THE THAMES.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 537, 26 June 1869, Page 4

THE THAMES.

(From the Weekly Herald, June 5.) The leaders in Tookey's claim are improving considerably in richness. Some very fine,specimens were shown to us yesterday, or great richness. The Homeward Bound Company's leaders are turning out much better than for some time previously. In the winze put down for blocking out the reef, some rich specimen stone has been got out lately. The Eureka struck another leader a day or two ago, which has brought a lot of water into the workings. It is not known what the extent or richness of the new find may be. From the old leader specimens are being constantly taken out, as rich as ever. These, with a large parcel of general stone, will be crushed at the Kuranui Company's battery as soon as the alterations now going on are completed. The Redan, next Kelly's, on the Moanataiari, are driving from their shaft for a leader opened in a drive at a much higher level. A trial crushing averaged two ounces to the ton, and the shareholders anticipate something very good when they intersect this leader at the low level they are now working from. In M 'lsaac's, Upper Karaka, a new leader has been opened out in the lower drive, from four to eight inches in thickness. The leaders in the other workings continue to yield as rich specimens as ever. The Company's machinery is now on the ground and the site is almost completed, so that we may reasonably expect to hear of some good returns from this claim before very long. We are informed that arrangements have been made by the manager for bringing down twenty tons of quartz for crushing on the flat. The Flying Cloud (next the Whau and the Royal Blue), Moanataiari Creek, has lately been producing some rich specimen stone. The claim has been worked for a long time at great expense, and the shareholders have at last been rewarded for their perseverance by finding what promises to be a veiy good payable reef. Some of the specimens have been on view in the township for several days, but we are informed that some obtained on Saturda\r are much richer than those brought into Shortland. Yesterday we were informed that the Shamrock had come upon a very rich patch in their reef, from which a very large parcel of specimens have been obtained, and of a quality not often surpassed. At the Diggers' Friend claim we found the men bu3y sinking on the reef which has been exposed in variotis workings of the claim. In the upper workings this leader varied from two to three feet, but on sinking it gradually diminished in size until it was found to dwindle down to six inches. The shaft, however, wag still continued, and the leader has again resumed its former dimensions, and has also considerably improved in appearance, although it has still that watery look which it presented on the higher level. The shaft is now down about 46 feet, and work is progressing slowly, as the leader has dipped into the middle of the shaft, and consequently entails a vast amount of labor in sinking through it. It also makes a large quantity of water, which retards the progress of the shaft. The shaft of the Star of Sevastopol, the adjoining claim, which has been put down to intersect the Diggers' Friend lead, is now down about 59 feet, and the shareholders shortly intend commencing drives both ways, so as to cut the dip of the leader. The Golden Harp men have commenced sinking, in the hope of obtaining something more substantial than has yet been found at the present levels. A lower drive was put in some time since to cut the large lode exposed in the face cutting, but without success. The crushinga from the large reef have given payable returns each time from the surface, and the shareholders are in hope that it will improve at the lower workings. In the Diggers' Friend alone there are from 50 to 80 tona of quartz stacked, which the shareholders expect to pay handsomely when crushed. -The roads, however, are in such a frightful state that it would take a large percentage of gold to pay carting expenses alone. The crushing for the Queen of Sheba claim, at Souter's battery, has given an average of two ounces to the ton ; eight tons were put through for a yield of I6oz. sdwt. 3gr. retorted gold. This is a decided improvement on the previous crushings, and promises well for the future of tliM claim. The reef is a large blue mullocky one, from which almost any amount of stuff can be obtained without much expense, and as the claim is situated near the Karaka flat, immediately behind Graham's paddock, the carriage of the stuff does not entail such a heavy expenditure as in many other claims. We were informed yesterday that three-, quarters of a hundredweight of quartz from the Monkey claim, crushed at Souter's battery immediately before the protection yielded 31oz. of gold. This claim adjoins the Dauntless and the Launceston claims, and the stuff was taken from a continuation of the Dauntless leader.