1857 W. P. Blake in V. 272 A ‘prospecting’ shaft is first sunk from the surface of the bed-rock, and the earth tested.
1880 3 Dec. Hundreds of men..began to sink what are called ‘prospecting shafts’, and a vast amount of low grade mineral was brought to bank.
1999 25 92 Jobs, which they generally performed on the small mines beyond the Reef, and in prospecting shafts.