, 1891-10-31

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the case Of one of these (the Silver Queen
Company J, the company have been enabled
to declare regular monthly dividends of Is.
on their LIS. shares, i'll the face Of heavy
transit expenses (the loss being equal to
II OF. of gold per TOM
This c0mpany'S ore, when smelted, yield
ed an average of 954 or. silver and 4 cwt.
lead per ton, and the other company refer
red to (the English Zeehan Silver Mining
Company have made a very handsome pro-
fit out of some $50 tons of ore which have
been shipped to England from their mine
and yielded over 100Uz. of silver per ton.
The silver-bearing country extends from
Mount Zeehan nOrthward to the Pieman
river and eastward to Mount Dundas and
Mount Murchison. Explorations to the
northward of the Pieman river have recent
y resulted in the discovery of further silver
bearing land, which extends to H~eazlewOod,
then eastward to the Whyte river, and west
ward to the Savage river. By following out
these discoveries on the map it will be seen
how widely the silver deposits are distri-
buted, and when it is remembered that the
great extension of the fields has taken
place during the last two years, and that
the country, covered as it is with dense
scrub, is most difficult to prospect, it is
clear that what has yet been found can only
be regarded as indicating the great mineral
wealth to be brought to light in the course
of time.
The silver ores found on the west coast
are without exception smelling ores, being
associated with so much lead that no other
treatment can deal with them as advanta-
geOusly as smelling. Native silver has been
found freely associated with gaIena. Chic
ride of silver is found in the mines near
Mount Zeehan, generally in the oxidized
upper portion of the lodeS, with oxide, car
Donate, and phosphate of lead as associates.
The main quantity of silver is, however,
not to be found as definite, visible COM
pounds OF the metal, but impregnated inyi-
Slbly as Sulphide through galena. This
mineral is found throughout the Zeehan
fields, of great purity and high silver value,
assays OF it ranging between 30oZ. and
25OOz. of silver to the ton.
Large quantities of ore fit for immediate
smelling, with no other previous treatment
than rough hand-SOrting III the mine, can
be readily obtained, and the more impure
ore is easy OF concentration. The OXidiZed
ores OF lead, carbonate, Sulphate, oxide and
phosphate, found sometimes in large guam
titles, may all be easily SmeIted. They are
generally much richer in silver than the ga
lena. With them kaolin, rich in silver but
poor III lead, has been found in cOnsidera-
BILE quantities in the Silver Queen Mine.
Highly argentiferOuS fail orc (tetrahe~
drite) has also been obtained, though sOme-
what sparingly.
The country rock is of the Silurian age.
and the lodes in which the ores occur are of
true assure type, and have every indication
Ofpermanency aud depth. For instance thB
banded structure, so characteristic of many
lead lOdeS in Europe that have been proved
to a great depth, is frequently seen at Zee
han. Some of the lOdeS have been systema-
tlcally traced for over two miles, and it
is believed that some of them extend IA
greater length than this, although, owing to
the dense scrub, tracing on the surface is
difficult.
The fine assure lode, locally known as
the King lode, has been cut at various dis
tances extending over two miles, on the
Silver King, the Silver Bell, the Silver
Crown, and Despatch Mines. A tunne
6 #. by 1T. and cut scott. in length has
yielded ore valued at over $4,000 on the
Silver Bell property.
In a recent report on the Tasmanian silver
field, Mr.. Montgomery, the TaSmanian Co.
vernment GeologiSt, says
Taking everything into consideration,
the proximity of the Seaboard, the railway
communication shortly to be completed,
the large number aud general richness OF
the already proved lodes, the presence OF
suitable fuxeS for smelling, the water pow