MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 23, 2 November 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Caledonian. —A quantity of very good specimen stone was taken out yesterday, and the night before last, from a drive going in from No. 1 winze towards the Otago ground. Their drive is now in some 7 or 8 feet, and good stone is plainly visible. In the lower level, the south-eastern drive has not yet been cleaned out, but this is now being done. The south-western drive is being carried on, and apparently they are getting very close to some body of stone. The water is not coming in very fast, all that in the S.W. drive coming is from the bottom. The pumps are working well, and no delay is likely to take place now in pushing ahead with the lower workings. Otago. —A mining survey was yesterday made of this company’s workings, and it shows that the drive is now up to within ten feet and a-half from the Caledonian boundary, and the show of gold is very fair indeed in the face. The lode is about two feet wide, and well defined. According to the present direction, it cuts across the corner of the Caledonian ground into the Red Queen, and then into the Cure Company’s claim. Sons of Freedom. —This company are about to proceed to work their claim from the Lincoln Castle ground, from which level they will be able to work a good block of the reef, before their low level tunnel is in to their own ground. Pride of Tokatea (Coromandel). —The manager lodged 200ozs. of gold in the bank to-day, as the result of a crushing of 1£ tons of stone, and about 3001bs. of specimens. The leader from which this stone is taken is the same as worked in the Rainbow claim, and though very small, being only from three to eight inches thick, is very rich, as the above return will prove. Good gold has been taken from a level 100 feet above where the stone just crushed was taken from, proving that the leader carries the precious metal right throughout that distance. In about a fortnight they intend to have a crushing of the general stuff, from which the present crushing has already taken place, and which is expected to yield well. Specimens are daily accumulating, and another good return ■will soon be to hand. A cross-cut now going in from an old drive will cut the leader at a distance of 25 feet, and will give backs of 60 feet to work out.

City of Dunedin. —The result of a rough clean up from this company’s crushing, after a week’s run, was lodged yesterday, the amount being 74ozs. 12dwts. from about 125 tons put through. There is about 15ozs. more to be added to this, which will make the total about 90ozs. This is not as good a return as was expected from the show whilst the crushing was going on, the amalgam having run very poorly, owing to the extremely fine nature of the gold. Gold has been found in the reef in some of the peculiar dark, crystallised quartz, unlike any gold-bearing stone found on this field. The show in the workings still continues good, and 15 stampers are kept constantly crushing. Courier, Punga Flat. —The shareholders are sinking a winze from the surface on the lode from which they have had a crushing. The reef is just changing from brown to blue stone, and is rather broken up, but seems to be coming more together at the bottom of the winze. The stone looks well, and carries a large quantity of base metal in it.

The Cambria. —A shaft is being put down close to the Courier boundary in order to drive for and open out on the reef now worked on the latter claim. They will soon be deep enough, a.nd intend to get oul a lot of stone for a trial as soon as possible. Bendigo Independent. —The crushing for the* tributers going on at Weston’s battery is showing up uncommonly well for a rich return. About 100 tons will be put through altogether, and a lot of specimens, which will give a very good return,

North Devon —The stone going through for the tributers is not making much of a show on the plates, though even a • very small yield will pay from the large quantity of stone easily turned out. Brighton. —A trial crushing for this company, from the old Two-Fingered reef was finished up yesterday morning, and was retorted laßt evening. The result is not yet to hand, but from the show on the plates, it is expected to be more payable. They are at present shin two trial lots, one from the large 4 reef taken from the battery level, and return is expected to be better than tho last, which was taken from the upper workings ; the other lot is from a large reef which cropH out on the surface at a bend in the road near the machine, and is known as the Old Man reef. As both these lots had only just been started when our reporter was at the machine, nothing can yet be said as to the probable result. The manager seems evidently determined to give all the reefs in the claim, and they are numerous, a thorough good test. Nonpareil. —The main reef and also the branches being worked on continue to show good gold. A parcel of specimen stone, some of it very good indeed, was taken yesterday morning from near the main winze, and gold is frequently seen in the stopes. Another vein ruuning away from the hanging wall to the right hand is now being driven on and shows veiy well, gold having been taken out up as far as they have at present gone. Work has been started cutting out the chamber in the Queen of Spain shaft preparatory to sinking it the 100 feet deeper. When this is done, and the reef opened out on from below, it will make a very great deal of difference in the expense of working the mine. The meeting held the day before yesterday in Auckland by a number of shareholders was a very stormy one, and resulted in very little. A proposition was made to tho meeting to the following effect: —“ That the directors of the Nonpareil bo requested to give a statement of the number of shares purchased by them in tho Waitemata, the price paid for them and the use they intended to make of their votes in connection with such shares." Of course this was not carried, but the shareholders present resolved to request the legal manager to call an extraordinaiy general meeting of the . Company at once, in order to get an explanation respecting their intentions. Cock-a-Doodle. —Yesterday afternoon late, the workmen in this claim came on to a very rich shot of gold, about 20 feet from where they first struck the reef from the Yankee Doodle drive. They are going in towards the old working, from which they formerly got a gcod show. Some splendid specimens were shown us last us last night by the manager, the gold being very fine, and right through tho stone. The reef is about 3ft. 6in. wide, and the country is very good. The gold was taken from near the foot-wall of the reef.