THE THAMES

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 527, 3 June 1869, Page 4

THE THAMES

The following extracts are from the Thames and Auckland journals, up to the 22nd May:— Mining operations are almost totally suspended at present, on account of the protection granted in consequence of the arrival of H.R.H, the Duke of Edinburgh at Auckland, The Grahamstown branch of the Bank of New Zealand sent away 3500 ounces of gold yesterday, in two boxes, by the steamers Royal Alfred and John Perm. To-morrow the branch bank will ship by the same steamers 4300 ounces of gold in three boxes, and thus the week's shipments will amount to 8000 ounces, the largest yet shipped here by one bank. One of the most prominent discoveries during the holidays has been that of a piece of rich ground in the immediate neighborhood of M 'Isaac's on Friday last, which has since been named the Young Poverty claim. It is surrounded by the Auckland Independent, Last Hit, Land's End, and Flag of Britannia claims, and is only separated from M'lsaac's by one claim. Singular to say, when the rush to M'lsaac's set in, this piece of ground escaped notice when the surrounding claims i were pegged out, and was only accidentally discovered by one of the men employed on M'lsaac's claim. It was only pegged ' out on Friday last as a claim of four men's ground ; and we have been informed that a leader bearing directly for M'lsaac's reef has been found on Ihe surface. A drive has been commenced, and preparations are being made for commencing work in a systematic manner. Several fine prospects have been washed from the surface of the leader, which give promise of a remunerative return when the leader is opened up more extensively. The ground has been taken up by Dillon's party, who have lately been prospecting the ranges further back than they have yet been tried. We had occasion the other day to notice the discovery of rich stone in a reef on the Little Nell claim, Tararu. We are informed that subsequent workings on the reef have brought to light specimens far richer than those brought into town during last week. We congratulate the lucky shareholders on their good fortune, but some of them deserve it for sticking rfb closely to ventures in Tararn, which got into sad disrepute some time ago. Although there is comparatively little doing in the claims during the present holiday season, we have heard of one or two good things having been discovered in the last day or two, We are informed that the shareholders of the Caroline claim, Alabama Creek, struck a fine leader lately, out of which some very good specimens of auriferous quartz were taken. The Eureka has again turned out some fiae stone from a low level — an encouragement to our miners to sink when they are \insuccessful in the surface workings. It seems to be a favorite mode of prospecting ground to put in a number of drives, and it frequently happens that the tops of the leaders only are cut, and the real work of mining has to be gone over again. A reef two feet through was cut through in the Telegraph Gold Mining Company's ground last week. The machine to be erected on the Golden Crown claim is progressing. This machine will combine all the latest improvements for quartz crushing, and is estimated to cost L6OOO. It is said that over 24,0000z, of gold has been taken out of this remarkable claim, The Lone Star claim, on the Karaka, which a few days ago had a crushing of a ton of stone, amongst which some, comparatively rich stuff was mixed, at the Kuranui Company's one-stamper, with a yield of 17£oz gold, have had another ton, taken promiscuously from the heap, crushed as a trial, and the yield averaged from three to four ounces to the ton. Stuff from this claim at present occupies five stampers at the Una Quartz Crushing Co.'s battery, with every appearance of a good yield. This is one of those claims on the Karaka Hill extending from the Snnnyside claim in the creek to the Excelsior and Pride of the Karaka, all of which have every appearance of turning out exceedingly rich, The crushings from this ridge have invariably been of a very satisfactory character, and the late finds in the Pride of Karaka and Excelsior has infiibed new vigor into the workmen on the surrounding claims, which are now worked with the greatest energy and with

every prospect of even greater success than hns been hitherto attained. The crushing which was completed at the Hauraki battery, for the Long Drive claim, on Friday last, yielded 4|oz. to the ton. A dividend of £3 per scrip was declared on Saturday, as the result of the late specimen crushing at the Kuranui Company's one-stamper battery, and the present yield from the Hauraki batlery, besides which £1000 was left to the credit of the claim at the Bank for the future expenses of the mine, There are 120 scrip to each full share in this claim. Kuranui Company's Batterios.— The Deep Lead and Company's stuff occupy the whole power of the new battery, but there has been no cleaning wp since last report. The Young American crushed SO tons with a yield of two ounces to the ton. The tailings have yet to go through the buddies, which will make an .addition to this yield, A small parcel of specimens from tho Lucky Hit was crushed in the one-stamper, and gave 20oz. of gold. Eight tons from the Golden Point averaged three-quarters of an ounce to the ton. Besides the Deep Lead and Company, the Junction is now crushing at the Kuranui battery. Souter'sbattery since last report crushed eight tons for the Caledonian Co.'s claim, which yielded 19oz. 4dwt. of gold. One battery is still fully employed on the Golden Crown stuff. At Bull's one-stamper a hundredweight of stone from a claim iv the vicinity of the Lucky Hit has been crushed, with a yield of half a pennyweight ; the quartz was obtained from five feet sinking. The Golden Nest, Waiotahi, put through two trial parcels of a hundredweight each, and obtained a return of six pennyweights from the two lots. The Kaueranga Battery crushed 25 tons for the Queen of Sheba, which averaged over an ounce to the ton. Five tons from the Morning Bell Gold Mining Company's claim are now going through, being trials from two different reefs. The Una Company have crushed the following parcels since our last report : — 33 tons from the Prince of Wales gave 450z 16dwt ; Lord Nelson, 52 tons, 117oz; Shannonside, 5 tons, an average of an ounce to the ton ; 6 tons from the Clyde claim, Karaka Hill, COoz of amalgam, which was being retorted at the time of our visit. The battery is now employed on stone from the Lone Star and Wells' Reef, the latter of which is making a particular good show on the plates. ! The four-stamper battery of the Day Spring claim, Waiotahi, is kept going on quartz from the claim. The leaders give from one to two ounces to the ton, and the crushing power is equal to about sixteen tons a week. The last cleaning up for eight days' work amounted to eighty-one ounces of amalgam, not yet retorted. \