MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 39, 21 November 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Golden Crown. —The total return of gold for the last fortnight was 2040z5. lldwts. melted gold, for which 70 tons were crushed at their own battery, and about 40 at Tararu, which is a decided improvement on the last yield, being at the rate of nearly 2ozs. to the ton. Caledonian. —The mine looks at present as well and better than it has done for a long time past, the run of gold in the main reef showing up remarkably well. A large quantity of stone is being crushed this week, and if many specimens are brought up (which is doubtful) a large return is expected. Otago. —The winze going down on the No. 2 reef is now sunk to a depth of some 4 or 5 feet, and gold has been seen as they sink. The No. 1, or main lode, lias become more broken up as it is followed in, and docs not at present look as well as it did a short distance back.

Don Pedro. —This claim, which belonged to Mr. E. Hornsby, was sold by auction, yesterday, the sale realising n handsome profit for the owner. The seller bought the property some twelve months ago, we understand, for £SO, and let it on tribute, so that he has realised haudsomely on his bargain, having received some Returns from the tributers during the past year. • Vulcan. —A contract has, we see, been let for delivering an additional four head of stampers at this company’s battery, the tenderer having a fortnight’s time to complete his contract. This addition will not be made before it is wanted, as many of the claims in the neighbourhood ' are anxiously waiting an opportunity of getting a trial crushing, which they will probably be enabled to do when the Vulcan battery is enlarged. The Lowland Lass people are, we understand, the first on the list, and they are getting out stone to be ready as soon as the battery is prepared to receive it.

Sailor Prince. —A crushing of five tons, as a trial from the winze being sunk on the reef in the main adit, took place at the Manukau battery, and was cleaned up yesterday morning. Imagine the astonishment of the cleaner up when, upon opening the stamper boxes, a magnificent prospect met his eyes, from stone which, at the most, was not expected to yield much over half an ounce to the ton. Not such a show as is generally obtained from trial lots, but real gold ; not in its pure state, but already manufactured into coin of the realm, bearing the head of her Majesty as a device, and, stranger than all, the silver had been extracted without undergoing any chemical operation, and appeared to the astonished beholder in in the form of shillings and sixpences. We strongly commend this battery to persons wishing for a speedy return from their quartz without waiting for the slow process of retorting, etc. The man who put the money into the stuff was evidently a practical miner, and knew all about it, the silver, we suppose being put in so that the gold should not be too rich when t urned out. Besides this coined gold, the stufl turned out Gjozs. of hard squeezed amalgam, from which about 2ozs, of gold is expected. New Caledonia. The reef in this claim is looking very well indeed as it is followed in. In the face of the drive it is about eighteen inches wide, and in the stopes it runs out as wido as three feet in places, making stronger as it runs into the hill. They will have splendid backs to ■\vork out in a short time. Gold has been seen all along the bottom, and picked from the heap. There are some 30 tons in the paddock, which will be sent down to the Criterion battery to-day, and crushed immediately. The manager will be able to keep five bead constantly employed crushing, if he can make arrangements to get the use of them. Oriental. —Work has been stopped in the upper drive, and all hands sent to work on the reef in the low level tunnel, which is being broken down witli a view to crushing as soon as a battery can be obtained at the Criterion. In the reef there is about eighteen inches of a seam of good crushing stone on the hanging wall, the rest not being considered worth saving. Gold was seen in this seam on Saturday. Upper Tararu. —The reports from this part of the field, as far as regards the future prospects, are very encouraging, and a great deal of work is being done, for which the owners of claims up there deserve every credit, as there can be no chance of a return for a long time to come. The Inspector of Mines has paid the leases up there a visit, with a view, we are informed, of reporting on the work done on each piece of ground for which a lease has been applied, in order to sec if the required conditions as to the granting of leases in this locality have been complied with. He was much pleased with some of the claims, and probably we shall soon learn part of the result of his visit. The promised road is making very slow progress indeed, and if it goes on as it now is, another summer will pass away, and winter be on tis again before anything more can be done in the way of getting machinery transported to this locality, or of getting stone down for trial crusbings. At the present rate, it will cost far more than it is worth to carry machinery of any sort up the creek, as witness the stamper box for the Vulcan, which cost £3O for carnage. The holders of mining property in this district have' very stringent conditions imposed upon them, which must be fulfilled ere they get leases for the land, and yet they are not getting that assistance which any Government who really had the good of * the field at heart would give. They have been promised everything they asked for, and are anxiously waiting for the fulfilment of these promises. Yve trust they will not have to wait much longer. Waitemata. —We have been informed by one of the directors that good gold was got yesterday in the winze being carried down on the reef in the cross-cut put in from the Nonpareil maiu adit. The report caused some little stir in the market, but no great rise took place in the price of scrip. Guildhall. —A meeting of the shareholders was held last night at the Pacific Hotel, when rules were passed, directors

. . •• •■ ! j .:v! 1 1 '! t . ! elected,, and a.call of 3d,per sliaije.was at onefe. Thb appointment of Mr. E. T. Wildman, as legal manager, was confirmed. > : •