128 
At the No. 8 level, the west cross-cut intersects the reef channel at 
158 feet from the shaft. The lode is 9 feet thick, and consists of quartz 
spurs and country rock commingled. The level is driven south hi feet 
from the cross-cut along the lode, and at the end the shoot appears to pitch 
underfoot. In the east cross-cut from the shaft a channel is cut 91 feet 
from the shaft. Both country rock and lode dip west at about 70 deg. 
This channel is supposed to be the northern continuation of the Lord 
Nelson reef, and if the Sebastopol Rock at the surface represents the Lord 
Nelson reef, it would be so, for the channel is in the right position as 
regards dip for the continuation downwards of the Sebastopol Rock. The 
material in the channel consists of quartz and black slate with a tough 
clay (pug), and is a few inches thick. The cross-cut is continued 303 feet 
east of the shaft, and the country rock all dips west. Some of the beds 
nearly approach the vertical. 
The one shoot of auriferous quartz worked from the surface to the 
bottom level in this mine was known at the surface as Higgins’ Reef. 
The strike of the reef is about N. 25 deg. W., and the dip west. The 
pitch of the shoot is to the south, at a high angle. The original outcrop 
of the shoot was 200 feet north of the shaft. The richest quartz was got 
from the surface to a depth of 200 feet, and alluvial gold was found in 
the gully that runs northward from the east side of the outcrop. The 
reef gold of the Lady Nelson Mine is worth about £2 10s. per ounce. 
At 300 feet northward from the Sebastopol Rock is a long open cut, 
formerly worked by the Sebastopol Company, and it is reported with 
good results. The strike of this reef, which is in the same channel as 
the Sebastopol Rock, is N. 35 deg. W. The thickness of quartz worked 
was about 7 to 8 feet, and this was followed down for 150 feet; the 
shoot is about 200 feet in length. At the No. 8 level in the Lady Nelson 
Mine it would be desirable to drive northward along the channel east of 
the shaft, so as to intersect the downward continuation of the shoot 
worked by the Sebastopol Company. From the Sebastopol Rock, 300 feet 
eastward, is the American shaft, which is 200.feet deep, with three com¬ 
partments, and well timbered, and 150 feet north of this shaft are Ben 
Whiteley’s workings. At this site yellow sandstone beds are traversed by 
thick quartz spurs with much limonite associated with them ; the soil is 
red. Thousands of loads have been removed from the surface quarry, 
and the workings have been carried to some depth in an irregular manner. 
This auriferous outcrop is bounded by nearly vertical grey slate walls 
running east and west. The American shaft was sunk with the object 
of cutting these spurs at a depth. As the clip of Whiteley’s workings 
appears to be west, the continuation downwards ought to be commanded 
by the Lady Nelson shaft. 
[Report sent in 24.2.09.] 
Since my previous report, the north level at 800-ft. has been 
driven along the Black Reef for 255 feet from the cross-cut on what is 
considered to be the west wall, and which is evidently the main wall of 
the channel. At 150 feet from the cross-cut a wall diverges from the 
channel at a small angle; this is supposed to be the east wall. From 
this point to the face of the level, slices of quartz occur with the country 
between the two walls, but the quartz is not auriferous except at one 
point; this is 31 feet north of where what is considered to be the east wall 
diverges, or 181 feet from the cross-cut. Here the quartz is of grey 
colour, and different in appearance to the rest of the quartz met with.. 
