FURTHER TESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 35, 12 February 1890, Page 5

FURTHER TESTS.

SATISFACTORY ASSAYS AT WELLINGTON.

The Mines Department has received a preliminary report and assay by Dr. Skey from the five samples of stone forwarded some days ago. It is as follows :~ " Preliminary reports on five bags of reef stone for silver.—No. 1, from Kaimanau, quartz, with stibnite in nests, also dispersed : This sample varied greatly in composition. Three separate assays for silver were, therefore, made upon it, but in none was silver found. One of these was on the pure stibnite. "Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5, from Puhipuhi : These samples all appear to have the same character, except that Nos. 4 and 5 aro frequently veined with a dark mineral, the nature of which has not yet been precisely ascertained. This dark mineral, however, contains practicilly all the silver of the stone, principally combined as sulphide. The matrix itself is a chertz rock, and has mo3t probably been formed by some hydrothermal action. The assays ox these samples afforded results as follows, as calculated on the ton of stone :—

11 No. 2, traces. "No. 3, soz Odwt 20gr bullion per ton " No. 4, 107oz 18dwt

" No. 5, 102oz 19dwt 7gr

"The bullion in each case was found to be nearly all silver, as, though gold was uniformally present, it was too small a quantity to weigh. The exact quantity of gold and silver in the specimens to hand will shortly be proportionately determined upon a larger quantity of stone.— (Signed) W. Skey."