MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 15, 24 October 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Eureka Hill. —Bailing out the shaft lias been successfully carried out, and last night it was very nearly empty. Work will at once be commenced cleaning out the old workings, which must be in a rather dirty state, from having been so long under water, and this once favourite claim will probably look up, and resume its place amongst the list of dividendpaying companies. Morning Star. —The air shaft being put down alongside the machine is now very nearly finished, and when complete the workings can be pushed a-head below, and stuff sent up to keep the machine constantly going. Siiotover. —The battery is again at work crushing for the tributers with eight head. The manager is putting the stuff taken from the low level drive through the other battery, and it will probably be finished by this morning, if the supply of water, of which there is a great scarcity, will last. The return from this stone is anxiously looked for, although, if it does not turn out very good, it will be no proof that the reef is poor, as there is only a small portion of the reef as yet taken down.

Kuranui Tribute. —Higgins and party who are working the Kuranui Creek on tribute, had a clean up yesterday at the company’s battery, after three days’ and a half run with live head. The blanketings and berdans will not be cleaned up till this morning, when a payable return is looked for. All Nations. —Specimens continue to be brought to light by every shift, and there must now be close on 5001bs, on hand. The tables are showing up excellently, and the last partial cleaning up was very good indeed. Manukau Battery, —At this battery the company have ten head employed on their own stuff, ten are crushing for the tributers of the Poverty and Charleston claim, ten for the Whau, and ten for the Red White and Blue. Imperial Crown. —One of the batteries vacated by Work and Co., Tookey’s tributers, is now employed on a ten-ton lot from the Imperial Crown tribute, after which a lot of two tons, a trial from a new leader, will be put through. The Moanataiari have taken the remaining five head, which they intend to keep going, as well as the tramway battery and their own.

Goldfinch. —The tramway and shoot having been finished, this company yesterday commenced sending about 25 or 30 tons of stone down to he crushed at the Waiotahi battery. This parcel is expected to turn out very well, as gold is to be picked out frequently oil the heap, though no quantity of specimens have come from the reef. Standard. Owing to an accident having occurred to the water-race of the F.M.K. battery, Hape Creek, the crushing for this company will have to be delayed for a few days, but everything is in readiness to commence as soon as the damage is repaired. Some splendid stone was taken out yesterday, thickly impregnated with coarse gold, which caused a good deal of enquiry for shares last evening. Some of the stone may be seen at the manager’s office, Grahamstown, Bird-in-Hand —The contractors have finished their 50 feet of sinking, and are now putting in two divisions in the shaft, which consists of three compartments. This will be finished very soon, and sinking another 50 feet will at once be proceeded with. The country through which the latter portion of the shaft has been sunk is veiy good working stuff, the boulders and drift having been gone through, and no powder is now required. They have not yet had a drop of water in the workings.

Quebec. —The shaft on this coinpanys ground is 95 feet deep, and a splendid chamber eight feet square has been opened out at the bottom. They are putting a drive in towards the City of London reef which is now in a distance of nearly 20 feet. They have nice easy stuff to go through, and are not troubled with any water up to the present., Celt. —lt was rumoured in town yesterday that very good gold had been struck in this companys ground, Upper Tararu, but we were unable to obtain any authentic information on the matter from the manager; it seemed however to be generally credited. To-day something certain will be known. George Stephenson, Hate Creek. —A crushing of about 12 tons of ‘done from this claim is now going on at Bulls machine, Ivaraka, and is looking well on the plates. The specimens from this lot, 581bs in weight, turned out 25ozs ldwt 12grs at Spencer and Halls test battery; besides this, there was another lot of a few lbs crushed a short time since, which gave 4ozs gold, making altogether 29ozs ldwt 12grs besides what the general stuff will yield. The amalgam from which the 25ozs was taken only weighed 59ozs 12dwts. Queen of Beauty. —The weekly return from this company’s stuff, crushed at Vickery’s Machine, shows a marked improvement on the former week’s return, beihg Gloz. 15dwt., or lloz-more than the last. It is to be sincerely hoped that a claim which has been getting- on so well and giving such good returns to the share holders is not going to bo involved in any litigation with its neighbours.

Queen of the Thames G.M.Co. (Limited). —The directors and legal manager inspected the ground to-day for the purpose of choosing a spot to commence work on. It was decided to drive, on a reef which crops out of the hill side on a level with the tramway. At a distance of 150 feet it is expected that this reef will join the City of London lode. They will then have backs of 150 feet to work out. The directors have also made a call of sixpence per scrip, and work will be commenced almost immediately. Smiling Beauty. I — A new shaft has been started quite close to the site of the old one, and it is to be hoped that it will progress more satisfactorily than the first.

Caledonian.— The new shaft for the pumping machinery having arrived from Auckland, work has been started to fix it in position, and Dumping will bo resumed in a short time. Last week’s yield was a satisfactory one, and some very good stone is coming out every shift. . - Bright Smile.— We are glad to be able to report that yesterday a retorting took place for this company at Souter’s battery, with an excellent return of 3460z5. Gdwts. This is not the entire yield from the stone put through up to date, as there is still a lot of amalgam on hand, and as crushing is still going on, the boxes have not yet been cleaned up. Wood’s Tribute (Tookey Company).— A crushing of 47 tons was finished and cleaned up yesterday at the Manukau battery for this tribute, and yielded 40ozs. 18grs. melted gold. Work’s Tribute (Tookey Company).— This tribute finished a crushing of 33 tons at the Prince Alfred battery, for the excellent return of 58ozs. 2dwts. 18grs., or over an ounce and three quarters to the ton.