MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 17, 26 October 1871, Page 3

MINING.

George Stephenson. —The crushing for this company was finished yesterday, and the result was 9ozs lGdwts 12grsfrom 114 tons stone. This with the gold from the specimens crushed at Spencer and Halls makes a total of 39ozs. from the lot, a very satisfactory yield indeed. Good stone is still coming from the mine, and ere long the shareholders intend to crush another lot. The battery vacated by this claim has started crushing a 100 ton lot for the Golden Spur, Hape Creek, which is expected to give a good payable return. The Multum in Parvo.— Crushing has been resumed for this company at Weston’s machine, and the plates show up splendidly for a good return. The roads now being in a very fair state there will be no further delay in bringing _ down the whole of the stone ready, which will he finished about the end of the week. North Devon.— This company# tributers also occupy ten head at Weston’s battery, and there are in all about GO tons to go through. It is not showing very richly on the plates, bat a small return only is expected, the reef being very large. _ There are some specimens on hand, which will help to swell the yield from the general stuff.

Buby.— The low level drive is now in about 240 feet, the greater part of which has been driven through a very hard bar of country, but there is now a better sort of ground in hand, and the manager expects to meet the old Punga Flat reef at any moment. They calculated on getting it before now, but the hard bar mentioned above must have forced it higher up the hill. Four different reefs will be cut 1 through before the large lode of the Papa.kura claim is met with, all of which will be opened out on and prospected. There is a winze 60 feet down on this reef, in the Papakura drive, and when this is drained by cutting the reef, it will be carried down and communication opened with the low level which will enable the owners to open up their ground, and also give a good supply of air. Some 200 feet beyond this reef the drive, when continued will meet the Nil Desperandum lode, from which some very good gold was taken by the old shareholders. The rumour that a leader had been cut in the main adit was entirely without foundation, the only thing at present met with being a couple of small stringers, which may be offshoots from the footwall of the reef. Flying Cloud. —An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders in this company was held yesterday at the Company’s office, the principal business-being to consider the advisability of increasing the capital of the company by the issue of new shares. It was resolved to issue 1,600 new shares, of the same value as those at present in existence. This will make the total number 2,000, there having been only 400 hitherto. The drive has broken through into the Sous of Freedom workings, but as the bottom is two feet above the level of the old drive, they are now trimming down to let the remainder of the water out, which will be accomplished in a day or so. Work will then be started at once to clean out the workings, which are in a very dirty state, having been submerged so long. The leader which was met with going in, and from which some very good specimens were taken, has formed a junction with the reef just at the end of the drive.

Sons of Freedom. —This company will start to work now that their drive has baen cleared of water, and they expect to get some good stone out almost iminediately.

Black Angel. —The water in the winze has been gradually decreasing ever sinpe the Flying Cloud workings have been drained, and the manager starts this morning to bail out the remainder, and continue sinking. As the best stone which has come from this mine was taken from this, and was getting hotter as they went down, the shareholders are very sanguine of meeting with success, and intend to get stone out immediately for a crushing. Virginia City. —The winze sunk on the reef in the upper workings having been drained by the low level drive, the manager continued it down some six or eight feet further, in order to prospect the reef, and see if it improved as it went down. The prospects were very encouraging, and he is now pushing ahead the main adit in order to rise up to the winze and open the mine for taking out crushing stuff. A small leader has been cut in the face, and the country has very much improved in appearance now that thej r are approaching the reef. The Golden Calf, Central Italy tunnel is now in a distance of 45 feet. The country has got much harder for the last few feet, and powder is now used. The drive is being well finished off, and a box drain laid down between the iron rails, which will keep the workings clean and dry. The trial crushing of IMPERIAL Crown stuff at the Prince Alfred battery yielded nothing fiom about 10 tons put through. The Moanataiari Company now occupy ten head at this battery, making a total of 47 stamps at work for the company. City of Dunedin. —The manager reports that the reef now looks better than it has done for some months past. In the stopcs from No. 2 level gold can be frequently seen in good quantities, and the run of gold through the reef seems to have taken a bend. Bright Smile. —The total quantity of melted gold from the cleaning up for this claim amounted to 3410z5. 12dwts. Caledonian. —The pumps were started yesterday forenoon, but had to be stopped again for a few hours owing to something being wrong with the lifts. They started again last evening, and are now in full swing. Nonpareil. The specimens were crushed yesterday at the Criterion Battery but there will be no retorting till this morning, when the general monthly clean up will take place.

COROMANDEL. October 24. Tiie New Zealand Company’s battery crushed 120 tons of stuff for the Tokatea last week. The amount of amalgam taken off the plates was over the usual average ; retorting will be commenced next week. After four hours’ run this morning, the plates were covered with amalgam, which looks well for the stuff being put through. —The Nil Desperandum battery started yesterday morning on a lot of 20 tons from .the old All Nations leader, for the Tokatea Company. Some rich specimens were taken out of this stuff by the All Nations party some time ago, and a fair return is looked for.—The Whakaroa will commence crushing for the Tokatea tomorrow ; the battery paddock is well supplied with stone, 100 tons having been sent down on Friday and Saturday last. The Royal Oak are making arrangements to follow with a parcel of 50 tons when the battery is disengaged.—The Masonic will send down 50 tons from their large leader to-morrow to the Nil Desperandum ; a return of loz. to the ton is expected. Small lots already crushed for this company gave a return of 14oz. to the ton. — The Waverley are packing out 3 tons of very nice-looking stone taken out of a new leader cut last week, which will be crushed at the Nil Desperandum as a trial lot.— The Whakaroa Company, late the Flying Cloud claim, have commenced operations. A main drive will be put through the hill on their large leader, from which so much gold has already been taken, the stone crushed yielding over 2ozs. to the ton. — The Nil Desperandum Company are sinking a winze to connect their upper and lower workings; good gold is being carried down all the way, and some nice specimens have been taken out. They expect to break through in about a fortnight, when stoping out will be at once commenced. The Golden Point Company are sinking a winze through the old Golden Point workings, from which so much gold was taken in the early days of Coromandel. Rich specimens are met with, and the general stuff is expected to give a return of soz to the ten. The sinking will be continued until water is met with ; stoping out will then be commenced, when, from the well-known rich leader running through this ground,large returns may be looked for. The Independent, Conquering Hero, and other claims in this locality, are all in full work, and getting out more or less gold. Several new claims have been taken up in this neighborhood (Driving Creek) lately, and work is being proceeded with vigorously. A company has been floated in London to work the ground lately held by the Kapanga Company. On receipt of instructions by next incoming mail, the works will be at once commenced. It is intended to erect large and powerful machinery for pumping and crushing. A new shaft will be put down at least 500 feet ; and cross-cuts put in to tap the old Kapanga workings at a depth of 150 feet and 300 feet. Tis a pity the Auckland people allowed this fine property to pass out of their hands, knowing as they did the richness and reliable nature of the ground.—Correspondent D.S. Ovoss.