MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 13, 21 October 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Proposed amalgamation of the Nonpareil and Waitemata. This has been mooted for some short time past, and the idea seems to be gaining ground that such a thing will be brought prominenty before the public. As a rule on this field amalgamation has many advantages, giving as it often does greater facilities for the better working of the reefs in large blocks of ground, than if each small claim worked on its own account. In this instance, however, we fail to see where the great advantage would lay. In the Waitemata a great quantify of work has been done, and all the known reef or leaders in the claim

have been either worked out to very nearly their utmostlimit, or prospected and found wanting—at least on the Nonpareil side of the heavy slide which occurs in tho Wailemata ground. Very little if any doubt exists as to the reef worked on in the Waitemata being the same as that now being worked in the Nonpareil, and therg is a very small portion of it left in the former claim. True the Nonpareil have carried gold up to within 25 feet of the boundary, but then though one portion of the reef may be very rich, another quite close to it may be quite barren. The machinery on the one claim already erected may be of use in working the whole ground, but it is for the directors to cosider whether this fact is sufficient to warrant an amalgamation of the two pieces of ground. The Nonpareil continue to get good gold in the stope on No. 2 reef towards the Central Italy and Italian ground.' Their strong box ie now quite full, and there is a small quantity besides, so that there must be something like IGcwt. of picked stone on hand now. The general crushing is lookwell, though perhaps not quite equal to last month’s crushing, and it is coming out quicker than it can be put through the machine.

Goefen Spur. —Yesterday in the upper drive on the reef, a nice patch of A-ery good specimens were taken out. The crushing of about 100 tons will be commenced on Monday next at Bull’s machine, and a good payable return is looked for. Cqck-a-Doodue, Fiery Creek.—The low level drive of the Yankee Doodle, which they had just put in as far as their boundary, has been continued into this company’s ground, and though this work was only commenced at the beginning of the week, they have already met with some success, having struck a reef in the face of the drive. The rush of water from the reef is so great that the men have not yet been able to cut through the lode, but as soon as the influx decreases the value of the discovery will be thoroughly tested. Messenger’s. This company after waiting for a machine for some time have now commeneed crushing at the Criterion Battery, and will continue for some time to come. A very small return will pay the shareholders on account of the great size of the reef and the ease with which it can be brought to the mill. The Golcien Age.— The cleaning up and retorting for this company was completed yesterday, and gave a yield of 78oz from 73 tons of stuff. The stone put through for the last few days was from the surface workings, and was not as rich as that from the reef, but being so easily got down the return is very good. 23rd of June. —The crushing for this company was completed yesterday at the Waiotahi battery, and gave a return of 76ozs 2dwts from 37 tons, to which must be added 90ozs 12dwts from the specimens crushed at Spencer and Hall’s, making a total of lGGozs 14dwts, or very nearly four ounces to the ton. This speaks well for the district, and the lucky shareholders will soon be prepared to send another lot of stone to the mill, from which just as large a return is expected. Shamrock.— The contractors are continuing the main drive on the reef towards both boundaries, and will soon reach the limits of the ground. Towards the Ballarat boundary, the reef is left standing, the drive going alongside, and stripping the reef but not touching it. They are now within about twelve feet of the boundary, and the reef continues to carry every indication of gold as it goes along. From this level, which is thirteen feet above the main tunnell there are backs of 80 feet on the reef to the upper workings to be blocked out the whole length of the ground. The manager intends crushing some 20 or 30 tons as a trial from a leader cut at abcut 100 feet in the main tunnel, as soon as possible. The upper drive is now in about 300 feet, towards the old Liverpool Boys claim, now part of the Company’s grouud. and in about 40 feet more driving the manager expects to come on to the leaders formerly worked on in this claim and which proved very rich. These will be cut at a great depth from the surface, and if rich there will be a large quantity of stone to be brought to grass. In a short time we expect to see this once famous claim resume its position as a paying mine, and reward the owners for the money spent in developing it. Baluarat and Rising Sun. —This claim situated on both sides of the Shamrock, is now in a good position owing to gold being struck near the boundary of the latter claim. In order to get on to the run now in hand in the Shamrock they will have to sink a winze from the old Ballarat drive, to the level of the Shamrock workings, and then it will be neces sary either to enter a main adit for themselves, or perhaps arrangements could ne made to work through the Shamrock tunnel. On the Rising Sun side tlie winze is being now carried down to the low level tunnel in which the reef was cut and some gold taken oilt, but it was very broken. The prospects of the claim were never better than they now are, and work ought to be pushed ahead vigorously. A cleaning up for the Golden Crown company at the Tararu battery yesterdayyielded 12 ozs 11 dwts. SHIPMENT OF GOLD. The Bank of New Zealand shipped yesterdays per Golden Crown 8863 ounces of gold.