THE MINES.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 87, 31 January 1885, Page 2

THE MINES.

New FlNP.—Diivins has been resumed in the north end of the low level, a contract for extending it lf>(.» feot having l«en let. Much progress Ims not yet. ] 'Cen made, as the ventilation has been rather weak, but air pipes have now be"n fixed ami driving is again going on apuce. There is nothing new to record concerning the other parts of the mine, the crushing stuff sent to the battery being of much the same quality as usual. Colonist.—The drive going southward on the reef iv the low level is being pushed ahead and is now near the Canadian boundary. The gold bearing part of the lode is small, there being only about two feet of crushing stuff. Operations have been suspended in the face going northward, the quartz hsfc obta'ned there hating been of very poor quality. S toping is going on over the low level, but without any important results. The returns for last week show that the stuff generally has been t of poorer grade than Übual. Peemiku. —Work has been commenced in til-* intermediate drive from the winze below the smithy level, and fair crushing stuff is coming to hand from the vein recently operated on at the surface. Gold is seen pretty freely in about a foot of the lode, hut tuo remainder is too poor to be worth saving. Home gold bearing stone has recently been found in the outcrop of the N>. 2 reef, between the upper end smithy levels, and a considerable portion of it has been stripped, and is now ready for breaking down. If the surface sho\r | contiues downward a good deal of payable stuff is likely to be got there. Diamond Gplly. —Tenders have been received for sinking the winze a further depth of 30 feet, and it is likely the work will he gone on with immediately. Stoping is going on as usual, and sufficient quantity of stuff for a fair crushing has now accumulated, 'and will shortly be forwarded to the battery. May Qukes.— Payable stuff is roing •rot in stoping out the block over the surface level above the tramway but nothing exceptionally rich has yet been found. In the low level work in the face was for a time stopped for the laying of a tramway. This has now been done, and th* face is again being pushed ahead. The reef hns a most favourable appearance, but it has not so far shown gold so freely as it did in the upper woridngs. Waiorongomai. —The tramway to connect tho,new shoot anil hopper with the workings at the south end of the claim has now been laid, aiv 1 everything is in readiness for sending stuff to the battery. Underground operations arc also being pushed on, there is nothing of importance to chronicle. The lode in the low level of the northern workings I has slightly changed in character. It is now much less heavily charged with the baser minerals, and the quartz looks more promising for payable gold, which,! it is hoped, will shortly be dropped I upon. Inverness.-—A little gold was .eccntly got in driving the low level, but work there is just now suspended, and attention is being given wholly to the blocking out of the reef above the upper level. Some fair stone has lately I'oen found in that part of the mine, and • old of a coarser quality than usual obtained in the main portion of the reef If the present show continues, the next crushing (which will shortly be ready for the battery) is likely to give a much butter return than that obtaiiied from the last one. Phienix. The reef in the low level has still a very promising appearance, but up till the present time gold lias not been discernible in the stone, although tests that havo been made show that the precious metal is pre^-nt. though perhaps not yet in paying quantity. The lode is about two feet in thickness, ami id well mineralosed There has latterly been a change in the country, whien is now harder than it was, but gooil progress is still being made in driving. PttosPECTiNG Association. —The full strength of the party is still employed in testing tiie reef discovered near the Rising Sun claim at the head of 6touey creek. A drive was started

ami tfarri^tl in some distance, bufc awmu k the broken nature of the if round, and the difficulties met with, lunnellim? was discontinued, an I the lode is now Injiny sunk on, As fur us it has Ihmmi followed downward oxcollent loose prospects of flon-so st «/old have h(.« j n mid tlu j stono also yfivos a fair show oecoainnally wht>n pounded. Tnero can hardly ho a»iy 'Innbt that paying roefs nxisfc in the locality now \m'mn triiM, and the enconra^injjf rrtwite tliat have so far atfcon (led tho Association's oporations in that quarter, \\\ iuco, the l>eli' i f that a now sut'iio of mining activity with ore long be there opened up.