MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 400, 17 December 1869, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Halliday’s line of reef at Butcher’s Gully present quite an animated appearance, there being six -parties at work sinking. Most of the work is being 'lone by contract, consequently all are working with a will, and expect, in about six weeks to be able to give a definite opinion as to the value of the reef, and whether or not it continues through the claimg which hj ave been marked out. The prospectors. Halliday and party, after sinking to a depth of twenty feet, have contracted for a further sinking of sixty feet’ at the rate of 30s. per foot. A new reef is being prospected within about half a mile of Halliday’s, by Goltz, Feraud, and party. The indication of an existing reef is strong, there being a welldefined leader. The prospecting shaft is about eighteen feet deep, and the reef runs east and west.

Iversen’s reef, at Conroy’s, is being most most energetically and perseveringly prospected. The shaft is down close upon ninety feet, at which depth the party are driving for the reef.

In the bed of Butcher’s Gully a goldbearing leader was discovered during the past week. Mr. Rosen dale, on behalf of himself and party, applied to the Warden at Alexandra, on Monday last, for protection for a double claim. ' Prom the fact of Butcher’s Gully having proved very rich in the -precious metal the party are sanguine of their discovery turning out well. In Conroy’s Gulley three parties of Europeans and about twenty Chinamen are at work. Iversen’s party, * whose claim is at the foot of the gully, have been engaged for the past eighteen months in constructing a tail-race for the efficient working of their claim, which is four hundred yards square. The tail-race is a most stupendous piece of work, it having had to be blasted the entire length (about three hundred yards. On an average it is about seven feet deep, but, in some places, as much as eighteen or twenty feet of hard rock had to be cut through. This party expect to complete the race in about six months. Dawson and party and the third party are engaged in sluicing the upper end of the gully’ and are doing first-rate. The Chinamen are principally engaged in fossicking about among the surface patches, and, to all appearance, are doing well. The accounts from the Serpentime reef continue favorable ; Hastie Munford and party are raising stm e f'-om the seventy foot level, which looks well, other claims are sinking with a good show. Application was lodged at the Warden’s office, Olvde, on Tuesday last for a p’oSpecting claim for a quart* reef, somewhere in the neighborhood of Blackman's Gully, the prospectors produced seme very good specimens, said to be taken from the cap of the reef. Tunnel and party who are sluicing the hea I of t>-e gully, report themselves as doing very web, this party ha’ l a great and a laborious task to construct their tail race, if their good fortune continue, the v will he well repaid for their outlay of labor and capita'.

Bl ickwf'l and narty's claim at the T la-m. herikia Gorge is turning out some splendid gold, tke actual refer is have not reached us, but from what has transpired an average yield is being obtained.

The Manuherikia Ground Sluicing Company, and the Ovens Company are working away, goo 1 wages being the result of their labours, the latter Company have made an enormous dam for the storing of water they hitherto J«ce, when full the water will cover from twelve to fiiteen acres.

From Bendigo Gully, the news are cheeeriug, work is being pushed ahead more vigorously, and a good doil of stone is being brought to grass. The Cromwell Company are crushing away with their one bitt ry with good results, their second battery is in course of erection. The Aurora Company are getting on famously and expect to he ready to crush by the new year, they are reported to have struck some very rich stone in their crown shaft at about seventy feet ; they have now a large quantity of stone ready for the mill. The Golden Grown Company on Logan’s line of reef are busily sinking and carrying the reef down with them, and wherever they have pricked the reef, the stone carries good gold, they have bad a site for machinery surveyed, and it is understood have made arrangements for a ten head battery. Wilson. Johnson and party, No. 2, West, on the same line are getting on better, they have traced the reef the entire length of their cl lira, and are now sinking, they are down about thirty feet, carrying good gold the whole of the way down. A full share in the Aurora Companies claim changed hands during the past week for the sum of LI 050, Mr. T. M‘Morran and Mr. B. Cooper, being the purchasers.