MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 197, 27 May 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Cure. —With respect to the various rumours and repoits that have been in circulation relative to what has been done during the past week at the battery where the crushing is going on (we refer to the retorting of a portion of the amalgam), we have made inquiries of those most immediately concerned, and fiom what we have been able to learn we are of opinion that the report as to some of the shareholders having gone out and had the amalgam retorted is not at all true. The manager of the battery states that he had forty-eight hours’ run of amalgam cleaned up and retorted himself, in order to determine the value of the crushing going on, as he had been so constantly asked the question ; be, moreover, states that the fact was not kept a secret from any one, aud that he informed the mine manager of the fact. The latter denies this, however, and there the matter rests. We have, however, before us the result obtained from tiics retorting, which enables us to be able to estimate better the probable return that will he obtained. Three pounds weight of amalgam retorted eight ounces of gold, or one sixth. Altogether about one hundred tons have now been put through, and there are seven hundred and fifty ounces of amalgam on hand, so that the yield from this will be about one ounce and a quarter to the ton, aud the clean up of blanketings, &c., will most likely bring the yield up to one ounce and a half, which we look eri as being very satisfactory indeed. In the mine they are rising on the lode, and there was a very good show to be seen in the paddock in the stone coming out. We understand that the directors intend to let the work in the mine, or at least a portion of it, on contract, and that Mr Wright, C.E., has received instructions to prepare specifications, &c., for the work.

Junction Tribute No.2.—A crushing of about one hundred tons of stone for these tl'ibutors lias just been completed at the Herald Battery and lias given a good payable return of one hundred and nineteen ounces five pennyweights of melted gold, or at the rate of twenty-four pennyweights to the ton.

Golden Crown.— The quantity ©f stone crushed foi the company during the past fortnight only amounts to fifty tons, which was taken partly from the two different lodes on which they are working. It gave a yield of forty-nine ounces thirteen pennyweights of melted gold, being at the rate of one ounce to the ton. Golden Crown Tribute.—During the same period the tributers of the company have crushed sixty-five tons of quariz, which lias not yielded so well as their last few crusbings, having given forty-two ounces nineteen pennyweights of melted gold only. Caledonian. —the yield for the week past amounts to only two hundred and forty-four ounces of retorted gold, a considerable fall off for this mine. The quantity of stone crushed for the week has been far smaller than usual, and hardly any quantity of picked stuff has been taken out, so that nothing of any consequence was expected this week.

City of London. —A clean up and retorting took place for this company at the Prince Alfred Battery on Saturday, after ninety-six tons had been put through. The yield of gold amounted to eighty ounces three pennyweights six grains of melted gold, thus not coming up to the expected ounce to the ton. Crushing will not be resumed again on Monday, as the lease of the battery expires on the sth of next month, when the present holders will, we understand, hand it over to the owner, Mr Goodall. The manager of this mine does not think it worth while to begin crushing again on this account until some arrangement may be made. In the mine work is going ahead well. The manager expects to break through into the Queen of Beauty workings on to-day or to-morrow, as he is quite close up. The lode in the stopes has become nipped, so that he is not getting out stone in such large quantities as lie lias been for some time past. The connection of bis level, one hundred and eighty feet will be effected with the Queen of Beaut}’ 100 feet level, the City shaft being just eighty feet above that of the Queen. He is going to sink a winze on the lode close to the Queen of Beauty workings, in order to test it at a lower level.

Alburnia. —A clean up took place at this company’s battery, on Saturday, with a very fair result. About 300 tons altogether were put through since the last retorting; but a quantity of this was very inferior stuff, which would hardly pay to crush, but which was put through in order to keep the battery fully employed. The total yield was two hundred and seven ounces and six pennyweights of melted gold.

Kuranui. —The fortnightly retorting for this company is not a very heavy one, but is as good as was looked for. It amounts to one hundred and fifty-eight ounces and three pennyweights of melted gold, to which may be added the sixty ounces of gold obtained last week from the copper plates and odds aud ends, making a total for the fortnight of two hundred and eighteen ounces of gold. Californian Tribute. —The usual fortnightly return from these tributers is to hand, but is not so large as we expected to have to chronicle, amounting only to one hundred and nine ounces and five pennyweights of melted gold. For this yield a large quantity of stuff was crushed —nearly three hundred tons, we understand. This yield, though small, pays at Tararu, for various reasons. It is easily obtained, easily sent down to the battery, and the crushing expense is very small indeed. Manukau Tribute No. I.—A crushing of a parcel of fifteen tons of stone for the No. 1 Manukau tribute was completed at the company’s battery on Saturday, and gave a yield of ten ounces three pennyweights of retorted gold.

Manckau CoaiPANV. —The trial parcel of four tons, which we reported as having been crushed last week, has given a yield at the rate of twenty-three pennyweights to the ton, the four tons having returned four ounces twelve pennyweights of gold. This must he looked on as most satisfactory, and gives great encouragement to the shareholders to go in and prospect the ground underneath the large reef, which has up to the present lain idle. It is probable that the quartz found, from which the trial has just taken place, may be a leader running from the reef, and as such splendid returns were obtained from this part of the main lode, the inference is that it will carry gold with it, and very likely good gold too. Although a great deal of work has been done in this bill during the past four years and a half it seems as if the ground were not as yet prospected even to the working level. Queen of Beauty.— The fortnightly return of this company is to hand, and is perhaps a little below the usual average, being one hundred and fifty-one ounces seven pennyweights retorted gold, but nothing of consequence. Crushing too was interrupted for a time at Bull’s machine owing to the sudden death of the proprietor. Work is, however, again in full swing, and crushing is being as vigorously carried on as ever. Moanataiari.— The fortnightly return from this company has fallen short of what was anticipated. It was known that it would fall far short of the previous yield, hut not by so much as it has done. The general crushing has maintained its usual average, the falling off being in the quantity and quality of picked stone. Work in the lower level—that is, in the Kuranui tunnel, is being vigorously prosecuted, and progress is pretty rapid, the country being good working ground. Opening up the mine from this level will now be the principal object of the mine manager, and as soon as he can get to work from it there is little doubt that the fine yields of the past few months will not only be kept up hut will be exceede :, and the immense sections of ground commanded from this lower outlet will afford work for many a long day to come. The amount of gold lodged for the fortnight was melted on Saturday, and weighed seven hundred and sixty-eight ounces fifteen pennyweights. This may be looked on perhaps by many as a poor return, and, as compared with the last few retortings, it looks like it, hut if the company could keep this yield up for twelve months it would amount to twenty thousand ounces of gold, or a good deal over £50,000, so that it is, after all, a firstclass rich return.

Don Pedro.— Driving is being con tinned on the reef in hand in the cross-cut front the Kuranui tunnel, and the lode is looking very well indeed towards the Moanataiari Company’s ground, where it runs well-defined and in good country. Great Surprise. —A parcel of seven tons of stone is about being sent down from this company’s ground to be crushed at the Eglington Battery, in Bourkestreet. The stone is taken from the upper level workings, from the leader which runs alongside of and into the lode in which gold was first met with. The last crushings of stone from this ground have proved payable, and this parcel which is going down is expected to turn out better than former ones.

Unicorn. —On Saturday evening a great demand for this company’s stock set in, and they rapidly rose in price from 6s, at which they were sold in the morning, to 8s fid or 9s befoie the market closed. The rise took place principally on account of a small parcel of rich stone which was taken from the winze which the manager is sinking on the leader lately taken over from the tributers. This lode is reported to be looking very well, and several good feeders coining in to it, they are now taking the whole width of t,e winze out for crushing. They confidently expect to get some very rich stone out during the next few days, as the run from which the tributers obtained such good returns seems to be making downwards. West Coast. — During the past few days some more very good stone has been taken from the leader worked on by this company, and there is now a good parcel of specimens on hand. The manager is going to crush this week, if possible, and a good return is expected from the paddock of stone to grass on the mine. Golden Spur Tribute. —A crushing of about five tons of stone from tribute has given a return of seven ounces of gold. Una. —The manager now reports that the reef is in hand without much doubt. The quartz first struck, and in which nothing was seen, turned out not to be the lode, but simply stringers leading into it. On Saturday evening they had the hanging wall of the lode in hand in the face of the drive, and it showed a smooth, hard, and well-defined wall. It will be broken into this morning, and before night the size of the lode will most probably be determined for a certainty.