THE REEFS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 11, 19 January 1870, Page 4

THE REEFS.

From Bendigo there is very littlo news of any importance to chronicle. Until the Aurora Company's first crushing, which we are informed will take place at the end of next week, nothing more than the prospecting—or rather the further proving—of claims on the various lines of reef will be engaged in. Prom some of the claims excellent stone has b-en taken the past week j and sinco the holidays a "considerable amount of work has been got through. Having recently visited a number of the claims, we are enabled to supply our readers with a few particulars of the different methods at piesent employed in testing and working them. BENDIOO KKEK In the prospectors' claim, owing to a dispute amongst the partners, work has been carried on during the past three weeks under the superintendence of the manager appointed by Mr Warden Pyke. A considerable quantity of stone has been conveyed to the battery and crushed, but we understand the results have not been so satisfactory as formerly. No. 1 east (Smith and party.)— The shareholders in this claim are engaged putting in a cutting. A sample of !stone which was pounded up last week showed splendid results. A third share in the churn (three men's ground) was recently sold for £305. J No. 2to No. 9 east—ln these claims work has been resumed since Christmas, with results more or less successful. In Gillies's claim we understand the prospects are exceedingly good. In No. 10 east (Loughnan and party), the reef is not yet thoroughly defined, "although a leader four or five inches in width has been traced along the entire length of tile claim. In this leader very fine gold is

seen, in the stone. In No. II east (Elliott and party) aeutj ting has been put down to a depth of about j 12ft. So far only & narrow vein has been J mat with, and the share!rolders intend to J commence a drive, in which they expect ' to strike the reef. ! No. 1 west (Hurley and party).—A : shaft has taen sunk to a depth of 30ft., ; and a drive was started last week. The j company expected to strike the reef at a | distance of four or five feet iu the drive. j No. 2 west.—Wilson and party, the [ holders of this claim, are sinking alongside | the reef, with excellent prospects. They | are at present down to a depth of 21ft. ! No. 3 west (Hazlett and party) —Seve ! ral shafts have been sunk in this claim. | In the main shaft, which is down 60ft., a j drive has been started, and the reef will no doubt be struck shortly. AURORA. REEF. } Aurora Company.—During the past fort- ■ ! night work has been prosecuted with groat, | vigour in this company's claim. There i are now about 200 tons of stone readv for I crushing, and the manager confidently ex- i pects that the first crushing will take place ! about the end of next week. A tunnel j has been taken in from the machine to the I upper shaft, a distance of about 200 feet. ! The reef averages eighteen indies in width, j and carries gold in the stone the whole of j this distance. A race, delivering about ; five bends of water, lias been brought in | from the Seven-mile Creek, ou the east | bank of the Clutha, and is now quite com- | pleted. Owing to the great elevation of! I the Dunstan Range, over which the race j i has been cut, the water will unfortunately I be frozen for about two months ia the I

, year. i No. 1 east (M‘Lauchlan and party). [ Tills party ajiplied for a lease of their area, , | whic!l has not yet been granted, and they 1 1 n! e P 1 * working under protection. •: There has not been much work done in the i j The reef has, however, been traced | ; | to a distance of 80 yards from the bouu j ' i dary, with very good stone the whole dis- ! , j tance. I No. 2 east (Loughnan and party).—The i i mam shaft in this claim has been sunk to a depth of 47 feet, and although the ac- } tual icef has not yet been struck, there are j indications of it being near at hand. In the leaders which have been met'with good stone has been got, and the shareholders consider their prospects very satisfactory. Nos. 3, 4, and 5 east.—-In the whole of these claims, the remarks made in reference to No. 2 will apply. In No. G cast, the reef was struck last week at a depth of 12 feet, the stone being I very hard. ° j No. 1 west.—Smith and party, the share- ; holders in this claim, have not as yet struck j the main reef in the shafts which they have i sunk (50ft and 76ft respectively). In both they have met with leaders, of varying thicknesses, the quartz being of very good quality. In the 50ft shaft they arc still sinking, with expectations of getting the reef shortly.

J . No. 2 west (M'Namara and party.)— I Several shafts have been sunk in this claim, ami the reef has been found, with gold plainly discernible in the stone. No. 3 west.—Sergeant and party have sunk to a depth of 20 feet in this claim. They have got the reef, which is about 3ft wide, and arc still sinking. C'OLUIiOUUII’s KEEP. In the prospector’s claim work has been i resumed since the holidays, and st mo is i j now being got up. Wo are.not in a pool-1

tiou to give further reliable particulars a; to this claim, not having met with any of ’ the working shareholders. No. 1 east (Butler and party).—The leader in this claim is' being followed on contract. Yery littlo stone is boiii" got up. ° ° No. 2 east (Woods and party) The two • working sharoholdeis sold out of this claim 1 recently, one of them having proceeded to 1 the Shotover, as manager of the dredge recently launched upon that river. & ■ In the Harp of Erin claim (No. 2 west), Hamilton and party, a shaft is being sunk by contract. The contractors are on u good leader, and the prospects are very satis--1 factory. KIOHJIOND’s H'EHF'. In the prospectors’ claim on this line, i reef was struck in the first shaft at a s depth of 12 feet, a few days before Christ- ; mas. The shaft has since been carried • down a further distance of 23 feet. Some . splendid stone has been met with in this claim, and on Saturday last some very rich ; specimens were taken out. The reef is on i an average about twelve inches thick, the stone being generally of a rotten, crum- > bling description. [ No. 1 east was taken up by Cane and ) P ai ’l i y) but has been abandoned, owing to [ the rocky and broken nature of the grou nd. • No. 2 east.—This claim was originally r taken up by M‘Nab and party. They struck leaders, but were unable to find the > reef, and abandoned the ground, Kenny , and party have since taken up the claim, i and are now getting their windlass and ? tools ready to commence work. No. 3 east was taken up last week, and , trenching and other preliminary operations . are now being engaged in. i No. 1 west (Broadfoot and party).—This ? party are sinking through a soft, mullocky : leader, and are now down about 20 feet. They anticipate having to go a consider- . able depth before the reef is struck. , No. 2 west was taken up last week. As yet no work of any consequence has been done. ALTO RJJEF. We learn that in the prospectors’ claim on this line of reef the stone is turning out splendidly. Williams and party have now about 100 tons of stone on the surface. The reef was struck in Nos. 1 and 3 | east last week, and in No. 2 the sharehold- } ers anticipate getting it this week. j