Page:Downey•Quartz·Reefs·West·Coast•1928.pdf/6

 and a winze was sunk on it to 76 ft. in stone averaging 3 ft. in width. The quartz from outcrop and winze is said to have shown gold so freely that the manager estimated it would yield from 4 oz. to 5 oz. per ton. An adit level was then started to cut the reef about 300 ft. in and 120 ft. under the outcrop, but as it was extended to 400 ft. without finding stone it would appear that faulting had at this point caused serious displacement of the reef.

On the Kapai holding three parallel reefs or leaders were located. Two of them were very narrow, but a winze sunk on one to 30 ft. showed that it carried good gold-values. The other was only trenched, but is said also to have shown fair prospects. The third reef was up to 9 ft. wide in places on the surface, where it is reported to have shown gold freely. An adit was put in on this reef, to give 155 ft. of backs, and was driven along the reef for about 160 ft., the stone averaging at this depth 3 ft. in width.

On the Waikakaho claim three levels were driven. The upper adit, 185 ft. below the outcrop, was driven on reef for 360 ft. No. 2 adit, 235 ft. below No. 1, was carried in 375 ft., of which 200 ft. was on stone. No. 3 adit, 159 ft. under No. 3, was driven 160ft. According to the Mines Reports of 1890, the reef at the mouth of No. 1 adit was 6 ft. wide, but for the 250 ft. driven on averaged from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3ft., and the stone was highly mineralized and showed gold all through. Where struck at the end of the crosscut in No. 2 adit the reef is said to have been 8 ft. in width, but after being driven on for 200 ft. diminished to 4 ft. 6in. The stone in this level did not show so much gold as in the upper level, but in constructing a pass up to No. 1 good gold-bearing stone was met at 50 ft. up. In driving the crosscut to intersect the main reef, another reef, 6 ft. wide, was cut, which showed a little gold, but was not driven on, the immediate object of the work being to pick up a reef that outcropped at surface. In No. 3 adit the second reef mentioned seems also to have been intersected.

In the Southern Cross workings a reef found at surface was sunk on for 35 ft., and an adit was started 160 ft. below the outcrop to pick it up at that depth. Nothing was found in this adit; but eventually, in 1891, in driving a crosscut from it, a reef from 18 in. to 2 ft. wide was met with, which, according to the Mines Reports for that year, showed gold freely.

Representative samples taken from time to time and sent away for assay are said to have given results equal to 2 oz. 15 dwt. gold per ton in the Kapai stone, and 1 oz. 10 dwt. in the Mahakipawa stone.

By the end of 1890 about 1,000 tons of quartz was at grass from the various claims, and with regard to this the Mining Inspector remarks that it showed good prospects. The Warden's reports were also very optimistic, and the owners seem to have been most confident of getting good values. In 1891 the Mahakipawa, Lucky Hit, Kapai, and Waikakaho claims were taken over by a company known as the Ravenswood Gold-mining Company, of London, which carried on vigorous prospecting, and was so satisfied with the promise of the property that it proceeded to erect a twenty-stamp battery and an aerial tramway several miles in length. This plant was completed in 1892, and crushing was commenced, but, unfortunately, the high hopes that had been entertained were destined to be destroyed. Some 950 tons of quartz from the different workings were put through for a yield by amalgamation of 112 oz. 10 dwt. gold, equal to only a little over 2 dwt. per ton. Seeing that gold was visible so freely in the stone, and that samples of the ore sent to the Cassel Company were found payable for working, this