AUCKLAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 724, 8 September 1870, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

TflE TBAM.US. [SO.DTHHRN C'P.OSS, ATJOUST 26.] The Thames Advertiser informs us that dining the six mouths ending August 20, 10,811oz4dut 6-jr of melted gold, of the value of L23,37S 8s lOd, were taken out of the Kuranui Company's mine. The value of the gold per ounce is averaged at L 2 12s 6d. The lowest yield of any fortnight's crushing of the above period was 4380z, and the highest 12190z 17dwt, The gold duty realised, upon the six months' yield was L 1351 7s lOd.

Duke of Magenta : There seems every probability of this mine turning out well. Every \ein yet struck is more or less auriferous, and out of a mullocky one, that a winze is now being sunk upon, a very nice prospect was obtained. Between five aud six pounds of mullock were washed, and treated with quicksilver, and gave Idwt 14gr of gold.

Monataiari Company : Crushing a trial parcel of stove from the new leader of the Castle and Galatea ground is to commence to-day ; and, if indications are worth anything, a good payable result will accrue The vein is solid, and about one foot in thickness, and has aN.E. andS.W. strike; it seems . to be a branch of the Morning Star vein, and has been opened in a tunnel driven into the hillside, just below the top of the Castle old workings. Another vein> between 4ft and sft wide, was passed over in the drive, only the cap of it being visible. It looks well. With regard to the main workings of this mine, I may remark that the lower levete look very promising, and that soon I hope to hear of good paying stuff being found there. Work iv the higher levels is hindered to a certain degree by the weather. The ground has become thoroughly saturated, and consequently rotten, and needs tender handling. This is especially the case on the Homeward-bound side of the claim, where the rich leader lies, and work there has in consequence had to be suspended. It will be resumed, however, when the weather holds up. F.M.K. Machine : The three batteries ai'e busy with Wandering Star stone, which is showing up splendidly for a 2\oz yield. The lot will be finished about Friday or Saturday. It will be followed by a parcel of some 30 tons from the Flagship Claim.

Hape Creek Machine : Mr Groves has a considerable parcel of Pretty Nelly Claim stone under treatment ; but 1 am aorry to say that it does not look very promising on the tables.

Golden Crown : To-morrow morning, crushing the specimens in hand will commence, and, as they weigh between six and seven hundred pounds, and are pretty good, I expect to have another large yield to record on Saturday — 700oz at least.

The Cure Company : The crushing for this company at the Manakau machine was brought to a conclusion yesterday. The result is not quite satisfactory — 16 tons were put through, and yielded Boz only.

Dauntless and Sink-to-Rise : A very good crushing of stone from this wellknown mine was finished to-day, at the Tramway machine. Forty-four tons were disposed of, and yielded 1760z of retorted gold, which, after melting at the Bank of New Zealand, weighed 1720z 1 Idwt, or at the rate of 4oz the ton nearly.

Tramway Machine : The general stuff of the Sons of Freedom crushing, that has been going on for some time at this machine, was finished yesterday, aud the specimens, of which there is a considerable quantity, are now being treated in the single-stamper battery. The yield is likely to be good, but the final result will probably not be known until to-morrow night. The batteries are now engaged on Just-in-Time stuff, of which there will be about 70 tons. The Miners' Union and Twenty-Thh'd of June stand next on the list for crushing, and will commence some time next week.

Goodall's Machine : Ten head are still crushing for the Inverness Company, and the other two batteries nre working on stuff from Tookey Company's mine, and quartz from the old Fourth of July Claim. Both are trial parcels. Tookey's stuff is taken roughly out of the main shaft, and is more sandstone than quartz. The sandstone is, however, full of spring veins, so that something approaching a payable result may accrue. At the same time, no great things are expected. If the Fourth of July stone pays, there are, it is said, 300 tons of the same kind of stuff ready for the mill, and which will be sent down incontinently.

Junction Cqmpatiy: I can write in hopeful strains of this promising mine. Scarcely a day how passes but good specimens are brought to light, not only in the upper workings but in the fifty-feet level as well. The crushing going on at the Kurunui Company's old battery looks Very well, and was resumed this morning, after a short suspension yesterdaj', on account of the horrible state of the. sledge track. I hope to have a good yield to report of this crushing, and, indeed, expect nothing less.

Eureka Company : A goodly pile of quartz is accumulating from the lower levels of the mine, and its worth is likely to be. put to the test next week, when forty tons are to be crushed nt the Moiutaiavi Company's machine. The stone looks well, and shows gold.

The Morning Star Company are cleaning up after a seven days' run, and anticipate a yield fully up to, if not above, an~ average.' :.WoFki-4nw-the-n>ine«?ia-pro.= gressing apace. The low main-level opened at 140 feet in the shaft will shortly strike the leader, as the chamber has been completed and the cross-cut out of it is now some fifteen feet long. Thislevel will command nearly 100 feet of backs upon the three, leaders opened.

Weston's Machine : Now that the wiretramway; is completed the batteries (f this fine machine will be kept pretty busy upon stuff from the Alburnia and. Whan I mines. The tramway reaches from the head of the Moanataiari to the platform of the battery, and has been working this week to the entire satisfaction of Mr Sharpe, the manager, and who is also the manager of the machine— the tramway having been constructed by Messrs Weston, and not, as tome people may suppose, a Government undertaking. .It is capable of running at the rate of twenty trucks an hour, each carrying 7cwt, so that from 60 to 70 tons per diem can be j easily transported by it to the machine* I The Albnmia recommenced crushing a*; Weston's early this week, and 7ldz of the weekly yield 1 reported this morning came from a paitial cleaning- v.p of the batteries to-day. I may remark tint the 71oz only lost 12dwt by the process oc melting. One battery of the maohine is

also crushing for the Vale of Avocn,, and the tables look first- ratu. Next week a 200-ton Joe from, the Wh;u< will come in ,- and a 60-ton Jot from Nolan's C'.mdlel'glit | No. 1. Tbe Candlelight men are cnttiv^ a new sledge-track to' the machine, the old one being utterly impassable. COROMANDEL. August 16. • The marvellous spechneus come upon by the lucky shareholders in the Little Wonder are exciting a considerable amount of attention. The drive from which, these were obtained is only 16ft from the boundary of tho Iloyal Oak. This ground is part of a claim known as the Tokatea No. 2, which was abandoned. Only two men's ground has been taken up, and a want of timber has prevented work being pushed on with spirit— two days' work in the drive being all that was done last week. A bag, containing about 1501 bof these specimens, was brought from the claim to the beach last night, which are to be taken to the Thames in

the Lalla Rookh to-day. They are to bo put through Mr Tookey's amalgamating barrel at the Tramway battery. A lot of about 1001 bof specimens from the Royal Oak was also sent to the beach last night, for conveyance to the Thames to-day by the Lalla Rookh. As Mr Tookey is a shareholder in each of these claims, his usual care will be displayed in saving the gold. The Royal Oak specimens will also go through , the amalgamating barrel at the Tram wayjbattery. This lot of stone, of about 2£>olby may be classed as a parcel of the richest yet found on this gold field. The gol&j'ia freely distributed in large blocks of' Quartz, aiid impartial judges estimate that the yield will be upwards of 200oz of melted gold.