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ing that in 1895 the claim was abandoned and the plant disposed of. In 1898, and again in 1904, some little further prospecting was done on the ground, which, however, gave no better results than the previous work. In 1908, following the success attained by the Big River Mine, the St. George and all the other claims along the line were taken up again, and the St. George Gold-mining Company was formed to work the St. George and Matthias Claims. An adit was started on the Snowy River fall in the latter claim in 1909, to give from 270 ft. to 500 ft. of backs on the three known lines of reef, and this was subsequently extended northerly for upwards of 1,800 ft., but the driving throughout was on a fault with well slickensided walls, which carried occasional boulders or bunches of quartz but no solid stone. Crosscuts were run out to east and west. The westerly crosscut was extended for 180 ft. from the main drive, and at 106 ft. in what was believed to be the western reef was struck, and was driven on for a considerable distance, but nothing of value was found. In 1911 this long adit was extended into the South Big River Claim, still without satisfactory result, and in 1912 all work by the company was discontinued, and nothing has since been done on the areas it held.
South Big River Mine.—This adjoined the St. George on the north, and was about two miles south of the Big River Mine. It seems to have been first prospected about 1908 by the South Big River Gold-mining Syndicate, and afterwards by the Big River South Gold-mines, Ltd. Two winzes were sunk on the outcrop, and three adits were driven at 15 ft., 70 ft., and 185 ft. respectively below the outcrop; but; although some gold-bearing stone was got in the upper workings, the results of the work were unsatisfactory, and in 1914 the ground was abandoned. In the lower levels a strong reef-track was followed, but it contained no payable stone. In 1921 the claim was again taken up, this time by William Rodden, and prospecting was resumed. No. 2 adit was repaired and extended, and some gold-bearing stone was found near the most northerly of the old winzes, but the reef was very broken, and the quartz in small quantity. A little later the claim was taken over by the South Big River Mines, Ltd., a subsidiary of Reefton Mines, Ltd., and for a time prospecting was pushed along vigorously, particularly in No. 3 adit, which was driven a further considerable distance on a reef-track up to 4 ft. or more wide, consisting mainly of pug with splashes of much-crushed quartz. Altogether, this adit was extended to 900 ft. from the portal, of which the last 400 ft. were on reef-track of the character mentioned. From a point about 160 ft. from the end a crosscut was also put out to the west for approximately 460 ft., with a view to picking up a supposed parallel line of reef. At 290 ft. from the main adit a formation in the nature of a stockwork, consisting of a mixture of quartz and country-rock was met, and was driven on for 75 ft. north and 50 ft. south. This formation was about 4 ft. in width, and carried a little gold, but in quite unpayable amount. The company also connected Nos. 2 and 3 adits by means of a rise.
The appearance of the mine indicated that in all probability at one time a reef-line having several short shoots of stone existed, but that later post-mineral faulting had occurred, resulting in the reopening of the original fissure and the crushing of its contents and walls. In Dr. Henderson’s opinion the fissure followed in the workings was probably the same as that in which so much driving had been done in the St. George Mine.
At the present time the mine is idle, and there is little to justify the expenditure of further money in prospecting it.
