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some of the stone and of the information furnished by the work already done, it is possible that the locality may deserve some little further investigation.
As far as the Cumberland and West Inkerman shoots are concerned, such evidence as is at hand seems to indicate that they were both cut off by normal faults, consequently it is highly probable that the downward continuation of each could be located again if the necessary prospecting-work were carried out in the right way. Unfortunately, owing to no sufficient data having been preserved as to the exact position underground, any opinion expressed as to the precise nature of the earth-movements that dislocated the shoots can only be of a purely speculative character, but from a study of such information as could be adduced at the time he made the geological survey of the district Dr. Henderson has drawn very reasonable conclusions as to what happened with each shoot. Regarding the Cumberland shoot he was of the opinion that the fault that dislocated the worked portion had a general north-and-south strike and an easterly dip—or, in other words, that the earth-movements affecting it were similar to those that occurred in the Progress Mine. In this case the lost portion of the shoot might be located either by rising up along the fault-plane disclosed in the bottom level or by crosscutting westward from it. As to the Inkerman West shoot, the Geologist’s opinion was that the fault displacing it had a westerly dip, and that the downward continuation would be found to the eastward, and perhaps a little northward, of the old workings. In both cases, if the necessary work had been done in the directions indicated, good results might well have accrued, but the work should have been done when the mines were open, as it would then have entailed only a reasonable expenditure. Whether it would be justified now is another question, and one regarding which only a doubtful answer can be given. To reopen the mines now, and re-equip them with the necessary winding and pumping plant, would cost a lot of money, and the writer would certainly hesitate to recommend the adoption of such a course. This much may be said, however, that even under existing conditions the attempt to locate either of the shoots mentioned, would have been as well justified as a number of other prospecting efforts upon which large sums of money have been wasted in the district of late years.
Between the Cumberland Mine and the Sir Francis Drake is a stretch of upwards of 2,400 ft. of virgin country that may have possibilities. It has been well examined superficially in the past—the old-time miner of the district could be safely trusted to look out for that—but there is nothing to show that any trenching, tunnelling, or shaft-sinking has been done on it. If the Consolidated Goldfields intention of testing it at depth from the Sir Francis Drake shaft had been carried into effect it would have been the best way, even if a rather costly one, of testing the ground; but, in lieu of it, surface trenching and the driving of shallow crosscut adits might give good results.
Between the Scotia workings and those of the Inkerman West there is another stretch of about 1,600 ft. of lode-line that may deserve further examination. Auriferous shoad stone is said to have been found nearly the whole way along it, and from one spot, on the Inkerman South claim, 90 tons of loose stone were gathered, as before mentioned, which on treatment yielded 3 oz. gold per ton. It is difficult to believe that this shoad came from purely superficial deposits, and, although a number of good prospectors have searched the locality, it is possible that one or more shoots of stone still await discovery there.
