THIS KUOATUNU GOLDFIELDS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 474, 24 May 1890, Page 5

THIS KUOATUNU GOLDFIELDS.

Kuaotun’U, May 19. Try Fluke (Kuaotnnu), The winze is

now down 70 feet. Stone continues to look \ery well on the hangingwall side, but the gold is not as plainly seen as it was a few feet higher up. Nevertheless, good prospects are obtainable by pounding. The first week in June should see the battery working at least one shift a day until the tramway is completed. Red Mercury. —The drive at No. 2 level is in 78 feet. The country is still tight. Trenton. —Blotches of gold were seen when breaking down the hangingwall yesterday. The lode has improved in appearance. Crushing will be resumed as soon as the bridge in front of the hoppers is completed. OtamaG.M. Company (Kuaotunu). —In the absence of the mine manager, Mr Mays, the managing director, reports :- On my arrival on Friday morning, I found five ipen busily employed bagging and getting quartz out of stopes, the quartz being of good grade. I stopped all work in the mine, patting all hands on to bag quartz. I shall keep on bagging until I get 60 tons bagged. After taking the 60tonsaway, there will be 70 or 80 tons left to grass, which I should advise be left until there be some improvement in the roads, as it is impossible to work a dray here at present. The contractor’s cutter arrived yesterday, and we got the pack-horses at work and succeeded in getting down enough quartz to load her (22 tons). She gets away this afternoon. I shall require a cutter able to take 900 bags on Wednesday first, as the bagging will be all done by Monday night, and two days will pack the quartz to the beach.

Nemesis G. M. Co.—C. Hay, for the mine manager, reports :—I have to report for the week ending 17th May, the following work done in the mine :—I have continued tho level southwards on No. 1 reef, and have driven a further distance of 16 feet. The reef for the last 12 feet has been greatly broken up, but still in the same class of country, prospects continuing good. As the weather is fine, I intend to open on the cross leader between Nos. 4 and 5 reefs next week, and drive on it to its junction with these reefs.

■ Kuaotunu, May 20, The weather for the past week has been really good. La grippe is very prevalent amongst the younger section of the community, and apparently is of the worst type of that very remarkable malady. The roads are in a very deplorable condition, and dray traffic is almost at an end. The Try Fluke Company will be the principal sufferers. They have fully 25,000 feet stacked on the beach, and the different works now in hand will have to be delayed for a time. With the present outlook the mill will not get underweigh for another two months. This i 9 indeed hard on a company like tho Try Fluke, who have had an uphill fight from the first. The mine is looking exceedingly well. The reef looks much better in the last few feet of sinking, and a connection should be effected during the coming week. The country in the low level is very tight, consequently progress is slow. In appearance, the country is of a brownish character, and of a kindly nature for gold. Carbine. —The men have extended the crosscut, going north on the reef Bfb for the week. The reef is 2ft to 3ft in thickness, and yields excellent dish prospects ; 25ft more should meet with the shoot of gold that the winze was started on. This level can be continued for another 100 ft, which will thoroughly prospect this intermediate block. Mariposa. —The low level is still penetrating very tough rock, which makes progress slow. The same may be said of the Red Mercury. The country here, although hard in appearance, is of a firstclass character for gold. The reef in the winze shows visible gold, and is fully 2ft 6in in thickness. Great Mercury. —The shareholders are about to dispose of their really valuable property to a syndicate. Golden Gate, —One shift is engaged driving the crosscut. The country here is somevvhat tight, consequently it will be some time before, the reef should be met with.

Secret Claim. —Since my last the proprietors have driven a shallow level to cut the reef, which will give them 30ft of backs. The reef, when broken into, showed gold freely. The country is all that could be desired. The reef here is Bin to Ift in thickness, and appears to vary accordingly. Something above the average value of ore should be met with in this reef. The Irene, Lady Carrington, and Wairo claims are about to be amalgamated into one company. These properties should be valuable, as they occupy a splendid position. The Orient and Otama are busy sending away their parcels for treatment at the Thames. The Otama will have about 40 tons and the Orient probably about 4. The bad state of the roads prevents the Otama from sending any more at the present. There are about 70 tons of second-class ore in the paddock, which are estimated to yield at the rate of loz to the ton, The balance of good first-class will have to remain. ' " - ' '

Golden Streak Goldmining Company. —The contractors are making good headway with the main tunnel. The country passed through is of an excellent character for gold. J ,\ ’ ;

In the Waitai district matters are quiet, and there is nothing, fresh to report from the mines. Golden Gate (Kuaotunu). — The crosscut has been extended 20 feet, and the reef should be to hand any minute. The drive has passed through some nice quartz veins, carrying a little gold and in nice country.