MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 51, 5 December 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Caledonian. —The last week return was melted at the Bank of New Zealand yesterday, and gave the fine" return of 3,274 ozs. 16 dwts. This,, it will be seen, is quite equal to the previous week’s return. Under the new management there will he a change in the mine. Contracts will, to a great extent, take the place of wages work. As will he seen elsewhere, something is likely to crop up with regard to the specimen stealing alleged to have been carried on in and about the mine for some time past. The general appearance of the reef and leader is satisfactory, and large quantities of stone are still being broken down and sent to the mill. Grove’s Bank. —The return for the week from this claim, after crushing with four head of stampers, is about the same as usual, lloz 6dwt. Comstock. —The erection of the poppetheads over the old Golden Crown Extended shaft is now nearly completed. The engine-house also has been erected, and in a short time the manager, Captain Higgins, will be leady to start actively to work with the deepening of the shaft, which it is intended to car:y down to a good depth, in order to thoroughly test the value of the property. Evening Star. —The tributers are again actively at work, and are taking stone out for crushing, which looks quite as well as what they had before. Some picked stone, containing good gold, has also been come across, and the prospects are quite as good as ever.

Golden Lion. —The drive from the shaft has now reached a distance of 96 feet under the creek. The iuflow of water has increased, but not so much as to interfere with their working, and from this and other appearances, the reef seems to be pretty close at hand, the country being also much softer than it was a short distance back. New Caledonia.— The reef, as followed into the hill, is still increasing in size, and some more nice stone witli coarse gold in it was yesterday brought down to the company’s office. Crushing was resumed last niglit at the Criterion battery where it was looking very well before the battery was stopped. On account of the large quantity of mundic in the stone, the larger quantity of the gold is found in the berdans. The manager reports that the mine is looking in a very healthy condition, and is very sanguine as to the future of the mine. Nonpareil. —The paddock is again full full of stone, and yesterday evening steam was got up at the Criterion Battery where crushing will be carried on with 10 head for some time to come. Waitemata. —The winze going down on the reef from the Nonpareil main adit level is now sunk to a depth of about 32 feet. The reef has decidedly improved in, both size and appearance since they commenced work, being now in places fully 18 inches wide, which is satisfactory though nothing rich has been cut as yet. There was a little water seen yesterday, running from the lode, but not much. The country is easy working ground, and oo d progress is being made. Partington’s Battery. —The Windsor Castle tribute started to crush last night a parcel of stone at this battery, from which about the usual return is expected. The Providence commence crushing a quantity of general stuff to-day, from which some specimens have already been taken and reduced, yielding well. Inverness. —Goldsworthy’s tribute party have finished a crushing of about 55 tons at the Prince Alfred Battery for a yield of 39ozs. 18dwts. 12grs. of melted gold. This is more than was expected from the appearance when the stone was going through the mill, and is looked on as satisfactory. In the lower part of the mine the manager is driving away and getting out stone, gold being found all along. There is now a nice parcel of picked stuff on hand, which though not rich specimens, will still yield well. There will soon he a large lot of stone ready to crush in the different paddocks, and very shortly a much larger quantity can he brought to grass. Tookey Company Triruters. —Work’s tribute party are crushing a parcel of some thirty tons of stone taken from the 100 feet level, at tlia Prince Alfred battery, which will give a good return. Wood’s tribute company are employing ten head at the Manukau battery, and the show seems to he as good as usual. Star of the Thames. —The Tramwabattery is fully employed crushing foi this mine, hut it seems likely that they will not ho able to get all their stuff down, as their hopper is being used by some other party. It will he a pity if the crushing cannot he completed, now that it has been commenced. Siiotover Trirute. —A clean up for the Shotover tributers took place on Saturday, and gave a return of 34 ozs. 19 dwts. of melted gold from about 50 tons of stuff crushed. Owing to a slip having taken place in the workings, some delay lias been caused, but this will be soon remedied, and work will go ahead all right again. Queen of Beauty. —The return for the week’s crushing at Bull’s No. 1 battery amounted to 54 ozs. 15 dwts. of gold, being a very good yield, quite up to the average. They have employed this battery for some time, and crushing is still going on. Smiling Beauty. —Worked lias been stopped for a time in this claim, but will he resumed in a short time. This is principally owing to the very heavy expenses incurred lately in mastering the water, and the difficulty experienced in getting in a portion of the calls due. This will soon be settled, and the principal shareholders are determined then to push the work ahead, fully confident that they have a valuable property in hand. Black Angel. The manager commenced to open out last night from the winze at 80 feet below the main adit level, as the water at present will not permit of their sinking any deeper. They carried the good run of gold down to the bottom of the winze with them, so that when the}* commence to drive it is expected to turn out well, as besides this last run, they will soon be under another, which was met on the main level. The reef being a good size, they will be enabled to break down a good quantity of stone for crushing, which will shortly be commenced. All Nations. —The month’s gold was melted yesterday, and amounted to 8520 z. Crushing is again in full swing, and the stone is quite as good as the last.