Page:Downey•Quartz·Reefs·West·Coast•1928.pdf/89

 for 330 ft. on reef varying from 1 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. in width, with an average width of 3 ft. The length of the shoot shortened rapidly, however, as depth was attained. In No. 2 level, 218 ft. from surface, a run of only 220 ft. of stone was found, varying from 1 ft. to 7 ft. in width. An intermediate level, 45 ft. below No. 2, showed the length to be 107 ft., while on No. 3 level, 318 ft. from surface, it was only 50 ft. From No. 3 level a winze was sunk for 60 ft., in which the reef consisted merely of small boulders; while on No. 4 level, 423 ft. from the shaft-collar, no reef was found, but a strong track striking nearly north and south was driven on for several hundred feet. This latter level formed part of a long low-level adit driven by the Inkerman Combined Mines from Rainy Creek.

Although Dr. Henderson has placed the shoot of ore in the mine as belonging to Lee’s lode-series, he points out that its strike differs from that of the shoots in the other mines along the line, being about 50° east of north, instead of a little north of west as in the Scotia, Gallant, and Sir Francis Drake. In the upper two levels, moreover, the dip was to the eastward, instead of to the westward as in the other mines mentioned. In No. 3 level, however, the dip changed to the westward. Regarding these features the Geologist expresses the opinion that these changes in dip and strike were probably brought about by faulting, which had displaced that portion of the shoot that had been worked. He found evidence for this in the change of dip between Nos. 2 and 3 levels, in the fault-dragged stone in No. 3 level and in the winze below it, in the flaky nature of the walls in No. 2 and lower levels, and in the peculiar topography and depressed position of the Miocene rocks lying to the west of the shaft. Dr. Henderson seemed to consider, however, that in this case the reef-track followed on No. 4 level could not be the fault cutting off the shoot in No. 3, but probably corresponded to a track driven on from a crosscut pushed for a short distance towards the original Inkerman lode on the latter level, and, arguing from these premises, he held that the lower lost portion of the shoot should be found in the eastern side of the zone of displacement, and northward of any of the old underground workings.

When the ore opened up in the various workings of which mention had been made was stoped out, little more was done on the claim, which was virtually abandoned in 1893.

During the time it was worked the mine produced 7,282 tons of quartz, which yielded 6,035 oz. gold (equal to 16½ dwt. per ton), valued at £22,714 19s. 6d., and paid £4,000 in dividends.

Exchange Mine.—This claim was south of the Sir Francis Drake, portion of the Happy Valley Claim intervening between them. It was at no time worked profitably, such quartz as was found in it being broken and of low grade. The reef chiefly prospected in it lay somewhat to the east of the others, on Lee’s line. Two adits, 60ft. apart, were driven, in the upper of which the stone averaged about 3ft. in width but was badly shattered. In the lower adit the reef was only about half this width, and below it no stone was got, although the ground was subsequently prospected from the adjoining claim, the Cumberland. From No. 2 adit a long crosscut was also run out to within 4 or 5 chains of the western boundary, in the hope of cutting the Cumberland reef, but at that depth the latter was not found to extend into the Exchange ground. In 1898 the Exchange amalgamated with the Cumberland, and a little prospecting was done from Nos. 3 and 4 levels of the latter in the Exchange ground without anything of value being found. In 1905 another company, known as the Industry,