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few of them, apart from the Wilson’s Reward, showed much promise of being of economic value. Next to the reef mentioned, the best values were found in Pfablert’s and Fiddes’s reefs.
Wilson’s Reward Reef.—This reef was located on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Harman, about one mile north of Browning’s Pass, at an elevation of about 5,330 ft. above sea-level, and it occurs in an area in which a number of outcrops of considerable dimensions are revealed. Bell[1] describes these outcrops as having no definite alignment, but suggesting a mineralized zone instead of a definite vein, the quartz occurring as large lens-shaped masses, which weaken in the direction of the strike, die out, or are replaced by similar lenses. The general strike corresponds with that of the strata (the veins being of the bedded type) which is 5° east of north, with a dip to the westward at from 40° to 60°.
On the surface, Wilson’s Reward reef is said to have shown an outcrop about 60 ft. in length and 15 ft wide, but under the surface debris it may continue for a much greater distance. Shortly after its discovery by McGregor a syndicate was formed in Christchurch to prospect it. This syndicate is said to have taken out a parcel of 3 tons of ore, evidently gathered from the outcrop, which was sent to Auckland for treatment. The actual results from this parcel are not known, but it is said the yield was at the rate of 13 oz. gold per ton. Following on this test, a claim covering the discovery was applied for and granted, and the Wilberforce Gold-mining Company was formed to work it. This company, in 1885, started a low-level tunnel from near the base of the Wilberforce Valley to cut the reef at depth. To reach the reef this adit would have had to be driven at least 1,600 ft., but after penetrating 1,000 ft. the company’s funds became exhausted, and it abandoned operations. Although the Wilson’s Reward reef was not met with, it is said, however, that at about 600 ft. in from the portal another reef was passed through, from which tests of the quartz were made, with the result that it yielded by amalgamation 12 dwt. gold per ton.
After this abandonment of the ground the field was neglected till 1902, when Mr. James Darward, of Christchurch, who had been a shareholder in the company, visited the locality with a well-known Westland prospector, Mr. R. Hyndman, and did some further prospecting in the way of surface examination, but severe weather prevented them remaining for more than a very short time. A little over a year later, in January, 1904, Mr. Hyndman and Mr. M. Grey went out and took some samples from the outcrops, which on assay are said to have shown satisfactory values. The party then took out a parcel of half a ton weight, which was sent to Reefton for treatment, and it is said to have yielded 1 oz. 9 dwt. 21 gr. gold. In November of the same year Messrs. Hyndman and Cameron started a tunnel to cut Wilson’s Reward reef 100 ft. vertically under the outcrop. This tunnel was driven due north in the country to the east of the formation, and it intersected the reef at an acute angle on the footwall side at 170 ft. in. The adit was then turned to crosscut the roof, but after cutting through the stone for between 13 ft. and 14 ft. without meeting the hanging-wall, work was stopped, apparently owing to the values in the quartz being so low as to discourage further effort, and up to the present time no further attempt has been made to test the deposit. J. M. Bell,[2] who saw the reef shortly after this work was done, described it as being of a milky-white and somewhat semi-vitreous nature, and containing irregular-shaped fragments as well as partings of argillites. A small percentage of sulphides, chiefly pyrite and chalcopyrite,
