MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 122, 29 February 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Bird-in-Hand. —Early yesterday; morning it was reported that a reef had been struck in the Bird-in-llnnd claim ; and on proceeding to the claim we found that such was really the fact. The driving for some distance from the shaft was through very hard, nasty country; but it lias greatly improved within the last ten feet, and last week wc reported that they were momentarily expecting to cut a body of stone. Tuesday night’s shift cut into a lode, but when we visited it had not been cut through. About 18 inches were exposed showing some very nice stono indeed. The lode is of rather a niiilloeky nature, but contains a great deal of quartz which looks very well, and a piece of which has been tested at the Bank of Australasia and found to contain gold. The hanging wall, which is a little exposed, is a very well defined one, with nice healthy looking casing. As far as Could lie seen the reef seems to run about W.N.W. by E.S.E., and it dips into the company’s ground. .Until it is cut through and opened out on a little, it is hard to determine the course, but from what wc can see at present, it looks as if it would join the Bright Smile reef down towards Pollen-street,provided that both lodes continue their present strike. The company have displayed great perseverance in pushing ahead their workings, and were determined to thoroughly prospect their ground. To a certain extent they have been rewarded, and should the lode in hand prove payable, their prospects will be very good, as a very large section of it is within their boundaries.

Inverness. —Since the lode was picked up on the N.E. side of the slide, a large muilocky lode, over two feet wide, has broken away from the main vein, and, from prespccts obtained, the manager determined to try its value. He sent about a ton and a half to the mill, which yielded loz. of gold, and is now putting another ton through, to prove it farther in. Should it give an average return of about lodwt. to the ton, it will pay well for working, being very easily broken down. The crushing from the main vein, which occupies ten head at the battery, is looking up for a better yield than the last, and the manager reports that the stuff being broken out of the stopc is showing up well.

Windsor Castle. —The winze has been drained, and work is now going on merrily, both there and in the low level. From present appearances, thej - expect to open communication in about three weeks, and then they will be able to start crushing without further delay. Star of tub Thames. —A parcel of about 4011). of picked stone was crushed yesterday, at Spencer and Hall’s testbattery, and gave a yield of fiuz. ydwt. Ggr. of melted gold.

Shamrock. The result of the late crushing of about 24 tons of stone is 430 z. lldwt. 19gr. of melted gold. The 24 tons put through consisted of lots from different parts of tlie mine, some of which were not very rich, and some of which yielded at the rate of about ooz. to the ton. Tookey Com pan y. The few tons of stone crushed at the Prince Alfred Battery, which were taken from the reef, did not yield very well, giving a return at the rate of about Gdwt. to the ton. Although the main reef has not proved payable where worked on, the upper portion of the mine lias done so to a large extent, and this is proved by the number of tribute parties who havo willingly taken up the ground as it was offered. There arc at present eight different parties working the upper levels, and, as can he seen by tiie returns sent in from time to time, they have so far proved remunerative to the men working them, and also to the company. The tributers working are as follow : Lowe and party, who arc working on Tookey’s No. 1 leader, and other lodes close to it on the south end of the mine. Wills and party, No. o leader, and a cross vein overlaying the No. 1 vein. Work and party have a section of the Belfast leader, between the GOft. and the 100 ft. levels, on the northern boundary. Antonio and party have a section of the same lode, adjoining Wills and party on the south side. Dare and party are on a section of the same lode, 40 feet below the 100 ft. level, lloare and party have got a section of the mine overlying the No. 11 lode, and containing a cross-leader and other veins. Gregg and party are working the section below Willis and party, which extends to the north-east side of the claim. The last tribute party signed their agreement yesterday, and set to work a section of the mine next to lloare and party’s tribute, and adjoining the Albion Company’s ground. Vale of Avoca. —Owing to the heavy expenses attached to the working of the mine, the directors have determined to let the ground on tribute, and are about to call for tenders to this effect. From the yield obtained from the last crushing, we should imagine that they should have no difficulty in getting some good offers, and wo believe that a good tribute party could work the mine with great advantage, both to themselves and to the company. Pickwick. Yesterday the manager commenced sending down a small parcel of stone to the Manuknu Battery, as a trial from the upper portion of the ground. A very rich return is not looked for from this lot, though the stone looks well. The manager yesterday picked off the heap, over which, it will he remembered, some rascal poured a quantity of fat a short time since, some nice specimens showing gold very thickly through them, proving that gold does exist at the bottom level. Some more stone is being broken down for a trial, and will soon he ready for the mill.

Twenty-Tiiiud of June.— Yesterday morning tin's company commenced the crushing of about IUO tons at the Waiotahi Battery, which has been some time idle. A good average return is looked for from this parcel. Lincoln Castle. —The manager has sent down about 20 tons of stone to the Waiotahi Battery, consisting of two different parcels, one from the TwentyThird of June lode, and the other from their own. Five head will he employed for them, and the manager of tiie battery intends to start crushing with the newlyerected live head on stuff from the company’s own tributers this morning. The machine is now in excellent working order, and we expect to see it constantly employed for some time to come. Alrurnia Triiiute. —The result of the crushing of about 90 tons of stone for these tributers was yesterday lodged in the bank, and amounted to 80oz. ldwt. Bgr. of melted gold. " Pride of Tukatea. —The amount of amalgam obtained from the specimen crushing just finished is l,lG<oz. This will he retorted l-ilay,, and is expected to yield a heavy proportion of gold.