IN THE NICTAUX IRON FIELD WE.ATHERBE. 



357 



behalf of the Government. The drill was finally drawn from 

 this hole on Dec. 27th, after operating about 396 hours. 



Ou examining the record above, it will be seen that the drill 

 encountered ore from a depth of 13 feet at intervals down to 

 228 feet. At the same time it is a fact that no solid vein of any 

 thickness was passed through in this hole, though the ore 

 actually brought up iu the core-barrel appeared to be of good 

 quality, and to run high in metallic iron. 



Unfortunately it is a disadvantage of the large sizes 

 of this drill that with its present arrangement of high top 

 gear, it cannot be manipulated successfully at an inclination to 

 the vertical, and the results of this hole leave one in consider- 

 able doubt as to whether any thing of value has been proven here. 



Owing to a peculiarity of the strike of the measures in this 

 part of the district, it appears that they are subjected to a series 

 of twists, or that short faults occur at intervals, throwing the 

 portions affected to the south, when followed in a westerly 

 direction. It may be therefore, that this hole has been sunk 



