MINING.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 213, 14 June 1872, Page 3

MINING.

Lattra. —Mr Goodall, Mining surveyor, has made an extensive survey of this company’s mine, and has furnished a report to the directors from which we take the following extracts :— 11 The Laura Goldmining Company’s mine is situated north of the Moanataiari Goldmining Company’s ground, and is bound by the Eureka and Just in Time mines on the west, and Oie Moanataiari on the east. There has apparently been a great deal of prospecting works done on the mine, the chief of which are shown on the plan and marked No. 1,2, and 3.” After describing the position, etc., of these drives and the lodes cut in them, he goes on to say, “ There are other drives and workings in the Laura, but in such a condition that it was not possible to enter them, but from the quantity of quartz lying about at the mouths of the drives and the tops of the shafts there must have been a great number of leaders cut in them at the time these works were executed, when, unless gold was positively seen in the stone, work was abandoned. , It is therefore quite possible, that although most of the surface of the mine has already been prospected by others, they may not have found out the value of the lodes cut. Another important feature why these leaders should he prospected is the fact that crushing is now more carefully conducted than formerly, causing a gain of from 30 to 40 per cent.” The report also favours the idea that some of the Moanataiari lodes run through the ground and lecommends the sinking of a shaft and erection of a whim or engine as thought fit, the spot selected being close to the No. 1 drive. The manager reports that the lode cut in the No. 2 drive has been tested at Martinson’s battery, and has yielded at the rate of nearly two ounces to the ton. The directors have decided to break out twelve tons by contract at once, and crush it, and should it prove payable they will continue the No. 1 drive into the reef. By pushing this tunnel in a few feet farther the lode will be met with at a point which will give one hundred and seven feet of backs to work on between the two levels. The prospects of the company are certainly such as to warrant the expenditure of some money in testing the value of the various lodes in the ground. Golden Calf. —A change of a rather extraordinary nature has taken place in the workings on the reef at the low level of this mine. They had been following the lode along, keeping the footwall in the left hand side, but the reef suddenly turned to the light, and left the drive altogether. After pushing ahead about six feet they came on a fine strong body of stone running across the face and dipping into the hill, or quite in the opposite direction to the other reef, which dips to the creek. It has not yet been proved what the lode is, nor whether it is of any value or not, hut work is being pushed ahead on it as fast as possible. Caledonian. —No change whatsoever is visible in the appearance of the reef in the lower workings, where it is being driven on either towards Tookey or into their own ground. A little gold was seen yesterday in the intermediate workings, that is, in the stopes going along the specimen leader. On Monday last the manager tried the pumps on the water in the shaft, and found that by working pretty briskly he could easily break the water. This was done on account of the stoppage of the United Pumping Association’s small putnps just to see whether, in the event of the water rising there would be any difficulty in keeping the low levels dry, and it lias proved that no fear need be anticipated of any stoppage on account of the rise of water. The Caledonian mine was pegged out yesterday afternoon afresh, as it is intended to surrender the lease, and take out a licence u'nder the new Act.

Red White and Blue, and Lion Companies. —We understand that it is probable that terms will be agreed on by which an amalgamation of these two mines can he satisfactorily arranged, ancl we certainly think it will he to the future advantage of both if such is effected, as they have between them a fine block of ground to work on, which they will be able to do to much greater advantage from the level of the Lion tunnel than from above. This tunnel is now nearly in to the boundary of the two claims, and within a short distance of the Red White and Blue reef, on which it will give hacks of over two hundred feet to work out at once. Negotiations are also at present going on between the Lion Company and the Kuranui Hill Tunnel Company for the extension of the tunnel into and through their ground, and this would of course open the ground at a depth of perhaps two hundred and fifty feet lower still than the Lion tunnel, so that there would be immense blocks on whatever reefs the ground contains to take out.

Cure.— The crushing for this company is progressing most satisfactorily at Goodall’s Battery, and with an excellent show on the plates. Yesterday morning twenty-nine ounces of amalgam were taken from the plates, after twenty-four hours’ run with the six-head, and from the appearance of the stone being sent down to the mill, no diminution in the amount of amalgam need be anticipated. City of London. —Crushing progresses apace at Goodall’s with ten head for this company, and apparently with' good results. Yesterday, less than twentj*four hours’ run, a rough clean down of the plates gave twenty-seven ounces of amalgam, hard squeezed in hot water. In the mine the manager reports that things are looking very well indeed. The winze which lie is sinking on the lode is down to a depth of fifty feet below his level, making it twenty feet below the Queen of Beauty’s lowest workings, and the reef in hand is of a good thickness, and well defined, carrying visible gold. He is driving from his middle level, and, just after starting, the lode has become well defined, being about two feet thick, and carrying gold. We look on the prospects of this company as being excellent, now that the ground is being well opened up, and that the Queen of Beauty, their neighbours, have obtained such excellent yields lately, the quality of the stone having greatly improved as they got down on it. Imperial Crown. —The tributers of this company, who have been for some time working the old Golden Hill mine, have succeeded in opening out on the old Magenta lode, the same from which some good specimens were obtained in the Imperial City a short time since, and they have taken out a ten ton lot, which is now

being crushed at the Waiotahi Battery, as a trial, and is expected to turn out very well. The stone from the main reef, where driven on from Tookey’s shaft, has all been crushed at the company’s new battery, and the blanketings are now being treated. When this is done, a retorting will take place.