VICTORIA. [MELBOURNE LEADER, 29TH ULT.]

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 870, 11 May 1871, Page 2

VICTORIA. [MELBOURNE LEADER, 29TH ULT.]

The manager of the Perseverance Company' Waranga, reports obtaining 26 oz 14 dwt of gold from the last crushing of forty-four tons from the tributors. Six Chinese engaged in a sluicing claim at the Upper Three Mile, Beech worth, finished washing up during the week, and divided for about live months' labor, 270 ounces gold. The usual monthly escort left Maryborough (says the Advertiser, 19th April) ior Castlemaine en route for Melbourne yesterday, in one of Cobb and Co. 's special coaches, taking between seven thousand and eight thousand ounces- of gold from the two local bank 3. The Beiuligo Advertiser states that the yield of gold at Sandhurst for the month of March is 12,273 oz 16 dwt, which gives a weekly average of 4818 oz 9 dwt. This is a considerable increase on the yield of February, which was only 15,900 oz 11 dwt 2 gr, or a weekly average of 3975 oz 2 dwt 18.V gr, making an increase in March of 837~3 oz 4 dwt 22 gr on the month, and of 843 oz 6 dwt sb gr on the week. The value of the gold "purchased in March is £73,002. The Burnt Creek correspondent of the Dunolly Express, 13th April, states "the Duke of Edinburgh tribute party had the misfortune to break through into the old workings of the Chinamen's claim adjoining, wheD the water" with which the drives were filled rushed throngli into their ground with great force, and the " three men who were below at the time were with difficulty got out, their only damage in escaping being a thorough drenching. I hear that some splendid stone is being raised from the Mona Reef. Expectations run as high as twenty ounces to the ton." The large amount of gold exhibited in the Bank windows on Saturday evening (states the Bmdigo Advertiser., 24th April) was the theme of common conversation, and it was generally remarked that it has been a long time since the yields were so good. Very close on 6000ozs were reported by public companies, and as there were a number of private cakes and alluvial purchases, of wh ; ch nothing is known, the total quantity of gold produced could not be much under 75000z5, or nearly £35,000 in value. Remarking upon some fresh mining enterprises recently started in Ballarat, the Courier says . — " Already two companies have been formed to work on the higher levels, one called the Golden. Reefs, the other the City Gold Mining Company. In the first-named claim £an upper auriferous drift was passed through by the first party, but never worked. ; It is said to be tolerably rich, and of considerable thickness. The second company, the City to wit, has taken up the ground formerly occupied by the Sir William Don, Newington, and Cricket Reserve Companies. It will be remembered that on several occasions we deprecated the abandonment of the Don, partly because the poorer wash had been left standing, but chiefly because, a pro-, mising quartz reef traversed the claim. From what we have since learned we are more than ever of opinion that the Sir " William Don claim should be re-opened. The amalgamation of the Newingfcon and Cricket Reserve with it seems to render rem unerativereturns an absolute certainty. Not that we anticipate any extraordinary finds, although a GOOoz nugget was unearthed very close to the Don boundary, but that there is a large wash that will pay well with the greatly improved appliances now iv use we entertain no doubt whatever. And what was true of the Don is in lesser degree true to the Newington. In the scramble for the Cricket Reserve between the Kohinoor, Sir William Don, and Privateer companies, much good ground was necessarily only half worked, so that in each of the claims included in the amalgamation there "s sufficient encouragement to warrant the *

proposed expenditure. Add to this tire chances of the quartz t ;ef, Ihe flat leaders of which were undoubtedly good, the probability of the cement beds which were so notably a feature in the Don, being richer in gold as they become better tried, the existence of a lode 10ft in thickness near the old Hand-in-Hand shaft, which is embraced in the area occupied by the City Company, and the almost certainty of new reefs runs being discovered at higher levels, we think it would be difficulty to offer greater inducements for general investment than this new enterprise affords. The success of the City and Golden Reefs companies will be the means of pr< ©iring a complete overhaul of every drift bed between the Park and the Bonshaw, aud the employment, consequently, of some thousands of miners. That this 'silver lining to the cloud ' may turn out to be solid metal in profusion is too general a wish to need much echoing, but we have been so much disconcerted at the apathy displayed by property owners and men of means in Ballarat of late, first in reference to the Sovereign, and subsequently the North Park claims, that we hail with delight the advent of circumstances which bid fair to rouse to the utmost the pristine activity of the queen gold field, which is not dead but only sleep th." The principal topic of mining news for the week (states the M. A. Mail, 24th April), is the fine yield obtained by Messrs Walters and Bibby. It will be remembered that some short time ago, under the head of an abandoned reef, we referred at length to it. The reef is widening as it goes down, aud increasing in yield. The increase was gradual, from half an ounce to two ounces to the ton, but it has now somewhat suddenly leaped up four ounces to the ton. At Blarney reef very little was crushed, and it gave four ounces. In Wattie Golly the tributes of Walker and Co. had eight ounces. At the Speculation Company (Noggetty) the tribnters are likely (says the Tarrenr gower Times, 24th April,) to be compensated for their courage and perseverance through a long C3urse of hard and tough uphill work. They are now working on a fine gold-bearing reef six or seven feet wide. The reef was discovered in a bar of bluestone in the centre of the shaft, and always supposed to be barren. This bar had been tried on ono side some years since, but believing it to be of great thickness it was left. The present party had ago at it on the other side, and got on a reef that proves to yield well on crushing, vide 540z 7dwt from 27 tons. Present appearances favor that the reef will continue under the bluestone, and that it will prove to be the run of payable gold lost some years back. The news from Twist's Creek, Yackandandah (states the Ovens Spectator, 24th April), shows a decided improvement in mining in that locality, and is very encouraging. The old reefs particularly are looking up, simply because Borne parties had the courage to give them a fair trial. Bolam and Wood have struck a good reef in the old Scandinavian ground from one foot to two feet wide. A trial crushing of twelve tons yielded as high as I.oz 12dwt to the ton. Hepburn and Co struck gold on the boundary of the above, which looks well. Harper and Co of the Homeward Bound, are also taking out very good Blone, and Ooxon and Co hare coxae upon it very good after putting in their tunnel. The Excelsior have got such good prospects that in order to do justice they have temporarily stopped work to form a stronger company.. The' sluicers without exception are continuing to do remarkably well, and altogether things look brighter on the creek. Mr Jones, the architect, and his mates at Kitty's are in luck again. On Monday a 260z nugget and other gold were found by the party.— Ballarat Star, April 25.