BENDIGO GULLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 423, 27 May 1870, Page 3

BENDIGO GULLY.

(from our own correspondent.) May 21. T am sorry that T was unable, from unforseen circumstances, to inflict my usual 'contribution upon your readers last week, hut I hope, hy now giving all the latest news up to date, to atone for my shortcoming. Mining matters here, considering the season of the year and its attendant ■drawbacks, are in a flourishing condition. The miners chief auxiliary (water) is still plentiful, and while the supply continues we can have no reason to grumble. The weather during the week has been rather unpleasant—rain, alternating with fog, and an occasional glance from old Sol, whose heat-giving powers are rapidly diminishing. The frost is keeping ott well, but we cannot expect much longer to evade the Icy King, whose approach) compared with former years, has been mild, so I am inclined to give you a “tip,” a la Saxby, and predict a short reign for His Majesty in 1870. The Cromwell Company are busy erecting their additional five-head battery, the repairs to the wheel having unfortunately to stand over until the arrival of the necessary castings from Dunedin. In the meantime they are having one hundred and fifty tons of quartz crushed at the Aurora battery, and judging from the present appearance of the tables, this com pahy undoubtedly possess the richest reef jfet tested in the | district. Well, they are the pioneers and they deserve it. Dhriog the fortnight Broadfoot’s crushing was finished at tbe Aurora. Tbe reticence of this party prevent - ' mo ascertaining' the yield, but from the fact of them being busily engaged in ra’s ;- !g si ne, I presume it was payable. Eicbroond and Company had a tiial of twenty three tons , yielding 1 oz. Cdvts. per ton, and to day a washing up took place from tbe Victoria Lease of tb‘ ;ty two tons, the return is not known, as the amalgam is not yet retorted. It may be interesting to your readers to know that in all cases of trial crushiogs, so far work has been resumed in the claims from which they were taken, tbe fact looks we 1 l for our future, I will morel v mention as to all ether claims except the above and a portion of the Cromwe 1 ’ Company, that they

are virtually at a stand still, being either prote' ted, or about to be for the winter season. The Aurora Company have one hundred and twenty tons of stone at grass, and have commenced crushing to day on their own account. An accident occurred at this mill on Monday by the breaking of a pinion wheel and block, but with the usual energy displayed, the damages were repaired in twelve hours, and everything since has worked smoothly. There is one subject upon which you will excuse me dilating a little the consideration of wich may be of some use to unfledged quartz reefers and verdant shareholders, and that is, the disproportion generally occurring between the actual yield from stone, and the fond anticipations of the owners, the reason is, in nearly every instance, the stone was one half or one third non auriferous, that is, slated or what is vulgarly known as “ mullock ” this admixture of course considerably cut down the actual yield from the quartz proper, and has raised a feeling of dissatisfaction about the method of extr action which has been in no way allayed by Mr. Fyke’s official report from his district, wherein lie “ expresses his doubts as to the reliability of the trial crushings from either of the machines, there being reason to suppose that the machines or the mode of working- perhaps both —are far from pe.feot, nothing sublunary is “perfect,’’and I imagine the two companies in question* like the (Ecumenical Council, do not alto getber believe in infallibility, and are therefore prepared to admit that gold is lost during extraction, but, in no larger percentage than occurs at the best mills in Victoria, as I think 1 stated in a former article. The exact quantity can be accu rately determined, and when the tailing s amalgamating apparatus is completed at the Aurora mill, Mr. Fyke and others will then have an opportunity of judging whether such quantity lost will repay the cost of extracting. AVith regard to the piece of quartz sent to Dr. Hector, about which so much has been arid I may truly state upon the best authority that it came from the best part of Logan and Company’s reef, and it is confidently asserted that a ton consisting of stone all of the same quality could be made to yield over thirty ounces per ton at either mill. 1 believe I have given the true reason above for the disappointment experienced by shareholders at the return hitherto. I heard of a man in the early days of Victoria, finding a large nugget at Kiugour, which had such an effect on him that he straightway filled his pockets with the stone around him, in the belief that they were gold also. He was mad—and I am almost inclined to think, from the composition of some of the quartz heap here that that man is not the only victim of the “auri sacra fames”. “The Fosmrster has established a Fost Office at Wakefield, at the Cromwell Companies mill, because an enterprising storekeeper there has undertaken the conveyance and delivery of the mail for nothing.” There is of course nothing like economy but as we at Logan Town are not much benefited thereby, we anticipate having a second “ cheap” post office opened here in a week or so. Truly it is a singular institution.