings accessible at the
time of my survey. The two shafts of the Russell's Reef Amalgamated
Company, and the shaft of the South Russell's Company are very near the
line of strike of the synclinal fold, the reefs in which have been so
profitably worked since 1854.
Russell's Reef Amalgamated Mine. Mr.
George Russell, in a description of the workings on Russell's old reef,
says that the first work done was stoping the east and west legs of the
trough-reef from the surface to a depth 06 25 to 50 feet, for 200 feet
along the reef, with very payable results. These east and west legs
were of laminated quartz, and converged towards each other, enclosing
between them a large mass of barren quartz, which was not laminated. To
the south this barren white quartz seemed to thin out, and the two legs
came together, forming a single reef. Northwards, the barren white
quartz widened out, carrying the legs further and further apart. The
Messrs. Russell then sank a shaft in the middle of the quartz outcrop,
which was there 80 feet wide, narrowing to the south, and widening to
the north. The site of the shaft was about 50 feet west and 35 feet
north of the Xo. 1 shaft of the present Russell's Reef
Amalgamated Company. This outcrop of quartz appears in former ages to,
have stood much higher, as between it and the river " flat makes " of
stone carrying good gold were found overlying rich alluvial ground.
These " flat makes " of stone were apparently the western leg, which
had fallen over when the supporting slates and sandstones were washed
away.
No. 1 Shaft.
The Russell's Syncline.
The
first trough reef was worked by the Russell Brothers from the outcrop
on the surface to the bottom of the trough at 65 feet. At 78 feet
another " make" was struck. This proved to be the western kg, and was
sunk on to 127 feet. From this level it was driven on to the north for
100 feet, and stoped to the top of the gold, about 40 feet. It was also
worked to the south to the boundary. From there it was worked to the
south by the adjoining party, Messrs. ISraithwaite, Walker, and
Davidson, with good results, on ground now held by the Russell's Reef
Amalgamated Companv.
126 ft. 10 in. Level.—At
this level, near the southern boundary, 140 feet from the surface, is a
large synclinal reef, pitching at 20 deg. to the N. It has been worked,
but the ground has nowr fallen in on the old workings which
pass the shaft near the 245 ft. 9 in. level, so that thev cannot be
surveyed. The same trough-reef is seen again, at the 306 ft. 5 in.
level, 160 feet to the north of the shaft, and it has been surveved down
A 2
