MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 118, 24 February 1872, Page 3

MINING.

All Nations. —After a thorough inspection of this celebrated mine, we arc of opinion that it must at present he placed as first on the list of mines at present producing gold on this field. It would be impossible to give a very detailed account of the various workings at present in hand after one tour through them, but a

rough resume of what is being done may, we fancy, be of interest to many of our readers, shareliold-rs, etc. The statements tiiat have been made lately, and the opinions that have been expressed with regard to the mine being nearly worked out, from the 280 feet level to the surface, needs only a visit to the mine, and a trip up tiie stope ladders, etc., to be utterly dispelled. In the first place, we must state that there is not only one lode in the All Nations mine. The ground is intersected by very many different lodes, nearly all of which, tending in the one direction, join towards the lower levels, where at present only two lodes exist—the main one, which Ims now branched into two parts, and the small lode lately struck in going in from the main shaft, though this can scarcely be called a separate lode, as it joins the larger one near to the spot where the reef branches. Commencing at the 280-feet level, we find that the main lode forks at about 180 feet from the boundary of the Inverness. From this back to the Junction boundary the lode has been nearly all taken out up to the 200 ft. level, but the two brandies have not been much worked on asyct, especially the left hand one. The manager considers that the two brandies are of about equal quality as far as be lias proved them, | and they are also about equal in size. ; Fully 12 months’ work, wc should think, j is before the manager in this direction, j and the block of ground will, from present appearances, yield rich returns. No. 3 vein, so called by the manager, was first struck at the 200 ft. le .-cl, near to the Junction boundary, and where it branches from the main lode, and lias been worked, but not to any extent. It lias been proved to be payable. From the 200 to the 150 ft. level this, the No. 3 lode, is intact, but it is being worked above that to the 100 ft. level and upwards, and gives first rate returns. It lias become considerably enlarged from where it was first struck, and turns out to be the Inverness lode worked on by Schofield and Party, tributers to that company. There still remains a large block above the 150 ft. level to be worked out, and it pays well, good patches of specimens being taken out from time to time. At the 150 ft. level the No. 2 lode is also in hand but lias not been much worked on, though when it was it proved itself more than payable. Besides these, the No. 2 and 8 lodes, there is a block of the main reef at the 200 feet level to be worked out, and also a block of ground on the Long Drive lode, 100 feet long and 50 feet deep, upwards to the 150 feet level. All these lodes, which at this level arc some distance apart, and up above even more so, run together, and form the main vein of the claim, so that it will be seen that the various leaders worked in the Junction and Long Drive are all connected in this mine, and carry the gold with them. The No. 2 lode above the 150 feet level is at present untouched, except a rise that was put up to prospect, and gold was found all the way. The surface blocks even are not by any means worked out, even though the claim lias been working for upwards of four years. The Inverness leader, which was lost a long time ago, lias been picked up after some search, and is now being worked on. There is a block 110 feet long at the bottom, and TO feet at the top, having a tutal depth of 108 feet, the lode being about 18 inches wide. Above the 150 feet level on this side of the mine the stone lias to be brought up through the shaft to the surface, but in a few weeks now the shaft will be down to the low level, and then all hoisting of stuff in the mine will bo at an end, and everything will go out at the main tunnel level. Besides the various lodes now worked on there are a number of others which hare been proved to carry the precious metal in greater or loss quantities, and when followed mi they will no doubt prove good, as nearly all the brandies from the r< of which have boon found liavo been only an inch or two wide when first struck, and have enlarged considerably afterwards. Tiie fact of the matter is that even the manager of the mine, who lias been in it from the commencement, docs not know what work there is to be done, nor will lie do so until lie actually gets at it; one tiling positively certain is that be could not work out even the blocks now in band above the 280 ft. level in a year, nor perhaps in a much longer space of time. Bart of the mine lie lias not a yet even properly prospected. The Oddfellows’ ground, which now belongs to the All Nations, lias never been looked at since they got possession of it, and wc may safely say that for years the All Nations claim will l»c in work, and with every probability of giving regular returns of gold, at times very rich, and at times perhaps not so. The month’s return will be to hand to-day. City of London. —The report touching the cutting of the reef in this claim is quite true. The depth of the shaft is 180 feet, and in sinking this through hard ground, and opening out on the lode, several months have been occupied. At 30 feet from the chamber the lode was met with, and gone through. It lias been opened on both ways, and is *iboiit four feet wido towards the west, and nearly eight feet to the east —in the latter direction certainly a good deal of mullock. The reef in appearance, at first sight, looks like a band of clay, but, when examined, plenty of quartz is found. On the hanging wall is a vein of black, gritty dirt, from which some good dish prospects have been washed, and there is also a good looking vein in the footwall, from four to five inches thick. Taking the lode all through, there will lie, from present show, about three feet crushing dirt. From the present level, there is a block of ground available for working out .300 feet long, ami about 150 feet to IGO feet in deptli. The mine is being well worked by Mr Hicks, the manager, v.-lio lias everything in perfect order. A large paddock lias been made, and, when found necessary, a tramway can lie laid from the claim to the flat, in order to send the stone down easily.

Britannia.— A crushing of 15 tons of stone from the Britannia was completed at the Fom Georges Machine, yesterday, and gave 14oz. sdwt. of melted gold. Manfkac Trirlte. —A small parcel of stone from one of the Mauukau tributes was crushed, and yielded soz. I‘Jdwt. 12gr. of melted gold.

M t'l.TL'M-lN Parvo. — The manager reports that during the late heavy rains the water got into the old Candlelight and Jamaica workings, and from them into his lower workings, causing him to stop working. Extra horse power has, however, been got to work, and he will soon he clear again. He will semi no more stone down to the mill by the present method, as a little rain makes the road in such a state

that it is almost impossible for the horses to get along. lie intends making a tramway from the mine to the Vale of Avoca wire tramway, and so send the quartz to the mil!. A good parcel of golden stono has been taken from the mine since the last crushing, and the reef runs as usual. Bride ofTokatea. —\7e yesterday were shown some of the specimens from this claim, which have been brought up from Coromandel to be crushed. Though taken out 80 feet below the surface, they look very much like surface stone. The gold seems to be very fino,*4)ut very thickly distributed throughout the quartz, and it is a sort of stone that will require very careful crushing in order to save all the metal. They will be crushed on Monday, in the amalgamating barrels of the Tram- | way battery, and will undoubted!} - give a j heavy return. The amount of gold oh- | tained from the 24 tons of general stuff put through is just lOOoz.

In our issue of the 22nd a paragraph appears stating that the Mo.\ tributers had crushed a small parcel of stone for a yield of soz. of gold. It should have been headed Una tribute.