The
same synclinal reef has been worked at 432 feet depth in the Russell's
Reef Amalgamated mine, near the shaft. It was pitching to the north,
and was worked for 300 feet on payable ore.
321 ft. 1 in. Level.—This level has been connected with the level above, but the quartz was not pavable.
391 ft. 1 in. Level.—About
50 feet to the west of the shaft a quartz reef from J 2 to 24 inches
thick, underlying to the east, was driven on for 180 feet to tlie
south. It was stopped for a length of 60 feet, and to a height of 12 to
j 6 feet, but was not payable.
470 ft. 7 in. Level.—The
synclinal reef near the southern face of the drive was not payable. At
40 feet from the southern face a winze was sunk 30 feet, but the quartz
was not payable.
The
shaft has been sunk to a depth of 590 feet. At the time of survey water
was standing in it, reaching close to the 470 ft. 7 in. level.
Gold to the extent of £22,000 has been won from this mine.
The No. 1 South Russell's Mine.
The
No. 1 South Russell's Company has two shafts sunk on its property—the
main shaft which is about 350 feet to the south of the northern
boundary of the lease, and a prospecting shaft about 900 feet to the
south of the main shaft. The prospecting shaft was about 100 feet deep
in May, 1905; it is 031, or close to, the Energetic anticline. A
saddle-reef in this anticline has been worked from the main shaft at
the i86 ft. 2 in. level, 450 feet to the west of the shaft, from ai
rise up to the cap of the saddle, 137 feet from surface, but the ore
was not payable. A reef in the same anticline is worked from a rise
above the 425 ft. 9 in. level. The reef is here at 340 feet from the
surface, and 500 feet to the west of the shaft. On the cap of the
saddle there is a " make " of quartz 6 inches thick, -which increased
on the western leg, where it was worked for 99 feet to the north and 97
feet to the south. The ore was not payable. The payable ore in this
mine is in a reef like an eastern leg of a saddle reef. It has been
worked from the surface down to the 273 ft. 11 in. level for about 200
feet to the north and 50 feet to the south of the shaft. It is about 18
inches thick, underlying to the east at about 60 degrees. All the
strata 'from the western face of the cross-cut to the eastern face, 150
feet to the east of the shaft, dip to the east. This reef was worked
about 80 feet to the west of the shaft. The old drives on the lode are
now filled up. All these distances have been obtained from Mr. Binnie,
mine manager.
363 ft. 10 in. Level.—The ore at this level was not payable.
425 ft. 9 in. Level.—The
strata along this level, up to the western face, 477 feet from the
shaft, dip to the east. At 149 feet to the west of the shaft there is a
lode t8 inches thick
which has been driven on southward. The workings have fallen in at 96
feet from the cross-cut, where there is a 2 ft. 3 in. of quartz
visible. At 22 feet along the drive there is a rise for 60 feet on a.
12-inch reef of quartz, which underlies 55 degrees E. Northward the
drive is filled in at 26 feet from the cross-cut, where there is 18
inches of quartz visible.
The levels below 425 ft. 9 in. were filled with water at the time of survey, so were not available for inspection.
Mr.
Binnie, the mine manager, informed me that this lode has been worked
down to the 475 ft. level, where it is 78 feet to the west of the
shaft, and is 4 feet thick. It has been driven on northwards for 200
feet. In the drive there are three winzes, sunk to 40 feet. Most of
this ground has been stoped. Gold was seen in the lowest workings. In
the cross-cut of the 425 ft. 9 in. level stibnite (sulphide of
antimony) is found, and in a rise there is a vein of that mineral 2
inches thick. Gold to the value of £30,329 has' been won from the mine.
