MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 94, 27 January 1872, Page 3

MINING.

New Year’s Gift. —This claim was pegged out on the site of the old Rose, Shamrock, and Thistle ground, next to the Telegraph claim. The present holders have sent down a 50-ton lot to Partington’s machine, to be crushed, taken from the Telegraph reef. Trial crushings have given half an ounce to the ton, and, if tins parcel will give the same return, the men will be quite satisfied, as there is a ver3' large body of stone, which can be very easily got at and brought down in large quantities. Crushing was commenced yesterday, and the result will be known by next week.

Great Surprise. —The crushing for this claim of 5 tons was commenced yesterday about noon at Vickery’s. We were shown some veiy nice specimens which have been picked out of a dish full of stone washed from the reef. Some of them though small were very rich, the gold being of rather a light nature, but well distributed through the stone. Windsor Castle. —The reef or leader which was cut in the low-level tunnel about IGO feet back from the face, has now been opened out on, and though only 10 inches wide where cut through has “widened out and greatly improved in appearance. The manager is confidently of opinion that this is the reef itself, though the stone is not quite the same in appearance as it is above. The face of the main drive is now in 20 feet further than a perpendicular line from the top of the winze, so that unless the reef has broken off, it must have been cut, and as the winze is down some 85 feet, with only about 45 feet, more to go, the lay of the reef being the same all the way down, it is most probable that the manager is correct in his opinion, the more especially as this lode in the tunnel was cut near about where the first survey placed the main reef. From the winze going down some good specimens have been taken, and gold is frequently seen, but the water is now getting very heavy and the work is consequently slow. The manager accounts for the water in the winze in this wise, that the reef has probably been pinched above the tunnel by the hard ground, and that of course would greatly affect the drainage of it. Christchurch. —The different leaders have now all run into one, and formed a solid body of quartz about 15 inches wide, in which good gold is to be seen. Stone is being broken down for a crushing, which will, in all probability, take place in a fortnight or so. United Pumping Association. —The fixing of the plunger gear in the shaft at a depth of 225 feet is now very nearly complete, some 40 tons of iron work having been sent down the shaft during the past week. Everything will be in order by the beginning of next week, and sinking the shaft will be resumed. Good progress is being made by Messrs Briton and Co. with the laying of the foundations round the shaft for the heavy machinery. Caledonian. —Yesterday morning some more specimen stone was sent up from the lower level, some eight pieces altogether coming,up. Shares were in pretty good demand all the morning at slightly advanced rates. A rumour was current both in Auckland and down here that the whole thing was a swindle, and that the gold was never taken from the lower level at all. To this we can give a most unqualified denial, and in justice to Captain Richards, the manager, wc must say that the “ yarn ” must have been got up by some interested parties, probably some of those who were unlucky enough to soil at £2l or thereabouts a few days ago. The crushing of the specimens was completed at tlic company’s battery yesterday, and the amalgam retorted. It turned out even better than was expected, giving a total yield of 1 ,4340 z. The general clean up to-day will make a largo addition, and the. yield for the week will not be far short of 2,0000 z.

Star of the Thames. —A nice parcel of specimens were taken out of this company’s mine yesterday, and (he general appearance of the lode is good. Yankee Doodle and Eveline. A meeting of shareholders in these claims was held yesterday afternoon, at Mr Salmon’s office, Grahamstown, when a company was formed, and the Deed of Association signed. The company was formed under the Joint Stock Act, and contains 2,800 shares of £2 each, £1 to be considered as paid up. Messrs Hornsby, Thorburn, Wood, Woodward, and Morpeth were elected directors, and Mr Salmon was chosen as secretary.