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The Thames gold field, in the Auckland Province, presents also a very- 

 great similarity to the Nelson section of country to which I have been 

 alluding, being characteristic of intrusive diorite or greenstone dykes with 

 quartzose veins highly impregnated with sulphides. 



From the foregoing remarks, it will be seen that gold is found in rock 

 masses, such as in the serpentine at Mount Wheeler, without any appearance 

 of quartz veins, the matrix apparently being the mass rock itself; also, that 

 the Maitai country is of the same age and character as the gold fi.elds of 

 Queensland and the Thames, from a comparison of the fossils and rock 

 specimens by Dr. Hector and Mr. Hackett. These facts, I think, at least 

 warrant us in presuming that the district in our immediate neighbourhood 

 requires a much more careful prospective search than has yet been bestowed 

 upon it. 



I have directed the attention of parties connected with the Dun Mountain 

 Company's estate, respecting the analogy between their property and gold 

 mining fields elsewhere ; and would advise parties who may have occasion to 

 traverse that part of the country lying between the head waters of the 

 Motueka River and D'Urville's Island, to look out for anything of the 

 character of lode stufi", so that it might be tested for auriferous deposits. 

 Serpentine shows in great force all through this district, and exhibits about 

 the same strike, angle, and dip, as the auriferous serpentine reefs at Mount 

 Wheeler. 



Mr. Daintree publishes a table, giving the yield of gold per ton in the 

 different districts embraced in his report, of which 1 have taken a summary 

 extract, as follows : — 



Mount Wheeler District — Serpentine, with pyrites. Five mines at work, 

 yielding from 4 dwts. to 3 ozs. per ton. 



Mornish District — Greenstone and sandstone, with copper and iron pyrites. 

 Six mines at work, yielding from 7 dwts. to 4 ozs. per ton. 



Blackfellows' District — Sandstone and slates, with copper and iron pyrites. 

 Six mines at work, yielding IJoz. to 11 ozs. per ton. 



Crocodile District — Gi'eenstone, with copper and iron pyrites. Five mines 

 at work, yielding from -| oz. to 4 ozs. per ton. 



You will observe that the presence of pyrites is a marked feature in all 

 these mines, the treatment of which has always been a difiiculty with the gold- 

 miner. On this subject, Mr Daintree remarks as follows : — 



" With the increasing depth of the mines the quantity of free gold 

 diminishes, and that of the pyritous gold augments ; so that greater attention 

 must be directed to this branch of metallurgy of gold, or many good mines will 

 have to be abandoned in consequence. In Victoria, this subject has been 

 under the serious consideration of the owners and managers of most of the 

 crushing machines, and general success seems to have been achieved both in 



