MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 29, 9 November 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Britannia, Karika.—The • shareholders in this claim are sending down about 60 tons of stone to the Four Georges battery to be crushed this week. This lot of quartz comes from the winze which is being sunk on the reef, and a good return is expected. The last crushing of 22 tons at the same battery yielded 23ozs. 17dwts. of gold, and this lot is expected to go quite as good, if not better than the last. The shareholders are putting in a drive to cut the reef at a low level. They arc already 43 feet in, and have only to drive some 25 feet further before reaching the lode. When this is done they will be able to open out on their blocks, and as they will have backs of 100 feet they will be able to get out a large quantity of stone for the battery, the reef being some two feet thick. Four Georges. —The shareholders are getting another lot of quartz in their paddock ready for a crushing towards the end of the week.

Commercial. —This company have laid down a tramway from the mouth of their drive to the hopper, which is a very good well built one. They have laid down a branch line from the main tramway to their hopper, and they have some 25 or 30 tons of quartz in their paddock. The door at the mouth of the drive was locked when our rereporter was there, so that the mine could not be inspected. This company also possess a battery of their own a short distance down the creek, and the reef they have in hand has been proved payable at former crushings. Altogether we should think the company have a good property in their possession, which requires only to be properly worked to prove remunerative, and yet the ground is at preseut idle.

Sir Walter Scott. —There is quite a busy appearance about this company’s ground, which is something extraordinary for this once largely populated district. The company’s battery, which is in first class working order, is at present crushing for the tributers ef the Abraham Lincoln, and the plates give a very fair show. Some of the stone from the upper level of their own ground is also being put through and a payable return is expected. There are four different .oofs in this ground which are at present known, and it is the intention of the owners to test them all thoroughly. At present in the upper level they arc working on the reef which runs into the Conqueror ground. Stoping is going on and it is found that towards the surface the reef runs out to nothing, while at the bottom of a winze sunk 20 feet below the present level it has widened out to three feet. In this upper drive the specimen lode known as the 3rd May leader is also being worked on, but this also runs out to nothing at a few feet above the top of the drive. At the bottom of a blind shaft sunk on this leader to a depth of sixty feet some good specimens were taken out. A drive to cross - cut this shaft and also the larger reef is being put in, and when the lodes arc cut they will have backs of 90 feet to work out, and as the size of the body of stone increases as it goes down, they expect to get out a large quantity of good payable stuff. There is a shaft at the lower part of the claim, from the bottom of which they can open out and get a further back of 90 feet on the reefs, and this they intend to do as soon as their low level tunnel is completed. All the tramways, shoots, &c., are in excellent workingorder, and the company deserve every success, they having spared no expense to put their mine and plant in first-clac. working order. Whi’st in this neighbourhood, we may mention that there is a lot of about 40 tons of stone lying in the paddock of the Conqueror claim, quLe close to the machine, which we are told is payable. This belongs to the late tributers of the company, who ceased to work some time since. Now that the battery is working, it is a wonder the}’ do not have it crushed, instead of letting it be where it is.

Abraham Lincoln. —16 tons is being crushed for the tributers of this company, and is looking very fairly on the plates ; but we were informed that some 50ozs. had been t ken from it in specimens, so that a rich yield would hardly be expected. A low level is being put in to cut the reef, and when this is done, and the reef opened up, the manager expects to be able to keep ten head of stampers going. Multum in Parvo. —The reef which has been lying very flat for some distance is now returning to its original course, and dipping away again as it did above. It It still looks well, and the No. 2 reef also. From this latter gold can be picked out out at any time. The manager is at present sending down some 40 tons or more to Weston’s Machine, which is expected to run about the same as the last crushed there. We have been informed that the claim was jumped the day before yesterday, or rather, claimed by some jumpers on some such plea as that the company had no legal title to the ground. It is to be sincerely hoped that the jumpers will not gain possession of the claim, as it would be rather unfair that the present shareholders should lose their shares and their money for the faults of their predecessors. If these sort of things continue, there will be no safety for anyone purchasing shares in any company on the field. At present we cannot say how the case stands, but suppose it will soon be decided one way or another. Ne Plus Ultra. —This drive being put in from the Vale of Avoca side of the spur to catch the Multum No. 2 reef, is now in a distance of some 20 feet. A leader from 8 inches to 1 foot wide is in hand in the side of the drive, and although no gold has been seen at present, the stone looks very well. They expect to have to drive about 150 feet for the Multum reef, perhaps a little more. Bendigo Independent. —A crushing of 130 tons for the tributers of this company was finished at Westons, and retorted yesterday, with a result of 171ozs lGdwts which, on being melted, was reduced to lGGozs 14dwts. This, though not as much as was expected, is still a good payable yield. Now that their low level is nearly in to the bottom of the shall, the stuff will be much more easily brought to the surface than it can now be.

City of St. Andrews. —The drive from the bottom of the shaft is now in about 45 feet, and the leader is expected to he met with about five feet further in. The report that the Union Jack leader had been struck is a mistake, nothing having been yet cut in the drive. Talisman. —The water which came in very heavily and kept them bailing incessantly for five days, has now been got under, and driving is again going on. They expect to cut the reef in about a weeks work from the present time, and if not again troubled with water, will immediately begin to break down stone for crushing. British. —A crushing of 10 tons for the British claim, Hapc creek, took place at Bull’s No. 1 battery, with a yeld of ffozsof gold, which is considered very satisfactory by the shareholders, and gives them encouragement to push ahead their workings.

Bee Hive. —A crushing of 401bs. of specimens from this tribute'took place at Spencer and Hall’s Battery yesterday, and gave an excellent return of 18ozs. 3dwts. of melted gold. The return from the general stuff is not yet finished at the Criterion Battery. Queen of Beauty. This company lodged 32ozs. 15dwts. melted gold in tho bank yesterday,-the result of their week’s crushing at Vickery’s Machine, Karaka Creek. Red Queen. —A very (large block of stone containing good gold as well as several smaller specimens were to be seen yesterday at Messrs T. and S. Morriu’s store, Grahamstown, taken from the leader in which the gold was at first struck a few days since. The lode seems to be improving very much in appearance as it is followed, but the country is still hard. The manager intends to go to work also on thelarge reef, which has already been tried at a higher level, and from which a small prospect was obtained. SHIPMENT OF GOLD. The Bank of New Zealand shipped per ‘ Golden Crown ’ yesterday 4,506 ounces of gold.