COROMANDEL.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 49, 2 December 1871, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

(from our own correspondent.) NEW RUSH ! GREAT EXCITEMENT. Friday, December 1. At an early hour this morning, word was brought from the Menaia that a prospecting party, who have been in that locality for some months, had struck a payable reef. The secret was well kept until about noon, and then commenced to ooze out. Parties of two and three were quietly observed to steal off towards the now field of operations immediately after dinner hour, —some on horseback, some on foot, but all with the same knowing mysterious look about them, and the last batch that your correspondent encountered was a cavalcade composed of surveyors, publicans and sinners, who rode as if they intended to drive a sharp practice. The distance from Kapanga is about thirteen miles, and the road (or rather track) from the Tiki, a middling one for pack-horses. One mining lease was applied for this morning, and no doubt many others will be pegged out before this time to-morrow. The Tokatca G.M.C. have now 3,7000z5. gold in the Bank of New Zealand. The result of their crushing at the Whakaroa battery for last week was 2200z5. The cleaning up at the New Zealand battery takes place to-morrow, and a dividend will be declared towards the end of the week. The Golden Pah had a special general meeting on Wednesday evening, when it was determined that a call should be made instead of increasing the capital by the creation of new shares.

The Venus is still stoping from their No. 3 leader, and the stone is becoming more solid. They have a chance of catching the Green Ilarp leader lately opened on from the beach road level, if its present bearings do not vary.

TiiK Whakaroa battery cleaned up on Wednesday morning for thoTokatea. The amalgam taken out of the boxes is being retorted. 200ozs, were lodged in the bank on Tuesday, the proceeds of the amalgam retorted on Monday. This battery is now engaged on a lot of 25 tons for the Coromandel Company. The plates look very well —a return of sozs, to the ton is expected. The Masonic sent down 50 tons from their large reef on Thursday, which will be put through when the Coromandel stuff is finished.—The Nil Desperandum batterv is engaged on a lot of 10 toms for the Pride of Tokatea Company. The Independent will follow with a lot of 20 tons from the large leader. Some nice specimens were picked out of this stuff while it was being broken down. A return of 3ozs. to the ton is expected.—The New Zealand Company’s battery is busily employed on the Tokatea stuff. The plates show up well for the usual good returns. About tiOlb amalgam were taken off the plates since Monday. A general cleaning-up will take place on Saturday. Total return to date, 3,6000z5. gold.—The Siege of Paris struck a golden leader last evening, and are now taking out very rich specimens. The lode is supposed to be the Tokatea leader, and is 3 feet thick This find removes all doubt as to the richness of the ground at low level. Shares are eagerly sought after this morning, and arc rising rapidly. The French Republic are also on good gold in the main drive and in the winze. The necessary works are being pushed forward vigorously, preparatory to stoping out being commenced. A crushing will take place as soon as the road to the tramway is completed.—The Van, and other claims below the level of the tramway, are working energetically, and hope to cut the Tokatea leader in a week or two. —The Royal Oak are pushing forward the main drive on the large leader, and expect to break into the winze next week. The stone being taken out looks very well, and should crush equal to the stuff recently put through at the Nil Desperandum battery. —The Pride of Tokatea are still

getting good specimens out of the Rain-bow-end leader, The prospects of this mine are improving, and it will be in a position, with good management, to pay dividends before long.—Tne Harbor View main drive isnow in 120 feet, and is being pushed forward rapidly. Several small goldbearing stringers have been met with but will not be opened out on at present, the manager preferring to keep on with the main drive.—The Waverley are taking out excellent specimens from the new leader, and the general stuff looks very well. Preparations are being made for a large crushing at an early date. Shares in tills company are in brisk demand.— The Masonic are stoping out on the large leader ; there are over 100 tons of stuff in the paddock ready for crushing. It is intended to send down only 50 tons at present, or until the tramway is extended to the claim. —The Golden Point are putting in a main drive at the level of the creek on the large leader, and are also stoping out on the leader in the winze. There are about 30 tons of stuff in paddock, which will be crushed at the Nil Desperandum battery when the road down the creek is completed. The stuff taken out of this large 'leader prospects 3oz. to the ton, and is improving as the drive goes forward, The leader is now about 4 feet in thickness, and is widening. Arrangements are being made for erecting macliinery at the junction of the Driving Creek, for the company. —The Green Harp are reported to be taking out splendid stone from the main leader. A large return from this claim may bo looked forward to very soon, as the new road from the claims to Kapanga is very nearly completed.—The Golden Pah are pulling in a new main level to prospect the ground thoroughly. Nothing of any consequence has yet been met with. Rich specimens and coarse gold can be seen in the stuff brought to grass from the cross drive.—The Neptune are sinking a winze on the leader, and arc also driving main tunnel. When the winze breaks through into the lower workings stoping out will be rt once commenced. The stuff being taken out shows gold freely, and should crush .very well. Arrangements are being made for the erection of machinery for this company.—The Pacific, Venus, Golden Harp, and other claims are busily employed on their various works, and getting large quantities of stuff ready for crushing. —Mr Morris has struck a rich leader in his private property, near Cadinan’s mill. I will visit the claim and report as to the value of the find.—The new rush at the head of Sykes’s Crock is progressing favorably. Messrs Moore and Co. are taking out very gcod stuff. The leader is of a mullocky nature, and very soft. Good gold is visible in the stone, and the mullock, when washed in the dish, gives a prospect of about Bozs. to the ton.— Reports of new finos are to hand from the Driving Creek, Paul’s Creek, and other favorite localities.—[Correspondent D. S. Cross.

MINING MATTERS AT COROMANDEL. It is very gratifying for prospectors, and parties interested in the beach portion of the Keven’s Point claims, to find they will soon be supplied with abundance of crushing power. Captain Thomas, the manager of the New Zealand Company, lias within a few days, wisely for the company he repreeents, selected the best position on that part of the field for the erection of a 15-bead battery, with a 25-horse-power steam engine and boiler.—The Green Harp, being the foremost and most developed of the Beach claims, presents a splendid show. —The Golden Pah, Neptune, and Venus claims, come next in importance. They arc all on promising gold leaders, whilst many new prospecting claims arc kept industriously at work, with good objects to look forward to. — Referring to the upper or Tokatca range portion of the diggings, the next latest important find I have heard lias been from some prospecting done on the new lease of the Whakaroa Quartzmining Company (late the Flying Cloud). The prospects obtained on the surface from the old leader have shown extraordinarily rich results of very pure coarse gold.—Good gold lias been exhibited during the past few days from the new Waverley lease, which is most encouraging to find at such an early date of proceedings.—At the Day Dawn and Pccp-o’-Day, operations arc principally confined to driving their bottom level.—The Pride of the Tokatca are blocking out some good-looking stone for an early crushing.—The Count Von Bismarck, French Republic, Siege of Paris, and Day Light arc prosecuting their drives at their various levels, with every energy and despatch, with a view of meeting the rich leader of the Tokatca ground.—The Conquering Hero have met with their leader in the shaft, producing fair shows of gold.—At Murphy’s the lower drive is being pushed ahead, and when completed,, there is every probability of good stone being met with.—Vigorous workings are being done by the late rush at Sykes’s Creek, Paul’s Creek, and the head of the Driving Creek, and many leases pegged olf.—There is no doubt the various prospecting parties scattered through the creeks and ranges will, during this fine season, be amply rewarded for their rough researches.—The New Zealand Company’s battery, being rented for the Tokatca Company, is kept in full work, and the general appearance of the yields is of the same good class as heretofore. —The other batteries are generally employed in various small lots daily coming in.—[Correspondent of the 1). N. Cross.]

The Golden Point, a claim on the old Kapanga lease, have come upon a patch of very good stone. The reef is a large body of stone about 4ft wide, and is expected to average about loz to the ton all through. The patch they have just hit upon is rich, and will turn out well. The shareholders are making arrangements to erect machinery in order to crush their own stone, and when it is up the Golden Point will he one of the best paying claims in the district. The Waverlv, a claim at the extreme end of the Tokatea Range, have been getting out some more very line stone, and Mr Hume, the manager, brought down a few fine specimens on Monday. The tramway is to he continued to the claim, and when it is done it will bring a large tract o, rich country into connection with the hatleries which only require crushing power to make it pay well. A new find has been made in a little creek behind the Royal Hotel in the ground of a man named Morris, mullocky leader about 18 inches wide has been opened, and from it a very fine prospect of both coarse and fine gold was washed. No gold has yet been seen in the stone, hut it is intended to work the leader, and try it a little depth, and test a few feet in.