COROMANDEL.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 174, 30 April 1872, Page 3

COROMANDEL.

The Neptune is continuing its main drive at the low level, but has still sixty feet or more to travel before the main reef is met with. The tunnel has been much improved both in timber and headway. A good prospect was obtained the day before yesterday from the reef at the high level, and it is expected to hit it heavy at the low. The Golden Pah is still following up its old leader, which is improving in appearance. The Green Harp has opened out on the leader at the low level,, and is taking out splendid stone. Several lumps of sandstone which were thrown out as useless, were afterwards picked up from the road, and found to have a coaling of quartz, in which rich gold was freely distributed.

The Beach claim, adjoining the Green Harp, has settled on having pumping machinery on the claim at once, and the present shaft is to be enlarged to the dimensions of four feet by nine. The Tambaroora, ten men’s ground, and the very latest out, made its appearance yesterday morning. It is bounded by the Golconda, Wheal Fortune, and Moonlight, and has already contracted for a shaft similar to that of the Wheal Fortune, to be sunk on the confines of the ground, with the expectation of opening out on the Golconda No. 1 leader. It is to be sunk sixty feet, and the contractors are so sanguine of success that they have agreed not'to call upon the funds of the company until the contract is completed. A visit to the interior workings of the Golconda shows that a great amount of dead work has been done. I he mam drive is in nearly 200 feet, and the No. 1 leader has been intersected and driven along both to right and left. Some very good stone was met with two days ago at the bottom of the drive, but none has yet been taken out. We believe, however, that a winze will be sunk upon this reef.

On the No. 2 leader, the contract winze is down about 60 feet, and the reef, which had broken up a little, is again between tween two and three feet. At the boundary of the claim, a drive lias been started to run along the reef, and the stuff is being thrown out to form a tramway line to the battery.— Very substantial tramways have also been constructed, in the main drive, and everything is being prepared for stoping out. Lynch’s Flat Battery has at last received its cylinder, and will be in working order in ten or twelve days. The Pride of Tokatea lias taken out sixty pounds weight of specimens within the last three days, and more are expected every shift. They have come from the stopes. The other works are going on as usual.

The New Zealand Company’s Beach Battery will be completed for crushing in the course of eight or ten days. This machine will be able to crush at the rate of 150 tons of the Beach quartz per week, and it is to be hoped, after the outlay to place such a fine plant there, it will he continuously kept at work. The company’s upper battery is idle, and is likely to be so, and the battery staff discharged, until work is obtained to set it going again. It appears ten stampers keep.the present machine requirements of the field going—the crushing for the Tokatea Company, at their Whakaroa battery. Jldil , April 27.