OUR GOLDFIELDS (From Our Own Correspondent.) Thames, July 24.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 388, 27 July 1889, Page 5

OUR GOLDFIELDS (From Our Own Correspondent.) Thames, July 24.

Ni.v JVIoANATAiui. — 'In consequence of the hard natiiire of the quaif/. of which tho lieu ben Parr reef is composed, nob very speedy headway is being made with the drive on the iode. An improvement is now noticeable in tho appoarun^e of the stone, which does not contain so much "dead" mineral as formerly. As soon as this diive has been advanced a few feet further, it is the manager's intention to cut through to the hangingwall, in order to see that the best poition of the lode is nol being left in the wall. There is no change to report in the hangingwall leader in the Cambria section, or in the natuie of the quartz in the main crosscut through the big reef. Lone Hand. — As briefly mentioned in a telegram in your last issue, a leader 2 iucbes in thickness has been cut in the crosscut in the Lone Hand section of the mine. The leader, which is striking across the face of the diive, is believed to be identical with that, worked so successfully in the level above by thefoimer propiietoi, and when bieaking down the quart/ dab? and colours of gold were °een freely distributed through the stone. The stopes avo pi ouueing payable quartz, coloius of gold being iinai iably seen in the quartz coming to hand. At the low level the contractors are making much better progress, the country having improved within the la"t day or two, being now a nice, blocky sandstone. Crushing is ! proceeding at Bull's battery, and is shaping for a payable return. There are- about, forty loads of quints to put, through. Makttoto G. and S.M.C. — Operations on behalf of thi? Company are being continued as visual by the manager, Mr J. H. Moore, and some cx n ellent-qualiry ore is coming to hand. Work is still confined to the stopes over what is known a& the B drive, from whence about 2ft. of capital ore has lately been coming to hand, while a large percentage of the tin ft' is rich ore. Last week the manager bavcel about of splendid oic, and also a consideiablo Quantity of crood {general stuff. Theie arc now about 5 tons of No. 1 (first-class) ore on hand, 100 tons of No. 2 and 30 tons of No. I 3. With a view to ascertaining the exact I value of tho oie, 31 r Moore a few days ago i forw aided .-mall paicels> of each class for | a--a\in»' to Mi Rhodes at Paeioa, Mi Melville at Karangahake, and Mr Tiowell ad Waioiongomai, the samples sent to each ! oi the thi'ee gentlemen mentioned boinc: ' as nearly alike ns it was possible to ob- j tain them. The result** of the assays made by Mr Rhodes have been received by Mr Moore, and are as follows : — The sample of No. 1 quality ore yielded at the rate ot 590Z& ladwts Bgrs of gold and 1470/.s 13 dwts 3grs of silver per ton, valued at 14 60 2s per ton ; No. 2 ore pioduced afc the rate | of 20/s Ifd'w fes l'igrs of gold and 101oz3 14 | dwts of silver, valued at £26 12s per ton ; No. 3 ore was valued at £18 9s 6d per ton, the as->ay showing loz. 19dwts 4<rrs of gold and 790/s 19d\vts of silver to the ton. The lesults of the ac-says made by Mes&is Melville and Howell have not yet come to hand. Caludoman". — The mine manager re ports : About 55 feet in all has been cleaned out at No. lle"\el. At No. 2 le\ el the drive on Brown's leader has been extended 8 feet. The leef i« a fine body of stono from 24 to 30 inches thick, showing very good mineral indications, and a colour or two of gold was seen last breaking down. Driving back fiom the flat winze, 10 feet has bren dihen for the week ; the reef is from 2 to 3 feet thick, and still in excellent country. On No. 1 reef the rise ha? been pub up an additional 6 feet with 18 inches of rubbly quarts, but no gold has been seen here. Below the intermediate level the drive has reached the junction with the cross? leader hwero the picked stone was obtained above. A few colours of gold ha\e been seen in the reef, and a leading stope started. Saxon. — There aie 3900z of amalgam and 151b picked stone on hand. Gvvr.itfA. — A trial crushing of seven loads of quartz from the rise on the main reef above No. 3 level was finished last week for the return of lOozs retorted gold. The ii?e is up 22 feet. The quartz looks very promising, the mineiali&ed sLone being fully 18 inches in thickness. The leader on i the intermediate chive wcstwaid is about 5 inches in thickness, and when last broken down a few pounds ot picked .stone were saved. The small leader on the foot wall has junctioned with No. 7 leader in the stope. There is now about one foot of crushing dirt, which shows gold freely when breaking down. Lone Hand. — The cross cut in the Lone Hand section of the mine is now in 47ft. A leader 2in in thickness was cul in the drive on Friday last, and gold was seen freely when breaking down the quartz. Gold has been seen in the leaders on the third stope west, and seventh and eighth stopes. Nisw AuiVKSTA. — The Sons of Freedom reef still maintains a favourable appearance with a thicknesd of from 18 to 20 inche 0 . Gold can be seen through the quartz at each breaking-down. 651b picked pcone are now on hand, and about 30 loads quartz. Tributers : — Climo and party (4 men) have crushed 10 loads quartz from the Star of the South reef and hangingwall leader, battery level, for the poor return of 4oz sdwt. This not being payable, they have abandoned their tribute. Saxon. — The No 2 reef is fully 15 inches in thickness, carrying fair mineral, and a few pounds picked stone are saved at each breaking-down. The No. 1 reef in tho eastern stopes averages about two feet in thickness, heavily mineralised, with a little gold occasionally f-eon. The vein on the hangingwall reef is about six inches thick, and has showed gold freely up to the No. 1 break. Gold has been seen freely, and a few pounds picked stone obtained from No. 2 winze workings. lOlbs picked stone have just been saved irom the old hangingwall leader. The amalgam on hand for tho week is 3900z5» picked stone 151 bs.