MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 60, 15 December 1871, Page 3

MINING.

c - ; ;•* * i, ./ . Caledonian.— I The prospects in this mine are looking up again, gold being visible in several places in the main ‘face to the shaft side of No. 3 wipze,, as well, as on the lower side. Large quantities of stone are being broken out; both frem the main and lower levels, and sent to the batteries for crushing, whereit is showing up well for a good return. Me are glad to be able to report favourably of this our leading mine, as for a short time past its prospects have not beon of the brightest. Shares have been more freely enquired after for the last few days, and holders are shy at parting. llazlebank. —-Work is being pushed ahead, preparatory to sinking amain shaft on this long disputed ground. Fluming the Moanataiari Creek, for throwing out their mullock, has been nearly completed, and as soon as this is finished, sinking will he commenced. Morning Star. —Work in the lower levels of this mine has been suspended principally owing to the great increase in the amount of water coming f in, and the battery is, in consequence; idle. The shareholders have started to putin a drive from the level of the brace of the shaft into the hill towards the Waiotahi,. for the purpose of intersecting some leaders known to be there, and when reached they will be worked on near the surface.

Don Pedro. Sinking the winze towards the Ivuranui tunnel has been started. It is at present 47 feet down, at which distance the reef split in two parts. The manager intends to find out which of the two is the main body, and then to continue down oh it, and before he gets to the required depth the tunnel will be in far enough to work out of that level. There is a small paddock of stone taken from the stopes now lying at the mouth of the drive, which is reckoned geod crushing dirt. British (Hate Creek). —A crushing of about 12 tons of stone from this claim is at present going on at Vickery’s machine, on the Karaka Creek, and a payable return is expected. Central Italy. —The machinery which came by the ‘ Hero ’ has arrived, and will sbon be delivered on the claim, where work is progressing well. Nothing of any moment remains to be sent over, and no delay will take place. The tunnel going in to the Golden Calf and Central ground is now in nearly 190 feet, the ground being pretty hard; 300 feet is the distance required to reach the Golden Calf shaft, and about 120 further to the Central. Inverness. —The crushing going on at the Prince Alfred battery is shaping well, which must be satisfactory to shareholders. The tributers’ crushing at the same battery is also showing up for a good payable yield. Golden Calf. —The shaft is now down about 340 feet, and water is coming in pretty freely from the bottom. From this and the general appearance of the country, it looks as if a lode was close at hand, so that more water, may be looked for, for a time, as in all probability the Central shaft will have to bo drained, as well as a large section of the reef. When this takes place there ought to bo no difficulty in keeping the shaft dry. Otago. —ln the drive on No. 1 lode a great change for the better has taken place, an entirely different run of country having come to it to the north-east side of the drive from the shaft. For some distance back the reef has been of a very mullocky description, but it has now entirely changed, and is much more solid, with excellent looking stone, containing a very large quantity of antimony and other metals. The walls are both splendidly defined, the hanging wall more particularly being nice clay, and as smooth as aboard, dipping at about 60 degrees. On No. 2 lode the winze has been sunk to a depth of about 30 feet, at which distance they opened out, and have driven about 20 feet into the claim. The lode is about two feet thick and lays very flat, about an angle of 20 degrees, and gold has been and is still frequently seen. The stone from this ought to be good crushing stuff. The manager has the mine in excellent working order,having his air pipes and teams well arranged, and he lias timbered everything well with the best rata props and puriri cap .pieces. If this mine should . turn out something good now, it woiild be a first-rate thing for the field, and from present appearances it may do so at any moment. Nonpareil. —The shaft has been sunk and timbered to a depth of 78 feet below their main level, and at the present rate of work will be ready to open out another level by next week or a little later. Quartz veins, containing gold, continue to be met with as they go down, the country being good working ground. Moanataiari. —Another lot of 56 lbs. of specimens were brought out yesterday morning, making a total now of about 300 lbs. The crushing going on at their own battery,*and also at the Herald, is looking well, and from the good announcement made, wc anticipate an improvement in the next fortnightly yield. Californian (Fiery Creek). —Crushing for the tributers of this claim is going on at the Flora McDonald Battery, with 20 head, which they propose to keep going continuously. A contract for breaking down 2,000 tons of quartz has been let, and will be started on immediately. The reef is looking very well now, especially in the lower level, and the tributers are looking for some return for their large outlay in opening up the mine. Providence. —This case being now decided in favour of the present holders, we have been enabled to get some interesting particulars concerning the value of the property, which have been kept very quiet up to the present, and when we see what they are we are not surprised at it. Since starting work, they have had two crushings. From the first one, 22 tons of stone reduced gave the handsome return of 108 oz of melted gold ; and the next one, of 13 tons, yielded 71oz lGdwt melted gold, making a total of 1790 z lGdwt from 35 tons of stone, or at the rate of slightly over soz to the ton. The return from the crushing going on now at Partington’s battery, of somew’here about 16 tons, together with the yield from a quantity of specimens reduced at Spencer and Hall's, will be to hand to-day, and is expected to give somewhere about 180 oz more. Work is being still carried On in‘ the mine with excellent prospects, and it is expected that good returns will continue to come to hand for some time to come. Don Pedro Tribute.— The'late tributers of this claim bad a crushing of 951 b of stone at Spencer and Hall’s singlestamper, yesterday, which gave the rich return of 70oz lOdwt of retorted gold. The amalgam, before retorting, weighed only 1370 z lOdwt, so that the return of gold was more than half, a tiling which does not happen very often.