LATER NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 686, 11 June 1870, Page 1 (Supplement)

LATER NEWS.

Launceston, May 25. ■WATERHOTJSE. Mr Boughtman, the manager of the United Victoria and Tasmania Company, arrived here with the proceeds of the last fortnight's crushing and cleaning at the company's works, completed on Saturday. The result is 115oz of smelted gold from 157 tons of quartz, or 14dwt I7gr per ton. This result ought to increase confidence in the great value of mine, especially as a considerable quantity of the 157 tons crnshed consisted of mullock and refuse stone from which specimens had been extracted by visitors. Yes.ter.day being a holiday, if there were any transactions in shares at improved rates, there was no opportunity of ascertaining the facts, all the broker's establishments being closed. NINE MILE SPRINGS. The Shamrock Reef was thoroughly inspected by the party as far as it has been exposed. Very little work has, however, been done. There is an opening of some extent, in which the reef is visible for a distance of about twenty feet, and has the appearance of being well defined, although broken. It is in parts about five feet wide, and its course is from N.E. to S.W., with a considerable dip to the eastward. Both walls are well defined, and the casing yields gold of very fine quality. Three dishes were washed out in the presence of visitors, each-giving about a quarter of a pennyweight of gold, including some pretty little pieces. Specimens may be picked out oi the lode in any quantity, all consisting more or less of fine gold. The general impression derived by the visitors was favorable to the prospects of the reef, but until it is further proved, it is impossible to give an opinion respecting it. There is undoubtedly a large body of rich stone — perhaps on the whole richer than any yet exposed in Tasmania — the gold being very generally- diffused through it, bat as to the extent of the formation, it is impossible to hazard an opinion ; the probability is that the reef will prove an extensive one, and the si toner mining operations are commenced in real earnest the better. piper's river Commercial Company, late La Mer. — An interesting report has been placed in our hands from Mr W. R. Bell, manager of the above Company, which gives some idea of the description of strata gone through in sinking through the deep ground at Piper's River. Mr Bell says he commenced operations on the claim on Wednesday, the 1 4th instant. A triangle was erected, and a hole 4ft in width sunk through the surface sand. The next day was wet, and nothing was done, but on Friday the first bore-hole was commenced, and by Saturday evening a depth of 34ft had been reached. the morning of Tuesday tho 9th instant, at a depth of 51ft an exceedingly hard . conglomerate was encountered, on pricking which, water suddenly rose through, the bore-hole, soon filling up the excavation made through the surface sand. To get rid of the water it was found necessary to dig a trench four feet in depth for some distance. On resuming the boring it soon became apparent tha* the tools were quite unsuited to the work, and after eight or nine hours pounding of the hard conglomerate it was only pierced about eight inches, eight nTiiafti noints being used up in that time.

thought it better to abandon the hole and start another about 18 yards easterly from the first one, and 36 yards from the old shaft. The following is a description of the various strata gone through. First Bore-hole.- — Hard compact surface sand for a distance of 3ft from surface ; marl, 1 foot ; tough tenacious clay, in colour of varying shades of red, yellow, and blue, 16ft ; light blue clay, with fragments of mineralized wood, 31ft ; mineralized wood, 6in ; total depth, 52ft. Hole abandoned. Second Bore-hole. — Compact sand, 2ft ; marl, 2ft; variegated clay, 10ft; light blue clay, alternating with strata of hard and soft marl, 24ft ; compact soft sandy marl, 2ft. After thin alternative layers of sandy and tenacions clay, were met with, also a little drift and siliceous concrete, about 34ft in thickness. Then came a two-feet wash of hard cemented gravel, resting on a true bottom of decomposed slate. The quantity of this wash brought up by the bucket from a depth of 76ft was very small, and although on a careful •washing no gold was visible, the indications are such as to lead to the belief that gold in considerable quantity exists in the bed of it. Mr Bell has commenced another bore-hole 90 yards to the eastward, and hopes to bottom during the week. All the indications lead to the supposition that gold exists in tho wash referred to, and the .shareholders anxiously await the bottoming of the next bore. Back Creek Mining Company. — We understand that the pump recently imported from Melbourne for the Back Creek Mining Company has not been working well, but was got into working order on Monday evening. The result of the washing will probably be known today. THE DEN. Messrs Major, Willett, and a few friends visited the works at the Den yesterday, and found proof in the increasing thickness of the quartz leader that they are near the reef. The quartz and slate formation are now about equal in extent. Mr Major brought away a quantity of good loooking quartz for the purpose of testing it, and it could not be in better hands for obtaining a true answer the question what is its value ? FINGAL. The Black Boy. — The Mercury says late on Monday night we had a visit from Mr Luplau, who had just returned from a visit to Fingal. He speaks enthusiastically of the whole district. He had with him 9|oz of find rough gold, purchased from the storekeeper at the Black Boy, who had purchased it in small quantities from the diggers there. Mr Luplau intends sending the gold to Melbourne to be assayed. Of the Black Boy he says it is as good "a poor man's diggings he has seen." WEST TAMAR. Hfracombe Mining Company. — Mr Carnigie's report on the large alluvial claim of this company, at Brandy Creek, is very satisfactory. He finds the ground tested so rich, that he is very much surprised that it has never previously been worked. His lowest estimate of the probable yield from sluicing is two pennyweights to the toil, but thinks it -will turn out much more. The sluice box he says, will soon tell ; the sluicing process is not a tedious one.