FiNLAYSON. — Geologu of the Reefton Gold-veins. 



93 



The gold may occur on a foot-wall (of a block), on a hanging-wall, or 

 right across in even value, and the appearance of the stone is little guide to 



its quality. A block has never been barren 

 throughout, but the good blocks are more 

 uniform in value, and the inferior blocks 

 more patchy. Some very good gold was 

 taken from the foot-wall seam of a block 

 in No. 8 level. Its habit is illustrated in 

 fig. 7. 



Keep It Dark Mine. — This lies to the 

 south of the last, and its vein is practi- 

 cally a continuation of it. though there 

 is evidence of a patch of barren ground 

 between the two. This one also dips to 

 the west for the most part, though with much irregularity, and with local 

 changes in strike. Like the Wealth, it lies steeper (practically vertical) 

 in the deep levels. It contains a number of blocks which vary in 

 width, and are generally short. They wedge out very quickly, passing 

 intoj mullock or " formation." The accompanying figure (8) illustrates 

 this change. 



Fig. 7. — Occurrence of Gold. 



Wealth of Nations Mine. 

 II. Seam of gold. b. Seams of i^vrite. 



Fig. 8. — Plan of Quartz Block, Keep It Dark Mine. 





The blocks pitch to the north and are similar in all respects to those 

 in the Wealth. The gold is free and generally fine, and the ore is poorer 



in the deeper levels. Aurifer- 

 a . b h b a, ous pyrite runs generally in 



' 1 1' ////+/ /^+%%'^/++"^tf/ /t I ^ ///////// seams and strings through the 

 iiniUi' 1+ + .4-.U ^.U, Ulim,/ ^^.^^ Stibnite occurs in patches 



throughout the mine, sometimes 

 accompanying good gold, some- 

 times the reverse. As a rule. 

 the gold is evenly distributed, 

 though sometimes it clings to 

 the walls of blocks. In the ac- 

 companying section of a face at 

 the north end of No. 7 level 

 good visible gold occurred right 

 across, quite independent of the 



nature of the stone. It is generally found that coarse gold indicates good 



ore ; where the gold is not visible the ore is poor. 



I 'i + + + JV+ +/'«■ + 



Fig. 9. — Section of Face, Keep It Dark .Mine 



a. Walls. h. Piig seams. c. Seamy ore. 

 d. White glassy ore. 



