OUR MINES.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 14, 11 May 1877, Page 2

OUR MINES.

B 0 A T M A. N ' S . (FROM OUB SPECIAL BEPOBTEB.) Taking the Hoe north and south upon the supposed course of the reef, the leases in relation to each other run as follows :— Starting from the north end and going south we hare the Welcome, Hopeful, Alexandra, Fiery Cross, Eldorado, Walhalla, Jtisfc-in-Time, and Baaimaus Companies. Regarding THE WELCOME. I can afford little real information concerning ihe mine, as owing to work in thi» companies shaft on the boundary adjoining the Hopeful, having been temporarily discontinued on ing to bad air, I had no opportunity of inspecting the reef. I may say, however, that on the boundary adjoining the Hopeful, the company hare sunk on the reef to a depth of 70 feet— not 70 feet from the surface, bat from No. 3 level of the Hopeful — the lode running down almost perpendicular. The width of the reef in the bottom of this shaft is, I believe, about three feet, and the stone taken out in the course of this work is said to be the richest ever seen in the Boatmans district, being estimated to yield as much as 4 or 5 ounces per ton. The stone is carefully paddocked and covered up with timber to prevent its being carried away by specimen h'inters. I saw some specimens taken from the heap by the mine manager, and they were of exceeding richness. No. 5 (the deepest) level of the Hopeful Company, reference to which I have already made, is being driven by the Welcome and Hopeful jointly, and when carried in to the Welcome ground will give the latter company an immense facility for working, and assuming th%t the reef lives down as it has been shown to do in the adjoining mine will gire years and years' work overhead. As I shall take an early opportunity of 7isitingthis company's mine, I will now conclude reference to it. THE FIERY CROSS. Owing to the absence in Reefon of the mining manager I was unable to examine this Company's workings, and will there" fore haye to defer a report of this mine also. I learned, however, that the main level was being extended both north and south. In the north end the reef, which has a width of 2ft. 6in., was being followed and the stone paddocked. In the south end prospecting work was being carried on. I was informed that about half of this Company's lease remains to be prospected. THE JUST-IN-TIME. Arriving at the mouth of the tunnel, my attention was at once attracted by a notice posted on the cap-piece "no admittance to the mine." Not knowing the exact nature of the penalty to be incurred by a breach of the command, I hesitated to venture in, and as it was just about the usual dinner hour, resolved to wait for something to turn up. Very shortly the hands came out, and after them, Mr Poster, the sub-manager, and explaining my mission to him, I was *&• formed that his orders were very strict,

and that he could not under any circumstance ■ admit strangers to tbe mine without tbe required passport from the directors or legal manager. Having ex« j plained, however, that I had the verbal permission of one of tbe visiting directors to enter the mine, I was finally admitted and conducted to the face of the tunnel and saw the reef, from which the stone for tie present crushing is being taken. Gold was pointed out in the face in several places, and more than this I am at present unable to say, reserving a full report of the mine for a future occasion. THE BATTEKY. About 400 tons of stone bad passed through the mill up to the time of my visit, and there was a large supply of stone paddocked in, advance of the stampers, and the prevalent belief is that the present crushing will run about an ounce and a-half to the ton, which estimate I should take to be if anything rather under the mark. I saw two " prospects" washed from tbe tailingsone of the last Hopeful crushing, and one of the present crushing- The tailings were taken up indiscriminately and washed upon the blade of the shovel, and I was surprised at the quantity of gold lost and being lost. Tbe gold was certainly very fine, but there was no mistaking the quantity. This is really a matter which the directors should look to at once, for as there is no means of saving the tail- j ings the loss is irrecoverable. The Wealth of Nations Company, with stone which averages under 15 dwt to the ton, has found by experience the profit to be derived from the use of additional berdans, and how much greater tbe necessity for equal precaution, with stone averaging from one to three ounces to tbe ton ? No silver is used at the battery, blankets alone being relied upon, and they appear to be hardly sufficient. Uuless. therefore, some steps are token to add to the present gold saving appliances, I cannot help thinking that the directors will be doing but very spare justice to tbe stone.