MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 162, 16 April 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Caledonian. —lt seems that far from the shaft being swamped, that they have fairly broken the neck of the water, and yesterday got down to the bottom, and the water was all pumped out. The manager intends to recommence sinking in a clay or two, and seems confident that he will be able to continue it, as the pumps are doing their work well. The No. 2 lode is being driven on in the Lwer level, and in the middle level they are still driving through it. A trial parcel from the lower h-vel is now being put through at the company’s battery, but up to last night no great show was made on the plates. There are about twelve tons in ilie parcel sent down. Sons of Freedom. —The crushing which lias been going on for some time for this company at Webb's (Souter’s) Battery will be cleaned up on Wednesday next, retorting will take place on Thursday. Besides the general stuff, a fine parcel of picked stone is now being put through, and this will add a good deal to tlie return. The stuff lias been showing up well, and an improvement on the last crushing is looked for. Crushing will he continued on steadily, and regular returns may lie looked for. The acquisition of the Flying Cloud Claim will tend to enhance the value of this company’s upper levels, as it is well known that there is a really good block of ground standing there, which, though the Flying Cloud could not work it to advantage on account of the water, can be very well and profitably broken down from tiie present level worked on by the Sons of Freedom. The low loveJ is progressing well and favourably. The company’s stock lias been in good demand in the market, and lias advanced in’price. They are quoted, as will be seen elsewhere, at £7.

Sin k-to-rise Tribute. —A crushing of about sixty tons of stone is now going on at the Tramway Battery for this tribute, and from the appearance a return of an ounce to the ton, or a little over, may be expected. Prince Alfred Battery. —This battery wjis not working all day yesterday, as the boiler had to be cleaned out. A start however, was made last night, and it is in full swing. The City of London still occupy ten head, and the Cure have thirteen going. The show in the latter had improved on Saturday afternoon, and up to the time of stopping, the show may be put down at an ounce to the ton, so that an improvement may be looked for during this week. A little gold was to be seen in the stone in the mine yesterday, and the reef generally looked well. Stock is firm in the market, and buyers are plentiful at £l. The Inverness manager is sending clown a parcel of stone to lie crushed as soon as ever the battery is at liberty. Manukau Machine. —This fine machine was started yesterday morning, after a week of idleness, on two parcels of stone from the Tookey Company tributers, and from Lowe and party, and the otliei from Willis, being their usual monthly crusliings. Wai-o-Kakaka Company. —We understand that this company, who hold a very large area of ground on the Wai-o-Karaka Creek and spurs adjoining, are about to commence operations in a short lime. Yesterday morning, some of the gentlemen interested visited the ground and fixed on the spot where the large tunnel is to he commenced. This is at a point about one hundred aud fifty yards to the west side of the Queen of Beauty shaft near the mouth of the creek. The ground sill of the tunnel will be at a level of twenty feet above the road, which runs along the base of the bibs, and a tramway will be carried out over this road on trellis work for the. purpose of throwing out the mullock and sfufl’. This mullock will, we i inn gin •, ac found of givat ns'* to people on the Hat for the purpose of filling in and raising allotments on the low ground, and will thus be an advantage instead of a nuisance to the people in the neighbourhood. The tunnel is to lie of the same dimensions exactly as the Iviranui HiM Tmm<*]. and will thoroughly test the whole of this part of the field. This must he looked on as a work of great importance, and lie ranked amongst the progressive works on the fi Id, and from the gentlemen connected with tin* enterprise, we have no doubt hut that it will be carried out in an energetic nnvMier, and brought to a successful issue. We do not know what distance they propose goingin at present, hut we believe that there will he no 'imit to it if the prospects are only encouraging enough. Moanataiari. —The prospects of tins company are now decidedly of the brightest and good stone is being brought out nearly every shift. Up to last evening communication between the tunnel and the one hundred and thirty feet level had not been effected, though it was momentarily expected that it would be done, as the sound of the pick showed that a very small portion of ground remained to he broken away. When this is effected it will not take long to perfect the communication between the main workings and the low level, when a large proportion of tin* stone broken out will he sent down by that road.