to
the water level at 420 feet. A continuation of this reef is seen again
at the 706 ft. 11 in. level, 100 feet to the south of the No. 2 shaft;
it has been worked down to the bottom or 776 ft. 3 in. level, 60 feet
to the north of the shaft. The same reef has been worked to the south,
in the South Russell's Company mine, for 264 feet, on payable ore. 1
was informed that this reef has been driven on for 800 feet to the
north.
447 ft. 2 in. Level.—Near
the shaft, 15 feet above the floor of the drive, a synclinal reef
pitching to the north has been worked for 300 feet to the north on good
payable ore; the drive is now covered. The same reef is observable near the South Russell's shaft, at 297 feet below the surface.
1,034 ft. 11 in. Level.—The
next synclinal reef worked is on this level, where it is about 90 feet
to the north, and 1.60 feet to the west of the shaft. From thlis
position it has been worked in the trough, on a bearing N. 16 deg. 19
min. W., and a pitch of 25 deg. ^^ min. N., for 310 feet, down
to 1,167 feet from the surface, ft has been worked on the eastern leg
from 24 to 40 feet, in ore from 5 feet thick, near the trough, to about
2 feet thick at the farthest eastern point worked Very little work has
been done on the western leg.
South
from this level, the reef has teen worked for about ] 20 feet in the
trough, where it has risen to within 979 feet of the surface. On this
pitch the reef has been worked both on the eastern and western legs for
a distance of 15 to 18 feet. It is 4 to 6 feet thick in the centre, and
about 2 feet where work was stopped. . About 18 to 20 feet from the
trough there is a small seam of pug, about 1 inch thick, on the eastern
leg of the reef, and nearly parallel to it. This, I was told, had cut
off the payable ore. In the mine it is called the " nip."
I
was informed by Mr. Barker, formerly legal manager, that the Russell
Brothers won from the ground now held by the Russell's Amalgamated
Company gold to the value of ,£70,000; the old Russell's Reef Company,
£9,057 ; and the present Russell's Reef Amalgamated Company £105,129,
making a total of £184,186. It is known also that Messrs. Braithwaite,
Walker, and Davidson obtained good yields, but the amount is not
generally known.
The Russell's Anticline.
The
centre-country is about 140 feet to the east of the No. 1 shaft at the
surface, and has been worked from the 70 ft. level down to the 127 ft.
level on its western leg.
186 ft. 1 in. Level.—In
a cross-cut 90 feet to the north of the shaft, this reef has been
worked from a rise 64 feet high to the cap of the reef, and also at 44
feet above, on the cap of the saddle, on both the eastern and the
western legs, for some short distance. On the same level, 484 feet
north of the shaft, the same anticline has been worked on both legs ;
on the eastern leg for no feet to the north, and on the western leg for
185 feet. These legs were also risen on to the cap, about 60 feet
above. At the time of the survey these workings were blocked up.
306 ft. 5 in. Level.—Centre-country can be seen near the eastern face of the cross-cut at 137 feet from the shaft.
487 ft. 9 in. Level.—At 140 feet to the east of the shaft centre-country can be seen in broken, faulted rocks, with quartz.
588 ft. 1 in. Level.—A
saddle reef was found here 103 feet to the east of the shaft. The cap
of the saddle is 28 feet above the drive. The reef has been worked on
the saddle for the width of the rise only, and by rise also on the
western side. The eastern leg 'from the main level has been worked 45
feet to the north and 20 feet to the south. The western leg has been
worked for 185 feet to the north and 10 feet to the south. The
divergence of the legs towards the north shows that the pitch is to the
south.
