VICTORIA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1677, 18 December 1873, Page 2

VICTORIA.

[ARGUS SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER.] „ The two principal items of mining news which have been recorded during the month both tend to show the generally auriferous nature of the Colony > and ' to strengthen the opinion that quartz reefs will be found in netf places in the Colony, and mining carried on in it for centuries to come. One of these items is the continued success of the Sultan Company and other mines at Blackwobd, a district where _^ quartz-mining has been carried on 'by small companies with varied success for » some years. * The company named had y 5120z sdwt of gold for one fortnight's *■ crushing, and 5480z Bdwt for the other fortnight of the month, the average return of gold per ton of quartz stone being over 2oz, which is aa excellent return. The mine of the company is looking well, and the settled nature of the ground in it as well as the prospects in other claims in the neighborhood, is considered to be the best indication of the permanent prosperity of the Blackwood district. The other item refers to Elaine, tbe success > of the Minerva Co. there having stamped it beyond dispute as a rich auriferous district. There may not be many such rich spots as the Minerva men have been lucky enough to secure, but with the very limited rudimentary -ideas we yet possess of the diffusion of gold; it is impossible to say to what exten,t rich- "shoots" of gold may be found, as soon as we can learn in what direction and at what depths we may find them when once we lose? them. The | Minerva's returns are not for a small sample of a small rich reef;, it is not a piece of golden stone as big as a man could lift, but it was as much as would load a good big ship. In August, 1872, four original proprietors commenced work, and since that time up to Saturday last they had raised and crushed 722 tons of stone, the net yield of smelted gold from which was 27580z lOdwt, or an average of nearly. 4qz to the ton. It is not surprising to learn that the result of their; crushing has caused a fresh search to be made' for some more such plums of the district Other claims. Vthere have /also been very successful, and have yielded very rich stone, but for size of reef 'and value/ no stone yet found will compare with that from the Minerva. ./'- " :

" Martin Moore and John Dunsjtan, miners, working in the. Yankee Tribute mine at Clunes," the Ballarat Qmier reports, " narrowlyescaped a terrible de&t recently. They had been engaged repairing a drive up till three, o'clock in the afternoon, when some of the itimbef giving way, the roof o£ the drive fell in, and loose rocky stuff continued to fall and completely cut them oft from communication with the shaft. Fortunately, however, the nature of the stuff was such that they were not deprived of air, r and they could even be conversed with. The other men belonging to the mine, with the assistance of half-a-dozen sent from the New N^orth Clunes, worked incessantly, but so great was the quantity to be removed that it tookthem till three: o'clock of the following day to clear it away, when, after 24 hours' imprisonment, the captives were released safe and sound, and very gladly walked home."