80 
Other assays have given far higher gold results, but as the lode appears 
to be leached above water-level the true value of the unaltered ore can best 
be ascertained by drilling. So far as is known, this is by far the largest 
mineral lode within this State, and should it prove to be worth working it 
should be a very extensive asset. 
[7.6.11.] 
Boring at the Mammoth Lode. 
The site of the bores at the Gibbo River is 2J miles higher up than King’s 
place. Altogether twelve holes were drilled on the south side of the river, 
the deepest being 142 feet. The holes were so arranged as to give a general 
idea of the nature and arrangement of the ore-bodies of the lode, which is 
about 40 feet wide where the drilling was carried out. On Turnback Creek, 
almost 3 miles south of the Gibbo River, it is fully as wide. The full length 
of the lode at the surface is unknown. The result of the boring goes to show 
that ores containing gold, silver, copper, lead and sulphur exist, and that 
the material between the walls of the lode consists of quartz mixed with 
sulphides of lead, iron and copper, and a great quantity of porphyry. Distri¬ 
buted through this are bodies of ore that, at any rate in places, are worth 
up to £10 or £12 per ton. The extent or average value of the material in 
the lode can only be determined by actual mining operations, as the drill 
is not suitable for testing the exact value of the contents of the lode. 
As the boring proceeded, samples were obtained of the concentrates, 
and when possible cores were secured for this purpose. The concentrates 
were taken at every 10 feet, and therefore the results obtained by assaying 
’were for the whole 10 feet, although perhaps only 1 foot of ore was bored 
through. The assay results in such cases do not show the value of the 
actual ore passed through, but are the averages of the 10 feet of ore and 
gangue together. 
When cores were obtained the results showed the actual value of the ore. 
Most of the assays were very poor, but some indicate that ore of good value 
is to be found in some parts of the lode. Properly to test the extent and 
value of the ore bodies it will now be necessary to drive a level in the lode 
a few feet above the river for a few hundred feet, and from this cross-cuts 
should be driven right across the lode at intervals. 
In excavating a position for the machine at the surface on the site of 
No. 3 bore several cwt. of pyrites carrying up to 7’9 per cent, of copper was 
broken out. Below the surface at various depths in several of the bores 
good ore was also found. Below, in tabulated form, are given some results 
of assays made at the Geological Survey Laboratory :— 
No. of 
Assay. 
No. of 
Bora. 
Depth. 
Gold, 
per ton. 
Silver 
per ton. 
Copper. 
oz. 
dwt. 
gr. 
oz. 
dwt. 
gr. 
Percentage. 
315 
3 
Surface 
0 
0 
16 
3 
3 
19 
6-4 
662 
3 
do. 
trace 
3 
9 
21 
7’9 
526 
2 
13 to 15ft. 
0 
6 
12 
2 
7 
9 
'102 
534 
2 
31 to 34ft. 
0 
0 
16 
5 
10 
10 
102 
108 
9 
30 to 84ft. 
0 
0 
16 
3 
13 
4 
•51 
114 
9 
56 to 62ft. 
0 
2 
15 
0 
13 
17 
•18 
115 
9 
63 to 67ft. 
0 
1 
7 
1 
16 
14 
•54 
321 
10 
73ft. 
trace 
50 
16 
14 
11-28 
234 
10 
70 to 80ft. 
0 
\ 
1 
23 
4 
18 
0 
1-58 
There was also 33 9% of sulphur in Assay No. 315. 
[13.8.12.] 
