MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 212, 13 June 1872, Page 3

MINING.

West Coast Tribute. —A crushing of a parcel of eighteen tons of stone for the tributers in the West Coast mine has. been completed, and given a good payable return of twenty-two and a half ounces of gold. This stone is from the main lode, from which the company had such a good return last week, but is taken from the upper level of the mine.; The tributers are at present driving along the lode, and the quartz crushed came from that drive. The air-shaft, which the manager has been putting down from the upper to the middle level, has broken through, and air can now lie obtained in sufficient quantities to work the ground with ease and comfort.

Caledonian. —A report lias been in circulation for the last day or two that the lode, where driven on from the bottom of the deep winze, had greatly improved in appearance, ■ and that antimony, copper, and other good indications were seen plentifully, and that naturally gold might he looked for at any moment. This report turns out to be entirely false, and. the reef still maintains the same hard and poor appearance which it has had since opened out at this level, nothing at all having been seen to indicate any improvement. The end of the drive being now very close to the Tookey boundary, a demand for this company’s stock set in, and they rose pretty quickly in price to £9 10s, at which transactions took place, buyers being plentiful at £9. The facts are, however, as we state, and no gold nor any signs of it have been seen in the Caledonian mine at the low level, except the stone found last week in the No, 2 winze going down. Golden Calf. —They are still driving on the lode at the low level, keeping the footwall in hand as they go along, and gold is seen every now and then in the stone as it is broken down.

Waitemata. The manager has followed the new lode down in the winze, and it lias dropped on to the main vein. It is not yet known whether it will go through the lode, or continue along with it, but most probably the latter will be the case. Where risen on above the level of the winze the lode looks very well, but work is suspended there for the meantime. The cross-cut going in from the main level to catch the reef has been driven for a distance of twenty-three feet, and in about ten feet more driving they expect to have the lode in hand. When this takes place, and when communication is effected from the Nonpareil ground, we may expect to hear of further crushings and good yields from this lode. Waiokaraka. — A meeting of the directors of this large company was held on Tuesday last, when it was resolved to call for tenders for pushing the large tunnel ahead for another 100 feet. This has already been done, and in a very short time no doubt, a contract will be taken and the work in progress. The tunnel is already in for a distance of one hundred feet, and it is the intention of the promoters to carry it in right through the very large area of ground possessed by themselves, and further still, if arrangements can be made with adjoining companies. The directors also intend to let certain portions of their ground on tribute the particulars of which will be made known very soon now. As there is more than one known gold bearing lode in the ground no doubt they will get several offers to take up the ground on the tribute system. Inverness. —The manager has still got the berdans grinding away at the blanketings from the last crushing, and he will probably not get them all through before the end of the week. They arc expected to yield very well, and no doubt the return of gold will be considerably augmented thereby. There were forty ounces of amalgam 'taken from two berdans on Tuesday, which looks like a good return. Dixon’s No. I—The ode as driven on seems to ho improving every foot they go. It is now about tour feet wide in both faces, and good gold has been taken out for the last day or two. The trainway from the hopper down to the battery is not completed yet, as owing to the very bad weather of the last few d ays they have not been able to get on w£h it. It will not, however, he long now before the manager will be able to commence sending down stone, when soma good yields may be looked for. Cure. —The crushing going on at the Prince Alfred Battery with six head of stampers is looking up well. It was started on Tuesday morning, and early yesterday twenty-four ounces of amalgam were taken off the plates, only the ripples not being touched. This is very good, as the blanketings always turn out well from this stone, and another good return may be looked for.

United Pumping Association. —The pump rods of the small pumps were all taken out yesterday, and the pipes will be removed forthwith. By Saturday next the engineer expects to have all the gear out of the shaft, and he will then he in a position to commence sending down the large pipes and fixing them in position. Removing the timbers from above the foundations will also he started immediately, so that in a short time the aspect of things in the neighbourhood will he considerabty changed for the better.

Manukau Battery.— This battery is now-at work on three parcels of stone. The Nonpareil have twenty head at work, and the crushing is looking about the same as usual. The Dauntless tribute are reducing a parcel, of about fifty tons, and a payable return may. lie expected. Kelly’s Albion trihnlors have ten bead going on a parcel of about sixty tons, which is expected to give a handsome return, most likely up to three ounces to the ton, which will pay very well indeed. Imperial Crown.—This company’s battery finished the large parcel of stone from the company’s mine last night, and is stopped in consequence. The quartz is not expected to turn out very much, having been put through principally with the view of getting the machine into good working order. A small show was however seen whilst crushing has been going on, so that theie will bo a parcel of gold to lodge when the clean up is effected. The battery works very well and smoothly, and the herdans, which are driven by belts from the cam shaft, work excellently well.

All Nations.— The opening up of the lower level of this mine is proceeding apace. The lode, where met in the crosscut from the bottom of the shaft, was about a foot thick, and contained a large quantity of minerals. It has been driven along towards the winze for a distance of about ten feet, and they have about eight feet more to go before communication is effected. The lode has not been broken down at all, but is stripped, ready for working on as soon as they hole through. The manager has commenced to drive also in the opposite direction, but is not iu yet any distance. The country near the lode is very Jiard and nasty looking, but in the face yesterday a change for the better was taking place, which indeed was fully expected, as the ground in winze is quite different in appearance to tiiat how being driven through. At the tunnel level, and some sixty feet along the drive towards the Inverness side, a crosscut has been entered, and a leader running parallel to the main vein was niet with about nine inches thick. A rise has been put up on this for some distance, and where now worked on it is a fine lode nearly eighteen inches thick, and gold was seen yesterday in breaking it down. The stone looks very likely, and the lode is striking through good country. A vein that was cut through in the Kuranui tunnel has been opened on, and the manager is starting a rise on it in order to prospect it and prove if it- be of any. value. Though where touched it lies in hard country, it may at any moment improve, and certainly seems to be worth testing. The number, of veins that run through this hill is astonishing, and it does indeed seem a matter of difficulty to determine which to work on. Vigorous prospecting, however, is the only means of thoroughly proving their value, and it will indeed be strange if in this golden neighbourhood some of them do not turn up trumps. Crushing is now going on at the Herald Battery with ten head, and an improvement has been noticeable during the last day or so, though the stuff is patchy, sometimes looking poor, and again showing up well. Don Pedro. —They are pushing on the drive towards the Moanataiari Company’s ground, and to-day a large block of the lode which has been stripped will be broken down, when some good stone is expected to he turned out. The rise which has been put up on the Inverness side of the cross-cut is getting on well, and the lode looks very good. It is as much as two feet thick in parts where stripped in the drive. Gold has been found in this vein now for a distance of nearly sixty feet where driven along, so that the crushing, when it takes place, may confidently be expected to turn out well. There are now about thirty tons in the paddock, and this quantity will he considerably increased during the week. Otago. —The manager is still driving along the branch lode from the No. 2 reef, and the vein looks very healthy, gold being seen frequently as it is broken down. The leader is only a small one, hut ought to pay well for crushing. Sons of Freedom. —Yesterday and the day before some nice specimens were obtained from the stopes on the reef, and more may be expected. The crushing is going on steadily at Souter’s battery with ten head, and is turning out very fairly.

COROMANDEL. (from our own correspondent.) June 12. The Neptune. —A survey of tins claim was made to-day, and it was found that the surface leader, from which such good prospects are obtained every day, was running parallel with their tunnel, within four feet of them. A cross-cut was at once put in, when it was struck. Several tons of stone have been taken from the surface lode, which is three feet wide, and proving payable. Green Harp. —Stoping oh the upper level is being carried on, and gold seen whenever stone is broken out. The lower level in the shaft has been given up fer the present, as it is in contemplation to sink an engine shaft, in conjunction with the Foreshore Company. It is expected that the machinery will be in full working order to-morrow, as the berdans will he finished, and the well sunk sufficiently deep to afford a full supply of water. A large quantity of quartz is already in the mill platform ready for crushing. The tramway from the upper level to the battery will also be completed to-morrow. Golden Paii.—This company commenced a main shaft this morning, and intend to carry it down 60 feet, so as to obtain a lower level upon the leader they have been working on for some time past, with such good results.

The Star of the Morning cut a verystrong leader in putting in a cross-drive from their old main tunnel, which gave a prospect by washing. The Bismarck still continues taking out rich specimens; about 2 cwt. were got on Friday and Saturday. To-day 50 or 60 pounds were obtained equal to anything taken from this claim. Van and Margaretta opened tenders today for 75 feet further of tunnel, which is being jointly put in by these companies. The country is much easier. The Van, in levelling ground for the tramway to Bennett’s battery, the cup of the Tokatea reef on the surface was cut in this claim, showing a widLh from 15 to 18 inches. Tenders have been called to sink a winze on it 100 feet, at which level they contemplate opening out. Peep o’ Day. —ln the upper level the leader has again widened out, and the manager anticipates picking up the gold again this week. In the lower level and cross cut there is nothing new to report. Pride of Tokatf.a. —They are sending down their quartz to the Nil Desperandum battery, which commenced crushing today. 50 or 60 tons will be put through, and a good return may be looked for. Royal Oak. —In the lower level of this claim a very good leader was crossed showing gold. In the upper workings there is no change to note. Working Miners still continue to carry the lode with them in their main level through soft country. A change, however, for the better is coming in at the face. The width of reef is now feet and well defined. Water is fast decreasing. Nil Desperandum.— The new manager is letting the remainder of lower tunnel, about 128 feet, by contract. The upper level is also being pushed on for the Working Miners’ reef. Wood’s Point. This company are carrying a tunnel through granite country, wholly different from anything I’ve seen here. They are now in 63 feet, and expect to cut the leader obtained on the surface at 250 feet, which showed gold and gave good prospects in washing. Golden Point. —Two lower levels are being put in by this company —one to intersect the Knpanga leader and tributaries, the other Scotty’s leader; the former is now in 112 feet, and themanager expects to get what he is going for this week. The latter is in "30 feet.