MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 55, 9 December 1871, Page 3

MINING.

Standard. —A clean up will take place to-day at the F.M.K. battery, where six head have bocu employed some time. Part of the stone passed through was from the middle level, and gave a far better return than that from above. It was not cleaned up separately from the other, but the show on the tables and the quantity of amalgam taken off, proves that the quality was far superior. This week’s return will be a great improvement on the previous one. Ashley. —We are glad to notice that this company have started in earnest to prospect their ground at a depth. A shaft has b.scn commenced which it is intended to carry down at least 200 feet, if all goes well. This will enable them to test, the ground at a good depth, and will probably result in doing a great deal of good for this district, which has so long been i a the shade, very little work having been done. Their next-door neighbors, the Twcedside, might well take an example from them, and work their ground, which has been allowed to lie almost idle for a long time, whilst gold is known to exist in payable quantities.What their object is we cannot say, but it looks as if they had one in view. The crushing going on at the F.M.K battery does not look quite so well as the last, but i 3 still looking well. Star of the Thaaif.s. —About 201bs of specimens were brought out yesterday morning from the reef, which still looks well. A dividend of one shilling has been declared, and a good balance still remains in hand to woTk with. It will not be long before another crushing takes place, the stuff being ready at any moment, as soon as the hopper and wire tramway are available. Windsor Castle. —The sinking of the winze is now going on rapidly under the hands of the new contractors. The reef is 4 feet wide, and gold is visible all the way down. The depth now is 40 feet from the upper level, and 70 from the surface, and it has to be parried down DO

feet more to reach the low level tunnel. Driving is still going on down below, progress being very slow, owing to the quantity of water and .the hardness-of the stone.

Tararu Tramway Extension. —The extension of the brau-.h up Tinker’s Gully is now all but finished as far as the Felix claim.. It will be handed otci - to the Government on Monday, and on Tuesday will be opened for work. There is a quantity of stone lying in the paddocks of both the Highland Fling and Felix claims ready to send down, and we suppose that the Port Philip will also soon be ready to avail themselves of it. Windsor Castle Tribute. —A crushing of 16 tons was completed yesterday at Partington’s Battery, and yielded 14ozs. 14dwts. 12grs. of melted gold, or nearly an ounce to the ton, which is about the average return.

Otago. —The manager is now engaged doing a lot of what may be called dead work. The air has becomo bad, so he is fixing air-pipes to improve the ventilation, and lie is also laying down a tramway for the easier working of the lode. In consequence of all this, little stone is now coming up, but in a very short time he will again be in full work.

Golden Lion.— Driving alongside of the reef is going on, and, as soon as they get some distance ahead, will commence to break down. The lode is three feet wide, and healthy looking, being well defined and solid.

Coronet. They expect to break through with the drive from the shaft in about a week or so, which will enable them to work the ground to much greater advantage. The shaft is 140 feet deepj and when this communication is effected, the manager intends to drive into the hill, and also under the creek, and work on the lodes in the mine. The water is pretty heavy, but uot too much to be easily kept under.

Wiiau. —This company’s battery lias been idle for some days, through want of water. It seems that the water-race has been burnt down in one or two places, and is not yet repaired, They expect to get a start again to-day. Alburnia. —This company’s battery is also idle, owing to the same cause as the Whan. It is a great pity, as there is a veiy large quantity of quartz in the battery and paddocks, so much so that they have no room to put any more now. When they stopped, the stuff was showing up well for a good return, and the quartz now in the battery is, the manager informs us, also very good. When the race is repaired, they will start with ten head, that being as many as they can conveniently work with the supply of water at their command. Bendigo Independent. —The tributers have commenced crushing at Weston’s battery. There is in all about 130 tons to be put through which will yield about the same as the last, from all appearances. Siuking the winze is going on, they having about 40 feet more to go down to meet their low level adit, which is in to the required distance. Cock-a-Doodle. The stone being crushed is looking well, better than the

last. They are now driving both ways on the main reef which has conic together again after the large blow out, and is now well defined and solid, carrying gold as worked on.