THE THAMES

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 525, 29 May 1869, Page 4

THE THAMES

{Froci the Southern Cro r ss, 10th inst.) In the Gulden Lion a drive has been pntered along thp reef to a length of twenty feet, cutting two very fine, leaders, from which, abqut 3.2 tons of very goodbooking stone have, been taken. A quantity pf this stone has been tested, with' a yield of lloz 15dwt tq the tqn. A shaft is about to be sunk on these leaders to a depth of fifty feet. The Shannonside are about to crush, five tons of quartz frqm the main reef, at the Una Company's battery. If the return is favourable, arrangements will at once be made for crushing 100 ton» or more. We were yesterday shown some very fine specimens from #xc Jeweller's Shop claim,' which were taken out on Tuesday. The ahareholdpra in the Redan, Moanataiari, have been successful in cutting Kelly's leaders in a drive seventy feet Jong. The leader is two feet through. They intend having a crushing of about sixty tons at once. A crushing of twenty-five tons of stone fronTthe Poverty claim, at GoodalTs battery, yielded at the rate of two ounces to the ton. Thirtyrtwo tons pf stone from the Inverness claim, crushed at the Victoria Company's battery, yielded 43| ounces of gold. The Siam crushed ten tons at Partington's Shellback machine, with a yield, of a quarter of an punce to thp ton. The Shellback is npw fairly started on tailings jtron> the Shotover claim. The Monkleigh, which we noticed a few days ago as having struck the Dauntless leader, continues tq turn put rich specimens. The Jamaica claim, at the head of the Karaka, have* just finished a crushing of 601 bof specimens, from which they got a Splendid^ yield of 370z 13dwt 18gr of smelted gold. It was crushed in Messrs Weston Brothers' battery, Waiotahi, The Great Victoria claim, nest the Gfre,at Extended Gold Mining Company's ground struck a fine reef on Tuesday. They have cut two feet into it, but not through yet.' Some very fair specimens were taken ooutt t The, Poverty is also improving in appearance, and has given some rich patches pf specimens lately. Quartz from this claim is nqw being crushed at Goodall's fcattery. About 501 bof rich specimens were taken put of the Nil Desperandum Company's plaim, at the head of the Waiotahi, yesterday morning. A parcel of specimens from the Poverty claim was disposed of in the usual manner pt the Kuranui machine, and gave 2020z 16dwt of melted gold. On Thursday 3730z of retorted gold, the proceeds of the last general cleaning-up of the Victoria batteries, were taken to the Bank qf New Zealand melting house, and submitted to the purifying process. The result was 3680z 4dwt of melted gold, Very steady ans satisfactory is the yield pf the Homeward Bound claim, Kuranui Hill. The main leader is being worked in different pants pf th§ claim, and, with an average thickness of two feet, pays an average rate of 2oz to the ton. The last crushing of 60 tons gave 120oz. An old winze that was sunk some months ago at tke level of the machine house, on a leader which has, been proved to be the main leader, was cleaned out last week, and the vein found at the bottom well defined and inclined to thicken. There is no doubt this lode will thicken as it is fol- 1 lowed down. On the other s,ide of the claim, ne^t to the Moanataiari Company, the Hompward Bound men are working ' $he continuation of the rich 'specimen lead/Hr that has yielded sa handsomely to the Koaaataiari -Company. It is not gvite *• good in the Horn* ward Bound #(&&, %nt y^M/l well, ax was proved by the &# crushing of 11 tons, which gave Underground communication has lmn> totabltshed between thp Some ward jj-otnad and Beep Lead claims. The former **kole4 ibrougX" last week, and found un<?oioinonly gyod quartz on the boundary. Thf D,eep Lgod men are working it induststonjflj?, and we tea? have got nearly fyrpa hundred pounds weight of first-class specimens i« the box. The Homeward Bound machine has nine stampers going for the claim it is named after. We h,ave to record another splendid yield from the Long Drive Claim. Yesterday the crushing of 3501 bof specimens taken out of the middle drive leader of the above claim was completed, wjth the following^result: — Weight of hard-squeezed amalgam, 34030z, which retorted gave $20ioz. of gold in two magnificent cakes. These were tafcpn to the melting house of the Bank of New Zealand, and, being put through the refining pots by Mr Smith, came out in five solid ingots, which weighed 11450z Bdwt. Thus the loss was only 550z 12dwt l(%jrs. To the above may be added 260z 2dwt of gold retorted out of refuse stuff last night, and taken to the Bank this morning— so that the total return maj be quoted at H7loz lOdwt. . Some' of the most extraordinary stuff we have yet seen sent to machinery to be crushed 'js that which is at present being put through Holmes and Co's battery from the Wheel of Fortune Claim. In visiting the claim — we can scarcely call it a mme — we were surprised io see the facility with which large quantities pf payable stuff can be obtained. The men are npither sinking nor driving ; but merely stripping the surface soil and sending the remainder to be crushed. The claim is situated on Murphy's Flat, nearly opposite Holmes and Co.'s machine. A blind gully runs through the claim, and on this the workings are at present being parried on. The stuff taken out for crushing is composed of loose quartz mullock and soil, from which fine' payablp prospects can be obtained to the dish. Large quantities ' o( this s,tufF have' already been crushed, and the yield has always offered sufficient inducement to the miners to proceed with the Working of the claim. The yield from Various parts pf the claim has usually been from "half ap ounce to an ounce and a half to the ton t and such is tne facility with which the stuff can be taken out, and transmitted to machinery thai this yield has paid handsome dividends to thp shareholders. Stuff from this claim at present occupies two batteries at Holmes's machine, and the show on the plates promises to equal the best yet obtained. .»-.•■ ••'•«■.*