235 
The surface stone has been stoped out by means of two tunnels, 80 feet 
apart. In the bottom tunnel a blind shaft has been sunk 300 feet below the 
adit. The shoot of gold has been worked out for 100 feet below the adit, 
and partially worked out to the second or 200-feet level below the adit. 
At the 300-feet level a chamber has been cut, but no quartz stoped out. As 
worked near the surface the shoot of gold was over 1,000 feet long. From 
the bottom of the blind shaft to the level of the proposed tunnel the depth 
would be 150 feet. At present the blind shaft is full of water, but 
operations are proceeding for pumping this out and for driving N. and S. 
along the lode. The dip of the reef is E. in one part and W. in another. 
Gentle Annie Line. 
Samaritan Mine .—The reef has been worked through the whole 
length of the lease with good results. Much of the reef is stoped out above 
the level. The quartz vein is 3 to 4 inches thick; the “ country rock ” is 
granite. Portions of the lode channel have no ore. Much sulphide is 
present in fhe quartz, which averages about ij oz. per ton; this, of course, 
includes much of the wall of the lode. A western branch of the reef is 
being worked on the southern end of the lease, otherwise the shoots have 
been stoped out from the surface to the funnel level. To drive another 
adit would be expensive, and so the mine is nearly at a standstill, though the 
reef below the present level should be just as profitable to work as above it. 
Meerschaum Mine .—Here a tunnel has been driven in to the reef and 
level extended along reef for over 500 feet. The strike of the reef is N. 15 
deg. E. ; dip about 44 deg. to W. The thickness of the quartz is 4 inches 
to 12 inches, average 5 inches; present yield of gold about 2 ozs. per ton. 
Above this tunnel all the stone is stoped out; below it there is a mass 90 
feet in depth available from the Gentle Annie tunnel. 
Gentle Annie Mine .—As with the rest of the Gentle Annie line of reef 
this “ country rock ” is granite. The thickness of the reef is about 2 
inches. The reef dips westerly at 65 deg. It is worked right through the 
length of the lease above the level, and a winze has been sunk below. The 
veinstone on this line is highly mineralized and very complex, containing 
sulphides of zinc, lead, iron, copper, antimony, &c. There is every appear¬ 
ance that the lode will continue downwards, but the country is certain to 
become harder in depth. 
Star of the West Mine .—This is on the northern end of the line of reef. 
A level has been driven for about 400 feet along the reef, and a crosscut 
connects with the surface. The quartz reef is from 3 inches to 6 inches 
thick. Above the level the quarfz is stoped out; below it a winze, 35 feet 
deep, has been sunk. 
So far as work has, proceeded on the principal lines of reef, the indica¬ 
tions are that they are of a permanent nature, and that they will continue 
persistently downward. Though not, as a rule, of great width, and in 
some cases only a few inches wide, the reefs have proved profitable to work. 
The ore is of such a nature that much of the gold is locked up in 
sulphides, and one of the problems awaiting solution is how to deal success¬ 
fully with the complex concentrates. In many cases these are not even 
saved, and when saved they have to be sent long distances for treatment. 
The Tunnel. 
The tunnel proposed would be driven through schist country for some 
distance past the United Brothers reef. At first the rock would be easily 
and cheaply dealt with, as it is weathered, but as the tunnel increased in 
length firmer and harder material would be encountered, because the depth 
from the surface increases, and also because of the approach to a known 
mass of granite. 
