GOLD-FIELDS NEWS

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 93, 12 October 1868, Page 249

GOLD-FIELDS NEWS

r SPLENDID otslb from the all. ha- ' . ,TIONS CLAIM.—BOO ■ OUNCES OF f }/"; y ?-GOLD FROM 560 POUNDS; QUARTZ = - •/ (From, the Thames Advertiser, October 1.) r SPECiMEN stone from theAU Nations ; : Glaiin, cruslied/yesterday at thfe Kura* /mui/Company’s one-stamper battery, . Q00 k ; ounces of gold from 550 : pounds weight of quartz, a result that - must : certainlyequal, if it does not oxeel, any previous specimen crushing . yet recorded on this gold field. •• v . The Morning-Bell Claim, Murphy’s Hill, completed. its trial crushing of one ton of stone at Bull’s machine yesterday, the result being over 2fbzs. . ;• The Cleopatra Claim have tested ; y three pounds. weight of. stone taken from a? leader of bluish-grey stone, which yielded 15 grains. The Mountain .Maid Claim have / already exposed several small leaders, Abut which have not yet been, tested. The Prince Charlie Claim have had some scone tested at the Bank of Australia, which gave a yield of 8 ounces to the ton. A further trial of a couple of hundredweight is to be made in a few days. A good prospeet has been obtained on the Lord Cairns Claim, from a mullocky leader. The Great Britain Claim, on the Waiotahi, has just completed a crushing of 5 tons of stone, which gave 4| ounces to the ton. Five tons of stone were crushed yesterday for the Great Britain Claim, Moauatairi, which retorted 12|ozs., .and smelted 12ozs. Bdwt. The Long Drive Claim commenced crushing yesterday, and from the appearance of the amalgam sanguine expectations are entertained of the result.

(From a Correspondent of the Southern Cross.) The Dublin Castle is situated on the Moanataiari Creek, third above the Dawn of Hope, and next the Hope of All Nations Gold-mining Company, and has been worked for some months with great assiduity. Last week the shareholders were opening a facing for a drive when they struck a very rich leader near the bottom of the creek, and on working a short time they got out some rich specimens.

The Kuranui Star is situated on the Kuranui Creek, adjoining the Deep Lead and Flying Eagle. The shareholders have been engaged in sinking a shaft in which they cut through some two or three good leaders, containing gold, which appears to he very rich. They are now engaged in sinkshaft between 90 and 100 feet deep, and are intending to sink about 150 feet, when they expect to get Hunt’s , new leader, which is running to the left-hand side of the creek.

(From the Daily Southern Cross, Oct. 2.) By the Airedale, which leaves the Manuh.au to-morrow morning, the tJnion Bank will send away 6,3890z5. of. gold, a great part of which is the produce of Hunt’s claim. It Js not quite certain whether the Bank of New Zealand will export any gold, ■ but it has about 5,000 ounces on hand. The Bank of. Australasia, which, we believe, has a considerable quantity of gold in its coffers, declines to give , information as to its export.

y (From the Thames Advertiser, October 3.) ...THE.iclaimholders on the ground re- . cently taken up between the Town :; boundary and Murphy’s Hill were / visited "by Mr Commissioner Mackay a day or two since, and were informed • that as they were mining on reserved “ land they would be required, in pursuance of ' the mining regulations, to //fill up ahy excavations made after they /• fiad /been worked...... Some little excitement was created at first, and it was supposed that .they might receive intimation to.quit altogether. ■; Mr Mackay, fiowever, encompassed the difficulty in * the manner already mentioned. We ft yißited the ground yesterday, state that anticipated from . mining 7 operations in • this locality are ve ?y Most of ferous /leaders jof one. kind or ; another ..frqm/which/soniQ^QiiygQQ , been obtained. // One . claim in. particular, the Prince of on - its lowest boundary' has cut a splendid

reef, from/ which' several large ..pieces of broWhf quartz have; been taken the first struck?—in / whieh; the/ precious metal is. profusely, apparent. The shaft in which , this reef has been touched is down about .100 feet, and the other shareholders are at present busily engaged in puddling clay to keep out surface water* and also in preparing a fan and all the necessary gear to ensure a supply of fresh air. The size of the reef has not yet been thoroughly determined, as work was obliged to be stopped as soon as it was cut, in consequence of the foulness of the air, but as soon as everything is in readiness the lucky finders, purpose drivingnipon the reef fro in which such excellent results have already been obtained. This reef is apparently the same as is being worked by the Morning Bell, a ton of the stone from which, it will be remembered, was crushed during the past week at Bull’s one-stamper machine with such excellent results. In the Morning Bell claim a new leader has recently been cut of surprising richness, from which some very, beautiful specimen stone taken was shown. The Wheel of Fortune, Sunburst, and Jeweller’s-shop claims have all struck leaders of various dimensions in their several shafts, which are). actively been proceeded with, in the expectation of exposing the splendid lead struck by the Prince of Fame, from which leaders are supposed to be coming flat. The Pretty Queen, six men’s ground, joins the Star of Waipi on its lowest boundary, and was first taken up; about two month’s ago. A drive, at present entered 75 feet on a low level has exposed three different leaders, from each of which a good prospect has been obtained with a dish. The drive has been continued with the expectation of cutting the Young Manukau and Cuckoo leaders, which are supposed to run in this spur from the Waiotahi side. Two drives have just been commenced on a higher elevation of the ground. In starting a fresh drive the top of one of the leaders cut in lower drive was exposed, so the shareholders elected to sink upon it instead of driving. About 403hs of stone from ■ this leader have been recently tested at the Kuranui one-stamper machine, giving a payable yield of 18 grains. Several surface specimens have been picked up close to the small creek running between the two spurs. The owners of claims in this locality have some distance to go for their timber, nor is there any very great amount to be obtained where it is taken from; they complain that a great deal of it is being taken away for fencing, building, and firewood, which they consider should not he allowed, in consequence of the scanty of the supply, and the large quantity that is necessarily required for mining purposes. The Colleen Bawn, six men’s ground, is situated at the foot of the Pretty Queen on the opposite spur, and has been taken up about three weeks. A drive is being excavated on the creek level, through the left hand side of the Karaka spur, and will be continued right through the hill. It has at present been entered between fifty and sixty feet, several small mullocky leaders having been cut, which have not yet been opened out. There is a quantity of broken quartz in the drive, in some portions of which gold is said to have been seen. A large amount of wash dirt has also been taken out of the drive, from which the color can he washed in a dish.

The Golden Slipper adjoins the Colleen Bawn on the same spur. A drive already entered at 110 feet has exposed several small mullocky leaders, from which a color can be obtained. . A shaft out of the drive has been sunk thirty feet, twenty feet below the level of the creek ; the water is making in it so fast, however, that it will probably have to he abandoned. : The. shareholders in the Rose of Denmark claim are at present engaged in driving for a leadbr to be seen cropping out of/the surface of the hill. This claim is situated almost directly opposite, to, the Colleen Bawn,. on the Waiotahi spur. / •• -V-/

Four - Mien’s Ground, immediately immediately above the Rose of Denmark, .has been taken up with/ within the last/few days. A drive; is being opened out with the object of catting the Star of Waipipi leaders, which are Aupposed to be making in this direction.

The All-Serene, six men’s ground < is situated on the Karaka Hill, oppp! site the town, and is joined by th e Waterloo and German claims. This claim on which some work had previously been done, has only been held by the present shareholders about a week. An old drive on the same level as the Waterloo.-workings is' being continued, in order to follow up a leader already. exposed of a blue , and white quartz formation surrounded by mullock. This leader is about eight inches in thickness.

The Wellington, six men’s ground, is situated on the Karaka spur, behind, the machines. The ground has been in operation about three months, and forms one of a chain of ne w claims taken up .about the same period in that locality. A drive on the creek level will be continued, in order to prospect the ground. It lias now been entered a distance of about 140 feet, is securely timbered with a tramway running the whole length of it. -There is a large amount of made ground on this spur which has been passed through. The shareholders in this claim seem determined to give it a fair trial, their tunnel being excavated in a very workmanlike manner. The Wellington adjoins the Delhi claim. The Ponsonby claim, on the Moanatairi, had a crushing of nineteen tous of stone at Souter’s machine, at the foot of the Waiotahi, during the past week, with a total yield of ninety ounces.

The Golden Crown commenced crushing at Souter’s, on Monday last with one battery, stone which is stated to be - the worst the claim produces. The result of 24 hours’ crushing is estimated to average from twelve pounds to fifteen pounds of amalgam. This claim, we have been informed, is likely to keep the battery engaged for a considerable period.

The Charlston claim is crushing at bouter’s, having engaged one of the batteries for that purpose. No actual yield is yet reported, hut from the amalgam on the plates, a fair yield is anticipated.

The Harp of Erin claim, Waiotahi,. ■will crush sixty tons of stone at Souter s machine as soon as the Charlston claim has completed crushing. The Manukau claim has also completed a crushing at the battery of twenty, five tons of stone, the result being 536 ounces 15 pennyweights and li grains. The Redan claim has also a large parcel of stuff at Souter’s machine waiting its turn to be crushed. The Homeward-bound machine Kuranui. Five additional stampers are in the course of erection at this machine, with Chilian mill attached. Mr Keals being the architect of the work. The result of a crashing of seventeen tons of quartz from the Deep Lead, was 136 ounces, or eight ounces to the ton.

Rickett’s claim bn the Collarbone, crushed, five tons of stone at Gibbon’s machine yesterday; result, 3 ozs Bdwts to the ton. The shareholders have got twenty tons quartz ready for crushing.

(From the Thames Advertiser, October 5.) The Deep Lead claim, Kuranui, is still busily engaged crashing from their leader at the Homeward Bound machine. This leader varies from four to six feet in thickness, the stone being taken from a drive out of the shaft. A second leader has recently been exposed in this drive, about a foot in thickness, which has been struck at a point where it intersects the main leader. Great improvements are constantly being made in the working of this claim in, under the superintendence of Mr White, the manager, who Informs us thaf the shaft is about to be widened, and that an engine will be erected almost immediately for the purpose of drawing up the contents from the shaft,- By this means it is estimated that at least fifty tons weekly can be raised with facility. The shaft is.admirably situatedV/with -respect to the Homeward Bonnd machine, and the stuff as. raised .in the buckets is merely tilted into a bag and straightway conveyed to the machine situated immediately/abpyelthe/workings. / The Alabama Claim, Shellback Creek, struck an enormously rich leader about a fortnight ' back,- from which some magnificent specimen stone is reported to have been takbu.

We are informed that the ridge at the extreme head of "the Meanatairi Creek,) which is bounded by the El Dorado and Dixon’s (but which we have not visited), contains many claims of singular richness—such as the Alburnia, the’Whau, &c., and others as yet almost undeveloped, but which promises to rival them. One of the shareholders of the Pride of the West has just showed many rich specimens, all taken out of their drive adjoining the Albnrnia claim, consequently they .conclude that it must be their reef which. certainly passes through their ground.

The Star of the West, situate on the Kuranui spur, was taken up by the present shareholders four months ago, and a considerable amount of work has been doue on the claim. There is a fine looking reef opened on the surface, 6 feet thick, on which they intend to sink. The shareholders are getting out a very large quantity of quartz ready for tho machine, and intend to commence crashing shortly. The Town of Napier adjoins the Digger’s Friend and the Golden Harp, on the Waiotahi. This claim was abandoned theree timee before it came into the hands of the present shareholders, who have been in possession of the ground about six weeks. A drive excavated 120 feet on a low level exposes various auriferous leaders, varying from two to six inches in thicknes.

The Young York and Devon—was recently taped off the York and Devon by the shareholders. This claim is situated next to the Bank of New Zealand, on the Waiotahi. A large reef runs through the ground, supposed to -be the same as found in the Bank of Ireland claim, and has been uncovered in one of the drives commenced previously to the present shareholders coming into possession. In a second drive, recently commenced, a mullocky leader has been obtained two feet in thickness, from which a very payable prospect has been obtained by me;) ns of a dish.